Fallout Equestria: Story of the Lone changeling (Choice driven story)by Outlaw the ChangelingChaptersChapter One: Stable 7Chapter Two: Trouble (Good Karma)Chapter 3: Hunted (Neutral Karma)Chapter 4: Same Journey, Different Problems (Good Karma)Chapter Five: Stand Still (Neutral Karma)Chapter Six: Shrouded Memories (Neutral Karma)Chapter One: Stable 7War. War never changes. Since the dawn of pony kind, when their ancestors first discovered the power of friendship, they made sure to spread love and joy throughout equestria. But friendship wasn't enough to keep other nations from greed and selfishness. Which lead to a millennia of conflict. The destructive nature of ponies could sustain itself no longer. The world of equestria was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation. But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter of not only pony history, but the history of all the creatures of equestria. For the creatures of equestria had succeeded in destroying the world - but war, war never changes. In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters, known as Stables. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them - all except those in Stable 7. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Stable 7 slid closed... and never reopened. Until one day, a former resident, brought forward the one who could change everything. The one known as The Lone Changeling. My eyes flicker open and immediately become enemies with the bright light above. I was blinded by it and slowly began to look away. My vision was blurry and I had a massive headache. Where was I? Why was I here? What was going on? The questions caused me to make the mistake of touching my head. The second I touched it, I felt two things. Excruciating pain, which caused me to inhale sharply in pain. And bandages. I tried to the best of my ability not to yell from my injury. To get my mind off of the pain I decided to observe my surroundings. As my vision cleared up, I looked around. There were only two words I could use to describe this place: Dull. Monotonous. The grey walls and ceiling itself gave me the feeling that the area I was currently in, was a place of solitude. A place isolated from the outside. I soon heard steps coming my way. I look toward the doorway to see a white earth mare with a pink mane wearing a white lab coat over a blue jumpsuit. She held a clipboard in front of her with one hoof as she stopped in front of the bed. The bed I didn't realize I was in until she walked in. She looks at me with her ice blue eyes before smiling. I'll admit, I found that pretty. "Glad to see you're up." She said. "How long was I out?" I asked. I'm not gonna lie. My own voice sort of scared me. It was something I could only describe as a metallic echo. Was I part robot or something? "You were in a coma for about two weeks. The Overmare was beginning to lose hope of saving you." She replied. I felt confused, as well as heavy in the chest. Why would someone lose hope in saving my life? Why was someone saving my life? Or the bigger question; what was I being saved from? "What happened to me?" "Somepony left you at the stable opening. They opened the Stable doors and left you at the entrance. You were bleeding profusely from your head. We managed to get you some help before you lost too much blood." She explained. "It's a miracle that you survived." "Thank you." I replied. The mare gave me a small smile. "You're welcome." She said. "Do you think you can walk?" The question was something I didn't expect. I didn't know if I could walk, so I decided to try. I step out of the bed and stood on all fours. I wasn't expecting to be as tall as I was. I could see over the mare's head by looking straight. She began to observe my features, continuing to look up and down. She was doing that for quite a long time. It wasn't until I cleared my throat to get her attention. "Oh sorry. Please, follow me." She said turning around. I could've sworn I saw her cheeks turn a slight pink color, but that could've just been my eyes messing up again. I follow the mare out of the room. As I walked, I noticed that I was in some kind of subterranean area. What was this place called? A Stable? This place was pretty well built, but they could've done something about the color. Grey isn't really the kind of color to keep creatures awake after all. The mare lead me to a room that consisted of a stool, a couch, and an easel that was next to the stool. "Please, take a seat, or lie down on the couch over there." She instructed me as she walked off to one of the cabinets. I go over to the couch and laid down on my back. I noticed my hooves had holes in them. That wasn't the only thing I noticed about myself. I had a dark red carapace on my back, and a long tail with a stinger on the end of it, a scorpion tail. What the hell am I? I decided to feel my head again, this time avoiding the bandages, and feel a horn that curved back. I also felt my ears. They felt... Jagged. I for some reason felt like... I felt like an insect. I stopped touching my head as I noticed the mare turning around. She had a couple of papers and a mirror in her hoof as she walked toward me. She placed the papers and the mirror on the easel and walked toward me. "I'm gonna take your bandages off now. Just let me know if it hurts. Okay?" She said. I nodded as she lend toward me. She gently unwrapped the bandages. She was slow and careful, making sure not to hurt me. When she finished, she gave me a smile. "Your injury has healed really well." She said. She grabs the mirror and shows me how I looked. I was surprised to see how my face looked. Not only did I already have a scar over my right eye, but I had another one around three inches above my left eye going from the top of my eye to my bottom of my left ear. Believe it or not, my scars weren't what surprised me; it was my face. I had two long fangs that hung out of my mouth, a webbed mane, and red reflection-less eyes with white irises. My body consisted of a black fur-less exterior. If the carapace and holes in my hooves weren't enough to classify me as a non-pony, my eyes and lack of fur was the definite conformation. "Alright." She puts the mirror away. "If you don't mind me asking; what's your name?" "My name? My name is...". An awkward silence fell between us. I couldn't remember my own name. Did I even have a name? Now I have no idea what I am, or who I am. "What's the matter?" The mare asked. "My name... I don't know what it is." "Hmm." The mare said tapping her chin. "You did suffer a head injury that resulted in a two week coma. You must be suffering from amnesia." She said. A sad look formed on my face. "Is there anything that you do remember? Anything at all?" I closed my eyes and tried my best to try to remember anything. But I couldn't. Not a single thing from my past came up as a memory. I open my eyes, looked at the mare and shook my head. "This is worst than I thought." The mare replied. "Don't worry, I'm sure your memories will come back." Why did this mare have so much faith in me? We've only met a few moments ago. I admit, I was flattered. "My name's Nurse Redheart." She told me, I smirk a little since I now knew the name of the mare who saved my life. "Nice to meet you Miss Redheart." I said. She smiles in return. "Likewise." She replies. "Now, since neither of us know your name, or your past, I'm gonna have to give you a few tests. Is that okay?" I simply nod in agreement. "Okay. I'm gonna say a word. I want you to tell me the first thing that comes to mind." Redheart said. I nod my head in agreement. "Dog." She said. "Loyal." I replied, as if on instinct. "House." "Renovate." I said. I have no idea why that was the first thing that popped in my head, but it was. "Night." "Shroud." I said. "Bandit." "Backstabber." Why did I say that escape my lips, and why did I say it with such haste. "Light." "Inspiration." I said. "Mother." When she said that, I paused for a second. For some reason, I was hesitant to say what was on my mind. After a minute, it slowly came out. "Un... Unknown." I said. "Hmm. Sometimes when I give out tests like this, I find out just a little more than I needed, at most times that's a bad thing, but right now, it tells me more about you. It tells you more about yourself." Redheart said. I looked at her confused. Before I could ask her a question, the door we originally came through opened (I had no idea it even closed in the first place). I look over to see a light blue unicorn mare, the size of Nurse Redheart, with a burgundy mane wearing a blue jumpsuit. She had a no nonsense look on her face; nothing but business with this mare. "I see your patient is conscious Ms. Redheart." She said. "He's in Stable condition, but he's suffering from-" "Good afternoon, my name is Ocean Rose, I'm the Overmare here at Stable 7." She said, not even giving Nurse Redheart a chance to finish. I simply nod in response. I really didn't know how to greet myself to her, given that I don't know my own name. There was no way for me to continue the conversation. "Aren't you gonna tell me your name?" She asked me. "I can't actually." I stated. "And why not?" She asked. Before I answered Nurse Redheart spoke up. "The trauma he suffered to his head gave him amnesia. It's so severe, his own name is a mystery, even to himself." Nurse Redheart explained. Ocean shot me a look. It wasn't threatening, but it sure as hell wasn't friendly. "Hmm. Well I don't plan on calling you the changeling all day. You think you can come up with name for yourself?" She asked. I shook my head, primarily because I had too many things on my mind to think of a name. "Well, If you can't think of one, I'll just call you Ling for the time being." Ling? Really? Two weeks in a coma and that's the best you come up with. At the moment, I didn't have anything better to call myself, but I know I'll find a better name for myself. Apparently I shot her the 'Really?' look, because she spoke up. "When you come up with a better name I'll call you that, but for the time being I'll refer to you as Ling." Ocean said. I would need to come with a better name quick, cause I do not want to be stuck with that name. "When you're finished here, I'd like to see you in my office." "Why?" I asked out of curiosity. "I have something I need to talk to you about. Something I need to only talk to you about." She said. "We'll be finished soon." Nurse Redheart said before I could. With that, Ocean Rose left the room. I was very confused. "What was that all about?" I asked. "The Overmare is just concerned." She said. I don't know if concerned was the right word to use. From the tone of voice she was using, I think she was accusing me of something. I think it would be in my best interest to go to her office as soon as possible. "Is there anything else I need to do?" I asked. Redheart seemingly snapped out of whatever daydream she was in. "Oh sorry." She said. "I have a few statements. Tell me if they sound like something you would say." "Okay." I said. "Conflict isn't in my nature." I paused for a moment, for some reason I felt like conflict was my nature. On instinct I wanted to say no, no matter how much I wanted to say yes. "No." I finally let out. "I'm not willing to rely on others for support." "Yes." I said, which surprised me, given the fact the mare that saved my life was literally right beside me. "I'm always fixing to be the center of attention." "No." I answered. "I'm slow to embrace new ideas." "Yes." I said. Once again, I was surprised by my own instinct. "I charge in to deal with my problems head on." For some reason, I had no instinct with that one. This was something I had to answer on my own. It's a very bad idea to deal with problems head on, at least it is without a backup plan. "No." "Okay, we're almost done. I have a few inkblots here. Look at them and tell me what you see." Redheart explained. She places the first inkblot on the easel. I look at it carefully; it took me a while to see anything but black and white, but I finally see it. "I see... A butterfly." I said. She changes the inkblot. The next one wasn't hard to picture. I honestly thought I was hungry. "I see an apple." I say. She changes it again. The third one was a little hard to decipher. It kind of looked like animal skin. Some kind of reptile. "It looks like alligator skin." I said. She changes the inkblot again. This one gave me a sort of... elegant vibe. It reminded me of fancy jewel where. "I see... a jewel of some sort." I said. Redheart looks at it herself before changing the inkblot. The inkblot kind of looked like something running from an explosion. A sonic boom more likely. "Something running from a sonic boom." I said. "Surprisingly vivid description. Last one." Redheart said. The last one looked very much like a torn page in a book. "A ripped page in a book." I said. She nods and takes the inkblots down. "That was it. Now I've been taking notes on your how answered. I'm really surprised with your answers and how unique they were." She said. "Unique?" I asked. "Well, no other pony in the Stable saw what you did in the inkblots. So I've got nothing to compare it to." Redheart explained. "That was the last test. You can go see the Overmare. She doesn't like to wait after all." I took her advice and got off of the couch. I got her a final thank you and proceeded to leave the room. I leave out of the room and began looking around as I walked. A Stable? That's what they called this place? This place felt like a maze given the fact I had no idea where I was going. I continue to look around and wander. Wondering where I was going. I was gonna have to ask one of the residents where the Overmare's office was. I turned to the left only for a pale white stallion wearing the Stable 7 jumpsuit, to bump into him. "Oh, sorry." I say. The stallion wasn't as tall as me, but was close. He had a spiky light green mane and his eyes were a dark grey color. "Watch where you're going Bub!" The stallion shouts directly in my face. "Hey, I didn't mean to bump into you, I'm just a little-." "Just a little what? Imbecilic! I've got enough food on my plate with those damn unicorns wondering around like they own the place. Now I have to deal with freaks like you getting in my way!" He shouted. I don't know what got into me. But it just happened. I was now nose to nose with this stallion. My eyes giving a look of killing intent, and my teeth gritted as I gave a low growl. I felt my tail move to be right over my right front shoulder. "I don't know how shitty your day was and I don't care, but the LAST thing you should ever do is take it out on me! Do that again, you're dead. Got me?" I asked. His face immediately turned into one of fear. He said nothing but nodded. I back up, giving the stallion a chance to breath. "Now, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to know where the Overmare's office is." I said a short pause fell between us. "Please." I said. "I'll t-take you there. J-just follow me." He said with a stutter. I follow him as he leads me through the vault. After what felt like an eternity, we've finally reached the Overmare's office. I attempt to knock on the door, only for it to automatically open after two knocks. "Glad you're here Ling. Please step forward." The Overmare said. I rolled my eyes in response to the name and walked forward. She was behind a desk and behind her was a couple of terminals. The office also had an oval window which overlooked the cafeteria of the place. I walk around and sit in front of her desk. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked. "Yes." Ocean's horn began to glow. From behind the desk she pulled out a travel bag. "When the guards brought you in this was on your back. When the guards searched through it they found a few things that drive my suspicions." She explained. I didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?" I asked. The first thing she placed on the table was some strange looking device. It looked like something that goes on a bomb. "This was the first thing they took out was this." Ocean said. "A fusion pulse charge." "Sounds explosive." I said. "That's because it is. A fusion pulse charge is used as a charge in order to have it available for detonation." She said. I was surprised. What was that doing in my bag? Was I keeping that from or for someone? This struck my curiosity. "What else was in there?" I asked. Ocean places three more things on her desk. A short lever action rifle. A dog tag, and a tape of some kind. The lever action rifle had some words engraved on the side. I take a closer look, and it had 'Last words' written in cursive on both sides of the rifle. I grabbed the dog tags and got a closer look. There wasn't a name, just two playing cards. The playing cards were both, joker cards. "Hmm... Jokers? That's odd." I comment. For some reason, this felt... Familiar. Like I heard someone with this name before, but who? Snapping out of my initial thought, I then reach for the tape. I looked at it with a confused facial expression. What kind of tape was this? "That's a holotape." Ocean said. "A what?" I asked. "Holotape. A laser-readable storage device normally used for storing information." She answered. Now that I had this... holotape. I need to find out what's on it. But I think it would be wise for me to listen to this on my own. If this really was my stuff, which it more that likely is, this should only be heard by my ears. "Now I called wanted to talk to you about the items I found in your bag, but I fear that your amnesia would make it impossible for you to answer any questions I had. I'm still debating whether or not I should have leave, but until I make a final decision, I'll answer any questions that you have at the moment." She said. Now's my chance to get some information. "You said that you were the Overmare of of Stable 7. What's that?" I asked. "Stable 7 is one of many subterranean shelters built before the drop of the megaspell bombs. They were designed and manufactured by Stable-Tec as a 'better future underground'." She explained. "Megaspell?" "The megaspell was the reason for the how the outside world looks. It was the last resort, but I suppose Equestria got desperate." "What do you mean by, 'Equestria got desperate'?" "Around a hundred and eighty years ago-." Holy shit that's a long time ago. "-there was The Great War. Equestria had been fighting war against The Crystal Empire and its allies for seventeen years. Long story short, either Equestria thought it'd be best for both sides to lose than just them. Or the Crystal Empire really did want to watch the world burn." Ocean explained. I now at least had a picture of what the outside world looked like. Now I need to find out more about this place. "Anything else?" She asked. "What's Stable-Tec?" "Stable-Tec was the corporation responsible for the building of these Stables. A 'better future, underground' so they call it. They're responsible for the success of a few projects. Stables, Terminals, and PipBucks were only to name a few." She answered. I was curious as to why she said, 'a better future underground' twice. I think she was trying to make sure I was paying attention. I already knew what terminals were, but I had no idea what a Pipbuck was. "What's a PipBuck?" I asked. "PipBucks are devices giving to every inhabitant when they're old enough to start work. The work a pony starts mostly coincides with there cutie marks, or how well they do on the C.A.T exam. PipBucks are a blend of late-war magic and scientific advances, a PipBuck is able to monitor the wearer's health, personal inventory, and correspondence, and can be used as a reference when building, repairing, or attempting to interact with equipment or technology." She explained. I was impressed, this 'PipBuck' really sounded like a real accomplishment of technology. Before I could asked about something else, she continued to talk about the PipBucks. "PipBucks also have limited magical functions, such as the E.F.P., S.A.T.S., and the ability to automatically scan the wearer's surroundings to determine threats or terrain. It also includes a lamp, radio receiver, Geiger counter, and a short-range transponder that can be used to track its location." Now I had more questions. "Mind telling me what a C.A.T exam is?" I asked. "Cutie-mark Aptitude Test. When ponies here don't get their cutie marks at a young age, they that the C.A.T exam to find out what their special talent would be." Ocean explained. "A Cutie Mark?" I asked. "Cutie Marks define a pony's calling in life. What makes them special." When she said that, I began to wonder what my Cutie Mark would be. I was a... Changeling right? Do changeling get cutie marks? Only time will tell me. But now isn't the time to wonder about that. "Anymore questions?" Ocean asked. "Yes. What's an E.F.P.?" I asked. That and the S.A.T.S. thing is what I needed to know now. "Eyes Forward Perception. It alters the sight of the PipBuck users which, when activated, changes the perception of nearby living creatures. One of the spells included in the PipBuck." She explained. That sounds useful. Could always use a few extra eyes and ears. "What's the S.A.T.S. feature?" "Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell. an advanced spell used to assist in combat. When activated, the spell causes the world to appear frozen in time allowing the user to gauge the situation in peace. The spell presents the percent chance of scoring a successful hit on various parts of the target's body and allows the user to line up multiple attacks. When the spell is released, all attacks are carried out automatically." Ocean explained. All attacks are carried automatically? I wonder how that works. I had one last question. "You said that the PipBucks were given to every inhabitant in the stables, right?" I asked. "Yes." Ocean replied. "You don't mind if I borrow one of the PipBucks?" I asked. She shoots me a disapproving look. "PipBucks are only given to members of Stable 7 only. And you are not a member of the Stable." She said to me. I began to think of a way to persuade her. But she spoke before I could think of anything. "That was all I needed to discuss, you may leave." She told me as she put my stuff back under her desk. I was disappointed I didn't have chance to try and talk her into giving me a PipBuck. I need to find a way to get a PipBuck so I can play the holotape, that I managed to steal whilst she was taking my stuff back. I have no idea how she didn't notice me swipe it, but I'm just not gonna think anything of it. So how could I get a PipBuck? Maybe I could get Nurse Redheart to talk the Overmare into giving me one. Or I could find a way to steal it. But... what if I get caught? I'm gonna get thrown this place and have no idea where I am? I don't even know what the outside world looks like. Ugh!! I need some kind of plan. Before I could think any further I heard something in the room that was literally two steps in front of me to the left. I listened. "Aww, are you gonna cry?" One bratty colt voice said in the form of teasing. "I feel so bad for you. So unlovable that even your brother and sister left you. You live such a sad life." Another bratty colt voice said. These were colts, at least they sounded like colts, how could they be this heartless. That infuriated me. If someone's caretaker leaves, that isn't anyone's fault, especially not the one they were taking care of. And it sure as hell was NOT anyone's business. I continued to listen. "M'ah brother an' sister would never leave me here an' you know it! Ah'm certain there's perfectly logical explanation as to why they're gone!" A young filly's voice retaliated. The filly's voice was a thick country accented one. It sounded pretty cute. "Yeah there is a logical explanation!" One of the colts said. I knew where this was going. "They didn't love you anymore!" He said. Followed behind was laughter. "M'ah *sniff* M'ah brother an' sister do love me." The filly said. I could here the breaking in the young filly's voice. She was about to cry. "Nopony can love a blank flank like you. Not even your cousin loved you enough to stay behind." The colt said. Behind the laughter, I heard sniffling along with soft crying. I've had enough of just listening to this bullying. I don't care if they're colts, I've gotta do something about this. I walked into the room with an infuriated look on my face. The filly was lying down hiding her head in her hooves, crying. She had a vanilla yellow coat, a red mane and a pink bow on her head. She, like everyone else in this place with the exception of me, had on the Stable 7 jumpsuit. As she cried, I looked at the three colts that were laughing at her. I at first thought there were just two. They continued to laugh at this poor filly's misery. But they stopped once they noticed my shadow going over the light that shined upon them. They look at me with a fearful expression as I stood over the filly like a bear protecting her cub. They slowly started to back away. They were taking too long, so I decided to speed things up. "*HISS!*" My hiss, my fangs, and they way I look in general was enough to send them running away screaming. As they left, I got from over the filly and stood in front of her. She still continued to cry, and I didn't know say. Then out of nowhere, I began to nuzzle her in attempt to get her head out of her hooves. I have no idea why I was doing that, it was an instinct. Did I used to be a parent? An Older Brother? A Foal-sitter for hire? Whatever kind of caretaker I was, its instincts were coming out. After a few rubs, she stops crying and sniffles a few times. "Don't worry. They won't be bothering you anymore." I said in a comforting tone. She sniffs and begins to wipe away tears. I help her to do it. Her tears are finally wiped way and she opens her eyes, which were orange. She jumps back a little upon seeing me. I guess I should've expected that, I mean, I'm not exactly a looker. She then remembers that I scared away her bullies and any fear she felt was immediately gone. "They didn't hurt you... Physically did they?" I asked. She shook her head. "No, but they did hurt m'ah feelin's." She said. "Why were they saying all that stuff about you?" I asked. The young filly's ears flopped in response. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to?" "It's okay." The filly said. She sits and begins to talk. "M'ah brother an' sister were the ones who took care of me. M'ah parents died when Ah was born, so they took custody of me. A few weeks ago, M'ah siblings just... disappeared. They left the Stable." The filly explained. That doesn't make any sense. Why would any on leave their younger sister? Maybe they gave her something they could go on. "Did they tell you anything before they left?" I asked. "A note? A holotape? Anything?" I asked. The filly shook her head. So her siblings left her without a word, or a trace. From what it sounds like, her siblings were trying to hide something hide something from her. I was gonna have to remember that. That is if I don't hit my head again.......... Bad joke. Wait. Didn't the Overmare say something about a... Hold on. "Um... little filly? Did your siblings still have on their PipBucks?" I asked. "Ah don't think they ever took'em off. Why?" The filly asked. "The Overmare said something about a short-range transponder. It's used to track were the PipBuck is located. So if your siblings still have the PipBucks on-." I trailed on hoping that she was catching on. Which she did as a smile came across her face. "Then m'ah family can be found out there!" She said. Her smile then disappears and sad look replaced. "But I can't find m'ah family on my own, especially not out there." I tapped my chin in thought. Maybe I can help this filly. While I'm out of this place, I can look for clues to my past, and help this young filly find her family. Killing two birds with one stone. "Maybe I can help you." I said. The filly shot an adorable smile in my direction. "Really!? Ya mean it!?" She asked very excited. I nodded in response with a smile on my face. Suddenly the filly ran over and hugged my hoof. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!" I hugged the filly back and replied, "You're welcome." The filly releases me. "M'ah name's Apple Bloom, what's your's?" She asked. An awkward feeling hit me, I have the names of three ponies, and I don't have any names for myself. "I um... I actually don't have one." I said. Apple Bloom looked at me confused. "I woke up not too long ago in the nurse's office. I was suffering a head injury and I lost my memory, including my name." I explained. "Oh, Ah'm sorry." Apple Bloom said. She then starts thinking. I had no idea what she was thinking about. Before I could say anything she spoke again. "How 'bout ah give you a name?" "As long as it's better than the name Ling, then sure." I joked causing her to chuckle. She then starts pacing back and forward, observing me with every movement. "Hmm, how about... Nightshade?" She said. "Nightshade?" I asked. "Eeyup. It's cool and Intimidating." She stated with her chest held high with pride. Nightshade? It did sound kind of cool. It was a lot better than Ling, and less basic. "Okay. Nightshade it is." I said. Apple Bloom beams a smile my way. "Ah really appreciate what yer doing for me Nightshade. Ah don't think anypony else would even think about tryin' to help me, 'specially since it involves goin' out there." Apple Bloom said referring to outside the Stable. Is it really that bad? If so, I was gonna need something very important. "Hey Apple Bloom? Do you think you can get something for me?" I asked. I felt bad for this, but if I was gonna help her with her family situation I was gonna need what I was gonna ask for. "What'do ya need?" Apple Bloom asked. "Do you think you could get me one of those PipBucks?" I'm asking a young filly to steal. What's wrong with me? "Ah don't know Nightshade. Do we really need it? Ah mean, Ah don't wanna get us in trouble." Apple Bloom said a little fearful. "Don't worry, I know you're nervous, but if I am to help you I'm gonna need a PipBuck. There's something I need to use it for." I said. Apple Bloom looked to her left and right. "Stay here, Ah'll be back." She said as she walked away. Did I really just con a little filly into stealing a PipBuck? Well it's not considered conning if I actually need it to help her, and myself Around three minutes later the door opened. I look over to see that it's Apple Bloom, with the PipBuck in her mouth. I walked over to her and took the PipBuck. "Good Job Apple Bloom." I said. She smiles in response. I tried to put the PipBuck on, but to no avail. I had no idea how to do this. I continued to try to put it on my hoof but I either dropped it, or couldn't get it to close on my hoof. "Um... Mister Nightshade? Why don't you just use yer magic?" Apple Bloom asked. I was confused. I had magic? Then I remembered I had a horn. I used my magic to levitate the PipBuck so I could put my hoof through it. As I did I closed the PipBuck and fastened it shut. It suddenly came on. Words that were to fast to read scrolled up. When those words went by, a green cartoonish pony popped up in the middle. It then points at me and winks before the screen switched again. This time the pony turned itself into me. A changeling with a scorpion tail. What I was currently looking at was a green cartoonish version of myself, with what looked like health bars next to all four of my legs, my head and my tail. There were five words at the top. Stats. Inv, more than likely short for inventory. Data. Map. And Radio. This went from left to right. There was a knob at the right of the PipBuck with the same words next to it. This clearly meant that I could use this to scroll back and forward between the screens. But just to be sure I tested it. I tapped the top of the PipBuck and a slot came up. This must've been where I could play the holotape. I took the holotape, placed it in the slot and closed the slot. Hold on, It's important that I record this. A voice said. This was the voice of someone in their early fifties, at least. Listen, we don't have a lot of time, so I'll make this quick. I know that I'm probably asking a lot from nineteen year old but if anyone can help us, it's you. Now I know that what I'm asking may be difficult for you to achieve, especially in your current condition, but I know you can do this. You've always overcame your obstacles. When you wake up, head northwest to Blackridge. It's a long way so if you can, find some shelter, stock up on supplies. Food, water, ammo anything. I believe in you. We all do. I know you'll find us when you leave the Stable. I thought that was the end of the recording, but a hissing sound followed by rumbling filled the air. The door's open Mr. Mustang. Let's get a move on before we're caught. A female voice said. This voice had a country accent, like Apple Bloom. Who even recognized the voice. "That's M'ah sister, Applejack!" She exclaimed silently. Thanks Applejack. I'll see you soon. The voice said before ending. Me and Apple Bloom look at each other, It seems that my past and Apple Bloom's missing siblings are somehow connected. Also, I'm apparently Nineteen years old. I felt older than that, at least twenty-three. "So Applejack was the one who opened the Stable doors. If that's the case, then we could find them at this Blackridge area." I said. I knew that Apple Bloom was gonna get a little excited, and I don't blame her. But I needed to tell her the good and bad news. "Good news; we've got a trace to your sister. Bad news; It's been weeks. If the world is really as bad as everyone says, they probably moved to another location." "Ah know. But if they left a holotape on you, they must've left some clues if they did move." Apple Bloom said. "Let's just hope that's the case." I replied. "My question is, How do we leave?" I asked. After a minute of tapping her chin she spoke up. "The Stable doors need a recall code in order to open, and only the Overmare knows it." She explained. Great, now we're stuck here until I could get that recall code. Wait a minute. "Hey, Apple Bloom? What time does everyone go to sleep here?" I asked. I had an idea. "Well me and all the other foals are supposed to go to bed at 9:30, so ah think everypony else goes to bed after that. Why?" Apple Bloom asked. "If I could get into the Overmare's office when no one's there, I can swipe the recall code so we can leave." I said. "Mr. Nightshade. The recall code is on a terminal in the Overmare's office." Apple Bloom explained. So I was most definitely was gonna have to hack the terminal. Shouldn't be too hard. "Don't worry Apple Bloom, I'll get that recall code. We'll find your family, I promise." I said. "Now while we wait, see if you can get some supplies. Food, water, ammo, anything we need, see if you can gather some. But don't pack too much, okay?" I instructed. Apple Bloom nods and runs off. I walked off and looked at a window seeing my reflection in it. "I hope this isn't a promise I can't keep." I say to my self. A few hours have past making the time 10:25 pm. I was currently in Apple Bloom's quarters playing some kind of board game. Apple Bloom managed to grab a couple of boxes of apple based foods (Don't know what I expected), some bottles of purified water, a 10mm pistol, and 3 clips of 10mm pistol ammo. I have no idea where or how she got it, but I chose not to ask. As we were playing the board game, I noticed that Apple Bloom began to yawn. She was tired. "Maybe you should go to sleep." "B-but Ah *yawn* Ah'm not sleepy." She said. She obviously was. "Listen, If we're gonna leave this place, you need to get some rest. We're going to be leaving early, and it'll be very hard to leave this place if I have to carry you." I stated, Apple Bloom rubbed her eyes and looked at me tired. "Look, while I go get the recall code, why don't you pack all this stuff? Okay?" I told her. She nods and began to put away the board game. I got up and left the room. Now I just needed to get to the Overmare's office. Considering I've been nowhere else in this Stable, it's actually pretty easy for me to remember where it is. I continued to walk and make my way to the Overmare's office. I turned the corner and see an ice blue pegasus stallion. He wore a sort of armored version of the Stable 7 jumpsuit as well as a helmet. Clearly he's part of the security here. He looks at me as I attempt to walk past, and stops me. "Hey. Where do you think you're going?" He asked me with an even toned voice. He was clearly older than me by no more than three years. Heck, he could possibly be the same age as me. Persuading him is gonna be easy. "I'm just on my way to the Overmare's office. Tell you what, you let me by, and I'll put a good word in for you." I said in a pretty Charismatic tone. He gets a pretty shocked expression on his face. "You... You will?" He asked. I nodded in response. "Th-thanks. Um... Please be sure to tell the Overmare I didn't have the uniform on backwards this time." He asked me in a sort of whispering tone. "Sure thing pal." I replied. I managed to catch a glimpse of his name tag . 'Thunder Spark'. He lets me pass and I continue to walk to the Overmare's office. That's when I realized. How the hell do you put your uniform on backwards? I finally make it to the Overmare's office. Once entering, I closed the door behind me. I go over to her desk and see a terminal. The terminal was protected by a password. A password I didn't know, so I was gonna have to hack it. Shouldn't be too hard, right? I couldn't have been more wrong. I activated the terminal to see two vertical rows of seventeen. The seventeen lines consisted of symbols, parenthesis, brackets, and greater than less than symbols (<>). On top of the rows and to the left was the text, 4 attempt(s) left, with four rectangles next to it. There were a few five letter words on the screen. I apparently needed to click on the correct one in order to get into the terminal. The first one I clicked on was 'CRAZY'. In the bottom right corner I saw the words: Entry Denied. Underneath those words was, 1/5 correct. What the heck does that mean? The next one I clicked on was 'RUSTY'. Entry Denied, 2/5 correct. I then try 'LUSTY'. Entry Denied, 3/5 correct. I had one last attempt left, so I decided to think hard. What was the out of five thing about? Okay let me think this through. I look closer at the three words to try and figure this out. Then I realized something. The out of five nonsense was telling me the correct letters in the word I'm supposed to use in order to hack into this thing. 'CRAZY' 1/5, correct letter is Y. 'RUSTY' 2/5, correct letters are U and Y. 'LUSTY' 3/5, correct letters are L, U, and Y. The only other word here with all those letters was the word 'LUCKY'. I click on it and boom. I was in. Three options popped up. From top to bottom the options were: Residents, Events, and Recall Code. I clicked on the Recall Code and a text popped up. It said the Recall Code was NESRKT. Had no idea what that meant but I made a mental note to remember that password. I back out to the first screen, and curiosity hit me. I click on the Events to see what recently happened in this place. It talked about me, and issues about the Stable that were considered 'minor'. I back out of that and click on residents. A long list pops up. The one at the top of the list was labeled 'The Apple Family'. Knowing Apple Bloom's name, that was what I clicked on. After I clicked on it, a list of names popped up in alphabetical order. Apple Bloom, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Granny Smith. I clicked on Apple Bloom's name to learn more about her. What I learned was that she was born in 2267 making her ten years old (The date was on the computer), she hasn't received her cutie mark yet, so she couldn't receive a PipBuck and be put to work. That was pretty much all it said, so I backed out and clicked on the rest. I learned a lot about the Apple Family. Applejack was no older than me apparently and left two months before my arrival with her brother Big Macintosh, and cousin Braeburn. Big Macintosh, who was currently the oldest out of everyone being twenty-seven, play an essential role in Stable security. The head chief as a matter of fact. Braeburn was Applejack's twenty-four year old cousin, and from what I read, the Overmare's Colt-toy. Probably explains why she's slightly bitter. Braeburn was a part of managing the food within the Stable. Granny Smith unfortunately passed away before their escape at the age of seventy-seven. She was the caretaker of Big Macintosh, Applejack and Apple Bloom after their parents died in 2268 from unknown causes. That was a bit of tug on the heart strings. This poor filly literally had no one to take care of her. All the more reason to get to Blackridge. But it was late so we'd have to wait until early morning. I also stole back my lever action rifle and the fusion pulse charge. I didn't bother with the travel bag, since it was empty. I make it back to Apple Bloom's room and walk inside. Apple Bloom was already asleep in her bed. She left the bag with the supplies in it under her bed. I walk over to the bag, put the lever action rifle and pulse charge inside it, pick it up with my mouth by the strap and walk over to the closet. I open the closet and placed the bag inside and closed the door. I walk over to the couch by the door and decided to sleep on that. I had a bunch of things flow through my mind. What does the outside world look like? Would I be able to find my past? Would I be able to uphold my promise? Did my mouth make a promise fate won't let me keep? I shook my head and thought of things more positive. I will find Apple Bloom's family. I will find out my past. No. Matter. What. With those final thoughts, I fall into a slumber. I wake up in a bedroom inside of a house. The house was poorly built when it came to good looks, but it was very sturdy. I get off of a pretty raggedy looking mattress and make my way out of the room. When I walked out of the room I looked around. The room I was currently in had a couch, a table and a mares silhouette. I start looking around some more in order to get an idea of- Wait? A mare? I turned back to the mare. She was literally nothing but a shadow, but she looks at me and smiles. I was trying to at least decipher what kind of pony she was, cause she looked nothing like a changeling. She began to walk towards me in a sort of... Seductive way. Her hips swayed as she got closer and closer. She was now face to face with me. Our muzzles were literally two inches away from each other, this gave me enough time to see one characteristic. She was a unicorn. Before I could look anywhere else, She kissed me, full on the lips. The kiss was electric. Filled with passion, filled with love. As if I was under a spell, I couldn't pull away. Instead I wanted more. I kissed the mare back. Her hooves started to go through my mane. Despite it being webbed and holey, It was actually pretty soft. The two of us then stood on our hind, which allowed her to wrap her hooves around my neck. I wrapped mines around her waist. We stop kissing so we catch our breath. That's when I saw the color of her eyes. They were lavender. Big, beautiful, lavender eyes. I lean in for another kiss only for something to lightly push against me. As if to get my attention. I felt small hooves pushing against my carapace. I wanted to know who that mare was, but I guess that would have to wait. "Nightshade." Apple Bloom silently said to the point of a whisper. I turn to face her, and see she has a saddened look on her face. "What's the matter?" I asked. "Ah... Ah had a bad dream. Can Ah sleep with you?" She asked. I gave a small sigh. "Sure." I answered. I turn over so my back was facing the ceiling. She climbs on top of my back and buries her head in my mane. I used the arm of the couch as a pillow. I could just tell I was gonna wake up with neck problems. Before I could close my eyes, Apple Bloom spoke again. "Nightshade?" "Yes?" "Do you really think that we'll find my family?" Apple Bloom asked. I felt my heart jump into my throat as she asked that question. Does she really think her family can't be found? She didn't really think her family was gone forever, did she? I mean I wouldn't blame her if she did, but that doesn't mean that's a thought that she should be thinking like that. "Don't worry Apple Bloom, we'll find your family. I'll find your family. I promise." I said. I wasn't looking at Apple Bloom, but I knew she smiled. She nuzzles my mane before resting her head and going to sleep. I give a smile myself and went to sleep. I was right about the neck problems. My neck felt sore as I woke up. I use my tail to wake up Apple Bloom. She wakes up with a yawn and climbs off of me. I get off of the couch and began stretching my neck. After a few pops I check my PipBuck for the time. The time was 2:21 am. There is a good chance that everyone in this Stable was asleep. "Apple Bloom, get the bag. I put it in the closet." I instructed. Apple Bloom nodded in response and did what I instructed. She drags the bag over to me and I use my magic to place the bag on my back and strap it on. The bag was pretty light, which was good. I open the door, look to my left and right to see if the coast was clear. Once it was confirmed I began to walk out of the room. I began to think about what I was doing. I was going into the world blind, and I was apparently stupid enough to drag a filly with me. I had no idea what I was gonna run into, nor what I am to expect. I began to have second thoughts, but this filly needed to get back to her family, and I needed to find my past. And besides, I already promised. After a bit of a long time of searching, we managed to find the Stable door. If Apple Bloom wasn't right behind me the first words out of my mouth would've been 'Holy Shit'. Despite my surprise, I felt stupid thinking a normal door would actually keep this place concealed. I look at the terminal next to the vault door and then at Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, I need you to put the recall code in. It's N.E.S.R.K.T. I'll watch our backs." I instructed. Apple Bloom nodded and walked over to the terminal. I was looking in the direction I just walked from. "Nightshade, the code's in." Apple Bloom called. I look at her and nod. I go over to what looked like a control panel and pulled a lever down. The same hiss and rumble I heard from the holotape. The Stable doors slowly began to open. That's when a booming voice was heard, scaring the living daylights out of me and Apple Bloom. "Stop him! Stop that fillynapper this instant! Guards!" I guess the Overmare wasn't to happy about me taking Apple Bloom to find her family, but she didn't have to call me a fillynapper. Either way, I was gonna be shot on sight. "I want every guard pony at Stable 7 doors. Stop that fillynapper before he gets away!" The Overmare shouted over the intercom. The door was still opening. Why was this damn thing so slow? "Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain from taking that filly away from us?" She asked as if to guilt me into stopping what I was doing. It wasn't gonna work. I wasn't fillynapping her, I'm doing what no one in this Stable made an attempt to do. "I hope to help Apple Bloom get back to her family!" I said loudly. "Her family is gone! They are never coming back!" The Overmare snapped. "That's why I'm taking her to them!" I shouted back. After what felt like an eternity, the door was finally open. I then heard rapid hoofsteps running towards us. Since I knew the chances of me walking away with my life was completely out of the window, I just grabbed Apple Bloom, placed her on my back and began to run out of the door. I saw another control panel out of my peripherals, and use my tail to flick the lever up which began to close the door behind me. I turned around to see that the guards had gun saddles. The doors closed before they could fire any shots, much to my delight. It got very dark, it was difficult to see, but I prevailed. Couldn't say the same for Apple Bloom. "Nightshade, Ah can't see." She stated. I looked at my PipBuck and started tapping it with my other hoof. "If I remember correctly, the Overmare said that there was a lamp installed in this thing." I said. Seconds later, the lamp in the PipBuck turned on with a green light. It made me flinch given the fact that it shined right in my face. I looked ahead of me and saw a door that looked like it was boarded up. I could see the dull lights of the moon shining through the cracks of the boards. I go over to the door and turn off the PipBuck. I use my magic to turn on the knob on the door and opened it. The darkness of the night was nothing compared to the cave, so it was very easy to see. Despite the outside being dark, the sudden sight of reality was blinding us both, our eyes finally adjust and fixated on the scenery. My eyes widened, and I'm certain that Apple Bloom's jaw was agape. With the destroyed buildings that barely even stood, the dusty texture and the dull night looking sky. The only way I could describe what I was seeing was, Chaos. "My goodness." I silently said. I began to walk forward, and my hoof stepped on something...furry and leathery. I step back and look down and see that it was a light brown stetson with a U shape in the front. "That's m'ah sister's hat!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. I pick up the stetson with my magic and give it to Apple Bloom. It was her sister's, so she should be the one to have it. I look at the map section on my PipBuck to see were Blackridge was. I assumed that the little isosceles triangle with the concave bottom was me. The Blackridge area was very far to the northwest. At minimum it was a five day walk; maybe more if obstacles were in the way. Nothing else was marked onto my map. "Nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. "Yes?" I asked. "How far is Blackridge?" She asked. "About five days away, maybe more. We're gonna need to find a place to rest until sunrise." I stated, still trying to find a location on my PipBuck. "How about over there?" Apple Bloom asked. I turn my head to look at her and saw were she was pointing her hoof. I follow the trail of where her hoof was pointing to see a large metal built with large metals. It was close, it looked secured, and more it than likely had a place to rest. "Good eye Apple Bloom." I congratulated. I then began to make my way toward the wall. During the walk, Apple Bloom placed the stetson on my head. I look back at her and before I could say anything she said, "It suits you." I didn't like the idea of someone else's personal item with me. If I lost it, I'm I would just feel like the worst creature ever, but I didn't wanna disappoint Apple Bloom. I just stayed silent and kept walking. After about ten minutes of walking, we were about forty feet from the wall. As I got closer, I noticed a sign. It read, 'Welcome to ~~Ponyville~~ Borderville. I took on step closer, and a bullet whizzed past my front hoof. I jump back and used my magic to pull out the 10mm pistol out of the bag. "That's close enough!" A female voice shouted. I began to look around to see where the shot came from, but I didn't dare move. Whoever fired that shot had a sound suppressor on it, and could see me, where as I couldn't see her. I was at a severe disadvantage. "Not another step, or I'll blow your fucking head off!" The voice repeated. I continued to look, before something strange happened. Time just... stopped and suddenly, I could see who almost shot me. It was a griffon with a high powered sound suppressed sniper. The griffon was white in the face, and brown on the body. She also wore some kind of leather armor. She also had a yellow beak and yellow talons. This must've been the S.A.T.S feature. I exit the S.A.T.S and time began to flow normally. "Who are you and what do you want!?" She shouted. "I'm Nightshade! We're only looking for a place to rest!" I answer, trying not to sound like I was a threat. "A place to rest huh!? How do I know you're not a spy working for the Hunter Confederacy!?" She sounded. I was confused. "The who!?" I asked. I felt Apple Bloom get off of my back and hide underneath me, hiding behind my front hooves. She was scared. "It's alright." I said to her in a comforting tone. "You-you have a filly with you?" The griffon asked, toned down from yelling. I simply nodded. "Atlas! Open the gates!" She shouted. I felt the ground rumble as a part of the wall began to lift up revealing a door. "Come on in! I'll greet you inside!" The griffon said. I then began to slowly walk toward the door, keeping Apple Bloom by my side. I walk to the door and open it. On the other side, it was a pretty large town. All of which was surrounded by the metal wall. I walk into the town and the griffon makes her way toward him. "Sorry about almost shooting you, you can't be too careful in this world after all." She said. I was gonna say something, but she spoke up again. "Those Hunter Confederacy bastards have been making everyone here jumpy." "Hunter Confederacy?" I asked. "They're a group of Mercenaries that have been trying to kill us for a while. They're stationed at a place called Ashbourne, east of here. I've been trying to convince the mayor to let me lead a counter charge, but he denied." She explained. I looked at my PipBuck and a new location was marked on the map. I also had two discovered locations on the map as well. Borderville and Stable 7. "Is that a PipBuck?" She asked. I nodded. "I got it in Stable 7, we left looking for her family." I said as I moved my hoof, which Apple Bloom was using to hide behind. Apple Bloom began to back away against my hoof. The griffon looks at her and looks at me. "My name's Dawn. I guess you could call me the sheriff of this town. There's a rent-a-room right over there." She points to a house right beside the far end of the town. "The first 24 hours are free." "Thank you." "Don't mention it. I'm just glad there's some good in this world. Not a lot of creatures would would help a little filly in need." Dawn said. I watch as she flies back to her guard post. I then began to walk toward the house she previously pointed to. As I walked, I received greetings from both Griffons and Ponies. Some were polite, others were, 'Don't try anything stranger'. I look at Apple Bloom just to make sure she was safe. She stayed very close to me, nearly leaning against me, with a nervous look on her face. We finally make it to the rent-a-room building and walk inside. A yellow stallion with a brown mane was behind a stand. Upon seeing me, he chuckles. "Now I know I've never seen you around here before." He said. His appearance was deceptive. He sounded older than he looked. "Welcome to rent-a-room. Rent to rest for a fee, first twenty-four hours free." He said. Bad catchphrase to be honest, but I didn't come for that. I looked around; the place wasn't the best looking, but I wasn't looking to stay in a five star hotel. "I'd like to rest here please." I said politely. The stallion chuckles. "Sure thing newcomer. I just need to get your names, and we'll be set." The stallion said, reaching under the stand and picking up a pen with his mouth. I take it with my magic and he pushes a book toward me. I write in my name and Apple Bloom's name. The stallion then gives me a key. "Second floor, Left of the stairs as you get off." He said. "Thank you." I said. The stallion just smiles. I walk over to the staircase and walk upstairs to the second floor. I turn to my left and see a door. I use the key to unlock the door, and I open it. "You may find that I'm... very persistent." A deep voice said to my right. I jumped in fear and look to my right to see a grey and dark grey griffon wearing some kind of white combat armor. He had scars over his left eye, which left it with no irises or pupils. His right eye was brown. His yellow beak had more scars than I could count. "Um... who are you?" I asked in suspicion. "I'm someone who wants to make a deal. A deal that'll allow you to make a lot of caps, and have a place to stay. Permanently." He said with a smirk. I didn't like the sound of that, nor did I feel like declining. I kind of want to know what the deal is. A place to stay permanently wouldn't be that beneficial since me and Apple Bloom have a specific place to go, but given how he said 'caps', It sounded kind of like he was paying me. Currency would have some benefit. "What is it?" I asked. "Ah, eager aren't you?" Yea eager to find out what the hell you want. "I like that." "Get to the point." I said. "Hmph. I've been here for about five years. I feel like this is the perfect place for my team to set up a second base. The only problem is... This place requires a little..... pre-build demolition." He said. It took me a moment to figure out what he meant by that. "Wait. You don't mean-?" "That's right." He butts in. "I want this place to burn to the ground. And you're just the one to do it." He said. I was taken back at the sudden task. "W-why me?" i asked. "Because you're not like any of these, wimps and punks that believe that 'Unity' and 'Friendship' is gonna make the world better. All that ever does is make matters worse. The only thing that helps anyone get anywhere in this world is : Survival of the fittest." He said and soon chuckled. "And survival of the fittest is the H.C's motto." H.C.... Hunter Confederacy. There was a member of the Hunter Confederacy here in Borderville. And he wants me to blow this place up. "From that look on your face, you're thinking about declining. Before you do that, consider the rewards you'll receive." He said. "Not only will you receive a boatload of caps, enough to support you and your little filly for a month. But also a place to call home, and members of the Hunters will watch your back while you're out in the wastelands. Do you really want to wonder the dangers of the wastelands alone? What's gonna happen to the filly if some raider douche bag decides to send a bullet into the back of your skull? You're screwed without creature you can trust." The griffon explained. He had a pretty valid point. This was the apocalypse, and that Dawn griffon nearly shot me as she mistook me for someone else, and caps apparently had some value, that would be useful. But these creatures gave me a place to rest, and that Dawn griffon could've easily taken off my head, but she didn't. "Well, I'm waiting for a response." He said. No! (Good Karma) Not my business. (Neutral Karma) Tell me what I need to do. (Evil Karma) Author's Note Holy shit this was a bitch to complete. Now that it's complete time for the Trivia: The recall code: N.E.S.R.K.T are the initials of the fallout equestria authors: No One, Somber, and Kkat. It is never described but Nightshade's mane style resembles Shining Armor's mane style. Nightshade doesn't have wings. The beginning dialogue is a reference to Fallout 3's war never changes speech. Nightshade sees traits of the Mane 6 in the inkblots. Butterfly (Fluttershy), Apple (Applejack), Alligator hide (Pinkie Pie's pet gator gummy), Jewel (Rarity), Torn page from book (Twilight loves to read books), and something running from a sonic boom (Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom). The tests Nurse Redheart gives to Nightshade are a reference to Fallout New Vegas's beginning sequence. Nightshade has a 'metallic echo' in his voice. This was what the changelings were expected to sound like before Thorax's debut in season 6. The password Nightshade uses to hack the Overmare's terminal was Lucky. A reference to the lucky number 7, which is the Stable number. The name Ling is a reference to Bucking Nonsense's: Five Changelings in Equestria: Ling, story. Nightshade is around the same height as Big Macintosh. Name: Nightshade Age: Apparently 19 Strength: 6 Perception: 7 Endurance: 4 Charisma: 8 Intelligence: 6 Agility: 5 Luck: 7 Vote on the outcome. And also vote whether the species of Dogmeat (Who will be in Chapter 2) should be a Siberian Husky, an Australian Cattle Dog, or a wolf-dog hybrid. This will soon be uploaded to Derpibooru with a drawn picture. Until then, Outlaw Out. Chapter Two: Trouble (Good Karma)"No." I said, looking with a glare in my eye. "I'm sorry?" He asked. It didn't sound like he didn't hear me, it sounded more like he wanted me to change my answer. That wasn't gonna happen. "I said No!" I said strongly. "Whatever it is you're offering, I'm not interested if it means killing the ones who gave me a place to rest." "Hmph it seems that I've misjudged you. Doesn't matter. You'll just die along side everyone else in town." I shoot him a glare. He turns around and proceeded to walk away. That's when I saw that he was only walking on three legs instead of four. It didn't take long for me to realize he was reaching for something, more than likely a gun. I use my magic to swiftly pull out the 10mm pistol and aim at him. "Don't even think about it." I said. The griffon stopped in his tracks. He turns to look at me and gives a smirk. He then slowly pulls out some kind of submachine gun. I just glared at him. "Or what? You gonna shoot me?" He said. I begun to squeeze the trigger. "That's a very tempting choice right now. Put the gun down, or that's exactly what's gonna happen." I said. The griffon's smile decreased into a frown. "You've made a grievous mistake in judgement. I hope you're excited to see what death is like." He said. Those words were enough. I didn't even wait for him to turn around. I just sent two bullets flying his way. The first one shot him in the neck, the second one hit the back of his head. He falls to the ground dead, blood leaking from his neck and head. As he dropped, I heard Apple Bloom shriek, as well as voices in the other rooms. All of which were 'What was that?' and 'What's going?' I heard rapid footsteps coming from the stairs. I turn around, and it was Dawn. "What the hell is going on!?" She shouted. I said nothing, and just looked at the dead griffon 10 feet in front of me. Dawn looks at him too and gasps. "He... he killed Lorenzo." One of the ponies said. I hear a gun click sound. I didn't even bother turning around. Half of it was because I knew it was Dawn, the other half was because any sudden movement would result in a bullet going through my head. "Not even sunrise, and you're already shooting up my town! I better get an explanation or else this floor will be painted red!" She said. I didn't know why, but I wasn't at all scared. I wasn't fearing for my life, nor was I even fazed by the fact that I just killed someone. It felt like... I've done this before. "He was working for the Hunter Confederacy!" Apple Bloom said nearly panicking . "What?!" "He was working for the Hunter Confederacy, and he was trying to get bribe me into blowing up this town." I said turning to look at Dawn. Dawn lowered her weapon and looked at Lorenzo in shock. She then looks at Apple Bloom. "Are you telling the truth? Or are you lying so he doesn't get arrested? She asked. I already knew that arrested part was bullshit. She was just threatening to paint the floor red, and I didn't see any buckets with red paint around. "She's not lying." A deep male cockney accented voice said. I turn toward the door the voice came from and a male earth pony with a light brown duster coat walks out of the room. The earth pony was had a red coat and a black mane. On his back, there was some kind of shotgun with a drum magazine. I began to wonder how he could shoot that thing. That was until I noticed that his right hoof, was a mechanical claw. How did he get that? "I heard the entire conversion. Apparently Lorenzo has been here for five years scouting the damn place. He wanted our newcomer to turn this place to ashes, so the H.C could build another base." He said. Dawn looks in disbelief. "A member of the Hunter Confederacy right under our noses." She said. "Alright everyone, go on about you're business. We'll clean this mess up in the morning." She said. It was like a switch, how fast the ponies and griffons went from shock to casual and walked back into there rooms. This must've been an ordinary occurrence or something. "I guess I owe you an apology for the second time, as well as a thank you." Dawn said. She then reaches into her wing and pulls out a small pouch. "Here. A little thank you for saving our town." She said giving me the pouch. I take the pouch and look inside it. There were around 50 bottle caps inside. "That isn't necessary." I said. "I appreciate your generosity, but if anything, that isn't enough. I'll see if I can get you some more caps later." She said. I was gonna talk, but she spoke up a second time. "Also, if you spot anything suspicious next time, please report it to me. I don't think you noticed but the residents here don't like the idea of hearing gunshots in the middle of the night." "Understood." I replied. She proceeds to walk off before turning back around. "You know, if you think you can't make it to me in time, there's always a deputy's position open. You can talk to the Mayor if you're interested." She said. I was gonna reply, but a yawn left my mouth, making it impossible to speak. I decided it would be best to get some sleep before my body gives out. "Come on Apple Bloom. Let's get some shut eye." I said. As we entered the room, I saw that the room had: One bed, one couch, a dresser, and some kind of robot. "Good evening sir!" And it spoke with a british accent. "What may I do for you?" It asked. I was pretty confused at the robot. It had some kind of powerful propulsion system giving it the ability to hover, don't know how I knew that. It also had three appendages. A buzz saw, some kind of flamethrower, and a two fingered hand, or do you call that a claw? I don't know what you call that. It also had three eyes, one in the front, the left and right of its head. It was also a sort of light blue metal color. "What... Who are you exactly?" I asked. "I am Wadfrey. Your current personal Mr. Handy." The robot said. "Mr. Handy?" I asked. "A personal robotic helper. And I shall be the first to say, proud to serve a Changeling." He said. "Um... " I said scratching my head with my hoof. "Thanks, I guess." "Proud to serve! Now, is there anything you need?" He asked. "Not right now. I just need some rest." I said. "Righto sir. I shall be ready to serve you when you wake up." Wadfrey said. "Okay." I simply say. He then goes on about his business, which mostly involved him just levitating in the corner. I walk over to the bed and grab Apple Bloom with my tail and place her on the bed. "Alright Apple Bloom. You can sleep on the bed, I'll take the couch." I say. As I turn around, Apple Bloom called my name. "Nightshade?" "Yes?" I answered. "Did that griffon have to die? Did you have to kill him?" She asked. I knew this conversation would be brought up. I knew she'd be frightened by what I did, but I didn't have a choice. "I'm sorry you had to see that Apple Bloom, but if I didn't shoot him, he would've shot me." I said. I walk closer and sit beside the bed. "Apple Bloom, I know that you're frightened from what you saw, but from that situation, it was either me or him. Who would take you to find your family if something happened to me?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked in disbelief. "Apple Bloom. I'm sorry you had to see that, but he was a threat to both of us. I had to do it, for the safety of both of us." I said in a comforting tone. "Ah understand Nightshade." She said with a sad voice. I nod and began to walk over to the couch. "Nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. I turn around again. "Yes?" I asked. "Ah'm afraid I might have a bad dream. Can Ah sleep with you, please?" She asked. I sigh and walk toward the bed and climb in it. I lie down on my back and Apple Bloom crawls over me and cuddles herself beside my head and shoulder on my left side like a cat would do. I sigh once more. "Good night, Nightshade." She said. "Good night Apple Bloom." I reply. I doze off to sleep much quicker than last time. I woke up in the middle of a dust storm. The literal middle of a dust storm. Everywhere I looked there was nothing but dust flying everywhere. It was getting into my eyes making it painful to see. My ears then began to pick up gunfire and I began to see through the smoke, there were muzzle flashes. A lot of them. I was then suddenly snitched up by a talon. "Come on! We gotta go!" The voice, a male shouted. He grabs me and yanks me in the direction he was running. I immediately follow. We ran, barely avoiding bullets and magic blasts as we did. We take cover in a ditch. This gave me time to observe my rescuer. It was a griffon silhouette this time. And he had with red eyes. He tosses me an assault rifle of some sort Which I catch with my magic. "Provide covering fire! Make sure they don't get close to the village!" He said as he pulled out a laser rifle. I was confused. Who were we fighting? What was in that village that was worth protecting? And the biggest question, Who was this griffon helping me? I look over the edge of the ditch and began to shoot. The griffon joined me. As we were in the middle of the firefight, a clicking sound came from his laser rifle. "Shit! My rifle's jammed! Cover me, I gotta- Gah!" I heard. I turned to see what happened. The griffon had a bullet wound in his shoulder. He gripped his shoulder and leaned behind cover. "Motherfuckers." He gritted. He pulls out some kind of syringe and sticks it into his arm. His shoulder heals instantly. I toss him the assault rifle and take the laser rifle. "Let's make them fold! We're winning this card game!" He said loudly as he began to fire. As he provided cover fire, I unjammed the gun. I have no idea how I did it, but I did. I began to fire the laser, which turned out to be semi-automatic. That's when I heard a whistling sound. I look up and to my horror, I see some kind of small nuke, falling directly towards us. Don't even ask me how I saw that through the dust storm but I did. Instead of running, I aimed at the nuke and shot it. When it exploded, Me and the griffon were sent flying back a few inches. I recover to see a large piece of debris flying toward my head. My eyes shot open as if I had heard an alarm go off. I wake up breathing heavily. I calm down after a few breaths. I look to my left and Apple Bloom wasn't there. I sat up, very quick and began to look around. I saw Wadfrey levitate toward me. "Is something wrong sir?" He asked. "Have you seen Apple Bloom?" I asked, trying my best not to sound like I was about to panic. "I believe I saw the young filly walk outside to make some friends." He said. I was shocked. "And you didn't stop her!" I said in a shout. "I am sorry sir, but my A.I restricts me from acting without being ordered to." He said. That made me feel bad about shouting at him. "Sorry about my outburst." I apologized. "No need for apologizes sir. It's understandable to be worried for your daughter." Wadfrey said. I'm not sure if his eyes were messed or something, but I have no idea how he could confuse me for being Apple Bloom's father. After all, I'm only 19 years old... apparently. I decided not to lecture the robot on how I'm not old enough to have a ten year old filly, because it would've probably lead to him thinking I adopted her or something. I walk out of the room and made my way down the stairs and out the door. I look to my right and to my delight, Apple Bloom was playing catch with a griffon chick. I took a quick sigh of relief upon seeing that she was alright. The griffon chick she was playing with was a male brown feathered and furred griffon, with, like most of the griffons here, a yellow beak. "Apple Bloom!" I called. Getting Apple Bloom's attention, I walk toward her. She trots over toward me. "Afternoon Nightshade!" She said with a smile. I smile back. "Apple Bloom, next time you leave the room before I'm awake, please leave a note so I don't have a panic attack." I said. Apple Bloom puts on an apologetic look. "Sorry." She said. "It's alright." I replied. I looked at her friend and got an idea. Checking the time on my PipBuck, it was 3:45 pm. "I think it's time for us to get a move on." I said. "Oh, okay." She said. She turns to the griffon she was playing with and waved. "Goodbye Clyde." The griffon waves back and flies off. The two of us began to walk to the gate where we were met by Dawn. "Leaving so soon?" She asked. "Yeah, sorry about the sudden leave, but Apple Bloom and I need to get to Blackridge." I explained. Dawn tilted her head a little bit. "Blackridge? That's a long way from here. Could be dangerous." Dawn said. "Dangerous? How so?" I asked. "Well, long distance traveling normally means you're gonna end into running into someone, or something that wants you dead. " Dawn explained. Now it was my turn to look confused. "Well, you've got Raiders, feral ghouls, Alicorns, the Hunter Confederacy, and Slavers. It's dangerous to go alone. Especially if you've got a filly with you." Dawn said. I wasn't gonna asked about the Raiders and Slavers since I had a pretty accurate prediction on who they were and what they do. And I'm sure I knew enough about the Hunter Confederacy to know that they were not the good guys. But who were the Feral ghouls, and the Alicorns? "Feral ghouls?" I asked. "They're the ghouls who weren't lucky enough to survive the radiation without their brains rotting." Dawn explained. The word 'radiation' caught me off guard. "I'm sorry, radiation?" I asked. "Yea, when the Megaspell was dropped 180 years ago, radiation from the blast spread radiation all over the place. I think your PipBuck will start beeping if you come in contact with radiation." Dawn explained. I was gonna have to remember that. "You said something about Alicorns earlier. What about them makes them so dangerous?" I asked. Dawn looked at me shocked. "You've never heard of the Alicorns?" Dawn asked. The fact that Dawn looked at me with a shocked expression told me that these 'Alicorns' were bad news. I simply shook my head. "Look. You've got somewhere to be, and I know as little about the Alicorns as everyone else does. Just take my advice. If you see a pony with wings and a unicorn horn, Run." Dawn said. I nodded. An enemy no one knows much about is normally bad news. I was gonna have to be very careful. "So I couldn't find anymore caps to give you, so in lieu of caps, here's some things to help you if you get hurt. I also took the liberty of fixing up old Lorenzo's SMG as well as a getting a couple of Magazines." Dawn said. She hands me 5 syringes and 5 bags with some kind of orange liquid in it. It was labeled, 'RadAway'. Must be for when I get hit with too much radiation. I saw the syringe from the dream I had last night. Some kind of healing potion or something. She also give me the SMG that Lorenzo had and 4 additional magazines. "Thank you, I appreciate it." I thanked as I take the items and put them in my bag. "No problem, and good luck in finding Apple Bloom's family." Dawn said. The front wall lifts up and I smile as I walked out the door. As I did, I made sure Apple Bloom was next to me. As I looked, Apple Bloom looked up at me. The two of us proceeded to walk. Four long hours of walking have went by. Apple Bloom was currently riding on my back because she told me her hooves started to hurt. As I walked, Apple Bloom and I decided to play a game. I didn't know what it was called, but it required guessing and hint giving. It was really passing the time as sun was already starting to set. "Okay, here's one that's sure to stump you. What's used twice in a moment, once in a month, but never in a thousand years?" Apple Bloom said. I began to think. That riddle definitely did sound hard, but it was probably the most obvious to guess. I thought moderately hard about it. I mumbled the riddle in order to hear how it sounded out loud. Then I got it. "Is it, the letter M?" I asked. "Eeyup. Wow you're good at this Nightshade. Okay you're turn." Apple Bloom said. I started to think. I needed to think of one that wasn't to hard, but at the same time, needed to challenge her. That's when I caught a glimpse of the moon ascending from the east. "Okay, how's this. Sometimes I'm half, something I'm whole, sometimes a piece of me is all you'll ever know." I said. Apple Bloom was silent for a minute. She was really stomped. I decided to help her out. "Apple Bloom, look to the right. " I said. I look at Apple Bloom as she turned her head to the East and caught a glimpse of what I was talking about. "The moon!" She excitedly said. "Correct." I replied. Apple Bloom beams a smile in my direction. I continued walking and came across some kind of Scrapyard. It looked abandoned and there was at the shack right of the entrance. It was a reasonable place to spend the night. I walk to the gate and attempt to open it. It was unlocked, thankfully. I walk inside and began to walk toward the shack. That's when I heard laughing. Maniacal laughing, and lots of them. "Nightshade. What was that?" Apple Bloom asked nervously. "I don't know, but they didn't sound friendly. Stay close." I said taking Apple Bloom off my back. She stayed close to me as I crawled behind a stack of carriages and toward where the laughing came from. I peek out to the left of the carriages to see ponies surrounding a dog with its leg in a bear trap. The group of raiders consisted of unicorns and earth ponies wearing spiky armor and they wielded sticks and spears. The unicorns had their weapons on the ground in order to wield the sticks and spears. The earth ponies had their battle saddles on, and wielded their melee weapons in their hooves and mouths. The unicorns used magic to hold their melee weapons, but their guns were on the ground. The earth ponies seemed to be the bigger threat at the moment. I look at Apple Bloom, and said nothing. Instead I gestured to the broken down, rusty carriage we were currently hiding behind. She gets the hint and climbs inside the carriage and hides in there. I peek out to the left again and pulled out my pistol. I had eight bullets in the chamber, and there were nine of them. I was gonna have to think this through. "Hey! Somepony's over there!" I heard one of them shout. So much for thinking it through. I sidestep out from behind the carriage and I went into S.A.T.S. I looked around for the ones I could hit with the highest percentile. The first one I aimed for was the earth pony with the combat shotgun saddle. The second one I aimed for was the unicorn that was closest to me. The third one was the unicorn that managed to pick up his gun. And the last one was the earth pony attempting to drive his spear through the dog. I wished myself luck, and activated my S.A.T.S. I managed to shoot the earth pony in the head. The bullet goes into his head and he falls down dead. The unicorn closest to me got shot in the neck, although I was aiming for his head, that was close enough. The third shot was aimed at the unicorn that grabbed his gun. It was a 45% chance of hitting, but I still went with it. To my horror, I missed by nearly an inch. I tried to shoot at him again but my gun aims at the last target, that ended up getting shot in the torso. Not enough to kill him, but he did drop his spear. While this happened, I noticed that at the ponies had a red outline around them. I was gonna have to remember that. I get out of my S.A.T.S and run behind a what looked like a shack. I manage to get behind it right as one of the raiders fired of what sounded like a VERY high powered shotgun. The shack was clearly made of sheet metal, as the shotgun blew a few holes in it. I duck down as more bullets passed through the metal. I lean out and began to shoot the pistol once again. I managed to cripple one of the unicorns legs causing him to fall. Unluckily for me, one of the earth ponies, the one that had a shotgun battle saddle, shot me in the chest. Luckily, nothing hit a vital organ, hopefully, and only three of the shells hit me. But DAMN that hurt. I flew back a few inches and landed on my back. I had one bullet left in my pistol so I was gonna have to be careful not to miss my next shot. I sit up to see the the earth pony with the shotgun battle saddle running toward me. I tried to go in to S.A.T.S but the words 'AP required' was up to the top left corner of my vision. Not wasting another second, I fire the pistol in his direction. The bullet got into his chest. Must've punctured a lung because he began breathing like he had ran out of air. I crawl back behind the shack and use this time to reload my pistol. As I loaded another clip into my pistol, my vision started to go against me. It blurred up. I looked at my Stats on my PipBuck to see that my health was 55/175 HP. I was either already down a bunch, or that shotgun really packed a punch. I nearly get my head taken off by a bullet flying through the sheet metal. I grit my teeth and lean out from behind the shack and fired shots toward the raiders. I managed to get five shots out and take out two more raiders before a terrible nightmare became a reality. My pistol, broke. I look at it in shock, completely taken by surprise. I look up to see the earth pony I shot in the chest before, aiming at me. I guess the punctured lung wasn't lethal enough and I had a really good feeling that I wasn't gonna survive the second shot. I quickly throw the broken gun at him and hit him in the face. That distracted him for about three seconds, which was just long enough for me to run at him full speed, and tackle him on the ground. As I pinned him on the ground I used my magic to pull out the submachine gun and shoot at the other three raider ponies. When that was over, I reared back and with all my might, I stomped on the raider's neck and felt his windpipe get crushed beneath my hooves. He slowly began to die from suffocation. I was gonna put him out of his misery, but A) he shot me, and B) I might need that one bullet later. Now that all of that was over, I could finally breath. My vision was still blurry, but I gave myself the mentally that it wasn't that bad. That mentally went out the window and flew an additional 50 feet when I realized that the red colored liquid flowing out of my chest was my blood. I held my chest with my PipBuck hoof to stop the flow of blood, but it wasn't working. "-healing potion!" Apple Bloom shouts running toward me. I didn't hear the first part. I guess my ears were leaving with my vision. "What?" I asked. "The healing potion! Use the healing potion!" She shouted. I remember what she was talking about and use my magic to pull out one of the syringes. I quickly stick it into my chest and pushed the liquid into my body. My wounds began to heal instantly. The holes in my chest closed up and I slowly got relieved of any pain I felt. I looked back at my PipBuck and saw that my health went from 55/175 to 155/175 HP. "Glad that's over." I said. I look over at the dog in the bear trap. It was chewing at its leg in an attempt to chew through it and get out of the trap. I wasn't gonna let that happen. I walk over to the dog, despite its growling protests, and observe the trap. Looked like the release latch was broken. Whoever set this trap wasn't exactly one for catch and release. I used my hooves to grab the two ends of the bear trap and began to pry it open. It had some resistance to it, but was still relatively easy to do. I open the bear trap and the dog pretty much jumps out of it. It barks happily at me. As the dog was wagging its tail with glee, I took the time to observe it. It looked a lot more like a grey wolf than it did a dog. I was gonna go out on a limb and say that it was a wolf-dog hybrid. I wasn't gonna think too much on it though. "Nightshade. He's hurt." Apple Bloom said. I had completely forgotten about the fact that his leg was in a bear trap. I didn't even notice that he wasn't even standing on his right front leg due to injury. I pull out one of the healing potion syringes and walk towards the dog. It growls. "It's okay boy, this'll only hurt for a second but you feel better afterwards." I said. The dog allows me to stick the syringe in to his leg and and heals. The dog barks happily and says his tail again. "Aw, can we keep him?" Apple Bloom asked looking at me. I didn't think against having the dog with us, but I did notice a broken collar by a dead Pegasus. I walked over to the Pegasus and picked the collar up with magic and looked at the name on it. "Dogmeat." Whoever named this dog either really didn't try, or was very hungry at the time of naming the dog. Either way, I got the dog's name. "Was this your owner Dogmeat?" I asked. The dog whimpers sadly. "I'll take that as a yes." I mutter. I look at Apple Bloom. "Well, if Dogmeat wants to come with us, that's his choice. But if not, we can't force him." I said. Apple Bloom looked at Dogmeat and sighed. Dogmeat then barks and wags his tail. "I think he wants to come with us." I comment. Apple Bloom got a brightened smile on her face. Dogmeat walked over and began to sniff us both before giving us licks to the face. Since I didn't know where that tongue has been, I gently pushed him off. Apple Bloom was more accepting of the display of affection and laughed as it was happening. I put a stop to it, much to Apple Bloom's disbelief and look at the dead raiders. "Apple Bloom, there's a shack over there we can spend the night in, head in there. Dogmeat and I will get all the supplies we can and hit the hay. Traveling at night doesn't seem safe." I said. "Okay." Apple Bloom said as she began to walk toward the shack. A bark comes from Dogmeat as the two of us began to loot the dead raiders and gather the supplies. I took off the battle saddle of the pony who shot me before, after taking a healing potion syringe from him, and held it in my magic. I look at it to find out how to put it on. Upon figuring out how, I place the battle saddle onto my back. It was then I find out that you shoot it with a trigger mechanism that goes in your mouth. I refuse to put that thing in my mouth until I cleaned it first. I also noticed that it had a built in satchel, just behind the guns. I took my stuff out of the old back pack and put them into the satchel. Dogmeat brought over a couple of boxes of shotgun shells and a few clips of submachine gun ammo. I take them, place them inside the satchel and gave the dog a pat on the head. That was all worth looting, so I began walking toward the shack. Dogmeat following close behind. I reach the shack and enter to see that the shack only had a floor mattress. "Guess whoever lived here wasn't exactly flowing in caps." I sarcastically said. Apple Bloom looks at me and chuckles. "Ah guess not. But still looks cozy." She said. I admired her optimism and decided to make a joke. "Yea, and thanks to those nice ponies out there, we've got ourselves a new air conditioning system." I said. Apple Bloom laughs. I smile at her joy. "Okay kiddo, you should get some sleep, I'll stay up a little longer and keep watch. Okay?" I said. Apple Blooms ears flop downward. "Oh, okay." She said sadly. She had probably already gotten used to sleeping against me, even if it was just two nights. "Don't worry, I'll be back in two hours. I just need to make sure no raiders try to move in on us, okay?" I asked. "Okay." She said still saddened. I felt bad now, but I'd feel worse if raiders got to her. Still, I hate to see her upset but at this point, I didn't have a choice. She walks over to the mattress and lies down. "Stay with Apple Bloom boy." I say to Dogmeat. He barks and walks over to the mattress and sits there. I walked out of the shack and close the door behind me. I sit at the entrance of the shack and made sure to look to the left and to the right. Every ten minutes I would walk around the shack to keep and eye on the gate. Just to be sure there weren't any raiders with bright ideas. I repeated this process until I looked at my PipBuck and saw that two hours and thirty minutes went by. It was 10:53 pm. Time for me to go to sleep. I walked back into the shack and laid down next to the floor mattress. I didn't go to sleep just yet. Instead, I found a cloth that was clean enough for me to wipe the mouth piece off. After doing that, and disposing of the cloth, that's when I went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up, a lot earlier than usual. The time I woke up was 5:27 am. I wake up and stretch, cracking my back as I did so. I looked at Apple Bloom, who was still asleep and walk over to her and nuzzle her awake. "Rise and shine Apple Bloom. Time to get a move on." I said. Apple Bloom wakes up with a yawn and gets out of the floor mattress. Dogmeat woke up too, stretching and yawning. The three of us get up and proceed to walk out of the shack. As I walked out of the shack, I heard multiple gun clicks. My vision fixates and I see a total of three ponies and three griffons in white combat armor, all aiming automatic assault rifles with white and black stripes at me. The ponies were all earth ponies with battle saddles on. The griffons however stood on their hind legs holding their assault rifles with their talon hands. I was outnumbered and outgunned. "Well well well. If it ain't the little saint from Borderville." One of the griffons said. "What?! You thought that you could just kill our commander, loot his corpse and we weren't gonna find out about it!?" One of the ponies said. I was shocked. How did these guys find out about what I did to Lorenzo? That didn't matter at the moment, these guys are more than likely here kill me, and I wasn't going to let that happen. At least not without a fight. "Well, what're you waiting for?" I said getting ready for a firefight. "Oh, don't worry. You'll get your time will come, but first, we gotta wait for a little fireworks display." Another one of the ponies said. I looked confused for a minute, as did Apple Bloom who was behind the wall of the door way. That facial expression disappeared and was replaced with one of surprise as I heard a loud 'Boom' sound come from my left. I turn my head in that direction to see a mushroom cloud forming. I look at my PipBuck and my eyes widened. Borderville was now labeled 'Borderville ruins'. They found a way to blow the place up. The other H.C members began to whoop and laugh as this as it happened. I looked in absolute shock, how did they blow up the town? These heartless sons of bitches just blew up all those kind ponies and griffons. That's the final straw. Whilst gritting my teeth, I go into S.A.T.S and aim from right to left, I only had enough AP for four of them, and that was mostly because each one was being shot twice. That was enough for me. Time to test how strong this battle saddle was. I shoot the first target, which was a griffon, was shot in the chest. He survives thanks to his armor, but since he didn't have any armor on his head, when I shot him there, it was lights out. The second target, a pony, was shot twice in the chest. The first shot crippled him, the second shot finished the job. The third target started to shoot at me, as did the fourth. They were both ponies. The third one, I some how managed to shoot the gun off of his battle saddle. Don't know how I did that, the chances of me doing that was 17%. The next shot landed in his neck. The fourth one manages to shoot my right leg twice before a buckshot of bullets hit him in the chest. He was killed by the first shot and was dubbed a 'critical hit'. One of the griffons land two in my chest before I heard some kind piano music. I look to my right to see a dark grey unicorn stallion with a leather duster and a tan fedora, he also had a magnum in his magic. He shoots six rounds into the griffon. The magnum must've been very powerful because the griffon was killed by the first shot. Real time starts back up again and I look up to see the griffon drop his gun. "Fuck this." He said and began to run away. His didn't get very far because I shot him in his wing. I was aiming for his neck, but I'll take the credit for that because now he's crippled. I then get an idea. The griffon tries to run again, but the next stream of bullets was sent into his leg. Now he couldn't walk. "ARGH!" He shouts. I walk over to one of the Raiders that I killed previously, and with my magic, picked up one of the spears. He sees me walk over to him and gets a horrified look on his face. "NO! NO PLEASE!" He said attempting to crawl away. He wasn't fast enough. I step on his injured leg and hold the spear very close to his neck. "Wait! Please! I'll tell you whatever you want! Just don't kill me!" He pleaded. I gritted my teeth. I wanted to kill him, but I needed to know how they blew up Borderville. "How did you and your goons blow up Borderville?" I asked. "The town was built over a Belfire Bomb that never detonated, we used an underground tunnel to get to the bomb and detonated it there." The griffon shakily said. "How did you denonate the bomb?" I asked. "Fusion Pulse Charge! We used a fusion pulse charge!" He said. I used my magic to go into my satchel and pull out the fusion pulse charge I had myself. "This?" I asked levitating it in his vision. "Yes, that! That's exactly what we used!" He yelled in a panic. So it seems that undetonated Belfire bombs can be detonated by Fusion Pulse Charges. Worth remembering. That was all the info I needed. "I told you everything! Please let me live! I've got 400 caps on me! They're yours to let me go!" He panicked out. That was extremely stupid of him. I could easily kill him and take the caps myself, but I'm a Changeling of my word. "Hand 'em over." I said. Be quickly reaches into his armor and pulled out a bag of caps. I put the caps into my satchel and began to walk off. As I walked past his hind legs, I lifted the spear and drove it into his other leg. He screams in absolute agony. "That was for Borderville." I said. I heard Apple Bloom let out a small shriek. I turn around to see her looking away from what I did. I began to feel bad. Not for what I did, but because Apple Bloom saw it. That griffon continued to scream as I walked away. "Come on Apple Bloom. We gotta get moving." I said. Apple Bloom looked at me with eyes that signified she was traumatized. Poor filly. She wasn't ready to see something like that. I was gonna have to make sure she's okay, but right now was a bad time to do so. She needs a minute to take all of what I did in. She and Dogmeat started to walk with me. "You wanna get on my back?" I asked. She didn't answer. Not good. We had been walking for two hours and Apple Bloom still hasn't said anything. She didn't strike me as one who talks a lot, but she wasn't exactly a quiet filly. It had gotten to the point where I had to look at her every ten seconds to make sure she was still there. "Apple Bloom. What's wrong?" I asked. She didn't reply. I guess I should have expected that. I knew exactly what was wrong. I crippled the legs of a griffon pleading for his life. As much as I hoped for wild dogs to turn him into a living chew toy and rip him apart for what he did. I shouldn't have done that in front of Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, please. Talk to me." I said looking at her. Apple Bloom stops with her head still down. I stop looking at her. I heard her mutter a word. "What?" I asked. "Why?" She said a little louder. She lookes at me teary-eyed. "I'm sorry. But, I was angry at what he did. I didn't want-" "Ah understand what you did Nightshade. But Ah don't understand why they did that. Why would they do something like that? Why did they blow up Borderville?" She asked, tears flowing down her cheeks. "It's like Dawn said. You're gonna end up running into something or someone who wants you dead. It's understandable to be scared for what happens to us, it's understandable to be sad for what happened. But there's nothing we could do. We need to move on." I said. Apple Bloom sniffled and wipes her tears away. They still flowed out. That's when I pulled her in for a hug. She hugs back and didn't let go until she stopped crying. "Come on Apple Bloom. We're not gonna get to Blackridge standing here." I said. Apple Bloom nods and proceeds to climb onto my back. An hour later, Apple Bloom and I found ourselves in a sort of abandoned town. I looked at my PipBuck to see what this place was called. It was called, Havoc. The name fits. This place was a mess. The buildings were all missing 3/4ths of the roof. Carriages were all over turned and the ground was one more crack away from being a giant crater. I began to walk further into the town, making sure to check all directions. This place might've been rundown, but that didn't mean it was difficult to hide here. Dogmeat started to sniff the ground and air. He barks and began to run. "Ah think Dogmeat's found somethin'." Apple Bloom said. I began to follow after him. That dog's nose picked up something, time to find out what. The dog leads me to a dead unicorn pony wearing some kind of leather armor. The unicorn had a hole in his head, indicating he was shot. The scary part, the hole was scorched black, and took up 1/5th of his head. What was he shot by? Dogmeat looked at me wagging his tail. I guess he smelled something worth looting. I began to go through his pockets and pulled out a few syringes. One of the syringes was a healing potion, the others were labeled, Painkillers. Most be for pain resistance, obviously. That was all worth looting. "Nightshade, what about the clothes?" Apple Bloom asked. I looked at the unicorn's leather armor. The unicorn was smaller than me, as was his clothing. It wouldn't fit. "I'm afraid that wouldn't fit me." I said. I then heard something strange. It sounded like wind. I concentrate on my hearing to pick up what sounded like... Wings? I look up, and I see a pretty big Pegasus pony flying in the air. I was amazed at how big it was and wanted to observe it some more. I go into S.A.T.S to get a better look and come to a horrifing discovery. I noticed the S.A.T.S allowing me to target 9 limbs. The four hooves, the head, the torso, the two wings....... and a horn. Dawn said, if I saw a pony with wings and a unicorn horn, I needed to run, and that was an Alicorn, and I had no chance to hit it. I wouldn't have taken a shot if my S.A.T.S allowed me a 200% chance of hitting. I lower myself to the ground and saw something that said [hidden] at the top of my vision. I needed to run, but that thing might see me, and I don't think I'd out run something that can fly. I look at the building to my right and ran inside. I was so glad the dog was smart enough to follow me. I run inside, and gently close the door behind me. Once it was closed, I looked around for something to barricade it with. I see a large dresser. Good enough. I use my magic to pick up the dresser and place it sideways against the door. I didn't bother to notice the strength of my magic, as I did this without breaking a sweat. "Nightshade, what's going on?" Apple Bloom asked worried. "Shh. That thing might hear us." I whispered. I run up the stairs and open a door leading to a bedroom. The roof along with half of the left wall, was gone. I walk over to the part of the wall that was still intact and look outside. The Alicorn had landed, and was looking around. The Alicorn was a white mare with a translucent pink mane. The Alicorn also lacked a cutie mark. The Alicorn had blood on her hooves and horn, which was smoking. Now I have an idea on what happened to that unicorn outside. I continued to watch, making sure to keep my body hidden. That's when I saw the Alicorn walking toward the building across the street. She then turns around and began to rear kick the door. Something she wanted was in there, and she wanted it badly. My question was, if she wanted what was in there that badly, then why wouldn't she just blast the door open. "Leave us alone! Please!" I heard a female's voice quiver. I guess that was why. She wanted to capture someone. "Did you really think a couple of pathetic mercenaries could keep you safe? Did you think you could hide from us forever?" The Alicorn said. She, like myself, had an echo to here voice, but it was not metallic. "What do you want from us?" The frightened mare asked. She was terrorified. And from the word 'us' she probably had children with her. "It doesn't matter why I'm doing this. You have commited crimes against our kind, against our ruler. And you must be punished. Come out now and harm will only be brought upon you." The Alicorn said. She was the honest type, I'll give her that. I heard the mare begin to cry. That's when the Alicorn started to bang against the door. I wasn't as frightened as the mare was, but I was scared. I was told by Dawn to run if I saw these things, and from what I heard, she plans on killing that mare. "You've got ten seconds to come out!" The Alicorn said. I was stuck, do I help? Or do I use the mare as a distraction for me and Apple Bloom? "Nightshade, Ah'm scared!" Apple Bloom silently shouts. "I am too." I whisper back. "What do we do?" Apple Bloom asked. I need to help that mare. (Good Karma) I gotta find a way to draw that Alicorn's attention. (Neutral Karma) We need to sneak away. That mare will distract the Alicorn. (Evil Karma) Author's Note Chapter 2 done. Thank you all who participated in the voting and please participate again. I really hope this soon inspires fan art. Also be sure to vote on which survival tactic Nightshade should teach Apple Bloom first. How to shoot First Aid How to sneak Nightshade's Karma: Kind-hearted Wanderer. Good: 5 Neutral: 5 Evil: 0 HP 78/155 Trivia: Wadfrey, the Mister Handy in Nightshade's rent-a-room, is a combination of Wadsworth and Godfrey's names from fallout 3. If the Neutral Karma ending was chosen, Nightshade would've woken up to gunshots from a Hunter Confederacy raid. If the Evil Karma ending was chosen, Nightshade would find out who the informate of the H.C was. He'd also use his own fusion pulse charge. The way the Hunter Confederacy confronts Nightshade is a reference to the Talon Company Mercs confronting the Lone Wanderer from Fallout 3. During the riddle game Apple Bloom and Nightshade play, Nightshade describes to moon the same way Frank Martin from Transporter 2 does. That's all the trivia for this chpter that doesn't involve spoilers. Voting deadline March 5th. Like, fave, comment, spead the word of this Fanfic, point out mistakes, give advice, make fan art. The last one is optional. Until next time. Outlaw out. Chapter 3: Hunted (Neutral Karma)"I gotta find a way to draw that Alicorn's attention." I said. Probably one of the smartest decisions I could possibly make. I have no idea what kind of power that thing possessed, but I had to do something. I couldn't just leave her there. "How are we gonna do that?" Apple Bloom asked. There wasn't gonna be a we. I was gonna help her. It might be too dangerous for Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom. Find somewhere to hide. It might be too dangerous for you to be seen." I said. Apple Bloom turns around and began to look. There were three places for her to hide: The closet, under the bed, and inside the grandfather clock beside the door. "Ten!" I heard the Alicorn count. I was gonna have to be quick. The closet and under the bed were too obvious of hiding spots. If I was looking for someone, it'd be the first two places I'd look. The grandfather clock however, was an odd spot to hide. I don't think anyone would look there. "Nine!" "Apple Bloom, the grandfather clock. Hide there." I said. "Okay." Apple Bloom said and walks over to the grandfather clock. I started to think of ways to see how I could distract the Alicorn. Do I use my Shotgun saddle? "Eight!" Nope bad idea, the saddle is literally attached to me. There was a small possibility she wouldn't see me , but I don't fell lucky enough to risk that. What about my SMG? "Seven!" My SMG isn't necessarily a loud weapon, my brief moment with the raiders taught me that much. It would probably take a lot of bullets to get her attention, but see might spot me. What if I go outside and throw a brick or something? "Six!" I have no idea, how good an Alicorn's hearing is. If that thing hears me coming before I can throw a brick, I'm a dead Changeling. I was stuck. That mare is gonna die if I don't think of something quick. "Five!" "Nightshade. There's a gun in here." Apple Bloom said. I looked up to see her standing in front of the grandfather clock that was open. I walk silently to the clock and look inside. "Four!" There was a lever action rifle with sniper scope on it and a box of bullets right next to it. Apparently, this was a hidden gun cabinet. Whoever lived here knew how to hide a gun. Regardless, I had an idea. "Three!" I grab the rifle and take it out of the cabinet. I walk back over to the window and look at the Alicorn. She was still at the door. "Two!" I didn't have a lot of time. I grab one of the bullets out of the box and load the gun, then I placed the box on the window seal. I only had time to load in one bullet inside the gun. I pump the lever and aim through the scope. I saw the Alicorn's horn glowing a pale silver color. I aimed the gun out of the window and run over to the bed and crawl underneath it, using my magic to hold the gun at out of the window. Apple Bloom followed me underneath. I just wrapped my hoof around her and held her close. "One!" That's when I fired the shot. Which was at the same time I heard the Alicorn blasting a beam of magic at the door, causing a louder bang. Following the noise was silence. The only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat. Pounding, pounding, pounding. I couldn't hear the Alicorn, nor could I hear the mare. Everything was so quiet, I had to control my breathing as a just in case my heartbeat was too loud. Apple Bloom moves closer to my side, until she was underneath my front hoof. She was shaking. She was terrified. "It'll be alright, okay? Everything's gonna be okay." I reassured. I don't know why I said that. I have no idea what was gonna happen next. No idea if it'll be okay. Then I hear a swoosh, followed by a thump. I see four long white legs walk passed the bed and stop at the corners. The Alicorn was in the room. Looking for the one who shot at her. Looking for me. She turns around and walks toward the window, where the gun was, and picks up the gun. This could be our chance to sneak past her. I look at Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, we're gonna have to sneak past her. Once we're at the door, we can make a run for it, okay?" I asked in a whisper. Apple Bloom looks at me nervously. "You go first, okay?" "B-b-but, Ah don't know how to sneak." Apple Bloom replies. "Okay. Listen carefully. All you have to do, are two things: Stay low, and move silently." I whispered back. "But what if it sees me?" She asked. "I'll protect you if she does. Just trust me, okay?" I said silently. Apple Bloom nods and crawls sideways from under the bed. She lowers herself to the ground enough to barely be above it. She carefully stepped out, walking slowly. The floor was wooden, so it was prone to creaking. I was hoping that it wouldn't. She makes it to the doorway, and turns to look at me. I mouth the words 'Good job', which makes her smile. Now it was my turn. I scoot to the left and get out from under the bed. I peek over the bed to see that the Alicorn had the lever action rifle in her magic, and a flesh wound on her the top of her front right leg. She also had the box, right next to her. I hope that mare left already because I'm now I need to escape. I walked with my body low, sneaking to the best of my ability. I was almost to the door. Just a few more steps. *Creak* Well fuck. "There you are!" The echoed voice said from behind me. I turn to my left to see the Alicorn with the box in her magic. I didn't have much time to react because she drops the box, grabs me with her magic and hurls me toward the wall, which sent me through it. I landed on my back so hard, I was surprised I wasn't dead. The amount of pain I was in was something I could only describe as 'end it now!' My vision got blurry extremely quick. From the blurs of my vision I saw my cartooned counterpart with bandages around his body. It didn't take long for me to figure out that that was telling me my torso, if not everything but my limbs, was crippled. If I live through this, I'm definitely gonna find out how to change that color. I checked my PipBuck to see my health was at 23/175 HP. I put my PipBuck hoof back on the ground and tried to crawl backwards. That's when I heard a menacing laugh. "Mwahahahaha! You fool!" She insulted. I looked up and managed to see the Alicorn fly down. She lands in front of the building and walked over toward me. "What did you think was going to happen? You thought you could kill me that easily?" I wasn't trying to kill you in the first place, but right now, I wish I did. I continued to crawl backwards. There was a blood trail leading to me. The blood following me was coming from my back. It felt like my carapace was cracked. "You can struggle all you want, you're not going anywhere." She said. She got close enough to tower over me. She looked at me with an even more menacing smile. "You are strong. No many ponies, or even Changelings for that matter could survive a fall like that. Maybe we could have a use for you." She said. It sounded to me like she was gonna use me as a slave. I couldn't let that happen. I was gonna have to do something. In a desperate attempt to save myself, I activate my magic. I felt my magic pick up something really heavy. "Maybe we will turn you into one of us. Or maybe we shall work you until you're bones give out, and then feed you to our youth." She said. My vision rapidly got blurrier and blurrier. But in between the blurs, my vision would be clear for a split second. One split allowed me to see what I was carrying. My magic was lifting a large pile of debris from one of the destroyed houses. "-hmph, but then again, I should just kill you and save me the trouble of trying to break your mind. So, any last words?" She asked me. I scoot myself back just enough so I could be out of harms way and so she wouldn't notice. I look at her with a half dying smirk. "Yes I do." I said. That's when I heard Dogmeat bark. The Alicorn turns around toward the bark, I then release my magic and roll to the left, out of harm's way. As I rolled I heard a loud crash and felt the ground rumble a little. When I stopped, I looked over at were the Alicorn used to be and see the pile of debris where she used to be. I would've questioned were she was, but I saw her hoof sticking out of the front. I struggle to my stand back up and limp over to the debris. "Heads up." I said. Suddenly, I felt weaker and weaker by the second. I look at my PipBuck and saw that my health had dropped from 23/175 to 10/175 HP. I was losing my health and my balance. I soon lost all feeling in my chest. I try to use my magic to grab a healing potion, but I couldn't even get my horn to glow. Black began to seep into my vision from all sides and I fell onto my right side. I began to sink into a deep sleep as my eyes hit my PipBuck health bar. I heard Apple Bloom's voice shouting, 'Nightshade!' and 'Somepony Help!' The last thing I see was the countdown of my health. 3...2....1.... I...I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't see anything. There was nothing but darkness. Was I dead? Is this what death feels like? Is this what it felt like to pass on? It...it feels empty. Everything is so....isolated. I tried to move but it was impossible. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even see nor feel my hooves. I couldn't even tell if I was moving my head or eyes. I was just staring into a dark abyss. No light, no creatures, not even as much as a sound. Now the place I was in wasn't the only thing that felt empty. I felt empty. I felt like I was without a purpose. Along with my empty feeling, I felt like I was leaving behind too many things to die. I don't want to die. I'm not ready to die. Not in the slightest. It felt like hours. I was in this isolation. Trying my best to do anything to get out of here. Whatever it was I was stuck in. I wasn't about to give up. I concentrate on waking up, and I was doing everything I could. Nothing was happening. Nothing I did was working. I wasn't ready to lose my life. I wasn't ready to lose Apple Bloom. *Thump* What was that? *Thump* That was something I felt, and heard. Both in a way I recognized. This.... this was my heartbeat. A few seconds later the darkness I was seeing was slowly being replaced with a cloudy night sky. I'm Alive! I'm still Alive! Oh thank goodness I live to see another day! I found myself resting on a some kind of stretcher that was being carried by two quadrupeds. My eyes go from the sky to who was carrying the end of the stretcher where my legs are. That part of the stretcher was being carried by... a pony? Even with my eyes squinted, the pony looked strange. She looked like a pony, but at the same time she didn't. She was dark grey, had dark blue and light blue and had some extra fluff at the end of ear. There were fangs that hung out of her mouth, but they didn't go past the jaw like mine did. Her eyes were a light blue color and the pupils were slit. She was actually quite pretty. She leather armor that looked like the same leather armor I saw on the unicorn earlier. Perhaps they were in the same group or something. I take a look at myself while I was on the stretcher. I was laid on my back with bandages around my torso. I also had my hoof on top of Applejack's hat that was on my chest. I wasn't wearing my battle saddle, so I felt vulnerable. I move my eyes to my left. I manage to catch a glimpse of a light blue mare with a pink mane before my eyes closed as I felt a cough. *Cough!* *Cough!* My coughing cased two things to happen. Blood to come out of my mouth, and the two ponies carrying me to stop. "Well I'll be damned. He lives." What a minute... that deep cockney accent. I've heard that before. The two put me down and detach from the stretcher. A few seconds later, I see four ponies looking at me. There was a light blue earth pony mare, a pale orange stallion, the strange mare I saw first and.... The stallion from Borderville?! "Nightshade!" I hear Apple Blooms voice shout. "*Bark*" I hear from Dogmeat. Painfully, I sit up to see Apple Bloom and Dogmeat running toward me. I hold my hooves out and allow Apple Bloom to jump in and hug me. She buried her head into my chest and began to cry. "Shh..there there. It's alright." I said in a soothing voice. "I told you. Everything would be okay, didn't I?" "*sniff* ya did. Ya did." Apple Bloom said. She looks at me and I begin to help whip away her tears. "Your daughter was worried sick about you." The light blue mare said. "She refused to leave your side for any reason." The orange stallion followed up. Once again, Apple Bloom is confused for being my daughter, even though at this point I don't blame them. "I know. I was worried sick about her too." I replied. Apple Bloom and I release from the hug and I put her sister's hat back on my head. "Well, aren't you just everypony's hero." The stallion with the deep cockney accent said. I smirk at the comment. "Let me be the first to say thanks for killing that Alicorn." "Hey, happy to help." I said. I wasn't gonna bother telling them that I was only intending on distracting it. That'd probably fuck everything up. "Oh yea? Go around helping the helpless with the odds stacked against you often?" The dark grey mare said. I looked at her and tilt my head in confusion. "From that look I can tell you haven't seen a bat pony before. My name's Midnight Huntress. But Bacardi there likes to call me Longshot." She introduced, and apparently she was a bat pony. Interesting. She pointed to the red stallion from Borderville. Apparently, Bacardi was his name. Isn't Bacardi a type of alcoholic drink? That wasn't important. I felt some kind of liquid hit my lap. I look down and see that the blood from my mouth was leaking onto my lap. I simply wipe off it of my mouth and attempt to stand. Big mistake. As I attempted to stand I had no strength in my front hooves whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even feel my front hooves. They were completely numb. "Whoa! Calm down there Freelancer. You're on a few painkillers, so you're gonna be numb for a while." Midnight Huntress said. As much as I am curious as to why she called me Freelancer, but now wasn't the time to ask. "How many painkillers did you give me?" I asked. "Five. You sort of lost consciousness before we got to you, we had to act quickly. We injected you with painkillers as a just in case you woke up in pain. You might feel dizzy or nauseous." Bacardi answered. I felt a little dizzy that was for sure, but I had no urge to throw up anytime soon. Then an important question struck my mind. "Where are we going?" I asked. "We're headed to Wolfwaters. Not to far from where we are right now." Midnight Huntress said. I look at my PipBuck map to see where we were and I see a location marked Wolfwaters very close to where I was. I make another attempt to stand, and of course I failed. "Calm down tough guy, give the Painkillers a chance to wear off first." Bacardi said. "Bacardi and I can carry you they rest of the way." Midnight Huntress followed up. I don't necessarily like the idea of being carried while I was still conscious, so I tried one more time to stand, putting all my strength into getting off of my flank, but I couldn't do it. I sat back down and sigh in disappointment. I just laid back down onto the stretcher and allow Bacardi and Midnight Huntress to pick me up. I hope the Painkillers wear off soon. As they carried me another question popped up into my mind. "I meant to ask, where's my stuff?" I ask. "Longshot's carrying it. Would've been rude to take it off of you and leave it behind." Bacardi answered. I look at Midnight Huntress to see that she had on my battle saddle and in the attached satchel was the 'Last Words' Rifle, and the submachine gun. Glad my stuff was still intact. "So... how long was I out?" I asked. "About 13 hours. Even when your heart started beating again, the Painkillers had you in a coma." Bacardi replied. That surprised me, I felt like I was only asleep for about 10 minutes. I already knew my heart had stopped beating at one point, so I wasn't gonna bother asking about that. I then catch a glimpse of the other two ponies. The orange stallion and the light blue mare. "Who are they?" I asked. "Our employers, Mr. and Mrs. Cake." Huntress answered. "Employers?" I asked. "Yea, we're Red Phoenix Mercenaries." Bacardi said. I was a little caught off guard by the word 'Mercenaries', given how my current reputation was with the Hunter Confederacy. "Not to worry, we aren't like the H.C. We're Lawbringers for hire." Huntress clarified. That made me feel safer. At least they're mercenaries for a good cause. "*chuckle* Sounds like my kind of business." I joked. "You took on an Alicorn and saved Borderville with no price on the mind. If you were doing these things for caps, watch out evildoers." Huntress replies. I felt bad because of what happened to Borderville earlier today. "Your daughter said that your name was Nightshade, right?" Mr. Cake said. "Yes." I replied. I still don't understand how they could confuse Apple Bloom as my daughter. But then again, adoption is always an option. I'll just politely clarify that I'm not her- "She said you were headed to Blackridge, right?" Mrs. Cake asked. I simply nod. "Blackridge? That's a long way from here. Any reason why?" Midnight Huntress asked. I'm quite surprised that Apple Bloom didn't say why we were headed to Blackridge. "We're looking for her family or at least clues that could lead us to them." I answer. Midnight Huntress looks at me with a shocked expression. "Her family's missing?" She asked. "Left her in the Stable, but they left a holotape on my body that said to head to Blackridge." I said. "Wait? On your body?" Bacardi asked. That's when I realized, I didn't really explain what I was doing in the Stable in the first place. "Yea, apparently I knew them before I lost my memory. I woke up in the Stable with a couple of scars on my head. Since her family and my past are connected, I'd be killing two birds with one stone." I explained. "We're here." Bacardi said. I sit up and peek over Bacardi's head and see a medium sized settlement that was very well protected. It looked like a Military Base. The gate had a couple of guards on top of it. This place could be a safe haven for Apple Bloom and I. Hell, if I play my cards right, this could be a home. A back up plan home, since I've already got a primary objective that is. I began to regain some feeling in my front hooves again, and I started to move them. I could feel my ability to walk start to come back. But can I walk now? Time to find out. I roll out of the stretcher and land on all four of my hooves. It feels good to walk again. "Show off." Huntress commented. I simply smirk her way. I let her and Bacardi take the lead, given how the first time I wandered toward an unknown settlement, I nearly got a bullet to my hoof, although it wouldn't stop me. As I began to walk, I felt Apple Bloom grab my hoof. I look at her and stop walking. I lower myself to her height. "Is everything alright?" I asked. "Everythings fine, Ah just." Apple Bloom started. She pauses for a minute and rubs her hoof. "Ah wanted to know if you could teach me how to shoot please." She said. I tilted my head a little. "Why?" I asked. "Ah wanna be able to help you, 'cause Ah don't wanna lose you." She said. I couldn't help but give a small smile at that comment. Despite only knowing me for two and a half days, she cared for me. And I cared for her as well. But unfortunately, I don't think they make or have made Battle Saddles that fit 10 year old foals. But then again, maybe someone could. But she should learn to hide first. If shit gets bad, she needs to be safe. "I think we should stick to sneaking right now. I'd like you to be safe if things go to he- *clears throat*, in case things go bad." I said, barely catching my tongue. I don't want her to have a cursing habit. I'll make a mental note to not curse in while she's around at least. "Okay." She said. "Hey. You guys gonna come in, or what?" I heard Bacardi's voice call. I look up to see the gate was open. "Come on Apple Bloom. Let's go." I said. Apple Bloom began to walk, that's when I use my tail and wrap it around her torso. I pick her up and place her onto my back and the two of us, along with Dogmeat, began to walk toward into Wolfwaters. As I walked into the town through the gate opening, I caught a glimpse of Mr and Mrs Cake hugging. I didn't notice this before, but the two were carrying foals. One of them, a cream colored pegasus colt with a brown mane. The other, a lemon colored filly with an orange mane. I'm not to sure how pony genetics work, but Mrs Cake doesn't strike me as the type who cheats. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that one their relatives, preferably Mr. Cake, had relatives that were of both species at one point. I take a look around the settlement, and I was amazed. This place had a little of everything. A few guard posts, multiple shops, and a bunch of creatures with weapons. Anyone who attacks this place will be killed too fast to regret it. Bacardi makes his way to me. "So what do think of this place?" He asked. "I feel sorry for whoever's suicidal enough to try and attack a place like this." I joked. Bacardi laughs. "Couldn't have said it better myself." Bacardi replies. "Hey, Bacardi!" A young country voice said. The three of us, that includes Apple Bloom, look off to the right to see a white feathered griffon with a yellow beak and dark green eyes, wearing a black stetson hat and a red bandanna around his neck, rushing to our direction. This griffon was strange compared to any griffon I've ever seen, this one had stripes on his feline body, as if that part of his body was tiger related instead of lion. "Ah see you've brought some guests." He said. He was pretty excited to see us, strangely. Apparently he's the 'always happy to meet a potential friend' type. Not a bad thing..... most of the time. "Hi there, I'm Nightshade." I greeted. I gesture my eyes to my current passenger. "This is Apple Bloom." Then I point my hoof to the Wolf-dog next to me. "And this is Dogmeat." "A deeelight to meet ya. The name's Billy Buckshot. Ah'm one of the patrol griffons her at Wolfwaters. Me and my brother Cabela Cassidy." He explained. Billy Buckshot and Cabela Cassidy, Alliterative names huh? I can't pass up this joke. "Who's next, Ammo Aurora?" I asked with a chuckle. He looks in disbelief and takes of his hat. "Actually uh... that was my mother's name." He said. I went wide eyed. I just insulted this griffon's possibly dead mother. I was caught off guard by the sudden dialogue. I need to apologize quickly. "Oh, shoot, I didn't mean to-." Suddenly, he starts laughing. I stop my apology and look at him confused. "I'm just bucking with ya." He said putting his hat back on. I glare at him. I did not appreciate the joke. "That's not a very funny joke." Apple Bloom said. "Took the words right out of my mouth." I said. "Heh, sorry, but some jokes, ya can't pass up. Tell ya what. Stop by the bar, we'll get to know each other over a couple of drinks. What do ya say?" He explained. A drink did sound tempting, I was gonna have to think that over. "I'll think about it." I said. "Don't take too long now. My brother and I will be done with our shifts in twenty minutes. See ya soon." He said. With that he walks away. "Forgive him, he's a bit young." Bacardi commented. Don't know why he said that, but he should know I'm also young. "I'm young." I replied. "Billy's twenty-two." Bacardi said. Now I felt like I was the youngest one here. "I'm.....Nineteen." I replied. Bacardi looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "What?" I asked. "Nothing, I've just haven't met a nineteen year old Changeling that's as tall as a Steel Ranger in power armor." Bacardi explained. That sounds familiar. Why? "Steel Ranger?" Apple Bloom said confused. Looks like Apple Bloom was as confused as me. "They're a technologically advanced Military that patrol the wasteland. Not everyone knows who they are, but they're known to fight Alicorns from time to time. But rumor has it that they also have two enemies that are just as technologically advanced as them." That sounds very familiar. Apple Bloom asks who they were, as I began to figure out why the two 'technologically advanced' enemies of the Steel Rangers felt familiar. Two names came to mind. "I don't really know who they are Ms. Bloom, but I think I'll know if I hear the names again." "Enclave and Fallen Star Republic." I said. Bacardi looks at me. "Y-yes. Those were the names. How did you know?" He asked. "I have no idea. I must've encountered them back when I had my memory or something." I explained. A silence fell between us. "Well, we're not gonna get on that topic then. Anyway, come on, I'll show you where you can spend the night." Bacardi said. We began to walk side by side. I didn't want to stay silent the whole time, so if there's any time to start a conversation, now was it. "So... this place seems pretty secure." I said. "Of course it is. This place was built over a prewar Equestrian Defense Force base." He explained. "Bet this place was riddled with supplies when it was built." I said. "You when that bet, because it was. There was food, water, and most importantly, ammo. I'm surprised nopony else tried to take it. Probably the rumors of Hellhounds being here got them running scared." Bacardi explained, I was intimidated by the name. Anything with the word hell in front of it must've been bad news. "A hellhound?" I asked. "What's that?" Apple Bloom asked. "Diamond Dogs that mutated into bipedal wolves with claws sharp enough to rip apart limbs of suits of Power armor. In seconds. They're also very difficult to kill. Even Alicorns prefer to keep their distance from them." Bacardi explained. A frightened gasp escapes Apple Bloom's mouth. "Don't worry. I'm sure Nightshade will scare them off before they even get close." Bacardi said. Apple Bloom starts to hug me. Her hooves couldn't reach all the way around my neck, but she still hugged me tight. "Okay, what kind of dangers does this town face?" I asked. "Oh, the usual. Raiders, H.C, and ferals. Nothing too dangerous." He said confidently. This place was a safe place, that's for sure. I just hope nothing bad happens here. Then I remember something I meant to ask. "What can you tell me about the Cakes?" I asked. "Why were they running from the Alicorns?" "Alicorns have a bit of a ritual they do at certain settlements. They go in, take a few settlers to turn them into their own kind, or slaves, and then leave. The settlers there have something called 'The Lottery'. They'd put the name of all the settlers and pull a few names. If your name was pulled, you were the one who had to be sacrificed." Bacardi explained. I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it. "Then one day, Mr. Cakes foals. Pumpkin and Pound cake were chosen. And he wasn't ready to give up his newborns. So the day the Alicorns come to accept their sacrifice, The Cakes decided to up and leave. And their settlement ratted them out." "Ouch. The entire settlement?" I asked. "Yep. Ever since, they've been being hunted. So they payed us to escort them here." Bacardi said. So now I know why the Cakes were being hunted. But now, I couldn't help but wonder, why didn't the village revolt? "Why didn't the village fight back?" Apple Bloom asked. Was this filly reading my mind or something? "Not everypony is as brave as your guardian Apple Bloom. They're too scared of being killed for revolting." Bacardi explained. "Isn't it better to die standing than live on your knees?" I asked. Bacardi looks at me with a smirk. "Those settlers could learn a thing or two from you." He said. I chuckle from that, but then he blindsided me with another question. "So why did you help us?" "Huh?" I asked. "You had no idea who we were. Yet you decided to help us. Why?" He asked. I'm not even gonna bullshit him. I'll just tell him my true intentions. "I'm gonna be honest. I only intended on distracting it, I just accidentally hit it in the shoulder and it came looking for me." I said. "It would've been too dangerous to try and fight it head on anyway. I'm just glad you were smart enough not to rush in head on. Unlike our old buddy Arctic Haze." Bacardi said. I raise an eyebrow. "Was Arctic Haze-" "The poor chap you looted the painkillers from? Yes." He replied. Now I felt bad, and I'm willing to be my all my healing potions that he doesn't have Billy's poor sense of humor "Sorry, I didn't know. When I get my stuff back, I'll give you back the stuff I looted from him." I offered. "It's fine. Besides, we used the painkillers on you." He said. We reach an area that consisted of a bunch of floor mattresses. No roof. Just a view of the night sky. A lovely scene to see..... unless it's raining. Midnight Huntress was already there, and my stuff was one the ground next to her. "Glad you could make it Freelancer. Here's your stuff. I restocked your ammo for you." She said. Once again, she called me Freelancer. "Why are you calling me that?" I asked. I wasn't offended, just curious. "Well, you're not a raider. Or a H.C member, or a part of any faction. You're independent, ergo, you're a Freelancer." She explained. That made sense. I nodded at the explanation in the form of 'okay I get it'. I walk over to my stuff, take Apple Bloom off of my belt and place my battle saddle back onto my back, via my magic. "Thanks." I said. "Don't mention it." She replies. "Why don't you stop by the bar? I'll keep Apple Bloom company." I honestly didn't like the idea of leaving Apple Bloom with someone, or pony I just met. "Um. I don't know." I said. "It's okay Nightshade. Ms Huntress can finish tellin' me about the fight between her and the Chimera." Apple Bloom said. I smirk at that one. "Alright, be sure to tell me how the story ends okay?" I said. "Okay." She said. She walks over to Midnight Huntress. I turn around to make my way to the bar. "So where was I?" I heard Midnight Huntress say as I walked of. "The chimera had you in a deadly squeeze." I heard Apple Bloom say. I spot a sign that said 'Bronco's Bar'. That must've been it. Seriously, what's up with these Alliterative names. Anyway I began to make my way there. Upon making it to the door, I remember something I said I'd do if I survived that Alicorn attack. I look at my PipBuck and find a way to change the color of my PipBuck to red. Now it matched my carapace and and eyes, and it looked a lot better than the green. Then I walk into the bar. Upon entry, I see a dark grey griffon with yellow eyes behind the bartender stand tilting the antenna of some kind radio. The radio made no sound whatsoever, and from the look on the griffon's face, he was very irritated. "Ugh! Come on you worthless piece of junk." He said in a rough and scratchy voice as he started banging on the radio top. I walk toward the stand. Next to the stand was an Amber colored bat pony mare with a bright red mane that was longer on her left side, and purple eyes. She had a strange appearance in clothing. She wore a pair of blue and light blue striped socks. Her cutie mark was strange too. It was a.... a heart with a kiss on it? What could that mean? "Bronzequill. I don't think banging on the radio's gonna make it work." She said. Her voice gave me the vibe that she specialized in seducing. Now I'm starting to get a clearer picture as to what that cutie mark represented, but I wasn't gonna make my assumption just yet. "Better than nothing." He replies. Apparently his name was Bronzequill. "Maybe the radio tower's down or something." The mare replied. "Yea, maybe you're right." Bronzequill said. He then looks up at me. Causing the mare look at me as well. "Hey there newcomer. Never seen a Changeling in my bar before. What would you like?" He asked. I don't really know what drinks they serve here. "Well, what do you have?" I asked. He suddenly looks at me shocked. "What? You... you don't wanna hit me, or yell at me?" I looked at him very confused. I have now idea where he'd get the idea I'd want to hit him. "The thought never came to mind." I replied. "Well that's a surprise. I'm used to the creatures here giving me shit because I sound like those talking corpses." He explained. "Talking corpses?" I asked. "Yea, talking corpse. In other words a ghoul. The amount of jokes I hear per day are atrocious. Nice to see someone not making fun of it besides Solar." He said gesturing to the mare next to me. "Well, my voice isn't exactly perfect either." I said in an attempt to make him feel better. "A snake like voice combined with a metallic echo? Sounds a lot cooler than a scratchy nails-on-a-chalkboard voice." He said. "Still nice of you to say though." I just shrug at the statement. He then leans in and puts his hand by his beak as if he wanted me to lean in. He wanted to tell me something. I then lean in an point my ear toward his beak. "Listen, the others would have my head if they're seeing me sell at a discount, but you get 10% off okay?" He said. I nod in response. We both back away, and a question comes to mind. "What were you banging the radio for?" I asked. "The signal's off and everything I tried hasn't been working." Bronzequill explained. "I told you before Bronzequill, it's probably just the signal being shit." The mare, whose name was Solar, said. I wonder what her full name was. Solar sounds more like a stallion's name. "What are you trying to listen to?" I asked. "Equestria New Radio. The host mare, DJ-Pon3 is always keeping us creatures updated on what happens in the wastelands." Solar answered. "DJ-Pon3?" I asked. "Her real name is Vinyl Scratch. Aside from updating the wasteland of pretty much anything from a small caravan robbery to a large Alicorn raid, she puts on music every now and again." Solar explained. I then remember, my PipBuck has a built in radio. I look at my PipBuck and scroll over to the Radio option, and there were two options. Enclave Radio, and Equestria News Radio. I click on Equestria News Radio, and within four seconds I hear an energetic, hip voice speaking on the radio. "What's up creatures of the wastes?! It's your main mare DJ-Pon3 back with an-" "See. I told you it couldn't have been the signal." Bronzequill said. "No. You didn't." "Whatever. Hey, Changeling fella." "Nightshade." I spoke. "Nightshade, could you leave the radio on and stay right here for a few minutes? At least until I get caught up with how the wasteland is?" He asked. Hmm. Maybe I can con him into giving me a drink for free. Only one way to find out. "I would for a free drink." I said. "Yea... not gonna happen." Bronzequill said. A little persuasion tells me otherwise. "Okay. And off goes the radio." I said moving my hoof toward the PipBuck to turn off the radio. He panics. "Okay, Okay! Jeez, you can have the free drink, but I choose what it is." Bronzequill says walking off. "Fair enough." I said. A free drink is a free drink, I'll take it regardless. But if he poisons it or something, we are gonna have a problem. "Well well. I'm impressed. I don't know any creatures capable of conning Bronzequill into a free drink other than myself. I'm gonna have to watch out for you." Solar said in a pretty seductive tone. I look at her to see me giving me half lidded eyes. "Thank you. Mind if I get your name?" I asked. The mare gives a light laugh. "To most I go by Solar Kisses. But for the right price, you could call me anything you like." She said. Now I could clearly see what her cutie mark was representing. But to be safe, I'll act dumb. Don't want to insult her of course. "What does that mean?" I asked. "It's cute that you act dumb, but I know I'm a whore. The word won't make me burst into flames." She said. "I'm still not comfortable calling you that though." I replied. Bronzequill puts a double shots glass with a clear liquid on the table. "Thank you." I said taking a sip. The drink had a bit of a... smoky taste. And it mildly burned my throat going down. It wasn't bad, it just caught me off guard, causing me to cough. "What's the matter? *Chuckles* You a lightweight?" Solar Kisses asked. I don't know if I was a lightweight or not. But that wasn't the reason I was coughing, it was the unexpected burning lava going down my throat. "I'm not a lightweight. *cough* I just wasn't expecting it to burn my throat." I replied. "Hmph, then chug it down." Solar Kisses said. Hmph. Am I a lightweight? Time to find out. I gulp the whole thing down. This time, no coughing. But I'd be a liar if I said it didn't burn on the way down. I put the glass on the table and wipe my mouth. The drink was actually pretty good though. Not going out on just one. "How much for another one?" I asked. "10 caps." Bronzequill answered. I take twenty caps out of my pouch and give it to Bronzequill. "Two more please. One for me, one for Solar Kisses here." I said. Bronzequill takes the caps and walks off. "Hmm, and he buys a mare a drink. Keep this up, and I might even give you some for free." Solar said. That wasn't a very tempting offer, given her current occupation, but maybe I could learn some juicy information if I play my cards right. "I wouldn't be much of a gentlestallion if I didn't get the lady a drink." I replied. Bronzequill comes back with an bottle labeled 'Sunset Rum' and places it on the table. He then places another double shots glass on the table and pours the alcohol into the glasses. I take mine, Solar Kisses takes hers. We toast our glasses, and drink. Then a question comes to mind. "So I gotta ask. What's with the socks?" I asked. "Aw, don't tell me you don't like how they look." She said. She then does a sexy pose to show off how the socks worked. I won't lie, I got a little red faced since the pose involved her presenting her hindquarters. I guess the socks were used for sexual appeal, making the flank look much more.... pleasurable. "Solar, could you not tease the newcomer please?" A voice said from the door way. I turn to look at the door and Billy Buckshot, and a light grey pegasus pony with a black goatee wearing a brown desperado hat, and a black vest, along with a blue bandanna around his neck. That must be Cabela Cassidy. "Come on Cassidy. Gotta have a little fun. I'm sure he knows the good old look but not touch rule." Solar said, getting out of the sexy pose. "But I wouldn't mind if he disobeyed." She said with a wink. Cassidy just groaned. "You must be Nightshade." Cassidy said. "And you must be Cassidy." I replied. I don't know what surprises me more, the lack of a country accent, or the fact that he's a pony. When Billy said 'Me and my brother' I thought his brother was another griffon. Serves me right for automatic assumption. "-so thanks to the Steel Rangers. The Fallen Stars will no longer be occupying New Pegasus as their base. But for every open door, another one closes. Unfortunately for Borderville, The Hunter Confederacy was victorious in destroying the town." This, Vinyl Scratch pony, said. How she knew what happened to Borderville is completely unknown to me. Regardless, It got the attention of all of us. "Oh my Celestia. Bacardi was in Borderville wasn't he?" Solar Kisses asked. "Yea, he was. I was there too." I commented. "You were? What happened?" Bronzequill asked. "Apple Bloom and I was looking for a place to spend the night. The creatures of Borderville allowed us to stay in one of the rooms for rent, free the first night. While I was there some asshole was trying to hire me to blow up the town. It was built over an undetonated Belfire bomb. No idea who that that was a good idea, but it came back to bite them in the flank." I explained. It was suddenly quiet in the bar. Not that it was that loud. But there was definitely less chatter than when I first walked in. "Then what happened?" Billy asked. "I told him no. He attempted to pull a gun on me, but I didn't give him the chance. Shot the bastard and killed him where he stood. Got the bastards gun too." I said taking Lorenzo's SMG out as proof. "The sheriff there, Dawn, thought I shot him for no reason, but Bacardi vouched for me." I put the SMG back into my satchel. Bronzequill pours more Sunset Rum into me glass. I take it in my hoof, instead of my magic this time. And I noticed the whole bar was quiet. The radio on my PipBuck could be heard clearly, but I could tell that they preferred to listen to my story. "So then what?" Cassidy asked. I sipped my rum and went back to talking. "The next morning I went on my way. Apple Bloom and I needed to get to Blackridge, and yes, I'm aware of how far of a travel that is. Halfway to a place called Havoc, I came across a scrapyard. Found a couple of Raiders torturing Dogmeat. Of course, I took them out, and the Dog is now with me. We decided to spend the night in a shack. When we woke up, it turns out the Hunter Confederacy had hunted us down. They were pretty pissed upon finding out I killed their commander, and looted his corpse, so they tracked me down. Of course I wasn't gonna go down without a fight. But before the guns could go a blazin'. They decided to put on a fireworks display." I said taking another sip of the rum. "I'm guessing that's when the bomb was detonated?" Bronzequill asked. "You guess correctly. I mean. I don't necessarily care for the place itself. And I didn't know anyone there enough to care about them. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have tried to help." I gulp the rest of the rum down. "Anyways, after killing all but one and crippling a griffons legs, I was on my way. But, Apple Bloom. She was devastated at what happened. I mean, I killed someone in front of her, and she watched a town get blown up. At this rate, she'll be suffering PTSD by the time she's eleven, if she's not already suffering." "Apple Bloom?" Solar Kisses asked. "His daughter." Billy said. "I'm not her father. I'm her guardian." I corrected. "Her family left her in Stable 7, and I'm helping her get back to them." "Stable 7? That where you got the PipBuck from?" Cassidy asked. "Yea. If I was gonna help find her family, I was gonna need the PipBuck for advantages out here." I explained. "I never knew Stables had Changelings in them." Bronzequill said. "I'm not sure they do. The only reason I was there was because it's previous occupants opened the Stable and left me there so I could receive medical attention. Apparently, the ones who left me there were Apple Bloom's family. Along with someone named Mustang. The sad thing is, I knew Apple Bloom's family, according to the holotape that was on my body. Unfortunately, I can't remember a thing. I lost my memories." I said. "That's terrible." Solar commented. Bronzequill poured some more rum into the glass. "I know it is, but reuniting Apple Bloom with her family is one way to help me regain my memories. But getting her back to her family is more important." I said drinking once more. Silence occurred in the bar. "- In other news, The Alicorns have been a little quiet lately. This may sound like it's good news, but be on the lookout. Remember, Alicorns are smarter than the average mutant. Be on your guard." Vinyl said. "Bacardi told me you killed an Alicorn earlier. That true?" Billy asked. "Crushed it with random debris." I answered. I drink the rum halfway down. "That why you got the bandages on?" Cassidy asked. "Damn thing threw me through a wall out of a building two stories high. Cracked my shell when I landed, and I was bleeding out." I answered. "What did you do to trigger the Alicorn?" Bronzequill asked. "I was actually just trying to distract it, but I accidentally shot it in the shoulder, so it came looking for me. Long story short. It found me, I killed it, I bleed out and woke up being carried here." I said. "So, that's my life's story. I'm on a quest to find a filly's family, and my past. Hell will try to prevent me. But I'll make sure it fails." "I'll drink to that." Cassidy said. "Here here." Billy said. Bronzequill pours two glasses of the same rum and gives it to them. The three of us drink the rum down. Billy and Cassidy cough a little. "Damn, Sunset rum huh? *cough* that's a very heavy drink. How much did you drink?" Cassidy asked. I had no idea. I lost count. "Lost count after the second glass." I said. "Yer no lightweight I'll give you that." Billy said. I must've been a heavy drinker or something, because I felt fine. I know that I didn't have that many, but the drink was heavy. I'm done drinking anyway. I wouldn't wanna be drunk in front of Apple Bloom. "Okay, I'm done drinking. Gotta get back to Apple Bloom, and I'll need to not be in a hangover when I do." I said taking fifty caps out of my satchel and placing them on the bar table. "If it's too much, keep the change." I said as I walked off. "See you soon." Bronzequill said. I walk out of the bar and make my way to the floor mattress area. I check the time on my PipBuck. It was 9:23 pm. Guess time flies when you're drinking. Anyway, time for me to get to Apple Bloom, still need to teach her how to sneak. I make it to the floor mattress area and see Dogmeat sleeping on one of the mattresses, but Apple Bloom was nowhere to be found. "Apple Bloom?" I called. I began to look around. I take a few steps forward to look around some more. I still couldn't find her. For a filly, she's got a habit of not being were I seen her last. I continued to look around, but still couldn't find her. She could not have left the base, so there's no reason for me to panic. *pat* My ears picked up from behind me. Instinctively, I turn around, and I turned around fast. I saw Apple Bloom looking like I just caught her with her hoof in a cookie jar. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Ah was tryin' tah sneak up on ya, but yer ears are too sensitive." Apple Bloom explained. I shook my head and chuckled. I then walk up to her. "I managed to hear your hoofstep on solid ground. You were probably moving too fast. Next time try to slow down." I explained. "Okay." Apple Bloom said. She looked a little disappointed. She shouldn't worry, I know she'll get it right. "It's okay. You'll be difficult to hear, or find in no time." I said to reassure her. She gives me a small smile, to which I return the favor. "Nightshade. Ah'm a little hungry. Can ah get a snack please?" She asked. "Oh, sure." I answered. I take my battle saddle off of my back and put it next to Dogmeat. I reach inside and take out a box labeled 'Golden Dandy Apples'. I wonder why I haven't been hungry. Two days since we left combined with the two weeks I've been in a coma and my stomach hasn't done as much as growl. I'm curious as to why though. "Here you go-" I stop right there. Apple Bloom wasn't there anymore. That was smart of her. Very smart. Better find her though, she still needs to eat anyway. Then I heard rapid hoofsteps behind me. I turn around to see Apple Bloom peek her head around the corner of the building. She giggles. "That was clever. I'll give you that one." I said. She walks over to me as I opened the box. "When you're finished eating, I'll teach you more on sneaking. Okay?" I asked, giving her the box. She reaches into the box and began to eat the yellow apple slices. In the middle of chewing she takes out some apple slice and offers me a few pieces. "Oh no, I'm not hungry." I said. She tilts her head in confusion and swallowed. "But, it's been two days. You sure ain't hungry?" She asked. "I'm positive Apple Bloom, I'll be fine." I reassured her. She looks at the apples and then back at me. That's when she put the apples back in the box. "What are you doing?" "Ah'm savin' you some in case you change yer mind." She responded. I smiled at the act of kindness coming from Apple Bloom, but she shouldn't do that for me. "It's okay Apple Bloom, there's more food in my satchel if I do." I said. Apple Bloom closes the box and gives it back to me. "Ah insist Nightshade." Apple Bloom said. I just place the box next to the sleeping Dogmeat. "So, what more are you gonna teach me about sneakin'?" Apple Bloom asked. I tap my chin. She was clever enough to trick me into looking away, and she was quiet, and fast enough to disappear without me knowing. But she needed to work on how quiet she should move. I did manage to hear her twice. Now how was I gonna do that? ... ... That's it! "Apple Bloom, are you up for a game of hide and seek?" I asked. I was playing a fourth round of hide and seek, and I gotta say, she's getting progressively better at this. The first round, I managed to find her pretty quickly because she accidentally knocked over a trash can and tried to put it back. Caught her in the middle of it. Told her to be more careful when sneaking around things that make noise. The second round I found her hiding under a table with a cloth over it. I told her not to pick such an obvious spot and to be smarter about where to hide. The third round, she was very difficult to find. Everywhere I looked, I couldn't find her. It wasn't until I checked one of the buildings and saw that she was on top of a shelf. And the only reason I found her was because I heard her knock something off the shelf. That's when I told her to take advantage of covering noise. Use something to draw my attention away and move quickly, but only do it when it's necessary, given the risk. This round, however, was the most difficult so far. It had been fifteen minutes since the game started, and I haven't found her yet. Everywhere I looked, Apple Bloom wasn't there. "Hmm, now if I were Apple Bloom, where would I go to hide. After getting caught three times?" I asked myself. I then heard a small clank sound, causing me to look to my right. It was an alley like area with a trash can at the edge and a box backed up against the building. I manage to see part of a pink bow poking out from the side of the trash can. A bow that I was particularly familiar with. I began to walk closer to the can with a bit of a smirk on my face. "Oh Apple Bloom, you did so well, but leaving your bow in the open for me to see is a fatal-" Upon moving closer to the can, I see that the bow was pinned to the trash can, but Apple Bloom was nowhere in the area. "-mistake?" I take the bow off of the trash can and chuckle. "A decoy, clever filly. Clever filly indeed." I said. I observe the area. It wasn't that big, so she either put this there earlier, or before I walked into the alley. I then heard a something solid hit the ground behind me. Due to instinct, I turn around to see what caused the noise. That's when I noticed the box shift a little in my peripheral vision. She was under the box, and she was trying to use noise to distract me. She learns so fast. I walk over to the box and was about to lift it up the box, but... that'd be no fun. I walk in place, making sure my hooves sounded like I was walking away. I then move beside the box and waited. About thirty seconds later, the box lifts up and Apple Bloom's head peeks out. She then looks around, and gets out from under the box. She gently places the box back down, careful not to make the slightest noise with it. She then runs to the edge of the alley to see if I was there. That's when I began to creep up on her. She was too busy peeking around the corner to notice a sudden shadow casting over her. "Found ya." I said. Apple Bloom jumps upon suddenly hearing my voice. She quickly turns around breathing heavily, but quickly regains it. "Aw, ah though ah stumped you this time." Apple Bloom said. "I'm not gonna lie, you did. But you forgot something important. You can use covering noise to distract me and take my attention away from where you are, but you need to only do it when it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I may see you if I've got too quick of an eye." I informed. Apple Bloom nods in response. I then smile. "The decoy was clever. Very smart of you." Apple Bloom smiles. "Thanks Mr. Night *yawn*" Her yawn caused me to look at the time. It was damn near midnight. 11:49 pm. Apple Bloom was tired, and I was reaching my point of sleepiness myself. "Come on Apple Bloom, let's get some sleep." I said. "Okay." Apple Bloom said tiredly. The two of use then walk to the floor mattress area to see Dogmeat still asleep. He took up most of the bed, leaving little room. I shook him awake. "Dogmeat. Off." I said. Dogmeat looks at me and then gets off of the mattress. As he got off, I laid down on my back, not even taking the battle saddle off. I felt Apple Bloom curl herself underneath my right hoof. I was gonna go to sleep, but then I looked at Dogmeat. He looked at me with flopped ears and gave a quieted whimper. He was begging to come to bed. I was too tired to try and tell him no, so I just tapped my chest. Dogmeat moves to my left side and places head on my chest and looks at me. "Gets some sleep fur ball. We've got things to do." I said. Dogmeat licks me again. I just groan and go to sleep. I woke up to the feeling of a drop of water hitting my snout. I flicker my eyes open and saw grey clouds in the sky. It wasn't a lot of rain, just drizzle, couldn't bother anybody. I was gonna sit up, but I found myself unable to. A certain vanilla-yellow coated filly had transitioned from my side to right beside my head with her hoof around my neck, as well as a grey furred wolf dog transitioned from my left side to full on lying onto my stomach. Dogmeat's snout was right underneath my chin. My face continued to get hit with small raindrops. Dogmeat sort of shielded my lower body which was nice, but I wouldn't want to smell like wet dog. I tapped on Dogmeat and he slowly woke up. He gets off of me and stretched. I gently take Apple Bloom's hoof from around my neck and stand up taking my hat off and putting it on Apple Bloom to keep her dry. I stretch and pop my back again. I take a second to check my stuff to see that it was all there, which it was. I looked at Apple Bloom, she was sleeping so peacefully. So adorably. I didn't wanna wake her. So I picked her up with my magic and hold her with my front hoof as I used the hat to keep her dry by hovering it over her. It manage to shield her from the head to the top half of her hind legs. The bottom portion of her hind legs would still get wet, but it wasn't enough to wake her up. I walk to the gate and was met up by Midnight Huntress. "Leaving already? I was getting used to you staying." She told me. "I'm sorry I have to leave, but I've gotta get to Blackridge. The longer I wait. The longer it'll take to get there." I explained. "That's understandable, but I'm still kinda saddened. I was hoping to get to know you better." Midnight Huntress explained. "The feeling is mutual, Midnight. I'd really would've liked to her that story between you and the Chimera." I replied. She gives a little chuckle. "I'm sure Apple Bloom will tell you the full story." Midnight replies. I smile at the comment. I look at Apple Bloom as I felt her snuggle up closer to my chest. Pulling her legs in underneath the hat even more. I looked at Dogmeat who was panting and pet him on the head. "I think now's a good a time as any to take those bandages off." Midnight said. I had completely forgotten about the bandages. I use the sharp point of my tail to tear the top part of it off, and then use my magic to take it off. "That thing's pretty handy isn't it?" Midnight asked. I look back at my tail instinctively. "Yeah, I guess it is." I answered. "Have you ever... used it like a weapon?" "I might've, back when I had my memories. But since I woke up, no." "You think there might be venom in that thing?" "No idea. I haven't been desperate enough to use it." I answered. A silence fell between us. The rain wasn't bothering me so far, but Apple Bloom was shaking. The rain was making it cold, so I moved her in closer. "You wouldn't happen to have something for her to wear do you? Something a little warmer?" I asked. "Yea, of course. Stay here, I'll be right back." She said. She then runs off and goes in one of the buildings. I sit on my hind hooves and hug Apple Bloom with both hooves, to kept her warm. Next thing I here is hoofsteps. Midnight Huntress comes back with something underneath her wing. She makes it to me and pulls a folded pink hoodie out from underneath. "Here." She said. "Thank you." I said taking the hoodie. I place it into the satchel and give her a smile. I turn around, ready to leave, but she stopped me. "Before you leave, I'd like to give you something." She said. I look at her with a raised eyebrow. Confused as to what she meant by that. "What exactly do you me-" *smooch* She....she just kissed me. Why would she do that? She moves her lips away from my cheeks, the area she had kissed, and my cheeks began to burn. That was just out of nowhere. I haven't done anything to receive that...... Did I? "Be sure to come back soon. Okay?" She said. Of course I'm gonna wanna come back, ammo, supplies, this place has it all. But now, I don't know whether or not to do so. I mean, I don't wanna be rude, but I don't know my own past. I could probably have a marefriend, or a wife even. But then again, I probably don't. I guess fate would have to decide whether or not I should, or will come back. "I'm afraid that's not up to me." I said. "Hmph. Well when it is, come back and-," *Shroom* a thick red liquid suddenly splatters onto my face, impairing my vision. I use my free hoof to wipe the liquid off. I open my eyes, they then widened. Midnight Huntress was on the ground, bleeding from the neck. She had been shot, and she was holding her neck with her hooves, bleeding profusely from the neck. I quickly run toward cover. I peeked out and quickly go into S.A.T.S. I saw a pony, wearing white combat armor. Armor I have seen before. It was the Hunter Confederacy. And they had shot Midnight. I come out of S.A.T.S and look back at Midnight Huntress as more bullets came into the base. Apple Bloom fidgets awake upon hearing the bullets. "Nightshade! What's going on?!" She asked in panic. "Apple Bloom, hide. NOW!" I shouted. Apple Bloom jumps out of my hooves and runs off. I take one last look at Midnight Huntress, she was in the open. Used as bait for anyone to try and help her. What am I to do? Try to help her. (Good Karma) Shoot Back. (Neutral Karma) Put her out of her misery. (Evil Karma) Footnote New skills: Mare Killer- Easier to persuade Mares and 20% more damage to mares. Author's Note This was a difficult Chapter to write. Oh well, Time for the post chapter status report. Nightshade's Karma: Seeker Good: 0 Neutral: 5 Evil: 0 Trivia: Nightshade dropping a large pile of debris on the Alicorn is a reference to Fallout Equestria's Littlepip dropping a house on an Alicorn in Chapter 7 of Fallout Equestria. Nightshade constantly being mistaken for Apple Bloom's father is a reference to Lee from The Walking Dead being mistaken for Clementine's father. Originally this chapter was gonna be named Alicorns, and it would've been the Alicorns that attacked Wolfwater. Nightshade was gonna have a nightmare involving an Alicorn, which would trigger him being paranoid and foresee an attack coming. If Nightshade's decision was Good Karma, Bacardi would call him reckless but brave. If Nightshade's decision was Evil Karma, Nightshade would find Wolfwater on his own and Bacardi would tell him that the Alicorn left. Midnight Huntress' name is a genderbent version name of Midnight Hunter from Prince Ezio: The Changeling Assassin. Billy Buckshot and Cabela Cassidy are names referencing the Western outlaws, Billy the kid, and Butch Cassidy Barcardi has the same accent as Whitechapel Charlie from Fallout 4 That's all the trivia for today. Voting deadline is my birthday, April 5th. Chapter 4: Same Journey, Different Problems (Good Karma)I couldn't just leave her there to bleed out. I need to help her, and fast. I tried to run out to help her but a barrage of bullets came my way forcing me to fall back. I'm not going to lie, that wasn't very smart of me. These guys are literally using her as bait if I was going to get to her I was going to have to shoot them even if I couldn't see them, or at least at them. I pull out Lorenzo's SMG, using my magic to levitated in the direction in which they were shooting. They immediately started to shoot at my gun. Looks like these guys were a little bit smart to try and disarm me, but that wasn't going to work. As my submachine gun shot, I ran out from cover to go and help Midnight Huntress. Without a second thought, I use my front hooves to drag her behind cover. Once we were behind cover I sat her up against the wall. She was fatal condition. Blood was rapidly pouring out of her neck, some ounces of blood was even leaking out of her mouth. The worst part, she look like she was about to fall asleep. Now I may not be a doctor, but I'm smart enough to know that someone in a condition like this should not fall asleep and maybe the last time they even close their eyes. "Come on Midnight, don't give up on me now. Stay with me." I said as I placed my hoof on her neck in an attempt to stop her bleeding. It wasn't working. The blood still rapidly leak out from her neck. She was going to need to healing potion and stat. I use my magic to lift up my satchel and try to pull out a healing potion. But, my magic isn't picking up anything. Why? Why was it my magic picking up the healing potion? I turn around to look at the left side of my satchel; where I kept the healing potions. To my horror there was a giant hole in my satchel. Even worse, when I turned around to look at the opening, where the Hunter Confederacy was shooting from, the healing potions were right there. I use my magic to pick up one of the syringes. A bullet goes through the syringe. I try to pick up another one, and a bullet goes through that one too. I wasn't gonna be able to get the healing potion like that, so I ran out to grab the last one. As soon as I got close to the healing potion, a bullet was sent through my hind leg. The momentum of how fast I was running caused me to fly forward. I was still in the open, and hind hoof was bleeding. I look up to see a few H.C members advancing toward me. I use my magic to shoot back at them. I killed three before hearing a click. "Shit." I silently exclaim. I see a griffon aiming an assault rifle at me. My eyes widen. That's when a bullet went through his head. I turn around to see Buckshot Billy with a scoped lever action rifle in his talons. He cocks it back and shots another one. Cabela Cassidy comes out with a shotgun battle saddle on his back. He too began shooting. "Guys! *pained grunt* Huntress! Help her!" I grunted out. Billy and I look at Huntress who had fallen over, blood still pouring out of her neck. "Shit! I'm on it!" Billy said rushing to her aid. Cassidy stood in front of me shooting with his battle saddle. "Get to cover! Quick!" He commanded. He did not have to tell me twice. I quickly began to crawl behind the wall. As I did, I sat up against the wall and looked at my leg. Luckily, the bullet went straight through my leg, so I won't have to worry about digging it out. I look over at Midnight to see Billy with a Talon over her neck, trying to stop the bleeding. It wasn't working. She then closes her eyes and slump over. Billy then looks at us and shook his head. "Fuckers." Cassidy exclaimed. He said what I was thinking. These guys are gonna pay for they did. I took the ripped bandages from my satchel and wrap it around my hoof. I see it glow yellow for a second. That will be brought up in question later. I reload my SMG and get ready to start shooting back. That's when I saw a griffon land on top of the gate overlooking Billy. I shoot the SMG at the griffon and managed to kill him causing him to fall of the gate. Billy looks at the dead griffon, and then back at me. "Billy! Those griffons are trying to fly over the gate, see if you can keep that from happening!" I ordered. "On it!" He shouts back. He flies up and lands on the building beside the wall and began to shoot his rifle. I stand up and look at Cassidy. "Cassidy, we gotta keep them from getting close to the entrance!" I said. More of the armed settlers began to make their way to take care of the invasion. What the absolute fuck took them so long? "I'll try my best to do so! Try to-" I grabbed him and pull him behind the wall as a bullet zipped past where Cassidy's head used to be. "Sweet Celestia, What the fuck was-" "I saw a muzzle flash in my peripheral vision! One of these assholes have a sniper!" I explained. "Oh shit, thanks!" He said. "Thank me later! Let's deal with these guys firs- Watch out!" I shouted as I noticed a H.C pony member with an assault rifle saddle rush into the settlement. I'm surprised he hasn't been shot by any of the settlers. I push Cassidy to the side and shoot at him with my shotgun saddle, which blasted him back. Killing him. "Stay here! I'm gonna find a way to deal with that sniper!" I said. "There's a sniper on the guard post on top of that building, see if you can get to it. I'll cover you." Cassidy said pointing to the top of Bronco's Bar. Sounded like a plan. Not a good one since I had to save Cassidy twice because he wasn't paying attention, but there wasn't enough time to think of something else. "On it!" I said making my way to the building. I run to the building and opened up the door. Upon opening the door, I heard something fast moving toward the left of my head. I lower my upper body entirely and use my tail to grab whatever object it was being sent at my head. I quickly lift up and pin whoever it was holding the object to the wall with my hoof at their neck. Immediately after doing so I see that it's Bronzequill. "Bronzequill!?" I exclaimed releasing him, he falls to the ground. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you." "It's alright. What's going on?" He asked. "The Hunter Confederacy is attacking, and one of those assholes has a sniper. I gotta get to the roof." I said. Solar Kisses stands up from behind the counter. "Quickly, follow me!" She said. I began to run after her, but stopped and turned to look at Bronzequill. I then take my SMG out of my satchel. "Bronzequill, take this. Just in case an H.C member comes through that door." I said tossing him the gun. He catches it, looks back at me and nods. I then run after Solar Kisses. I follow the amber bat pony up the stairs and to a ladder leading to the rooftop. I use my magic to open the trapdoor leading to the rooftop and proceeded to climb the ladder. "Kick their asses for us kid." Solar said. "That's the plan." I replied as I finished climbing the ladder. On top of the rooftop, I was able to see the sniper on the guard post. I quickly run and pick it up; taking cover behind the guard post as I did. The sniper currently in my hooves was a high powered one, bolt action, and looked like it was military issue. This would go through heads nicely. I peek up over the guard post, and scope out every thing. The casualty count was big on our side, but it was bigger on the theirs, not by much those. It didn't help that their white combat armor made them easier to see in the grey sky and rain. I see that muzzle flash aimed at me, I quickly duck down and a chunk of the guard post came flying off. I peek out to the left of the guard post aiming down the scope. I look in the exact spot I saw the muzzle flash previously. I see a unicorn with a cocking his bolt action sniper back. Now was my chance. I took the shot, and the bullet managed to hit him in the neck. He collapses and began to die from loss of blood. I pull back the lever and aimed again. I saw a griffon running for the sniper. I took him out before he got close. I move my head away from the scope and look at Billy. He gives me a thumbs up. I nod. He then shoots me a wide eyed look and points behind me. I turn around and got slugged in the face by a very heavy and very powerful blunt object. I fall off of the roof and land on my stomach. That was extremely painful. I recover and sure enough, my nose and forehead was bleeding. Blood was dripping from from my forehead and nose onto the ground. I turn around to see a griffon wielding a giant sledgehammer on top of the roof. I recognized this griffon, and I was sure he would've been dog chow by now. "Remember me?" He gritted. "Of course I do." I said back. I stumbled onto my feet and looked back at him. I let this guy live, big mistake on my part. "We've got some unfinished business. And this time, I won't be leaving with crippled legs." He said. "You're right. You're leaving in a body bag, cause you're dead motherfucker." I replied. He jumps down and approached me. I bite down on my mouthpiece trigger only to hear a click come from my shotguns. Out of bullets? No matter, more suffering for him. He runs toward me and swings his sledgehammer. I move dodge underneath it and tackle him to the ground causing him to release the hammer. I landed on top of him and began to punch him the face, multiple times. After ten punches he grabs my hoof and punches me in the face and flips me off of him. Now he was on top of me. Before he could punch me, I punch him in the face, causing him to stumble off of me. I then get up and run towards the sledgehammer. He grabs my leg, tripping me. I kick him, and run towards the sledgehammer and pick it up with my magic. I turn around to see that the griffon now had a machete in his hand. "Come on you stupid bug. Show me what you got." He said. I run over to him and he swings the machete at me. I block with the handle and hit him in the face with the bottom of the handle and then swing the sledgehammer, hitting him in the ribs. I hear a satisfying crunch sound coming from his ribs. He falls to the ground screaming in agony, that's when I dropped the sledgehammer and go for the machete. Once I picked it up I looked back at him. He looks at me with a remorseful look on his face as I walked toward him. As I got close I lifted up the machete and got ready to finish him off. But.... I couldn't do it. I can't kill him like this. It was so much easier to think about killing this guy when he was attacking me, but while he was here injured and defenseless, I couldn't do it. I put the machete into my satchel and ran back towards the from of the gate. I was stopped however as something tackled me to the ground. Whatever it was fell off of me as I hit the ground. I try to recover, but the culprit pounced back on top of me. It was the griffon I just let live. Now he was on top of me, clasping my neck with his claws. My lack of hands or talons put me at a severe disadvantage. I was gonna need to think of something quickly. I tried punching him in the face, but that wasn't working. I tried using to my hind hooves to lift him off of me, but his grip increased. I felt my tail swipe around, as well as my consciousness begin to slip away from me. "Die you worthless bu-" He was interrupted by me punching him in the ribs. He yells in pain as he took his talons off of my neck to tend to his pained ribs. He remained on top of me, so this was my chance to take him off of me- *shroom, splat* A bullet goes into the right side of his head and didn't come out the other send. He slumps over to the left, dead. Who shot him? I look to the right, where the bullet came from and I see Apple Bloom. She had a 10mm pistol in her mouth, and tears in her eyes. The gun drops from her mouth. This wasn't good. I get up and began to make my way toward her. *rumble, thump, crash* What is that? "Oh shit. HELLHOUND!" I heard a Red Phoenix merc shout. I see the ground in front of the entrance start to break. "Apple Bloom! Run! Now!" I shouted. She didn't move. Her eyes were still on the griffon she had killed. She was traumatized. I saw a large claw come out from the ground. Both sides stopped shooting and ran away. "Apple Bloom, for Pete's sake, Snap out of it!" I shouted. She remained still. Half of the Hellhound's body come out of the hole. Everyone was running, but Apple Bloom. That Hellhound was only half way out of the ground, and it was already menacing to look at. Blood on his claws and around it's snout. It was terrifying. Apple Bloom was just standing there. I began to reload my battle saddle, rear kicking the magazines out and loading new ones in with my magic. I then aim at the hellhound. "Apple Bloom Please! Snap out it! You've gotta run or it's going to kill you!" I shouted. Apple Bloom still didn't move. The hellhound was now fully out of the ground. It was only slouched over, but it was gigantic. It let out a roar that was so terrifying, it was understandable why the first part of its name was hell. It looks at me and then looks at Apple Bloom. It started to run towards her. "HEY!" I shouted. I bit down on the mouthpiece trigger and fired a few shots at the hellhound. The barrage of bullets punctured his skin, but did nothing to damage him. He then switches his attention onto me. I keep shooting it. I may not be doing a lot of damage. I may be the only one shooting. And I may be so scared that it surprises me how I'm not dead from a heart attack. But the only thing going through my mind is this thing is going to get worst than it can give if it thinks it's going to hurt Apple Bloom. He gets close enough to bring his claw back in an attempt to slash at me. I dodge it underneath it and dash behind it. I began to shoot it in the back. That just pissed him off. I look where Apple Bloom was, and I saw Solar Kisses picking her up and carrying her away. I gave a sigh of relief. *Smack* The hellhound back clawed me in the face, sending me to the ground. I recover to see the monster run towards me again. I stand up and began to shoot at it again. This thing was not budging one bit. It brings back its claw and gets ready to slash at me. I run to the left to try and avoid its momentum. That's when it slashed me with its other claw. I was sent flying back, now bleeding from the chest with three claw marks. I stumble back to my feet and I was more terrified that I had ever been these 35-40 something hours I've been awake. I stand back up as the beast began to run my way. This fucking thing is going to kill me, very, very, VERY quickly. I was gonna need to think of something fast. I then felt liquids come out of my tail as I thought of a plan. I think the best course of action for this sit- Wait. What's coming out of my tail? I turn to look at my tail and see a purple liquid coming out of my tail. If that is what I think it is, it would help a bunch to keep me alive. I began to shoot hellhound as it approached me. I back up as it got closer and closer. It then brings up its claw, and that's when I ready my tail. The hellhound slashes it towards me and I strike my tail toward its paw and grazed his arm with my stinger. It lets out a loud roar that was absolute poison to my ears. I couldn't tell if it was out of pain, or out of anger, but he wasn't exactly in the mood for a chat. Now I had to- *Slash* Right across my left side, I was slashed once again as well as knocked on the ground. This one actually broke my battle saddle. One side of it anyway. I try to get off of the ground, but the hellhound picked me up off the ground and lifted me up, bringing its claw back ready to deliver the final blow. I looked in its eyes as it brought back its claw. It was ready to kill me. Ready to tear me apart. If I am to die here, my only regret, is not getting to Blackridge. I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for the final blow. ... ... Nothing happened. I open my eyes to see the hellhound looking back at its own arm, which was slowly turning purple. It then drops me causing me to land on my side. I look back up at the hellhound to it falling to its knees. It then lets out another roar and collapses at my hooves. It's eyes remained open, but it didn't move, didn't blink, it didn't even breathe. It was dead. I killed this thing. I'd jump into the air with joy, but I am bleeding from five wounded parts of my body. Six if you count the hind hoof I wrapped bandages around. I check my PipBuck, and my health was on.... wait that can't be right. 35/210 HP? Wasn't my health a max of 175 last time? When did I get this more resistant- you know what? That's not important. Neither is finding a healing potion.... okay that is important, but not as important as me needing to talk to Apple Bloom. "Holy shit." I heard Bacardi's voice say. I look up to see him along with Billy, Cassidy, and Solar Kisses, who was holding a crying Apple Bloom. I couldn't see Apple Bloom's face, because it was buried in Solar Kisses' chest, but I heard her sniffles. I made my way straight to her. Bacardi said something to me. 'Good Job' or 'You really are a brave one' or something like that. I didn't listen to him. My main priority was talk to Apple Bloom. So that's what I'm going to do. "Apple Bloom? Apple Bloom!" I called. She sniffled and didn't even bother to look at me. "Apple Bloom, please. I know this is difficult for you to do but please talk to me. I'm here for you okay?" I reassured. Blood from the three claw marks on my chest began to drip onto ground. It was concerning the others I know. "Mr. Shade, we need to get you some medic-" "Shut up." I interrupted Billy with venom in my voice. I know it was harsh, but Apple Bloom needs my help more than I need anyone else's. Regardless, he shut up. "Apple Bloom, listen to me. I know in the eyes of a young filly such as yourself, what you did, you see it as murder. But you didn't murder anyone, you saved my life." I said. Her sniffling reduced. "Apple Bloom, please, answer me this. Were you scared when you picked up the gun?" I asked. Apple Bloom moves a hoof to her eye to wipe away a tear before nodding. "But you did it anyway. You know what that means Apple Bloom?" I asked. "*sniff* That. *sniff* that ah'm an idiot." Apple Bloom replied. "No. That means you're brave." I replied. She looks at me in teary eyed confusion. "Ah... ah am?" She asked. "You're ten year old filly that was scared to shoot a dangerous griffon, but you overcame that fear in order to save my life. If that's not the definition of brave, I don't know what is." I said. She sniffs again and looks at me sadly once more. "Most foals your age would just sit and hope for the best. But you; you took matters into your own hooves. You made a very difficult decision, and for that, I am very proud of you." I said. Apple Bloom jumps out of Solar Kisses' hooves and runs to me. Hugging my front right hoof. I smile at the moment, and gladly returned the favor, wrapping my left hoof around her. "Thank you, Nightshade." She said in a barely audible whisper. "No problem kiddo." I said. I look back up and see Billy handing me a healing potion. In which I gladly take and stick it into my shoulder. Sealing my cuts shut and stopping the bleeding. I mouth the words 'Thank you' to which the tiger striped griffon nodded. "Nightshade, do you have a minute?" Bacardi asked. I looked at Apple Bloom, who looks back at me and nods. She releases my hoof and I walk with Bacardi towards Midnight's body. She had unfortunately, died in the altercation. Even if she were to have gotten a healing potion, she had lost too much blood to survive. It was very unfortunate. She was nice, she was funny, and she cared for Apple Bloom. Not as much as I did, but enough to give her a hoodie. I wonder why she was so willing to do that though. "I'm sorry about Midnight. She didn't deserve this." I said. Bacardi shoots me a sympathetic look. "It's alright kid. There was nothing you could do." Bacardi said looking back at Midnight. A silence feel between us for a good minute. I wasn't sure what to say. I was sad too, but not as sad as Bacardi tried to hide. "She took a liking to you, ya know." Bacardi commented. "Yea. I know." I replied. Bacardi looked at me with a semi shocked expression. "You did?" "Yea, when I was ready to leave she kissed me on the cheek. Said she wanted me to come back when I could." I answered. "That sounds like her. Sees what she wants and always try to take it." Bacardi said. "I wish I could've done more to help." "Look kid. I appreciate your nobility, but sometimes things just happen." Bacardi said. I still felt upset about not being able to help her. "Nightshade, look around. We've lost a lot of mercs, but they lost more of theirs thanks to you. Hell, you took on a hellhound on your lonesome. Something our bravest piss themselves at the thought. Try not to beat yourself up about it, okay?" Bacardi said. I remained silent at that. I look at her and the location of which she was shot. There was a long blood trail, wide in width. She lost a lot of blood. Would a healing potion even be effective at that point. I didn't know. "I'll give you a minute kid. See me at Recoil Remington's shop when you're done okay?" I nod. Bacardi walks off as I remained in front of Midnight Huntress. I didn't know her that well, but I could tell she was kind, funny, and from how she spoke with Bacardi (as briefly as that was), she struck me as the time to have some sass to her. But now she's in a better place, I know that for sure. "Rest in peace Ms. Huntress. I wish we did get to know each other more." I said, Dogmeat caught me off guard with a howl. I haven't seen him since the firefight started. He had blood around his muzzle, indicating he was dealing with the H.C from a different part of the settlement. His howl, I noticed, was a mournful one. After that, I close her eyes using my hoof, stand up and walk toward Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom looks behind me, and then back at me. "She's in a better place Apple Bloom." I reassured. Apple Bloom nods sadly. I look at the undamaged part of my satchel and take out the hoodie Midnight gave me. "She thought you looked cold and wanted me to give you this." I said. Giving Apple Bloom the hoodie. The rain began to come down a little harder. I hold Applejack's hat over Apple Bloom to shield her from the rain as she puts on the hoodie. When the hoodie was fully on, I couldn't help but notice how adorable she was in that hoodie. Hoodies looked unusual for ponies to wear, but in an adorable kind of way. Hmm, Adora-bloom. That's a nickname to soon call her by. But that'll be later at a much lighter moment. Right now, she needs time to let all of what happened sink in. We both do. I began to make my way to Recoil Remington's shop. Seriously, what's up with the alliterative names. I feel Apple Bloom's hoof touch mine. I moved my hoof due to instinct. I wasn't used to her doing that, which was why I reacted like that. But upon realizing it was her, I place my hoof back on the ground, allowing her to grab it. We make our way to Recoil Remington's shop. Upon entry, I see Bacardi giving a bag of caps to a griffon. The griffon walks away, and Bacardi turns around to look at me. "What did you want to see me for?" I asked. "I know that you need to be on your way to Blackridge, so I'm not gonna take up too much of your time." Bacardi said. "Okay." I said in response. "There's an old train station about seven miles east of here. One of the places it was routed for was someplace that used to be called Manehattan. Most now know it as of course, Blackridge. If you could get it working, you can turn a five day to a week walk to a one day train ride." Bacardi explained. I honestly don't know how that worked, but if it's a faster way for us to Blackridge, then I'm all for it. "Sounds like a plan." I said. That's when I realized, I don't know how to operate a train. "Glad you think so. But here's the problem." He started. I already know what he's going to say. I need a new satchel, I some armor, and I need someone to watch my back or something. "You're gonna need three things before you head back out. A new satchel, some armor, and probably most importantly, someone watching your back." Called it. "I kind of knew that already, but I'm not too sure who will come with me. Besides, I think it would be better if I did this alone. Wouldn't want another reason for death on my part." I explained. "Don't worry, I respect that. You don't want someone else to die within your group, but it would be wise to have someone watching your back as a just in case things are too difficult for you to handle on your own." Bacardi said. That was a very valid point. It would be wise to have a second gun to help me through this hell. If I'm gonna get to Blackridge, Dogmeat and I shouldn't be the only ones being shot at. A pretty fucked up way to look at that, but the most honest way. Then again, if that's how I look at a situation like that, It would be wise if I did this alone, for the sake of anyone who wants to stick by me. "I'll remember those words if I change my mind, but right now, I prefer to be alone." I said. The griffon that Bacardi paid earlier comes back with some folded clothes and another battle saddle. An assault rifle type rather than a shotgun. "Consider it a gift. A thank you for helping us." Bacardi said. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What're the clothes for?" "Leather Red Phoenix armor. Better than the average leather armor you'd find on Caravan Guards. You'll have better defense against bullets and laser shots." Bacardi said. Wait? Lasers? "Lasers?" I asked. "Yea, raiders and/or slavers sometimes get lucky enough to find Laser rifles or saddles. Luckily, their aim's normally worst than a blind folded griffon shooting with his feet." Bacardi said. That was his attempt at a joke, it wasn't funny. What was funny, however was the glare the griffon shot him while he was looking away. As much of a struggle as it was, I managed to keep a straight face. "Well, thank you for the armor and battle saddle." I thanked. "Hey, don't mention it. And if you ever change your mind on going alone, you know where to find us." He told me. I nodded with a small smile. Apple Bloom and I walk out of Recoil Remington's shop with the leather armor on. I had to admit, the leather armor suited me. More specifically, the jacket with a missing right sleeve that came with the armor. The armor was light, and felt like it wouldn't protect against that much damage. But still better than nothing. The battle saddle was the same weight as the combat shotgun saddle. Which was around 14 pounds. 30 if you count the two guns, the machete, food, and water I transferred into the satchels. I tried to get some ammo for the 'Last Words' lever action rifle, but the vendor said that the bullets for my gun was custom made. Meaning he didn't have the bullets, or the materials to make the bullets. Or the schematics. I also put an earth pony 10mm pistol in my bag to teach Apple Bloom how to shoot some more. She already knows how to shoot, but now she learn the kill or be killed mentality when things get bad. There will be a moment where she'll either not be able to hide, or she'll be found to easily. She needs to be ready as a just in case. The rain had gotten mildly harder. Something told me that it might be a thunderstorm soon. Hopefully it won't be so bad before dark. I look at Apple Bloom, who was trying to put her hood on. I save her the time by using my magic to put her hood on her head. I looked at the front gate to see Dogmeat sitting there. "Dogmeat!" I called. Dogmeat turned around and ran toward me happily. I pet his head as he panted. "Come on fur ball, it's time to go." I said. Dogmeat gives a playful bark in response. That's when me, Apple Bloom and Dogmeat walked out of the gate. I check my PipBuck for the location of the train station. It was indeed marked on my map to the east. I also look at the time, it was 10:21 am. No better time to get a move on than now. The travel to the train station was a lot farther than it looks on the PipBuck. It had been two hour, and I was barely halfway there. It was also pretty hard to walk as Apple Bloom walked underneath me to shield her from the rain. It was very hard to walk without stepping on Apple Bloom. So it wasn't easy to get where I needed to go. As I walked, I made sure to check all of my surroundings. In the two hour walk, I had been attacked by giant flies, giant mole rats, and wild dogs. All of which I only managed to hear at the last second, so I need to be on guard for anything, or anyone willing to attack me. Luckily for me, Dogmeat would be able to warn me of anything dangerous. Thank goodness for that nose and those ears, right? "Nightshade, how much further do we got?" Apple Bloom asked. "We're halfway there Apple Bloom. I think it would be faster if you weren't underneath me. It's not exactly easy to walk when I'm trying not to step on you." I said. "Aw, but it's so comfy under here." Apple Bloom complained. "Maybe for you, but up here it's very uncomfortable. I'm trying my best not to-" "Ouch!" Apple Bloom said as I 'accidentally' stepped on her tail. Okay I did that on purpose, but I'm sure that'll get the message across. "-step on your tail." I finished. I stepped back as Apple Bloom tended to her tail. "You okay?" "That hurt." Apple Bloom said, glaring at me as if she knew I did that on purpose. "Eh, you'll live. *ruffles Apple Bloom's mane* Come on kiddo, we still got 3 and a half miles to go." I said. Apple Bloom puts her hood back on and joins me in a side by side walk. As we walked, I couldn't help but replay what happened at Wolfwater in my head. I was happy I was able to calm her down, but I need to teach her more on guns and survival. "Apple Bloom, do you know how to reload a gun?" I asked. That's when Apple Bloom stopped. I hope I didn't trigger any PTSD. Oh please tell me Apple Bloom has PTSD. "Do ah have to?" Apple Bloom asked. "Well, if you're gonna be carrying one, this is something you need to know." I replied. Apple Bloom shot me a saddened look. "Look Apple Bloom, I know it might be uncomfortable for you to have to carry one, but this is how we have to live now. It's always wise to have a backup plan. What's gonna happen if you can't find a good hiding spot and I can't get to you in time?" I asked. Apple Bloom's ears flop. "Ah understand Nightshade." She said. She said she understood, but did she really? Only time will tell. I use my magic to take the 10mm pistol out of my satchel. I then give it to her. She holds it. "It's pretty easy. You just take that clip out and pull the barrel back to empty the chamber." I explained. Apple Bloom does exactly that. I catch the stray bullet before it hit the ground. "Good job." I said. "Do ah put it back in?" Apple Bloom asked. "Not just yet. You're gonna need to put the bullet back in the magazine." I said. I gave the bullet to Apple Bloom. As she held it in her hoof, I couldn't help but wonder how she held something that small in her hoof without her dropping it. She sets the gun aside and puts up the magazine. She was struggling with putting the bullet back in the magazine. "Apple Bloom, try tilting the back of the bullet closer toward the magazine." I said. Apple Bloom tilts the bottom of the bullet and it presses down a lot easier. She still struggled, but less. "Okay, now what?" She asked. "Now, put it in the magazine back in the gun." I said. Apple Bloom does what she is told and then looks at me again. "You're doing good, now just pull the barrel back to put the bullet in the chamber." I said. Apple Bloom pulls the barrel back, and with both hear a small click sound. "Good job." I said. Apple Bloom beams a smile my way. "I'll try to find a satchel you could fit, or a backpack so you can carry the gun yourself." "You trust me with a gun?" She asked. A give a little chuckle. "Well you did save my life, so yea. But I'll carry the gun for now until I find something you can carry it in." I said. "Okay." "Come on, we gotta get a move on if we wanna get to the train station." I said. Apple Bloom nods with confidence. We continued walking though the rain and began to make some progress. "Nightshade?" "Yea?" "How do ya do it?" She asked, confusing me. "Do what exactly?" "How do ya kill somepony? Doesn't it bother you that ya took somepony's life?" Apple Bloom asked. I knew this would come, and I was ready to explain..... sort of. We didn't stop walking though. "Apple Bloom, remember the griffon from Borderville that I killed." I started. I see Apple Bloom nod in my peripherals. So I continued. "Remember the raiders from the Scrapyard and the Hunter Confederacy when they attacked Wolfwater." "Mm hmm." Apple Bloom said. "Do you know what they have in common with the Hellhound, the wild dogs, and the mole rats?" I asked. Apple Bloom was quiet for about four seconds. "They all smell bad?" She asked. I'm not gonna lie, that was funny enough to make me laugh lightly, even if Apple Bloom was serious about saying that. "No. Well... maybe, but that's not the point. They all tried to kill me." I said. Apple Bloom stayed silent for a moment. "It's easier to take someone's life when you're not thinking of them as an innocent living creature, but as something trying to kill you. The weight doesn't necessarily stick to your back when you see it in as self defense, or the defense of someone else instead of murder." I explained. "Is that easy to understand?" I asked hoping she'd say yes. That was the simplest I could explain it. "Well, sort of." She said. Meh, close enough. The two of us continued walking. We come across a road area with a few boxes on the other side of the it. Those boxes looked new and could have supplies in it. I hope so, we're running low on water. We get closer to the boxes, and upon closer inspection, we see that there were three of them. They were wooden. Should be easy to break open. I walk toward one of the boxes and pull out the machete and use it to pry open the first box. It was a bit of a struggle, but somehow that did the trick. After prying the top half off of the nails, I stick my hoof in there and pry the entire thing off. "What's inside?" Apple Bloom asked. Inside the box was a bunch of medical supplies. Healing potions, RadAways, orange pill bottles labeled 'Rad-X', and a couple of boxes labeled 'Magical Bandages'. Must've been the same type of bandages Bacardi and Midnight used on me. "Medical supplies. Lots of them." I said. This was a bit of a confusing encounter. This crate, along with its supplies, it looked like it belonged to a military force. *click* What was that? I turn around to see Apple Bloom opening the second box. She had a bobby pin in her mouth and a screwdriver in her hoof. She picked the lock on the box. I'm impressed. "There's water in here." Apple Bloom said removing the bobby pin from her mouth. "Bottles or gallons." I asked. "Both." She said. I walked over to where she was and looked for myself. Sure enough when I walked over there, there was a bunch of water bottles and one big water jug. This definitely felt like this was a shipment to a military force, or something with a lot of occupants. There was one more box to check out. What could be in it? Weapons? Ammo? Documents? Time to find out. I do the same thing I did to the first box in order to open it, but when I stuck the machete in between the top and middle, something prevented anything beyond the tip to go in. "What the?" I asked. "Maybe I can pick the lock." Apple Bloom asked. I looked at the lock and two things caught my eye. The lock being coded, and a bloodstain on the box and a blood trail leading to somewhere. The locks on the other boxes were normal locks. This one wasn't gonna open unless I had the code. Maybe that blood trail could shed some light on what's inside. "This isn't the kind of lock you can pick A.B. It's coded. I think this blood stain could lead us to the one who had the code." I said. I began to follow the blood stain, Apple Bloom and Dogmeat following behind me. The blood had a bit of an irony smell to it, and the blood was still wet. This indicated that the blood was fresh. Whatever happened, had happened recently. I continued walking for about five minutes, following the blood trail to where ever it was leading me. I was bent on finding out what was on the other- *clank* Huh? I just kicked something metallic. I look at what it was I just kicked and see a piece of scrap metal. There was a bloodstain on it. This must've been on the blood trail. I pick the scrap metal up and observe it. "Hmm. This looks like... armor." I said. "Think it used to go on that power armor Mr. Bacardi was talkin' about?" Apple Bloom asked. "Since I've never seen power armor before I can't be too sure. But great observation." I said. I didn't need to turn around to know that she had smiled at my comment. I continued following the blood trail. "Nightshade and Apple Bloom, wasteland detectives. Hey! Maybe ah'll get my cutie mark for problem solvin'." She said. I chuckled at her enthusiasm. Then I got an idea. "*clears throat* Elementary my dear Apple Bloom, we must continue our investigation to figure out what's in the box." I said putting an english voice on myself. What shocked me is that there was no metallic echo or anything. I literally changed my entire voice. "Wow! That's impressive. How're you doing that?" Apple Bloom asked. "(metallic echo) I have no idea." I said. Surprisingly enough my voice randomly changed back. Does my voice just change whenever I think about a different voice or something. That could be useful at one point. "Could you do it again?" She asked so innocently. I just couldn't say no. Besides, I needed to experiment with this anyway. "(English accent) Right! We shan't halt our investigation. We must gather more clues." I said. Apple Bloom giggles at my voice mimicking. "Yes! We shall continue to look for clues." She said. In all seriousness, we continue to follow the trail until it just... stopped. The blood trail stopped. Nothing was here. No dead bodies, no dead animals, not even a bullet shell. What happened? "There's nothin' here." Apple Bloom said. "(Normal Voice) I can see that. But why?" I asked. They're wasn't even a single lead. Had they all been killed and a group worked as a clean up crew? "Nightshade. There's a holotape over here." Apple Bloom said. Dogmeat barks in acknowledgement. I looked at Apple Bloom, and saw the holotape at her hooves. I walk over to it and picked up the holotape. I then put it into my PipBuck and let it play. "Knight-Commander Rocky Road, September 17th 2277, Escort team Bravo. It's been Five months since this whole 'Project New Moon' nonsense had began. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to rejoin the Steel Rangers. This was just me sticking my nose in something that's not even my business. I have no idea how Twilight's Coltfriend managed to persuade me, but for the past five months I've been in fighting a war that's not even mine to fight. I'm too far into this madness to quit though. I hope this ends quickly. The things I've went through, the things I've seen. Horrible. The sooner this is over, the sooner my son gets to see more of his father. Don't worry Pipsqueak, I'll be coming home soo-" "Commander, what's the code for the box?" "1-2-5-7." "Got it." "*sigh* This job's gonna be the death of me one day. Gotta get the packages to Blackridge. This project better be worthwhile. Knight-Commander Rocky Road signing out." The holotape ended there. So now I knew the code for the- *Beep* There's more? "I knew I'd regret coming back." This part of the clip sounded like he was injured. Badly. Even worse; I heard growling. It sounded like something was hunting him or something. "Fuckin' Enclave bastards sent their damn dogs after us. Those damn experiment got to my team. I'm badly injured. I know one of them will come after me. I'll be damned if I don't go down fighting. To any Steel Rangers out there, if you find this holotape. Tell my son, I lov- *Growling Roar* The tape ended there. That was... I've got no words for that. I was three things. Scared, Angry, and I was nervous. A least I got the code for the box, but... my goodness that was hard to listen to. What the hell happened to Rocky Road? "W-what happened?" Apple Bloom asked. I sighed in response. "I don't think Rocky Road made it." I said. I look at the ground and see big claw marks. Beside the blood trail. They were different from the Hellhound tracks. They were feline front claws. This is belonged to a quadruped feline. But where were the hind legs? "Well, from what I can observe. Some kind of creature with large claws attacked Rocky Road and his team. From what I can interpret from the holotape. One of the Enclave's experiments consisted of large front feline claws capable of ripping apart strong metals. From the claw marks on the ground, the feline was most likely a quadruped. And since the marks was only on one side of the blood trail, the creature had killed Mr. Road first, and proceeded to drag him off." I said. "You think a Manticore got to 'em?" Apple Bloom asked. "Nope, something bigger, and differently built. I don't know what, but it's pretty dangerous. Come on, let's head back." I said walking the other direction. Apple Bloom took a minute but caught up. I decided that whatever's in that box should stay in until we get to Blackridge. Or at least until we get on the train. We walk back to the boxes and I start stuffing water bottles in the left of my satchel, and the medical supplies in my right. I then pick up the coded box with my magic in order to carry it in an appropriate manner. It would not fit on my back, and Apple Bloom... well that's self explanatory. As we made progress, the rain had gotten progressively worst. The skies was grey, and the rain was hitting hard. Apple Bloom even put the hood further onto her head. The sooner we get to the train, the better. *Jingle, Rattle* Okay. I am beginning to grow sick of these sounds drawing my attention. You know what? Not today, unless the sound is in front of me, I'm not gonna- "H-h-hey! Can you help me? Please?" A voice called from in front of me. I look over to see a light blue Pegasus stallion with a dark blue mane and green eyes with some kind of chained trap around his hind hoof. Lucky for him he was in front of me, otherwise I probably would've left him. Probably not, but I'd be pissed he would've been wasting my time. I roll my eyes and put the box down. "Dogmeat, watch the box." I said. Dogmeat barks in response. He stays next to the box and I move closer to the Pegasus. "Oh thank goodness, I thought I was done for." He said. His voice was a bit hard to describe. It sounded young and rough. Hard to pin my hoof on, but that's not important. I take a look at his trapped hoof and immediately got confused. His hoof had a metal shackle around it, and the other side was buried in the ground. I tug the chain. It was buried very deep. How did this happen. "What's your name?" I asked. "Um.. Soarin." He answered. "Okay Soarin. You mind telling me how you got like this?" I asked. I heard him gulp silently. "W-w-well I-" "Don't tell me you got trapped, this isn't exactly the kind of chain you get stuck on while conscious." I said. He stopped right there. He stayed silence for a minute. Before speaking up again. "I passed out from dehydration at one point, when I woke up I was chained up. I've been like this for three days." He said. That's when I raised an eyebrow. Normally if you pass out from dehydration and wake up, you don't last three days. Something's up. I take out a bottle of water and took the cap off. "Here." I said. He shoots me a wide eyed look. "Take it, you seem thirsty." "T-thanks." He said. He takes the water and drank it down. "It's been too long since I drank purified water. It's hard to live off of this irradiated shit." "I bet. Let me see if Apple Bloom could pick this lock." I said. That made him nervous for some reason. "Who's Apple Bloom?" He asked. "Apple Bloom!" I called. Within seconds, Apple Bloom was right next to me. "Yes Nightshade?" She asked. "You think you can pick the lock and free this poor guy?" I asked. She beams a smile. "Course ah can!" She exclaimed. She then takes a bobby pin out of her pocket and put in her mouth, and proceeds to grab her screwdriver. "Is that your filly?" Soarin asked. "Yea." I said. Then he got terrified. He didn't show it but I could see it in his eyes. "O-on second thought, I think I'll be fine." He said. Okay, why was he begging me for help before and start to deny it now? "Nonsense Mister, ah'll have you atta here in no time." Apple Bloom said. "No. Just leave me here." He said. "But ah'm tryna-" "Leave!" He shouted, causing Apple Bloom to jump back. "Watch who you're-" I stopped right there. A foul stench hit my nose. I started sniffing. I didn't make it noticeable, but both Apple Bloom and Soarin knew something was up. That's when I pulled out the 10mm pistol. "Take this and get back to the box." I whispered to Apple Bloom. She nods as I gave her the pistol and she runs off. "What's going on?" Soarin asked. I glare at him. "There's a foul stench in the wind, and it's not coming from you." I replied. "Huh? He asked. I turn in the direction of the smell and see a metallic barrier "One big advantage about the lack of hygiene." I started. "Is that you can smell bad breath a mile off!" I shouted. The barrier falls down revealing three ponies in raider outfits. One of them, A brown unicorn with a spiky mane Mohawk, looks at me with a toothy grin. "That is impressive!" He said. Three more raider's came from behind a giant boulder behind me. "The bug's got the nose of a blind pony, he could smell us. You could be a valuable asset." He said. 'Valuable asset'? These guys weren't raiders. They were slavers. Just my fucking luck. "Good job Soarin. This'll get us flowing in caps." The slaver said. "I don't think that's a good idea." Soarin said. "He's right. I know we just met, but you should know I don't play nice with slavers." I said. "Oh ho, really. Well I'm not giving you a choice." "No you're not. I'm giving you one, Fuck off, or die off." I said. I hope Apple Bloom didn't hear me say that, but her developing a swearing habit is the least of my problems right now. "Hmm, we've got us a fighter. We could be looking at the next Slave Scarp Champion. What do you guys think?" He asked. "Heavy Moonshine, I think you should just-" Soarin started before a whip held by the Mohawked unicorn struck him in the face. "Hey!" I shouted in defense of Soarin. This, 'Heavy Moonshine then pulls out a magnum and aims it at me. "Whoa now. You don't own Soarin, I do! I'll do whatever the fuck I please." He stated. I growled in response. "Unless. *Chuckles* You wanna buy him off." "What?" I asked. "For a thousand caps, You can take Soarin off our hooves. Either that, or we'll take you. Lucky Star would pay a fortune for you." He said. That was one hundred and fifty thousand percent not gonna happen. I didn't have that amount of caps. Maybe I could talk him to a lower price. Or I could lead him to the supply boxes and give that as payment, and avoid conflict. Or I could just kill these guys. They do have it coming. "What's it gonna be buggy?" He asked. Trade supplies for Soarin (Good Karma) Talk him to a lower price (Neutral Karma) Kill them (Evil Karma). Footnote Level Up! New Skills: Bro code- Easier to persuade members of the same sex. 25% more damage done to Stallions. Venom- Venomous melee attack. Author's Note Difficult Chapter to write. R.I.P Midnight Huntress. Sorry for killing her off. Nightshade's Karma: Defender Good: 7 Neutral: 7 Evil: 0 Trivia: The Hellhound emerging from the ground is a reference to the First Deathclaw encounter in Fallout 4 Originally it was Gilda that was gonna be chained up. At first, Bacardi, Billy, and Cassidy were gonna join up with Nightshade. but that was gonna be too big of a group too soon. Nightshade being able to smell the slavers due to their bad hygiene is a reference to the bridge fight from 'The Book of Eli'. The machete Nightshade took from the griffon shares the same design as the one Eli uses in the show. Apple Bloom wearing the hoodie is a reference to this design If Nightshade's decision was Neutral Karma, Bacardi would blame Nightshade for Midnight's death, for not trying to help. If Nightshade's decision was Evil Karma, Bacardi would be Neutral to Midnight's death, saying, "At least you didn't let her suffer. That's all the trivia for today Deadline for the vote will be on April 23rd. Enjoy. Chapter Five: Stand Still (Neutral Karma)"I'm willing to buy him off of you, but I'm not paying 1000 caps." I said. "I'm not too sure you have a choice. Buy him or be bought." Heavy Moonshine said. This guy wants to play hard ball. Well challenge accepted. "I'm not about to pay 1000 caps on someone who was leading me into a trap. Seriously, If you want to capture more slaves, you're gonna need smarter bait." I said. I saw Soarin's face drop in my peripheral vision. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings, but if he thought I didn't figure it out by now, he couldn't have been that smart. "*Chuckles* You bugs really are a lot smarter than you look." I'm getting very sick of this guy calling me a bug. "Smart but stubborn. I'm gonna say it again. 1000 caps or-" "400." I interrupted. Heavy Moonshine gritted his teeth. "Listen here Bug. You are in no position to negotiate. There is six of us and one of you. So-" "I've handled raiders and Hunter Confederacy members on my own with that same number if not more, so if anyone here is in no position to negotiate it's you. 400 caps." I repeated. "You're starting to get on my nerves Bug." He gritted. As if he wasn't getting on mine. "You know what? New proposition." Heavy Moonshine said. I raised an eyebrow. What idiotic trick did this asshole have up his sleeve that I'm not gonna fall for? "Here's what's gonna happen bug." I'm getting sick of that word. "You're gonna put your stuff on the ground and walk away nice and slow. You understand me?" "..." I remained silent. I'm not putting my stuff on the ground, and I'm not paying 1000 caps. "You hear me bug?" He said shoving me with his hoof. I didn't budge. "Give us your stuff, or die!" He said. I gave a chuckle. Glowing my horn, I reach for the machete. "I heard you. Now you hear me?" I asked. Heavy Moonshine chuckled. "Yea." "You listen closely. You call me a bug again I'll make sure you never talk again." I said. Heavy Moonshine paused for a minute, before a smile crept across his face. He chuckles. His chuckle turns to a laugh, and the others joined in. "You hear this guy!? This guy's funny!" He said. My grip on the machete was already strong. I'm waiting for him to say it. "Okay you worthless bug-" That was all he could say before I brought the Machete across and sliced off his bottom jaw. I probably would've missed it if I blinked, it was that fast. His jaw hit the ground and he screamed in agony. I heard someone retching but I wasn't gonna bother looking. "Y-y-you psychopath!" I heard one of the Slavers say. I turned to look at the three that stood behind me as I picked up Heavy Moonshine's magnum. Now I was carrying both a magnum and a machete. "400 caps." I said. They all looked at one another, fear in their eyes. One of them, a blue pegasus with an hunting rifle Battle Saddle looked around at his fellow slavers fearfully. "None of you are gonna do anything?" He asked. "The offer still stands. 400 caps, take it and leave. Unless you wanna suffer the same fate." I said. I know it might seem stupid to still offer the caps after slicing off there apparent leader's bottom jaw, who's still screaming in pain, but I'd still technically be buying Soarin, and not risk being hunted down for stealing. That's a high risk to take still, but I'm a betting Changeling. My offer worked, because the three standing in front of me slowly backed away with panicked looks. "Okay! You can have him, we'll throw in Scarlet Blossom too! Just don't kill us!" The pegasus said. Who's Scarlet Blossom? Is she- "Nooo!" This fucker can still talk!? "Kill his ug you iiots! Kill-" *Bang* I shot Heavy Moonshine with his magnum in the back of the head, causing the other slavers to step back. The blood splattered onto my hoof, for some reason, that made me feel a little queasy. But I couldn't let it show. I'm trying to be intimidating. It was working, because the slavers were still terrified. "Deal." I said taking the bag of caps out of my bag. I give it to the Pegasus. He takes it and gives me the key for Soarin's shackles. Then, the remaining five took off running. Once they were a good distance away, I bolted behind a rock and threw up. The fact that I was able to throw up was surprising to me, since I haven't eaten in three days. But what I did was sickening. Yes the asshole deserved it, but- shit. Slicing off his jaw, then blowing a hole in his head? That was a little too extreme. "You alright?" I heard Soarin's voice ask. I peek from the rock to see Soarin looking at me in concern. "Yeah, I just... I need a minute." I said attempting to catch my breath. I finally finish and wipe my mouth from my little accident. "Okay, now that that's out of the way. I'm gonna need an explanation from you. Starting with what the fuck you were trying to do." I asked with a bit of a temper behind me. Soarin sighed. "Okay, I guess I owe you that much." He said. I shot an unamused look at him. He owed me big time. "I'm assigned to help Lucky Star capture new slaves. I sit here, be helpless, wait for anyone to try and help, and Heavy Moonshine takes them to Harmony and boom, new slaves." Soarin explained. "Why?" I asked. "Huh?" "Why help these guys? You don't seem like one to want to enslave. So why help them?" I asked. I knew the answer was probably 'I didn't have a choice' or something. But I just need to be sure. "I didn't really have a choice." Once again, I called it. "I was captured by these guys, and it was either help them, or have my tongue cut from my mouth. I've already seen them do it to a foal." I flinched at that. I've got a tongue that resembles that of a snake. That being cut out was absolutely guaranteed to hurt. The fact that they've done it to a foal made my stomach churn. Just the thought of someone so small, so helpless, getting their tongue removed from there mouths. If that were Apple Bloom receiving that kind of treatment, I'd get too creative on how to mutilate a body. "Disgusting. I should've ended those fuckers where they stood." I said. I hear an audible gulp from Soarin. He was probably expecting me to snap on him for nearly getting me and Apple Bloom captured by the slaves, and I was going to, but something stopped me. I wanted to let him have it, but... something kept me from doing that. Ugh. Forget it. That'll come later. I use my magic to toss Soarin the key to his shackles. He looks at me with a confused look. "You wanna sit there and be food for wasteland creatures, or you wanna stick together?" I asked. He quickly began to get the key in the lock. As he did that, another question popped into my mind. "Hey Soarin." I called. "Yea?" He asked. "Who's Scarlet Blossom?" I asked. "She's a brainwashed slave and the crew's bodyguard. She's behind that rock, and she's crazy for whoever buys her." Bodyguard? Depending on what Soarin means by 'crazy' that could be something good, or something very bad. I walk over to the rock to see an unconscious earth pony mare. She looked kind of like Solar Kisses, back at Wolfwaters. She was an amber color, red mane, longer on the left side. Only difference I saw so far was the cutie mark. It was a heart with a chain around it. She also had some kind of collar around her neck. Now that I knew what she looked like, why was she unconscious? I looked at the rock to see a a small blood stain, trailing down to the bottom of the rock and behind where her head was. Now what caused that? No, what did those slavers do that caused that? I'm not gonna wast my time trying to figure that out. I've got somewhere to be. I took some bandages out of my satchel and wrapped them around her head. I see the glow as I finished wrapping. I look over at Soarin to see him looking at his now free hoof happily. "Soarin!" I called. He looked at me. "Move him out of sight! I don't want Apple Bloom to see that!" I said. Soarin nodded and proceed to move Heavy Moonshine's deceased, jawless body. I look at the mare and wondered how to get her out of this spot. Was I gonna have to carry her? Or what? *Hoooooock* *Ptoo* Did someone just spit? I peek back out from behind the rock to see Soarin walking out of a cave with an angry expression on his face. I didn't even see a cave. He then walks over to me. "Now what?" He asked. "We get to the train station." I said. "What do you-" "We need to get to the train station so we can get to Blackridge. Looking for Apple Blooms family." I said not wanting to hear the question again. I think the next time someone asks me where we're going, I'm just gonna say none of your business or something. "Okay, You need me to do something?" He asked. I gave it some thought. Maybe Soarin could helpful. If he's gonna be with me, he's not gonna just follow me like a dog. I've got Dogmeat for that. Then it hit me. "I've got something for you. Just gimme a sec." I said. I pick up Scarlet's hoof with my hoof and move underneath her. I then lifted her onto my back. I could feel her breath on my neck, and she wraps her hooves around my neck. It was probably an instinct. "Come on." I said walking back were Apple Bloom was. When I got back to the box, I found out Apple Bloom wasn't there. I proceeded to look around. She and Dogmeat were nowhere to be found. "Apple Bloom!" I called. On the right of my peripheral vision, I see a pink bow pop up. I look over there to see the vanilla coated filly pop her head out from behind the rock. She walks away from the rock and runs toward me. Dogmeat follows behind her. She places the pistol on the ground and looks at me. "Ah heard a gunshot, I everything alright?" She asked. "Ran into a few slavers, managed to scare them off, but at the cost of one of them." I answered. Apple Bloom then looks past me and then eyes me with curiosity. "Are you aware that there's a mare on ya back?" Apple Bloom asked. "Yep." I simply replied. "This is Scarlet Blossom. She and Soarin were slaves before I came along." "So she's coming with us?" "Both of them." I then look at Soarin. "That is, if Soarin wants to come." Soarin looks at me and twitches his lip, as if he was trying not to give an excited smile. "We gotta stick together right?" I asked. "Right." He said. I then gave a smirk. I then look at the box. "That box over there is coming with us to Blackridge. Need you to carry it. Think you can do it?" I asked. "Sure." Soarin said. He walks over to the box and attempted to pick it up. He does so and places it on his back, using his wings to hold it in place. He seemed to struggle with it. "You doing alright Soarin?" I asked. "Yep, never better." He strained. I felt a little bad for him. He didn't seem that strong and it showed. Maybe having him carry that wasn't the best idea. I used my magic to pick up the box, and pull out the SMG. I then give him the SMG. "Here. You can give me an extra gun when I need it." I said. "Okay." He said before taking the gun in his mouth. I really hope he knew how to shoot. "Come on. Let's go." I said. And with that, we went on our way. I think I had a better time walking when Apple Bloom was walking underneath me. Scarlet Blossom was heavier than she looked. But that wasn't the issue, it was her constant shuffling, and nuzzling of my neck. Even worse, she occasionally moaned. Directly in my ear. Every. Single. Time. And that got very annoying, very quick, but I didn't plan on stopping just yet. We were close to the train station, and the sun was still up. "Nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. "Yea?" I answered. "Are we there yet?" She asked. "Mah hooves are startin tah hurt." "We're not that far Apple Bloom. I assure you we're almost there." I said. "Okay." She said. It really wasn't that long of a walk anymore. According to my PipBuck, the train station is only a couple hundred feet away. We'd be there in at least six minutes, if not less, but why couldn't I see the train yet at least. "We've covered a lot of ground. It's a surprise as to why we're not there ye-" My words were interrupted when I looked forward to see a train. "Well I'll be damned." I heard Soarin say. He's still got the gun in his mouth, making me curious as to how he could speak. I look at him with a disapproved look. "Soarin. Try not to curse in front of Apple Bloom." I said. "Sorry, it's just this is amazing. But why is it still here?" Soarin asked. "Well, how many ponies do you know are smart enough to operate a pre-war train?" I asked. "Fair enough." Soarin replied. I walked to the side and attempt to place Scarlet next to a tree stump. However, my attempts were shameful. She had a good grip on me, and I didn't really have an appropriate angle to take her off. I sigh in annoyance, and use my hooves to pry hers apart. That was for some reason easier. I place her and the box beside the stump and turned my attention to Soarin. "Soarin, stay with her." I said. "Got it." He said. He places himself next to the long and remained on guard. I then start to walk toward the train's open cars. I walk towards the car and see bloodstains on the floor. This struck my suspicions. "See anything Nightshade?" I heard Apple Bloom ask. "Blood on the floor. And lots of it." I replied. I heard Apple Bloom gulp a little. That's when I looked at her. 'You still got that pistol?" I asked. Apple Bloom pulls it out of her hoodie pocket. "Keep that close, and stay here." I said. I then looked at Dogmeat, who looked at me, wagging his tail. "Let's go boy." I said. Dogmeat barks in agreement. I hop into the train car and looked around. There was little light, despite the sun still being up. But I'd be foolish if I turned my lamp on. Whoever caused this was more than likely still in the train. And if he/she/it didn't see me enter, I'm not gonna draw attention to myself. I continued to look around. Dogmeat even contributed by sniffing the blood in order to pick up a scent. Strangely, he whimpered in disappointment, indicating he had no leads. This was strange. What kind of blood didn't lead to anywhere? Or was the smell not strong enough for Dogmeat to pick up? *Bark* Nevermind. He did have a lead. I follow Dogmeat to a door leading to another car. He started scratching at the door. I walk closer to it and accidentally stepped on to the Blood. It was still wet, unlike the other blood that was dry. Blood takes an average of around an hour to dry. Don't know how I know that, but I knew this blood was the result of something recent. I lean my muzzle closer to the mouthpiece trigger and use my magic to pull out the magnum. "Dogmeat, stay." I said. *Bark* I slowly open the door. Putting the magnum through first before myself. As I walked through the car, I noticed that there was dried blood, right in front of the wet. And the dried blood was around a dead griffon. Still fully clothed in white combat armor? Wait. Dried blood next to wet blood? Dead body in the middle of a car with lootable items? TRAP!! At the last second I heard a step. I instinctively duck and hear something swing over my head. I look back to see a griffon figure with a black bandana around its beak. It had white head feathers, a few feathers that form a fringe at the top of its head. A light brown body and yellow talons. In its talons was a hammer, the tool version. Before the griffon could recover, I kicked it in the torso. It was hard enough for the griffon could back away in pain. I turn to look at it. The griffon charges at me and swings again. I dash to the left avoiding the hammer and then punch with my left hoof. Hitting the griffon with a strong hook, the griffon hits the ground hard. Dropping the hammer as it did. When the griffon turned around, it was met with the barrel of the magnum. It then looked at me. With a look of nervousness. I couldn't see its beak, but I could see it in its eyes. It's golden eyes were filled with fear of what might happen next. I couldn't pull the trigger. I moved the gun away. The griffon went wide eyed. "Y-you're not gonna shoot me?" A female voice asked from behind the bandana. "N-" *Click* You've gotta be fucking kidding me. "Drop it." A male voice ordered, I dropped the magnum and kick it towards the door. Someone had a gun to my head. Whoever it was, whatever it was, was aiming at the back of my head with what felt like the barrel of a shotgun. This was a very bad position to be in. "You're smart, and tough. I'll give you that." The male voice said. There was no sarcasm in his voice. He was serious, or just really good at being sarcastic. "Um... thanks?" I said. "No need to be nervous, I'm not gonna shoot you, unless you just so happen to force my magic to pull the trigger." He said. "Just answer my questions and you have my word, you'll be fine." That was fair I guess. "Okay. That's fair." I said. "Alright, that's a good start. You, the filly, the two slaves and the dog. You're all together, right?" I asked. I don't know how he knew about Soarin and Scarlet being former slaves, but I'm in no position to ask. At least not yet. "They're not slaves. At least not anymore. But yes, they're with me." I said. He took a minute "So you bought them in order for them to be free. They're not gonna shoot me are they?" He asked. A dumb question if you ask me. Wait, he did ask me. "That all depends on if you decide to walk out with the gun pointed at my head." I said. Not the kind of tone I needed to use in my position, but I couldn't help it. "Sorry, that was a dumb question I know." He said. "Last question. Where're you headed?" He asked. I let out a sigh. "Blackridge." "Blackridge? You got a death wish or something?" The female griffon asked me. "If helping a filly reunite with her family counts as a death wish, then yea, I'm pretty suicidal." I said. That sounded so much better in my head. "Wait. The filly's family is in that deadly place?" The male said. "According to the holotape, yes. That is if they didn't decide to move locations." "Hmm, okay. I'm gonna lower the gun now." He said. "I'm sorry about holding you at gunpoint, but-" "You can't be too sure these days I know. Those words have been used nearly every time I was almost shot. It's starting to get redundant." I said. I turned around to see a white unicorn with a light blue mane and mustache. He, indeed, did have a high powered shotgun in his magic. A pump action shotgun to be exact. He also had a tuxedo on, as well as three crowns on his flank for a cutie mark. He was a sophisticated type it seemed. "The name's Fancy Pants." He introduced as he stuck out his hoof. I shook his hoof. "I'm Nightshade." I introduced. "The unlucky griffon over there is Gilda." Fancy Pants said. I wave to her, she waves back weakly. She pulled down her bandanna, now it was around her neck. She had a yellow beak. "So what are you guys doing here?" I asked. "This is sort of our safe haven. We've been here for about three weeks." Fancy Pants answered. I then look at the dead body to my right. "I see you've had some unwelcome guests from time to time." I said. Fancy Pants chuckled. "Well, no matter how long you stay anywhere, you'll run into some. I ended up losing my favorite suit to these ruffians." Fancy Pants explained. I raised an eyebrow. "Favorite suit?" I asked. "He's from a fairly high society place. Dawnford, right?" Gilda asked. "Correct. I was attending a dinner with my kindred, when some slavers attacked. They must've thought that because I'm the gentlestallion type that I would be easy prey. Proved them wrong." Fancy Pants explained. This stallion did not strike me as the strong type, but he did strike me as the smart type. The type to outsmart his opponents to get the upper hand. I respect that. "This Dawnford area still active?" I asked. "Surprisingly, yes. A couple of slavers aren't enough to take them down. They ponies their are a lot stronger than they look." Fancy Pants explained. I've been here a while, everyone else is probably worried. "I think you've talked for long enough. Your group is probably worried. You should let them know you're alright before they decide to charge in head first." Gilda said. "I was thinking the same thing." I replied. I walked out the door and was greeted by Dogmeat giving me two barks. "Come on Dogmeat, let's go." I said. He barks in acknowledgement. He then tilts his head and looks at me confused. "Don't worry, they're friendly." I reassured. Dogmeat then goes from confusion to tail wagging happy. "You have a dog?" Gilda asked. "Yep. Found him being tortured by raiders in a scrapyard. When I saved him, he sort of stuck with me." I said petting Dogmeat's head. "Come on, Apple Bloom's probably worried sick." I proceeded to walk towards the opening. "Hey! You forgot your Magnum." Gilda informed. I felt a little guilty about beating her down and then pulled a gun on her. Yea I refused to shoot her, but still, it didn't feel right. "Keep it. As an apology, for what I did." I said. She looked at me with an unsure expression before deciding alright and held on to the gun. "Thanks." She said. "No problem." I said. I was the first one off the train. Apple Bloom greeted me as I hopped off. "Nightshade!" She said hugging my hoof. "Hey Apple Bloom. You miss me?" I asked hugging back. We released the hug. "You were in there for a long time. Ah was a little scared somethin' happened." "Don't worry kiddo, I was just making some new friends." I said. Apple Bloom beams a smile. "New friends?! Really?! Ah can't wait to meet them." Apple Bloom said excitedly. I turn around to see Fancy Pants and Gilda exit the train. "Apple Bloom, this is Fancy Pants and Gilda. They're the residents of this train." I introduced. "Hi Fancy Pants, Hi Gilda! Ah'm Apple Bloom. Nice tah meet ya." She said. Fancy Pants returned a smile. Gilda on the other hoof, looked very uncomfortable. As if she, A: wasn't good with foals. B: She didn't like foals. Or C: She doesn't know what to do with foals. She was unfamiliar. "Hello Apple Bloom." Fancy Pants greeted. "Um... Hey." Gilda said. I'm going with option A. She seemed more uncomfortable with conversing rather than annoyed. I then redirected there attention to Soarin and Scarlet, who for some reason was still unconscious. "Those two are Soarin and Scarlet Blossom. The now former slaves. Scarlet has been unconscious since I found her. She still had enough consciousness to hold on to me when I carried her. But I think she hit her head, it was bleeding when I found her, but not severely." I explained. "Sounds more like she's asleep." Fancy Pants said. "That could be the case, but her head was injured, so that was what I decided to go with." I replied. I then realized that I was getting a bit off track. "Forgive me for being a bit, forceful, but we need to get back on track. I need to get to Blackridge, and that's a five day walk if I never stop, but a lot more given the rests we'll have to take. The train here has a chance to get us there in probably just a day." I explained. "The sooner we can get this train moving the better." "I'm afraid that's a little easier said than done." Gilda said. Okay, those words were what I didn't what to hear. "What do you mean?" I asked. "The train isn't from the Pre-Great war area, this has been here since the Second World War." Fancy Pants stated. So this train has been here since before the war that caused this? Since before the 1940s? When were they gonna replace this thing? Wait how did I know that? "Most trains from the Pre-Great war are electric. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those trains. It runs on two things." Gilda said. "Pony power, and coal. Right?" Apple Bloom asked. "That's right." Fancy Pants replied. "I'm guessing there's no coal in the train, right?" I asked. "I'm afraid not unfortunately. And there isn't exactly a store where we could just purchase a large bag." Gilda stated. I give a little smirk. "Of course there is, we just need to look in the right direction. Anyone of for a trip to a coal mine?" I said. I received a chuckle from Fancy Pants and a giggle from Apple Bloom, as well as a smirk from Gilda. "I see you like to keep a level head in situations like this." Gilda said. I'm pretty sure there's a difference between me making a joke and keeping a leveled head, but still, I'm pretty good at both.... I think. "But I'm afraid that's not gonna get this train working though." Gilda said. That's when I cocked a brow. "Wait, the two of you are okay with me using the train?" I asked. I never really did asked them about the train. I only told them I needed to use it. Sure I was gonna ask them, but they're offering the train to me? "Of course. After all, you're trying to get this filly home, so you're using it nobly." Fancy Pants said. I then realized something. A bag of coal won't get us a one day trip. Not even ten bags. "But, how are we gonna get this train moving?" I asked. "We'll need to find some coal." Yea no shit Gilda. I roll my eyes in annoyance with myself for not being specific. "But how much coal?" I asked. "Well, the average train moves at about 60 mph, so it requires about 60 lbs. of coal per mile when running at top speed. Since they ran at about 60 mph, that means about 15 lbs. of coal every 15 seconds. That is about 4 shovel-fuls per mile." Apple Bloom said. Smart filly. I'll ask how she knew that later, but right now, I've got some math to do. "Considering the distance between us and Blackridge, it's an approximate 500 mile journey. So that would take aroud 2000 shovels to get us where we need to go." I said. Once again, how did I know that. "Right. But where do we find that much coal?" Apple Bloom asked. A silence fell between us. "It's no wonder the two of you survived this long. You two are very smart." Fancy Pants said. "Thanks. We still need to find coal though. But the problem is where do we start looking?" "Well, there's always the railway facility." Gilda said. I looked at her and tilted my head. Not in confusion, but in a 'can you tell me where before I ask?' way. "Just follow the train tracks this way *Points opposite of the train*." Gilda said pointing in the direction of the tracks. "I guess that's where I'm headed." I said before turning in the direction she pointed. "Alone? Bad idea." Fancy Pants said. I looked at him. "Why?" Apple Bloom asked. I wasn't able to ask in time, she beat me to it. "A group of ponies are there. And they're a bit... psychotic." Fancy Pants said. "Psychotic how?" I asked. "They're cannibals." Gilda said. Okay now that's terrifying. I hope I'm not a specific delicacy for them. It's bad enough that wild mongrels attempt to take my limbs of to enjoy a nice changeling leg combo with out my consent from time to time. I do not need ponies doing the same thing. "Great." I said. "They call themselves the Demon's Virus. They've survived for 120 years, and they're all over the wasteland. They're very tough. Rumor has it, that a couple of Alicorns tried to take over their settlement, things went horribly wrong. For the Alicorns." Fancy Pants explained. "That's something I'm gonna be losing sleep over tonight." I said. The smartest think I can do is sneak into the settlement, grab the coal, and get out quickly. Conflict is not an option. "Well, since you can't do this alone. We're coming with you." Gilda said. "That's an even worse idea. Soarin shouldn't be here by himself. He needs to watch Scarlet Blossom and we need someone to watch the train too. We don't want any unexpected surprises." I said. Gilda and Fancy Pants look at each other and nod. "So who comes with you?" Fancy Pants asked. Fancy Pants (Shotgun allows for greater damage, 54% chance of getting caught. 80% chance of drawing attention from firearm) (Good Karma) Gilda (Moderately Stealthy, 47% chance of getting caught. Firearm has limited ammo, being caught can be hazardous.) (Neutral Karma) Apple Bloom (Stealthy, Tricky, 9% chance of getting caught, Both Fancy Pants and Gilda can watch the train and Soarin. Still a filly. Still has much to learn.) (Evil Karma) Author's Note Finished. Finally. I'm sorry that I couldn't upload at the end of May, and I'm also sorry for the length of the Chapter being short. The next one, at minimum, will be 10,000 words. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a Cupcake in my eye. The 2 reasons for the length and the chapter were, 1: Broke my arm. Minor fracture, healed in 2 weeks. 2: The original idea was scrapped. It involved the Slavers coming back and I disappointed myself with how cheesy it was. Nightshade's Karma: Adventurer Good: 3 Neutral: 10 Evil: 0 Trivia: Gilda and Soarin's positions were originally reversed, but I scraped it. Fancy Pants was a late entry. Originally it was a Griffon Oc named Dusk that was Dawn's brother Nightshade cutting off Heavy Moonshine's jaw is a reference to Eli cutting off a raider's hand from the book of Eli. If Good Karma was chosen, The Slavers would've attempted to recruit him after trading the supplies from the boxes. Nightshade would respond with 'Fuck off.' Scarlet Blossom would've been a gift of gratitude from the Slavers. If Evil Karma was chosen, Nightshade would've killed all but one. One would escape and not be found again. Soarin would've told Nightshade about Scarlet Blossom. Also, I've got a new story up. A bunch of fight scenes written for no reason. Be sure to check it out, and leave some feedback. Deadline is June 10th. Comment, and spread the word. Hmm, I wonder how long until this inspires fanart. Shining Armor: Meh, Who knows? Give it time. Shining? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your fight with Big Mac? Shining Armor: Oh right! I gotta go! Bye followers of Outlaw! Ugh. Outlaw Out. Chapter Six: Shrouded Memories (Neutral Karma)"I think I'll take Gilda. I wanna get through this with without conflict if at all possible." I said. In my peripheral vision, I see Apple Bloom's ears flop down. "Something wrong kiddo?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked up in sadness. "Nothin' it's just that... Ah wanted to come with you." She said. Now I felt a bit guilty. I mean sure, I thought about bringing her, but what if something goes wrong? I don't want to put her in any unnecessary danger. Or any danger period for that matter. But from what heard alone, these 'Demon's Virus' ponies are a force to be reckoned with. Bringing Apple Bloom wouldn't be the smartest idea. I lower myself down to her height. "Sorry Apple Bloom, but it's too dangerous for you to come with me." I said. "Could ya at least rest first? I wouldn't want you to get tired." Apple Bloom said. Man she really did want me to stay with her for a little longer. We kind of did need the rest. I didn't exactly preserve my strength after my little run in with the Hellhound and the Slavers, so a little rest wouldn't hurt. "You know what? That's not a bad idea." I said. I look at Gilda and Fancy Pants. I needed to clarify before actually resting. "We've been through some pretty tough events. Believe me, we need it." I clarified. Gilda nodded. "Understandable, it's wiser to go at night anyway." Fancy Pants said. I nodded. I then whistled and got Soarin's attention. I then walk over towards him. "Come on buddy, we need some rest. Gilda and I will be heading into dangerous territory, so you, Fancy Pants and Apple Bloom are gonna stay here. Okay?" I asked. Soarin had a bit of a dumbfounded look on his face. He was confused for some reason. "You alright?" I asked. He shook his head a little. "It's nothing it's just... You called me buddy." He said. I raised an eyebrow. Now I was confused; why was that confusing for him? "Yea, I did. We're friends aren't we?" I asked. Soarin seemed to look off in disbelief. Was it something I said? "Was it something I said?" I asked. I didn't mean to ask that out loud, but that seemed to do the trick. "No, but it's been a while since I had someone call me buddy or friend. Especially someone who I almost got captured by the same ponies who enslaved me. I just wasn't expecting you to be so forgiving about that situation." He said. I smirked at that. "Oh don't get all sappy about it." I said sarcastically. Soarin smirked a little, indicating he appreciated my little joke. "Come on, Let's get Scarlet in the train." I said. Soarin nods and picks up Scarlet Blossom, placing her on his back. For some reason, she didn't wrap her hooves around his neck and hold onto him like she did me. She just laid there. I paid that no mind and just picked the box up and placed it onto my back. This box was not, in the slightest, heavy. Soarin was either pretty weak, or didn't have enough to eat while he was a slave. Either way, this wasn't heavy. Speaking of eating, has Apple Bloom eaten since we left? Wait... did Soarin even eat? I look over to see Soarin stop at the train entrance, and Fancy Pants using magic to help Scarlet into the train, as well as Gilda grabbing the hind hooves and helping Fancy Pants carry her off. I walk up to Soarin and pull out the rest of the Golden Dandy Apples that Apple Bloom left me. I tapped Soarin on the shoulder with them. He turns to see the box. "I'm not sure if you ate, but here you go." I said. He looks at me with another confused look. Seriously, how many confused looks am I gonna receive? "Aren't you hungry?" He asked. "No, I'm fine." I would still like to know why it's been three days, plus the two weeks I've been in a coma, and I still haven't found the urge to swallow whole the first thing I saw. "Um, Okay. Thanks." He said. He took the apples and began to munch on a few. I climb inside the train and whistle for Dogmeat. Who runs toward me happily. I smirk. "Come on boy, It's time to rest." I said. Dogmeat whimpered a little. "What's the matter boy? Not tired." Dogmeat barks. I start to think. What could Dogmeat do if he's not tired. "There's a sleeping car right up in front if you wanna rest there. Your filly is already there waiting for you." Fancy Pants said. Now it was my turn to shoot a confused glance. "You're not going to sleep?" "I'm keeping watch." Fancy Pants said. A little light bulb goes off in my head. Looks like Dogmeat has got something to do. "Think Dogmeat could come with you and also keep watch. He's got some energy left, and makes a great guard dog. Isn't that right Dogmeat?" I asked. Dogmeat barks in acknowledgement. "Sounds good. I could use an extra nose since you nearly busted Gilda's." Fancy Pants said. "I heard that." Gilda said, making the two of us chuckle. "Go on Dogmeat." I said. Dogmeat walks over to Fancy Pants and the two then walked in the car I encountered them in. I walk to the car in front of me which was to the right of the car that was opened from the side. I open the door and saw a bunch of seating areas. The sleeping car must've been the next one. I walk over to the car, and of course, I was in the sleeping car. The car had a total of six beds. All of which were bunk beds. Apple Bloom was sitting on the one next to the door, on the left. "Nightshade!" She called happily. "Hey Apple Bloom." I said. I walk in front of the bed and take out a bag labeled, 'Fuji apple slices' and give them to her. She takes them and began to eat. She once again offers me some. Not wanting to go through the whole 'I'm not hungry' thing again, I take them and began to them. I won't lie, the apples were good. But I only stopped at three slices. I still wanted Apple Bloom to have some. "You can have the rest. I'm not that hungry." I said. "But ya only ate three." Oh no, here we go again. "Believe me Apple Bloom. I'm not hungry, I'll be fine." I said. Apple Bloom then proceeds to put some more back into the back and give it to me. I let out a sigh and put the bag back into the satchel. I proceed to walk off to get into another bed. "Nightshade?" I heard Apple Bloom call. I turn back around and walk back to her. "Yes?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked off to the side. I could tell something was wrong. If it's PTSD, I'm ready to help, but I really hope it's not. "I need tah talk to you." She said. I nodded, ready to listen. She scooted over, indicating she wanted me to sit next to her, Which I did. But given my height, I couldn't sit underneath the bed. Instead, I had to sit with my hind hooves off the side of the bed. I have no idea what I was sitting like, but I did know two things. One: It wasn't like a pony, or Changeling. Two: It wasn't natural. For quadrupeds like me at least. Maybe creatures with two legs would have better luck sitting like this. "What's on your mind?" I asked. She began to fiddle with her hooves a little. I sit waiting to listen. "Ah was thinking about my family." Apple Bloom started. My heart dropped right there. I didn't say anything and just let her continue. "an' ah was wonderin'. What if they aren't there?" She asked. "Then we could look for more clues until-" "No, ah don't mean not there as in they moved location. Ah mean-... ah mean-" Her words began to choke up. Uh no. She thinks they might be dead doesn't she? This can't be good. "Apple Bloom? Do you think something bad happened to your family?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked at me with a tearful expression. I wrap my left hoof around her and pull her to my side. "What if they're gone Nightshade? What if ah can never see them again? What if-" The tears began to fall. I use my other hoof to hug her close. "Shh. It's okay Apple Bloom. I understand you're worried." I comforted. "What am ah gonna do if they're gone Nightshade? *sniffle* What if this entire time we've been looking, something already got to'em?" She asked. Oh boy, this was gonna be hard. I'm not to sure if her brother, sister, or cousin is still alive either. But I can't let her go on like this. Everything was gonna be okay. "Everything is gonna be okay Apple Bloom." I said. Apple Bloom's crying began to reduce. "You're family is strong Apple Bloom. I know they are because you're strong. This wasteland isn't enough to bring us down, and neither are the things in it. We can find them Apple Bloom." I said. "B-but what if we do, and they're gone?" She asked. Not a question I wanted her to ask, nor was it one I was ready to answer. But... here goes nothing. "You've still got me Apple Bloom. If by some random chance, your family is gone, I will take care of you. I'm not experienced when it comes to foals, but I'll do my best. But don't lose faith." I said. I knew it was a shot in the dark, but I'm telling the truth. She stops crying, but still looked at me sad. "Apple Bloom. I'm gonna tell you this now. Life isn't fair. Some ponies made it to the Stables, others suffered the blast. Some creatures are strong enough to survive, others don't get far. Sometimes you make the right choices and things go wrong." I said. Flashback of what happened at Borderville, Wolfwaters and Havoc hit me like a truck. Three times where my good intentions ended badly. "But that's just the way the world works. We can't let that drag us down. We're gonna find your family Apple Bloom. We just need to do two things: Have faith, and don't stop moving. Okay?" I asked. Apple Bloom's sad face soon went into a small smile as she nodded. "Thank you." She said. "No problem. Now if you need anything, I'm in the bed in front of you. Okay?" I asked. "Okay." She said. I get out of the bed and walk over to the other bed right across from Apple Bloom's bed. "Nightshade?" She called. I turned to her. "Yes?" I asked ready to listen to anything else. "Ah didn't know my father all that well, but ah wish you were him." She said. I felt my chest warm up. She saw me as her father. Even though I'm only nineteen, she saw me as her father. I'm flattered that's for sure, but I'm younger than her actual brother. "So, you wish I was your father? But I'm only nineteen." I said with a smirk. "So? You're still acting a lot like a father would, and doing a lot more than an older brother." She said. "Well if that's the case, I'm proud to call you my daughter." I said. Apple Bloom smiled. "Thank you." She said. "Get some rest Apple Bloom, we had a long day." I informed. "Okay. Goodnight Nightshade." "Goodnight Apple Bloom." I said as I got into my bed and laid down. My eyes began to close. And I sleep with a smile, knowing Apple Bloom was gonna be alright. And That's something I can sleep to. I find myself waking up behind a some kind of rock. Out of curiosity, I peek out over the rock, revealing that I was on some kind of cliff. I also see a white unicorn stallion with a yellow mane wearing some kind of tan jacket and a black military cap. He had something strapped to his side, and in his hoof was a walkie-talkie. He also face the other way, so it was easy for me to sneak up on him. I don't know why, but some reason, I knew he was an enemy. In my right hoof was some kind of strapping holding a blade. "I'm at my post Colonel. I'll check back in ten minutes, over and out." He said into the walkie-talkie. I then find myself walking towards him and drawing my blade. I grab him by his mouth with my free hoof, and bring the other across to slit his throat. He died silently as I slowly lowered him to the ground. Upon allowing him to land I look towards a cave, leading to where I was. "All clear!" I silently shouted. Who was I talking to? "Right then, move in!" A voice said from the dark cave. Seconds later two silhouettes emerged from the cave. One of them was the red eyed griffon from my dream in Borderville, the other one was a unicorn stallion with light blue eyes. He wore some kind of metal power armor. This must've been the power armor Bacardi talked about. The Steel Rangers were they? On his side was a bolt action sniper. He takes the sniper off of his side and aims off the cliff. The griffon takes off the weapon that was strapped to the dead unicorn's side. The weapon was some kind of Smg with a wooden stock, handle and under barrel. It kind of looked like a weapon from centuries ago. I walk next to the sniper and look off into the distance to see the canyon. "Paladin-Commander, what do you see?" I asked. Paladin-Commander? Was that a rank? It sounded like a high rank that an officer would have. What was this high ranking officer doing with me? "I see a bunker and a tank at the far end of the canyon. F.S.R's got the place really well guarded." The unicorn said. F.S.R? Was that the Fallen Star Republic Bacardi told me about? What are they doing here, and why am I here too? And what am I wearing? I hadn't noticed, but I seemed to be wearing a tan T-shirt, with a matching battle saddle. The battle saddle had two drum mag smgs attached on both sides and Last Words strapped to my back. I also had less hair, hidden behind some kind of desert cap with a hole in it for my horn, as well as a scarf around my neck. I was probably reliving a memory from years ago, but since I'm only nineteen now, at least that's what the holotape said my age was, how many years ago was this? "Can you see a way in?" I asked. I see the stallion aim to the left. "Yea. There's an opening at the foot of the cliff." The stallion said looking at me. He had a very familiar mane style. It sort of looked like how mine is now. I guess this was where I got the inspiration from. "Alright, tell your troops to regroup with us there." I instructed. Was I the leader behind whatever's going on? "You got it." My vision fades to black and within seconds it's regained. For some reason, I heard distant gunfire. Looks like the party started early. There were armed ponies, griffons and zebras around. Some wearing power armor, others what I was wearing. My vision immediately locks onto a stallion that surprisingly enough, wasn't a silhouette. He was a dark grey unicorn wearing the same power armor as the silhouette stallion from the cliff. He also donned a white mane. Why was he such a vivid description? As a matter of fact, the pony from the cliff edge had a description, and so did most of the creatures down here. There were only three silhouettes down here. A griffon, a unicorn stallion and a pegasus mare. This one had gentle greenish-blue eyes and her mane went down the right side of her face and behind her left ear. She had a saddle on with a red cross sign. She must be a medic cause she was wrapping bandages around a pony's leg. "Alright comrades!" The dark grey unicorn shouted. Wow. That was a commanding voice. He must've been the general or something. "We've got a new bloody tank to send back to hell!" He said. Some of the soldiers started running towards the gunfire. I took the time to notice, I wasn't as tall as the power armor wearing silhouette next to me. This made me think, because I'm pretty tall. Was Bacardi only pulling my tail when he told me I was as tall as a Steel Ranger in power armor, or did this really take place a few years in my past? Okay, I'm officially curious, how old am I? "We hear their communications will radar fellow troops and cause them to close into the area! We've gotta put put a stop to them!" He commanded. I nodded and ran out of the opening the silhouette unicorn talked about earlier. I looked behind me to see the silhouette unicorn and griffon behind me, followed by a random Steel Ranger. He or she had his or her helmet on, as did a lot of the Steel Rangers. So I can't see what the pony looks like. I revert my vision forward to see two Steel Rangers running toward what looked like a run down village. That's when I heard a whistling sound in the air. A sound I've heard before in a previous dream. The two Rangers were killed when a green nuke shaped explosive hit the ground between them. I then began to fire into the village as I advanced. I hid behind a wall when I got close enough and hugged my side against it as I moved to the right side of the wall. Before I reached the right side, I see another Ranger advancing. This ranger was running were I was about to go. That was until a bullet from the location he was headed went through the helmet and into his head kept that from happening. The culprit, a brown earth pony, comes around the corner and attempts to fire at another Ranger. 5 bullets to his right side stopped that plan. I move closer and peek out. I hear a launch sound from my left, followed quickly by the same whistle sound, and an explosion. Whoever was firing those explosives was definitely around the corner. I see a few more of the F.S.R soldiers running my way. I jump out from my spot and fire my Smgs, killing the 7 running this way. I see a doorway like opening to the left, and upon looking in that direction, I see a griffon getting ready to launch what looked like a shoulder mounted nuking machine. I'm very sure a rocket launcher looked different than what I was seeing right now. It seemed like his attention as well as his teammate's attention were focused on the soldiers shooting from the foot of the cliff. Let's fix that. "Hey!" I shouted. The total of four, plus the griffon looked at me. I bit down on my mouthpiece, filling them with bullets. As they fell to the ground, I ran toward the mini nuke launcher and observe it. There was something written on the side. B.E.L Launcher? What did the acronym stand for? *Ba-doom* Oh shit. Instinctively, I duck down. I then smiled smoke as well as a whistling sound. I hear another explosion and more screaming. I look over the wall I was behind and I see a medium sized tank. This could mean some bad news for my allies. ... Unless. I lifted the B.E.L launcher with my hooves and aimed at the tank. That's when I noticed that it looked as if it fired at an angle. This was at the same time that the tank had noticed me. I quickly aimed up a little more and used my magic to pull the trigger and launched it. The tank fires at me. The missile got very close to my face, before everything just stopped. Was I in S.A.T.S again? It's been a while since I... wait, where is the targeting sequence. Suddenly, everything went dark. Pitch black. I couldn't even see my own hoof. I try to use the PipBuck lamp, but it wasn't on my hoof. How am I gonna see anything? And what exactly was it I saw? Was it a dream or another memory? "The answer to that will be arriving soon." Who was that? It sounded like a mare and she could apparently read my thoughts. Why does she sound so familiar? "Because I too am a part of your past. But that is not why I am here." Then why are you here? If not to help me regain the memories of past, then what? "Because I need to warn you. This is a matter of urgency." Well what is it? A light began to glow to my right. Instinctively, I began to walk towards towards the light. Upon getting close, I see a dark blue unicorn step half of her body into the light. She had teal colored eyes, and a glowing blue translucent mane. "Do you remember me?" She asked. I was about to shake my head no, but there was a flash to my left. I flinch and look of to the left and I see flashes. In the flashes, I see bloody version myself standing over a dark blue bloodied alicorn, firing in a direction that bullets were flying from. The Alicorn looked a lot like the unicorn in front of me. More flashes happened and I couldn't make a lot of it out. Out of all the flashes, I could only make out three pictures. One was of me shooting a hippogriff in the hind leg; another was of me stabbing an power armor wearing pony in the neck, and the last one was of a me attempting to revive somepony that was nearly dead. A pony that was profusely bleeding. The flashes stopped and I held my head, trying to process what I just saw. "What's going on? Who are you?" I asked. I need answers, and I need them now. "I.." She stepped into the light revealing that she also had wings. She was an Alicorn. "..am Princess Luna. The ruler of the night. And my warning to you, your past is trying to come back to become a burden. Do not let it" What is that suppose to mean? The ground rumbled around me. I was waking up it seemed. It was time anyway. This was too much for me to handle. I woke up with a need to control my breathing. I tried my best not to breathe to loud and wake up Apple Bloom. I manage and calm myself down. That was when I realized I was being cuddled, and it wasn't Apple Bloom, or Dogmeat. It was Scarlet. She had me an a strong gripped hug with her head under my chin as she laid on top of me. Was there a purpose as to why she was doing this? I didn't notice how tall he was when she was before. She was nearly as tall and big as me. I tap her side in order to wake her up. She nuzzled my chin as she woke up. She had silver eyes. Unusual, but nice. "Good Morning lover." She said. Why is she referring to me as lover? Is this what Soarin meant by crazy for anyone who buys her? This could be a problem. Despite the fact that it was nighttime, I wasn't gonna be rude. "Um... it's nighttime, but good morning." I said. She smiled. "I'm glad you're awake. Soarin told me that your the new stallion in our lives. I just decided to make a good first impression, and I must say, you are a very handsome changeling. I hope we do this again lover." She said nuzzling under my chin again. I've got things to do, so I'm not gonna waste any time. "Could you get off of me please?" I asked. "Of course lover." She said. She lets me go and gets off of the bed. I get out of the bed too, and I look over at Apple Bloom, who was still asleep. I let out a sigh and looked back at Scarlet. "Alright Scarlet. I have to leave right now to get some coal for the train. Gilda's coming with me, so you should stay here." I clarified. She shoots me a sad look. "You're leaving me already? But you just woke up lover." Not exactly how I met to put it. Whoops. "Well, yes, but it'll only be temporary. You think you can stay here and keep the train safe?" I asked. She nodded her head. "Of course I can, but don't expect it to be so easy to get out of my sight next time lover." She said with a smile and wink. As she walked off I noticed that she had a double barrel shotgun attached to her side. How long had that been there, and how did I not notice it before? "Are you enjoying the view lover?" She asked. This made me go red faced, because as I was staring at the gun, I was oblivious to the fact that it was so close to her rump, that it could easily be confused with me looking there. So, not only does she have Solar Kisses' looks, but also had her teasing antics. Thank heavens she wasn't wearing socks, or the horrors, panties. "Sorry about that." I said. "It's alright lover. You can come play with it if you want." She said adding with a shake. My face heated up like a campfire in the middle of the night, and I'm pretty sure my cheeks were as red as Apple Bloom's mane. "Not now Scarlet." Or ever. I then heard Scarlet giggle. "You know, you're even more handsome when your face is red like that." She said. Okay I need to leave now. If my face gets any redder, I'll explode. "I hate to cut this conversation short (No I don't), but I've gotta go." I said. I didn't know a more polite way to say it. She simply smiles. "Okay lover. Come back soon. And if there's anything I can do for you... or *slight giggle* to you. Just let me know." And with that, she continues walking away. I rolled my eyes and walked towards the door. I stopped there and wait for my face to change back to its normal color. Upon feeling my cheeks temperature drop, I open the door. "N-nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. I look at her and she had her back to me. She looks at me, not moving the rest of her body. "Yea Apple Bloom?" I asked. "You headin' out?" "Yes. Don't worry I'll be back." "Are ya sure, Ah can't *Long Yawn* come with you?" "Afraid not Apple Bloom. It's too dangerous for a filly to come along. I don't want anything to happen to you." I said. Apple Bloom yawns again and looks at me with tired eyes. "When well you be back?" "I don't know, but I'll try not to take long. Try to get some sleep okay?" I asked. "Okay." Apple Bloom said. I leaned in and kissed Apple Bloom's forehead. "Sleep well kiddo." And with that I left the sleeping car and entered the open cargo car. I saw Dogmeat sitting next to Soarin and Fancy Pants sleeping on a floor mattress. Soarin had the SMG under his wing. Smart; not obvious he had the gun on him, and if trouble's afoot, he could swiftly put it in his mouth and pull the trigger. Which reminds me, I've gotta teach Apple Bloom more on firearms when I get back. "Hey Soarin." I said. He looks at me and waves. "Hey Nightshade. Gilda's outside ready to head out." Soarin informed. "Alright, thanks." I then look at Dogmeat. "Alright boy, keep everything in order while I'm gone okay?" Dogmeat barks in acknowledgement. I continue to get out of the train. I looked at my PipBuck and saw the time was 3:21 am. Perfect time for a stealing-coal-from-a-bunch-of-ponies-that-could-easily-turn-me-into-a-buffet operation. As I looked to the south, I saw Gilda waiting for me with the black bandana still around around her neck. She looked up, and noticed me. "All right, you ready to go?" She asked. "Not gonna get to Blackridge standing here." I replied with a smirk. We then began to walk south to the dangerous mission ahead of us. Gilda and I have been walking for about ten minutes. It was a quiet ten minutes, so I was a little bored. The railway facility wasn't that far, but it also wasn't that close, so small talk wouldn't be so bad. "Hey Gilda?" I called. She looked at me. "Yea?" "If you don't mind me asking, what's your story?" She shot me an unsure look. "Really? That's a bit of a personal topic don't you think?" Okay, persuasion time. "What if I promised to keep it a secret? Cross my heart, that sort of deal?" I asked. She chuckled a little and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I guess I can trust you." Ha. Plus one charisma for me. "I was the daughter of an old, grizzled mercenary named Gideon. He was the leader of a Mercenary group known as the Talon Company." Okay, how many Mercenary groups are there? I've got the Hunter Confederacy tracking me down, I'm on somewhat good terms with the Red phoenix Mercs. These guys gonna be the neutral type. Not messing with me unless I provoke them or someone pays for me to die. And from the name, the group probably only allowed or only consisted of griffins. "Talon Company?" "Yep. A group of ruthless griffins that'll do any job for the right price. And they are not friendly." Well that's something that'll keep my muzzle close to the mouthpiece. "That's comforting." I commented. "They weren't always like that. They just turned that way after my dad retired. Some griffin, Gina, took charge and turned him into the corrupted Talons we know today." Still something that's gonna have me checking my six every five seconds. "Okay. Good Mercs gone ruthless due to the reasonable leader stepping into retirement. Sounds legit, right?" Gilda asked. "Yep." I said. I look at my map and saw we had a little more way to go before reaching the railway facility. I looked up, and I could actually see it in the distance. It was still far though, so a little more small talk wouldn't hurt. "So, how did you and Fancy Pants meet?" I asked. Those two definitely had a story there, and I'd like to know it. "Believe it or not, I tried to rob him." I know I'm wrong for admitting this, but she did strike me as the type to try and do that. But she also struck me as the type to only do so when despite. "Is it wrong that I do believe that?" I asked. She shot me a glare. "Yes asshole. You are wrong. But yea; about a month after I turned 24 and left Griffonstone, that's spelled with an o not an i, Griffinstone with an i is the Talon Company base Alpha. I grew very hungry. 100% my fault for not packing enough food to last me a week. So as I was walking through the wasteland, I catch a whiff of Fancy Pants cooking an iguana on a stick. Okay, I think I know where this is going. Also, Ponies eat meat too? Can't say I'm surprised; I'm literally on my way to steal from cannibalistic ponies right now. "I was blinded by hunger, that asking was not a risk I could take, so I grabbed a dusty old knife and I snuck up behind him and brought the knife to his throat and threatened him death if he didn't give me the food." Gilda said. I remembered when Fancy Pants said, 'They must've thought that because I'm the gentlestallion type that I would be easy prey.' I'm guessing Gilda fell victim to that too. "So as you already know, it didn't end well for me." "Well, It kind of did. You're still alive, so it couldn't have ended that badly." I said. "Does being slugged in the temple with the butt of a pump action shotgun count not ending badly?" So Fancy Pants hit her with a levitating something up behind you trick basically? I'm gonna make a mental note to myself to not fall for that trick under any circumstances. That's too embarrassing. "Only if the perpetrator doesn't kill you, and also becomes a good friend." I said, smirking once again. "Touche." Ha ha. Point Nightshade. "Well let me tell you what I wasn't expecting, besides to wake up at all. To wake up, wrapped in a blanket with a bowl of lukewarm noodles next to me ready when I woke up." I wouldn't expect to see that either. Especially if I attempted to robbed someone. "That's a very interesting way to meet, I'll admit. But I'm glad we did meet. I think I would've died if it wasn't for him." Gilda thanked. I smiled before looking forward to see that we were roughly around 100 feet from the railway facility. It was a very well built settlement. It had shanty houses, a nice fire to keep things warm, and some...... oh you gotta be kidding me. They had improvised sniper towers looking out to the outskirts of their town. And spotlights. "We're here." I said. Gilda stopped and looked at the entrance. Her face then matched mine in disbelief. "Well, there goes that idea. Now what?" Gilda said. I looked around for an alternative and next to me was a gate that was the entrance to an underground tunnel. Whether or not that could lead to the railway facility is a complete flip of the coin, but the plan was better than nothing. "How about we go underground?" I asked. Gilda looks at me, and I point at the entrance of the underground tunnel. She puts two and two together. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go." She said. I walked to the gate and opened it, allowing Gilda to go in first. I the close the gate and follow her in. There were stairs we had to walk down. Gilda was ahead of me and was almost at the bottom of the stairs. That was until my eyes trailed down and saw a tripwire. Instinct told me to grab Gilda, and I made sure to follow it. I grabbed Gilda by the tail and stop her. She looked at me angrily. "Hey what gives!" She angrily, but silently shouted. "Tripwire. Bottom of the stairs." I whispered. She looks at the bottom of the stairs and saw what I was talking about. "Oh shit, thanks." She said. We both then carefully step over the tripwire and see what the tripwire would've triggered. A bunch of grenades attached to a string hanging from the ceiling. We would've been so screwed if that went off. One way or another. "Okay, so now we've gotta watch out for traps, and the Demon's Virus members. Shouldn't be too hard." I said sarcastically. "If only things were as easy as you make them sound." Gilda commented. We continued into the underground subway. We soon found ourselves on a balcony that overlooked the railroad underground. There was an escalator we could use to go down, but I was suspicious. The only taste of security that I've seen so far down here were the tripwire grenades. Things were a little too quiet. "Something wrong?" Gilda asked. "Things are a bit too quiet. Stay here." I said as I walked toward the escalator. "What? Why?" "Shh." I said as I walked down the escalator. I made my ears twitch in order to pick up anything that sounded like a threat. But there was nothing even sounded like a hoof step. I reached the bottom and my suspicions continued. That's when I walked towards the tunnel. *Growling hiss* I knew it! I turn my head towards the growling hiss to see some kind of pony running towards me like he wanted to rip my head off. I quickly take the machete out of my battle saddle pouch and got ready. Before the pony could get with a foot of me, he was snagged by something. It took me the three seconds the pony was on the ground to not only notice that it had a collar around his neck that was attached to a chain. But the pony, was barely a pony. It lacked a mane and coat, and looked like a decaying corpse. Is this what Dawn described as a feral ghoul? It got up and kept trying to charge me, but that chain wasn't about to budge. It kept screeching and growling. I backed away a little. "Hey! What's got the feral all riled up!" "Don't know. Let's find out." Shit, shit, shit. I gotta hide and fast. "Nightshade, are you-" Gilda said as she came down the escalator. I ran back to the base of the steps and look at her. "Hide!" I shouted in a whisper. I run up the stairs and gesture Gilda to do the same. As Gilda backed away from the stairs, I reached the top of the stairs and look over the opposite side of the balcony and see two earth ponies walking towards the feral. The feral attempted to charge them, but the chain was preventing that. "What's got you all panicky bud?" One of them asked. "I think he smells food." The other replied. I look to the left and see Gilda looking at me in a way that said 'What do we do?' I do the stay low gesture with my hoof. Gilda nods and began to back up. I look over the balcony in order to see what they were doing. *Clink, ting* I duck down and immediately snap my vision over to Gilda and saw a that she had knocked over a glass bottle. The next thing I here is a growling screech come from the ghoul. "Someone must be up there." One of them said. Causing me to hold my breath. "Alright! Dinner time!" The other said. Okay, now would be a good time to run. I look forward and saw another part of the subway station, in the opposite direction in which we came in. That's when a began to silently, but quickly, make my way over there. "Come on!" I silently whispered to Gilda as I sped past. She quickly follows me as we ran to the next part of the subway. I came across a door, and instinct told me to go through it. As I went through the door, I didn't hear a delay in the door closing, which means that Gilda wasn't behind me. Oh, this could be bad news. I run down a hallway and come across another door. I use my magic to open the door and run into the room. That's was when I slipped on something and crashed into the floor into some kind of liquid. I push my upper half off of the ground and have a look around. I soon see that the room was a terrible sight. Not only was did the room have the skeletons of ponies everywhere, but blood was also all over the place. On the walls, on the ceiling, and on the floor. I now had blood on my chest, chin, and hooves. What the hell is wrong with these ponies!? I get that the wasteland causes you to do, say, or eat questionable things to survive, but this... this is wasn't right. "What the... What the fuck." That was all I could say. In this situation, who could blame me? If I'm ever so low on food that this is what I have to resort to, I'd be better off with a bullet in my head. Hopefully, that would put me out of my misery instead of another memory loss. *Clip, clop. Clip, clop. * "I think he ran in here!" "Why would you announce that you idiot?! If he is in there he's probably setting a trap!" I heard two voices say. I gotta say, I agree with the second guy. Announcing you think I might be in a specific room? That's the equivalent of saying 'Hey! I know you're in there, so I'm giving you time to set a trap!' "If he's down here, he can't be that smart." Really? Okay, I'll show you who isn't that smart. I look around the room, looking for something I could use here. I already had a machete, so what else could I use to my advantage. My eyes fixated on a pool cue that was leaning against a counter. On top of the counter was a large pistol resting next to a pillow. I use my magic to pick up the pistol and the pillow. The pistol had a rather unique design as it was red, black, white and gold with a triangular barrel and large muzzle. I took out the magazine and saw that there were no bullets in it. So I pulled the barrel back just enough to see that there was a bullet in the chamber, good. I then get up and move my way behind the island in the middle of the room. Right as the door opened. "~Hello. Anyone here?" A voice asked. I hear the hoof steps of two ponies, implying that both of them were in the room. This could be a problem, I've gotta think of something fast. "We're not-.... I'm not looking for trouble, come out and we'll let you leave." The second one sounded sane to say the least, but his partner definitely ruined things for both of them. "Come on, there's no need to hide, all you're doing is racking up my predatory instincts. Come on out." If that voice was suppose to scare me, it wasn't doing it's job. If anything, it was making me angry. And his partner's lack of control over him made it clear that they had no intentions of letting me walk out of here. I move myself to the right as the hoofsteps got closer, taking the pillow and the pistol with me. I peek over the island to see a white earth pony walking into another part of the room, and a lime green earth pony looking at the counter. "Hmm, the prey has taken the pistol, now he's on the hunt." I've got an idea now I used my magic to levitate the pillow behind this psychopath's head, slowly moving the pistol behind the pillow. "Now it's a battle between hunters. Who becomes the prey?" In one quick motion, I use the pillow to pin the stallion to the counter and quickly press the pistol's barrel against the pillow. Then I pulled the trigger. *Bang.* That was still loud, but not as loud as the pistol could've been. The other one still heard it though. "Psycho? What happened?" Why was this guy named.... Nevermind. I quickly grabbed the pool cue and as the second one started to run back into the room. Upon seeing the first hoof, I swing. Hitting his elbow with enough force to hear a blood curdling Crack!. He falls face first onto the floor, and before he could do anything else, I drove the pool cue though the back of his neck, which killed him. I release the pool cue and picked up the empty pistol. "You are on powerful pistol, I'm gonna keep you." I said. I looked at the handle to see cards on it. Three Aces and two kings, and a name underneath it. Full House. "Alright Full House, welcome to the group." I said. Funny, I was calling the cannibal a psycho, yet here I am talking to an empty gun as if it was a creature. Strange world I live in. I exit the room and look around to see if anyone was around. That gun was pretty loud, even with the pillow to suppress it. But then again, guns with suppressors aren't that quiet either. Especially in an echo-y area like this. There was no one around. So far. Now where the heck is Gilda? I wasn't gonna call her name, because that's an announcement of my arrival. So instead, I walked out and went were I suspected she went. As I walked I came across another door. I cautiously open it and peek inside. "Gilda, you- " *BANG* That came from a different room. What just happened in there? "What was that?" Someone else's voice said. *BANG* What the hell! Who's shooting-.... Oh crud, I think I'm starting to regret giving Gilda that magnum. "HEY!" I hear a to my right. I look to see a couple of ponies, both stallions and mares. One of them then shot at me, which I manage to dodge by ducking at the very last second. I quickly dash into the room and run through the hallway. I once again come across another another door, and I couldn't open the door with my magic in time; I was running too fast. Instead, I crashed through the door, swinging it open, only to hear a thump as I enter the room. I look down to see an orange pegasi with a lime green Mohawk mane wearing, yet again, spiky armor. I look behind me and see a unicorn mare aim at me with a pistol at me. I quickly dive to side, causing the mare to miss me and hit the stallion, who was standing back up, instead. I hit the ground, front hooves first. That somehow activated my PipBuck radio. "Alright Everypony, We've got some music from the late forties! Dear hearts, by Charming Crescent! Enjoy one of the best classics, ever" . DJ Pon3 said. I guess some music wouldn't hurt. *Shroom, ting* Definitely would hurt less than a gunshot wound. *The song starts with a few instruments* 'I love those dear hearts and gentle ponies Who live in my home town' I use my magic to find some kind of gun. I can't risk using my battle saddle just yet. I manage to find a 10mm pistol. I then blindly fire into the hallway. Because those dear hearts and gentle ponies Will never ever let you down The Virus members began to shoot at my gun. But, they didn't succeed. I heard two bodies drop before my gun runs out of bullets. I drop it and look around the room. As I go trotting On every Friday I see a double barrel shotgun across the room. That's gonna be good for close encounters. Okay what else is in here? I see them smile with glee Background singers: Smile with glee I jump out and face the ponies, biting down onto my mouthpiece, sending bullets there way. Some took cover, as others feel victim to the bullets exiting my assault rifle saddle. I've got a dream house I'll build there one day. I stop shooting and run further into the room. That's when I got shot in my knee. That sent me to the ground almost immediately, but I get up quickly and hide behind a crate within the room. I look at my PipBuck to see how much health I had. 205/250 HP. Not that I'm complaining, but what am I doing to increase my he- *Click Clack!* I hear a shotgun pumping. Oh not agai- *BANG!* It truly is A sight to see GAHH! Son of a- A bunch of bullets from a shotgun take off pieces of the crates, and some bullets made there way into my right hoof, and my neck. That somehow didn't kill me, but that hurt like hell. I'm at a disadvantage right now, but not for long. I put my muzzle on the mouthpiece and waited. I hear the shotgun pump again. I roll out from behind the crate and shoot. A lemon colored unicorn mare with a white mane was shot. She was the one with the shotgun. A lever action shotgun. I feel so welcome each time that I return That my happy hurt keeps laughing like a clown As the mare dropped, the lever action shotgun was thrown into the air. I quickly use my magic to grab the shotgun and ran through and archway. Bullets missing me by inches and centimeters. I hid around the corner and check my health again. 182/210 HP? Good enough. Not gonna waste a health potion yet. I look at the wall as the bullets from the Demon Virus members and saw someone's shadow getting closer. I move the entire gun around the corner. I love those dear hearts and gentle ponies who live and in my I pull the trigger, sending off a loud bang and hearing a body drop. Background singers: In my Both: Hometown. I looked in this room as I pulled the shotgun back around the corner. This room had more cover, and another door that lead back out to the subway. *Song instrumental from the beginning plays again* I see an alcoholic drink in a glass bottle on the ground with the bottle cap still on. I quickly pick it up. That's when I saw someone come in through the door. A Demon's virus member. I quickly attempt to shoot him, but I didn't pump the gun first. This idiot charges at me with a knife in his mouth. Using my assault rifles, he didn't get far. I use my magic to pry the bottle cap off and take a swing. Tasted like vodka a little. I see an ammo box, by the door. I run over there and open it, only to find out it was a mine box. Three fragmentation mines. This'll be useful. I stuff them into my bag. Background singers: When I go trotting I turn around to see one of them aim at me with a pistol, causing me to open the door and run out to avoid be shot. On every Friday I send a shell of bullets in his way, hitting him right before he could go back around the corner. I pump the shotgun again and aim at the ponies that have not yet entered the room. Before I could pull the trigger, I was shot in my side by a shotgun. Both: I see them smile with glee I turn my attention back to the room and on instinct, I shoot the culprit. Whom was a unicorn stallion who grabbed the double barrel shotgun I saw earlier. After doing that, the others turned there attention at me, and began shooting. That's when I ran through the halls again. I saw a sandbag wall on the right side of the hallway. Both: I've got a dream house I'll build there one day I dive behind the wall and pump the shotgun once again. And shoot over the wall blindly. I pump again and count how many times the gun has been shot. Five times. I'm gonna hope there's another bullet inside. Welp here goes nothing. It truly is a sight to see I move from behind the sandbags and go into S.A.T.S. Aiming at a dark purple mare with a flaming orange mane. I aim at her head and activated it. Charming Crescent: I feel so welcome each time that I return The shotgun caused a critical hit, although only two bullets hit the mare. One in the throat, and the other in between the eyes. I toss the gun away and slowly backed up. That my happy heart keeps laughing like a clown I bite down on the mouthpiece and began firing again, killing three more members . That's when I soon heard a click. Damn, I'm out. Background singers: Like a clown I run around the corner and see yet another Demon virus member. He had a meat cleaver in his mouth. I turn around to see somepony else with the same double barrel shotgun that I the last pony I killed. However, instead of in a magical aura, it was in his mouth. Both: I love those dear hearts The stallion with the shotgun shot, the second I dodged to the right. One of the bullets manage to get me in the shoulder, but the rest of the bullets hit the cleaver wielding stallion, taking off the right side of his face. and gentle ponies. Crescent: Who live and love in my home town I buck the stallion with the shotgun in his throat. Background singers: In my home town I take the shotgun and shoot the stallion coming around the corner as the one I kicked in the throat began to suffocate. I'm actually glad that the stallion here, reloaded that extra bullet, I would've felt so stupid if I attempted to shoot an empty gun. I pull out a mine and threw it next to the bodies and ran off. Both: Those dear hears and gentle ponies Who live. I see a bathroom door and quickly run for it. In my I open the door and here a beeping sound. I enter quickly. Hometown. I then hear an explosion, causing me to instinctively cover my ears. *Ending instrumental*. I uncover my ears as the explosion died out. I peek out of the room into the hallway. All of the ponies that were after me, were killed by the mine. I'm definitely keeping the other two mines. "Ah, always respect the classic-" I turned the radio off. As much as I liked the song, this wasn't the time for another one. I looked at myself. I look like hammered shit. Like I just fought in WW2. Holy shit. "Wow, that... that was exciting. Strangely. Strange but exciting." There I am talking to myself again. I take another swing of the alcohol. I then look at the label on the bottle. Everclear. Wait, where;s Gilda? And why was a swing of alcohol what helped me remember her? After reloading my battle saddle, and looting the corpses of the Demon Virus members, finding around 215 caps in the process, I look around to see were Gilda ran off to. I make my way towards another door and open it. I see another hallway leading to another door. I make my way to the door and press my ear against it. I heard heavy breathing on the other side. I slowly open the door, keeping myself close to the door to avoid someone sending a bullet towards me. There's enough holes in me as it is. "Anyone in here?" I asked. "N-nightshade?" I heard a weak voice ask. It was Gilda. I open the door and saw Gilda sitting next to a cage with her talon on her stomach. Blood coming out of said stomach. I said nothing, and just pulled out a healing potion syringe and walked towards her. I stick it into her shoulder. Healing her. "What happened?" I asked. "That bitch over there *Points behind me* shot me while I was looking for the key." Gilda explained. I turn around to see a pegasus mare with a bullet in her left eye. Ouch. Wait, why was Gilda looking for a key? "Gilda, why were you looking for a-" I look at the cage next to her and saw a disturbing sight. I saw a cage with a family of ponies inside. All of which were missing something. There was a dark blue earth pony stallion with a grey mane, missing an ear; A white pegasus mare with a turquoise and blue colored mane missing a wing; A light blue earth filly with a yellow mane missing her right forehoof; and a white pegasus colt missing his left forehoof. This was disturbing to say the least. No stallion, mare, or foal was safe from these psychopaths. "Hey, listen. We're gonna get you out of here, okay?" I asked them. They all nodded. They were all either too scared to speak or couldn't. Either way, I wasn't gonna pressure them to do so. I looked at the lock that held the cage shut. It was a padlock. If Apple Bloom where here, she could pick the lock. Or Fancy Pants could shoot the lock off. Well, I guess I have to find the key. Or at least a screwdriver and a bobby pin. "Hey, do you guys know who might have the key to this thing?" I asked them. "They can't talk." I heard a female voice say. I turn my head in the direction of the voice. "Gilda?" "Hmm?" "Look for something to get this lock open." "Got it." As Gilda looked around for something to get the lock open, I walk over to where I heard the voice. I come across another cage, this one had a dark grey worg with vivid green eyes and a muzzle mask on it's snout, and a white bat pony with a black and red mane. Her eyes were strange as one was magenta, and the other was blue. A case of heterchromia iridum. Her cutie mark was a rifle. "Why can't they talk?" I asked in a polite manner. I want to help these guys after all. "They had there tongues removed. Cut from their mouths to keep'em shut." So glad Apple Bloom wasn't around to hear that. I also had to resist the urge to run out of this room and go on a rampage. But now wasn't the time. I already killed a few in a rather, less stealthy way. Why there's are no more swarming me at this point is completely behind me. "If you're wondering if the other members heard your little firework show, be warned, they did. Just because they aren't sending a search party, doesn't mean they won't be prepared." She explained further. She walked up to the cage, that's when I noticed her front hooves weren't natural. Instead, they were cybernetic hands. Both of them. She right off the bat reminded me of Bacardi. "Who are you?" I asked. "The name's Silver Bullet. The asshole mutt over there is Smoke, he's the reason I'm in this mess." She said as the worg growl. I look back at the terrified family. I was gonna need all the help I could get to get them out of here, and still get that coal. "Listen, I want to help you guys get out of here, but I need a little something in return. Okay?" I asked, looking at the family. They nod frantically. They'd do anything to get out of this hell. "What do you need?" Silver Bullet asked. "Up top is the rest of the train facility, there's a chance that one of the train cars has enough to get me from here to where I need to go, one major problem is, I don't think I can move a large car of coal fast enough to my destination without getting caught. So I'm gonna need some help." I explained. "So you snuck down here to get the upper hoof and grab the train, not a bad plan." Silver Bullet said. "It wasn't, until I realized that you can't exactly sneak off with a 10 ft train car. But there could be a way to get that train there without being shot at." I said. Silver Bullet seemed to smirk. "I'm gonna guess you need a distraction?" She asked. "You read my mind." "I've got just the thing to help too." She said. I raised an eyebrow, now she had my attention. "In one of the armories is a signal grenade that attracts Alicorns. Alicorns normally give those to their weaker classes, like the scouts. They use them for a quick invasion, giving ponies very little time to prepare for an invasion." Silver Bullet explained. That last sentence caught me off guard a little. "Little time to prepare for an invasion?" I asked. "Well since all the Alicorns share a single Hive mind, when one gets killed, they send a vengeance strike team to kill and invade." She explained. That... couldn't be right. I was talking to an Alicorn before. That will be brought up later. "I found something Night." Gilda said. I did not like being called Night. Probably wouldn't mind if it was Apple Bloom though. I look at Gilda to see that she had a crowbar in her talon. I take it with my magic and walk over to the family's cage and stick the curved end of the crowbar in between the two bars of the lock. Then in one quick motion, I break the lock and take it off. I open the cage and gesture them to come on out. They do so and the mare and stallion look at me confused. I got over to the other cage and pry that look open too. As I opened the cage, Silver Bullet and Smoke walked out. I go to untie the Worg's muzzle mask, when Silver Bullet stopped me. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, he'll bail on us the second that it's off. Heck, the reason I'm in this mess is because of him." Silver Bullet said. That's when I shot her an unsupportive look. "Honestly, I could care less if he bails or not. If I'm not mistaking, he didn't agree to helping me, or us do anything. I'm not bribing him, I'm not threatening him, it's his choice." I said. I continue to untie his muzzle mask and the second it was off, Smoke took off out the door. A thank you would've been nice at least. Ah well, I still got the others. "Told ya." Silver Bullet said. That didn't matter, I had a plan where his help was only optional. "Doesn't matter, I've got a plan though." "Let's here it." Gilda said. I look at the family first. "There's a train to the North that your foals will be safe. Gilda can take them there, but I'm gonna need the two of you to help me with the train car, if that's okay." I said. The two parents look at their foals and nod. They hug before the foals walk to Gilda. "Silver Bullet, you know where the armory that holds those Alicorn grenades right?" I asked. Silver Bullet nods. "Get that and throw it at one of the entrances. That should give us time. I'll escort these two to the inside of the base, where we'll start pushing the car to the train. If you wanna meet us at the train or not, it's up to you." I said. "So, grab the grenade, screw these guys over and meet you at the train. Anything else?" She asked. "Yea, if you see anymore hostages, free them. No one deserves this." I said. Silver Bullet nods. I look at Gilda and she nods. "Alright. Let's not waste anymore time. Let's move." I said. The couple nods and I hear Gilda say, "Come on little ones, we'll be safe at the train." "Gilda," I called. She looks at me. I take out some healing potions and give them to her. "As a just in case you get shot again." Gilda shoots me a glare. "Not funny." That wasn't a joke, Gilda was my best option for stealth, and she was shot. I can't risk that a second time. "I wasn't joking." I said glaring back. Gilda takes the healing potions and proceeds to walk out the door. I look at the couple and gesture a come on. I look at Silver Bullet and she nods and walks out the room. I too, walk out of the room. I lead the two back downstairs and navigated my way through the tunnel. I continuously had to look behind me to check on the couple, to make sure they were still there. They were. I, unfortunately, couldn't converse with them given their current condition. I did make sure to keep my eyes out for any traps. I don't want anymore surprises. Besides, Silver Bullet said they were ready if I just so happened to be seen by them. I wouldn't wanna endanger anyone else. I come across an a makeshift opening to my right, and more to the tunnel to the left. I heard snarling to the left. The couple heard it too. I look at the couple, and gesture them to wait. I peek around the left corner with my mouth ready to bite down if I have to. I look around the corner to see a rather unusual sight. Smoke was fighting a member of the Demon Virus. The Demon virus member was an earth pony mare with a knife in her mouth. He attempts to swing at Smoke, but Smoke backs away, causing the pony to miss a swing. Smoke then bites the mare in the fore leg and dragged her to the ground. He then pounces on her and proceeded to rip her throat out. That was gruesome. He looks at me with a not so friendly face. I mean, it wasn't threatening either, but it was far from friendly. He then walks over to another dead body and sticks his muzzle into the pouch. He pulls out a box and looks at me. He then throws it at me. I catch it in my magic and look at the box. .50 Action Express. What gun does this go to? I look up to thank him, but he left already. I wasn't gonna chase him. I looked at the makeshift tunnel and saw the outside. As I walked past the couple, I gesture 'come on' and walked through the tunnel, that went up on an angle, and I could see the surfaced train facility. As the three of us reached the top, told them to stay low as I observed the area. This place was well built and well guarded. And it seems as if the patrols had increased. Now to locate the coal train. I look around, and there it was, right by the exit. Filled to the brim with coal. I just struck a goldmine, or coalmine in this case. Now to just wait for the show to start. I made sure to look at my PipBuck to see which way was north, just to make sure I'm not going the wrong way. "Hey! Who activated the Lunch Bell!" I heard a mare shout. I then heard blast sounds along with the sounds of gunfire. The Demon's virus members running to the south of the facility was enough to let me know that that was my cue. "Let's go!" I said running out into the open. I look to the south to see some very tall Alicorns on the attack. All of them looked much more vicious and much stronger than the one I killed in Havoc. They came to kill. I rush behind the train and watch the couple run after me. I press my hooves against the rear of the train and look back at them. "Push as hard as you can." I said. A stray bullet misses me by and inch. I look back at the south and saw that they were all still concentrated on each other. The couple helps me push and that dreaded *SCREECH* sound by the train was heard. We continued to push until we got 30 feet from the train from the compound. That's when a few bullets flew in our direction. I turned around to see some Demon's Virus members aiming at us. I quickly turn around and shoot back. Killing them. Luckily, most of the Demon's virus members were busy with the alicorns, but that didn't stop others from shooting at me. "You two, keep pushing! I'll cover us!" I said. They continued pushing, and I walked backwards, ready to kill anyone who aims at me. As we were walking, I heard wings flapping to my right. I turn there to see an purple Alicorn with emerald green translucent mane tackles me to the ground. Forcing me to land on my back, her amber slitted eyes make eye contact with mine and she growled. "So you're the one who killed Mystic Pearl? Disappointing as to how she could perish to someone as pathetic as you." I was using my magic to grab my machete as I was pinned. But that's when she looked at my horn. She then shoots a beam at my horn. Causing pain, and stopping me from using it. "Hurts doesn't it?" She asked me. I looked at her with a glare. She smirks. "You know, for a bug, you are rather strong. How about instead-" She stops and turns back to the battlefield and blasts an incoming Demon's Virus member with her horn. She then turns back to me. "How about instead of me killing you here, I have you work for us? I promise you only die from exhaustion, but it's better than me feeding your corpse to our young, or better yet, feeding you to our young limb by limb and making you watch." She said. A sadistic smile appears on her face. Little did she know, I was using my tail to grab the handle of my machete. "Fat fucking chance of that happening." I said. That's when she stepped one my various bullet wounds that was in my right hoof. I grit my teeth in pain. "Very well. I'm gonna enjoy killing you? Any last words?" "Nobody, calls me a bug." I said, and in one quick motion, I swing my tail, with the machete wrapped around it. I press it against her neck and I then come from underneath her and used my magic to cut deeper. When her body went limp I pulled the machete out. The couple looked at me with fear. "Keep pushing!" I commanded. They nod and continue pushing. I continued to walk backward before I noticed I was limping. I pull out a healing potion and stick it into my side. Healing my wounds thankfully. I continue to be on my guard. This time making sure that my sides weren't exposed too. Then more Demon's Virus members attacked. I manage to rid with most of them. Two of them, almost hit me but I manage to dodge out of the way, just in time. I then rid with those two as well. *Thud* Shit. I turn around and saw the mare had collapsed. She had a bullet wound in her back. I quickly run over to help her. Luckily, the blow wasn't that bad, so a healing potion wouldn't be necessary. Unluckily, she passed out. I take out some magical bandages and wrap them around the wound. Seeing the bandages glow yellow, I look at the stallion who looked at me worried. "She'll be fine. Don't worry. I said. I placed her on my back and proceeded to push the train, with the stallion helping me. The train was extremely heavy and hard to push, but we prevailed. I looked behind me to see an alicorn running at me with great speed. Before I could even think about shooting at it. Smoke came out of nowhere and jumped onto its back. He had a sword in his mouth and used it to cut the alicorn's neck. Killing it. He had a sheath to his right side, which was were he placed the sword. He then runs towards me and places his front paws on the the rear end of the train. I nod and the three of us push the train. We continued pushing the train until we got 100 feet from the compound. I looked back to see that the Alicorns and Demon's virus members deciding to kill each other instead of following me. Good. I walked past the subway entrance and I see, Silver Bullet. With some friends. "Oi. Nightshade, was it?" She called. "Yea?" I asked. She walked next to me and proceeded to place her cybernetic hand/hooves on the train to help. "I hope you enjoyed the little show. I got some friends here, some could talk, others, not so much." She said. I looked at the crowd. There was at least ten of them. Seventeen if you counted the foals. Most of the victims were mares. "Well, let's get moving before the party stops." I said. The others helped me push the train, speeding things up, very fast. We are making progress. I could see the sun ascending to the East, dawn was making its way around. And we were getting closer. I stop pushing the train and moved to the side of the coal car. I later see the train. Oh thank goodness. I look at the mare on my back, she was still unconscious, but her breathing was steady. She was gonna live, thankfully. They all are gonna live. "Well, I'll be damned." I heard Fancy Pants's voice say. I look up to see Fancy Pants, and Scarlet Blossom walking towards me. "Well done old chap. Never doubted you for a second." He said. The coal car bumps the rest of the train lightly, signaling everyone else to stop pushing. "I see you brought a couple of guests." Fancy Pants said. I look at the large group and smirk. "I guess you can say that." I said. I feel a tap on my side. I turn to see the dark blue stallion looking at me worried. "Don't worry, she's gonna be alright." I said taking her off of my back. The blue stallion sat next to his wife, or marefriend, as she laid on the ground. I walk to Fancy Pants and converse with him. "Did Gilda make it here yet?" I asked. "Yes, she did. I was confused as to why she came back with foals and without you, then she told me you're plan. Scarlet was actually five minutes away from grabbing my shotgun and coming after you." "I wouldn't have wanted that. She's strong I'm sure, but I don't wanna risk her going toe to toe with an Alicorn." "An Alicorn?!" He asked. "Yea, we used them for a distraction. Where's Apple Bloom?" "Still asleep in the sleeping car." Fancy Pants said as I reached the cargo car and climbed inside. I saw Gilda sitting on a box to the left. Before I could say anything she spoke. "The foals are in the sitting car." She said, I nod and walk into the sitting car to see the two foals sitting on a chair whilst facing the door I was walking through. They look at me. "Your family's waiting for you outside." I said. They beam a smile and jump off the chair and run out. I follow them and upon leaving the train I see that the mare had woken up. The foals ran over and hug their mother. I smile at the scene. That's when a problem hit me. I'm headed to Blackridge, they need somewhere to go. Where am I gonna send them? "So, where are you gonna send them?" Fancy Pants asked. Great, now he's reading my thoughts. "Send who?" I heard Apple Bloom's voice asked. I look at Apple Bloom to see her rubbing her eyes. She stops and sees that it's me. She beams a smile at me. "Yer back!" She said as she came to hug me. To which I accepted with open hooves. We parted and she smiled. "Told ya I'd be back." I said. She smiled at me before looking outside the car. Seeing all the ponies I brought. "That's a lot of ponies." Apple Bloom said. "Yea, they were hostages at the railroad facility. I'm glad I didn't take you. You didn't need to see any of that." I said. She looks at one of the ponies that was missing a limb and flinches. "Ah'll take yer word for it." She said. I walk to the opening and clear my throat. "Excuse me mares and stallions." I said, gaining the attention of the Nineteen ponies. This was gonna be a little hard. "I know that you're all very happy that you are no longer stuck with those psychopaths, but another problem has surfaced." I said. Some of them looked at me confused. "Me, and my group are headed to Blackridge. And I can't take any of you with me because it's a long way, and apparently a death wish. So the issue at hoof, is where am I gonna send you." I said. The ponies looked at me, as if they were waiting for an answer. One of the places I immediately thought to send them was Havoc. The buildings would be excellent for shelter, and since I didn't spend a long time there, there are a lot of lootable items of salvage, and they could help rebuild the town. That could be an idea. "If I may," Fancy Pants started. "I suggest you send them to Dawnford." He said. I look at him waiting for the reason why. "The ponies there are very accepting of outsiders, and they'll be able to provide for them." He explained. That was a pretty valid reason. That's an option. "Um.. Nightshade?" I heard Apple Bloom call. Both me and Fancy Pants turn to her. "What about Wolfwater?" She asked. "They're tough, and they're nice. They'd be able to keep them safe, and if they'd like, they can even become a part of there group." She explained. Another good idea. So, a place that could provide, a place where they can build from the ground up, and a place that offers protection. This is gonna be difficult. Send them to Dawnford (Good Karma, Food and water is provided, but limited protection options.) Send them to Havoc (Neutral Karma, They can build from the ground up, make their own place. No guarantee to find essentials) Send them to Wolfwaters (Evil Karma, better defenses and protection options, Food and Water is limited) Author's Note FINALLY! My computer shut off so many times and deleted my work, but I kept my Pinkie Promise. Hope you enjoy! Nightshade's Karma: Soldier of Fortune Good: 0 Neutral: 13 Evil: 0 Trivia: The pistol Nightshade find is a Desert Eagle. The Desert Eagle Nightshade finds is a reference to Blackjack from the Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons story. Nightshade refers to a 'levitating something up behind you' trick, like Littlepip. Charming Crescent is the ponified unicorn name of Bing Crosby, the originator of Dear Hearts and Gentle People. If Good Karma was chosen, Fancy Pants would shoot the lock off which would draw the attention of the other Demon's Virus members, resulting in a massive firefight. If Evil Karma was chosen, Apple Bloom would pick the locks and encourage Nightshade to help find the others. An Alicorn raid on the compound would have been caused naturally, allowing them to escape, but Apple Bloom would have a hard time coping with the bloody scene. Scarlet Blossom's design is an earth pony version of this design. Nightshade's 'Nobody calls me a bug' line is a reference to Marty Mcfly's 'Nobody calls me Chicken' line from Back to the Future. Smoke is a reference to Smoke, a temporary companion from Fallout 2 Like, comment, vote, and review. Deadline is July 19th. Outlaw Out!
Chapter One: Stable 7War. War never changes. Since the dawn of pony kind, when their ancestors first discovered the power of friendship, they made sure to spread love and joy throughout equestria. But friendship wasn't enough to keep other nations from greed and selfishness. Which lead to a millennia of conflict. The destructive nature of ponies could sustain itself no longer. The world of equestria was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation. But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter of not only pony history, but the history of all the creatures of equestria. For the creatures of equestria had succeeded in destroying the world - but war, war never changes. In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters, known as Stables. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them - all except those in Stable 7. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Stable 7 slid closed... and never reopened. Until one day, a former resident, brought forward the one who could change everything. The one known as The Lone Changeling. My eyes flicker open and immediately become enemies with the bright light above. I was blinded by it and slowly began to look away. My vision was blurry and I had a massive headache. Where was I? Why was I here? What was going on? The questions caused me to make the mistake of touching my head. The second I touched it, I felt two things. Excruciating pain, which caused me to inhale sharply in pain. And bandages. I tried to the best of my ability not to yell from my injury. To get my mind off of the pain I decided to observe my surroundings. As my vision cleared up, I looked around. There were only two words I could use to describe this place: Dull. Monotonous. The grey walls and ceiling itself gave me the feeling that the area I was currently in, was a place of solitude. A place isolated from the outside. I soon heard steps coming my way. I look toward the doorway to see a white earth mare with a pink mane wearing a white lab coat over a blue jumpsuit. She held a clipboard in front of her with one hoof as she stopped in front of the bed. The bed I didn't realize I was in until she walked in. She looks at me with her ice blue eyes before smiling. I'll admit, I found that pretty. "Glad to see you're up." She said. "How long was I out?" I asked. I'm not gonna lie. My own voice sort of scared me. It was something I could only describe as a metallic echo. Was I part robot or something? "You were in a coma for about two weeks. The Overmare was beginning to lose hope of saving you." She replied. I felt confused, as well as heavy in the chest. Why would someone lose hope in saving my life? Why was someone saving my life? Or the bigger question; what was I being saved from? "What happened to me?" "Somepony left you at the stable opening. They opened the Stable doors and left you at the entrance. You were bleeding profusely from your head. We managed to get you some help before you lost too much blood." She explained. "It's a miracle that you survived." "Thank you." I replied. The mare gave me a small smile. "You're welcome." She said. "Do you think you can walk?" The question was something I didn't expect. I didn't know if I could walk, so I decided to try. I step out of the bed and stood on all fours. I wasn't expecting to be as tall as I was. I could see over the mare's head by looking straight. She began to observe my features, continuing to look up and down. She was doing that for quite a long time. It wasn't until I cleared my throat to get her attention. "Oh sorry. Please, follow me." She said turning around. I could've sworn I saw her cheeks turn a slight pink color, but that could've just been my eyes messing up again. I follow the mare out of the room. As I walked, I noticed that I was in some kind of subterranean area. What was this place called? A Stable? This place was pretty well built, but they could've done something about the color. Grey isn't really the kind of color to keep creatures awake after all. The mare lead me to a room that consisted of a stool, a couch, and an easel that was next to the stool. "Please, take a seat, or lie down on the couch over there." She instructed me as she walked off to one of the cabinets. I go over to the couch and laid down on my back. I noticed my hooves had holes in them. That wasn't the only thing I noticed about myself. I had a dark red carapace on my back, and a long tail with a stinger on the end of it, a scorpion tail. What the hell am I? I decided to feel my head again, this time avoiding the bandages, and feel a horn that curved back. I also felt my ears. They felt... Jagged. I for some reason felt like... I felt like an insect. I stopped touching my head as I noticed the mare turning around. She had a couple of papers and a mirror in her hoof as she walked toward me. She placed the papers and the mirror on the easel and walked toward me. "I'm gonna take your bandages off now. Just let me know if it hurts. Okay?" She said. I nodded as she lend toward me. She gently unwrapped the bandages. She was slow and careful, making sure not to hurt me. When she finished, she gave me a smile. "Your injury has healed really well." She said. She grabs the mirror and shows me how I looked. I was surprised to see how my face looked. Not only did I already have a scar over my right eye, but I had another one around three inches above my left eye going from the top of my eye to my bottom of my left ear. Believe it or not, my scars weren't what surprised me; it was my face. I had two long fangs that hung out of my mouth, a webbed mane, and red reflection-less eyes with white irises. My body consisted of a black fur-less exterior. If the carapace and holes in my hooves weren't enough to classify me as a non-pony, my eyes and lack of fur was the definite conformation. "Alright." She puts the mirror away. "If you don't mind me asking; what's your name?" "My name? My name is...". An awkward silence fell between us. I couldn't remember my own name. Did I even have a name? Now I have no idea what I am, or who I am. "What's the matter?" The mare asked. "My name... I don't know what it is." "Hmm." The mare said tapping her chin. "You did suffer a head injury that resulted in a two week coma. You must be suffering from amnesia." She said. A sad look formed on my face. "Is there anything that you do remember? Anything at all?" I closed my eyes and tried my best to try to remember anything. But I couldn't. Not a single thing from my past came up as a memory. I open my eyes, looked at the mare and shook my head. "This is worst than I thought." The mare replied. "Don't worry, I'm sure your memories will come back." Why did this mare have so much faith in me? We've only met a few moments ago. I admit, I was flattered. "My name's Nurse Redheart." She told me, I smirk a little since I now knew the name of the mare who saved my life. "Nice to meet you Miss Redheart." I said. She smiles in return. "Likewise." She replies. "Now, since neither of us know your name, or your past, I'm gonna have to give you a few tests. Is that okay?" I simply nod in agreement. "Okay. I'm gonna say a word. I want you to tell me the first thing that comes to mind." Redheart said. I nod my head in agreement. "Dog." She said. "Loyal." I replied, as if on instinct. "House." "Renovate." I said. I have no idea why that was the first thing that popped in my head, but it was. "Night." "Shroud." I said. "Bandit." "Backstabber." Why did I say that escape my lips, and why did I say it with such haste. "Light." "Inspiration." I said. "Mother." When she said that, I paused for a second. For some reason, I was hesitant to say what was on my mind. After a minute, it slowly came out. "Un... Unknown." I said. "Hmm. Sometimes when I give out tests like this, I find out just a little more than I needed, at most times that's a bad thing, but right now, it tells me more about you. It tells you more about yourself." Redheart said. I looked at her confused. Before I could ask her a question, the door we originally came through opened (I had no idea it even closed in the first place). I look over to see a light blue unicorn mare, the size of Nurse Redheart, with a burgundy mane wearing a blue jumpsuit. She had a no nonsense look on her face; nothing but business with this mare. "I see your patient is conscious Ms. Redheart." She said. "He's in Stable condition, but he's suffering from-" "Good afternoon, my name is Ocean Rose, I'm the Overmare here at Stable 7." She said, not even giving Nurse Redheart a chance to finish. I simply nod in response. I really didn't know how to greet myself to her, given that I don't know my own name. There was no way for me to continue the conversation. "Aren't you gonna tell me your name?" She asked me. "I can't actually." I stated. "And why not?" She asked. Before I answered Nurse Redheart spoke up. "The trauma he suffered to his head gave him amnesia. It's so severe, his own name is a mystery, even to himself." Nurse Redheart explained. Ocean shot me a look. It wasn't threatening, but it sure as hell wasn't friendly. "Hmm. Well I don't plan on calling you the changeling all day. You think you can come up with name for yourself?" She asked. I shook my head, primarily because I had too many things on my mind to think of a name. "Well, If you can't think of one, I'll just call you Ling for the time being." Ling? Really? Two weeks in a coma and that's the best you come up with. At the moment, I didn't have anything better to call myself, but I know I'll find a better name for myself. Apparently I shot her the 'Really?' look, because she spoke up. "When you come up with a better name I'll call you that, but for the time being I'll refer to you as Ling." Ocean said. I would need to come with a better name quick, cause I do not want to be stuck with that name. "When you're finished here, I'd like to see you in my office." "Why?" I asked out of curiosity. "I have something I need to talk to you about. Something I need to only talk to you about." She said. "We'll be finished soon." Nurse Redheart said before I could. With that, Ocean Rose left the room. I was very confused. "What was that all about?" I asked. "The Overmare is just concerned." She said. I don't know if concerned was the right word to use. From the tone of voice she was using, I think she was accusing me of something. I think it would be in my best interest to go to her office as soon as possible. "Is there anything else I need to do?" I asked. Redheart seemingly snapped out of whatever daydream she was in. "Oh sorry." She said. "I have a few statements. Tell me if they sound like something you would say." "Okay." I said. "Conflict isn't in my nature." I paused for a moment, for some reason I felt like conflict was my nature. On instinct I wanted to say no, no matter how much I wanted to say yes. "No." I finally let out. "I'm not willing to rely on others for support." "Yes." I said, which surprised me, given the fact the mare that saved my life was literally right beside me. "I'm always fixing to be the center of attention." "No." I answered. "I'm slow to embrace new ideas." "Yes." I said. Once again, I was surprised by my own instinct. "I charge in to deal with my problems head on." For some reason, I had no instinct with that one. This was something I had to answer on my own. It's a very bad idea to deal with problems head on, at least it is without a backup plan. "No." "Okay, we're almost done. I have a few inkblots here. Look at them and tell me what you see." Redheart explained. She places the first inkblot on the easel. I look at it carefully; it took me a while to see anything but black and white, but I finally see it. "I see... A butterfly." I said. She changes the inkblot. The next one wasn't hard to picture. I honestly thought I was hungry. "I see an apple." I say. She changes it again. The third one was a little hard to decipher. It kind of looked like animal skin. Some kind of reptile. "It looks like alligator skin." I said. She changes the inkblot again. This one gave me a sort of... elegant vibe. It reminded me of fancy jewel where. "I see... a jewel of some sort." I said. Redheart looks at it herself before changing the inkblot. The inkblot kind of looked like something running from an explosion. A sonic boom more likely. "Something running from a sonic boom." I said. "Surprisingly vivid description. Last one." Redheart said. The last one looked very much like a torn page in a book. "A ripped page in a book." I said. She nods and takes the inkblots down. "That was it. Now I've been taking notes on your how answered. I'm really surprised with your answers and how unique they were." She said. "Unique?" I asked. "Well, no other pony in the Stable saw what you did in the inkblots. So I've got nothing to compare it to." Redheart explained. "That was the last test. You can go see the Overmare. She doesn't like to wait after all." I took her advice and got off of the couch. I got her a final thank you and proceeded to leave the room. I leave out of the room and began looking around as I walked. A Stable? That's what they called this place? This place felt like a maze given the fact I had no idea where I was going. I continue to look around and wander. Wondering where I was going. I was gonna have to ask one of the residents where the Overmare's office was. I turned to the left only for a pale white stallion wearing the Stable 7 jumpsuit, to bump into him. "Oh, sorry." I say. The stallion wasn't as tall as me, but was close. He had a spiky light green mane and his eyes were a dark grey color. "Watch where you're going Bub!" The stallion shouts directly in my face. "Hey, I didn't mean to bump into you, I'm just a little-." "Just a little what? Imbecilic! I've got enough food on my plate with those damn unicorns wondering around like they own the place. Now I have to deal with freaks like you getting in my way!" He shouted. I don't know what got into me. But it just happened. I was now nose to nose with this stallion. My eyes giving a look of killing intent, and my teeth gritted as I gave a low growl. I felt my tail move to be right over my right front shoulder. "I don't know how shitty your day was and I don't care, but the LAST thing you should ever do is take it out on me! Do that again, you're dead. Got me?" I asked. His face immediately turned into one of fear. He said nothing but nodded. I back up, giving the stallion a chance to breath. "Now, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to know where the Overmare's office is." I said a short pause fell between us. "Please." I said. "I'll t-take you there. J-just follow me." He said with a stutter. I follow him as he leads me through the vault. After what felt like an eternity, we've finally reached the Overmare's office. I attempt to knock on the door, only for it to automatically open after two knocks. "Glad you're here Ling. Please step forward." The Overmare said. I rolled my eyes in response to the name and walked forward. She was behind a desk and behind her was a couple of terminals. The office also had an oval window which overlooked the cafeteria of the place. I walk around and sit in front of her desk. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked. "Yes." Ocean's horn began to glow. From behind the desk she pulled out a travel bag. "When the guards brought you in this was on your back. When the guards searched through it they found a few things that drive my suspicions." She explained. I didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?" I asked. The first thing she placed on the table was some strange looking device. It looked like something that goes on a bomb. "This was the first thing they took out was this." Ocean said. "A fusion pulse charge." "Sounds explosive." I said. "That's because it is. A fusion pulse charge is used as a charge in order to have it available for detonation." She said. I was surprised. What was that doing in my bag? Was I keeping that from or for someone? This struck my curiosity. "What else was in there?" I asked. Ocean places three more things on her desk. A short lever action rifle. A dog tag, and a tape of some kind. The lever action rifle had some words engraved on the side. I take a closer look, and it had 'Last words' written in cursive on both sides of the rifle. I grabbed the dog tags and got a closer look. There wasn't a name, just two playing cards. The playing cards were both, joker cards. "Hmm... Jokers? That's odd." I comment. For some reason, this felt... Familiar. Like I heard someone with this name before, but who? Snapping out of my initial thought, I then reach for the tape. I looked at it with a confused facial expression. What kind of tape was this? "That's a holotape." Ocean said. "A what?" I asked. "Holotape. A laser-readable storage device normally used for storing information." She answered. Now that I had this... holotape. I need to find out what's on it. But I think it would be wise for me to listen to this on my own. If this really was my stuff, which it more that likely is, this should only be heard by my ears. "Now I called wanted to talk to you about the items I found in your bag, but I fear that your amnesia would make it impossible for you to answer any questions I had. I'm still debating whether or not I should have leave, but until I make a final decision, I'll answer any questions that you have at the moment." She said. Now's my chance to get some information. "You said that you were the Overmare of of Stable 7. What's that?" I asked. "Stable 7 is one of many subterranean shelters built before the drop of the megaspell bombs. They were designed and manufactured by Stable-Tec as a 'better future underground'." She explained. "Megaspell?" "The megaspell was the reason for the how the outside world looks. It was the last resort, but I suppose Equestria got desperate." "What do you mean by, 'Equestria got desperate'?" "Around a hundred and eighty years ago-." Holy shit that's a long time ago. "-there was The Great War. Equestria had been fighting war against The Crystal Empire and its allies for seventeen years. Long story short, either Equestria thought it'd be best for both sides to lose than just them. Or the Crystal Empire really did want to watch the world burn." Ocean explained. I now at least had a picture of what the outside world looked like. Now I need to find out more about this place. "Anything else?" She asked. "What's Stable-Tec?" "Stable-Tec was the corporation responsible for the building of these Stables. A 'better future, underground' so they call it. They're responsible for the success of a few projects. Stables, Terminals, and PipBucks were only to name a few." She answered. I was curious as to why she said, 'a better future underground' twice. I think she was trying to make sure I was paying attention. I already knew what terminals were, but I had no idea what a Pipbuck was. "What's a PipBuck?" I asked. "PipBucks are devices giving to every inhabitant when they're old enough to start work. The work a pony starts mostly coincides with there cutie marks, or how well they do on the C.A.T exam. PipBucks are a blend of late-war magic and scientific advances, a PipBuck is able to monitor the wearer's health, personal inventory, and correspondence, and can be used as a reference when building, repairing, or attempting to interact with equipment or technology." She explained. I was impressed, this 'PipBuck' really sounded like a real accomplishment of technology. Before I could asked about something else, she continued to talk about the PipBucks. "PipBucks also have limited magical functions, such as the E.F.P., S.A.T.S., and the ability to automatically scan the wearer's surroundings to determine threats or terrain. It also includes a lamp, radio receiver, Geiger counter, and a short-range transponder that can be used to track its location." Now I had more questions. "Mind telling me what a C.A.T exam is?" I asked. "Cutie-mark Aptitude Test. When ponies here don't get their cutie marks at a young age, they that the C.A.T exam to find out what their special talent would be." Ocean explained. "A Cutie Mark?" I asked. "Cutie Marks define a pony's calling in life. What makes them special." When she said that, I began to wonder what my Cutie Mark would be. I was a... Changeling right? Do changeling get cutie marks? Only time will tell me. But now isn't the time to wonder about that. "Anymore questions?" Ocean asked. "Yes. What's an E.F.P.?" I asked. That and the S.A.T.S. thing is what I needed to know now. "Eyes Forward Perception. It alters the sight of the PipBuck users which, when activated, changes the perception of nearby living creatures. One of the spells included in the PipBuck." She explained. That sounds useful. Could always use a few extra eyes and ears. "What's the S.A.T.S. feature?" "Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell. an advanced spell used to assist in combat. When activated, the spell causes the world to appear frozen in time allowing the user to gauge the situation in peace. The spell presents the percent chance of scoring a successful hit on various parts of the target's body and allows the user to line up multiple attacks. When the spell is released, all attacks are carried out automatically." Ocean explained. All attacks are carried automatically? I wonder how that works. I had one last question. "You said that the PipBucks were given to every inhabitant in the stables, right?" I asked. "Yes." Ocean replied. "You don't mind if I borrow one of the PipBucks?" I asked. She shoots me a disapproving look. "PipBucks are only given to members of Stable 7 only. And you are not a member of the Stable." She said to me. I began to think of a way to persuade her. But she spoke before I could think of anything. "That was all I needed to discuss, you may leave." She told me as she put my stuff back under her desk. I was disappointed I didn't have chance to try and talk her into giving me a PipBuck. I need to find a way to get a PipBuck so I can play the holotape, that I managed to steal whilst she was taking my stuff back. I have no idea how she didn't notice me swipe it, but I'm just not gonna think anything of it. So how could I get a PipBuck? Maybe I could get Nurse Redheart to talk the Overmare into giving me one. Or I could find a way to steal it. But... what if I get caught? I'm gonna get thrown this place and have no idea where I am? I don't even know what the outside world looks like. Ugh!! I need some kind of plan. Before I could think any further I heard something in the room that was literally two steps in front of me to the left. I listened. "Aww, are you gonna cry?" One bratty colt voice said in the form of teasing. "I feel so bad for you. So unlovable that even your brother and sister left you. You live such a sad life." Another bratty colt voice said. These were colts, at least they sounded like colts, how could they be this heartless. That infuriated me. If someone's caretaker leaves, that isn't anyone's fault, especially not the one they were taking care of. And it sure as hell was NOT anyone's business. I continued to listen. "M'ah brother an' sister would never leave me here an' you know it! Ah'm certain there's perfectly logical explanation as to why they're gone!" A young filly's voice retaliated. The filly's voice was a thick country accented one. It sounded pretty cute. "Yeah there is a logical explanation!" One of the colts said. I knew where this was going. "They didn't love you anymore!" He said. Followed behind was laughter. "M'ah *sniff* M'ah brother an' sister do love me." The filly said. I could here the breaking in the young filly's voice. She was about to cry. "Nopony can love a blank flank like you. Not even your cousin loved you enough to stay behind." The colt said. Behind the laughter, I heard sniffling along with soft crying. I've had enough of just listening to this bullying. I don't care if they're colts, I've gotta do something about this. I walked into the room with an infuriated look on my face. The filly was lying down hiding her head in her hooves, crying. She had a vanilla yellow coat, a red mane and a pink bow on her head. She, like everyone else in this place with the exception of me, had on the Stable 7 jumpsuit. As she cried, I looked at the three colts that were laughing at her. I at first thought there were just two. They continued to laugh at this poor filly's misery. But they stopped once they noticed my shadow going over the light that shined upon them. They look at me with a fearful expression as I stood over the filly like a bear protecting her cub. They slowly started to back away. They were taking too long, so I decided to speed things up. "*HISS!*" My hiss, my fangs, and they way I look in general was enough to send them running away screaming. As they left, I got from over the filly and stood in front of her. She still continued to cry, and I didn't know say. Then out of nowhere, I began to nuzzle her in attempt to get her head out of her hooves. I have no idea why I was doing that, it was an instinct. Did I used to be a parent? An Older Brother? A Foal-sitter for hire? Whatever kind of caretaker I was, its instincts were coming out. After a few rubs, she stops crying and sniffles a few times. "Don't worry. They won't be bothering you anymore." I said in a comforting tone. She sniffs and begins to wipe away tears. I help her to do it. Her tears are finally wiped way and she opens her eyes, which were orange. She jumps back a little upon seeing me. I guess I should've expected that, I mean, I'm not exactly a looker. She then remembers that I scared away her bullies and any fear she felt was immediately gone. "They didn't hurt you... Physically did they?" I asked. She shook her head. "No, but they did hurt m'ah feelin's." She said. "Why were they saying all that stuff about you?" I asked. The young filly's ears flopped in response. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to?" "It's okay." The filly said. She sits and begins to talk. "M'ah brother an' sister were the ones who took care of me. M'ah parents died when Ah was born, so they took custody of me. A few weeks ago, M'ah siblings just... disappeared. They left the Stable." The filly explained. That doesn't make any sense. Why would any on leave their younger sister? Maybe they gave her something they could go on. "Did they tell you anything before they left?" I asked. "A note? A holotape? Anything?" I asked. The filly shook her head. So her siblings left her without a word, or a trace. From what it sounds like, her siblings were trying to hide something hide something from her. I was gonna have to remember that. That is if I don't hit my head again.......... Bad joke. Wait. Didn't the Overmare say something about a... Hold on. "Um... little filly? Did your siblings still have on their PipBucks?" I asked. "Ah don't think they ever took'em off. Why?" The filly asked. "The Overmare said something about a short-range transponder. It's used to track were the PipBuck is located. So if your siblings still have the PipBucks on-." I trailed on hoping that she was catching on. Which she did as a smile came across her face. "Then m'ah family can be found out there!" She said. Her smile then disappears and sad look replaced. "But I can't find m'ah family on my own, especially not out there." I tapped my chin in thought. Maybe I can help this filly. While I'm out of this place, I can look for clues to my past, and help this young filly find her family. Killing two birds with one stone. "Maybe I can help you." I said. The filly shot an adorable smile in my direction. "Really!? Ya mean it!?" She asked very excited. I nodded in response with a smile on my face. Suddenly the filly ran over and hugged my hoof. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!" I hugged the filly back and replied, "You're welcome." The filly releases me. "M'ah name's Apple Bloom, what's your's?" She asked. An awkward feeling hit me, I have the names of three ponies, and I don't have any names for myself. "I um... I actually don't have one." I said. Apple Bloom looked at me confused. "I woke up not too long ago in the nurse's office. I was suffering a head injury and I lost my memory, including my name." I explained. "Oh, Ah'm sorry." Apple Bloom said. She then starts thinking. I had no idea what she was thinking about. Before I could say anything she spoke again. "How 'bout ah give you a name?" "As long as it's better than the name Ling, then sure." I joked causing her to chuckle. She then starts pacing back and forward, observing me with every movement. "Hmm, how about... Nightshade?" She said. "Nightshade?" I asked. "Eeyup. It's cool and Intimidating." She stated with her chest held high with pride. Nightshade? It did sound kind of cool. It was a lot better than Ling, and less basic. "Okay. Nightshade it is." I said. Apple Bloom beams a smile my way. "Ah really appreciate what yer doing for me Nightshade. Ah don't think anypony else would even think about tryin' to help me, 'specially since it involves goin' out there." Apple Bloom said referring to outside the Stable. Is it really that bad? If so, I was gonna need something very important. "Hey Apple Bloom? Do you think you can get something for me?" I asked. I felt bad for this, but if I was gonna help her with her family situation I was gonna need what I was gonna ask for. "What'do ya need?" Apple Bloom asked. "Do you think you could get me one of those PipBucks?" I'm asking a young filly to steal. What's wrong with me? "Ah don't know Nightshade. Do we really need it? Ah mean, Ah don't wanna get us in trouble." Apple Bloom said a little fearful. "Don't worry, I know you're nervous, but if I am to help you I'm gonna need a PipBuck. There's something I need to use it for." I said. Apple Bloom looked to her left and right. "Stay here, Ah'll be back." She said as she walked away. Did I really just con a little filly into stealing a PipBuck? Well it's not considered conning if I actually need it to help her, and myself Around three minutes later the door opened. I look over to see that it's Apple Bloom, with the PipBuck in her mouth. I walked over to her and took the PipBuck. "Good Job Apple Bloom." I said. She smiles in response. I tried to put the PipBuck on, but to no avail. I had no idea how to do this. I continued to try to put it on my hoof but I either dropped it, or couldn't get it to close on my hoof. "Um... Mister Nightshade? Why don't you just use yer magic?" Apple Bloom asked. I was confused. I had magic? Then I remembered I had a horn. I used my magic to levitate the PipBuck so I could put my hoof through it. As I did I closed the PipBuck and fastened it shut. It suddenly came on. Words that were to fast to read scrolled up. When those words went by, a green cartoonish pony popped up in the middle. It then points at me and winks before the screen switched again. This time the pony turned itself into me. A changeling with a scorpion tail. What I was currently looking at was a green cartoonish version of myself, with what looked like health bars next to all four of my legs, my head and my tail. There were five words at the top. Stats. Inv, more than likely short for inventory. Data. Map. And Radio. This went from left to right. There was a knob at the right of the PipBuck with the same words next to it. This clearly meant that I could use this to scroll back and forward between the screens. But just to be sure I tested it. I tapped the top of the PipBuck and a slot came up. This must've been where I could play the holotape. I took the holotape, placed it in the slot and closed the slot. Hold on, It's important that I record this. A voice said. This was the voice of someone in their early fifties, at least. Listen, we don't have a lot of time, so I'll make this quick. I know that I'm probably asking a lot from nineteen year old but if anyone can help us, it's you. Now I know that what I'm asking may be difficult for you to achieve, especially in your current condition, but I know you can do this. You've always overcame your obstacles. When you wake up, head northwest to Blackridge. It's a long way so if you can, find some shelter, stock up on supplies. Food, water, ammo anything. I believe in you. We all do. I know you'll find us when you leave the Stable. I thought that was the end of the recording, but a hissing sound followed by rumbling filled the air. The door's open Mr. Mustang. Let's get a move on before we're caught. A female voice said. This voice had a country accent, like Apple Bloom. Who even recognized the voice. "That's M'ah sister, Applejack!" She exclaimed silently. Thanks Applejack. I'll see you soon. The voice said before ending. Me and Apple Bloom look at each other, It seems that my past and Apple Bloom's missing siblings are somehow connected. Also, I'm apparently Nineteen years old. I felt older than that, at least twenty-three. "So Applejack was the one who opened the Stable doors. If that's the case, then we could find them at this Blackridge area." I said. I knew that Apple Bloom was gonna get a little excited, and I don't blame her. But I needed to tell her the good and bad news. "Good news; we've got a trace to your sister. Bad news; It's been weeks. If the world is really as bad as everyone says, they probably moved to another location." "Ah know. But if they left a holotape on you, they must've left some clues if they did move." Apple Bloom said. "Let's just hope that's the case." I replied. "My question is, How do we leave?" I asked. After a minute of tapping her chin she spoke up. "The Stable doors need a recall code in order to open, and only the Overmare knows it." She explained. Great, now we're stuck here until I could get that recall code. Wait a minute. "Hey, Apple Bloom? What time does everyone go to sleep here?" I asked. I had an idea. "Well me and all the other foals are supposed to go to bed at 9:30, so ah think everypony else goes to bed after that. Why?" Apple Bloom asked. "If I could get into the Overmare's office when no one's there, I can swipe the recall code so we can leave." I said. "Mr. Nightshade. The recall code is on a terminal in the Overmare's office." Apple Bloom explained. So I was most definitely was gonna have to hack the terminal. Shouldn't be too hard. "Don't worry Apple Bloom, I'll get that recall code. We'll find your family, I promise." I said. "Now while we wait, see if you can get some supplies. Food, water, ammo, anything we need, see if you can gather some. But don't pack too much, okay?" I instructed. Apple Bloom nods and runs off. I walked off and looked at a window seeing my reflection in it. "I hope this isn't a promise I can't keep." I say to my self. A few hours have past making the time 10:25 pm. I was currently in Apple Bloom's quarters playing some kind of board game. Apple Bloom managed to grab a couple of boxes of apple based foods (Don't know what I expected), some bottles of purified water, a 10mm pistol, and 3 clips of 10mm pistol ammo. I have no idea where or how she got it, but I chose not to ask. As we were playing the board game, I noticed that Apple Bloom began to yawn. She was tired. "Maybe you should go to sleep." "B-but Ah *yawn* Ah'm not sleepy." She said. She obviously was. "Listen, If we're gonna leave this place, you need to get some rest. We're going to be leaving early, and it'll be very hard to leave this place if I have to carry you." I stated, Apple Bloom rubbed her eyes and looked at me tired. "Look, while I go get the recall code, why don't you pack all this stuff? Okay?" I told her. She nods and began to put away the board game. I got up and left the room. Now I just needed to get to the Overmare's office. Considering I've been nowhere else in this Stable, it's actually pretty easy for me to remember where it is. I continued to walk and make my way to the Overmare's office. I turned the corner and see an ice blue pegasus stallion. He wore a sort of armored version of the Stable 7 jumpsuit as well as a helmet. Clearly he's part of the security here. He looks at me as I attempt to walk past, and stops me. "Hey. Where do you think you're going?" He asked me with an even toned voice. He was clearly older than me by no more than three years. Heck, he could possibly be the same age as me. Persuading him is gonna be easy. "I'm just on my way to the Overmare's office. Tell you what, you let me by, and I'll put a good word in for you." I said in a pretty Charismatic tone. He gets a pretty shocked expression on his face. "You... You will?" He asked. I nodded in response. "Th-thanks. Um... Please be sure to tell the Overmare I didn't have the uniform on backwards this time." He asked me in a sort of whispering tone. "Sure thing pal." I replied. I managed to catch a glimpse of his name tag . 'Thunder Spark'. He lets me pass and I continue to walk to the Overmare's office. That's when I realized. How the hell do you put your uniform on backwards? I finally make it to the Overmare's office. Once entering, I closed the door behind me. I go over to her desk and see a terminal. The terminal was protected by a password. A password I didn't know, so I was gonna have to hack it. Shouldn't be too hard, right? I couldn't have been more wrong. I activated the terminal to see two vertical rows of seventeen. The seventeen lines consisted of symbols, parenthesis, brackets, and greater than less than symbols (<>). On top of the rows and to the left was the text, 4 attempt(s) left, with four rectangles next to it. There were a few five letter words on the screen. I apparently needed to click on the correct one in order to get into the terminal. The first one I clicked on was 'CRAZY'. In the bottom right corner I saw the words: Entry Denied. Underneath those words was, 1/5 correct. What the heck does that mean? The next one I clicked on was 'RUSTY'. Entry Denied, 2/5 correct. I then try 'LUSTY'. Entry Denied, 3/5 correct. I had one last attempt left, so I decided to think hard. What was the out of five thing about? Okay let me think this through. I look closer at the three words to try and figure this out. Then I realized something. The out of five nonsense was telling me the correct letters in the word I'm supposed to use in order to hack into this thing. 'CRAZY' 1/5, correct letter is Y. 'RUSTY' 2/5, correct letters are U and Y. 'LUSTY' 3/5, correct letters are L, U, and Y. The only other word here with all those letters was the word 'LUCKY'. I click on it and boom. I was in. Three options popped up. From top to bottom the options were: Residents, Events, and Recall Code. I clicked on the Recall Code and a text popped up. It said the Recall Code was NESRKT. Had no idea what that meant but I made a mental note to remember that password. I back out to the first screen, and curiosity hit me. I click on the Events to see what recently happened in this place. It talked about me, and issues about the Stable that were considered 'minor'. I back out of that and click on residents. A long list pops up. The one at the top of the list was labeled 'The Apple Family'. Knowing Apple Bloom's name, that was what I clicked on. After I clicked on it, a list of names popped up in alphabetical order. Apple Bloom, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Granny Smith. I clicked on Apple Bloom's name to learn more about her. What I learned was that she was born in 2267 making her ten years old (The date was on the computer), she hasn't received her cutie mark yet, so she couldn't receive a PipBuck and be put to work. That was pretty much all it said, so I backed out and clicked on the rest. I learned a lot about the Apple Family. Applejack was no older than me apparently and left two months before my arrival with her brother Big Macintosh, and cousin Braeburn. Big Macintosh, who was currently the oldest out of everyone being twenty-seven, play an essential role in Stable security. The head chief as a matter of fact. Braeburn was Applejack's twenty-four year old cousin, and from what I read, the Overmare's Colt-toy. Probably explains why she's slightly bitter. Braeburn was a part of managing the food within the Stable. Granny Smith unfortunately passed away before their escape at the age of seventy-seven. She was the caretaker of Big Macintosh, Applejack and Apple Bloom after their parents died in 2268 from unknown causes. That was a bit of tug on the heart strings. This poor filly literally had no one to take care of her. All the more reason to get to Blackridge. But it was late so we'd have to wait until early morning. I also stole back my lever action rifle and the fusion pulse charge. I didn't bother with the travel bag, since it was empty. I make it back to Apple Bloom's room and walk inside. Apple Bloom was already asleep in her bed. She left the bag with the supplies in it under her bed. I walk over to the bag, put the lever action rifle and pulse charge inside it, pick it up with my mouth by the strap and walk over to the closet. I open the closet and placed the bag inside and closed the door. I walk over to the couch by the door and decided to sleep on that. I had a bunch of things flow through my mind. What does the outside world look like? Would I be able to find my past? Would I be able to uphold my promise? Did my mouth make a promise fate won't let me keep? I shook my head and thought of things more positive. I will find Apple Bloom's family. I will find out my past. No. Matter. What. With those final thoughts, I fall into a slumber. I wake up in a bedroom inside of a house. The house was poorly built when it came to good looks, but it was very sturdy. I get off of a pretty raggedy looking mattress and make my way out of the room. When I walked out of the room I looked around. The room I was currently in had a couch, a table and a mares silhouette. I start looking around some more in order to get an idea of- Wait? A mare? I turned back to the mare. She was literally nothing but a shadow, but she looks at me and smiles. I was trying to at least decipher what kind of pony she was, cause she looked nothing like a changeling. She began to walk towards me in a sort of... Seductive way. Her hips swayed as she got closer and closer. She was now face to face with me. Our muzzles were literally two inches away from each other, this gave me enough time to see one characteristic. She was a unicorn. Before I could look anywhere else, She kissed me, full on the lips. The kiss was electric. Filled with passion, filled with love. As if I was under a spell, I couldn't pull away. Instead I wanted more. I kissed the mare back. Her hooves started to go through my mane. Despite it being webbed and holey, It was actually pretty soft. The two of us then stood on our hind, which allowed her to wrap her hooves around my neck. I wrapped mines around her waist. We stop kissing so we catch our breath. That's when I saw the color of her eyes. They were lavender. Big, beautiful, lavender eyes. I lean in for another kiss only for something to lightly push against me. As if to get my attention. I felt small hooves pushing against my carapace. I wanted to know who that mare was, but I guess that would have to wait. "Nightshade." Apple Bloom silently said to the point of a whisper. I turn to face her, and see she has a saddened look on her face. "What's the matter?" I asked. "Ah... Ah had a bad dream. Can Ah sleep with you?" She asked. I gave a small sigh. "Sure." I answered. I turn over so my back was facing the ceiling. She climbs on top of my back and buries her head in my mane. I used the arm of the couch as a pillow. I could just tell I was gonna wake up with neck problems. Before I could close my eyes, Apple Bloom spoke again. "Nightshade?" "Yes?" "Do you really think that we'll find my family?" Apple Bloom asked. I felt my heart jump into my throat as she asked that question. Does she really think her family can't be found? She didn't really think her family was gone forever, did she? I mean I wouldn't blame her if she did, but that doesn't mean that's a thought that she should be thinking like that. "Don't worry Apple Bloom, we'll find your family. I'll find your family. I promise." I said. I wasn't looking at Apple Bloom, but I knew she smiled. She nuzzles my mane before resting her head and going to sleep. I give a smile myself and went to sleep. I was right about the neck problems. My neck felt sore as I woke up. I use my tail to wake up Apple Bloom. She wakes up with a yawn and climbs off of me. I get off of the couch and began stretching my neck. After a few pops I check my PipBuck for the time. The time was 2:21 am. There is a good chance that everyone in this Stable was asleep. "Apple Bloom, get the bag. I put it in the closet." I instructed. Apple Bloom nodded in response and did what I instructed. She drags the bag over to me and I use my magic to place the bag on my back and strap it on. The bag was pretty light, which was good. I open the door, look to my left and right to see if the coast was clear. Once it was confirmed I began to walk out of the room. I began to think about what I was doing. I was going into the world blind, and I was apparently stupid enough to drag a filly with me. I had no idea what I was gonna run into, nor what I am to expect. I began to have second thoughts, but this filly needed to get back to her family, and I needed to find my past. And besides, I already promised. After a bit of a long time of searching, we managed to find the Stable door. If Apple Bloom wasn't right behind me the first words out of my mouth would've been 'Holy Shit'. Despite my surprise, I felt stupid thinking a normal door would actually keep this place concealed. I look at the terminal next to the vault door and then at Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, I need you to put the recall code in. It's N.E.S.R.K.T. I'll watch our backs." I instructed. Apple Bloom nodded and walked over to the terminal. I was looking in the direction I just walked from. "Nightshade, the code's in." Apple Bloom called. I look at her and nod. I go over to what looked like a control panel and pulled a lever down. The same hiss and rumble I heard from the holotape. The Stable doors slowly began to open. That's when a booming voice was heard, scaring the living daylights out of me and Apple Bloom. "Stop him! Stop that fillynapper this instant! Guards!" I guess the Overmare wasn't to happy about me taking Apple Bloom to find her family, but she didn't have to call me a fillynapper. Either way, I was gonna be shot on sight. "I want every guard pony at Stable 7 doors. Stop that fillynapper before he gets away!" The Overmare shouted over the intercom. The door was still opening. Why was this damn thing so slow? "Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain from taking that filly away from us?" She asked as if to guilt me into stopping what I was doing. It wasn't gonna work. I wasn't fillynapping her, I'm doing what no one in this Stable made an attempt to do. "I hope to help Apple Bloom get back to her family!" I said loudly. "Her family is gone! They are never coming back!" The Overmare snapped. "That's why I'm taking her to them!" I shouted back. After what felt like an eternity, the door was finally open. I then heard rapid hoofsteps running towards us. Since I knew the chances of me walking away with my life was completely out of the window, I just grabbed Apple Bloom, placed her on my back and began to run out of the door. I saw another control panel out of my peripherals, and use my tail to flick the lever up which began to close the door behind me. I turned around to see that the guards had gun saddles. The doors closed before they could fire any shots, much to my delight. It got very dark, it was difficult to see, but I prevailed. Couldn't say the same for Apple Bloom. "Nightshade, Ah can't see." She stated. I looked at my PipBuck and started tapping it with my other hoof. "If I remember correctly, the Overmare said that there was a lamp installed in this thing." I said. Seconds later, the lamp in the PipBuck turned on with a green light. It made me flinch given the fact that it shined right in my face. I looked ahead of me and saw a door that looked like it was boarded up. I could see the dull lights of the moon shining through the cracks of the boards. I go over to the door and turn off the PipBuck. I use my magic to turn on the knob on the door and opened it. The darkness of the night was nothing compared to the cave, so it was very easy to see. Despite the outside being dark, the sudden sight of reality was blinding us both, our eyes finally adjust and fixated on the scenery. My eyes widened, and I'm certain that Apple Bloom's jaw was agape. With the destroyed buildings that barely even stood, the dusty texture and the dull night looking sky. The only way I could describe what I was seeing was, Chaos. "My goodness." I silently said. I began to walk forward, and my hoof stepped on something...furry and leathery. I step back and look down and see that it was a light brown stetson with a U shape in the front. "That's m'ah sister's hat!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. I pick up the stetson with my magic and give it to Apple Bloom. It was her sister's, so she should be the one to have it. I look at the map section on my PipBuck to see were Blackridge was. I assumed that the little isosceles triangle with the concave bottom was me. The Blackridge area was very far to the northwest. At minimum it was a five day walk; maybe more if obstacles were in the way. Nothing else was marked onto my map. "Nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. "Yes?" I asked. "How far is Blackridge?" She asked. "About five days away, maybe more. We're gonna need to find a place to rest until sunrise." I stated, still trying to find a location on my PipBuck. "How about over there?" Apple Bloom asked. I turn my head to look at her and saw were she was pointing her hoof. I follow the trail of where her hoof was pointing to see a large metal built with large metals. It was close, it looked secured, and more it than likely had a place to rest. "Good eye Apple Bloom." I congratulated. I then began to make my way toward the wall. During the walk, Apple Bloom placed the stetson on my head. I look back at her and before I could say anything she said, "It suits you." I didn't like the idea of someone else's personal item with me. If I lost it, I'm I would just feel like the worst creature ever, but I didn't wanna disappoint Apple Bloom. I just stayed silent and kept walking. After about ten minutes of walking, we were about forty feet from the wall. As I got closer, I noticed a sign. It read, 'Welcome to ~~Ponyville~~ Borderville. I took on step closer, and a bullet whizzed past my front hoof. I jump back and used my magic to pull out the 10mm pistol out of the bag. "That's close enough!" A female voice shouted. I began to look around to see where the shot came from, but I didn't dare move. Whoever fired that shot had a sound suppressor on it, and could see me, where as I couldn't see her. I was at a severe disadvantage. "Not another step, or I'll blow your fucking head off!" The voice repeated. I continued to look, before something strange happened. Time just... stopped and suddenly, I could see who almost shot me. It was a griffon with a high powered sound suppressed sniper. The griffon was white in the face, and brown on the body. She also wore some kind of leather armor. She also had a yellow beak and yellow talons. This must've been the S.A.T.S feature. I exit the S.A.T.S and time began to flow normally. "Who are you and what do you want!?" She shouted. "I'm Nightshade! We're only looking for a place to rest!" I answer, trying not to sound like I was a threat. "A place to rest huh!? How do I know you're not a spy working for the Hunter Confederacy!?" She sounded. I was confused. "The who!?" I asked. I felt Apple Bloom get off of my back and hide underneath me, hiding behind my front hooves. She was scared. "It's alright." I said to her in a comforting tone. "You-you have a filly with you?" The griffon asked, toned down from yelling. I simply nodded. "Atlas! Open the gates!" She shouted. I felt the ground rumble as a part of the wall began to lift up revealing a door. "Come on in! I'll greet you inside!" The griffon said. I then began to slowly walk toward the door, keeping Apple Bloom by my side. I walk to the door and open it. On the other side, it was a pretty large town. All of which was surrounded by the metal wall. I walk into the town and the griffon makes her way toward him. "Sorry about almost shooting you, you can't be too careful in this world after all." She said. I was gonna say something, but she spoke up again. "Those Hunter Confederacy bastards have been making everyone here jumpy." "Hunter Confederacy?" I asked. "They're a group of Mercenaries that have been trying to kill us for a while. They're stationed at a place called Ashbourne, east of here. I've been trying to convince the mayor to let me lead a counter charge, but he denied." She explained. I looked at my PipBuck and a new location was marked on the map. I also had two discovered locations on the map as well. Borderville and Stable 7. "Is that a PipBuck?" She asked. I nodded. "I got it in Stable 7, we left looking for her family." I said as I moved my hoof, which Apple Bloom was using to hide behind. Apple Bloom began to back away against my hoof. The griffon looks at her and looks at me. "My name's Dawn. I guess you could call me the sheriff of this town. There's a rent-a-room right over there." She points to a house right beside the far end of the town. "The first 24 hours are free." "Thank you." "Don't mention it. I'm just glad there's some good in this world. Not a lot of creatures would would help a little filly in need." Dawn said. I watch as she flies back to her guard post. I then began to walk toward the house she previously pointed to. As I walked, I received greetings from both Griffons and Ponies. Some were polite, others were, 'Don't try anything stranger'. I look at Apple Bloom just to make sure she was safe. She stayed very close to me, nearly leaning against me, with a nervous look on her face. We finally make it to the rent-a-room building and walk inside. A yellow stallion with a brown mane was behind a stand. Upon seeing me, he chuckles. "Now I know I've never seen you around here before." He said. His appearance was deceptive. He sounded older than he looked. "Welcome to rent-a-room. Rent to rest for a fee, first twenty-four hours free." He said. Bad catchphrase to be honest, but I didn't come for that. I looked around; the place wasn't the best looking, but I wasn't looking to stay in a five star hotel. "I'd like to rest here please." I said politely. The stallion chuckles. "Sure thing newcomer. I just need to get your names, and we'll be set." The stallion said, reaching under the stand and picking up a pen with his mouth. I take it with my magic and he pushes a book toward me. I write in my name and Apple Bloom's name. The stallion then gives me a key. "Second floor, Left of the stairs as you get off." He said. "Thank you." I said. The stallion just smiles. I walk over to the staircase and walk upstairs to the second floor. I turn to my left and see a door. I use the key to unlock the door, and I open it. "You may find that I'm... very persistent." A deep voice said to my right. I jumped in fear and look to my right to see a grey and dark grey griffon wearing some kind of white combat armor. He had scars over his left eye, which left it with no irises or pupils. His right eye was brown. His yellow beak had more scars than I could count. "Um... who are you?" I asked in suspicion. "I'm someone who wants to make a deal. A deal that'll allow you to make a lot of caps, and have a place to stay. Permanently." He said with a smirk. I didn't like the sound of that, nor did I feel like declining. I kind of want to know what the deal is. A place to stay permanently wouldn't be that beneficial since me and Apple Bloom have a specific place to go, but given how he said 'caps', It sounded kind of like he was paying me. Currency would have some benefit. "What is it?" I asked. "Ah, eager aren't you?" Yea eager to find out what the hell you want. "I like that." "Get to the point." I said. "Hmph. I've been here for about five years. I feel like this is the perfect place for my team to set up a second base. The only problem is... This place requires a little..... pre-build demolition." He said. It took me a moment to figure out what he meant by that. "Wait. You don't mean-?" "That's right." He butts in. "I want this place to burn to the ground. And you're just the one to do it." He said. I was taken back at the sudden task. "W-why me?" i asked. "Because you're not like any of these, wimps and punks that believe that 'Unity' and 'Friendship' is gonna make the world better. All that ever does is make matters worse. The only thing that helps anyone get anywhere in this world is : Survival of the fittest." He said and soon chuckled. "And survival of the fittest is the H.C's motto." H.C.... Hunter Confederacy. There was a member of the Hunter Confederacy here in Borderville. And he wants me to blow this place up. "From that look on your face, you're thinking about declining. Before you do that, consider the rewards you'll receive." He said. "Not only will you receive a boatload of caps, enough to support you and your little filly for a month. But also a place to call home, and members of the Hunters will watch your back while you're out in the wastelands. Do you really want to wonder the dangers of the wastelands alone? What's gonna happen to the filly if some raider douche bag decides to send a bullet into the back of your skull? You're screwed without creature you can trust." The griffon explained. He had a pretty valid point. This was the apocalypse, and that Dawn griffon nearly shot me as she mistook me for someone else, and caps apparently had some value, that would be useful. But these creatures gave me a place to rest, and that Dawn griffon could've easily taken off my head, but she didn't. "Well, I'm waiting for a response." He said. No! (Good Karma) Not my business. (Neutral Karma) Tell me what I need to do. (Evil Karma) Author's Note Holy shit this was a bitch to complete. Now that it's complete time for the Trivia: The recall code: N.E.S.R.K.T are the initials of the fallout equestria authors: No One, Somber, and Kkat. It is never described but Nightshade's mane style resembles Shining Armor's mane style. Nightshade doesn't have wings. The beginning dialogue is a reference to Fallout 3's war never changes speech. Nightshade sees traits of the Mane 6 in the inkblots. Butterfly (Fluttershy), Apple (Applejack), Alligator hide (Pinkie Pie's pet gator gummy), Jewel (Rarity), Torn page from book (Twilight loves to read books), and something running from a sonic boom (Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom). The tests Nurse Redheart gives to Nightshade are a reference to Fallout New Vegas's beginning sequence. Nightshade has a 'metallic echo' in his voice. This was what the changelings were expected to sound like before Thorax's debut in season 6. The password Nightshade uses to hack the Overmare's terminal was Lucky. A reference to the lucky number 7, which is the Stable number. The name Ling is a reference to Bucking Nonsense's: Five Changelings in Equestria: Ling, story. Nightshade is around the same height as Big Macintosh. Name: Nightshade Age: Apparently 19 Strength: 6 Perception: 7 Endurance: 4 Charisma: 8 Intelligence: 6 Agility: 5 Luck: 7 Vote on the outcome. And also vote whether the species of Dogmeat (Who will be in Chapter 2) should be a Siberian Husky, an Australian Cattle Dog, or a wolf-dog hybrid. This will soon be uploaded to Derpibooru with a drawn picture. Until then, Outlaw Out.
Chapter Two: Trouble (Good Karma)"No." I said, looking with a glare in my eye. "I'm sorry?" He asked. It didn't sound like he didn't hear me, it sounded more like he wanted me to change my answer. That wasn't gonna happen. "I said No!" I said strongly. "Whatever it is you're offering, I'm not interested if it means killing the ones who gave me a place to rest." "Hmph it seems that I've misjudged you. Doesn't matter. You'll just die along side everyone else in town." I shoot him a glare. He turns around and proceeded to walk away. That's when I saw that he was only walking on three legs instead of four. It didn't take long for me to realize he was reaching for something, more than likely a gun. I use my magic to swiftly pull out the 10mm pistol and aim at him. "Don't even think about it." I said. The griffon stopped in his tracks. He turns to look at me and gives a smirk. He then slowly pulls out some kind of submachine gun. I just glared at him. "Or what? You gonna shoot me?" He said. I begun to squeeze the trigger. "That's a very tempting choice right now. Put the gun down, or that's exactly what's gonna happen." I said. The griffon's smile decreased into a frown. "You've made a grievous mistake in judgement. I hope you're excited to see what death is like." He said. Those words were enough. I didn't even wait for him to turn around. I just sent two bullets flying his way. The first one shot him in the neck, the second one hit the back of his head. He falls to the ground dead, blood leaking from his neck and head. As he dropped, I heard Apple Bloom shriek, as well as voices in the other rooms. All of which were 'What was that?' and 'What's going?' I heard rapid footsteps coming from the stairs. I turn around, and it was Dawn. "What the hell is going on!?" She shouted. I said nothing, and just looked at the dead griffon 10 feet in front of me. Dawn looks at him too and gasps. "He... he killed Lorenzo." One of the ponies said. I hear a gun click sound. I didn't even bother turning around. Half of it was because I knew it was Dawn, the other half was because any sudden movement would result in a bullet going through my head. "Not even sunrise, and you're already shooting up my town! I better get an explanation or else this floor will be painted red!" She said. I didn't know why, but I wasn't at all scared. I wasn't fearing for my life, nor was I even fazed by the fact that I just killed someone. It felt like... I've done this before. "He was working for the Hunter Confederacy!" Apple Bloom said nearly panicking . "What?!" "He was working for the Hunter Confederacy, and he was trying to get bribe me into blowing up this town." I said turning to look at Dawn. Dawn lowered her weapon and looked at Lorenzo in shock. She then looks at Apple Bloom. "Are you telling the truth? Or are you lying so he doesn't get arrested? She asked. I already knew that arrested part was bullshit. She was just threatening to paint the floor red, and I didn't see any buckets with red paint around. "She's not lying." A deep male cockney accented voice said. I turn toward the door the voice came from and a male earth pony with a light brown duster coat walks out of the room. The earth pony was had a red coat and a black mane. On his back, there was some kind of shotgun with a drum magazine. I began to wonder how he could shoot that thing. That was until I noticed that his right hoof, was a mechanical claw. How did he get that? "I heard the entire conversion. Apparently Lorenzo has been here for five years scouting the damn place. He wanted our newcomer to turn this place to ashes, so the H.C could build another base." He said. Dawn looks in disbelief. "A member of the Hunter Confederacy right under our noses." She said. "Alright everyone, go on about you're business. We'll clean this mess up in the morning." She said. It was like a switch, how fast the ponies and griffons went from shock to casual and walked back into there rooms. This must've been an ordinary occurrence or something. "I guess I owe you an apology for the second time, as well as a thank you." Dawn said. She then reaches into her wing and pulls out a small pouch. "Here. A little thank you for saving our town." She said giving me the pouch. I take the pouch and look inside it. There were around 50 bottle caps inside. "That isn't necessary." I said. "I appreciate your generosity, but if anything, that isn't enough. I'll see if I can get you some more caps later." She said. I was gonna talk, but she spoke up a second time. "Also, if you spot anything suspicious next time, please report it to me. I don't think you noticed but the residents here don't like the idea of hearing gunshots in the middle of the night." "Understood." I replied. She proceeds to walk off before turning back around. "You know, if you think you can't make it to me in time, there's always a deputy's position open. You can talk to the Mayor if you're interested." She said. I was gonna reply, but a yawn left my mouth, making it impossible to speak. I decided it would be best to get some sleep before my body gives out. "Come on Apple Bloom. Let's get some shut eye." I said. As we entered the room, I saw that the room had: One bed, one couch, a dresser, and some kind of robot. "Good evening sir!" And it spoke with a british accent. "What may I do for you?" It asked. I was pretty confused at the robot. It had some kind of powerful propulsion system giving it the ability to hover, don't know how I knew that. It also had three appendages. A buzz saw, some kind of flamethrower, and a two fingered hand, or do you call that a claw? I don't know what you call that. It also had three eyes, one in the front, the left and right of its head. It was also a sort of light blue metal color. "What... Who are you exactly?" I asked. "I am Wadfrey. Your current personal Mr. Handy." The robot said. "Mr. Handy?" I asked. "A personal robotic helper. And I shall be the first to say, proud to serve a Changeling." He said. "Um... " I said scratching my head with my hoof. "Thanks, I guess." "Proud to serve! Now, is there anything you need?" He asked. "Not right now. I just need some rest." I said. "Righto sir. I shall be ready to serve you when you wake up." Wadfrey said. "Okay." I simply say. He then goes on about his business, which mostly involved him just levitating in the corner. I walk over to the bed and grab Apple Bloom with my tail and place her on the bed. "Alright Apple Bloom. You can sleep on the bed, I'll take the couch." I say. As I turn around, Apple Bloom called my name. "Nightshade?" "Yes?" I answered. "Did that griffon have to die? Did you have to kill him?" She asked. I knew this conversation would be brought up. I knew she'd be frightened by what I did, but I didn't have a choice. "I'm sorry you had to see that Apple Bloom, but if I didn't shoot him, he would've shot me." I said. I walk closer and sit beside the bed. "Apple Bloom, I know that you're frightened from what you saw, but from that situation, it was either me or him. Who would take you to find your family if something happened to me?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked in disbelief. "Apple Bloom. I'm sorry you had to see that, but he was a threat to both of us. I had to do it, for the safety of both of us." I said in a comforting tone. "Ah understand Nightshade." She said with a sad voice. I nod and began to walk over to the couch. "Nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. I turn around again. "Yes?" I asked. "Ah'm afraid I might have a bad dream. Can Ah sleep with you, please?" She asked. I sigh and walk toward the bed and climb in it. I lie down on my back and Apple Bloom crawls over me and cuddles herself beside my head and shoulder on my left side like a cat would do. I sigh once more. "Good night, Nightshade." She said. "Good night Apple Bloom." I reply. I doze off to sleep much quicker than last time. I woke up in the middle of a dust storm. The literal middle of a dust storm. Everywhere I looked there was nothing but dust flying everywhere. It was getting into my eyes making it painful to see. My ears then began to pick up gunfire and I began to see through the smoke, there were muzzle flashes. A lot of them. I was then suddenly snitched up by a talon. "Come on! We gotta go!" The voice, a male shouted. He grabs me and yanks me in the direction he was running. I immediately follow. We ran, barely avoiding bullets and magic blasts as we did. We take cover in a ditch. This gave me time to observe my rescuer. It was a griffon silhouette this time. And he had with red eyes. He tosses me an assault rifle of some sort Which I catch with my magic. "Provide covering fire! Make sure they don't get close to the village!" He said as he pulled out a laser rifle. I was confused. Who were we fighting? What was in that village that was worth protecting? And the biggest question, Who was this griffon helping me? I look over the edge of the ditch and began to shoot. The griffon joined me. As we were in the middle of the firefight, a clicking sound came from his laser rifle. "Shit! My rifle's jammed! Cover me, I gotta- Gah!" I heard. I turned to see what happened. The griffon had a bullet wound in his shoulder. He gripped his shoulder and leaned behind cover. "Motherfuckers." He gritted. He pulls out some kind of syringe and sticks it into his arm. His shoulder heals instantly. I toss him the assault rifle and take the laser rifle. "Let's make them fold! We're winning this card game!" He said loudly as he began to fire. As he provided cover fire, I unjammed the gun. I have no idea how I did it, but I did. I began to fire the laser, which turned out to be semi-automatic. That's when I heard a whistling sound. I look up and to my horror, I see some kind of small nuke, falling directly towards us. Don't even ask me how I saw that through the dust storm but I did. Instead of running, I aimed at the nuke and shot it. When it exploded, Me and the griffon were sent flying back a few inches. I recover to see a large piece of debris flying toward my head. My eyes shot open as if I had heard an alarm go off. I wake up breathing heavily. I calm down after a few breaths. I look to my left and Apple Bloom wasn't there. I sat up, very quick and began to look around. I saw Wadfrey levitate toward me. "Is something wrong sir?" He asked. "Have you seen Apple Bloom?" I asked, trying my best not to sound like I was about to panic. "I believe I saw the young filly walk outside to make some friends." He said. I was shocked. "And you didn't stop her!" I said in a shout. "I am sorry sir, but my A.I restricts me from acting without being ordered to." He said. That made me feel bad about shouting at him. "Sorry about my outburst." I apologized. "No need for apologizes sir. It's understandable to be worried for your daughter." Wadfrey said. I'm not sure if his eyes were messed or something, but I have no idea how he could confuse me for being Apple Bloom's father. After all, I'm only 19 years old... apparently. I decided not to lecture the robot on how I'm not old enough to have a ten year old filly, because it would've probably lead to him thinking I adopted her or something. I walk out of the room and made my way down the stairs and out the door. I look to my right and to my delight, Apple Bloom was playing catch with a griffon chick. I took a quick sigh of relief upon seeing that she was alright. The griffon chick she was playing with was a male brown feathered and furred griffon, with, like most of the griffons here, a yellow beak. "Apple Bloom!" I called. Getting Apple Bloom's attention, I walk toward her. She trots over toward me. "Afternoon Nightshade!" She said with a smile. I smile back. "Apple Bloom, next time you leave the room before I'm awake, please leave a note so I don't have a panic attack." I said. Apple Bloom puts on an apologetic look. "Sorry." She said. "It's alright." I replied. I looked at her friend and got an idea. Checking the time on my PipBuck, it was 3:45 pm. "I think it's time for us to get a move on." I said. "Oh, okay." She said. She turns to the griffon she was playing with and waved. "Goodbye Clyde." The griffon waves back and flies off. The two of us began to walk to the gate where we were met by Dawn. "Leaving so soon?" She asked. "Yeah, sorry about the sudden leave, but Apple Bloom and I need to get to Blackridge." I explained. Dawn tilted her head a little bit. "Blackridge? That's a long way from here. Could be dangerous." Dawn said. "Dangerous? How so?" I asked. "Well, long distance traveling normally means you're gonna end into running into someone, or something that wants you dead. " Dawn explained. Now it was my turn to look confused. "Well, you've got Raiders, feral ghouls, Alicorns, the Hunter Confederacy, and Slavers. It's dangerous to go alone. Especially if you've got a filly with you." Dawn said. I wasn't gonna asked about the Raiders and Slavers since I had a pretty accurate prediction on who they were and what they do. And I'm sure I knew enough about the Hunter Confederacy to know that they were not the good guys. But who were the Feral ghouls, and the Alicorns? "Feral ghouls?" I asked. "They're the ghouls who weren't lucky enough to survive the radiation without their brains rotting." Dawn explained. The word 'radiation' caught me off guard. "I'm sorry, radiation?" I asked. "Yea, when the Megaspell was dropped 180 years ago, radiation from the blast spread radiation all over the place. I think your PipBuck will start beeping if you come in contact with radiation." Dawn explained. I was gonna have to remember that. "You said something about Alicorns earlier. What about them makes them so dangerous?" I asked. Dawn looked at me shocked. "You've never heard of the Alicorns?" Dawn asked. The fact that Dawn looked at me with a shocked expression told me that these 'Alicorns' were bad news. I simply shook my head. "Look. You've got somewhere to be, and I know as little about the Alicorns as everyone else does. Just take my advice. If you see a pony with wings and a unicorn horn, Run." Dawn said. I nodded. An enemy no one knows much about is normally bad news. I was gonna have to be very careful. "So I couldn't find anymore caps to give you, so in lieu of caps, here's some things to help you if you get hurt. I also took the liberty of fixing up old Lorenzo's SMG as well as a getting a couple of Magazines." Dawn said. She hands me 5 syringes and 5 bags with some kind of orange liquid in it. It was labeled, 'RadAway'. Must be for when I get hit with too much radiation. I saw the syringe from the dream I had last night. Some kind of healing potion or something. She also give me the SMG that Lorenzo had and 4 additional magazines. "Thank you, I appreciate it." I thanked as I take the items and put them in my bag. "No problem, and good luck in finding Apple Bloom's family." Dawn said. The front wall lifts up and I smile as I walked out the door. As I did, I made sure Apple Bloom was next to me. As I looked, Apple Bloom looked up at me. The two of us proceeded to walk. Four long hours of walking have went by. Apple Bloom was currently riding on my back because she told me her hooves started to hurt. As I walked, Apple Bloom and I decided to play a game. I didn't know what it was called, but it required guessing and hint giving. It was really passing the time as sun was already starting to set. "Okay, here's one that's sure to stump you. What's used twice in a moment, once in a month, but never in a thousand years?" Apple Bloom said. I began to think. That riddle definitely did sound hard, but it was probably the most obvious to guess. I thought moderately hard about it. I mumbled the riddle in order to hear how it sounded out loud. Then I got it. "Is it, the letter M?" I asked. "Eeyup. Wow you're good at this Nightshade. Okay you're turn." Apple Bloom said. I started to think. I needed to think of one that wasn't to hard, but at the same time, needed to challenge her. That's when I caught a glimpse of the moon ascending from the east. "Okay, how's this. Sometimes I'm half, something I'm whole, sometimes a piece of me is all you'll ever know." I said. Apple Bloom was silent for a minute. She was really stomped. I decided to help her out. "Apple Bloom, look to the right. " I said. I look at Apple Bloom as she turned her head to the East and caught a glimpse of what I was talking about. "The moon!" She excitedly said. "Correct." I replied. Apple Bloom beams a smile in my direction. I continued walking and came across some kind of Scrapyard. It looked abandoned and there was at the shack right of the entrance. It was a reasonable place to spend the night. I walk to the gate and attempt to open it. It was unlocked, thankfully. I walk inside and began to walk toward the shack. That's when I heard laughing. Maniacal laughing, and lots of them. "Nightshade. What was that?" Apple Bloom asked nervously. "I don't know, but they didn't sound friendly. Stay close." I said taking Apple Bloom off my back. She stayed close to me as I crawled behind a stack of carriages and toward where the laughing came from. I peek out to the left of the carriages to see ponies surrounding a dog with its leg in a bear trap. The group of raiders consisted of unicorns and earth ponies wearing spiky armor and they wielded sticks and spears. The unicorns had their weapons on the ground in order to wield the sticks and spears. The earth ponies had their battle saddles on, and wielded their melee weapons in their hooves and mouths. The unicorns used magic to hold their melee weapons, but their guns were on the ground. The earth ponies seemed to be the bigger threat at the moment. I look at Apple Bloom, and said nothing. Instead I gestured to the broken down, rusty carriage we were currently hiding behind. She gets the hint and climbs inside the carriage and hides in there. I peek out to the left again and pulled out my pistol. I had eight bullets in the chamber, and there were nine of them. I was gonna have to think this through. "Hey! Somepony's over there!" I heard one of them shout. So much for thinking it through. I sidestep out from behind the carriage and I went into S.A.T.S. I looked around for the ones I could hit with the highest percentile. The first one I aimed for was the earth pony with the combat shotgun saddle. The second one I aimed for was the unicorn that was closest to me. The third one was the unicorn that managed to pick up his gun. And the last one was the earth pony attempting to drive his spear through the dog. I wished myself luck, and activated my S.A.T.S. I managed to shoot the earth pony in the head. The bullet goes into his head and he falls down dead. The unicorn closest to me got shot in the neck, although I was aiming for his head, that was close enough. The third shot was aimed at the unicorn that grabbed his gun. It was a 45% chance of hitting, but I still went with it. To my horror, I missed by nearly an inch. I tried to shoot at him again but my gun aims at the last target, that ended up getting shot in the torso. Not enough to kill him, but he did drop his spear. While this happened, I noticed that at the ponies had a red outline around them. I was gonna have to remember that. I get out of my S.A.T.S and run behind a what looked like a shack. I manage to get behind it right as one of the raiders fired of what sounded like a VERY high powered shotgun. The shack was clearly made of sheet metal, as the shotgun blew a few holes in it. I duck down as more bullets passed through the metal. I lean out and began to shoot the pistol once again. I managed to cripple one of the unicorns legs causing him to fall. Unluckily for me, one of the earth ponies, the one that had a shotgun battle saddle, shot me in the chest. Luckily, nothing hit a vital organ, hopefully, and only three of the shells hit me. But DAMN that hurt. I flew back a few inches and landed on my back. I had one bullet left in my pistol so I was gonna have to be careful not to miss my next shot. I sit up to see the the earth pony with the shotgun battle saddle running toward me. I tried to go in to S.A.T.S but the words 'AP required' was up to the top left corner of my vision. Not wasting another second, I fire the pistol in his direction. The bullet got into his chest. Must've punctured a lung because he began breathing like he had ran out of air. I crawl back behind the shack and use this time to reload my pistol. As I loaded another clip into my pistol, my vision started to go against me. It blurred up. I looked at my Stats on my PipBuck to see that my health was 55/175 HP. I was either already down a bunch, or that shotgun really packed a punch. I nearly get my head taken off by a bullet flying through the sheet metal. I grit my teeth and lean out from behind the shack and fired shots toward the raiders. I managed to get five shots out and take out two more raiders before a terrible nightmare became a reality. My pistol, broke. I look at it in shock, completely taken by surprise. I look up to see the earth pony I shot in the chest before, aiming at me. I guess the punctured lung wasn't lethal enough and I had a really good feeling that I wasn't gonna survive the second shot. I quickly throw the broken gun at him and hit him in the face. That distracted him for about three seconds, which was just long enough for me to run at him full speed, and tackle him on the ground. As I pinned him on the ground I used my magic to pull out the submachine gun and shoot at the other three raider ponies. When that was over, I reared back and with all my might, I stomped on the raider's neck and felt his windpipe get crushed beneath my hooves. He slowly began to die from suffocation. I was gonna put him out of his misery, but A) he shot me, and B) I might need that one bullet later. Now that all of that was over, I could finally breath. My vision was still blurry, but I gave myself the mentally that it wasn't that bad. That mentally went out the window and flew an additional 50 feet when I realized that the red colored liquid flowing out of my chest was my blood. I held my chest with my PipBuck hoof to stop the flow of blood, but it wasn't working. "-healing potion!" Apple Bloom shouts running toward me. I didn't hear the first part. I guess my ears were leaving with my vision. "What?" I asked. "The healing potion! Use the healing potion!" She shouted. I remember what she was talking about and use my magic to pull out one of the syringes. I quickly stick it into my chest and pushed the liquid into my body. My wounds began to heal instantly. The holes in my chest closed up and I slowly got relieved of any pain I felt. I looked back at my PipBuck and saw that my health went from 55/175 to 155/175 HP. "Glad that's over." I said. I look over at the dog in the bear trap. It was chewing at its leg in an attempt to chew through it and get out of the trap. I wasn't gonna let that happen. I walk over to the dog, despite its growling protests, and observe the trap. Looked like the release latch was broken. Whoever set this trap wasn't exactly one for catch and release. I used my hooves to grab the two ends of the bear trap and began to pry it open. It had some resistance to it, but was still relatively easy to do. I open the bear trap and the dog pretty much jumps out of it. It barks happily at me. As the dog was wagging its tail with glee, I took the time to observe it. It looked a lot more like a grey wolf than it did a dog. I was gonna go out on a limb and say that it was a wolf-dog hybrid. I wasn't gonna think too much on it though. "Nightshade. He's hurt." Apple Bloom said. I had completely forgotten about the fact that his leg was in a bear trap. I didn't even notice that he wasn't even standing on his right front leg due to injury. I pull out one of the healing potion syringes and walk towards the dog. It growls. "It's okay boy, this'll only hurt for a second but you feel better afterwards." I said. The dog allows me to stick the syringe in to his leg and and heals. The dog barks happily and says his tail again. "Aw, can we keep him?" Apple Bloom asked looking at me. I didn't think against having the dog with us, but I did notice a broken collar by a dead Pegasus. I walked over to the Pegasus and picked the collar up with magic and looked at the name on it. "Dogmeat." Whoever named this dog either really didn't try, or was very hungry at the time of naming the dog. Either way, I got the dog's name. "Was this your owner Dogmeat?" I asked. The dog whimpers sadly. "I'll take that as a yes." I mutter. I look at Apple Bloom. "Well, if Dogmeat wants to come with us, that's his choice. But if not, we can't force him." I said. Apple Bloom looked at Dogmeat and sighed. Dogmeat then barks and wags his tail. "I think he wants to come with us." I comment. Apple Bloom got a brightened smile on her face. Dogmeat walked over and began to sniff us both before giving us licks to the face. Since I didn't know where that tongue has been, I gently pushed him off. Apple Bloom was more accepting of the display of affection and laughed as it was happening. I put a stop to it, much to Apple Bloom's disbelief and look at the dead raiders. "Apple Bloom, there's a shack over there we can spend the night in, head in there. Dogmeat and I will get all the supplies we can and hit the hay. Traveling at night doesn't seem safe." I said. "Okay." Apple Bloom said as she began to walk toward the shack. A bark comes from Dogmeat as the two of us began to loot the dead raiders and gather the supplies. I took off the battle saddle of the pony who shot me before, after taking a healing potion syringe from him, and held it in my magic. I look at it to find out how to put it on. Upon figuring out how, I place the battle saddle onto my back. It was then I find out that you shoot it with a trigger mechanism that goes in your mouth. I refuse to put that thing in my mouth until I cleaned it first. I also noticed that it had a built in satchel, just behind the guns. I took my stuff out of the old back pack and put them into the satchel. Dogmeat brought over a couple of boxes of shotgun shells and a few clips of submachine gun ammo. I take them, place them inside the satchel and gave the dog a pat on the head. That was all worth looting, so I began walking toward the shack. Dogmeat following close behind. I reach the shack and enter to see that the shack only had a floor mattress. "Guess whoever lived here wasn't exactly flowing in caps." I sarcastically said. Apple Bloom looks at me and chuckles. "Ah guess not. But still looks cozy." She said. I admired her optimism and decided to make a joke. "Yea, and thanks to those nice ponies out there, we've got ourselves a new air conditioning system." I said. Apple Bloom laughs. I smile at her joy. "Okay kiddo, you should get some sleep, I'll stay up a little longer and keep watch. Okay?" I said. Apple Blooms ears flop downward. "Oh, okay." She said sadly. She had probably already gotten used to sleeping against me, even if it was just two nights. "Don't worry, I'll be back in two hours. I just need to make sure no raiders try to move in on us, okay?" I asked. "Okay." She said still saddened. I felt bad now, but I'd feel worse if raiders got to her. Still, I hate to see her upset but at this point, I didn't have a choice. She walks over to the mattress and lies down. "Stay with Apple Bloom boy." I say to Dogmeat. He barks and walks over to the mattress and sits there. I walked out of the shack and close the door behind me. I sit at the entrance of the shack and made sure to look to the left and to the right. Every ten minutes I would walk around the shack to keep and eye on the gate. Just to be sure there weren't any raiders with bright ideas. I repeated this process until I looked at my PipBuck and saw that two hours and thirty minutes went by. It was 10:53 pm. Time for me to go to sleep. I walked back into the shack and laid down next to the floor mattress. I didn't go to sleep just yet. Instead, I found a cloth that was clean enough for me to wipe the mouth piece off. After doing that, and disposing of the cloth, that's when I went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up, a lot earlier than usual. The time I woke up was 5:27 am. I wake up and stretch, cracking my back as I did so. I looked at Apple Bloom, who was still asleep and walk over to her and nuzzle her awake. "Rise and shine Apple Bloom. Time to get a move on." I said. Apple Bloom wakes up with a yawn and gets out of the floor mattress. Dogmeat woke up too, stretching and yawning. The three of us get up and proceed to walk out of the shack. As I walked out of the shack, I heard multiple gun clicks. My vision fixates and I see a total of three ponies and three griffons in white combat armor, all aiming automatic assault rifles with white and black stripes at me. The ponies were all earth ponies with battle saddles on. The griffons however stood on their hind legs holding their assault rifles with their talon hands. I was outnumbered and outgunned. "Well well well. If it ain't the little saint from Borderville." One of the griffons said. "What?! You thought that you could just kill our commander, loot his corpse and we weren't gonna find out about it!?" One of the ponies said. I was shocked. How did these guys find out about what I did to Lorenzo? That didn't matter at the moment, these guys are more than likely here kill me, and I wasn't going to let that happen. At least not without a fight. "Well, what're you waiting for?" I said getting ready for a firefight. "Oh, don't worry. You'll get your time will come, but first, we gotta wait for a little fireworks display." Another one of the ponies said. I looked confused for a minute, as did Apple Bloom who was behind the wall of the door way. That facial expression disappeared and was replaced with one of surprise as I heard a loud 'Boom' sound come from my left. I turn my head in that direction to see a mushroom cloud forming. I look at my PipBuck and my eyes widened. Borderville was now labeled 'Borderville ruins'. They found a way to blow the place up. The other H.C members began to whoop and laugh as this as it happened. I looked in absolute shock, how did they blow up the town? These heartless sons of bitches just blew up all those kind ponies and griffons. That's the final straw. Whilst gritting my teeth, I go into S.A.T.S and aim from right to left, I only had enough AP for four of them, and that was mostly because each one was being shot twice. That was enough for me. Time to test how strong this battle saddle was. I shoot the first target, which was a griffon, was shot in the chest. He survives thanks to his armor, but since he didn't have any armor on his head, when I shot him there, it was lights out. The second target, a pony, was shot twice in the chest. The first shot crippled him, the second shot finished the job. The third target started to shoot at me, as did the fourth. They were both ponies. The third one, I some how managed to shoot the gun off of his battle saddle. Don't know how I did that, the chances of me doing that was 17%. The next shot landed in his neck. The fourth one manages to shoot my right leg twice before a buckshot of bullets hit him in the chest. He was killed by the first shot and was dubbed a 'critical hit'. One of the griffons land two in my chest before I heard some kind piano music. I look to my right to see a dark grey unicorn stallion with a leather duster and a tan fedora, he also had a magnum in his magic. He shoots six rounds into the griffon. The magnum must've been very powerful because the griffon was killed by the first shot. Real time starts back up again and I look up to see the griffon drop his gun. "Fuck this." He said and began to run away. His didn't get very far because I shot him in his wing. I was aiming for his neck, but I'll take the credit for that because now he's crippled. I then get an idea. The griffon tries to run again, but the next stream of bullets was sent into his leg. Now he couldn't walk. "ARGH!" He shouts. I walk over to one of the Raiders that I killed previously, and with my magic, picked up one of the spears. He sees me walk over to him and gets a horrified look on his face. "NO! NO PLEASE!" He said attempting to crawl away. He wasn't fast enough. I step on his injured leg and hold the spear very close to his neck. "Wait! Please! I'll tell you whatever you want! Just don't kill me!" He pleaded. I gritted my teeth. I wanted to kill him, but I needed to know how they blew up Borderville. "How did you and your goons blow up Borderville?" I asked. "The town was built over a Belfire Bomb that never detonated, we used an underground tunnel to get to the bomb and detonated it there." The griffon shakily said. "How did you denonate the bomb?" I asked. "Fusion Pulse Charge! We used a fusion pulse charge!" He said. I used my magic to go into my satchel and pull out the fusion pulse charge I had myself. "This?" I asked levitating it in his vision. "Yes, that! That's exactly what we used!" He yelled in a panic. So it seems that undetonated Belfire bombs can be detonated by Fusion Pulse Charges. Worth remembering. That was all the info I needed. "I told you everything! Please let me live! I've got 400 caps on me! They're yours to let me go!" He panicked out. That was extremely stupid of him. I could easily kill him and take the caps myself, but I'm a Changeling of my word. "Hand 'em over." I said. Be quickly reaches into his armor and pulled out a bag of caps. I put the caps into my satchel and began to walk off. As I walked past his hind legs, I lifted the spear and drove it into his other leg. He screams in absolute agony. "That was for Borderville." I said. I heard Apple Bloom let out a small shriek. I turn around to see her looking away from what I did. I began to feel bad. Not for what I did, but because Apple Bloom saw it. That griffon continued to scream as I walked away. "Come on Apple Bloom. We gotta get moving." I said. Apple Bloom looked at me with eyes that signified she was traumatized. Poor filly. She wasn't ready to see something like that. I was gonna have to make sure she's okay, but right now was a bad time to do so. She needs a minute to take all of what I did in. She and Dogmeat started to walk with me. "You wanna get on my back?" I asked. She didn't answer. Not good. We had been walking for two hours and Apple Bloom still hasn't said anything. She didn't strike me as one who talks a lot, but she wasn't exactly a quiet filly. It had gotten to the point where I had to look at her every ten seconds to make sure she was still there. "Apple Bloom. What's wrong?" I asked. She didn't reply. I guess I should have expected that. I knew exactly what was wrong. I crippled the legs of a griffon pleading for his life. As much as I hoped for wild dogs to turn him into a living chew toy and rip him apart for what he did. I shouldn't have done that in front of Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, please. Talk to me." I said looking at her. Apple Bloom stops with her head still down. I stop looking at her. I heard her mutter a word. "What?" I asked. "Why?" She said a little louder. She lookes at me teary-eyed. "I'm sorry. But, I was angry at what he did. I didn't want-" "Ah understand what you did Nightshade. But Ah don't understand why they did that. Why would they do something like that? Why did they blow up Borderville?" She asked, tears flowing down her cheeks. "It's like Dawn said. You're gonna end up running into something or someone who wants you dead. It's understandable to be scared for what happens to us, it's understandable to be sad for what happened. But there's nothing we could do. We need to move on." I said. Apple Bloom sniffled and wipes her tears away. They still flowed out. That's when I pulled her in for a hug. She hugs back and didn't let go until she stopped crying. "Come on Apple Bloom. We're not gonna get to Blackridge standing here." I said. Apple Bloom nods and proceeds to climb onto my back. An hour later, Apple Bloom and I found ourselves in a sort of abandoned town. I looked at my PipBuck to see what this place was called. It was called, Havoc. The name fits. This place was a mess. The buildings were all missing 3/4ths of the roof. Carriages were all over turned and the ground was one more crack away from being a giant crater. I began to walk further into the town, making sure to check all directions. This place might've been rundown, but that didn't mean it was difficult to hide here. Dogmeat started to sniff the ground and air. He barks and began to run. "Ah think Dogmeat's found somethin'." Apple Bloom said. I began to follow after him. That dog's nose picked up something, time to find out what. The dog leads me to a dead unicorn pony wearing some kind of leather armor. The unicorn had a hole in his head, indicating he was shot. The scary part, the hole was scorched black, and took up 1/5th of his head. What was he shot by? Dogmeat looked at me wagging his tail. I guess he smelled something worth looting. I began to go through his pockets and pulled out a few syringes. One of the syringes was a healing potion, the others were labeled, Painkillers. Most be for pain resistance, obviously. That was all worth looting. "Nightshade, what about the clothes?" Apple Bloom asked. I looked at the unicorn's leather armor. The unicorn was smaller than me, as was his clothing. It wouldn't fit. "I'm afraid that wouldn't fit me." I said. I then heard something strange. It sounded like wind. I concentrate on my hearing to pick up what sounded like... Wings? I look up, and I see a pretty big Pegasus pony flying in the air. I was amazed at how big it was and wanted to observe it some more. I go into S.A.T.S to get a better look and come to a horrifing discovery. I noticed the S.A.T.S allowing me to target 9 limbs. The four hooves, the head, the torso, the two wings....... and a horn. Dawn said, if I saw a pony with wings and a unicorn horn, I needed to run, and that was an Alicorn, and I had no chance to hit it. I wouldn't have taken a shot if my S.A.T.S allowed me a 200% chance of hitting. I lower myself to the ground and saw something that said [hidden] at the top of my vision. I needed to run, but that thing might see me, and I don't think I'd out run something that can fly. I look at the building to my right and ran inside. I was so glad the dog was smart enough to follow me. I run inside, and gently close the door behind me. Once it was closed, I looked around for something to barricade it with. I see a large dresser. Good enough. I use my magic to pick up the dresser and place it sideways against the door. I didn't bother to notice the strength of my magic, as I did this without breaking a sweat. "Nightshade, what's going on?" Apple Bloom asked worried. "Shh. That thing might hear us." I whispered. I run up the stairs and open a door leading to a bedroom. The roof along with half of the left wall, was gone. I walk over to the part of the wall that was still intact and look outside. The Alicorn had landed, and was looking around. The Alicorn was a white mare with a translucent pink mane. The Alicorn also lacked a cutie mark. The Alicorn had blood on her hooves and horn, which was smoking. Now I have an idea on what happened to that unicorn outside. I continued to watch, making sure to keep my body hidden. That's when I saw the Alicorn walking toward the building across the street. She then turns around and began to rear kick the door. Something she wanted was in there, and she wanted it badly. My question was, if she wanted what was in there that badly, then why wouldn't she just blast the door open. "Leave us alone! Please!" I heard a female's voice quiver. I guess that was why. She wanted to capture someone. "Did you really think a couple of pathetic mercenaries could keep you safe? Did you think you could hide from us forever?" The Alicorn said. She, like myself, had an echo to here voice, but it was not metallic. "What do you want from us?" The frightened mare asked. She was terrorified. And from the word 'us' she probably had children with her. "It doesn't matter why I'm doing this. You have commited crimes against our kind, against our ruler. And you must be punished. Come out now and harm will only be brought upon you." The Alicorn said. She was the honest type, I'll give her that. I heard the mare begin to cry. That's when the Alicorn started to bang against the door. I wasn't as frightened as the mare was, but I was scared. I was told by Dawn to run if I saw these things, and from what I heard, she plans on killing that mare. "You've got ten seconds to come out!" The Alicorn said. I was stuck, do I help? Or do I use the mare as a distraction for me and Apple Bloom? "Nightshade, Ah'm scared!" Apple Bloom silently shouts. "I am too." I whisper back. "What do we do?" Apple Bloom asked. I need to help that mare. (Good Karma) I gotta find a way to draw that Alicorn's attention. (Neutral Karma) We need to sneak away. That mare will distract the Alicorn. (Evil Karma) Author's Note Chapter 2 done. Thank you all who participated in the voting and please participate again. I really hope this soon inspires fan art. Also be sure to vote on which survival tactic Nightshade should teach Apple Bloom first. How to shoot First Aid How to sneak Nightshade's Karma: Kind-hearted Wanderer. Good: 5 Neutral: 5 Evil: 0 HP 78/155 Trivia: Wadfrey, the Mister Handy in Nightshade's rent-a-room, is a combination of Wadsworth and Godfrey's names from fallout 3. If the Neutral Karma ending was chosen, Nightshade would've woken up to gunshots from a Hunter Confederacy raid. If the Evil Karma ending was chosen, Nightshade would find out who the informate of the H.C was. He'd also use his own fusion pulse charge. The way the Hunter Confederacy confronts Nightshade is a reference to the Talon Company Mercs confronting the Lone Wanderer from Fallout 3. During the riddle game Apple Bloom and Nightshade play, Nightshade describes to moon the same way Frank Martin from Transporter 2 does. That's all the trivia for this chpter that doesn't involve spoilers. Voting deadline March 5th. Like, fave, comment, spead the word of this Fanfic, point out mistakes, give advice, make fan art. The last one is optional. Until next time. Outlaw out.
Chapter 3: Hunted (Neutral Karma)"I gotta find a way to draw that Alicorn's attention." I said. Probably one of the smartest decisions I could possibly make. I have no idea what kind of power that thing possessed, but I had to do something. I couldn't just leave her there. "How are we gonna do that?" Apple Bloom asked. There wasn't gonna be a we. I was gonna help her. It might be too dangerous for Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom. Find somewhere to hide. It might be too dangerous for you to be seen." I said. Apple Bloom turns around and began to look. There were three places for her to hide: The closet, under the bed, and inside the grandfather clock beside the door. "Ten!" I heard the Alicorn count. I was gonna have to be quick. The closet and under the bed were too obvious of hiding spots. If I was looking for someone, it'd be the first two places I'd look. The grandfather clock however, was an odd spot to hide. I don't think anyone would look there. "Nine!" "Apple Bloom, the grandfather clock. Hide there." I said. "Okay." Apple Bloom said and walks over to the grandfather clock. I started to think of ways to see how I could distract the Alicorn. Do I use my Shotgun saddle? "Eight!" Nope bad idea, the saddle is literally attached to me. There was a small possibility she wouldn't see me , but I don't fell lucky enough to risk that. What about my SMG? "Seven!" My SMG isn't necessarily a loud weapon, my brief moment with the raiders taught me that much. It would probably take a lot of bullets to get her attention, but see might spot me. What if I go outside and throw a brick or something? "Six!" I have no idea, how good an Alicorn's hearing is. If that thing hears me coming before I can throw a brick, I'm a dead Changeling. I was stuck. That mare is gonna die if I don't think of something quick. "Five!" "Nightshade. There's a gun in here." Apple Bloom said. I looked up to see her standing in front of the grandfather clock that was open. I walk silently to the clock and look inside. "Four!" There was a lever action rifle with sniper scope on it and a box of bullets right next to it. Apparently, this was a hidden gun cabinet. Whoever lived here knew how to hide a gun. Regardless, I had an idea. "Three!" I grab the rifle and take it out of the cabinet. I walk back over to the window and look at the Alicorn. She was still at the door. "Two!" I didn't have a lot of time. I grab one of the bullets out of the box and load the gun, then I placed the box on the window seal. I only had time to load in one bullet inside the gun. I pump the lever and aim through the scope. I saw the Alicorn's horn glowing a pale silver color. I aimed the gun out of the window and run over to the bed and crawl underneath it, using my magic to hold the gun at out of the window. Apple Bloom followed me underneath. I just wrapped my hoof around her and held her close. "One!" That's when I fired the shot. Which was at the same time I heard the Alicorn blasting a beam of magic at the door, causing a louder bang. Following the noise was silence. The only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat. Pounding, pounding, pounding. I couldn't hear the Alicorn, nor could I hear the mare. Everything was so quiet, I had to control my breathing as a just in case my heartbeat was too loud. Apple Bloom moves closer to my side, until she was underneath my front hoof. She was shaking. She was terrified. "It'll be alright, okay? Everything's gonna be okay." I reassured. I don't know why I said that. I have no idea what was gonna happen next. No idea if it'll be okay. Then I hear a swoosh, followed by a thump. I see four long white legs walk passed the bed and stop at the corners. The Alicorn was in the room. Looking for the one who shot at her. Looking for me. She turns around and walks toward the window, where the gun was, and picks up the gun. This could be our chance to sneak past her. I look at Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, we're gonna have to sneak past her. Once we're at the door, we can make a run for it, okay?" I asked in a whisper. Apple Bloom looks at me nervously. "You go first, okay?" "B-b-but, Ah don't know how to sneak." Apple Bloom replies. "Okay. Listen carefully. All you have to do, are two things: Stay low, and move silently." I whispered back. "But what if it sees me?" She asked. "I'll protect you if she does. Just trust me, okay?" I said silently. Apple Bloom nods and crawls sideways from under the bed. She lowers herself to the ground enough to barely be above it. She carefully stepped out, walking slowly. The floor was wooden, so it was prone to creaking. I was hoping that it wouldn't. She makes it to the doorway, and turns to look at me. I mouth the words 'Good job', which makes her smile. Now it was my turn. I scoot to the left and get out from under the bed. I peek over the bed to see that the Alicorn had the lever action rifle in her magic, and a flesh wound on her the top of her front right leg. She also had the box, right next to her. I hope that mare left already because I'm now I need to escape. I walked with my body low, sneaking to the best of my ability. I was almost to the door. Just a few more steps. *Creak* Well fuck. "There you are!" The echoed voice said from behind me. I turn to my left to see the Alicorn with the box in her magic. I didn't have much time to react because she drops the box, grabs me with her magic and hurls me toward the wall, which sent me through it. I landed on my back so hard, I was surprised I wasn't dead. The amount of pain I was in was something I could only describe as 'end it now!' My vision got blurry extremely quick. From the blurs of my vision I saw my cartooned counterpart with bandages around his body. It didn't take long for me to figure out that that was telling me my torso, if not everything but my limbs, was crippled. If I live through this, I'm definitely gonna find out how to change that color. I checked my PipBuck to see my health was at 23/175 HP. I put my PipBuck hoof back on the ground and tried to crawl backwards. That's when I heard a menacing laugh. "Mwahahahaha! You fool!" She insulted. I looked up and managed to see the Alicorn fly down. She lands in front of the building and walked over toward me. "What did you think was going to happen? You thought you could kill me that easily?" I wasn't trying to kill you in the first place, but right now, I wish I did. I continued to crawl backwards. There was a blood trail leading to me. The blood following me was coming from my back. It felt like my carapace was cracked. "You can struggle all you want, you're not going anywhere." She said. She got close enough to tower over me. She looked at me with an even more menacing smile. "You are strong. No many ponies, or even Changelings for that matter could survive a fall like that. Maybe we could have a use for you." She said. It sounded to me like she was gonna use me as a slave. I couldn't let that happen. I was gonna have to do something. In a desperate attempt to save myself, I activate my magic. I felt my magic pick up something really heavy. "Maybe we will turn you into one of us. Or maybe we shall work you until you're bones give out, and then feed you to our youth." She said. My vision rapidly got blurrier and blurrier. But in between the blurs, my vision would be clear for a split second. One split allowed me to see what I was carrying. My magic was lifting a large pile of debris from one of the destroyed houses. "-hmph, but then again, I should just kill you and save me the trouble of trying to break your mind. So, any last words?" She asked me. I scoot myself back just enough so I could be out of harms way and so she wouldn't notice. I look at her with a half dying smirk. "Yes I do." I said. That's when I heard Dogmeat bark. The Alicorn turns around toward the bark, I then release my magic and roll to the left, out of harm's way. As I rolled I heard a loud crash and felt the ground rumble a little. When I stopped, I looked over at were the Alicorn used to be and see the pile of debris where she used to be. I would've questioned were she was, but I saw her hoof sticking out of the front. I struggle to my stand back up and limp over to the debris. "Heads up." I said. Suddenly, I felt weaker and weaker by the second. I look at my PipBuck and saw that my health had dropped from 23/175 to 10/175 HP. I was losing my health and my balance. I soon lost all feeling in my chest. I try to use my magic to grab a healing potion, but I couldn't even get my horn to glow. Black began to seep into my vision from all sides and I fell onto my right side. I began to sink into a deep sleep as my eyes hit my PipBuck health bar. I heard Apple Bloom's voice shouting, 'Nightshade!' and 'Somepony Help!' The last thing I see was the countdown of my health. 3...2....1.... I...I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't see anything. There was nothing but darkness. Was I dead? Is this what death feels like? Is this what it felt like to pass on? It...it feels empty. Everything is so....isolated. I tried to move but it was impossible. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even see nor feel my hooves. I couldn't even tell if I was moving my head or eyes. I was just staring into a dark abyss. No light, no creatures, not even as much as a sound. Now the place I was in wasn't the only thing that felt empty. I felt empty. I felt like I was without a purpose. Along with my empty feeling, I felt like I was leaving behind too many things to die. I don't want to die. I'm not ready to die. Not in the slightest. It felt like hours. I was in this isolation. Trying my best to do anything to get out of here. Whatever it was I was stuck in. I wasn't about to give up. I concentrate on waking up, and I was doing everything I could. Nothing was happening. Nothing I did was working. I wasn't ready to lose my life. I wasn't ready to lose Apple Bloom. *Thump* What was that? *Thump* That was something I felt, and heard. Both in a way I recognized. This.... this was my heartbeat. A few seconds later the darkness I was seeing was slowly being replaced with a cloudy night sky. I'm Alive! I'm still Alive! Oh thank goodness I live to see another day! I found myself resting on a some kind of stretcher that was being carried by two quadrupeds. My eyes go from the sky to who was carrying the end of the stretcher where my legs are. That part of the stretcher was being carried by... a pony? Even with my eyes squinted, the pony looked strange. She looked like a pony, but at the same time she didn't. She was dark grey, had dark blue and light blue and had some extra fluff at the end of ear. There were fangs that hung out of her mouth, but they didn't go past the jaw like mine did. Her eyes were a light blue color and the pupils were slit. She was actually quite pretty. She leather armor that looked like the same leather armor I saw on the unicorn earlier. Perhaps they were in the same group or something. I take a look at myself while I was on the stretcher. I was laid on my back with bandages around my torso. I also had my hoof on top of Applejack's hat that was on my chest. I wasn't wearing my battle saddle, so I felt vulnerable. I move my eyes to my left. I manage to catch a glimpse of a light blue mare with a pink mane before my eyes closed as I felt a cough. *Cough!* *Cough!* My coughing cased two things to happen. Blood to come out of my mouth, and the two ponies carrying me to stop. "Well I'll be damned. He lives." What a minute... that deep cockney accent. I've heard that before. The two put me down and detach from the stretcher. A few seconds later, I see four ponies looking at me. There was a light blue earth pony mare, a pale orange stallion, the strange mare I saw first and.... The stallion from Borderville?! "Nightshade!" I hear Apple Blooms voice shout. "*Bark*" I hear from Dogmeat. Painfully, I sit up to see Apple Bloom and Dogmeat running toward me. I hold my hooves out and allow Apple Bloom to jump in and hug me. She buried her head into my chest and began to cry. "Shh..there there. It's alright." I said in a soothing voice. "I told you. Everything would be okay, didn't I?" "*sniff* ya did. Ya did." Apple Bloom said. She looks at me and I begin to help whip away her tears. "Your daughter was worried sick about you." The light blue mare said. "She refused to leave your side for any reason." The orange stallion followed up. Once again, Apple Bloom is confused for being my daughter, even though at this point I don't blame them. "I know. I was worried sick about her too." I replied. Apple Bloom and I release from the hug and I put her sister's hat back on my head. "Well, aren't you just everypony's hero." The stallion with the deep cockney accent said. I smirk at the comment. "Let me be the first to say thanks for killing that Alicorn." "Hey, happy to help." I said. I wasn't gonna bother telling them that I was only intending on distracting it. That'd probably fuck everything up. "Oh yea? Go around helping the helpless with the odds stacked against you often?" The dark grey mare said. I looked at her and tilt my head in confusion. "From that look I can tell you haven't seen a bat pony before. My name's Midnight Huntress. But Bacardi there likes to call me Longshot." She introduced, and apparently she was a bat pony. Interesting. She pointed to the red stallion from Borderville. Apparently, Bacardi was his name. Isn't Bacardi a type of alcoholic drink? That wasn't important. I felt some kind of liquid hit my lap. I look down and see that the blood from my mouth was leaking onto my lap. I simply wipe off it of my mouth and attempt to stand. Big mistake. As I attempted to stand I had no strength in my front hooves whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even feel my front hooves. They were completely numb. "Whoa! Calm down there Freelancer. You're on a few painkillers, so you're gonna be numb for a while." Midnight Huntress said. As much as I am curious as to why she called me Freelancer, but now wasn't the time to ask. "How many painkillers did you give me?" I asked. "Five. You sort of lost consciousness before we got to you, we had to act quickly. We injected you with painkillers as a just in case you woke up in pain. You might feel dizzy or nauseous." Bacardi answered. I felt a little dizzy that was for sure, but I had no urge to throw up anytime soon. Then an important question struck my mind. "Where are we going?" I asked. "We're headed to Wolfwaters. Not to far from where we are right now." Midnight Huntress said. I look at my PipBuck map to see where we were and I see a location marked Wolfwaters very close to where I was. I make another attempt to stand, and of course I failed. "Calm down tough guy, give the Painkillers a chance to wear off first." Bacardi said. "Bacardi and I can carry you they rest of the way." Midnight Huntress followed up. I don't necessarily like the idea of being carried while I was still conscious, so I tried one more time to stand, putting all my strength into getting off of my flank, but I couldn't do it. I sat back down and sigh in disappointment. I just laid back down onto the stretcher and allow Bacardi and Midnight Huntress to pick me up. I hope the Painkillers wear off soon. As they carried me another question popped up into my mind. "I meant to ask, where's my stuff?" I ask. "Longshot's carrying it. Would've been rude to take it off of you and leave it behind." Bacardi answered. I look at Midnight Huntress to see that she had on my battle saddle and in the attached satchel was the 'Last Words' Rifle, and the submachine gun. Glad my stuff was still intact. "So... how long was I out?" I asked. "About 13 hours. Even when your heart started beating again, the Painkillers had you in a coma." Bacardi replied. That surprised me, I felt like I was only asleep for about 10 minutes. I already knew my heart had stopped beating at one point, so I wasn't gonna bother asking about that. I then catch a glimpse of the other two ponies. The orange stallion and the light blue mare. "Who are they?" I asked. "Our employers, Mr. and Mrs. Cake." Huntress answered. "Employers?" I asked. "Yea, we're Red Phoenix Mercenaries." Bacardi said. I was a little caught off guard by the word 'Mercenaries', given how my current reputation was with the Hunter Confederacy. "Not to worry, we aren't like the H.C. We're Lawbringers for hire." Huntress clarified. That made me feel safer. At least they're mercenaries for a good cause. "*chuckle* Sounds like my kind of business." I joked. "You took on an Alicorn and saved Borderville with no price on the mind. If you were doing these things for caps, watch out evildoers." Huntress replies. I felt bad because of what happened to Borderville earlier today. "Your daughter said that your name was Nightshade, right?" Mr. Cake said. "Yes." I replied. I still don't understand how they could confuse Apple Bloom as my daughter. But then again, adoption is always an option. I'll just politely clarify that I'm not her- "She said you were headed to Blackridge, right?" Mrs. Cake asked. I simply nod. "Blackridge? That's a long way from here. Any reason why?" Midnight Huntress asked. I'm quite surprised that Apple Bloom didn't say why we were headed to Blackridge. "We're looking for her family or at least clues that could lead us to them." I answer. Midnight Huntress looks at me with a shocked expression. "Her family's missing?" She asked. "Left her in the Stable, but they left a holotape on my body that said to head to Blackridge." I said. "Wait? On your body?" Bacardi asked. That's when I realized, I didn't really explain what I was doing in the Stable in the first place. "Yea, apparently I knew them before I lost my memory. I woke up in the Stable with a couple of scars on my head. Since her family and my past are connected, I'd be killing two birds with one stone." I explained. "We're here." Bacardi said. I sit up and peek over Bacardi's head and see a medium sized settlement that was very well protected. It looked like a Military Base. The gate had a couple of guards on top of it. This place could be a safe haven for Apple Bloom and I. Hell, if I play my cards right, this could be a home. A back up plan home, since I've already got a primary objective that is. I began to regain some feeling in my front hooves again, and I started to move them. I could feel my ability to walk start to come back. But can I walk now? Time to find out. I roll out of the stretcher and land on all four of my hooves. It feels good to walk again. "Show off." Huntress commented. I simply smirk her way. I let her and Bacardi take the lead, given how the first time I wandered toward an unknown settlement, I nearly got a bullet to my hoof, although it wouldn't stop me. As I began to walk, I felt Apple Bloom grab my hoof. I look at her and stop walking. I lower myself to her height. "Is everything alright?" I asked. "Everythings fine, Ah just." Apple Bloom started. She pauses for a minute and rubs her hoof. "Ah wanted to know if you could teach me how to shoot please." She said. I tilted my head a little. "Why?" I asked. "Ah wanna be able to help you, 'cause Ah don't wanna lose you." She said. I couldn't help but give a small smile at that comment. Despite only knowing me for two and a half days, she cared for me. And I cared for her as well. But unfortunately, I don't think they make or have made Battle Saddles that fit 10 year old foals. But then again, maybe someone could. But she should learn to hide first. If shit gets bad, she needs to be safe. "I think we should stick to sneaking right now. I'd like you to be safe if things go to he- *clears throat*, in case things go bad." I said, barely catching my tongue. I don't want her to have a cursing habit. I'll make a mental note to not curse in while she's around at least. "Okay." She said. "Hey. You guys gonna come in, or what?" I heard Bacardi's voice call. I look up to see the gate was open. "Come on Apple Bloom. Let's go." I said. Apple Bloom began to walk, that's when I use my tail and wrap it around her torso. I pick her up and place her onto my back and the two of us, along with Dogmeat, began to walk toward into Wolfwaters. As I walked into the town through the gate opening, I caught a glimpse of Mr and Mrs Cake hugging. I didn't notice this before, but the two were carrying foals. One of them, a cream colored pegasus colt with a brown mane. The other, a lemon colored filly with an orange mane. I'm not to sure how pony genetics work, but Mrs Cake doesn't strike me as the type who cheats. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that one their relatives, preferably Mr. Cake, had relatives that were of both species at one point. I take a look around the settlement, and I was amazed. This place had a little of everything. A few guard posts, multiple shops, and a bunch of creatures with weapons. Anyone who attacks this place will be killed too fast to regret it. Bacardi makes his way to me. "So what do think of this place?" He asked. "I feel sorry for whoever's suicidal enough to try and attack a place like this." I joked. Bacardi laughs. "Couldn't have said it better myself." Bacardi replies. "Hey, Bacardi!" A young country voice said. The three of us, that includes Apple Bloom, look off to the right to see a white feathered griffon with a yellow beak and dark green eyes, wearing a black stetson hat and a red bandanna around his neck, rushing to our direction. This griffon was strange compared to any griffon I've ever seen, this one had stripes on his feline body, as if that part of his body was tiger related instead of lion. "Ah see you've brought some guests." He said. He was pretty excited to see us, strangely. Apparently he's the 'always happy to meet a potential friend' type. Not a bad thing..... most of the time. "Hi there, I'm Nightshade." I greeted. I gesture my eyes to my current passenger. "This is Apple Bloom." Then I point my hoof to the Wolf-dog next to me. "And this is Dogmeat." "A deeelight to meet ya. The name's Billy Buckshot. Ah'm one of the patrol griffons her at Wolfwaters. Me and my brother Cabela Cassidy." He explained. Billy Buckshot and Cabela Cassidy, Alliterative names huh? I can't pass up this joke. "Who's next, Ammo Aurora?" I asked with a chuckle. He looks in disbelief and takes of his hat. "Actually uh... that was my mother's name." He said. I went wide eyed. I just insulted this griffon's possibly dead mother. I was caught off guard by the sudden dialogue. I need to apologize quickly. "Oh, shoot, I didn't mean to-." Suddenly, he starts laughing. I stop my apology and look at him confused. "I'm just bucking with ya." He said putting his hat back on. I glare at him. I did not appreciate the joke. "That's not a very funny joke." Apple Bloom said. "Took the words right out of my mouth." I said. "Heh, sorry, but some jokes, ya can't pass up. Tell ya what. Stop by the bar, we'll get to know each other over a couple of drinks. What do ya say?" He explained. A drink did sound tempting, I was gonna have to think that over. "I'll think about it." I said. "Don't take too long now. My brother and I will be done with our shifts in twenty minutes. See ya soon." He said. With that he walks away. "Forgive him, he's a bit young." Bacardi commented. Don't know why he said that, but he should know I'm also young. "I'm young." I replied. "Billy's twenty-two." Bacardi said. Now I felt like I was the youngest one here. "I'm.....Nineteen." I replied. Bacardi looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "What?" I asked. "Nothing, I've just haven't met a nineteen year old Changeling that's as tall as a Steel Ranger in power armor." Bacardi explained. That sounds familiar. Why? "Steel Ranger?" Apple Bloom said confused. Looks like Apple Bloom was as confused as me. "They're a technologically advanced Military that patrol the wasteland. Not everyone knows who they are, but they're known to fight Alicorns from time to time. But rumor has it that they also have two enemies that are just as technologically advanced as them." That sounds very familiar. Apple Bloom asks who they were, as I began to figure out why the two 'technologically advanced' enemies of the Steel Rangers felt familiar. Two names came to mind. "I don't really know who they are Ms. Bloom, but I think I'll know if I hear the names again." "Enclave and Fallen Star Republic." I said. Bacardi looks at me. "Y-yes. Those were the names. How did you know?" He asked. "I have no idea. I must've encountered them back when I had my memory or something." I explained. A silence fell between us. "Well, we're not gonna get on that topic then. Anyway, come on, I'll show you where you can spend the night." Bacardi said. We began to walk side by side. I didn't want to stay silent the whole time, so if there's any time to start a conversation, now was it. "So... this place seems pretty secure." I said. "Of course it is. This place was built over a prewar Equestrian Defense Force base." He explained. "Bet this place was riddled with supplies when it was built." I said. "You when that bet, because it was. There was food, water, and most importantly, ammo. I'm surprised nopony else tried to take it. Probably the rumors of Hellhounds being here got them running scared." Bacardi explained, I was intimidated by the name. Anything with the word hell in front of it must've been bad news. "A hellhound?" I asked. "What's that?" Apple Bloom asked. "Diamond Dogs that mutated into bipedal wolves with claws sharp enough to rip apart limbs of suits of Power armor. In seconds. They're also very difficult to kill. Even Alicorns prefer to keep their distance from them." Bacardi explained. A frightened gasp escapes Apple Bloom's mouth. "Don't worry. I'm sure Nightshade will scare them off before they even get close." Bacardi said. Apple Bloom starts to hug me. Her hooves couldn't reach all the way around my neck, but she still hugged me tight. "Okay, what kind of dangers does this town face?" I asked. "Oh, the usual. Raiders, H.C, and ferals. Nothing too dangerous." He said confidently. This place was a safe place, that's for sure. I just hope nothing bad happens here. Then I remember something I meant to ask. "What can you tell me about the Cakes?" I asked. "Why were they running from the Alicorns?" "Alicorns have a bit of a ritual they do at certain settlements. They go in, take a few settlers to turn them into their own kind, or slaves, and then leave. The settlers there have something called 'The Lottery'. They'd put the name of all the settlers and pull a few names. If your name was pulled, you were the one who had to be sacrificed." Bacardi explained. I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it. "Then one day, Mr. Cakes foals. Pumpkin and Pound cake were chosen. And he wasn't ready to give up his newborns. So the day the Alicorns come to accept their sacrifice, The Cakes decided to up and leave. And their settlement ratted them out." "Ouch. The entire settlement?" I asked. "Yep. Ever since, they've been being hunted. So they payed us to escort them here." Bacardi said. So now I know why the Cakes were being hunted. But now, I couldn't help but wonder, why didn't the village revolt? "Why didn't the village fight back?" Apple Bloom asked. Was this filly reading my mind or something? "Not everypony is as brave as your guardian Apple Bloom. They're too scared of being killed for revolting." Bacardi explained. "Isn't it better to die standing than live on your knees?" I asked. Bacardi looks at me with a smirk. "Those settlers could learn a thing or two from you." He said. I chuckle from that, but then he blindsided me with another question. "So why did you help us?" "Huh?" I asked. "You had no idea who we were. Yet you decided to help us. Why?" He asked. I'm not even gonna bullshit him. I'll just tell him my true intentions. "I'm gonna be honest. I only intended on distracting it, I just accidentally hit it in the shoulder and it came looking for me." I said. "It would've been too dangerous to try and fight it head on anyway. I'm just glad you were smart enough not to rush in head on. Unlike our old buddy Arctic Haze." Bacardi said. I raise an eyebrow. "Was Arctic Haze-" "The poor chap you looted the painkillers from? Yes." He replied. Now I felt bad, and I'm willing to be my all my healing potions that he doesn't have Billy's poor sense of humor "Sorry, I didn't know. When I get my stuff back, I'll give you back the stuff I looted from him." I offered. "It's fine. Besides, we used the painkillers on you." He said. We reach an area that consisted of a bunch of floor mattresses. No roof. Just a view of the night sky. A lovely scene to see..... unless it's raining. Midnight Huntress was already there, and my stuff was one the ground next to her. "Glad you could make it Freelancer. Here's your stuff. I restocked your ammo for you." She said. Once again, she called me Freelancer. "Why are you calling me that?" I asked. I wasn't offended, just curious. "Well, you're not a raider. Or a H.C member, or a part of any faction. You're independent, ergo, you're a Freelancer." She explained. That made sense. I nodded at the explanation in the form of 'okay I get it'. I walk over to my stuff, take Apple Bloom off of my belt and place my battle saddle back onto my back, via my magic. "Thanks." I said. "Don't mention it." She replies. "Why don't you stop by the bar? I'll keep Apple Bloom company." I honestly didn't like the idea of leaving Apple Bloom with someone, or pony I just met. "Um. I don't know." I said. "It's okay Nightshade. Ms Huntress can finish tellin' me about the fight between her and the Chimera." Apple Bloom said. I smirk at that one. "Alright, be sure to tell me how the story ends okay?" I said. "Okay." She said. She walks over to Midnight Huntress. I turn around to make my way to the bar. "So where was I?" I heard Midnight Huntress say as I walked of. "The chimera had you in a deadly squeeze." I heard Apple Bloom say. I spot a sign that said 'Bronco's Bar'. That must've been it. Seriously, what's up with these Alliterative names. Anyway I began to make my way there. Upon making it to the door, I remember something I said I'd do if I survived that Alicorn attack. I look at my PipBuck and find a way to change the color of my PipBuck to red. Now it matched my carapace and and eyes, and it looked a lot better than the green. Then I walk into the bar. Upon entry, I see a dark grey griffon with yellow eyes behind the bartender stand tilting the antenna of some kind radio. The radio made no sound whatsoever, and from the look on the griffon's face, he was very irritated. "Ugh! Come on you worthless piece of junk." He said in a rough and scratchy voice as he started banging on the radio top. I walk toward the stand. Next to the stand was an Amber colored bat pony mare with a bright red mane that was longer on her left side, and purple eyes. She had a strange appearance in clothing. She wore a pair of blue and light blue striped socks. Her cutie mark was strange too. It was a.... a heart with a kiss on it? What could that mean? "Bronzequill. I don't think banging on the radio's gonna make it work." She said. Her voice gave me the vibe that she specialized in seducing. Now I'm starting to get a clearer picture as to what that cutie mark represented, but I wasn't gonna make my assumption just yet. "Better than nothing." He replies. Apparently his name was Bronzequill. "Maybe the radio tower's down or something." The mare replied. "Yea, maybe you're right." Bronzequill said. He then looks up at me. Causing the mare look at me as well. "Hey there newcomer. Never seen a Changeling in my bar before. What would you like?" He asked. I don't really know what drinks they serve here. "Well, what do you have?" I asked. He suddenly looks at me shocked. "What? You... you don't wanna hit me, or yell at me?" I looked at him very confused. I have now idea where he'd get the idea I'd want to hit him. "The thought never came to mind." I replied. "Well that's a surprise. I'm used to the creatures here giving me shit because I sound like those talking corpses." He explained. "Talking corpses?" I asked. "Yea, talking corpse. In other words a ghoul. The amount of jokes I hear per day are atrocious. Nice to see someone not making fun of it besides Solar." He said gesturing to the mare next to me. "Well, my voice isn't exactly perfect either." I said in an attempt to make him feel better. "A snake like voice combined with a metallic echo? Sounds a lot cooler than a scratchy nails-on-a-chalkboard voice." He said. "Still nice of you to say though." I just shrug at the statement. He then leans in and puts his hand by his beak as if he wanted me to lean in. He wanted to tell me something. I then lean in an point my ear toward his beak. "Listen, the others would have my head if they're seeing me sell at a discount, but you get 10% off okay?" He said. I nod in response. We both back away, and a question comes to mind. "What were you banging the radio for?" I asked. "The signal's off and everything I tried hasn't been working." Bronzequill explained. "I told you before Bronzequill, it's probably just the signal being shit." The mare, whose name was Solar, said. I wonder what her full name was. Solar sounds more like a stallion's name. "What are you trying to listen to?" I asked. "Equestria New Radio. The host mare, DJ-Pon3 is always keeping us creatures updated on what happens in the wastelands." Solar answered. "DJ-Pon3?" I asked. "Her real name is Vinyl Scratch. Aside from updating the wasteland of pretty much anything from a small caravan robbery to a large Alicorn raid, she puts on music every now and again." Solar explained. I then remember, my PipBuck has a built in radio. I look at my PipBuck and scroll over to the Radio option, and there were two options. Enclave Radio, and Equestria News Radio. I click on Equestria News Radio, and within four seconds I hear an energetic, hip voice speaking on the radio. "What's up creatures of the wastes?! It's your main mare DJ-Pon3 back with an-" "See. I told you it couldn't have been the signal." Bronzequill said. "No. You didn't." "Whatever. Hey, Changeling fella." "Nightshade." I spoke. "Nightshade, could you leave the radio on and stay right here for a few minutes? At least until I get caught up with how the wasteland is?" He asked. Hmm. Maybe I can con him into giving me a drink for free. Only one way to find out. "I would for a free drink." I said. "Yea... not gonna happen." Bronzequill said. A little persuasion tells me otherwise. "Okay. And off goes the radio." I said moving my hoof toward the PipBuck to turn off the radio. He panics. "Okay, Okay! Jeez, you can have the free drink, but I choose what it is." Bronzequill says walking off. "Fair enough." I said. A free drink is a free drink, I'll take it regardless. But if he poisons it or something, we are gonna have a problem. "Well well. I'm impressed. I don't know any creatures capable of conning Bronzequill into a free drink other than myself. I'm gonna have to watch out for you." Solar said in a pretty seductive tone. I look at her to see me giving me half lidded eyes. "Thank you. Mind if I get your name?" I asked. The mare gives a light laugh. "To most I go by Solar Kisses. But for the right price, you could call me anything you like." She said. Now I could clearly see what her cutie mark was representing. But to be safe, I'll act dumb. Don't want to insult her of course. "What does that mean?" I asked. "It's cute that you act dumb, but I know I'm a whore. The word won't make me burst into flames." She said. "I'm still not comfortable calling you that though." I replied. Bronzequill puts a double shots glass with a clear liquid on the table. "Thank you." I said taking a sip. The drink had a bit of a... smoky taste. And it mildly burned my throat going down. It wasn't bad, it just caught me off guard, causing me to cough. "What's the matter? *Chuckles* You a lightweight?" Solar Kisses asked. I don't know if I was a lightweight or not. But that wasn't the reason I was coughing, it was the unexpected burning lava going down my throat. "I'm not a lightweight. *cough* I just wasn't expecting it to burn my throat." I replied. "Hmph, then chug it down." Solar Kisses said. Hmph. Am I a lightweight? Time to find out. I gulp the whole thing down. This time, no coughing. But I'd be a liar if I said it didn't burn on the way down. I put the glass on the table and wipe my mouth. The drink was actually pretty good though. Not going out on just one. "How much for another one?" I asked. "10 caps." Bronzequill answered. I take twenty caps out of my pouch and give it to Bronzequill. "Two more please. One for me, one for Solar Kisses here." I said. Bronzequill takes the caps and walks off. "Hmm, and he buys a mare a drink. Keep this up, and I might even give you some for free." Solar said. That wasn't a very tempting offer, given her current occupation, but maybe I could learn some juicy information if I play my cards right. "I wouldn't be much of a gentlestallion if I didn't get the lady a drink." I replied. Bronzequill comes back with an bottle labeled 'Sunset Rum' and places it on the table. He then places another double shots glass on the table and pours the alcohol into the glasses. I take mine, Solar Kisses takes hers. We toast our glasses, and drink. Then a question comes to mind. "So I gotta ask. What's with the socks?" I asked. "Aw, don't tell me you don't like how they look." She said. She then does a sexy pose to show off how the socks worked. I won't lie, I got a little red faced since the pose involved her presenting her hindquarters. I guess the socks were used for sexual appeal, making the flank look much more.... pleasurable. "Solar, could you not tease the newcomer please?" A voice said from the door way. I turn to look at the door and Billy Buckshot, and a light grey pegasus pony with a black goatee wearing a brown desperado hat, and a black vest, along with a blue bandanna around his neck. That must be Cabela Cassidy. "Come on Cassidy. Gotta have a little fun. I'm sure he knows the good old look but not touch rule." Solar said, getting out of the sexy pose. "But I wouldn't mind if he disobeyed." She said with a wink. Cassidy just groaned. "You must be Nightshade." Cassidy said. "And you must be Cassidy." I replied. I don't know what surprises me more, the lack of a country accent, or the fact that he's a pony. When Billy said 'Me and my brother' I thought his brother was another griffon. Serves me right for automatic assumption. "-so thanks to the Steel Rangers. The Fallen Stars will no longer be occupying New Pegasus as their base. But for every open door, another one closes. Unfortunately for Borderville, The Hunter Confederacy was victorious in destroying the town." This, Vinyl Scratch pony, said. How she knew what happened to Borderville is completely unknown to me. Regardless, It got the attention of all of us. "Oh my Celestia. Bacardi was in Borderville wasn't he?" Solar Kisses asked. "Yea, he was. I was there too." I commented. "You were? What happened?" Bronzequill asked. "Apple Bloom and I was looking for a place to spend the night. The creatures of Borderville allowed us to stay in one of the rooms for rent, free the first night. While I was there some asshole was trying to hire me to blow up the town. It was built over an undetonated Belfire bomb. No idea who that that was a good idea, but it came back to bite them in the flank." I explained. It was suddenly quiet in the bar. Not that it was that loud. But there was definitely less chatter than when I first walked in. "Then what happened?" Billy asked. "I told him no. He attempted to pull a gun on me, but I didn't give him the chance. Shot the bastard and killed him where he stood. Got the bastards gun too." I said taking Lorenzo's SMG out as proof. "The sheriff there, Dawn, thought I shot him for no reason, but Bacardi vouched for me." I put the SMG back into my satchel. Bronzequill pours more Sunset Rum into me glass. I take it in my hoof, instead of my magic this time. And I noticed the whole bar was quiet. The radio on my PipBuck could be heard clearly, but I could tell that they preferred to listen to my story. "So then what?" Cassidy asked. I sipped my rum and went back to talking. "The next morning I went on my way. Apple Bloom and I needed to get to Blackridge, and yes, I'm aware of how far of a travel that is. Halfway to a place called Havoc, I came across a scrapyard. Found a couple of Raiders torturing Dogmeat. Of course, I took them out, and the Dog is now with me. We decided to spend the night in a shack. When we woke up, it turns out the Hunter Confederacy had hunted us down. They were pretty pissed upon finding out I killed their commander, and looted his corpse, so they tracked me down. Of course I wasn't gonna go down without a fight. But before the guns could go a blazin'. They decided to put on a fireworks display." I said taking another sip of the rum. "I'm guessing that's when the bomb was detonated?" Bronzequill asked. "You guess correctly. I mean. I don't necessarily care for the place itself. And I didn't know anyone there enough to care about them. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have tried to help." I gulp the rest of the rum down. "Anyways, after killing all but one and crippling a griffons legs, I was on my way. But, Apple Bloom. She was devastated at what happened. I mean, I killed someone in front of her, and she watched a town get blown up. At this rate, she'll be suffering PTSD by the time she's eleven, if she's not already suffering." "Apple Bloom?" Solar Kisses asked. "His daughter." Billy said. "I'm not her father. I'm her guardian." I corrected. "Her family left her in Stable 7, and I'm helping her get back to them." "Stable 7? That where you got the PipBuck from?" Cassidy asked. "Yea. If I was gonna help find her family, I was gonna need the PipBuck for advantages out here." I explained. "I never knew Stables had Changelings in them." Bronzequill said. "I'm not sure they do. The only reason I was there was because it's previous occupants opened the Stable and left me there so I could receive medical attention. Apparently, the ones who left me there were Apple Bloom's family. Along with someone named Mustang. The sad thing is, I knew Apple Bloom's family, according to the holotape that was on my body. Unfortunately, I can't remember a thing. I lost my memories." I said. "That's terrible." Solar commented. Bronzequill poured some more rum into the glass. "I know it is, but reuniting Apple Bloom with her family is one way to help me regain my memories. But getting her back to her family is more important." I said drinking once more. Silence occurred in the bar. "- In other news, The Alicorns have been a little quiet lately. This may sound like it's good news, but be on the lookout. Remember, Alicorns are smarter than the average mutant. Be on your guard." Vinyl said. "Bacardi told me you killed an Alicorn earlier. That true?" Billy asked. "Crushed it with random debris." I answered. I drink the rum halfway down. "That why you got the bandages on?" Cassidy asked. "Damn thing threw me through a wall out of a building two stories high. Cracked my shell when I landed, and I was bleeding out." I answered. "What did you do to trigger the Alicorn?" Bronzequill asked. "I was actually just trying to distract it, but I accidentally shot it in the shoulder, so it came looking for me. Long story short. It found me, I killed it, I bleed out and woke up being carried here." I said. "So, that's my life's story. I'm on a quest to find a filly's family, and my past. Hell will try to prevent me. But I'll make sure it fails." "I'll drink to that." Cassidy said. "Here here." Billy said. Bronzequill pours two glasses of the same rum and gives it to them. The three of us drink the rum down. Billy and Cassidy cough a little. "Damn, Sunset rum huh? *cough* that's a very heavy drink. How much did you drink?" Cassidy asked. I had no idea. I lost count. "Lost count after the second glass." I said. "Yer no lightweight I'll give you that." Billy said. I must've been a heavy drinker or something, because I felt fine. I know that I didn't have that many, but the drink was heavy. I'm done drinking anyway. I wouldn't wanna be drunk in front of Apple Bloom. "Okay, I'm done drinking. Gotta get back to Apple Bloom, and I'll need to not be in a hangover when I do." I said taking fifty caps out of my satchel and placing them on the bar table. "If it's too much, keep the change." I said as I walked off. "See you soon." Bronzequill said. I walk out of the bar and make my way to the floor mattress area. I check the time on my PipBuck. It was 9:23 pm. Guess time flies when you're drinking. Anyway, time for me to get to Apple Bloom, still need to teach her how to sneak. I make it to the floor mattress area and see Dogmeat sleeping on one of the mattresses, but Apple Bloom was nowhere to be found. "Apple Bloom?" I called. I began to look around. I take a few steps forward to look around some more. I still couldn't find her. For a filly, she's got a habit of not being were I seen her last. I continued to look around, but still couldn't find her. She could not have left the base, so there's no reason for me to panic. *pat* My ears picked up from behind me. Instinctively, I turn around, and I turned around fast. I saw Apple Bloom looking like I just caught her with her hoof in a cookie jar. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Ah was tryin' tah sneak up on ya, but yer ears are too sensitive." Apple Bloom explained. I shook my head and chuckled. I then walk up to her. "I managed to hear your hoofstep on solid ground. You were probably moving too fast. Next time try to slow down." I explained. "Okay." Apple Bloom said. She looked a little disappointed. She shouldn't worry, I know she'll get it right. "It's okay. You'll be difficult to hear, or find in no time." I said to reassure her. She gives me a small smile, to which I return the favor. "Nightshade. Ah'm a little hungry. Can ah get a snack please?" She asked. "Oh, sure." I answered. I take my battle saddle off of my back and put it next to Dogmeat. I reach inside and take out a box labeled 'Golden Dandy Apples'. I wonder why I haven't been hungry. Two days since we left combined with the two weeks I've been in a coma and my stomach hasn't done as much as growl. I'm curious as to why though. "Here you go-" I stop right there. Apple Bloom wasn't there anymore. That was smart of her. Very smart. Better find her though, she still needs to eat anyway. Then I heard rapid hoofsteps behind me. I turn around to see Apple Bloom peek her head around the corner of the building. She giggles. "That was clever. I'll give you that one." I said. She walks over to me as I opened the box. "When you're finished eating, I'll teach you more on sneaking. Okay?" I asked, giving her the box. She reaches into the box and began to eat the yellow apple slices. In the middle of chewing she takes out some apple slice and offers me a few pieces. "Oh no, I'm not hungry." I said. She tilts her head in confusion and swallowed. "But, it's been two days. You sure ain't hungry?" She asked. "I'm positive Apple Bloom, I'll be fine." I reassured her. She looks at the apples and then back at me. That's when she put the apples back in the box. "What are you doing?" "Ah'm savin' you some in case you change yer mind." She responded. I smiled at the act of kindness coming from Apple Bloom, but she shouldn't do that for me. "It's okay Apple Bloom, there's more food in my satchel if I do." I said. Apple Bloom closes the box and gives it back to me. "Ah insist Nightshade." Apple Bloom said. I just place the box next to the sleeping Dogmeat. "So, what more are you gonna teach me about sneakin'?" Apple Bloom asked. I tap my chin. She was clever enough to trick me into looking away, and she was quiet, and fast enough to disappear without me knowing. But she needed to work on how quiet she should move. I did manage to hear her twice. Now how was I gonna do that? ... ... That's it! "Apple Bloom, are you up for a game of hide and seek?" I asked. I was playing a fourth round of hide and seek, and I gotta say, she's getting progressively better at this. The first round, I managed to find her pretty quickly because she accidentally knocked over a trash can and tried to put it back. Caught her in the middle of it. Told her to be more careful when sneaking around things that make noise. The second round I found her hiding under a table with a cloth over it. I told her not to pick such an obvious spot and to be smarter about where to hide. The third round, she was very difficult to find. Everywhere I looked, I couldn't find her. It wasn't until I checked one of the buildings and saw that she was on top of a shelf. And the only reason I found her was because I heard her knock something off the shelf. That's when I told her to take advantage of covering noise. Use something to draw my attention away and move quickly, but only do it when it's necessary, given the risk. This round, however, was the most difficult so far. It had been fifteen minutes since the game started, and I haven't found her yet. Everywhere I looked, Apple Bloom wasn't there. "Hmm, now if I were Apple Bloom, where would I go to hide. After getting caught three times?" I asked myself. I then heard a small clank sound, causing me to look to my right. It was an alley like area with a trash can at the edge and a box backed up against the building. I manage to see part of a pink bow poking out from the side of the trash can. A bow that I was particularly familiar with. I began to walk closer to the can with a bit of a smirk on my face. "Oh Apple Bloom, you did so well, but leaving your bow in the open for me to see is a fatal-" Upon moving closer to the can, I see that the bow was pinned to the trash can, but Apple Bloom was nowhere in the area. "-mistake?" I take the bow off of the trash can and chuckle. "A decoy, clever filly. Clever filly indeed." I said. I observe the area. It wasn't that big, so she either put this there earlier, or before I walked into the alley. I then heard a something solid hit the ground behind me. Due to instinct, I turn around to see what caused the noise. That's when I noticed the box shift a little in my peripheral vision. She was under the box, and she was trying to use noise to distract me. She learns so fast. I walk over to the box and was about to lift it up the box, but... that'd be no fun. I walk in place, making sure my hooves sounded like I was walking away. I then move beside the box and waited. About thirty seconds later, the box lifts up and Apple Bloom's head peeks out. She then looks around, and gets out from under the box. She gently places the box back down, careful not to make the slightest noise with it. She then runs to the edge of the alley to see if I was there. That's when I began to creep up on her. She was too busy peeking around the corner to notice a sudden shadow casting over her. "Found ya." I said. Apple Bloom jumps upon suddenly hearing my voice. She quickly turns around breathing heavily, but quickly regains it. "Aw, ah though ah stumped you this time." Apple Bloom said. "I'm not gonna lie, you did. But you forgot something important. You can use covering noise to distract me and take my attention away from where you are, but you need to only do it when it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I may see you if I've got too quick of an eye." I informed. Apple Bloom nods in response. I then smile. "The decoy was clever. Very smart of you." Apple Bloom smiles. "Thanks Mr. Night *yawn*" Her yawn caused me to look at the time. It was damn near midnight. 11:49 pm. Apple Bloom was tired, and I was reaching my point of sleepiness myself. "Come on Apple Bloom, let's get some sleep." I said. "Okay." Apple Bloom said tiredly. The two of use then walk to the floor mattress area to see Dogmeat still asleep. He took up most of the bed, leaving little room. I shook him awake. "Dogmeat. Off." I said. Dogmeat looks at me and then gets off of the mattress. As he got off, I laid down on my back, not even taking the battle saddle off. I felt Apple Bloom curl herself underneath my right hoof. I was gonna go to sleep, but then I looked at Dogmeat. He looked at me with flopped ears and gave a quieted whimper. He was begging to come to bed. I was too tired to try and tell him no, so I just tapped my chest. Dogmeat moves to my left side and places head on my chest and looks at me. "Gets some sleep fur ball. We've got things to do." I said. Dogmeat licks me again. I just groan and go to sleep. I woke up to the feeling of a drop of water hitting my snout. I flicker my eyes open and saw grey clouds in the sky. It wasn't a lot of rain, just drizzle, couldn't bother anybody. I was gonna sit up, but I found myself unable to. A certain vanilla-yellow coated filly had transitioned from my side to right beside my head with her hoof around my neck, as well as a grey furred wolf dog transitioned from my left side to full on lying onto my stomach. Dogmeat's snout was right underneath my chin. My face continued to get hit with small raindrops. Dogmeat sort of shielded my lower body which was nice, but I wouldn't want to smell like wet dog. I tapped on Dogmeat and he slowly woke up. He gets off of me and stretched. I gently take Apple Bloom's hoof from around my neck and stand up taking my hat off and putting it on Apple Bloom to keep her dry. I stretch and pop my back again. I take a second to check my stuff to see that it was all there, which it was. I looked at Apple Bloom, she was sleeping so peacefully. So adorably. I didn't wanna wake her. So I picked her up with my magic and hold her with my front hoof as I used the hat to keep her dry by hovering it over her. It manage to shield her from the head to the top half of her hind legs. The bottom portion of her hind legs would still get wet, but it wasn't enough to wake her up. I walk to the gate and was met up by Midnight Huntress. "Leaving already? I was getting used to you staying." She told me. "I'm sorry I have to leave, but I've gotta get to Blackridge. The longer I wait. The longer it'll take to get there." I explained. "That's understandable, but I'm still kinda saddened. I was hoping to get to know you better." Midnight Huntress explained. "The feeling is mutual, Midnight. I'd really would've liked to her that story between you and the Chimera." I replied. She gives a little chuckle. "I'm sure Apple Bloom will tell you the full story." Midnight replies. I smile at the comment. I look at Apple Bloom as I felt her snuggle up closer to my chest. Pulling her legs in underneath the hat even more. I looked at Dogmeat who was panting and pet him on the head. "I think now's a good a time as any to take those bandages off." Midnight said. I had completely forgotten about the bandages. I use the sharp point of my tail to tear the top part of it off, and then use my magic to take it off. "That thing's pretty handy isn't it?" Midnight asked. I look back at my tail instinctively. "Yeah, I guess it is." I answered. "Have you ever... used it like a weapon?" "I might've, back when I had my memories. But since I woke up, no." "You think there might be venom in that thing?" "No idea. I haven't been desperate enough to use it." I answered. A silence fell between us. The rain wasn't bothering me so far, but Apple Bloom was shaking. The rain was making it cold, so I moved her in closer. "You wouldn't happen to have something for her to wear do you? Something a little warmer?" I asked. "Yea, of course. Stay here, I'll be right back." She said. She then runs off and goes in one of the buildings. I sit on my hind hooves and hug Apple Bloom with both hooves, to kept her warm. Next thing I here is hoofsteps. Midnight Huntress comes back with something underneath her wing. She makes it to me and pulls a folded pink hoodie out from underneath. "Here." She said. "Thank you." I said taking the hoodie. I place it into the satchel and give her a smile. I turn around, ready to leave, but she stopped me. "Before you leave, I'd like to give you something." She said. I look at her with a raised eyebrow. Confused as to what she meant by that. "What exactly do you me-" *smooch* She....she just kissed me. Why would she do that? She moves her lips away from my cheeks, the area she had kissed, and my cheeks began to burn. That was just out of nowhere. I haven't done anything to receive that...... Did I? "Be sure to come back soon. Okay?" She said. Of course I'm gonna wanna come back, ammo, supplies, this place has it all. But now, I don't know whether or not to do so. I mean, I don't wanna be rude, but I don't know my own past. I could probably have a marefriend, or a wife even. But then again, I probably don't. I guess fate would have to decide whether or not I should, or will come back. "I'm afraid that's not up to me." I said. "Hmph. Well when it is, come back and-," *Shroom* a thick red liquid suddenly splatters onto my face, impairing my vision. I use my free hoof to wipe the liquid off. I open my eyes, they then widened. Midnight Huntress was on the ground, bleeding from the neck. She had been shot, and she was holding her neck with her hooves, bleeding profusely from the neck. I quickly run toward cover. I peeked out and quickly go into S.A.T.S. I saw a pony, wearing white combat armor. Armor I have seen before. It was the Hunter Confederacy. And they had shot Midnight. I come out of S.A.T.S and look back at Midnight Huntress as more bullets came into the base. Apple Bloom fidgets awake upon hearing the bullets. "Nightshade! What's going on?!" She asked in panic. "Apple Bloom, hide. NOW!" I shouted. Apple Bloom jumps out of my hooves and runs off. I take one last look at Midnight Huntress, she was in the open. Used as bait for anyone to try and help her. What am I to do? Try to help her. (Good Karma) Shoot Back. (Neutral Karma) Put her out of her misery. (Evil Karma) Footnote New skills: Mare Killer- Easier to persuade Mares and 20% more damage to mares. Author's Note This was a difficult Chapter to write. Oh well, Time for the post chapter status report. Nightshade's Karma: Seeker Good: 0 Neutral: 5 Evil: 0 Trivia: Nightshade dropping a large pile of debris on the Alicorn is a reference to Fallout Equestria's Littlepip dropping a house on an Alicorn in Chapter 7 of Fallout Equestria. Nightshade constantly being mistaken for Apple Bloom's father is a reference to Lee from The Walking Dead being mistaken for Clementine's father. Originally this chapter was gonna be named Alicorns, and it would've been the Alicorns that attacked Wolfwater. Nightshade was gonna have a nightmare involving an Alicorn, which would trigger him being paranoid and foresee an attack coming. If Nightshade's decision was Good Karma, Bacardi would call him reckless but brave. If Nightshade's decision was Evil Karma, Nightshade would find Wolfwater on his own and Bacardi would tell him that the Alicorn left. Midnight Huntress' name is a genderbent version name of Midnight Hunter from Prince Ezio: The Changeling Assassin. Billy Buckshot and Cabela Cassidy are names referencing the Western outlaws, Billy the kid, and Butch Cassidy Barcardi has the same accent as Whitechapel Charlie from Fallout 4 That's all the trivia for today. Voting deadline is my birthday, April 5th.
Chapter 4: Same Journey, Different Problems (Good Karma)I couldn't just leave her there to bleed out. I need to help her, and fast. I tried to run out to help her but a barrage of bullets came my way forcing me to fall back. I'm not going to lie, that wasn't very smart of me. These guys are literally using her as bait if I was going to get to her I was going to have to shoot them even if I couldn't see them, or at least at them. I pull out Lorenzo's SMG, using my magic to levitated in the direction in which they were shooting. They immediately started to shoot at my gun. Looks like these guys were a little bit smart to try and disarm me, but that wasn't going to work. As my submachine gun shot, I ran out from cover to go and help Midnight Huntress. Without a second thought, I use my front hooves to drag her behind cover. Once we were behind cover I sat her up against the wall. She was fatal condition. Blood was rapidly pouring out of her neck, some ounces of blood was even leaking out of her mouth. The worst part, she look like she was about to fall asleep. Now I may not be a doctor, but I'm smart enough to know that someone in a condition like this should not fall asleep and maybe the last time they even close their eyes. "Come on Midnight, don't give up on me now. Stay with me." I said as I placed my hoof on her neck in an attempt to stop her bleeding. It wasn't working. The blood still rapidly leak out from her neck. She was going to need to healing potion and stat. I use my magic to lift up my satchel and try to pull out a healing potion. But, my magic isn't picking up anything. Why? Why was it my magic picking up the healing potion? I turn around to look at the left side of my satchel; where I kept the healing potions. To my horror there was a giant hole in my satchel. Even worse, when I turned around to look at the opening, where the Hunter Confederacy was shooting from, the healing potions were right there. I use my magic to pick up one of the syringes. A bullet goes through the syringe. I try to pick up another one, and a bullet goes through that one too. I wasn't gonna be able to get the healing potion like that, so I ran out to grab the last one. As soon as I got close to the healing potion, a bullet was sent through my hind leg. The momentum of how fast I was running caused me to fly forward. I was still in the open, and hind hoof was bleeding. I look up to see a few H.C members advancing toward me. I use my magic to shoot back at them. I killed three before hearing a click. "Shit." I silently exclaim. I see a griffon aiming an assault rifle at me. My eyes widen. That's when a bullet went through his head. I turn around to see Buckshot Billy with a scoped lever action rifle in his talons. He cocks it back and shots another one. Cabela Cassidy comes out with a shotgun battle saddle on his back. He too began shooting. "Guys! *pained grunt* Huntress! Help her!" I grunted out. Billy and I look at Huntress who had fallen over, blood still pouring out of her neck. "Shit! I'm on it!" Billy said rushing to her aid. Cassidy stood in front of me shooting with his battle saddle. "Get to cover! Quick!" He commanded. He did not have to tell me twice. I quickly began to crawl behind the wall. As I did, I sat up against the wall and looked at my leg. Luckily, the bullet went straight through my leg, so I won't have to worry about digging it out. I look over at Midnight to see Billy with a Talon over her neck, trying to stop the bleeding. It wasn't working. She then closes her eyes and slump over. Billy then looks at us and shook his head. "Fuckers." Cassidy exclaimed. He said what I was thinking. These guys are gonna pay for they did. I took the ripped bandages from my satchel and wrap it around my hoof. I see it glow yellow for a second. That will be brought up in question later. I reload my SMG and get ready to start shooting back. That's when I saw a griffon land on top of the gate overlooking Billy. I shoot the SMG at the griffon and managed to kill him causing him to fall of the gate. Billy looks at the dead griffon, and then back at me. "Billy! Those griffons are trying to fly over the gate, see if you can keep that from happening!" I ordered. "On it!" He shouts back. He flies up and lands on the building beside the wall and began to shoot his rifle. I stand up and look at Cassidy. "Cassidy, we gotta keep them from getting close to the entrance!" I said. More of the armed settlers began to make their way to take care of the invasion. What the absolute fuck took them so long? "I'll try my best to do so! Try to-" I grabbed him and pull him behind the wall as a bullet zipped past where Cassidy's head used to be. "Sweet Celestia, What the fuck was-" "I saw a muzzle flash in my peripheral vision! One of these assholes have a sniper!" I explained. "Oh shit, thanks!" He said. "Thank me later! Let's deal with these guys firs- Watch out!" I shouted as I noticed a H.C pony member with an assault rifle saddle rush into the settlement. I'm surprised he hasn't been shot by any of the settlers. I push Cassidy to the side and shoot at him with my shotgun saddle, which blasted him back. Killing him. "Stay here! I'm gonna find a way to deal with that sniper!" I said. "There's a sniper on the guard post on top of that building, see if you can get to it. I'll cover you." Cassidy said pointing to the top of Bronco's Bar. Sounded like a plan. Not a good one since I had to save Cassidy twice because he wasn't paying attention, but there wasn't enough time to think of something else. "On it!" I said making my way to the building. I run to the building and opened up the door. Upon opening the door, I heard something fast moving toward the left of my head. I lower my upper body entirely and use my tail to grab whatever object it was being sent at my head. I quickly lift up and pin whoever it was holding the object to the wall with my hoof at their neck. Immediately after doing so I see that it's Bronzequill. "Bronzequill!?" I exclaimed releasing him, he falls to the ground. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you." "It's alright. What's going on?" He asked. "The Hunter Confederacy is attacking, and one of those assholes has a sniper. I gotta get to the roof." I said. Solar Kisses stands up from behind the counter. "Quickly, follow me!" She said. I began to run after her, but stopped and turned to look at Bronzequill. I then take my SMG out of my satchel. "Bronzequill, take this. Just in case an H.C member comes through that door." I said tossing him the gun. He catches it, looks back at me and nods. I then run after Solar Kisses. I follow the amber bat pony up the stairs and to a ladder leading to the rooftop. I use my magic to open the trapdoor leading to the rooftop and proceeded to climb the ladder. "Kick their asses for us kid." Solar said. "That's the plan." I replied as I finished climbing the ladder. On top of the rooftop, I was able to see the sniper on the guard post. I quickly run and pick it up; taking cover behind the guard post as I did. The sniper currently in my hooves was a high powered one, bolt action, and looked like it was military issue. This would go through heads nicely. I peek up over the guard post, and scope out every thing. The casualty count was big on our side, but it was bigger on the theirs, not by much those. It didn't help that their white combat armor made them easier to see in the grey sky and rain. I see that muzzle flash aimed at me, I quickly duck down and a chunk of the guard post came flying off. I peek out to the left of the guard post aiming down the scope. I look in the exact spot I saw the muzzle flash previously. I see a unicorn with a cocking his bolt action sniper back. Now was my chance. I took the shot, and the bullet managed to hit him in the neck. He collapses and began to die from loss of blood. I pull back the lever and aimed again. I saw a griffon running for the sniper. I took him out before he got close. I move my head away from the scope and look at Billy. He gives me a thumbs up. I nod. He then shoots me a wide eyed look and points behind me. I turn around and got slugged in the face by a very heavy and very powerful blunt object. I fall off of the roof and land on my stomach. That was extremely painful. I recover and sure enough, my nose and forehead was bleeding. Blood was dripping from from my forehead and nose onto the ground. I turn around to see a griffon wielding a giant sledgehammer on top of the roof. I recognized this griffon, and I was sure he would've been dog chow by now. "Remember me?" He gritted. "Of course I do." I said back. I stumbled onto my feet and looked back at him. I let this guy live, big mistake on my part. "We've got some unfinished business. And this time, I won't be leaving with crippled legs." He said. "You're right. You're leaving in a body bag, cause you're dead motherfucker." I replied. He jumps down and approached me. I bite down on my mouthpiece trigger only to hear a click come from my shotguns. Out of bullets? No matter, more suffering for him. He runs toward me and swings his sledgehammer. I move dodge underneath it and tackle him to the ground causing him to release the hammer. I landed on top of him and began to punch him the face, multiple times. After ten punches he grabs my hoof and punches me in the face and flips me off of him. Now he was on top of me. Before he could punch me, I punch him in the face, causing him to stumble off of me. I then get up and run towards the sledgehammer. He grabs my leg, tripping me. I kick him, and run towards the sledgehammer and pick it up with my magic. I turn around to see that the griffon now had a machete in his hand. "Come on you stupid bug. Show me what you got." He said. I run over to him and he swings the machete at me. I block with the handle and hit him in the face with the bottom of the handle and then swing the sledgehammer, hitting him in the ribs. I hear a satisfying crunch sound coming from his ribs. He falls to the ground screaming in agony, that's when I dropped the sledgehammer and go for the machete. Once I picked it up I looked back at him. He looks at me with a remorseful look on his face as I walked toward him. As I got close I lifted up the machete and got ready to finish him off. But.... I couldn't do it. I can't kill him like this. It was so much easier to think about killing this guy when he was attacking me, but while he was here injured and defenseless, I couldn't do it. I put the machete into my satchel and ran back towards the from of the gate. I was stopped however as something tackled me to the ground. Whatever it was fell off of me as I hit the ground. I try to recover, but the culprit pounced back on top of me. It was the griffon I just let live. Now he was on top of me, clasping my neck with his claws. My lack of hands or talons put me at a severe disadvantage. I was gonna need to think of something quickly. I tried punching him in the face, but that wasn't working. I tried using to my hind hooves to lift him off of me, but his grip increased. I felt my tail swipe around, as well as my consciousness begin to slip away from me. "Die you worthless bu-" He was interrupted by me punching him in the ribs. He yells in pain as he took his talons off of my neck to tend to his pained ribs. He remained on top of me, so this was my chance to take him off of me- *shroom, splat* A bullet goes into the right side of his head and didn't come out the other send. He slumps over to the left, dead. Who shot him? I look to the right, where the bullet came from and I see Apple Bloom. She had a 10mm pistol in her mouth, and tears in her eyes. The gun drops from her mouth. This wasn't good. I get up and began to make my way toward her. *rumble, thump, crash* What is that? "Oh shit. HELLHOUND!" I heard a Red Phoenix merc shout. I see the ground in front of the entrance start to break. "Apple Bloom! Run! Now!" I shouted. She didn't move. Her eyes were still on the griffon she had killed. She was traumatized. I saw a large claw come out from the ground. Both sides stopped shooting and ran away. "Apple Bloom, for Pete's sake, Snap out of it!" I shouted. She remained still. Half of the Hellhound's body come out of the hole. Everyone was running, but Apple Bloom. That Hellhound was only half way out of the ground, and it was already menacing to look at. Blood on his claws and around it's snout. It was terrifying. Apple Bloom was just standing there. I began to reload my battle saddle, rear kicking the magazines out and loading new ones in with my magic. I then aim at the hellhound. "Apple Bloom Please! Snap out it! You've gotta run or it's going to kill you!" I shouted. Apple Bloom still didn't move. The hellhound was now fully out of the ground. It was only slouched over, but it was gigantic. It let out a roar that was so terrifying, it was understandable why the first part of its name was hell. It looks at me and then looks at Apple Bloom. It started to run towards her. "HEY!" I shouted. I bit down on the mouthpiece trigger and fired a few shots at the hellhound. The barrage of bullets punctured his skin, but did nothing to damage him. He then switches his attention onto me. I keep shooting it. I may not be doing a lot of damage. I may be the only one shooting. And I may be so scared that it surprises me how I'm not dead from a heart attack. But the only thing going through my mind is this thing is going to get worst than it can give if it thinks it's going to hurt Apple Bloom. He gets close enough to bring his claw back in an attempt to slash at me. I dodge it underneath it and dash behind it. I began to shoot it in the back. That just pissed him off. I look where Apple Bloom was, and I saw Solar Kisses picking her up and carrying her away. I gave a sigh of relief. *Smack* The hellhound back clawed me in the face, sending me to the ground. I recover to see the monster run towards me again. I stand up and began to shoot at it again. This thing was not budging one bit. It brings back its claw and gets ready to slash at me. I run to the left to try and avoid its momentum. That's when it slashed me with its other claw. I was sent flying back, now bleeding from the chest with three claw marks. I stumble back to my feet and I was more terrified that I had ever been these 35-40 something hours I've been awake. I stand back up as the beast began to run my way. This fucking thing is going to kill me, very, very, VERY quickly. I was gonna need to think of something fast. I then felt liquids come out of my tail as I thought of a plan. I think the best course of action for this sit- Wait. What's coming out of my tail? I turn to look at my tail and see a purple liquid coming out of my tail. If that is what I think it is, it would help a bunch to keep me alive. I began to shoot hellhound as it approached me. I back up as it got closer and closer. It then brings up its claw, and that's when I ready my tail. The hellhound slashes it towards me and I strike my tail toward its paw and grazed his arm with my stinger. It lets out a loud roar that was absolute poison to my ears. I couldn't tell if it was out of pain, or out of anger, but he wasn't exactly in the mood for a chat. Now I had to- *Slash* Right across my left side, I was slashed once again as well as knocked on the ground. This one actually broke my battle saddle. One side of it anyway. I try to get off of the ground, but the hellhound picked me up off the ground and lifted me up, bringing its claw back ready to deliver the final blow. I looked in its eyes as it brought back its claw. It was ready to kill me. Ready to tear me apart. If I am to die here, my only regret, is not getting to Blackridge. I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for the final blow. ... ... Nothing happened. I open my eyes to see the hellhound looking back at its own arm, which was slowly turning purple. It then drops me causing me to land on my side. I look back up at the hellhound to it falling to its knees. It then lets out another roar and collapses at my hooves. It's eyes remained open, but it didn't move, didn't blink, it didn't even breathe. It was dead. I killed this thing. I'd jump into the air with joy, but I am bleeding from five wounded parts of my body. Six if you count the hind hoof I wrapped bandages around. I check my PipBuck, and my health was on.... wait that can't be right. 35/210 HP? Wasn't my health a max of 175 last time? When did I get this more resistant- you know what? That's not important. Neither is finding a healing potion.... okay that is important, but not as important as me needing to talk to Apple Bloom. "Holy shit." I heard Bacardi's voice say. I look up to see him along with Billy, Cassidy, and Solar Kisses, who was holding a crying Apple Bloom. I couldn't see Apple Bloom's face, because it was buried in Solar Kisses' chest, but I heard her sniffles. I made my way straight to her. Bacardi said something to me. 'Good Job' or 'You really are a brave one' or something like that. I didn't listen to him. My main priority was talk to Apple Bloom. So that's what I'm going to do. "Apple Bloom? Apple Bloom!" I called. She sniffled and didn't even bother to look at me. "Apple Bloom, please. I know this is difficult for you to do but please talk to me. I'm here for you okay?" I reassured. Blood from the three claw marks on my chest began to drip onto ground. It was concerning the others I know. "Mr. Shade, we need to get you some medic-" "Shut up." I interrupted Billy with venom in my voice. I know it was harsh, but Apple Bloom needs my help more than I need anyone else's. Regardless, he shut up. "Apple Bloom, listen to me. I know in the eyes of a young filly such as yourself, what you did, you see it as murder. But you didn't murder anyone, you saved my life." I said. Her sniffling reduced. "Apple Bloom, please, answer me this. Were you scared when you picked up the gun?" I asked. Apple Bloom moves a hoof to her eye to wipe away a tear before nodding. "But you did it anyway. You know what that means Apple Bloom?" I asked. "*sniff* That. *sniff* that ah'm an idiot." Apple Bloom replied. "No. That means you're brave." I replied. She looks at me in teary eyed confusion. "Ah... ah am?" She asked. "You're ten year old filly that was scared to shoot a dangerous griffon, but you overcame that fear in order to save my life. If that's not the definition of brave, I don't know what is." I said. She sniffs again and looks at me sadly once more. "Most foals your age would just sit and hope for the best. But you; you took matters into your own hooves. You made a very difficult decision, and for that, I am very proud of you." I said. Apple Bloom jumps out of Solar Kisses' hooves and runs to me. Hugging my front right hoof. I smile at the moment, and gladly returned the favor, wrapping my left hoof around her. "Thank you, Nightshade." She said in a barely audible whisper. "No problem kiddo." I said. I look back up and see Billy handing me a healing potion. In which I gladly take and stick it into my shoulder. Sealing my cuts shut and stopping the bleeding. I mouth the words 'Thank you' to which the tiger striped griffon nodded. "Nightshade, do you have a minute?" Bacardi asked. I looked at Apple Bloom, who looks back at me and nods. She releases my hoof and I walk with Bacardi towards Midnight's body. She had unfortunately, died in the altercation. Even if she were to have gotten a healing potion, she had lost too much blood to survive. It was very unfortunate. She was nice, she was funny, and she cared for Apple Bloom. Not as much as I did, but enough to give her a hoodie. I wonder why she was so willing to do that though. "I'm sorry about Midnight. She didn't deserve this." I said. Bacardi shoots me a sympathetic look. "It's alright kid. There was nothing you could do." Bacardi said looking back at Midnight. A silence feel between us for a good minute. I wasn't sure what to say. I was sad too, but not as sad as Bacardi tried to hide. "She took a liking to you, ya know." Bacardi commented. "Yea. I know." I replied. Bacardi looked at me with a semi shocked expression. "You did?" "Yea, when I was ready to leave she kissed me on the cheek. Said she wanted me to come back when I could." I answered. "That sounds like her. Sees what she wants and always try to take it." Bacardi said. "I wish I could've done more to help." "Look kid. I appreciate your nobility, but sometimes things just happen." Bacardi said. I still felt upset about not being able to help her. "Nightshade, look around. We've lost a lot of mercs, but they lost more of theirs thanks to you. Hell, you took on a hellhound on your lonesome. Something our bravest piss themselves at the thought. Try not to beat yourself up about it, okay?" Bacardi said. I remained silent at that. I look at her and the location of which she was shot. There was a long blood trail, wide in width. She lost a lot of blood. Would a healing potion even be effective at that point. I didn't know. "I'll give you a minute kid. See me at Recoil Remington's shop when you're done okay?" I nod. Bacardi walks off as I remained in front of Midnight Huntress. I didn't know her that well, but I could tell she was kind, funny, and from how she spoke with Bacardi (as briefly as that was), she struck me as the time to have some sass to her. But now she's in a better place, I know that for sure. "Rest in peace Ms. Huntress. I wish we did get to know each other more." I said, Dogmeat caught me off guard with a howl. I haven't seen him since the firefight started. He had blood around his muzzle, indicating he was dealing with the H.C from a different part of the settlement. His howl, I noticed, was a mournful one. After that, I close her eyes using my hoof, stand up and walk toward Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom looks behind me, and then back at me. "She's in a better place Apple Bloom." I reassured. Apple Bloom nods sadly. I look at the undamaged part of my satchel and take out the hoodie Midnight gave me. "She thought you looked cold and wanted me to give you this." I said. Giving Apple Bloom the hoodie. The rain began to come down a little harder. I hold Applejack's hat over Apple Bloom to shield her from the rain as she puts on the hoodie. When the hoodie was fully on, I couldn't help but notice how adorable she was in that hoodie. Hoodies looked unusual for ponies to wear, but in an adorable kind of way. Hmm, Adora-bloom. That's a nickname to soon call her by. But that'll be later at a much lighter moment. Right now, she needs time to let all of what happened sink in. We both do. I began to make my way to Recoil Remington's shop. Seriously, what's up with the alliterative names. I feel Apple Bloom's hoof touch mine. I moved my hoof due to instinct. I wasn't used to her doing that, which was why I reacted like that. But upon realizing it was her, I place my hoof back on the ground, allowing her to grab it. We make our way to Recoil Remington's shop. Upon entry, I see Bacardi giving a bag of caps to a griffon. The griffon walks away, and Bacardi turns around to look at me. "What did you want to see me for?" I asked. "I know that you need to be on your way to Blackridge, so I'm not gonna take up too much of your time." Bacardi said. "Okay." I said in response. "There's an old train station about seven miles east of here. One of the places it was routed for was someplace that used to be called Manehattan. Most now know it as of course, Blackridge. If you could get it working, you can turn a five day to a week walk to a one day train ride." Bacardi explained. I honestly don't know how that worked, but if it's a faster way for us to Blackridge, then I'm all for it. "Sounds like a plan." I said. That's when I realized, I don't know how to operate a train. "Glad you think so. But here's the problem." He started. I already know what he's going to say. I need a new satchel, I some armor, and I need someone to watch my back or something. "You're gonna need three things before you head back out. A new satchel, some armor, and probably most importantly, someone watching your back." Called it. "I kind of knew that already, but I'm not too sure who will come with me. Besides, I think it would be better if I did this alone. Wouldn't want another reason for death on my part." I explained. "Don't worry, I respect that. You don't want someone else to die within your group, but it would be wise to have someone watching your back as a just in case things are too difficult for you to handle on your own." Bacardi said. That was a very valid point. It would be wise to have a second gun to help me through this hell. If I'm gonna get to Blackridge, Dogmeat and I shouldn't be the only ones being shot at. A pretty fucked up way to look at that, but the most honest way. Then again, if that's how I look at a situation like that, It would be wise if I did this alone, for the sake of anyone who wants to stick by me. "I'll remember those words if I change my mind, but right now, I prefer to be alone." I said. The griffon that Bacardi paid earlier comes back with some folded clothes and another battle saddle. An assault rifle type rather than a shotgun. "Consider it a gift. A thank you for helping us." Bacardi said. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What're the clothes for?" "Leather Red Phoenix armor. Better than the average leather armor you'd find on Caravan Guards. You'll have better defense against bullets and laser shots." Bacardi said. Wait? Lasers? "Lasers?" I asked. "Yea, raiders and/or slavers sometimes get lucky enough to find Laser rifles or saddles. Luckily, their aim's normally worst than a blind folded griffon shooting with his feet." Bacardi said. That was his attempt at a joke, it wasn't funny. What was funny, however was the glare the griffon shot him while he was looking away. As much of a struggle as it was, I managed to keep a straight face. "Well, thank you for the armor and battle saddle." I thanked. "Hey, don't mention it. And if you ever change your mind on going alone, you know where to find us." He told me. I nodded with a small smile. Apple Bloom and I walk out of Recoil Remington's shop with the leather armor on. I had to admit, the leather armor suited me. More specifically, the jacket with a missing right sleeve that came with the armor. The armor was light, and felt like it wouldn't protect against that much damage. But still better than nothing. The battle saddle was the same weight as the combat shotgun saddle. Which was around 14 pounds. 30 if you count the two guns, the machete, food, and water I transferred into the satchels. I tried to get some ammo for the 'Last Words' lever action rifle, but the vendor said that the bullets for my gun was custom made. Meaning he didn't have the bullets, or the materials to make the bullets. Or the schematics. I also put an earth pony 10mm pistol in my bag to teach Apple Bloom how to shoot some more. She already knows how to shoot, but now she learn the kill or be killed mentality when things get bad. There will be a moment where she'll either not be able to hide, or she'll be found to easily. She needs to be ready as a just in case. The rain had gotten mildly harder. Something told me that it might be a thunderstorm soon. Hopefully it won't be so bad before dark. I look at Apple Bloom, who was trying to put her hood on. I save her the time by using my magic to put her hood on her head. I looked at the front gate to see Dogmeat sitting there. "Dogmeat!" I called. Dogmeat turned around and ran toward me happily. I pet his head as he panted. "Come on fur ball, it's time to go." I said. Dogmeat gives a playful bark in response. That's when me, Apple Bloom and Dogmeat walked out of the gate. I check my PipBuck for the location of the train station. It was indeed marked on my map to the east. I also look at the time, it was 10:21 am. No better time to get a move on than now. The travel to the train station was a lot farther than it looks on the PipBuck. It had been two hour, and I was barely halfway there. It was also pretty hard to walk as Apple Bloom walked underneath me to shield her from the rain. It was very hard to walk without stepping on Apple Bloom. So it wasn't easy to get where I needed to go. As I walked, I made sure to check all of my surroundings. In the two hour walk, I had been attacked by giant flies, giant mole rats, and wild dogs. All of which I only managed to hear at the last second, so I need to be on guard for anything, or anyone willing to attack me. Luckily for me, Dogmeat would be able to warn me of anything dangerous. Thank goodness for that nose and those ears, right? "Nightshade, how much further do we got?" Apple Bloom asked. "We're halfway there Apple Bloom. I think it would be faster if you weren't underneath me. It's not exactly easy to walk when I'm trying not to step on you." I said. "Aw, but it's so comfy under here." Apple Bloom complained. "Maybe for you, but up here it's very uncomfortable. I'm trying my best not to-" "Ouch!" Apple Bloom said as I 'accidentally' stepped on her tail. Okay I did that on purpose, but I'm sure that'll get the message across. "-step on your tail." I finished. I stepped back as Apple Bloom tended to her tail. "You okay?" "That hurt." Apple Bloom said, glaring at me as if she knew I did that on purpose. "Eh, you'll live. *ruffles Apple Bloom's mane* Come on kiddo, we still got 3 and a half miles to go." I said. Apple Bloom puts her hood back on and joins me in a side by side walk. As we walked, I couldn't help but replay what happened at Wolfwater in my head. I was happy I was able to calm her down, but I need to teach her more on guns and survival. "Apple Bloom, do you know how to reload a gun?" I asked. That's when Apple Bloom stopped. I hope I didn't trigger any PTSD. Oh please tell me Apple Bloom has PTSD. "Do ah have to?" Apple Bloom asked. "Well, if you're gonna be carrying one, this is something you need to know." I replied. Apple Bloom shot me a saddened look. "Look Apple Bloom, I know it might be uncomfortable for you to have to carry one, but this is how we have to live now. It's always wise to have a backup plan. What's gonna happen if you can't find a good hiding spot and I can't get to you in time?" I asked. Apple Bloom's ears flop. "Ah understand Nightshade." She said. She said she understood, but did she really? Only time will tell. I use my magic to take the 10mm pistol out of my satchel. I then give it to her. She holds it. "It's pretty easy. You just take that clip out and pull the barrel back to empty the chamber." I explained. Apple Bloom does exactly that. I catch the stray bullet before it hit the ground. "Good job." I said. "Do ah put it back in?" Apple Bloom asked. "Not just yet. You're gonna need to put the bullet back in the magazine." I said. I gave the bullet to Apple Bloom. As she held it in her hoof, I couldn't help but wonder how she held something that small in her hoof without her dropping it. She sets the gun aside and puts up the magazine. She was struggling with putting the bullet back in the magazine. "Apple Bloom, try tilting the back of the bullet closer toward the magazine." I said. Apple Bloom tilts the bottom of the bullet and it presses down a lot easier. She still struggled, but less. "Okay, now what?" She asked. "Now, put it in the magazine back in the gun." I said. Apple Bloom does what she is told and then looks at me again. "You're doing good, now just pull the barrel back to put the bullet in the chamber." I said. Apple Bloom pulls the barrel back, and with both hear a small click sound. "Good job." I said. Apple Bloom beams a smile my way. "I'll try to find a satchel you could fit, or a backpack so you can carry the gun yourself." "You trust me with a gun?" She asked. A give a little chuckle. "Well you did save my life, so yea. But I'll carry the gun for now until I find something you can carry it in." I said. "Okay." "Come on, we gotta get a move on if we wanna get to the train station." I said. Apple Bloom nods with confidence. We continued walking though the rain and began to make some progress. "Nightshade?" "Yea?" "How do ya do it?" She asked, confusing me. "Do what exactly?" "How do ya kill somepony? Doesn't it bother you that ya took somepony's life?" Apple Bloom asked. I knew this would come, and I was ready to explain..... sort of. We didn't stop walking though. "Apple Bloom, remember the griffon from Borderville that I killed." I started. I see Apple Bloom nod in my peripherals. So I continued. "Remember the raiders from the Scrapyard and the Hunter Confederacy when they attacked Wolfwater." "Mm hmm." Apple Bloom said. "Do you know what they have in common with the Hellhound, the wild dogs, and the mole rats?" I asked. Apple Bloom was quiet for about four seconds. "They all smell bad?" She asked. I'm not gonna lie, that was funny enough to make me laugh lightly, even if Apple Bloom was serious about saying that. "No. Well... maybe, but that's not the point. They all tried to kill me." I said. Apple Bloom stayed silent for a moment. "It's easier to take someone's life when you're not thinking of them as an innocent living creature, but as something trying to kill you. The weight doesn't necessarily stick to your back when you see it in as self defense, or the defense of someone else instead of murder." I explained. "Is that easy to understand?" I asked hoping she'd say yes. That was the simplest I could explain it. "Well, sort of." She said. Meh, close enough. The two of us continued walking. We come across a road area with a few boxes on the other side of the it. Those boxes looked new and could have supplies in it. I hope so, we're running low on water. We get closer to the boxes, and upon closer inspection, we see that there were three of them. They were wooden. Should be easy to break open. I walk toward one of the boxes and pull out the machete and use it to pry open the first box. It was a bit of a struggle, but somehow that did the trick. After prying the top half off of the nails, I stick my hoof in there and pry the entire thing off. "What's inside?" Apple Bloom asked. Inside the box was a bunch of medical supplies. Healing potions, RadAways, orange pill bottles labeled 'Rad-X', and a couple of boxes labeled 'Magical Bandages'. Must've been the same type of bandages Bacardi and Midnight used on me. "Medical supplies. Lots of them." I said. This was a bit of a confusing encounter. This crate, along with its supplies, it looked like it belonged to a military force. *click* What was that? I turn around to see Apple Bloom opening the second box. She had a bobby pin in her mouth and a screwdriver in her hoof. She picked the lock on the box. I'm impressed. "There's water in here." Apple Bloom said removing the bobby pin from her mouth. "Bottles or gallons." I asked. "Both." She said. I walked over to where she was and looked for myself. Sure enough when I walked over there, there was a bunch of water bottles and one big water jug. This definitely felt like this was a shipment to a military force, or something with a lot of occupants. There was one more box to check out. What could be in it? Weapons? Ammo? Documents? Time to find out. I do the same thing I did to the first box in order to open it, but when I stuck the machete in between the top and middle, something prevented anything beyond the tip to go in. "What the?" I asked. "Maybe I can pick the lock." Apple Bloom asked. I looked at the lock and two things caught my eye. The lock being coded, and a bloodstain on the box and a blood trail leading to somewhere. The locks on the other boxes were normal locks. This one wasn't gonna open unless I had the code. Maybe that blood trail could shed some light on what's inside. "This isn't the kind of lock you can pick A.B. It's coded. I think this blood stain could lead us to the one who had the code." I said. I began to follow the blood stain, Apple Bloom and Dogmeat following behind me. The blood had a bit of an irony smell to it, and the blood was still wet. This indicated that the blood was fresh. Whatever happened, had happened recently. I continued walking for about five minutes, following the blood trail to where ever it was leading me. I was bent on finding out what was on the other- *clank* Huh? I just kicked something metallic. I look at what it was I just kicked and see a piece of scrap metal. There was a bloodstain on it. This must've been on the blood trail. I pick the scrap metal up and observe it. "Hmm. This looks like... armor." I said. "Think it used to go on that power armor Mr. Bacardi was talkin' about?" Apple Bloom asked. "Since I've never seen power armor before I can't be too sure. But great observation." I said. I didn't need to turn around to know that she had smiled at my comment. I continued following the blood trail. "Nightshade and Apple Bloom, wasteland detectives. Hey! Maybe ah'll get my cutie mark for problem solvin'." She said. I chuckled at her enthusiasm. Then I got an idea. "*clears throat* Elementary my dear Apple Bloom, we must continue our investigation to figure out what's in the box." I said putting an english voice on myself. What shocked me is that there was no metallic echo or anything. I literally changed my entire voice. "Wow! That's impressive. How're you doing that?" Apple Bloom asked. "(metallic echo) I have no idea." I said. Surprisingly enough my voice randomly changed back. Does my voice just change whenever I think about a different voice or something. That could be useful at one point. "Could you do it again?" She asked so innocently. I just couldn't say no. Besides, I needed to experiment with this anyway. "(English accent) Right! We shan't halt our investigation. We must gather more clues." I said. Apple Bloom giggles at my voice mimicking. "Yes! We shall continue to look for clues." She said. In all seriousness, we continue to follow the trail until it just... stopped. The blood trail stopped. Nothing was here. No dead bodies, no dead animals, not even a bullet shell. What happened? "There's nothin' here." Apple Bloom said. "(Normal Voice) I can see that. But why?" I asked. They're wasn't even a single lead. Had they all been killed and a group worked as a clean up crew? "Nightshade. There's a holotape over here." Apple Bloom said. Dogmeat barks in acknowledgement. I looked at Apple Bloom, and saw the holotape at her hooves. I walk over to it and picked up the holotape. I then put it into my PipBuck and let it play. "Knight-Commander Rocky Road, September 17th 2277, Escort team Bravo. It's been Five months since this whole 'Project New Moon' nonsense had began. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to rejoin the Steel Rangers. This was just me sticking my nose in something that's not even my business. I have no idea how Twilight's Coltfriend managed to persuade me, but for the past five months I've been in fighting a war that's not even mine to fight. I'm too far into this madness to quit though. I hope this ends quickly. The things I've went through, the things I've seen. Horrible. The sooner this is over, the sooner my son gets to see more of his father. Don't worry Pipsqueak, I'll be coming home soo-" "Commander, what's the code for the box?" "1-2-5-7." "Got it." "*sigh* This job's gonna be the death of me one day. Gotta get the packages to Blackridge. This project better be worthwhile. Knight-Commander Rocky Road signing out." The holotape ended there. So now I knew the code for the- *Beep* There's more? "I knew I'd regret coming back." This part of the clip sounded like he was injured. Badly. Even worse; I heard growling. It sounded like something was hunting him or something. "Fuckin' Enclave bastards sent their damn dogs after us. Those damn experiment got to my team. I'm badly injured. I know one of them will come after me. I'll be damned if I don't go down fighting. To any Steel Rangers out there, if you find this holotape. Tell my son, I lov- *Growling Roar* The tape ended there. That was... I've got no words for that. I was three things. Scared, Angry, and I was nervous. A least I got the code for the box, but... my goodness that was hard to listen to. What the hell happened to Rocky Road? "W-what happened?" Apple Bloom asked. I sighed in response. "I don't think Rocky Road made it." I said. I look at the ground and see big claw marks. Beside the blood trail. They were different from the Hellhound tracks. They were feline front claws. This is belonged to a quadruped feline. But where were the hind legs? "Well, from what I can observe. Some kind of creature with large claws attacked Rocky Road and his team. From what I can interpret from the holotape. One of the Enclave's experiments consisted of large front feline claws capable of ripping apart strong metals. From the claw marks on the ground, the feline was most likely a quadruped. And since the marks was only on one side of the blood trail, the creature had killed Mr. Road first, and proceeded to drag him off." I said. "You think a Manticore got to 'em?" Apple Bloom asked. "Nope, something bigger, and differently built. I don't know what, but it's pretty dangerous. Come on, let's head back." I said walking the other direction. Apple Bloom took a minute but caught up. I decided that whatever's in that box should stay in until we get to Blackridge. Or at least until we get on the train. We walk back to the boxes and I start stuffing water bottles in the left of my satchel, and the medical supplies in my right. I then pick up the coded box with my magic in order to carry it in an appropriate manner. It would not fit on my back, and Apple Bloom... well that's self explanatory. As we made progress, the rain had gotten progressively worst. The skies was grey, and the rain was hitting hard. Apple Bloom even put the hood further onto her head. The sooner we get to the train, the better. *Jingle, Rattle* Okay. I am beginning to grow sick of these sounds drawing my attention. You know what? Not today, unless the sound is in front of me, I'm not gonna- "H-h-hey! Can you help me? Please?" A voice called from in front of me. I look over to see a light blue Pegasus stallion with a dark blue mane and green eyes with some kind of chained trap around his hind hoof. Lucky for him he was in front of me, otherwise I probably would've left him. Probably not, but I'd be pissed he would've been wasting my time. I roll my eyes and put the box down. "Dogmeat, watch the box." I said. Dogmeat barks in response. He stays next to the box and I move closer to the Pegasus. "Oh thank goodness, I thought I was done for." He said. His voice was a bit hard to describe. It sounded young and rough. Hard to pin my hoof on, but that's not important. I take a look at his trapped hoof and immediately got confused. His hoof had a metal shackle around it, and the other side was buried in the ground. I tug the chain. It was buried very deep. How did this happen. "What's your name?" I asked. "Um.. Soarin." He answered. "Okay Soarin. You mind telling me how you got like this?" I asked. I heard him gulp silently. "W-w-well I-" "Don't tell me you got trapped, this isn't exactly the kind of chain you get stuck on while conscious." I said. He stopped right there. He stayed silence for a minute. Before speaking up again. "I passed out from dehydration at one point, when I woke up I was chained up. I've been like this for three days." He said. That's when I raised an eyebrow. Normally if you pass out from dehydration and wake up, you don't last three days. Something's up. I take out a bottle of water and took the cap off. "Here." I said. He shoots me a wide eyed look. "Take it, you seem thirsty." "T-thanks." He said. He takes the water and drank it down. "It's been too long since I drank purified water. It's hard to live off of this irradiated shit." "I bet. Let me see if Apple Bloom could pick this lock." I said. That made him nervous for some reason. "Who's Apple Bloom?" He asked. "Apple Bloom!" I called. Within seconds, Apple Bloom was right next to me. "Yes Nightshade?" She asked. "You think you can pick the lock and free this poor guy?" I asked. She beams a smile. "Course ah can!" She exclaimed. She then takes a bobby pin out of her pocket and put in her mouth, and proceeds to grab her screwdriver. "Is that your filly?" Soarin asked. "Yea." I said. Then he got terrified. He didn't show it but I could see it in his eyes. "O-on second thought, I think I'll be fine." He said. Okay, why was he begging me for help before and start to deny it now? "Nonsense Mister, ah'll have you atta here in no time." Apple Bloom said. "No. Just leave me here." He said. "But ah'm tryna-" "Leave!" He shouted, causing Apple Bloom to jump back. "Watch who you're-" I stopped right there. A foul stench hit my nose. I started sniffing. I didn't make it noticeable, but both Apple Bloom and Soarin knew something was up. That's when I pulled out the 10mm pistol. "Take this and get back to the box." I whispered to Apple Bloom. She nods as I gave her the pistol and she runs off. "What's going on?" Soarin asked. I glare at him. "There's a foul stench in the wind, and it's not coming from you." I replied. "Huh? He asked. I turn in the direction of the smell and see a metallic barrier "One big advantage about the lack of hygiene." I started. "Is that you can smell bad breath a mile off!" I shouted. The barrier falls down revealing three ponies in raider outfits. One of them, A brown unicorn with a spiky mane Mohawk, looks at me with a toothy grin. "That is impressive!" He said. Three more raider's came from behind a giant boulder behind me. "The bug's got the nose of a blind pony, he could smell us. You could be a valuable asset." He said. 'Valuable asset'? These guys weren't raiders. They were slavers. Just my fucking luck. "Good job Soarin. This'll get us flowing in caps." The slaver said. "I don't think that's a good idea." Soarin said. "He's right. I know we just met, but you should know I don't play nice with slavers." I said. "Oh ho, really. Well I'm not giving you a choice." "No you're not. I'm giving you one, Fuck off, or die off." I said. I hope Apple Bloom didn't hear me say that, but her developing a swearing habit is the least of my problems right now. "Hmm, we've got us a fighter. We could be looking at the next Slave Scarp Champion. What do you guys think?" He asked. "Heavy Moonshine, I think you should just-" Soarin started before a whip held by the Mohawked unicorn struck him in the face. "Hey!" I shouted in defense of Soarin. This, 'Heavy Moonshine then pulls out a magnum and aims it at me. "Whoa now. You don't own Soarin, I do! I'll do whatever the fuck I please." He stated. I growled in response. "Unless. *Chuckles* You wanna buy him off." "What?" I asked. "For a thousand caps, You can take Soarin off our hooves. Either that, or we'll take you. Lucky Star would pay a fortune for you." He said. That was one hundred and fifty thousand percent not gonna happen. I didn't have that amount of caps. Maybe I could talk him to a lower price. Or I could lead him to the supply boxes and give that as payment, and avoid conflict. Or I could just kill these guys. They do have it coming. "What's it gonna be buggy?" He asked. Trade supplies for Soarin (Good Karma) Talk him to a lower price (Neutral Karma) Kill them (Evil Karma). Footnote Level Up! New Skills: Bro code- Easier to persuade members of the same sex. 25% more damage done to Stallions. Venom- Venomous melee attack. Author's Note Difficult Chapter to write. R.I.P Midnight Huntress. Sorry for killing her off. Nightshade's Karma: Defender Good: 7 Neutral: 7 Evil: 0 Trivia: The Hellhound emerging from the ground is a reference to the First Deathclaw encounter in Fallout 4 Originally it was Gilda that was gonna be chained up. At first, Bacardi, Billy, and Cassidy were gonna join up with Nightshade. but that was gonna be too big of a group too soon. Nightshade being able to smell the slavers due to their bad hygiene is a reference to the bridge fight from 'The Book of Eli'. The machete Nightshade took from the griffon shares the same design as the one Eli uses in the show. Apple Bloom wearing the hoodie is a reference to this design If Nightshade's decision was Neutral Karma, Bacardi would blame Nightshade for Midnight's death, for not trying to help. If Nightshade's decision was Evil Karma, Bacardi would be Neutral to Midnight's death, saying, "At least you didn't let her suffer. That's all the trivia for today Deadline for the vote will be on April 23rd. Enjoy.
Chapter Five: Stand Still (Neutral Karma)"I'm willing to buy him off of you, but I'm not paying 1000 caps." I said. "I'm not too sure you have a choice. Buy him or be bought." Heavy Moonshine said. This guy wants to play hard ball. Well challenge accepted. "I'm not about to pay 1000 caps on someone who was leading me into a trap. Seriously, If you want to capture more slaves, you're gonna need smarter bait." I said. I saw Soarin's face drop in my peripheral vision. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings, but if he thought I didn't figure it out by now, he couldn't have been that smart. "*Chuckles* You bugs really are a lot smarter than you look." I'm getting very sick of this guy calling me a bug. "Smart but stubborn. I'm gonna say it again. 1000 caps or-" "400." I interrupted. Heavy Moonshine gritted his teeth. "Listen here Bug. You are in no position to negotiate. There is six of us and one of you. So-" "I've handled raiders and Hunter Confederacy members on my own with that same number if not more, so if anyone here is in no position to negotiate it's you. 400 caps." I repeated. "You're starting to get on my nerves Bug." He gritted. As if he wasn't getting on mine. "You know what? New proposition." Heavy Moonshine said. I raised an eyebrow. What idiotic trick did this asshole have up his sleeve that I'm not gonna fall for? "Here's what's gonna happen bug." I'm getting sick of that word. "You're gonna put your stuff on the ground and walk away nice and slow. You understand me?" "..." I remained silent. I'm not putting my stuff on the ground, and I'm not paying 1000 caps. "You hear me bug?" He said shoving me with his hoof. I didn't budge. "Give us your stuff, or die!" He said. I gave a chuckle. Glowing my horn, I reach for the machete. "I heard you. Now you hear me?" I asked. Heavy Moonshine chuckled. "Yea." "You listen closely. You call me a bug again I'll make sure you never talk again." I said. Heavy Moonshine paused for a minute, before a smile crept across his face. He chuckles. His chuckle turns to a laugh, and the others joined in. "You hear this guy!? This guy's funny!" He said. My grip on the machete was already strong. I'm waiting for him to say it. "Okay you worthless bug-" That was all he could say before I brought the Machete across and sliced off his bottom jaw. I probably would've missed it if I blinked, it was that fast. His jaw hit the ground and he screamed in agony. I heard someone retching but I wasn't gonna bother looking. "Y-y-you psychopath!" I heard one of the Slavers say. I turned to look at the three that stood behind me as I picked up Heavy Moonshine's magnum. Now I was carrying both a magnum and a machete. "400 caps." I said. They all looked at one another, fear in their eyes. One of them, a blue pegasus with an hunting rifle Battle Saddle looked around at his fellow slavers fearfully. "None of you are gonna do anything?" He asked. "The offer still stands. 400 caps, take it and leave. Unless you wanna suffer the same fate." I said. I know it might seem stupid to still offer the caps after slicing off there apparent leader's bottom jaw, who's still screaming in pain, but I'd still technically be buying Soarin, and not risk being hunted down for stealing. That's a high risk to take still, but I'm a betting Changeling. My offer worked, because the three standing in front of me slowly backed away with panicked looks. "Okay! You can have him, we'll throw in Scarlet Blossom too! Just don't kill us!" The pegasus said. Who's Scarlet Blossom? Is she- "Nooo!" This fucker can still talk!? "Kill his ug you iiots! Kill-" *Bang* I shot Heavy Moonshine with his magnum in the back of the head, causing the other slavers to step back. The blood splattered onto my hoof, for some reason, that made me feel a little queasy. But I couldn't let it show. I'm trying to be intimidating. It was working, because the slavers were still terrified. "Deal." I said taking the bag of caps out of my bag. I give it to the Pegasus. He takes it and gives me the key for Soarin's shackles. Then, the remaining five took off running. Once they were a good distance away, I bolted behind a rock and threw up. The fact that I was able to throw up was surprising to me, since I haven't eaten in three days. But what I did was sickening. Yes the asshole deserved it, but- shit. Slicing off his jaw, then blowing a hole in his head? That was a little too extreme. "You alright?" I heard Soarin's voice ask. I peek from the rock to see Soarin looking at me in concern. "Yeah, I just... I need a minute." I said attempting to catch my breath. I finally finish and wipe my mouth from my little accident. "Okay, now that that's out of the way. I'm gonna need an explanation from you. Starting with what the fuck you were trying to do." I asked with a bit of a temper behind me. Soarin sighed. "Okay, I guess I owe you that much." He said. I shot an unamused look at him. He owed me big time. "I'm assigned to help Lucky Star capture new slaves. I sit here, be helpless, wait for anyone to try and help, and Heavy Moonshine takes them to Harmony and boom, new slaves." Soarin explained. "Why?" I asked. "Huh?" "Why help these guys? You don't seem like one to want to enslave. So why help them?" I asked. I knew the answer was probably 'I didn't have a choice' or something. But I just need to be sure. "I didn't really have a choice." Once again, I called it. "I was captured by these guys, and it was either help them, or have my tongue cut from my mouth. I've already seen them do it to a foal." I flinched at that. I've got a tongue that resembles that of a snake. That being cut out was absolutely guaranteed to hurt. The fact that they've done it to a foal made my stomach churn. Just the thought of someone so small, so helpless, getting their tongue removed from there mouths. If that were Apple Bloom receiving that kind of treatment, I'd get too creative on how to mutilate a body. "Disgusting. I should've ended those fuckers where they stood." I said. I hear an audible gulp from Soarin. He was probably expecting me to snap on him for nearly getting me and Apple Bloom captured by the slaves, and I was going to, but something stopped me. I wanted to let him have it, but... something kept me from doing that. Ugh. Forget it. That'll come later. I use my magic to toss Soarin the key to his shackles. He looks at me with a confused look. "You wanna sit there and be food for wasteland creatures, or you wanna stick together?" I asked. He quickly began to get the key in the lock. As he did that, another question popped into my mind. "Hey Soarin." I called. "Yea?" He asked. "Who's Scarlet Blossom?" I asked. "She's a brainwashed slave and the crew's bodyguard. She's behind that rock, and she's crazy for whoever buys her." Bodyguard? Depending on what Soarin means by 'crazy' that could be something good, or something very bad. I walk over to the rock to see an unconscious earth pony mare. She looked kind of like Solar Kisses, back at Wolfwaters. She was an amber color, red mane, longer on the left side. Only difference I saw so far was the cutie mark. It was a heart with a chain around it. She also had some kind of collar around her neck. Now that I knew what she looked like, why was she unconscious? I looked at the rock to see a a small blood stain, trailing down to the bottom of the rock and behind where her head was. Now what caused that? No, what did those slavers do that caused that? I'm not gonna wast my time trying to figure that out. I've got somewhere to be. I took some bandages out of my satchel and wrapped them around her head. I see the glow as I finished wrapping. I look over at Soarin to see him looking at his now free hoof happily. "Soarin!" I called. He looked at me. "Move him out of sight! I don't want Apple Bloom to see that!" I said. Soarin nodded and proceed to move Heavy Moonshine's deceased, jawless body. I look at the mare and wondered how to get her out of this spot. Was I gonna have to carry her? Or what? *Hoooooock* *Ptoo* Did someone just spit? I peek back out from behind the rock to see Soarin walking out of a cave with an angry expression on his face. I didn't even see a cave. He then walks over to me. "Now what?" He asked. "We get to the train station." I said. "What do you-" "We need to get to the train station so we can get to Blackridge. Looking for Apple Blooms family." I said not wanting to hear the question again. I think the next time someone asks me where we're going, I'm just gonna say none of your business or something. "Okay, You need me to do something?" He asked. I gave it some thought. Maybe Soarin could helpful. If he's gonna be with me, he's not gonna just follow me like a dog. I've got Dogmeat for that. Then it hit me. "I've got something for you. Just gimme a sec." I said. I pick up Scarlet's hoof with my hoof and move underneath her. I then lifted her onto my back. I could feel her breath on my neck, and she wraps her hooves around my neck. It was probably an instinct. "Come on." I said walking back were Apple Bloom was. When I got back to the box, I found out Apple Bloom wasn't there. I proceeded to look around. She and Dogmeat were nowhere to be found. "Apple Bloom!" I called. On the right of my peripheral vision, I see a pink bow pop up. I look over there to see the vanilla coated filly pop her head out from behind the rock. She walks away from the rock and runs toward me. Dogmeat follows behind her. She places the pistol on the ground and looks at me. "Ah heard a gunshot, I everything alright?" She asked. "Ran into a few slavers, managed to scare them off, but at the cost of one of them." I answered. Apple Bloom then looks past me and then eyes me with curiosity. "Are you aware that there's a mare on ya back?" Apple Bloom asked. "Yep." I simply replied. "This is Scarlet Blossom. She and Soarin were slaves before I came along." "So she's coming with us?" "Both of them." I then look at Soarin. "That is, if Soarin wants to come." Soarin looks at me and twitches his lip, as if he was trying not to give an excited smile. "We gotta stick together right?" I asked. "Right." He said. I then gave a smirk. I then look at the box. "That box over there is coming with us to Blackridge. Need you to carry it. Think you can do it?" I asked. "Sure." Soarin said. He walks over to the box and attempted to pick it up. He does so and places it on his back, using his wings to hold it in place. He seemed to struggle with it. "You doing alright Soarin?" I asked. "Yep, never better." He strained. I felt a little bad for him. He didn't seem that strong and it showed. Maybe having him carry that wasn't the best idea. I used my magic to pick up the box, and pull out the SMG. I then give him the SMG. "Here. You can give me an extra gun when I need it." I said. "Okay." He said before taking the gun in his mouth. I really hope he knew how to shoot. "Come on. Let's go." I said. And with that, we went on our way. I think I had a better time walking when Apple Bloom was walking underneath me. Scarlet Blossom was heavier than she looked. But that wasn't the issue, it was her constant shuffling, and nuzzling of my neck. Even worse, she occasionally moaned. Directly in my ear. Every. Single. Time. And that got very annoying, very quick, but I didn't plan on stopping just yet. We were close to the train station, and the sun was still up. "Nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. "Yea?" I answered. "Are we there yet?" She asked. "Mah hooves are startin tah hurt." "We're not that far Apple Bloom. I assure you we're almost there." I said. "Okay." She said. It really wasn't that long of a walk anymore. According to my PipBuck, the train station is only a couple hundred feet away. We'd be there in at least six minutes, if not less, but why couldn't I see the train yet at least. "We've covered a lot of ground. It's a surprise as to why we're not there ye-" My words were interrupted when I looked forward to see a train. "Well I'll be damned." I heard Soarin say. He's still got the gun in his mouth, making me curious as to how he could speak. I look at him with a disapproved look. "Soarin. Try not to curse in front of Apple Bloom." I said. "Sorry, it's just this is amazing. But why is it still here?" Soarin asked. "Well, how many ponies do you know are smart enough to operate a pre-war train?" I asked. "Fair enough." Soarin replied. I walked to the side and attempt to place Scarlet next to a tree stump. However, my attempts were shameful. She had a good grip on me, and I didn't really have an appropriate angle to take her off. I sigh in annoyance, and use my hooves to pry hers apart. That was for some reason easier. I place her and the box beside the stump and turned my attention to Soarin. "Soarin, stay with her." I said. "Got it." He said. He places himself next to the long and remained on guard. I then start to walk toward the train's open cars. I walk towards the car and see bloodstains on the floor. This struck my suspicions. "See anything Nightshade?" I heard Apple Bloom ask. "Blood on the floor. And lots of it." I replied. I heard Apple Bloom gulp a little. That's when I looked at her. 'You still got that pistol?" I asked. Apple Bloom pulls it out of her hoodie pocket. "Keep that close, and stay here." I said. I then looked at Dogmeat, who looked at me, wagging his tail. "Let's go boy." I said. Dogmeat barks in agreement. I hop into the train car and looked around. There was little light, despite the sun still being up. But I'd be foolish if I turned my lamp on. Whoever caused this was more than likely still in the train. And if he/she/it didn't see me enter, I'm not gonna draw attention to myself. I continued to look around. Dogmeat even contributed by sniffing the blood in order to pick up a scent. Strangely, he whimpered in disappointment, indicating he had no leads. This was strange. What kind of blood didn't lead to anywhere? Or was the smell not strong enough for Dogmeat to pick up? *Bark* Nevermind. He did have a lead. I follow Dogmeat to a door leading to another car. He started scratching at the door. I walk closer to it and accidentally stepped on to the Blood. It was still wet, unlike the other blood that was dry. Blood takes an average of around an hour to dry. Don't know how I know that, but I knew this blood was the result of something recent. I lean my muzzle closer to the mouthpiece trigger and use my magic to pull out the magnum. "Dogmeat, stay." I said. *Bark* I slowly open the door. Putting the magnum through first before myself. As I walked through the car, I noticed that there was dried blood, right in front of the wet. And the dried blood was around a dead griffon. Still fully clothed in white combat armor? Wait. Dried blood next to wet blood? Dead body in the middle of a car with lootable items? TRAP!! At the last second I heard a step. I instinctively duck and hear something swing over my head. I look back to see a griffon figure with a black bandana around its beak. It had white head feathers, a few feathers that form a fringe at the top of its head. A light brown body and yellow talons. In its talons was a hammer, the tool version. Before the griffon could recover, I kicked it in the torso. It was hard enough for the griffon could back away in pain. I turn to look at it. The griffon charges at me and swings again. I dash to the left avoiding the hammer and then punch with my left hoof. Hitting the griffon with a strong hook, the griffon hits the ground hard. Dropping the hammer as it did. When the griffon turned around, it was met with the barrel of the magnum. It then looked at me. With a look of nervousness. I couldn't see its beak, but I could see it in its eyes. It's golden eyes were filled with fear of what might happen next. I couldn't pull the trigger. I moved the gun away. The griffon went wide eyed. "Y-you're not gonna shoot me?" A female voice asked from behind the bandana. "N-" *Click* You've gotta be fucking kidding me. "Drop it." A male voice ordered, I dropped the magnum and kick it towards the door. Someone had a gun to my head. Whoever it was, whatever it was, was aiming at the back of my head with what felt like the barrel of a shotgun. This was a very bad position to be in. "You're smart, and tough. I'll give you that." The male voice said. There was no sarcasm in his voice. He was serious, or just really good at being sarcastic. "Um... thanks?" I said. "No need to be nervous, I'm not gonna shoot you, unless you just so happen to force my magic to pull the trigger." He said. "Just answer my questions and you have my word, you'll be fine." That was fair I guess. "Okay. That's fair." I said. "Alright, that's a good start. You, the filly, the two slaves and the dog. You're all together, right?" I asked. I don't know how he knew about Soarin and Scarlet being former slaves, but I'm in no position to ask. At least not yet. "They're not slaves. At least not anymore. But yes, they're with me." I said. He took a minute "So you bought them in order for them to be free. They're not gonna shoot me are they?" He asked. A dumb question if you ask me. Wait, he did ask me. "That all depends on if you decide to walk out with the gun pointed at my head." I said. Not the kind of tone I needed to use in my position, but I couldn't help it. "Sorry, that was a dumb question I know." He said. "Last question. Where're you headed?" He asked. I let out a sigh. "Blackridge." "Blackridge? You got a death wish or something?" The female griffon asked me. "If helping a filly reunite with her family counts as a death wish, then yea, I'm pretty suicidal." I said. That sounded so much better in my head. "Wait. The filly's family is in that deadly place?" The male said. "According to the holotape, yes. That is if they didn't decide to move locations." "Hmm, okay. I'm gonna lower the gun now." He said. "I'm sorry about holding you at gunpoint, but-" "You can't be too sure these days I know. Those words have been used nearly every time I was almost shot. It's starting to get redundant." I said. I turned around to see a white unicorn with a light blue mane and mustache. He, indeed, did have a high powered shotgun in his magic. A pump action shotgun to be exact. He also had a tuxedo on, as well as three crowns on his flank for a cutie mark. He was a sophisticated type it seemed. "The name's Fancy Pants." He introduced as he stuck out his hoof. I shook his hoof. "I'm Nightshade." I introduced. "The unlucky griffon over there is Gilda." Fancy Pants said. I wave to her, she waves back weakly. She pulled down her bandanna, now it was around her neck. She had a yellow beak. "So what are you guys doing here?" I asked. "This is sort of our safe haven. We've been here for about three weeks." Fancy Pants answered. I then look at the dead body to my right. "I see you've had some unwelcome guests from time to time." I said. Fancy Pants chuckled. "Well, no matter how long you stay anywhere, you'll run into some. I ended up losing my favorite suit to these ruffians." Fancy Pants explained. I raised an eyebrow. "Favorite suit?" I asked. "He's from a fairly high society place. Dawnford, right?" Gilda asked. "Correct. I was attending a dinner with my kindred, when some slavers attacked. They must've thought that because I'm the gentlestallion type that I would be easy prey. Proved them wrong." Fancy Pants explained. This stallion did not strike me as the strong type, but he did strike me as the smart type. The type to outsmart his opponents to get the upper hand. I respect that. "This Dawnford area still active?" I asked. "Surprisingly, yes. A couple of slavers aren't enough to take them down. They ponies their are a lot stronger than they look." Fancy Pants explained. I've been here a while, everyone else is probably worried. "I think you've talked for long enough. Your group is probably worried. You should let them know you're alright before they decide to charge in head first." Gilda said. "I was thinking the same thing." I replied. I walked out the door and was greeted by Dogmeat giving me two barks. "Come on Dogmeat, let's go." I said. He barks in acknowledgement. He then tilts his head and looks at me confused. "Don't worry, they're friendly." I reassured. Dogmeat then goes from confusion to tail wagging happy. "You have a dog?" Gilda asked. "Yep. Found him being tortured by raiders in a scrapyard. When I saved him, he sort of stuck with me." I said petting Dogmeat's head. "Come on, Apple Bloom's probably worried sick." I proceeded to walk towards the opening. "Hey! You forgot your Magnum." Gilda informed. I felt a little guilty about beating her down and then pulled a gun on her. Yea I refused to shoot her, but still, it didn't feel right. "Keep it. As an apology, for what I did." I said. She looked at me with an unsure expression before deciding alright and held on to the gun. "Thanks." She said. "No problem." I said. I was the first one off the train. Apple Bloom greeted me as I hopped off. "Nightshade!" She said hugging my hoof. "Hey Apple Bloom. You miss me?" I asked hugging back. We released the hug. "You were in there for a long time. Ah was a little scared somethin' happened." "Don't worry kiddo, I was just making some new friends." I said. Apple Bloom beams a smile. "New friends?! Really?! Ah can't wait to meet them." Apple Bloom said excitedly. I turn around to see Fancy Pants and Gilda exit the train. "Apple Bloom, this is Fancy Pants and Gilda. They're the residents of this train." I introduced. "Hi Fancy Pants, Hi Gilda! Ah'm Apple Bloom. Nice tah meet ya." She said. Fancy Pants returned a smile. Gilda on the other hoof, looked very uncomfortable. As if she, A: wasn't good with foals. B: She didn't like foals. Or C: She doesn't know what to do with foals. She was unfamiliar. "Hello Apple Bloom." Fancy Pants greeted. "Um... Hey." Gilda said. I'm going with option A. She seemed more uncomfortable with conversing rather than annoyed. I then redirected there attention to Soarin and Scarlet, who for some reason was still unconscious. "Those two are Soarin and Scarlet Blossom. The now former slaves. Scarlet has been unconscious since I found her. She still had enough consciousness to hold on to me when I carried her. But I think she hit her head, it was bleeding when I found her, but not severely." I explained. "Sounds more like she's asleep." Fancy Pants said. "That could be the case, but her head was injured, so that was what I decided to go with." I replied. I then realized that I was getting a bit off track. "Forgive me for being a bit, forceful, but we need to get back on track. I need to get to Blackridge, and that's a five day walk if I never stop, but a lot more given the rests we'll have to take. The train here has a chance to get us there in probably just a day." I explained. "The sooner we can get this train moving the better." "I'm afraid that's a little easier said than done." Gilda said. Okay, those words were what I didn't what to hear. "What do you mean?" I asked. "The train isn't from the Pre-Great war area, this has been here since the Second World War." Fancy Pants stated. So this train has been here since before the war that caused this? Since before the 1940s? When were they gonna replace this thing? Wait how did I know that? "Most trains from the Pre-Great war are electric. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those trains. It runs on two things." Gilda said. "Pony power, and coal. Right?" Apple Bloom asked. "That's right." Fancy Pants replied. "I'm guessing there's no coal in the train, right?" I asked. "I'm afraid not unfortunately. And there isn't exactly a store where we could just purchase a large bag." Gilda stated. I give a little smirk. "Of course there is, we just need to look in the right direction. Anyone of for a trip to a coal mine?" I said. I received a chuckle from Fancy Pants and a giggle from Apple Bloom, as well as a smirk from Gilda. "I see you like to keep a level head in situations like this." Gilda said. I'm pretty sure there's a difference between me making a joke and keeping a leveled head, but still, I'm pretty good at both.... I think. "But I'm afraid that's not gonna get this train working though." Gilda said. That's when I cocked a brow. "Wait, the two of you are okay with me using the train?" I asked. I never really did asked them about the train. I only told them I needed to use it. Sure I was gonna ask them, but they're offering the train to me? "Of course. After all, you're trying to get this filly home, so you're using it nobly." Fancy Pants said. I then realized something. A bag of coal won't get us a one day trip. Not even ten bags. "But, how are we gonna get this train moving?" I asked. "We'll need to find some coal." Yea no shit Gilda. I roll my eyes in annoyance with myself for not being specific. "But how much coal?" I asked. "Well, the average train moves at about 60 mph, so it requires about 60 lbs. of coal per mile when running at top speed. Since they ran at about 60 mph, that means about 15 lbs. of coal every 15 seconds. That is about 4 shovel-fuls per mile." Apple Bloom said. Smart filly. I'll ask how she knew that later, but right now, I've got some math to do. "Considering the distance between us and Blackridge, it's an approximate 500 mile journey. So that would take aroud 2000 shovels to get us where we need to go." I said. Once again, how did I know that. "Right. But where do we find that much coal?" Apple Bloom asked. A silence fell between us. "It's no wonder the two of you survived this long. You two are very smart." Fancy Pants said. "Thanks. We still need to find coal though. But the problem is where do we start looking?" "Well, there's always the railway facility." Gilda said. I looked at her and tilted my head. Not in confusion, but in a 'can you tell me where before I ask?' way. "Just follow the train tracks this way *Points opposite of the train*." Gilda said pointing in the direction of the tracks. "I guess that's where I'm headed." I said before turning in the direction she pointed. "Alone? Bad idea." Fancy Pants said. I looked at him. "Why?" Apple Bloom asked. I wasn't able to ask in time, she beat me to it. "A group of ponies are there. And they're a bit... psychotic." Fancy Pants said. "Psychotic how?" I asked. "They're cannibals." Gilda said. Okay now that's terrifying. I hope I'm not a specific delicacy for them. It's bad enough that wild mongrels attempt to take my limbs of to enjoy a nice changeling leg combo with out my consent from time to time. I do not need ponies doing the same thing. "Great." I said. "They call themselves the Demon's Virus. They've survived for 120 years, and they're all over the wasteland. They're very tough. Rumor has it, that a couple of Alicorns tried to take over their settlement, things went horribly wrong. For the Alicorns." Fancy Pants explained. "That's something I'm gonna be losing sleep over tonight." I said. The smartest think I can do is sneak into the settlement, grab the coal, and get out quickly. Conflict is not an option. "Well, since you can't do this alone. We're coming with you." Gilda said. "That's an even worse idea. Soarin shouldn't be here by himself. He needs to watch Scarlet Blossom and we need someone to watch the train too. We don't want any unexpected surprises." I said. Gilda and Fancy Pants look at each other and nod. "So who comes with you?" Fancy Pants asked. Fancy Pants (Shotgun allows for greater damage, 54% chance of getting caught. 80% chance of drawing attention from firearm) (Good Karma) Gilda (Moderately Stealthy, 47% chance of getting caught. Firearm has limited ammo, being caught can be hazardous.) (Neutral Karma) Apple Bloom (Stealthy, Tricky, 9% chance of getting caught, Both Fancy Pants and Gilda can watch the train and Soarin. Still a filly. Still has much to learn.) (Evil Karma) Author's Note Finished. Finally. I'm sorry that I couldn't upload at the end of May, and I'm also sorry for the length of the Chapter being short. The next one, at minimum, will be 10,000 words. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a Cupcake in my eye. The 2 reasons for the length and the chapter were, 1: Broke my arm. Minor fracture, healed in 2 weeks. 2: The original idea was scrapped. It involved the Slavers coming back and I disappointed myself with how cheesy it was. Nightshade's Karma: Adventurer Good: 3 Neutral: 10 Evil: 0 Trivia: Gilda and Soarin's positions were originally reversed, but I scraped it. Fancy Pants was a late entry. Originally it was a Griffon Oc named Dusk that was Dawn's brother Nightshade cutting off Heavy Moonshine's jaw is a reference to Eli cutting off a raider's hand from the book of Eli. If Good Karma was chosen, The Slavers would've attempted to recruit him after trading the supplies from the boxes. Nightshade would respond with 'Fuck off.' Scarlet Blossom would've been a gift of gratitude from the Slavers. If Evil Karma was chosen, Nightshade would've killed all but one. One would escape and not be found again. Soarin would've told Nightshade about Scarlet Blossom. Also, I've got a new story up. A bunch of fight scenes written for no reason. Be sure to check it out, and leave some feedback. Deadline is June 10th. Comment, and spread the word. Hmm, I wonder how long until this inspires fanart. Shining Armor: Meh, Who knows? Give it time. Shining? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your fight with Big Mac? Shining Armor: Oh right! I gotta go! Bye followers of Outlaw! Ugh. Outlaw Out.
Chapter Six: Shrouded Memories (Neutral Karma)"I think I'll take Gilda. I wanna get through this with without conflict if at all possible." I said. In my peripheral vision, I see Apple Bloom's ears flop down. "Something wrong kiddo?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked up in sadness. "Nothin' it's just that... Ah wanted to come with you." She said. Now I felt a bit guilty. I mean sure, I thought about bringing her, but what if something goes wrong? I don't want to put her in any unnecessary danger. Or any danger period for that matter. But from what heard alone, these 'Demon's Virus' ponies are a force to be reckoned with. Bringing Apple Bloom wouldn't be the smartest idea. I lower myself down to her height. "Sorry Apple Bloom, but it's too dangerous for you to come with me." I said. "Could ya at least rest first? I wouldn't want you to get tired." Apple Bloom said. Man she really did want me to stay with her for a little longer. We kind of did need the rest. I didn't exactly preserve my strength after my little run in with the Hellhound and the Slavers, so a little rest wouldn't hurt. "You know what? That's not a bad idea." I said. I look at Gilda and Fancy Pants. I needed to clarify before actually resting. "We've been through some pretty tough events. Believe me, we need it." I clarified. Gilda nodded. "Understandable, it's wiser to go at night anyway." Fancy Pants said. I nodded. I then whistled and got Soarin's attention. I then walk over towards him. "Come on buddy, we need some rest. Gilda and I will be heading into dangerous territory, so you, Fancy Pants and Apple Bloom are gonna stay here. Okay?" I asked. Soarin had a bit of a dumbfounded look on his face. He was confused for some reason. "You alright?" I asked. He shook his head a little. "It's nothing it's just... You called me buddy." He said. I raised an eyebrow. Now I was confused; why was that confusing for him? "Yea, I did. We're friends aren't we?" I asked. Soarin seemed to look off in disbelief. Was it something I said? "Was it something I said?" I asked. I didn't mean to ask that out loud, but that seemed to do the trick. "No, but it's been a while since I had someone call me buddy or friend. Especially someone who I almost got captured by the same ponies who enslaved me. I just wasn't expecting you to be so forgiving about that situation." He said. I smirked at that. "Oh don't get all sappy about it." I said sarcastically. Soarin smirked a little, indicating he appreciated my little joke. "Come on, Let's get Scarlet in the train." I said. Soarin nods and picks up Scarlet Blossom, placing her on his back. For some reason, she didn't wrap her hooves around his neck and hold onto him like she did me. She just laid there. I paid that no mind and just picked the box up and placed it onto my back. This box was not, in the slightest, heavy. Soarin was either pretty weak, or didn't have enough to eat while he was a slave. Either way, this wasn't heavy. Speaking of eating, has Apple Bloom eaten since we left? Wait... did Soarin even eat? I look over to see Soarin stop at the train entrance, and Fancy Pants using magic to help Scarlet into the train, as well as Gilda grabbing the hind hooves and helping Fancy Pants carry her off. I walk up to Soarin and pull out the rest of the Golden Dandy Apples that Apple Bloom left me. I tapped Soarin on the shoulder with them. He turns to see the box. "I'm not sure if you ate, but here you go." I said. He looks at me with another confused look. Seriously, how many confused looks am I gonna receive? "Aren't you hungry?" He asked. "No, I'm fine." I would still like to know why it's been three days, plus the two weeks I've been in a coma, and I still haven't found the urge to swallow whole the first thing I saw. "Um, Okay. Thanks." He said. He took the apples and began to munch on a few. I climb inside the train and whistle for Dogmeat. Who runs toward me happily. I smirk. "Come on boy, It's time to rest." I said. Dogmeat whimpered a little. "What's the matter boy? Not tired." Dogmeat barks. I start to think. What could Dogmeat do if he's not tired. "There's a sleeping car right up in front if you wanna rest there. Your filly is already there waiting for you." Fancy Pants said. Now it was my turn to shoot a confused glance. "You're not going to sleep?" "I'm keeping watch." Fancy Pants said. A little light bulb goes off in my head. Looks like Dogmeat has got something to do. "Think Dogmeat could come with you and also keep watch. He's got some energy left, and makes a great guard dog. Isn't that right Dogmeat?" I asked. Dogmeat barks in acknowledgement. "Sounds good. I could use an extra nose since you nearly busted Gilda's." Fancy Pants said. "I heard that." Gilda said, making the two of us chuckle. "Go on Dogmeat." I said. Dogmeat walks over to Fancy Pants and the two then walked in the car I encountered them in. I walk to the car in front of me which was to the right of the car that was opened from the side. I open the door and saw a bunch of seating areas. The sleeping car must've been the next one. I walk over to the car, and of course, I was in the sleeping car. The car had a total of six beds. All of which were bunk beds. Apple Bloom was sitting on the one next to the door, on the left. "Nightshade!" She called happily. "Hey Apple Bloom." I said. I walk in front of the bed and take out a bag labeled, 'Fuji apple slices' and give them to her. She takes them and began to eat. She once again offers me some. Not wanting to go through the whole 'I'm not hungry' thing again, I take them and began to them. I won't lie, the apples were good. But I only stopped at three slices. I still wanted Apple Bloom to have some. "You can have the rest. I'm not that hungry." I said. "But ya only ate three." Oh no, here we go again. "Believe me Apple Bloom. I'm not hungry, I'll be fine." I said. Apple Bloom then proceeds to put some more back into the back and give it to me. I let out a sigh and put the bag back into the satchel. I proceed to walk off to get into another bed. "Nightshade?" I heard Apple Bloom call. I turn back around and walk back to her. "Yes?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked off to the side. I could tell something was wrong. If it's PTSD, I'm ready to help, but I really hope it's not. "I need tah talk to you." She said. I nodded, ready to listen. She scooted over, indicating she wanted me to sit next to her, Which I did. But given my height, I couldn't sit underneath the bed. Instead, I had to sit with my hind hooves off the side of the bed. I have no idea what I was sitting like, but I did know two things. One: It wasn't like a pony, or Changeling. Two: It wasn't natural. For quadrupeds like me at least. Maybe creatures with two legs would have better luck sitting like this. "What's on your mind?" I asked. She began to fiddle with her hooves a little. I sit waiting to listen. "Ah was thinking about my family." Apple Bloom started. My heart dropped right there. I didn't say anything and just let her continue. "an' ah was wonderin'. What if they aren't there?" She asked. "Then we could look for more clues until-" "No, ah don't mean not there as in they moved location. Ah mean-... ah mean-" Her words began to choke up. Uh no. She thinks they might be dead doesn't she? This can't be good. "Apple Bloom? Do you think something bad happened to your family?" I asked. Apple Bloom looked at me with a tearful expression. I wrap my left hoof around her and pull her to my side. "What if they're gone Nightshade? What if ah can never see them again? What if-" The tears began to fall. I use my other hoof to hug her close. "Shh. It's okay Apple Bloom. I understand you're worried." I comforted. "What am ah gonna do if they're gone Nightshade? *sniffle* What if this entire time we've been looking, something already got to'em?" She asked. Oh boy, this was gonna be hard. I'm not to sure if her brother, sister, or cousin is still alive either. But I can't let her go on like this. Everything was gonna be okay. "Everything is gonna be okay Apple Bloom." I said. Apple Bloom's crying began to reduce. "You're family is strong Apple Bloom. I know they are because you're strong. This wasteland isn't enough to bring us down, and neither are the things in it. We can find them Apple Bloom." I said. "B-but what if we do, and they're gone?" She asked. Not a question I wanted her to ask, nor was it one I was ready to answer. But... here goes nothing. "You've still got me Apple Bloom. If by some random chance, your family is gone, I will take care of you. I'm not experienced when it comes to foals, but I'll do my best. But don't lose faith." I said. I knew it was a shot in the dark, but I'm telling the truth. She stops crying, but still looked at me sad. "Apple Bloom. I'm gonna tell you this now. Life isn't fair. Some ponies made it to the Stables, others suffered the blast. Some creatures are strong enough to survive, others don't get far. Sometimes you make the right choices and things go wrong." I said. Flashback of what happened at Borderville, Wolfwaters and Havoc hit me like a truck. Three times where my good intentions ended badly. "But that's just the way the world works. We can't let that drag us down. We're gonna find your family Apple Bloom. We just need to do two things: Have faith, and don't stop moving. Okay?" I asked. Apple Bloom's sad face soon went into a small smile as she nodded. "Thank you." She said. "No problem. Now if you need anything, I'm in the bed in front of you. Okay?" I asked. "Okay." She said. I get out of the bed and walk over to the other bed right across from Apple Bloom's bed. "Nightshade?" She called. I turned to her. "Yes?" I asked ready to listen to anything else. "Ah didn't know my father all that well, but ah wish you were him." She said. I felt my chest warm up. She saw me as her father. Even though I'm only nineteen, she saw me as her father. I'm flattered that's for sure, but I'm younger than her actual brother. "So, you wish I was your father? But I'm only nineteen." I said with a smirk. "So? You're still acting a lot like a father would, and doing a lot more than an older brother." She said. "Well if that's the case, I'm proud to call you my daughter." I said. Apple Bloom smiled. "Thank you." She said. "Get some rest Apple Bloom, we had a long day." I informed. "Okay. Goodnight Nightshade." "Goodnight Apple Bloom." I said as I got into my bed and laid down. My eyes began to close. And I sleep with a smile, knowing Apple Bloom was gonna be alright. And That's something I can sleep to. I find myself waking up behind a some kind of rock. Out of curiosity, I peek out over the rock, revealing that I was on some kind of cliff. I also see a white unicorn stallion with a yellow mane wearing some kind of tan jacket and a black military cap. He had something strapped to his side, and in his hoof was a walkie-talkie. He also face the other way, so it was easy for me to sneak up on him. I don't know why, but some reason, I knew he was an enemy. In my right hoof was some kind of strapping holding a blade. "I'm at my post Colonel. I'll check back in ten minutes, over and out." He said into the walkie-talkie. I then find myself walking towards him and drawing my blade. I grab him by his mouth with my free hoof, and bring the other across to slit his throat. He died silently as I slowly lowered him to the ground. Upon allowing him to land I look towards a cave, leading to where I was. "All clear!" I silently shouted. Who was I talking to? "Right then, move in!" A voice said from the dark cave. Seconds later two silhouettes emerged from the cave. One of them was the red eyed griffon from my dream in Borderville, the other one was a unicorn stallion with light blue eyes. He wore some kind of metal power armor. This must've been the power armor Bacardi talked about. The Steel Rangers were they? On his side was a bolt action sniper. He takes the sniper off of his side and aims off the cliff. The griffon takes off the weapon that was strapped to the dead unicorn's side. The weapon was some kind of Smg with a wooden stock, handle and under barrel. It kind of looked like a weapon from centuries ago. I walk next to the sniper and look off into the distance to see the canyon. "Paladin-Commander, what do you see?" I asked. Paladin-Commander? Was that a rank? It sounded like a high rank that an officer would have. What was this high ranking officer doing with me? "I see a bunker and a tank at the far end of the canyon. F.S.R's got the place really well guarded." The unicorn said. F.S.R? Was that the Fallen Star Republic Bacardi told me about? What are they doing here, and why am I here too? And what am I wearing? I hadn't noticed, but I seemed to be wearing a tan T-shirt, with a matching battle saddle. The battle saddle had two drum mag smgs attached on both sides and Last Words strapped to my back. I also had less hair, hidden behind some kind of desert cap with a hole in it for my horn, as well as a scarf around my neck. I was probably reliving a memory from years ago, but since I'm only nineteen now, at least that's what the holotape said my age was, how many years ago was this? "Can you see a way in?" I asked. I see the stallion aim to the left. "Yea. There's an opening at the foot of the cliff." The stallion said looking at me. He had a very familiar mane style. It sort of looked like how mine is now. I guess this was where I got the inspiration from. "Alright, tell your troops to regroup with us there." I instructed. Was I the leader behind whatever's going on? "You got it." My vision fades to black and within seconds it's regained. For some reason, I heard distant gunfire. Looks like the party started early. There were armed ponies, griffons and zebras around. Some wearing power armor, others what I was wearing. My vision immediately locks onto a stallion that surprisingly enough, wasn't a silhouette. He was a dark grey unicorn wearing the same power armor as the silhouette stallion from the cliff. He also donned a white mane. Why was he such a vivid description? As a matter of fact, the pony from the cliff edge had a description, and so did most of the creatures down here. There were only three silhouettes down here. A griffon, a unicorn stallion and a pegasus mare. This one had gentle greenish-blue eyes and her mane went down the right side of her face and behind her left ear. She had a saddle on with a red cross sign. She must be a medic cause she was wrapping bandages around a pony's leg. "Alright comrades!" The dark grey unicorn shouted. Wow. That was a commanding voice. He must've been the general or something. "We've got a new bloody tank to send back to hell!" He said. Some of the soldiers started running towards the gunfire. I took the time to notice, I wasn't as tall as the power armor wearing silhouette next to me. This made me think, because I'm pretty tall. Was Bacardi only pulling my tail when he told me I was as tall as a Steel Ranger in power armor, or did this really take place a few years in my past? Okay, I'm officially curious, how old am I? "We hear their communications will radar fellow troops and cause them to close into the area! We've gotta put put a stop to them!" He commanded. I nodded and ran out of the opening the silhouette unicorn talked about earlier. I looked behind me to see the silhouette unicorn and griffon behind me, followed by a random Steel Ranger. He or she had his or her helmet on, as did a lot of the Steel Rangers. So I can't see what the pony looks like. I revert my vision forward to see two Steel Rangers running toward what looked like a run down village. That's when I heard a whistling sound in the air. A sound I've heard before in a previous dream. The two Rangers were killed when a green nuke shaped explosive hit the ground between them. I then began to fire into the village as I advanced. I hid behind a wall when I got close enough and hugged my side against it as I moved to the right side of the wall. Before I reached the right side, I see another Ranger advancing. This ranger was running were I was about to go. That was until a bullet from the location he was headed went through the helmet and into his head kept that from happening. The culprit, a brown earth pony, comes around the corner and attempts to fire at another Ranger. 5 bullets to his right side stopped that plan. I move closer and peek out. I hear a launch sound from my left, followed quickly by the same whistle sound, and an explosion. Whoever was firing those explosives was definitely around the corner. I see a few more of the F.S.R soldiers running my way. I jump out from my spot and fire my Smgs, killing the 7 running this way. I see a doorway like opening to the left, and upon looking in that direction, I see a griffon getting ready to launch what looked like a shoulder mounted nuking machine. I'm very sure a rocket launcher looked different than what I was seeing right now. It seemed like his attention as well as his teammate's attention were focused on the soldiers shooting from the foot of the cliff. Let's fix that. "Hey!" I shouted. The total of four, plus the griffon looked at me. I bit down on my mouthpiece, filling them with bullets. As they fell to the ground, I ran toward the mini nuke launcher and observe it. There was something written on the side. B.E.L Launcher? What did the acronym stand for? *Ba-doom* Oh shit. Instinctively, I duck down. I then smiled smoke as well as a whistling sound. I hear another explosion and more screaming. I look over the wall I was behind and I see a medium sized tank. This could mean some bad news for my allies. ... Unless. I lifted the B.E.L launcher with my hooves and aimed at the tank. That's when I noticed that it looked as if it fired at an angle. This was at the same time that the tank had noticed me. I quickly aimed up a little more and used my magic to pull the trigger and launched it. The tank fires at me. The missile got very close to my face, before everything just stopped. Was I in S.A.T.S again? It's been a while since I... wait, where is the targeting sequence. Suddenly, everything went dark. Pitch black. I couldn't even see my own hoof. I try to use the PipBuck lamp, but it wasn't on my hoof. How am I gonna see anything? And what exactly was it I saw? Was it a dream or another memory? "The answer to that will be arriving soon." Who was that? It sounded like a mare and she could apparently read my thoughts. Why does she sound so familiar? "Because I too am a part of your past. But that is not why I am here." Then why are you here? If not to help me regain the memories of past, then what? "Because I need to warn you. This is a matter of urgency." Well what is it? A light began to glow to my right. Instinctively, I began to walk towards towards the light. Upon getting close, I see a dark blue unicorn step half of her body into the light. She had teal colored eyes, and a glowing blue translucent mane. "Do you remember me?" She asked. I was about to shake my head no, but there was a flash to my left. I flinch and look of to the left and I see flashes. In the flashes, I see bloody version myself standing over a dark blue bloodied alicorn, firing in a direction that bullets were flying from. The Alicorn looked a lot like the unicorn in front of me. More flashes happened and I couldn't make a lot of it out. Out of all the flashes, I could only make out three pictures. One was of me shooting a hippogriff in the hind leg; another was of me stabbing an power armor wearing pony in the neck, and the last one was of a me attempting to revive somepony that was nearly dead. A pony that was profusely bleeding. The flashes stopped and I held my head, trying to process what I just saw. "What's going on? Who are you?" I asked. I need answers, and I need them now. "I.." She stepped into the light revealing that she also had wings. She was an Alicorn. "..am Princess Luna. The ruler of the night. And my warning to you, your past is trying to come back to become a burden. Do not let it" What is that suppose to mean? The ground rumbled around me. I was waking up it seemed. It was time anyway. This was too much for me to handle. I woke up with a need to control my breathing. I tried my best not to breathe to loud and wake up Apple Bloom. I manage and calm myself down. That was when I realized I was being cuddled, and it wasn't Apple Bloom, or Dogmeat. It was Scarlet. She had me an a strong gripped hug with her head under my chin as she laid on top of me. Was there a purpose as to why she was doing this? I didn't notice how tall he was when she was before. She was nearly as tall and big as me. I tap her side in order to wake her up. She nuzzled my chin as she woke up. She had silver eyes. Unusual, but nice. "Good Morning lover." She said. Why is she referring to me as lover? Is this what Soarin meant by crazy for anyone who buys her? This could be a problem. Despite the fact that it was nighttime, I wasn't gonna be rude. "Um... it's nighttime, but good morning." I said. She smiled. "I'm glad you're awake. Soarin told me that your the new stallion in our lives. I just decided to make a good first impression, and I must say, you are a very handsome changeling. I hope we do this again lover." She said nuzzling under my chin again. I've got things to do, so I'm not gonna waste any time. "Could you get off of me please?" I asked. "Of course lover." She said. She lets me go and gets off of the bed. I get out of the bed too, and I look over at Apple Bloom, who was still asleep. I let out a sigh and looked back at Scarlet. "Alright Scarlet. I have to leave right now to get some coal for the train. Gilda's coming with me, so you should stay here." I clarified. She shoots me a sad look. "You're leaving me already? But you just woke up lover." Not exactly how I met to put it. Whoops. "Well, yes, but it'll only be temporary. You think you can stay here and keep the train safe?" I asked. She nodded her head. "Of course I can, but don't expect it to be so easy to get out of my sight next time lover." She said with a smile and wink. As she walked off I noticed that she had a double barrel shotgun attached to her side. How long had that been there, and how did I not notice it before? "Are you enjoying the view lover?" She asked. This made me go red faced, because as I was staring at the gun, I was oblivious to the fact that it was so close to her rump, that it could easily be confused with me looking there. So, not only does she have Solar Kisses' looks, but also had her teasing antics. Thank heavens she wasn't wearing socks, or the horrors, panties. "Sorry about that." I said. "It's alright lover. You can come play with it if you want." She said adding with a shake. My face heated up like a campfire in the middle of the night, and I'm pretty sure my cheeks were as red as Apple Bloom's mane. "Not now Scarlet." Or ever. I then heard Scarlet giggle. "You know, you're even more handsome when your face is red like that." She said. Okay I need to leave now. If my face gets any redder, I'll explode. "I hate to cut this conversation short (No I don't), but I've gotta go." I said. I didn't know a more polite way to say it. She simply smiles. "Okay lover. Come back soon. And if there's anything I can do for you... or *slight giggle* to you. Just let me know." And with that, she continues walking away. I rolled my eyes and walked towards the door. I stopped there and wait for my face to change back to its normal color. Upon feeling my cheeks temperature drop, I open the door. "N-nightshade?" Apple Bloom called. I look at her and she had her back to me. She looks at me, not moving the rest of her body. "Yea Apple Bloom?" I asked. "You headin' out?" "Yes. Don't worry I'll be back." "Are ya sure, Ah can't *Long Yawn* come with you?" "Afraid not Apple Bloom. It's too dangerous for a filly to come along. I don't want anything to happen to you." I said. Apple Bloom yawns again and looks at me with tired eyes. "When well you be back?" "I don't know, but I'll try not to take long. Try to get some sleep okay?" I asked. "Okay." Apple Bloom said. I leaned in and kissed Apple Bloom's forehead. "Sleep well kiddo." And with that I left the sleeping car and entered the open cargo car. I saw Dogmeat sitting next to Soarin and Fancy Pants sleeping on a floor mattress. Soarin had the SMG under his wing. Smart; not obvious he had the gun on him, and if trouble's afoot, he could swiftly put it in his mouth and pull the trigger. Which reminds me, I've gotta teach Apple Bloom more on firearms when I get back. "Hey Soarin." I said. He looks at me and waves. "Hey Nightshade. Gilda's outside ready to head out." Soarin informed. "Alright, thanks." I then look at Dogmeat. "Alright boy, keep everything in order while I'm gone okay?" Dogmeat barks in acknowledgement. I continue to get out of the train. I looked at my PipBuck and saw the time was 3:21 am. Perfect time for a stealing-coal-from-a-bunch-of-ponies-that-could-easily-turn-me-into-a-buffet operation. As I looked to the south, I saw Gilda waiting for me with the black bandana still around around her neck. She looked up, and noticed me. "All right, you ready to go?" She asked. "Not gonna get to Blackridge standing here." I replied with a smirk. We then began to walk south to the dangerous mission ahead of us. Gilda and I have been walking for about ten minutes. It was a quiet ten minutes, so I was a little bored. The railway facility wasn't that far, but it also wasn't that close, so small talk wouldn't be so bad. "Hey Gilda?" I called. She looked at me. "Yea?" "If you don't mind me asking, what's your story?" She shot me an unsure look. "Really? That's a bit of a personal topic don't you think?" Okay, persuasion time. "What if I promised to keep it a secret? Cross my heart, that sort of deal?" I asked. She chuckled a little and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I guess I can trust you." Ha. Plus one charisma for me. "I was the daughter of an old, grizzled mercenary named Gideon. He was the leader of a Mercenary group known as the Talon Company." Okay, how many Mercenary groups are there? I've got the Hunter Confederacy tracking me down, I'm on somewhat good terms with the Red phoenix Mercs. These guys gonna be the neutral type. Not messing with me unless I provoke them or someone pays for me to die. And from the name, the group probably only allowed or only consisted of griffins. "Talon Company?" "Yep. A group of ruthless griffins that'll do any job for the right price. And they are not friendly." Well that's something that'll keep my muzzle close to the mouthpiece. "That's comforting." I commented. "They weren't always like that. They just turned that way after my dad retired. Some griffin, Gina, took charge and turned him into the corrupted Talons we know today." Still something that's gonna have me checking my six every five seconds. "Okay. Good Mercs gone ruthless due to the reasonable leader stepping into retirement. Sounds legit, right?" Gilda asked. "Yep." I said. I look at my map and saw we had a little more way to go before reaching the railway facility. I looked up, and I could actually see it in the distance. It was still far though, so a little more small talk wouldn't hurt. "So, how did you and Fancy Pants meet?" I asked. Those two definitely had a story there, and I'd like to know it. "Believe it or not, I tried to rob him." I know I'm wrong for admitting this, but she did strike me as the type to try and do that. But she also struck me as the type to only do so when despite. "Is it wrong that I do believe that?" I asked. She shot me a glare. "Yes asshole. You are wrong. But yea; about a month after I turned 24 and left Griffonstone, that's spelled with an o not an i, Griffinstone with an i is the Talon Company base Alpha. I grew very hungry. 100% my fault for not packing enough food to last me a week. So as I was walking through the wasteland, I catch a whiff of Fancy Pants cooking an iguana on a stick. Okay, I think I know where this is going. Also, Ponies eat meat too? Can't say I'm surprised; I'm literally on my way to steal from cannibalistic ponies right now. "I was blinded by hunger, that asking was not a risk I could take, so I grabbed a dusty old knife and I snuck up behind him and brought the knife to his throat and threatened him death if he didn't give me the food." Gilda said. I remembered when Fancy Pants said, 'They must've thought that because I'm the gentlestallion type that I would be easy prey.' I'm guessing Gilda fell victim to that too. "So as you already know, it didn't end well for me." "Well, It kind of did. You're still alive, so it couldn't have ended that badly." I said. "Does being slugged in the temple with the butt of a pump action shotgun count not ending badly?" So Fancy Pants hit her with a levitating something up behind you trick basically? I'm gonna make a mental note to myself to not fall for that trick under any circumstances. That's too embarrassing. "Only if the perpetrator doesn't kill you, and also becomes a good friend." I said, smirking once again. "Touche." Ha ha. Point Nightshade. "Well let me tell you what I wasn't expecting, besides to wake up at all. To wake up, wrapped in a blanket with a bowl of lukewarm noodles next to me ready when I woke up." I wouldn't expect to see that either. Especially if I attempted to robbed someone. "That's a very interesting way to meet, I'll admit. But I'm glad we did meet. I think I would've died if it wasn't for him." Gilda thanked. I smiled before looking forward to see that we were roughly around 100 feet from the railway facility. It was a very well built settlement. It had shanty houses, a nice fire to keep things warm, and some...... oh you gotta be kidding me. They had improvised sniper towers looking out to the outskirts of their town. And spotlights. "We're here." I said. Gilda stopped and looked at the entrance. Her face then matched mine in disbelief. "Well, there goes that idea. Now what?" Gilda said. I looked around for an alternative and next to me was a gate that was the entrance to an underground tunnel. Whether or not that could lead to the railway facility is a complete flip of the coin, but the plan was better than nothing. "How about we go underground?" I asked. Gilda looks at me, and I point at the entrance of the underground tunnel. She puts two and two together. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go." She said. I walked to the gate and opened it, allowing Gilda to go in first. I the close the gate and follow her in. There were stairs we had to walk down. Gilda was ahead of me and was almost at the bottom of the stairs. That was until my eyes trailed down and saw a tripwire. Instinct told me to grab Gilda, and I made sure to follow it. I grabbed Gilda by the tail and stop her. She looked at me angrily. "Hey what gives!" She angrily, but silently shouted. "Tripwire. Bottom of the stairs." I whispered. She looks at the bottom of the stairs and saw what I was talking about. "Oh shit, thanks." She said. We both then carefully step over the tripwire and see what the tripwire would've triggered. A bunch of grenades attached to a string hanging from the ceiling. We would've been so screwed if that went off. One way or another. "Okay, so now we've gotta watch out for traps, and the Demon's Virus members. Shouldn't be too hard." I said sarcastically. "If only things were as easy as you make them sound." Gilda commented. We continued into the underground subway. We soon found ourselves on a balcony that overlooked the railroad underground. There was an escalator we could use to go down, but I was suspicious. The only taste of security that I've seen so far down here were the tripwire grenades. Things were a little too quiet. "Something wrong?" Gilda asked. "Things are a bit too quiet. Stay here." I said as I walked toward the escalator. "What? Why?" "Shh." I said as I walked down the escalator. I made my ears twitch in order to pick up anything that sounded like a threat. But there was nothing even sounded like a hoof step. I reached the bottom and my suspicions continued. That's when I walked towards the tunnel. *Growling hiss* I knew it! I turn my head towards the growling hiss to see some kind of pony running towards me like he wanted to rip my head off. I quickly take the machete out of my battle saddle pouch and got ready. Before the pony could get with a foot of me, he was snagged by something. It took me the three seconds the pony was on the ground to not only notice that it had a collar around his neck that was attached to a chain. But the pony, was barely a pony. It lacked a mane and coat, and looked like a decaying corpse. Is this what Dawn described as a feral ghoul? It got up and kept trying to charge me, but that chain wasn't about to budge. It kept screeching and growling. I backed away a little. "Hey! What's got the feral all riled up!" "Don't know. Let's find out." Shit, shit, shit. I gotta hide and fast. "Nightshade, are you-" Gilda said as she came down the escalator. I ran back to the base of the steps and look at her. "Hide!" I shouted in a whisper. I run up the stairs and gesture Gilda to do the same. As Gilda backed away from the stairs, I reached the top of the stairs and look over the opposite side of the balcony and see two earth ponies walking towards the feral. The feral attempted to charge them, but the chain was preventing that. "What's got you all panicky bud?" One of them asked. "I think he smells food." The other replied. I look to the left and see Gilda looking at me in a way that said 'What do we do?' I do the stay low gesture with my hoof. Gilda nods and began to back up. I look over the balcony in order to see what they were doing. *Clink, ting* I duck down and immediately snap my vision over to Gilda and saw a that she had knocked over a glass bottle. The next thing I here is a growling screech come from the ghoul. "Someone must be up there." One of them said. Causing me to hold my breath. "Alright! Dinner time!" The other said. Okay, now would be a good time to run. I look forward and saw another part of the subway station, in the opposite direction in which we came in. That's when a began to silently, but quickly, make my way over there. "Come on!" I silently whispered to Gilda as I sped past. She quickly follows me as we ran to the next part of the subway. I came across a door, and instinct told me to go through it. As I went through the door, I didn't hear a delay in the door closing, which means that Gilda wasn't behind me. Oh, this could be bad news. I run down a hallway and come across another door. I use my magic to open the door and run into the room. That's was when I slipped on something and crashed into the floor into some kind of liquid. I push my upper half off of the ground and have a look around. I soon see that the room was a terrible sight. Not only was did the room have the skeletons of ponies everywhere, but blood was also all over the place. On the walls, on the ceiling, and on the floor. I now had blood on my chest, chin, and hooves. What the hell is wrong with these ponies!? I get that the wasteland causes you to do, say, or eat questionable things to survive, but this... this is wasn't right. "What the... What the fuck." That was all I could say. In this situation, who could blame me? If I'm ever so low on food that this is what I have to resort to, I'd be better off with a bullet in my head. Hopefully, that would put me out of my misery instead of another memory loss. *Clip, clop. Clip, clop. * "I think he ran in here!" "Why would you announce that you idiot?! If he is in there he's probably setting a trap!" I heard two voices say. I gotta say, I agree with the second guy. Announcing you think I might be in a specific room? That's the equivalent of saying 'Hey! I know you're in there, so I'm giving you time to set a trap!' "If he's down here, he can't be that smart." Really? Okay, I'll show you who isn't that smart. I look around the room, looking for something I could use here. I already had a machete, so what else could I use to my advantage. My eyes fixated on a pool cue that was leaning against a counter. On top of the counter was a large pistol resting next to a pillow. I use my magic to pick up the pistol and the pillow. The pistol had a rather unique design as it was red, black, white and gold with a triangular barrel and large muzzle. I took out the magazine and saw that there were no bullets in it. So I pulled the barrel back just enough to see that there was a bullet in the chamber, good. I then get up and move my way behind the island in the middle of the room. Right as the door opened. "~Hello. Anyone here?" A voice asked. I hear the hoof steps of two ponies, implying that both of them were in the room. This could be a problem, I've gotta think of something fast. "We're not-.... I'm not looking for trouble, come out and we'll let you leave." The second one sounded sane to say the least, but his partner definitely ruined things for both of them. "Come on, there's no need to hide, all you're doing is racking up my predatory instincts. Come on out." If that voice was suppose to scare me, it wasn't doing it's job. If anything, it was making me angry. And his partner's lack of control over him made it clear that they had no intentions of letting me walk out of here. I move myself to the right as the hoofsteps got closer, taking the pillow and the pistol with me. I peek over the island to see a white earth pony walking into another part of the room, and a lime green earth pony looking at the counter. "Hmm, the prey has taken the pistol, now he's on the hunt." I've got an idea now I used my magic to levitate the pillow behind this psychopath's head, slowly moving the pistol behind the pillow. "Now it's a battle between hunters. Who becomes the prey?" In one quick motion, I use the pillow to pin the stallion to the counter and quickly press the pistol's barrel against the pillow. Then I pulled the trigger. *Bang.* That was still loud, but not as loud as the pistol could've been. The other one still heard it though. "Psycho? What happened?" Why was this guy named.... Nevermind. I quickly grabbed the pool cue and as the second one started to run back into the room. Upon seeing the first hoof, I swing. Hitting his elbow with enough force to hear a blood curdling Crack!. He falls face first onto the floor, and before he could do anything else, I drove the pool cue though the back of his neck, which killed him. I release the pool cue and picked up the empty pistol. "You are on powerful pistol, I'm gonna keep you." I said. I looked at the handle to see cards on it. Three Aces and two kings, and a name underneath it. Full House. "Alright Full House, welcome to the group." I said. Funny, I was calling the cannibal a psycho, yet here I am talking to an empty gun as if it was a creature. Strange world I live in. I exit the room and look around to see if anyone was around. That gun was pretty loud, even with the pillow to suppress it. But then again, guns with suppressors aren't that quiet either. Especially in an echo-y area like this. There was no one around. So far. Now where the heck is Gilda? I wasn't gonna call her name, because that's an announcement of my arrival. So instead, I walked out and went were I suspected she went. As I walked I came across another door. I cautiously open it and peek inside. "Gilda, you- " *BANG* That came from a different room. What just happened in there? "What was that?" Someone else's voice said. *BANG* What the hell! Who's shooting-.... Oh crud, I think I'm starting to regret giving Gilda that magnum. "HEY!" I hear a to my right. I look to see a couple of ponies, both stallions and mares. One of them then shot at me, which I manage to dodge by ducking at the very last second. I quickly dash into the room and run through the hallway. I once again come across another another door, and I couldn't open the door with my magic in time; I was running too fast. Instead, I crashed through the door, swinging it open, only to hear a thump as I enter the room. I look down to see an orange pegasi with a lime green Mohawk mane wearing, yet again, spiky armor. I look behind me and see a unicorn mare aim at me with a pistol at me. I quickly dive to side, causing the mare to miss me and hit the stallion, who was standing back up, instead. I hit the ground, front hooves first. That somehow activated my PipBuck radio. "Alright Everypony, We've got some music from the late forties! Dear hearts, by Charming Crescent! Enjoy one of the best classics, ever" . DJ Pon3 said. I guess some music wouldn't hurt. *Shroom, ting* Definitely would hurt less than a gunshot wound. *The song starts with a few instruments* 'I love those dear hearts and gentle ponies Who live in my home town' I use my magic to find some kind of gun. I can't risk using my battle saddle just yet. I manage to find a 10mm pistol. I then blindly fire into the hallway. Because those dear hearts and gentle ponies Will never ever let you down The Virus members began to shoot at my gun. But, they didn't succeed. I heard two bodies drop before my gun runs out of bullets. I drop it and look around the room. As I go trotting On every Friday I see a double barrel shotgun across the room. That's gonna be good for close encounters. Okay what else is in here? I see them smile with glee Background singers: Smile with glee I jump out and face the ponies, biting down onto my mouthpiece, sending bullets there way. Some took cover, as others feel victim to the bullets exiting my assault rifle saddle. I've got a dream house I'll build there one day. I stop shooting and run further into the room. That's when I got shot in my knee. That sent me to the ground almost immediately, but I get up quickly and hide behind a crate within the room. I look at my PipBuck to see how much health I had. 205/250 HP. Not that I'm complaining, but what am I doing to increase my he- *Click Clack!* I hear a shotgun pumping. Oh not agai- *BANG!* It truly is A sight to see GAHH! Son of a- A bunch of bullets from a shotgun take off pieces of the crates, and some bullets made there way into my right hoof, and my neck. That somehow didn't kill me, but that hurt like hell. I'm at a disadvantage right now, but not for long. I put my muzzle on the mouthpiece and waited. I hear the shotgun pump again. I roll out from behind the crate and shoot. A lemon colored unicorn mare with a white mane was shot. She was the one with the shotgun. A lever action shotgun. I feel so welcome each time that I return That my happy hurt keeps laughing like a clown As the mare dropped, the lever action shotgun was thrown into the air. I quickly use my magic to grab the shotgun and ran through and archway. Bullets missing me by inches and centimeters. I hid around the corner and check my health again. 182/210 HP? Good enough. Not gonna waste a health potion yet. I look at the wall as the bullets from the Demon Virus members and saw someone's shadow getting closer. I move the entire gun around the corner. I love those dear hearts and gentle ponies who live and in my I pull the trigger, sending off a loud bang and hearing a body drop. Background singers: In my Both: Hometown. I looked in this room as I pulled the shotgun back around the corner. This room had more cover, and another door that lead back out to the subway. *Song instrumental from the beginning plays again* I see an alcoholic drink in a glass bottle on the ground with the bottle cap still on. I quickly pick it up. That's when I saw someone come in through the door. A Demon's virus member. I quickly attempt to shoot him, but I didn't pump the gun first. This idiot charges at me with a knife in his mouth. Using my assault rifles, he didn't get far. I use my magic to pry the bottle cap off and take a swing. Tasted like vodka a little. I see an ammo box, by the door. I run over there and open it, only to find out it was a mine box. Three fragmentation mines. This'll be useful. I stuff them into my bag. Background singers: When I go trotting I turn around to see one of them aim at me with a pistol, causing me to open the door and run out to avoid be shot. On every Friday I send a shell of bullets in his way, hitting him right before he could go back around the corner. I pump the shotgun again and aim at the ponies that have not yet entered the room. Before I could pull the trigger, I was shot in my side by a shotgun. Both: I see them smile with glee I turn my attention back to the room and on instinct, I shoot the culprit. Whom was a unicorn stallion who grabbed the double barrel shotgun I saw earlier. After doing that, the others turned there attention at me, and began shooting. That's when I ran through the halls again. I saw a sandbag wall on the right side of the hallway. Both: I've got a dream house I'll build there one day I dive behind the wall and pump the shotgun once again. And shoot over the wall blindly. I pump again and count how many times the gun has been shot. Five times. I'm gonna hope there's another bullet inside. Welp here goes nothing. It truly is a sight to see I move from behind the sandbags and go into S.A.T.S. Aiming at a dark purple mare with a flaming orange mane. I aim at her head and activated it. Charming Crescent: I feel so welcome each time that I return The shotgun caused a critical hit, although only two bullets hit the mare. One in the throat, and the other in between the eyes. I toss the gun away and slowly backed up. That my happy heart keeps laughing like a clown I bite down on the mouthpiece and began firing again, killing three more members . That's when I soon heard a click. Damn, I'm out. Background singers: Like a clown I run around the corner and see yet another Demon virus member. He had a meat cleaver in his mouth. I turn around to see somepony else with the same double barrel shotgun that I the last pony I killed. However, instead of in a magical aura, it was in his mouth. Both: I love those dear hearts The stallion with the shotgun shot, the second I dodged to the right. One of the bullets manage to get me in the shoulder, but the rest of the bullets hit the cleaver wielding stallion, taking off the right side of his face. and gentle ponies. Crescent: Who live and love in my home town I buck the stallion with the shotgun in his throat. Background singers: In my home town I take the shotgun and shoot the stallion coming around the corner as the one I kicked in the throat began to suffocate. I'm actually glad that the stallion here, reloaded that extra bullet, I would've felt so stupid if I attempted to shoot an empty gun. I pull out a mine and threw it next to the bodies and ran off. Both: Those dear hears and gentle ponies Who live. I see a bathroom door and quickly run for it. In my I open the door and here a beeping sound. I enter quickly. Hometown. I then hear an explosion, causing me to instinctively cover my ears. *Ending instrumental*. I uncover my ears as the explosion died out. I peek out of the room into the hallway. All of the ponies that were after me, were killed by the mine. I'm definitely keeping the other two mines. "Ah, always respect the classic-" I turned the radio off. As much as I liked the song, this wasn't the time for another one. I looked at myself. I look like hammered shit. Like I just fought in WW2. Holy shit. "Wow, that... that was exciting. Strangely. Strange but exciting." There I am talking to myself again. I take another swing of the alcohol. I then look at the label on the bottle. Everclear. Wait, where;s Gilda? And why was a swing of alcohol what helped me remember her? After reloading my battle saddle, and looting the corpses of the Demon Virus members, finding around 215 caps in the process, I look around to see were Gilda ran off to. I make my way towards another door and open it. I see another hallway leading to another door. I make my way to the door and press my ear against it. I heard heavy breathing on the other side. I slowly open the door, keeping myself close to the door to avoid someone sending a bullet towards me. There's enough holes in me as it is. "Anyone in here?" I asked. "N-nightshade?" I heard a weak voice ask. It was Gilda. I open the door and saw Gilda sitting next to a cage with her talon on her stomach. Blood coming out of said stomach. I said nothing, and just pulled out a healing potion syringe and walked towards her. I stick it into her shoulder. Healing her. "What happened?" I asked. "That bitch over there *Points behind me* shot me while I was looking for the key." Gilda explained. I turn around to see a pegasus mare with a bullet in her left eye. Ouch. Wait, why was Gilda looking for a key? "Gilda, why were you looking for a-" I look at the cage next to her and saw a disturbing sight. I saw a cage with a family of ponies inside. All of which were missing something. There was a dark blue earth pony stallion with a grey mane, missing an ear; A white pegasus mare with a turquoise and blue colored mane missing a wing; A light blue earth filly with a yellow mane missing her right forehoof; and a white pegasus colt missing his left forehoof. This was disturbing to say the least. No stallion, mare, or foal was safe from these psychopaths. "Hey, listen. We're gonna get you out of here, okay?" I asked them. They all nodded. They were all either too scared to speak or couldn't. Either way, I wasn't gonna pressure them to do so. I looked at the lock that held the cage shut. It was a padlock. If Apple Bloom where here, she could pick the lock. Or Fancy Pants could shoot the lock off. Well, I guess I have to find the key. Or at least a screwdriver and a bobby pin. "Hey, do you guys know who might have the key to this thing?" I asked them. "They can't talk." I heard a female voice say. I turn my head in the direction of the voice. "Gilda?" "Hmm?" "Look for something to get this lock open." "Got it." As Gilda looked around for something to get the lock open, I walk over to where I heard the voice. I come across another cage, this one had a dark grey worg with vivid green eyes and a muzzle mask on it's snout, and a white bat pony with a black and red mane. Her eyes were strange as one was magenta, and the other was blue. A case of heterchromia iridum. Her cutie mark was a rifle. "Why can't they talk?" I asked in a polite manner. I want to help these guys after all. "They had there tongues removed. Cut from their mouths to keep'em shut." So glad Apple Bloom wasn't around to hear that. I also had to resist the urge to run out of this room and go on a rampage. But now wasn't the time. I already killed a few in a rather, less stealthy way. Why there's are no more swarming me at this point is completely behind me. "If you're wondering if the other members heard your little firework show, be warned, they did. Just because they aren't sending a search party, doesn't mean they won't be prepared." She explained further. She walked up to the cage, that's when I noticed her front hooves weren't natural. Instead, they were cybernetic hands. Both of them. She right off the bat reminded me of Bacardi. "Who are you?" I asked. "The name's Silver Bullet. The asshole mutt over there is Smoke, he's the reason I'm in this mess." She said as the worg growl. I look back at the terrified family. I was gonna need all the help I could get to get them out of here, and still get that coal. "Listen, I want to help you guys get out of here, but I need a little something in return. Okay?" I asked, looking at the family. They nod frantically. They'd do anything to get out of this hell. "What do you need?" Silver Bullet asked. "Up top is the rest of the train facility, there's a chance that one of the train cars has enough to get me from here to where I need to go, one major problem is, I don't think I can move a large car of coal fast enough to my destination without getting caught. So I'm gonna need some help." I explained. "So you snuck down here to get the upper hoof and grab the train, not a bad plan." Silver Bullet said. "It wasn't, until I realized that you can't exactly sneak off with a 10 ft train car. But there could be a way to get that train there without being shot at." I said. Silver Bullet seemed to smirk. "I'm gonna guess you need a distraction?" She asked. "You read my mind." "I've got just the thing to help too." She said. I raised an eyebrow, now she had my attention. "In one of the armories is a signal grenade that attracts Alicorns. Alicorns normally give those to their weaker classes, like the scouts. They use them for a quick invasion, giving ponies very little time to prepare for an invasion." Silver Bullet explained. That last sentence caught me off guard a little. "Little time to prepare for an invasion?" I asked. "Well since all the Alicorns share a single Hive mind, when one gets killed, they send a vengeance strike team to kill and invade." She explained. That... couldn't be right. I was talking to an Alicorn before. That will be brought up later. "I found something Night." Gilda said. I did not like being called Night. Probably wouldn't mind if it was Apple Bloom though. I look at Gilda to see that she had a crowbar in her talon. I take it with my magic and walk over to the family's cage and stick the curved end of the crowbar in between the two bars of the lock. Then in one quick motion, I break the lock and take it off. I open the cage and gesture them to come on out. They do so and the mare and stallion look at me confused. I got over to the other cage and pry that look open too. As I opened the cage, Silver Bullet and Smoke walked out. I go to untie the Worg's muzzle mask, when Silver Bullet stopped me. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, he'll bail on us the second that it's off. Heck, the reason I'm in this mess is because of him." Silver Bullet said. That's when I shot her an unsupportive look. "Honestly, I could care less if he bails or not. If I'm not mistaking, he didn't agree to helping me, or us do anything. I'm not bribing him, I'm not threatening him, it's his choice." I said. I continue to untie his muzzle mask and the second it was off, Smoke took off out the door. A thank you would've been nice at least. Ah well, I still got the others. "Told ya." Silver Bullet said. That didn't matter, I had a plan where his help was only optional. "Doesn't matter, I've got a plan though." "Let's here it." Gilda said. I look at the family first. "There's a train to the North that your foals will be safe. Gilda can take them there, but I'm gonna need the two of you to help me with the train car, if that's okay." I said. The two parents look at their foals and nod. They hug before the foals walk to Gilda. "Silver Bullet, you know where the armory that holds those Alicorn grenades right?" I asked. Silver Bullet nods. "Get that and throw it at one of the entrances. That should give us time. I'll escort these two to the inside of the base, where we'll start pushing the car to the train. If you wanna meet us at the train or not, it's up to you." I said. "So, grab the grenade, screw these guys over and meet you at the train. Anything else?" She asked. "Yea, if you see anymore hostages, free them. No one deserves this." I said. Silver Bullet nods. I look at Gilda and she nods. "Alright. Let's not waste anymore time. Let's move." I said. The couple nods and I hear Gilda say, "Come on little ones, we'll be safe at the train." "Gilda," I called. She looks at me. I take out some healing potions and give them to her. "As a just in case you get shot again." Gilda shoots me a glare. "Not funny." That wasn't a joke, Gilda was my best option for stealth, and she was shot. I can't risk that a second time. "I wasn't joking." I said glaring back. Gilda takes the healing potions and proceeds to walk out the door. I look at the couple and gesture a come on. I look at Silver Bullet and she nods and walks out the room. I too, walk out of the room. I lead the two back downstairs and navigated my way through the tunnel. I continuously had to look behind me to check on the couple, to make sure they were still there. They were. I, unfortunately, couldn't converse with them given their current condition. I did make sure to keep my eyes out for any traps. I don't want anymore surprises. Besides, Silver Bullet said they were ready if I just so happened to be seen by them. I wouldn't wanna endanger anyone else. I come across an a makeshift opening to my right, and more to the tunnel to the left. I heard snarling to the left. The couple heard it too. I look at the couple, and gesture them to wait. I peek around the left corner with my mouth ready to bite down if I have to. I look around the corner to see a rather unusual sight. Smoke was fighting a member of the Demon Virus. The Demon virus member was an earth pony mare with a knife in her mouth. He attempts to swing at Smoke, but Smoke backs away, causing the pony to miss a swing. Smoke then bites the mare in the fore leg and dragged her to the ground. He then pounces on her and proceeded to rip her throat out. That was gruesome. He looks at me with a not so friendly face. I mean, it wasn't threatening either, but it was far from friendly. He then walks over to another dead body and sticks his muzzle into the pouch. He pulls out a box and looks at me. He then throws it at me. I catch it in my magic and look at the box. .50 Action Express. What gun does this go to? I look up to thank him, but he left already. I wasn't gonna chase him. I looked at the makeshift tunnel and saw the outside. As I walked past the couple, I gesture 'come on' and walked through the tunnel, that went up on an angle, and I could see the surfaced train facility. As the three of us reached the top, told them to stay low as I observed the area. This place was well built and well guarded. And it seems as if the patrols had increased. Now to locate the coal train. I look around, and there it was, right by the exit. Filled to the brim with coal. I just struck a goldmine, or coalmine in this case. Now to just wait for the show to start. I made sure to look at my PipBuck to see which way was north, just to make sure I'm not going the wrong way. "Hey! Who activated the Lunch Bell!" I heard a mare shout. I then heard blast sounds along with the sounds of gunfire. The Demon's virus members running to the south of the facility was enough to let me know that that was my cue. "Let's go!" I said running out into the open. I look to the south to see some very tall Alicorns on the attack. All of them looked much more vicious and much stronger than the one I killed in Havoc. They came to kill. I rush behind the train and watch the couple run after me. I press my hooves against the rear of the train and look back at them. "Push as hard as you can." I said. A stray bullet misses me by and inch. I look back at the south and saw that they were all still concentrated on each other. The couple helps me push and that dreaded *SCREECH* sound by the train was heard. We continued to push until we got 30 feet from the train from the compound. That's when a few bullets flew in our direction. I turned around to see some Demon's Virus members aiming at us. I quickly turn around and shoot back. Killing them. Luckily, most of the Demon's virus members were busy with the alicorns, but that didn't stop others from shooting at me. "You two, keep pushing! I'll cover us!" I said. They continued pushing, and I walked backwards, ready to kill anyone who aims at me. As we were walking, I heard wings flapping to my right. I turn there to see an purple Alicorn with emerald green translucent mane tackles me to the ground. Forcing me to land on my back, her amber slitted eyes make eye contact with mine and she growled. "So you're the one who killed Mystic Pearl? Disappointing as to how she could perish to someone as pathetic as you." I was using my magic to grab my machete as I was pinned. But that's when she looked at my horn. She then shoots a beam at my horn. Causing pain, and stopping me from using it. "Hurts doesn't it?" She asked me. I looked at her with a glare. She smirks. "You know, for a bug, you are rather strong. How about instead-" She stops and turns back to the battlefield and blasts an incoming Demon's Virus member with her horn. She then turns back to me. "How about instead of me killing you here, I have you work for us? I promise you only die from exhaustion, but it's better than me feeding your corpse to our young, or better yet, feeding you to our young limb by limb and making you watch." She said. A sadistic smile appears on her face. Little did she know, I was using my tail to grab the handle of my machete. "Fat fucking chance of that happening." I said. That's when she stepped one my various bullet wounds that was in my right hoof. I grit my teeth in pain. "Very well. I'm gonna enjoy killing you? Any last words?" "Nobody, calls me a bug." I said, and in one quick motion, I swing my tail, with the machete wrapped around it. I press it against her neck and I then come from underneath her and used my magic to cut deeper. When her body went limp I pulled the machete out. The couple looked at me with fear. "Keep pushing!" I commanded. They nod and continue pushing. I continued to walk backward before I noticed I was limping. I pull out a healing potion and stick it into my side. Healing my wounds thankfully. I continue to be on my guard. This time making sure that my sides weren't exposed too. Then more Demon's Virus members attacked. I manage to rid with most of them. Two of them, almost hit me but I manage to dodge out of the way, just in time. I then rid with those two as well. *Thud* Shit. I turn around and saw the mare had collapsed. She had a bullet wound in her back. I quickly run over to help her. Luckily, the blow wasn't that bad, so a healing potion wouldn't be necessary. Unluckily, she passed out. I take out some magical bandages and wrap them around the wound. Seeing the bandages glow yellow, I look at the stallion who looked at me worried. "She'll be fine. Don't worry. I said. I placed her on my back and proceeded to push the train, with the stallion helping me. The train was extremely heavy and hard to push, but we prevailed. I looked behind me to see an alicorn running at me with great speed. Before I could even think about shooting at it. Smoke came out of nowhere and jumped onto its back. He had a sword in his mouth and used it to cut the alicorn's neck. Killing it. He had a sheath to his right side, which was were he placed the sword. He then runs towards me and places his front paws on the the rear end of the train. I nod and the three of us push the train. We continued pushing the train until we got 100 feet from the compound. I looked back to see that the Alicorns and Demon's virus members deciding to kill each other instead of following me. Good. I walked past the subway entrance and I see, Silver Bullet. With some friends. "Oi. Nightshade, was it?" She called. "Yea?" I asked. She walked next to me and proceeded to place her cybernetic hand/hooves on the train to help. "I hope you enjoyed the little show. I got some friends here, some could talk, others, not so much." She said. I looked at the crowd. There was at least ten of them. Seventeen if you counted the foals. Most of the victims were mares. "Well, let's get moving before the party stops." I said. The others helped me push the train, speeding things up, very fast. We are making progress. I could see the sun ascending to the East, dawn was making its way around. And we were getting closer. I stop pushing the train and moved to the side of the coal car. I later see the train. Oh thank goodness. I look at the mare on my back, she was still unconscious, but her breathing was steady. She was gonna live, thankfully. They all are gonna live. "Well, I'll be damned." I heard Fancy Pants's voice say. I look up to see Fancy Pants, and Scarlet Blossom walking towards me. "Well done old chap. Never doubted you for a second." He said. The coal car bumps the rest of the train lightly, signaling everyone else to stop pushing. "I see you brought a couple of guests." Fancy Pants said. I look at the large group and smirk. "I guess you can say that." I said. I feel a tap on my side. I turn to see the dark blue stallion looking at me worried. "Don't worry, she's gonna be alright." I said taking her off of my back. The blue stallion sat next to his wife, or marefriend, as she laid on the ground. I walk to Fancy Pants and converse with him. "Did Gilda make it here yet?" I asked. "Yes, she did. I was confused as to why she came back with foals and without you, then she told me you're plan. Scarlet was actually five minutes away from grabbing my shotgun and coming after you." "I wouldn't have wanted that. She's strong I'm sure, but I don't wanna risk her going toe to toe with an Alicorn." "An Alicorn?!" He asked. "Yea, we used them for a distraction. Where's Apple Bloom?" "Still asleep in the sleeping car." Fancy Pants said as I reached the cargo car and climbed inside. I saw Gilda sitting on a box to the left. Before I could say anything she spoke. "The foals are in the sitting car." She said, I nod and walk into the sitting car to see the two foals sitting on a chair whilst facing the door I was walking through. They look at me. "Your family's waiting for you outside." I said. They beam a smile and jump off the chair and run out. I follow them and upon leaving the train I see that the mare had woken up. The foals ran over and hug their mother. I smile at the scene. That's when a problem hit me. I'm headed to Blackridge, they need somewhere to go. Where am I gonna send them? "So, where are you gonna send them?" Fancy Pants asked. Great, now he's reading my thoughts. "Send who?" I heard Apple Bloom's voice asked. I look at Apple Bloom to see her rubbing her eyes. She stops and sees that it's me. She beams a smile at me. "Yer back!" She said as she came to hug me. To which I accepted with open hooves. We parted and she smiled. "Told ya I'd be back." I said. She smiled at me before looking outside the car. Seeing all the ponies I brought. "That's a lot of ponies." Apple Bloom said. "Yea, they were hostages at the railroad facility. I'm glad I didn't take you. You didn't need to see any of that." I said. She looks at one of the ponies that was missing a limb and flinches. "Ah'll take yer word for it." She said. I walk to the opening and clear my throat. "Excuse me mares and stallions." I said, gaining the attention of the Nineteen ponies. This was gonna be a little hard. "I know that you're all very happy that you are no longer stuck with those psychopaths, but another problem has surfaced." I said. Some of them looked at me confused. "Me, and my group are headed to Blackridge. And I can't take any of you with me because it's a long way, and apparently a death wish. So the issue at hoof, is where am I gonna send you." I said. The ponies looked at me, as if they were waiting for an answer. One of the places I immediately thought to send them was Havoc. The buildings would be excellent for shelter, and since I didn't spend a long time there, there are a lot of lootable items of salvage, and they could help rebuild the town. That could be an idea. "If I may," Fancy Pants started. "I suggest you send them to Dawnford." He said. I look at him waiting for the reason why. "The ponies there are very accepting of outsiders, and they'll be able to provide for them." He explained. That was a pretty valid reason. That's an option. "Um.. Nightshade?" I heard Apple Bloom call. Both me and Fancy Pants turn to her. "What about Wolfwater?" She asked. "They're tough, and they're nice. They'd be able to keep them safe, and if they'd like, they can even become a part of there group." She explained. Another good idea. So, a place that could provide, a place where they can build from the ground up, and a place that offers protection. This is gonna be difficult. Send them to Dawnford (Good Karma, Food and water is provided, but limited protection options.) Send them to Havoc (Neutral Karma, They can build from the ground up, make their own place. No guarantee to find essentials) Send them to Wolfwaters (Evil Karma, better defenses and protection options, Food and Water is limited) Author's Note FINALLY! My computer shut off so many times and deleted my work, but I kept my Pinkie Promise. Hope you enjoy! Nightshade's Karma: Soldier of Fortune Good: 0 Neutral: 13 Evil: 0 Trivia: The pistol Nightshade find is a Desert Eagle. The Desert Eagle Nightshade finds is a reference to Blackjack from the Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons story. Nightshade refers to a 'levitating something up behind you' trick, like Littlepip. Charming Crescent is the ponified unicorn name of Bing Crosby, the originator of Dear Hearts and Gentle People. If Good Karma was chosen, Fancy Pants would shoot the lock off which would draw the attention of the other Demon's Virus members, resulting in a massive firefight. If Evil Karma was chosen, Apple Bloom would pick the locks and encourage Nightshade to help find the others. An Alicorn raid on the compound would have been caused naturally, allowing them to escape, but Apple Bloom would have a hard time coping with the bloody scene. Scarlet Blossom's design is an earth pony version of this design. Nightshade's 'Nobody calls me a bug' line is a reference to Marty Mcfly's 'Nobody calls me Chicken' line from Back to the Future. Smoke is a reference to Smoke, a temporary companion from Fallout 2 Like, comment, vote, and review. Deadline is July 19th. Outlaw Out!
