Fallout Equestria: Syndicate

Chapters

Chapter 2: The Crystal Wastes
Chapter 3: Kindness
Chapter 4: Shadow Marks
Chapter 5: Heratics
Chapter 1: Stable 41

Chapter 2: The Crystal Wastes

"You saved the Crystal Empire. Twice! I think you can light some fireworks..."

I stepped outside the cave and into what appeared to been old pre-war suburb. Or at least, that's what it reminded me of from the Stable's history books. There were several houses made out of a weird, shiny blue material, all the windows were broken and none of the houses had doors. I looked in all directions and could see a few tall mountains to the south and several tall buildings to the north. I started to feel a little light headed, everything was just so big outside.Then I did something very stupid; I looked straight up. I felt my heart skip a beat as I sat down hard on my rump. The sky just kept going and going and going! If it wasn't for the clouds that covered the sky I think my heart would have stopped.

I shifted my gaze back to the ground and tried my best not to puke, breathing heavily. When my heart stopped racing I glanced back to the buildings. The feeling wasn't nearly as strong as long as I had something to focus on. The sky was just...ugh! Even thinking about it made my stomach lurch. After a few more minutes of slow breathing I stood up and started moving towards the buildings.

As I passed by the houses I began to notice the skeletons. They were scattered throughout the neighborhood as if they were just litter. I thought back to the dead in 41 and my chest tightened. I even thought about going back but I decided against it. They were dead, nothing could be done. But I was alive, and I needed to get to this 'Gem City' So I tried my best to focus on my destination, not the ponies who were already gone...Astible, Cedric...

Besides the skeletons the streets were littered with well...litter. Trash and other debris were everywhere. Especially old bottles of a pre-war soda called 'Sparkle Cola'. The damn things were all over the place. I stopped at the edge of the suburb to read an extremely old looking poster. It was a crude drawing of Princess Luna and it said underneath, "Death to Tyrants! Free the Empire!" I looked at the poster in confusion. "Free the Empire?" I said curiously. I shook my head. I didn't know who drew that poster and it wasn't really relevant anyway. I left suburb at a trot, heading down a road made of the same blue material. It felt a lot like the sturdy metal floors of Stable 41, even though there were hundreds of cracks spider webbing through it; along with some large holes. The road was bare of any structures for a while making it hard to not get nauseated; so I spent most of the walk looking at the road more than the buildings ahead of me.

The road was completely empty though.There were plenty of broken wagons and skeletons along the road. From the way they were positioned it looked like they'd been running from the city. Not surprising; considering that a Zebra balefire bomb had blown the center of the Crystal Empire to smithereens. Or had it? If the Colleseum was intact enough to make a twon out of it the city center couldn't have been blown up. I wondered what else the Stable's books got wrong about the Zebras last attack.

We'd learned in history that the Zebra's were a cowardly race that lived far from the civilized cities of Equestria. They relied on snipers and cheap infiltration tactics to fight the war;only fighting directly when they were forced to. Even though their armies were larger than ours were at the start of the war, superior Equestrian tactics, magic, and weapons crushed the invading Zebra Legions.

I had trotted for a mile, maybe two, when I reached a large concrete structure. It was a single story building with a large steel door that was ajar. The walls were scorched and covered with bullet holes. There was a sign above the door, it read, "Equestrian Army Communication Center." My Pip-Buck beeped and I saw that it had marked the building on my it's map. I looked at the top of the building and saw a large black tower, it had two or three bowl looking things on it. was like one of old radio tower from the history books. Looking at the bullet holes it probably wouldn't be a good idea to go inside but curiosity drove me forward. I floated my shotgun beside me and went inside.

I pushed the door all the way open and clicked on the light on my Pip-Buck. The white light starkly contrasting with the dark gray interior of the building. Inside were several desks with busted terminals on them; along with assorted trash all over the floor. I looked in one corner and saw a sickly green glow coming from another room. I entered cautiously, the shotgun floating in front of me but the room was empty of life. One desk sat in the center of the room.

The terminal on this desk appeared to be working. There was a skeleton in the chair next to the terminal it had a bullet hole in it's skull. I looked around and sure enough there was a very rusty old pistol on the floor near the body. The tattered old uniform had a name tag on it. "Captain Withers" I turned my attention to the terminal after slowly sliding the chair and skeleton into the corner of the office.It was already logged in so I didn't have to bother trying to guess the password. Mini could have hacked it pretty quickly but I had no idea how...Mini. I started going through the old audio logs. I remembered my Pip-Buck and plugged the adapter into the terminal and downloaded the three files that weren't corrupted. After that there was a flash on the screen that stated, "Extend relay dishes, Y/N?" I thought about for a moment and hit the 'y' key.

Instantly the building shook and a loud groan and screeching sound came from outside. I left the office of Captain Withers and returned to the outside of the Communications center. The dishes on the radio tower were slowly moving towards the top of the tower. Once they reached the top my Pip-Buck beeped and I checked it. There were several radio stations I could turn to (except for the broadcast from41 which was just for announcements and party music) and there was a new one. Or I thought it was new, the others weren't blinking like this one was. I looked around but there still wasn't anypony that I could see so I tuned to it, pulling one of the wireless buds from my Pip-Buck and put it into my left ear.

"Attention all residents of the Crystal Empire.Martial Law is currently in effect. All citizens must return to their homes by ten a clock at night or face imprisonment. All citizens must stop at checkpoints, no exceptions! By order of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Message repeats... Attention all residents of the Crystal Empire..." I turned it off. Martial law? What the hell does that mean? And I hadn't ever heard of a Princess 'Cadence' or Prince Shining Armor. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna maybe,but never a Princess Cadence.

I went back into the squat building and rummaged for anything useful; food was on the top of my list. Dad had packed several tubes of paste in my bags but those wouldn't last forever. The building was devoid of any food but there were two Med-Kits filled with some Med-X, a small supply of sterilized needles and other assorted supplies. Including two small healing potions and a pouch of Rad-away potion. I checked through the captain's desk and found a small bag of bits and a pocket knife.The knife was razor sharp and opened in a fraction of a second. "Sacrifice" the blade read. I pushed the button again and the blade retracted. Score!

I left the building a few minutes later, my bags feeling a little heavier from the extra potions and gold coins. I slid the shotugn back into my bags and continued following the main road towards the city. To pass the time I listened to the audio logs from the terminal. A gruff and older sounding stallion's voice played in my ear.

"Captain Withers, personal log #12. Just got in orders from the Royal command in Canterlot. Celestia's gone and declared Martial Law. Damn. I spilled my coffee." He stopped talking for a few moments before resuming, "Ah,there we are. The stripes have just launched another major offensive in the south and the Royal Guard are having a spot of trouble repelling them. The fighting's drawn closer to Littlehorn and a lot of ponies are worried about it. Not particularly up north but still. I lived here for thirty years and I have to say I'm glad my parents moved here from Manehatten."

Princess Celestia declared Martial Law? The broadcast was saying it was by order of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. If it was her then why would the broadcast say it was them.Not to mention that it would help a lot if I knew what freaking Martial Law was! I sighed and played the next one.

"Captain Withers, personal log #23. It's happened. Littlehorn was attacked. Not just attacked but completely destroyed by the Striped. There was a mass of volunteers at the recruitment center near the Crystal Palace today. There was also a war protest outside the palace as well. Nothing like getting another ten thousand soldiers to take up arms against the enemy and having five hundred whiny pacifists cry for peace. It's a damn shame we couldn't just shoot them, but if we did shoot them that would just give more ammo to that bitch Tree Embrace and her Peace Ponies."

Shoot them? Shoot them?! This buck was a Captain in the Equestrian army and he thought it would be a good idea to shoot a bunch of protesters! I was starting to really dislike Captain Withers. And there was Littlehorn again. I knew that Littlehorn was Princess Luna's school for gifted unicorns, the books in the Stable mentioned that it was destroyed by a Zebra hit squad to spite the Princess. What was wrong with everypony back then?

"Captain Withers, personal log #53. It seems like the time has come. The shield just went up around the city proper and the missiles started impacting a few minutes after that. I've never seen anything like it. Hundreds of missiles streaking through the sky towards the palace. It would have been beautiful it it wasn't absolutely terrifying.The Crystal Heart seems to be protecting the city from total annihilation. But the townships and the citizens within are helpless; I guess it's a good thing that most of the missiles are all trained on the palace. I'd bet all my bits that that cunt Tree Embrace and her pacifist whiners are happy that the M.A.S.And the M.W.T. Hooked the Megaspell Shield system to the Crystal Heart now. " There was shouting in the background and the sound of a massive explosion nearby.

"What in Equestria?” A different buck's voice erupted into the recording.

“Sir! Ced have a confirmed megaspell detonation in the north west, and the shield just went down! What are your orders?” he asked.

“Evacuate as many civilians to the Stables as possible...and steer clear of that fog dammit!”

“Yes, sir!”

“I don't know what that abomination of a megaspell will do but I'm not going to find out. My only hope is that my grandfoals got to Stable 47 and that the Zebra Empire is nothing but a ocean of boiling glass!" The recording ended with a hiss of static. No wonder the world was blown to bits. Everypony back then was crazy! I thought passing by a wrecked sky wagon sticking out of the street.Not that any of it was really relevant seeing as the recording is over two hundred years old an all, but still, something to pass the time.

I was about to play one of the Sweetie Belle songs recorded on my Pip-Buck when I heard a gunshot, then a second. A few hundred yards down the road was the remains of a small town. The tallest building was three stories while the rest were all only one story. Many of the doors and windows were boarded up and blocked with rubble. One had collapsed entirely into the street blocking, half of the road from view. I cautiously made my way towards the source of the gunshot. I thought about drawing my shotgun but instead I choose to bring out Sacrifice. If they were dangerous it mihgt be better to take them by surprise. I crouched low to the ground and crawled around the pile of rubble ready to pull out the blade at the first sign of trouble. I peaked my head around the corner and saw the source of the gunshots. There was a large wagon that was filled to bursting with junk. Anything from bathroom sinks to large chunks of scrap metal and even what looked like chunks of the blue buildings. There was a rather large, dirty brown earth pony stallion strapped into it; he was holding a short rifle in his teeth.

Next to him was a very elderly mare who was holding a young pink coated filly with a purple mane in her forelegs. Her hindleg was splayed out to the side awkwardly with a purple bandana tied tightly around it. All three of them looked ragged and dirty, wearing improvised barding. The stallion had several scars along his sides and one across his left eye.

I gasped at the sight of the filly and the three looked at me. The stallion turned his rifle and fired, the round bouncing off the pile of rubble a few feet from my head. He dropped it into his forelegs and used his teeth to draw back the bolt and load another round. Instinct told me to duck for cover but looking at the filly made my chest hurt far more than I thought the bullet would. I tucked Sacrifice back into my bags then jumped from behind the rubble and raised my forelegs.

"Wait, don't shoot! I'm a doctor!" not entirely true since I hadn't passed the Stable doctrine examine yet but they didn't need to know that. "I can help!" The stallion kept the rifle trained on me but he didn't fire. The elderly mare looked at the filly wrapped in her forelegs, then back to me. After a few moments I thought for sure I was going to get shot but the mare raised a hoof and touched the stallion on the shoulder.

"It's alright, I reckon.She wouldn't of jumped out here like that unless she really wanted to help," then she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Unless you're stupid or suicidal." she waved a hoof and the stallion lowered his rifle. I stood up and trotted over to the filly. She seemed frightened of me still but that was nothing new. None of the fillies and colts in 41 were comfortable with the Medical ponies. Well,except Dad, he just had a way of making everypony feel calm and safe.I pulled the Med-Kit off my bags and placed it near the filly. I pulled out an emergency blanket that was folded so tightly it could fit in a pocket and used my magic to spread it out on the ground.

"Sweetie" I said to the filly, making her draw back a little. "can you come to the middle of the blanket. It'll help keep your leg clean." she looked at the older mare waiting for an answer. She nodded and the filly carefully moved onto the blanket. She was shaking, but I couldn't tell if it was from pain or fear. I smiled and removed a shot of Med-X along with a healing potion from the kit.She looked at the needle and began to shy away when the other mare touched her shoulder.

"It's alright Bubble. She's a healer." The filly still looked scared but she held still. I used my magic to gently lift her hindleg and pour some rubbing alcohol on it. She winced but but didn't try to crawl away. Progress! I thought as I cleaned the wound. Thankfully it didn't look like it was a very big round and it missed the bone, lodging in her muscle. I dialed the Med-X dosage down to a forth the normal shot, (Too much would hurt or maybe even kill her) and then I said,

"I want you to count to ten for me. Then I'll give you the shot, alright?" I smiled and the filly nodded,

"O...okay.." she whispered. "One,two, three, four..." when she reached five I stuck the shot in her leg and she had reached eight before she noticed what I'd done.

"Good, very good. You're doing great. Now I want you to look away,okay?" she did as she was told and focused on looking anywhere except her leg. The Med-X was taking effect, she had already stopped shaking. I pulled out the scalpel and forecips and dug into the wound. The bullet wasn't in very deep and it only took me a about a minute before I'd removed it. I floated the healing potion over to her and said, "Almost done. Just drink this." she looked at the potion skeptically and asked,

"What flavor is it?" the question caught me off guard. I looked at the bottle and smiled, "It's purple flavored." she looked at the other mare once again and when she nodded the little filly bit the top of the bottle and lifted her head. She downed the whole potion in one go and I watched as the restorative magic mended the wound in her leg in less than a minute.

"Alright. You're all done." I could have just given her the potion at the start but doing that impairs the long term healing process. Then, as afterthought I looked through my bags and found the brown paper bag that Dad had given me. Inside was one last peppermint. I sighed and floated it out to the filly. She sniffed it once and gave a tentative lick. Then she snatched it out of the air and began sucking on it.

"It's candy Granny! I got candy!" she said as she jumped to her hoofs and bounced around.

The older mare laughing at the filly's antics; the buck however turned to me and pointed at the wagon he was pulling.

"Okay,anything you want out of the salvage is yours." I stared at the wagon in confusion.

"For what?" I asked. The buck looked at me skeptically and shook his head.

"You helped Bubble. So whatever you want out of our salvage before we go is yours to keep." I looked back at the pile and shook my head.

"Thanks, but it's not necessary. I'm just happy to help." The mare, Granny, looked at me and shook her head vigorously.

"'Fraid not missy. The Apples pay their debts." She jumped on the back of the wagon with surprising speed and agility for her age, then started rummaging through the various items. She pulled out one item after another asking if I wanted it, and every time I turned them down. After a few minutes she pulled out a bag of apples and said,

"Look girl, you can at least let me get ya something to eat. You look skinnier than a rattler in the orchards." she smiled warmly as she gestured towards my slim frame. I'm not that skinny, I thought. But I agreed anyway. The old mare seemed so delighted I just couldn't tell her no.That, and I was kinda hungry. Within ten minutes she had made a small fire and was roasting the apples rotisserie style, along with something called radhog. I recognized the apples from pictures I'd seen in books but the radhog was new. Well... so were the apples. The only thing we'd ever eaten in 41 was food paste.

The smell was almost as intoxicating when it was done cooking. She tossed one of the kabobs to me and I barely caught it with my magic. I was a little hesitant at first but after one bite I couldn't stop myself from eating the whole thing in one bite. (I almost choked on a piece of the stick) the old mare laughed and tossed me another. By this time the stallion had unhooked himself from the wagon and sat by the fire next to the filly. When I was done with my food (my stomach crying for more) I finally asked.

"So what happened. Was it an accident or..?" I pointed at the buck's rifle. The stallion shook his head and pointed down the street a ways. Not even fifteen feet away from the the fire was the body of an earth pony mare in spiked leather barding. The left side of her head had exploded; brain matter, blood and pieces of skull littered the ground by her. I took one look at the stallion's rifle and shuttered.

"What's the matter?" the buck asked crossly. "Ain't ya ever seen a splattered raider before?" I looked at the dead mare, then back at the buck.

"Raider?" I asked.

"Dang girl! You from a Stable or somethin?" The old mare asked, cocking an eyebrow. I don't know why but I flushed when I nodded. "Well, ain't that the darnest thing! I never met a Stable pony before. What your name girl?"

"I'm Silver Heart." I answered. She smiled and said.

"My name is Granny Honeycrisp, this here is Bubble Gum, and muscles over there is Bramley." she pointed to each of them as she spoke and ended with, "you're looking at the last remnants of the Apple clan." Apple clan? Seeing the blank expression on my face she explained, "The Apples are one of the oldest clans in Equestria. Our lineage stretches back to the days of Nightmare Moon and beyond. Our ancestor, Captain Cortland, led the first division of the Royal guard when it was formed by Celestia after Luna went and turned Nightmare Moon. And he was the only earth pony to ever get the Captain's position to boot." she pointed at the wagon. "We was just making a supply run in the ruins around here before heading back to Vanhoover. There's some good loot round these parts." she pointed at me. "What about you girl,what's a Stable pony doing out in the wasteland? I thought the point of Stables was to stay out of the wastes." I stayed silent for about a minute before her smile left her muzzle. "It was bad...wasn't it?" it wasn't Granny Paula red or Bramley who asked but the little filly Bubble Gum. I couldn't take it, I fell to the ground and started crying right there.

I wept for about twenty minutes or so; Bubble hugging me the whole time. Granny Honeycrisp put a hoof on my shoulder, and Bramley looked like nothing if not extremely uncomfortable. Through the tears I told them what happened. The false message from the Goddess, the ponies invading the Stable, my dad, Cedric being turned to glowing ash. Oh the ashes. They were everywhere. How many of the ponies I'd known my whole life had I stepped on just leaving the Stable? After I cried myself out I apologized for breaking down.

"It ain't nothing girl. Everypony has lost somepony close." She looked at Bubble Gum, "We was picking through the ruins near Galloping Gorge when we found Bubble here. Her folks got nabbed by ghouls." Bubble nodded slowly. "There were more of the Apple clan just a few months back. Cousin Golden, and Big Red got killed by raiders." she looked straight into my eyes as she said, "I sure am sorry about what happened, but everypony loses somepony eventually."

......................

I said goodbye to the Apple clan a little over an hour later. Granny Honeycrisp had insisted I take a bag of apples for the road before giving me directions to Gem City.

"It's three or four days to hoof it to Gem city but I tell ya it's worth it. It's a real fine town." Granny showed me a map that I copied into my Pip-Buck. "Gem city is the biggest town in the Crystal Wasteland. Make sure you stay clear of them skyscrapers to the northwest. Those things are filled with a whole mess of raiders."

Apparently the way that I was going was not a good idea. I watched the wagon as it headed south until it was out of site. One thing that bothered me about the Apple family was how they treated the dead mare. They had stripped the mare of her armor and tossed her corpse into an open sewage pipe. After leaving the Apples behind I followed the directions from my Pip-Buck towards Gem city.

I walked for maybe a few hours but once it started to get dark I decided to look for a place to bed down. The farther north I went more and more building seemed to be springing up. Most of them made from the blue crystal that was everywhere. I wondered if the ponies of the Crystal Empire ever built anything out of something other then gems. I mean, come on! Where did they even get so many crystals anyway?The buildings were dilapidated and falling apart, many were covered in bullet holes and one even had what looked like a large missile sticking out of the fourth story window. I seemed to have enter some kind of large urban area with larger buildings and a lot more skeletons littering the streets.

With the light slowly fading from the horizon a flickering light on the side of the street drew my attention. There was an old soda machine with a sign declaring, Sparkle-Cola! I looked the machine over and it seemed to still be working so I pulled a bit from my bags and put it in the machine. A few seconds later a bottle of sparkle-cola popped out. I floated the bottle to my muzzle,popped the cap off then took a drink. I'd never tasted anything like it before. And I thought the roasted apple was good! My Pip-Buck showed me that I was ingesting a small amount of radiation from the drink but it wasn't that much. I got a few more bottles out of the machine for later and turned around to see a little meal ball hovering just a few feet from my head.

"Ahh!" I jumped backwards pulling the shotgun from my bags and fired three blasts of buckshot at the little robot.

"Wow. Your aim is terrible." A mechanical voice said from the hovering robot.

"Who are you?" I asked, my heart almost on the verge of giving out.

"Call me Watcher. Sorry about scaring you by the way. Totally unintentional." I tried to give my best, winning smile and shrugged it off.

"It's alright. My name is Silver Heart. So... you're a robot?" I asked, wondering where he had come from and why he decided to give me a heart attack.

"What? Oh yeah, nah I'm not a robot. This is just a Sprite bot. The annoying little bastards are everywhere and I hack into them to keep an eye on things. I saw what you did back there with that filly and I gotta ask, why did you do that?" He asked, or at least the voice sounded like a he.

"She was a filly who got shot!" I almost shouted at the little insect looking robot. "Why wouldn't I help?" the sprite bot was silent for only a moment before answering.

"Most ponies in the wasteland only think of themselves. Most ponies would have just snuck away while they were distracted. Or took the opportunity to kill them while they were distracted. Instead you jumped into somepony's cross hairs to help someone you haven't met and likely won't ever see again. I have to say, I approve. But I think you should try to be smarter next time.Ya, know...not jumping in front of gun like that. It's a good way to get your head blown off. Not the best idea." The mechanical voice managed to sound sarcastic at the end.

"Well, I...um...fair point. Don't surprise ponies holding loaded weapons, got it. Got any other advice?" I asked.

"You want my advice? My advice is that you,firstly, you need to practice with that gun. Second traveling by yourself isn't that safe, especially if your that bad of a shot, no offense. My main advice is this; try to make some friends." With that the voice disappeared and was replaced by some kind of marching music with a lot of tuba and harmonica. The little robot's wings flapping more rapidly while it flew away.

After Watcher flew away I decided to look for a place to bed down for the evening. Most of the buildings either had large holes in the walls, were bordered up or even collapsed entirely, but I found one old house that was reasonably intact.

The inside was just as wrecked as the streets outside. Broken furniture and rotting clothes covered much of the floor, along with a thick layer of dusk. The walls had a few faded pictures and a large board with several yellowed newspaper clippings pinned to it. I stepped up to the board for a closer look. Most were illegible but there was one clipping that was readable. There was a picture of a tall, purple skyscraper that towered over dozens of the smaller crystal buildings surrounding it. A lavender unicorn in smart business attire standing by several other unicorns. One in gold armor.

"Announcing the end of construction for the M.A.S. Hub in the Crystal Empire has just been completed. Prince Shining Armor attended the first meeting with the Imperial branch of the M.A.S. But was forced to order a full battalion of Crystal Guards to be stationed around the Hub to keep protesters from harassing M.A.S. Employees. Dozens of arrests were made during the first day of operations and Princess Cadence condemns the actions of the protesters"

Huh. So the Crystal Empire wasn't exactly peaceful even though it was thousands of miles from any fighting. I wish that the books in 41 had some more information on the Crystal Empire. I thought. I'd even asked Granny Honeycrisp about it but she was from Vanhoover and didn't know much about the area except that there was valuable salvage.

I turned from the clippings and went into the corner of the room where there was an old mattress. It was dusty and had a few holes in it but it would do just fine. I plopped down on the musty old mattress and curled up. Then I floated the locket before my eyes and popped it open. I'm so sorry. I tucked the locket away and sat my head down on the mattress. I thought about what Granny Honeycrisp had said about Gem city. It was made built out of the remains of the Crystal Empire's stadium nearly a hundred years ago and was apparently the richest town in the Crystal Wasteland. I was only a few days away. I could make it for three days on my own couldn't I? I curled up a little tighter and tried to get some sleep.

I tossed and turned for just over an hour before I started to remove my uniform. Stupid fucking dress! I took it off and tossed it onto my saddlebags. As I returned to the mattress a heard a small crack behind me. I turned, floating Sacrifice from my bags and ejecting the blade but nothing was there. I strained my ears, trying to pick up the slightest noise; but there was nothing. I returned my knife to my bags and tried to get some sleep.

......................

I often didn't have dreams back in Stable 41. Or, maybe I just never remembered them. When I did finally fall asleep my dreams were strange. I was standing in Medical trying to turn Barrel's coat purple for the weekly party. Dad was there trying to get Magenta and Vicks to stop smacking flanks in the X-Ray room. Mom was in the corner juggling bottles of Sparkle-Cola while balancing a single bottle on her muzzle. The Overmare was lying on one of the hospital beds balancing a large purple and white rubber ball with her hindlegs.

Then we partied in the atrium like there was no tomorrow. There was roasted apples and rainbow paste for everypony along with cases and cases of cider. There was a clown in the center of the atrium jumping through a hoop that was floating mid-air. Then the clowns head exploded splattering blood and bits of brain matter over everypony. I turned to see the tall earth pony stallion with his super rifles. He looked straight into my eyes and said, "You need to wake up"

...................

I awoke to something poking me lightly in the face.

"No Dad I don't want to eat the candle, I don't care what it does." It poked me harder and I opened my eyes. Standing over me was a piss yellow unicorn mare in full combat armor. A scary looking scoped rifle floating by her side. A rifle that was pointing right between my eyes.

"Get up." she said. I did as I was told, slowly pulling me off the mattress. "Get dressed, grab your bags and don't bother trying anything. I got your gun and ammo already." I put my dress back on, Itchy bastard and pulled my saddlebags back on. She poked my flank with the rifle and said, "Now get moving."

She pointed me out the door and I followed her instruction. She directed me out into the early morning air and down the street past more collapsed buildings and even what looked like an old Pegasus vehicle crashed into the roof of a two story building. The sign read,"Crystal Empire History Museum" I stopped for a few seconds and got smacked in the back of the head for my trouble.

"Keep moving bitch!"

"Okay, damn..." I said rubbing the back of my head.We walked for a little over an hour from what from what my Pip-Buck told me. The buildings seemed to be getting taller the farther we went, and they weren't just blue any more. Some were light purple and a few were bright green. Shame all of them are wrecked. I thought. We reached an intersection in the road and the mare told me to take the left street. We followed the road for less than half a mile before she directed me down an alleyway between an old restaurant and a gun store. Weird combination. I thought.

At the end of the alley was a metal door with a slit near the top. The mare banged the stock of her rifle on the door three times. The slit opened and a pair of eyes stood behind them.

"What's the password?" a buck's deep voice said from the other side. The mare rolled her eyes and answered,

"Open the door dumbshit before I shoot you in the face right now." The slit closed and the door opened. Inside were several ponies in combat armor similar to the mare's. The room was dimly lit by flickering light on the ceiling that were sending out sparks, an old radio sat on a wooden crate in the corner playing a song by Sweetie Bell. Well at least these ponies have good taste. I thought as Sweetie Bell sang her beautiful song. There were several crates and other containers around the room that held weapons, packaged food and even a case of bottled water. The ponies themselves held assault carbines, combat shotguns and one stallion even had a missile launcher strapped to his back.

"I got her boss." the mare said to the stallion with the missile launcher. He stepped forward and looked up and down my body. I shrank back a little but the back tapped my back with her rifle. The stallion continued examining me for a few seconds before nodding.

"Alright, I'm pretty sure that you don't want to die. Am I right?" he asked. I nodded slowly and he smiled.

"Good. Misty saw what you did with them caravaners.I'm sure you wouldn't mind plying your skills assisting some good,honest mercenaries like us." he said gesturing to a flight of stairs at the back of the room. I stammered for a few moments before I could get the words out.

"You...you need my help?" The stallion scowled at the word 'help' and I said, "Why didn't you just ask?The whole abducted at gunpoint thing wasn't really necessary you know." the other ponies laughed and the buck with the missile launcher smiled coyly.

"I'm so sure. Now get up there before I change my mind and kill you right now." He said pulling the missile launcher's straps tighter on his back with his teeth.

"Okay.." I squeaked, then promptly trotted to the stairs. When I reached the top it felt like the blood had drained from my body. There were two ponies lying on moldy old sleeping bags that were coated in blood. A brown stallion who's hindleg appeared broken in two different places, and a blue coated mare that had thick bloody bandages covering her chest.

"Sweet Celestia. What the hell happened?" I asked.The mare behind me pushed me further into the room and said,

"We got into a little spat with a group of talons yesterday." I looked at her blankly and she groaned. "Talons are griffon mercenaries.They've been coming in from down south taking our contracts. Damn crows." she muttered. "Now get to it! I saw you heal that filly, make with the healing sweetheart." I scowled and examined the stallion's broken leg. It had been dislocated at the joint and the metatarsal bone was broken. I dropped my bags on the floor then surrounded his leg in my magic and smiled at the stallion.

"I need you to try to hold still, this is going to hurt." the buck nodded and put a strap from his uniform between his teeth before nodding. "One...two...three!" I said with a jerk, jamming the dislocated joint back into it's proper alignment. He would have screamed if not for the belt in his mouth. I gave him a shot of Med-X and turned my attention to the mare. She may have internal bleeding from the look of the bloodstains. After realigning the joint I braced his leg against a board I found on the floor and re-broke his bone. If I left it the way it was it wouldn't heal right. I took the board and used it to make a impromptu split. I used the belt the buck used to keep from screaming and cut it into three pieces, then used it to strap the board to his leg keeping the bone straight.

"Okay, your good." I said simply before turning to the mare. The buck looked at his leg and gingerly moved it. He winced but it he'd be up and walking in a week or two. I removed the bandages and gasped. There were several long gouges on her chest,they were deep, and had turned yellowish purple.

"Oh...shit" I turned to the mare with the rifle."I'm going to need more supplies." I only had a little alcohol left and one healing potion wouldn't do it. And, I have to admit, I didn't want to use too much of my own supplies if I could help it. She pointed the rifle between my eyes.

"You're a unicorn. Just magic her better already"I smacked the rifle out of my face and yelled,

"I can't purge the infection with magic. I don't know how! Now get me a bottle of whiskey, some healing potions if you have them and some magical bandages. Or you can just shoot us both because she'll be dead in a few days anyway!" the mare stared at me in shock, two stallions from downstairs came up the stairs their weapons drawn. The mare turned to them,

"You heard her, right?" she asked and they nodded in response.

"Go get it then" she said picking floating her rifle off the floor. I was a little stunned but satisfied none the less.When they returned with what I asked for I removed pulled out my scalpel and forecips and got to work. After giving her the last of my Med-X and cleaning the wound with what was left of my rubbing alcohol and some Wild Pegasus whiskey I removed the diseased flesh and tried to save as much of it as I could. Whatever made these injuries was razor sharp but thankfully they didn't pierce the mare's ribs or hit any vital organs. Likewise the infection didn't reach her internal organs. After cleaning the wound again I gave her all three healing potions and watched the more serious injuries heal. I was going to finish with the healing bandages but decided to try something. I remembered the healing spell that Dad taught me and my horn glowed brightly. I strained, my magic knitting the skin back together over her chest. It took all the strength I had just to close the skin over the wounds. No wonder we always used stitches in 41. I thought, panting with sweat pouring down my face. The mare looked at her chest with a look of disbelief.

"You...you should be fine," I said between breaths. "I think you should rest for a day but other than that your healed. As for him" I said pointing a hoof at the stallion. "It'll be a week or maybe two before he'll be able to walk around normally though." The mare with the rifle scowled and called for her boss down the stairs.

"What's is it Misty?" He asked and the mare pointed at the stallion.

"He'll be out of it for a week or more at best."she seemed put out by this and her boss seemed to agree. "He's useless like this." The stallion nodded and pulled a revolver from a holster on his right foreleg.

"Wait, Captain I can still fight I..." he was interrupted by the Captain's bullet going through his skull. I stared in shock as the buck fell limply to the floor, blood and pieces of brain stuck to the wall behind him. I just sat there, my mouth hanging open, unable to say a word. What was the point of me helping him...if they were just going to kill him anyway?

The stallion pointed at the mare I'd just healed and yelled,

"Next time kill the damn griffon before it gets too close! Now back to your post!" The mare quickly scrambled down the stairs with a quick, "Yes, sir!"

"Misty, get back to your post as well. Keep an eye out for more of the birds." the rifle mare saluted and went to the stairs, while the other mare went down she continued onto the next flight going to the higher floors. I was left alone with buck and he seemed to realize this. He stepped closer to me and smiled.

"Well it looks like we have some time to ourselves little nurse. I tell ya, I've always liked the look of the mares in those old Ministry posters." He unbuckled his armor and it fell from his body leaving his torso naked. I backed up as far as I could but my back was against a wall.

"St...stay away from me you.." I stammered. He smiled devilishly and chuckled.

"No, no. none of that. We need to get to know each other." he licked his lips and oh, Goddess's I could see his...hardness. I frantically looked around and my eyes caught my saddlebags my horn began to glow and he smacked me hard across the face. I flipped and landed on my stomach and I felt him on top of me.I desperately reached out with my magic and gripped the handle of my knife from my saddlebags. Just as I felt the flap on my dress open when I stabbed the blade into the buck's neck. A few seconds later his limp body fell to the side of me and I got to my hooves trying my best not to shake. I looked down at the stallion and the growing pool of blood seeping from his neck.

I just killed somepony... I sat down hard on the floor and just stared at him for a while. One thought after another racing through my mind. I killed somepony...he was about to rape you! But I killed somepony!I... I am healer it's my job to help ponies not kill them! After a couple minutes of panic I managed to reign in my thoughts and look at the situation.

There were several other ponies here, and any one of them could kill me. (My gaze shifted to the dead buck in the other corner, his blood flowing down the wall) If anypony from the bottom floor came up here I was fucked (Maybe literally) and if the rifle mare decided to come down from her post she'd definitely kill me. I retrieved my saddlebags and returned all my tools and other supplies to them. I floated out Sacrifice Looks like rifle mare wasn't that thorough. And returned the baton to my bags. Then I started looking for a way out of here but it looked like I was stuck. Short of jumping out a two story window I didn't have many options.

"Hey where's Auto?" I heard a voice call from downstairs. Oh,shit! I opened the knife and stepped back as I heard hoofsteps coming up the stairs. When the blue mare I had healed entered the room, wearing combat armor and floating an assault rifle by her side. Her eyes widened as she saw her boss lying on the floor in an increasingly puddle of vomit ridden foam leaking from his mouth. She looked from her dead boss to me and back again before closing her eyes and shaking her head. She stepped forward and I raised Sacrifice but before I could stick the blade into her neck she strapped her rifle to her side and said,

"I'm sure he didn't give you a choice. He's done the same with every other mare we've come across." I paused mid strike and she sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you, but the others will. I'll see if I can..." she paused and put a hoof to her left ear and she went pale. "Oh fuck!" She pulled out her carbine and put a hoof on my shoulder. I raised the knife and aimed for her neck but she didn't try to attack me.

"We need to go, now!" she ran to the stairs and when I didn't follow she scowled. "Dammit doc we got talons incoming! This will be our only chance to get out of here without getting killed by the rest of the squad!" when I still didn't move she grabbed my dress with her teeth and dragged me to the window. She pointed to the skies and there were over a dozen griffons flying in formation towards the building. From the floor above us several guns began to fire. The blue mare let me go and ran to the stairs. This time I followed. If she was this scared of them then I didn't want them anywhere near me.

We ran up three flights, passing over a dozen ponies who were shooting out of the windows and who ducked for cover as bullets peppered the sides of the building. I've been here for less than an hour and I've seen four ponies die. I thought as we moved passed two dead mares on the top floor. When we reached the roof I immediately regretted coming with her. The roof had almost no cover and the griffons were spraying side of the building. From their height they couldn't possibly miss us. I heard a ridiculously loud shot that reminded me of Stable 41. One of the griffons screeched and fell down to the ground several streets north of the building we were on. The remaining griffons saw us and just like I thought they started shooting.

"Come on!" the blue mare yelled as she pushed me towards the edge. Several floors below us the street was littered with debris and skeletons while the building opposite us had a large hole in the roof. Before I could protest she pushed me off the edge and we plummeted towards the opposite building. I landed spread eagle on an old queen sized bed and bounce into a wall. The blue mare missed the bed and rolled to her hooves. But she overshot it and hit the wall near me.

I groaned and sat up, my vision was blurred and it felt like the world was spinning around me. The mare took the fall better than I did but her mouth was bleeding from her face plant. As my vision returned to normal and the world stopped spinning I shakily got to my hooves and smacked her across the face. Hard.

"What the fuck!? Would it have been too much to ask for you to give me some warning before you throw me off a fucking building?!" she covered my muzzle with a hoof and pushed me to the opposite wall.

"Be quiet!" she said, her voice full of urgency and fear. I heard the beating of large wings close by but it only lasted a few moments before it ended. The gunfire reached a new fervor as the griffons and the ponies continued their fight. I even heard an explosion and somepony (or griffon) cry out.

The blue mare released me from the wall and started for a door on the other side of the room. When she reached the doorway she looked over her shoulder and asked,

"You coming?" I nodded and followed her. She seemed to know the building, following a path through large holes in the floor and collapsed ceilings to get us to the lower floors. We stopped for a moment in an old bedroom to rest. I hadn't noticed before but there was a decal of a sun and crescent moon on her chest piece. Unlike the rest of the building (which I believe was some sort of apartment complex) this room was reasonably intact. The bed was covered in dust but didn't have any holes or stains on the mattress. There was a safe on the wall with the a crowbar stuck in the drywall next to it, and there was even a terminal sitting on the desk. I went to the terminal and was disappointed to see it was locked. I didn't have the slightest idea how to unlock a terminal so I asked the blue mare. She shrugged and suggested I looked through the desk.

I did, and was pleasantly surprised to see somepony had written the password on the cover of an old comic book. Sword Mares! The cover was a mare in armor that exposed her flank holding a sword while a buck cowered behind her. I giggled at the picture and after typing in the code tossed it over to blue, who was looking at me like I was insane for giggling like a filly after being thrown off a building.

The terminal didn't have anything interesting in it. There was an old newsletter about Prince Shining Armor ordering several new forts to be made on the edges of the city and a few private messages. Most of them were about mundane things like trips to the spa and somepony almost having an orgasm from seeing Princess Cadence at said spa. One looked kind of interesting so I opened the file and read it.

"Hey Topaz it's Harmonia, I just got hired at the M.A.S. Hub, I told you I'd nailed the interview. I'll be starting tomorrow, as long as those damn 'Peace Ponies' don't try to storm the place again. You'd think with the guards being cleared to shoot they'd knock that shit off but what can you do? Anyway just letting you know that I got the job and I really appreciate you giving me the recommendation. I just hope that they put me on an interesting project. I may not be a unicorn but I know more about geology and Crystals than anypony they've probably had. I'll make sure to keep you posted. Anyway, thanks again. -H"

Huh. Sounds like nopony likes the peace ponies. After going through the other messages (all spa talk) I used the terminal to open the safe and was pleased to find a box of small shotgun shells, a Radaway potion and few bits. I pocketed the items from the safe and after the blue mare made sure the hallway was clear we continued to make our way to the bottom floor. After a few minutes of silence I asked,

"What's your name by the way?"she was silent but only for a moment.

"Azure. What about you, doc?"

"My name is Silver Heart." It didn't take us long to get to the bottom floor. I managed to pick up some more useful supplies in a collapsed bathroom. Some healing bandages and a tin of Mint Als, Party time variety. Once we got out onto the street I looked back towards where the fighting was still raging on. I couldn't see any griffons in the sky, and I guessed they must of landed to take cover.

We followed the road through the decaying ruins for maybe a mile, trying to put as much distance between us and the battle; before stopping outside an old diner. I sat down and leaned against the wall of the diner, looking back towards the battle. The gunfire had lessened somewhat but it still sounded pretty furious. My stomach rumbled and Azure looked at me from where she was sitting. "Hungry, huh?" she asked smirking.

"Eyup." I replied pulling out the bundle of apples I got from the well...Apples. I took a bite and tossed one to Azure, who almost dropped it. She sniffed the fruit and started eating. After she finished her apple she pulled her rifle off her side and a small oil can. I watched in fascination as she took the rifle completely apart and began cleaning the inner pieces. She noticed me watching her and she smiled.

"I'd like to thank you doc. If you hadn't come along I might be dead on the floor with Captain Auto and that idiot Caramel." she smiled and began reassembling the rifle.

"Why did you jump with me?" I asked, causing her to stop and raise an eyebrow at me. "What I mean is, weren't those ponies your friends?" She burst out laughing and fell back on her back.

"Oh...oh, Goddesses! Friends! Ha! Shit that is funny." she caught my questioning gaze and explained. "They weren't my friends. I joined up with them a couple weeks ago for the caps. I tell ya, the caps you get working with the Gunners are real good. Probably the only thing I'll miss. But Auto was a vicious, raping bastard. Thanks for killing him." Caps? Gunners? When I voiced my confusion she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm from a Stable." I explained.

"Oh. Alright, that makes more sense then. The Gunners are a group of soldiers for higher. Or they call themselves soldiers anyway. Their really just a bunch of raiders with better weapons and armor. You know what that monster Auto was capable of." I shuddered at the thought of that bastard on top of me. "Anyway, I've been trying to slip away for about a week now but after I got gored by that griffon I didn't have much of a choice. Good thing you fixed me up or old Auto would have blown my brains out." she bumped my shoulder with a grin. I didn't return it

"Why did he kill him?" I asked. She blinked in confusion for a moment before answering.

"You mean Caramel?" I nodded. "Auto killed Caramel because he would be no good in a fight with his leg like that. The Gunners don't do weakness. He would have slowed the squad down and risked the lives of the rest us because we'd have to carry him and his equipment. To Auto he was nothing but dead weight." she sadly. I didn't press further. She returned to putting her rifle back together and when she was done she slapped in a clip and aimed at a sign on the other side of the street. "Blam!" she said pretending to pull the trigger. "We should get going. If any of those bastards are still alive they'll be looking for us. Then again maybe the Talons just killed them all and we can be done with it but I'm not taking any chances." she turned to me, "Where are you headed anyway?"

"Gem city" I replied. She whistled as she stood up and pulling on her bags.

"Now there's a place to go! Mind if I tag along? I didn't exactly have a set destination planned when we jumped except for the bed. And I missed." I looked her over. She was a mare in full combat armor who was armed and knew how to use her weapon. It was either very smart or very, very, stupid to travel with her. But if she wanted to kill me she could have done it a hundred times by now. Why not?

"Sure. Better than traveling alone." as an after thought I added. "What did you mean by caps?"

...................

Traveling through the wastes with another pony was a lot less depressing than when I was alone. And Azure seemed to be enjoying my company as well. She told me about how she grew up in the southwest of the Crystal Wastes collecting salvage with her parents. They had died about a year before and since her usual salvage territory was taken over by raiders she decided to join up with the Gunners at Princess Plaza. (an old radio station where the Gunners were stationed.)

"At first I thought about joining up with the Auxiliary but they don't pay much." She said as she shot a giant cockroach the size of a dog a few yards up the street from us.

"The Auxiliary?" I asked.

"Stable ponies don't know nothing," she laughed, and explained. "The Auxiliary are a group of ponies who try to protect settler ponies and scavengers from raiders and monsters. They provide guards for caravaners and small settlements free of charge, but it's kind of custom for the settlers to spare them some food, or medicine or caps. They take any and all volunteers and they're actually kinda cool, but the Gunners dropped a smack down on them just a few months ago around this area. I haven't heard much but I think they're trying to regroup." I mulled that over for a moment. Ponies who were helping just to help them? It sounded so different from what the rest of the ponies I'd seen so far in the Crystal Wasteland.

"They sound like my kind of ponies" I said looking through the windows of an old barber shop. Azure chuckled at that.

"I'm sure they do. Maybe you can join up. They have an office in Gem City maybe you should check it out when we get there. I seriously doubt they'd say no to a trained medic. How'd you learn the trade anyway?" she asked pointing her rifle around the corner before going forward.

"I was a medical pony back in Stable 41. My dad taught me all I know about healing. I'm sure the Auxiliary would rather have him, he could have healed you and Caramel with just his magic if he wanted to." I felt my ears droop at the thought of him. I'd stopped paying attention to where I was going and bumped head first into Azure's rump. "Crap! Sorry, Azure."

"It's alright," she said, rubbing her rear. "You okay?" she asked. I hesitated at first but I figured that if she told me her story I could tell her mine.

"My Stable was...attacked. These strange ponies with weapons that turned you to ash stormed the place and killed everypony. Well, except me.They stripped the Stable of anything useful, they even took my dad's body. And then they left. After I pulled myself together and grabbed a few things I left to look for them." She looked over her shoulder sadly.

"I'm sorry. Nopony should have to see their home destroyed like that." she paused for a moment, rubbing her chin in thought before asking, "You said these ponies were strange. How?" I explained how they all looked alike and what their leader looked like. Slowly, an expression of horror crossed over her face. "Are you sure? I you absolutely sure that's what he looked like?" I nodded and she facehoofed. "Sweet fucking Celestia. Silver Heart the last thing you want to do is go after them. That was a Syndicate agent!" I stared blankly in confusion. I didn't know what the Syndicate was but from the look on her face they were bad news.

"Look Silver Heart. My advice is you stop looking" I gasped and tried to argue but she ignored me. "The Syndicate is the most vicious and evil group of ponies in the Crystal Wasteland. If their even real ponies. You don't want to fuck with them. That guy you saw, his name is Bounty, and he is a fucking monster! You thought Auto was bad. Bounty killed off a whole platoon of the Gunners last year when they tried to take control of an old energy plant. He hunted down their families for fuck's sake! And those weird ponies, they were Androids doc. Fucking Androids!" Again I stared blankly. "Dammit. Androids are basically robots that look like ponies. They're heartless, soulless machines that will kill anyone and anything that gets in their way. So for the sake of your health and happiness, when we get to Gem City just ask for a job at the clinic. You'll live a lot longer that way." she looked around cautiously. She was just yelling but earlier she impressed the importance of trying to be quiet when traveling through the Wastes. Better to avoid monsters.

No matter what she said; I couldn't just stop looking for him. Even though this guy Bounty did sound like a damn monster alright. He hunted down and killed the Gunners families? I shuttered at the thought. I knew what kind of damage that his rifle could do. He shot me through a fucking wall for Goddess's sake! After Azure was convinced that her tirade hadn't alerted anything dangerous to our position she returned to me.

"Trust me doc. You don't want to fuck with them. You leave them alone and they generally leave you alone. Simple as that."I scowled at her darkly and she took a step back as I advanced on her.

"My Stable didn't do anything to them, and they had no problem killing my friends and family. When we get to Gem City I'm going to keep looking. You can do whatever you want." I stepped past her looking at my Pip-Buck. It was still a couple days to Gem City on hoof. Damn!

We walked in silence for the next few hours. The only break in the silence was the sound of far off gunshots and the occasional scream. That and the occasional Sprite Bot. I waited for Watcher to show up and talk to me but it seemed he was watching somewhere else at the moment because the little winged robots just bobbed along playing their music. Finally, Azure spoke.

"I'm sorry about earlier." I scowled ahead but decided not to be mean about it.

"It's alright." we were silent for a few minutes more when she asked,

"Do you get the radio with that Pip-Buck?" I looked over my shoulder and nodded. "Could you put on DJ Pon 3?"I blinked and she showed me the proper radio station to tune to. A song I recognized as one of Sapphire Shores. We enjoyed the music for a couple minutes and when the song ended the voice of a charming voice of a stallion burst from my Pip-Buck.

"Hello children! How goes the Wasteland? Ha,ha! I thought so, sunshine and rainbows... Oh wait, no sunshine? No rainbows, and the chance of bloody disembowelment and decapitation? That sounds right. Anyhoo... it's time for the news! Well my little ponies do I have a bit of a tale for you today. As you know, I try to get tabs on the goings on of the Equestrian Wasteland as best I can. But between Manehatten, New Appaloosa, Trottingham, Vanhoover, ecetera, ecetera, I don't always catch everything. Which is why your tips are always welcome. The story I'm about to tell you is a doozey children. Apparently that old vault by Emerald Valley in the Crystal Empire still has some ponies. I have it on good authority that a Stable Dweller emerged just over a day ago" I stopped dead in my tracks and this time Azure walked head first into my rump

"What, you may be asking is so special about that?Well this mare is a bit different from the status quo. She made her way to the ruins of the small village of Pristine before coming across a family of caravaners. They had a little filly who'd recently been injured and she offered help despite the fact that the guard tried to blow her head off. She healed the little filly, and continued on her way without asking for payment of any kind. That, my little ponies is what makes me do my job. Because despite all the evil bastards, and monsters in this world, there are still some good folks. This one goes out to you Healer. Sweetie Belle singing about the one truth of the Wasteland. This is DJ Pon 3, bringing you the truth no matter how bad it hurts"

I was so stunned that azure had to knock on my heard three times before I said anything.

"How did he know that! That was only yesterday, how could he possibly know about that?" I turned to Azure and she shrugged.

"I don't know. But DJ Pon 3 always knows what's going on. He broadcasts out of Tenpony way down south in Manehatten. But hey, you just got a shout out from the DJ himself! Who cares how he knows."

I spent the half hour trying to think of someway that DJPon 3 could have found out about me. Maybe Granny Honeycrisp told him? Nah, she was going to Vanhoover, and it would take at least a few weeks to get to Manehatten by hoof even if she wanted to tell him. Maybe he could hack into the Sprite bots like Watcher? Or maybe he was Watcher! I was pulled out of my reverie by Azure tapping me on the shoulder. I looked at her and she crossed her hoof over her neck, pointing at my Pip-Buck. I turned off the radio and activated the Pip-Buck's EFS or Eyes Forward Sparkle. It was a magical spell in the Pip-Buck that allowed you to pinpoint living things and determine if they were hostile or not.

Directly ahead and to the left of us was a single blue bar on my screen Blue means good right? I thought, trying to remember. We cautiously made out way towards the corner of a collapsed bookstore. Azure poked her head around the corner and muttered,

"Oh no." She nodded to me and looked around the bend. Lying limply on the remains of an old armored vehicle was an injured griffon.

Level Up! Your knowledge of equine anatomy gives you extra insight into your opponents weakness's. +5% damage to critical hits and +10% chance of getting a critical hit in V.A.T.S.

Chapter 3: Kindness

“She's a Griffon, half eagle and half lion.... And all Awesome!...”

I looked at the griffon lying on the ruined armored vehicle with dawning comprehension. I'd seen him knocked from the sky just a few hours ago. How the hell did he survive the fall? I thought. Even from the corner I could the rise and fall of his chest. I tried to run to him but Azure grabbed me by the tail and pulled me back behind the corner.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she asked incredulously, spitting my tail out of her mouth.

“He's injured and unconscious. I'm going to help him.” I tried to walk around her but she blocked me.

“Are you crazy?! He's a damn Talon. They were just shooting at us!” She stomped for emphasis and just stood there scowling.

“They were shooting at you and your Gunner buddies. Not me.” she tried to argue but I cut her off. “I was trained to help ponies... er, people. And I'll be damned if I'm going to just walk away when someone needs help.” I touched my hoof to her chest. “What if I just let you die? Or killed that mare with the rifle and went on my way?” her jaw dropped and she tried to studder an answer.

“I...but...oh Luna dammit...” she facehoofed and stepped aside, I then rushed towards the griffon and jumped atop the old armored vehicle.

“Azure, help me get him off here.” She trotted forward and together we used our magic to gently lift the griffon and lay him on the ground. I jumped down, landing a few feet from him, then I removed his Saddlebags, armored chest piece, his four leg guards and a pair of blades off his wings. Then I examined him. Besides being unconscious his right wing was broken and from the depressions on his right side some of his ribs were as well. I pressed my ear to his chest and listened closely. His heart beat sounded normal but his breathing was strained and I heard a cracking that definitely didn't sound right. I pulled out what was left of my medical supplies and spread them out. I had some Radaway, my tools, a nearly full bottle of whiskey, and one healing potion. Fuck. I didn't have enough supplies to heal his wing, let alone his fucking ribs and whatever damage had been done to his insides. I looked around frantically hoping that I'd find something I could use to heal the griffon. But there was nothing on the street that could help. I turned to Azure.

“Do you know anywhere we could get some supplies? I don't have enough.” She frowned, rubbing her chin in thought.

“Well...there is an old Ministry hospital a couple miles east of here. My squad did some reconnaissance on the place on the way to our post for a back up if we lost the apartment. But that place is in raider territory. After the Auxiliary got booted out they sprang up like they spawned out of the fucking ether of something.” I smiled and turned to the armored vehicle. ARMORED PONY TRANSPORT It read on the side. I looked around the vehicle and saw that the back hatch was open. I looked inside at the armored interior, a plan forming in my mind.

“Alright, help me get him in the back. I'll try to stabilize him and we'll head to the hospital for the stuff I need to save him.” I tried to lift him in my magic but he was too heavy. I looked to see Azure looking on in confusion.

“Didn't you hear the part about the raiders?” she asked incredulously. “They aren't exactly the nicest ponies in the wasteland ya know. There's a reason that they weren't here when the Auxiliary was, raiders are psychotic monsters and you want to risk your life and mine to save some griffon we found in the street?” I stopped trying to lift him and gave Azure a look.

“Fine. You don't want to help that's your choice.” She looked visibly relieved before I continued, “but, I'm going to that hospital.” she gasped.

“What?! You'll get yourself killed!” She stated simply, but I just shook my head.

“You can stay here and look after Feathers while I go and get the supplies. It's either that, or you can come with and help me get the supplies and probably help me avoid getting killed since you're so sure I will.” She deadpanned for a moment, either unable to retort or she was too polite to say what was on her mind. Her ears flattened against her head and she frowned at me, pouting. I win!

After we pulled the griffon into the back of the APT and set his broken wing, covered him in an emergency blanket and we set off in the direction of the hospital. Well...first Azure gave me a short lesson on gun safety and proper handling. One good thing about the wasteland.

Leaving the griffon alone in the back of an APT probably wasn't the safest thing for him but we really didn't have a choice. He was unconscious and we couldn't carry him all the way to the hospital and fight raiders at the same time. That was a good way for all three of us to get killed. Azure spent the entire walk to the hospital telling me this was a bad idea and trying to be helpful at the same time.

“Make sure to stick to cover as much as you can. You'll get shot less that way.” she looked over her shoulder at me appraisingly. “I'd be a lot more comfortable with this if you had armor. That uniform isn't exactly subtle either.” Yeah, I'd be a lot more comfortable without this thing on too, sweetheart. I thought, the little pony in my head ripping the dress off in fury. Dammit this thing is fucking itchy!

It took us a little over an hour to reach the hospital. It was a five story building that was made out of steel and concrete rather than the typical blue or purplish pink crystal that the smaller houses all seemed to be made from. Compared to the rest of the structures nearby the hospital it was reasonably intact. The windows were intact and the cracks spider webbing across the walls didn't seem to too deep. The front entrance was blocked by a makeshift barricade made out of large pieces of scrap metal and two by fours. There were several tall poles with barbed wire coiled around them, pony skulls were strung along the wire like sick decorations.

“Ready to back out now?” Azure asked sarcastically. I felt my ears droop and my heart beat began to race as I looked at the skulls.

“Nope.” I said simply, pulling out my shotgun and making sure it was loaded and the safety was off. She groaned and followed after me; muttering obscenities under her breath. When we reached the barricade I was surprised and more than a little relieved to find it abandoned. Maybe the raiders just left? I thought hopefully. Azure took point when we entered. The double doors slid open with groan and it felt like my nose was bitch slapped by the smell.

Inside the hospital reception area were several dead ponies. They looked a lot like the dead mare I'd seen when I met the Apples. They had the same hobbled together armor and were armed with crude looking weapons. The only difference was Bramley didn't defile her body after he killed her. Or if he did it was when I wasn't looking.

Two of the ponies had been cut in half from head to tail, their insides splayed out across the old reception desks. Another had been gutted, his entrails strung along the walls like streamers while the rest of their bodies had been defecated on. In one corner there was a large pile of skinned body parts while the skin was draped across the waiting room's chairs as if to dry. I bolted out to the barricade and retched over the side. Azure didn't fare much better. She lost her apples just like I did, but she recovered faster than me. After I stopped retching I looked back into the hospital and the horror show that lay within. I groaned and covered my mouth and nose with my hoof before entering.

The terminal on the reception desk was operational but no amount of curiosity could make me scrape off pony entrails to get at it. After nearly puking again, (even though my stomach was empty) we got past the gore fest and into the main hall. There were more dead ponies but these weren't mutilated or otherwise defiled. They had the appearance of having died very recently. There were bullet holes strewn across the walls along with graffiti that ranged from vulgar to pornographic. It was covering several posters advertising for the Ministry of Peace. I saw the same one from Medical in Stable 41. You don't have to be a Steel Ranger to be a hero! Join the Ministry of Peace today. And another that was a picture of an adorable yellow Pegasus with a pink mane and tale that read,

War? Fear? Death?

We Must Do Better!

Ministry of Peace

It took me a moment to place a name on the yellow Pegasus. Fluttershy. She was in charge of the Ministry of Peace, the ministry that was solely devoted to helping victims of the war, whether they were ponies or not. They modeled the dress I'm wearing after her. Right down to the little pink butterflies that were the buttons.

Azure tapped my shoulder and pointed down the hall. She put her hoof to her mouth and made a 'shush' noise before moving forward. We went down the hall checking every room as we passed but we'd yet to find any healing supplies. Just more defiled corpses and assorted gore. And in one case the bathroom. The raiders had taken one of the exam rooms and used it as their toilet. That was the second time I'd vomited that day.

We reached a staircase at the end of the hall and thank Celestia there was a directory. An arrow by the words “Supply Room” caught my attention. I hadn't noticed with the graffiti but there were colored lines on the walls that were supposed to help direct ponies around the hospital.

“Look Azure!” I whispered. She looked at the wall and nodded. I followed Azure up the stairs and down another hall as she kept track of the line leading to Supply. We checked the rooms on the way but besides more dead ponies (some of them thankfully just being skeletons) there was no one home. When we reached the Supply room I was dismayed to find it locked.

“Can you pick a lock?” Azure asked me. I shook my head. “Step back!” she ordered lifting her rifle and pointing it at the lock. She fired five rounds right into the lock and a few inches to each side. She lowered her carbine and pressed the button next to the door. The door hissed open, pieces of the lock's inner mechanisms fell to the floor at our hooves. Inside was a veritable treasure trove of medicine; far too much for both of us to carry. I strapped another Med-Kit to my saddlebags and filled them with everything I'd need. Half a dozen potions, three Radaway potions, five rolls of healing bandages, and I even found I Pegasus wing brace. I'd half to modify it a bit to fit on the griffon's wing but it would do just fine. We also scored a six pack of purified water.

When we left the supply room our bags were filled to bursting with plunder. Not only did I have the supplies to help the griffon but we had enough supplies left over to last us for quite some time. I even found a pre-war nurse uniform with matching hat. It wasn't itchy, it fit better than my Stable uniform, and it wasn't that ugly pink and yellow! It was red and white! Between Azure and myself, we had nearly twenty healing potions and plenty of bandages. Either the supply room hadn't been entirely full when the bombs fell or the ponies here had been using the supplies and they locked the door when they left, or before they were all killed. I found that a little unlikely given how violently decorated the place was but who knew? Maybe they were smart, psycho ponies! We were halfway down the hall when the first raider emerged from the stairs. The mare smiled wickedly and gripped the handle of a sawed off shotgun in her teeth before Azure blew her brains out. Before her body hit the floor four more raiders rushed up the stairs to meet us. I pulled my shotgun and activated S.A.T.S. Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting Spell. I had never used it before but I knew I wasn't going to hit anything without it.

I lined up three shots at the first two raiders as they ran towards us. I fired off the shots and was dismayed to see only one landed; dropping the stallion to my right as Azure shot the mare on my left twice in the chest. I looked on in horror as another three bolted up the stairs.

“RUN!!” Azure yelled behind me. We turned and ran for the stairs on the other end of the hall. I moved to the front while Azure fired blindly behind her; her armor offered better protection than my dress but it also slowed her down. I reached the stairs far ahead of her and managed to shoot my last two shells at the raiders before she reached me. I missed both times but at least some of the raiders ducked into one of the side rooms to avoid getting their faces shredded by buckshot.

Azure shoved me farther up the stairs and we dashed as fast as we could up the flight without falling down. When we reached the top Azure waited a moment and when the first raider showed her head she double bucked the mare right between the eyes; I heard her neck break as she flew down the stairs and collided with the other raiders. We kept running down the hall towards the next flight; I took this time to reload my shotgun, looking at Azure's rifle. ThankCelestia one of us could shoot. I thought as Azure turned, sank into a crouch, then emptied the rest of her clip into the raiders when they reached the top of the stairs. Her rifle wasn't an automatic but she fired it quickly enough that you couldn't tell the difference.

She popped out the clip, caught it in her teeth and loaded a fresh one in about two seconds before turning to me.

“Keep going! I can hear more coming!” I didn't argue. We rushed up the stairs, Seriously! What's with all the damn stairs, who built this place a fucking fitness instructor?

I heard shouts and cursing from the floor below as we ran full gallop to the next flight, but the stairs were collapsed.

“Look for a way out!” Azure yelled, sinking into her crouch again. I looked in the rooms but there was nothing until I looked in the room closest to the collapsed stairs. A section of the ceiling had collapsed making a kind of impromptu staircase. Huh. Well that's convenient. I thought. I returned to Azure just in time to see her blow a raider's head clean off and send the others ducking for cover.

“I found a way up, let's go!” she fired a few more shots to keep them pinned then turned to follow me. It wasn't enough however as one of them fired blindly and the shot pierced my left hindleg. I cried out in pain and almost fell before Azure caught me and helped me through the door. Azure closed the door behind us and shot the door controls for good measure. But we couldn't block the room's broken window before we left; it would only be a few minutes, at best, before they caught up to us.

The top floor of the hospital was a lot cleaner than the rest. There was no corpses or gore or rude writing on the wall. There were only four rooms on this floor. Three to my left and one to my right that had larger doors than the others. We headed straight for the door on my right and I slammed my hoof into the controls. The doors hissed open and we rushed in. Azure smashed the door controls on the outside before following entering, then she checked a terminal built into the wall next to the door. The mag locks on the door locked shut and raised an eyebrow at the blue mare. She simply shrugged in response.

“The terminal wasn't locked.” I turned from the door, lifting my hindleg slightly off the floor as I moved, and examined the rest of the room. There was no way out. There was a single desk in the center of the room with a pony skeleton leaning over it. The walls were made of the same blue crystal that the surrounding buildings were. Except that it was cut into panels. If I didn't think we were going to be killed any minute I might have enjoyed the décor. There was also a couple filing cabinets in one corner and a medical box bolted to the wall; as well as a few more Ministry of Peace posters.

I shrieked in surprise as the raiders banged into the other side of the door with their hooves. Azure sunk into her combat stance, checking the load on her rifle. I limped as fast as I could behind the desk and pointed my shotgun at the door, ready to activate S.A.T.S. At the first sign of the raiders getting through, but then my eyes caught something. Wrapped up in the forelegs of the skeleton was a little bundle of paper tied with a red string. Curious, I floated it out of the pony's hooves and began to pull it open. I almost dropped it when the raiders started yelling.

“Oh there you are, you sick fuck! He sent those cunts to distract us!” somepony yelled. I exchanged a confused look with Azure as the banging stopped.

“ We've been looking for you for a while. You're gonna pay for fucking with our gang you bastard!” Then a very disturbing, deep voiced laugh echoed through the hall. The raiders began to say something about how they were going to and I quote “Rape you skull!” then came the screaming. The raiders screams reverberated off the walls and clashed terribly with the gunshots and sound of breaking glass. Then, as soon as it began, all was quiet. Too quiet. Way too fucking quiet!

There was no more banging or screams or anything. I looked at Azure and she looked just as disturbed as I felt. We just stood there, for... I don't even know how long. Waiting for something, anything, to happen. But nothing did.

Finally, after what seemed like forever my heart began to slow it's beating and my breathing returned to normal. When I was sure that the door wasn't going to be broken down I holstered my shotgun and went about fixing up my leg while Azure raided the medical box. Digging the bullet out felt a little surreal; had it really been just two days since I was sitting around in Medical sucking on peppermints?

After extracting the bullet I downed a healing potion and turned my attention back to the little package. I pulled the string with my teeth and unfolded the paper. A little statuette of a young, garishly pink earth pony mare. An inscription on the bottom read,

AWARENESS! IT WAS UNDER E!

When my magic made contact with the statue I felt a strange burst of energy. The room around me became sharper, clearer and it even felt like my hearing sharpened a bit. I smiled, floated the statue to my saddlebags and turned my eyes to the note.

“Dear Blossom

I know things have been difficult the last few years and it means a lot that you've stuck by me all this time. I don't know what's going on with the crystal ponies but I'm sure it will calm down. They can't possibly be mad at Princess Luna forever...

Anyway, I'd like you to have this. This little pony helped me overcome my fears and every time I've felt that the weight of this war was about to crush me all I had to do was look at her and I felt better. I hope it does the same for you.

With love

-Fluttershy.

So Fluttershy knew the mare who ran the hospital. Since she was the head of the Ministry of Peace I shouldn't have been surprised but it seemed like she knew her on a personal level; maybe they were friends?

I Left the note on the desk and after Azure was ready we opened the door and cautiously entered the hall. The raiders were all dead; they weren't defiled but they were killed horribly. The wounds on their necks and torsos were made by a blade. Something long and serrated by the look of it. On the opposite wall was a switchblade stuck in the wood panels with a note tied to it.

CALLING CARD WAS HERE!

It read over a little picture of a smiley face. What...the fuck is wrong with ponies! I thought as we made our way back through the hospital. We stripped everything useful off the dead raiders (I didn't really like it but Azure pointed out they were psychotic fucks and they were dead anyway so it didn't really matter) as we went. They didn't have much; their weapons were crude, made out of pipes and two by fours. The only thing they had on them that was valuable were bullets and chems. I got a dozen shells for my shotgun, and Azure some rounds for her rifle. In addition we found a few shots of Med-X and some plastic inhalers that Azure identified as Dash. A party drug of some kind.

The first breath of air I got after leaving the hospital felt like heaven. No more breathing in decaying pony mixed with dung; Goddesses it was a relief. Azure appeared equally happy to leave the hospital. We checked every single room in the hospital on the way back down; whoever or whatever killed those raiders was a fucking monster and neither of us wanted to find out what it would do to us. But it was gone. The calling card on the wall was there freakiest part; it it wasn't a pony who killed the raiders then it was a monster that was fairly intelligent. If it was a pony who killed them then there was one dangerous mother fucker on the loose.

Azure spent the remainder of our trot back to the APT telling me about the various raider gangs in the Crystal Wastes. All of them were murdering, thieving bastards but a lot them also enjoyed torturing and killing ponies, using their bodies for decorations or warnings to rivals in the area.

“A way to mark their territory” she had said. Every time I closed my eyes I saw that place, and as long as I lived I didn't think I'd ever be able to forget it.

On the trip back I noticed a few things I'd missed on the way to the hospital. There were more posters on the buildings. Most were Ministry posters but there were also ones that seemed to scream defiance. There were several that resembled the poster I'd seen near the entrance to my Stable. Freee The Crystal Empire! And End The Oppression! There was even one of Princess Luna wearing some kind of strap on sex toy and was plowing a picture of the Crystal Palace.

AREN'T YOU SICK OF BEING FUCKED? REBEL!

I'm sure the Goddess wouldn't approve, but I just couldn't help laughing out loud at the picture; falling to the ground and holding my stomach tightly. When Azure asked what was up I pointed it out to her and she burst out laughing as well. We were probably alerting anything to our presence within a mile but I couldn't care less.

When we reached the APT I was relieved to find the griffon hadn't moved, and he was still breathing so he didn't die while we were gone. I took out our medical supplies and modified the brace with some strong wire and a two by four, then fitted his wing into it. After that I gave him two shots of Med-X and cut open his side. After checking to make sure his broken ribs hadn't punctured his internal organs I used my magic to realign his ribs and poured the Super Restoration potion that Azure found in the hospital's director's office down his throat. I watched in fascination as the ribs mended slowly before my eyes. Even Azure seemed entranced by the sight. I focused, using my magic to help the potion mend the flesh over his side and was rewarded when the wound closed entirely. There wasn't even a scar. Even though the effort had exhausted me and I'm certain that if the wound had been any bigger my horn would half burned out. Right now it was only sparking as I layed down near the griffon. It was almost night and with the clouds blocking the sun it was only going to get darker. The inside of the APT was big enough for several ponies.

“Hey Azure?” she turned to me and nodded. “I'm going to crash for a while. You mind keeping watch?” She smiled with a wink then adjusted her position so she was looking out the open hatch. “Thanks” I yawned and closed my eyes. As an afterthought I added, “Wake me up in a couple hours and we'll switch.”

“Alright doc.” she said.

I awoke a couple hours later exactly like I had the night before; by being poked in the face. I got up, stretching as Azure bid me goodnight before lying down herself. I sat down where Azure had and sometime while I was asleep she had found a cushion. I sat there for a while looking down the road covered in building parts and the occasional skeleton.

“How did it all come to this?” I asked no one in particular. It just didn't make sense. In 41 we'd always been taught that friendship was the greatest thing the world could offer. It was what made Equestria special, what made us great and strong. It kept us all together. As long as we had friendship we would always prevail...but looking out into the Crystal Wastes made me realize something. Everything comes to an end. Hell, even the immortal Princesses of old Equestria died in the last attack in the war. There was a priest in the Stable who taught us about Celestia and Luna the Goddesses, and our school teacher taught us about Celestia and Luna the Princesses. The priest claimed that when Celestia and Luna's mortal bodies died they gained their true, godly forms. Our teacher taught us how Celestia ruled for a thousand years of peace after Nightmare Moon was banished. How she returned and was defeated once again, being reformed into Princess Luna. She told us how, halfway through the war Celestia abdicated her position to her sister after the attack at Littlehorn, how Princess Luna took control of the country and formed the Ministries to defeat the Zebra's. But after twenty years of bloodshed and advanced technological and magical achievements the megaspells rained down on Equestria. The Zebra's couldn't beat us on the battlefield so they chose to blow us all to hell, including themselves in the process.

I sighed, sat up and quietly trotted over to the griffon. I'd never seen a griffon before, except in books. His body was a gray, while his head and wings were white, and his beak and talons were yellow. His breathing sounded unlabored, steady and even. He had been hit on the head pretty hard when he landed but from what I could tell there was no brain damage. Besides his wing he was completely fine. I returned to the hatch and sat down.After a minute or two I looked over my shoulder where Azure was sleeping. It felt kind of nice to have a friend out in the wasteland, or at least an acquaintance who wouldn't shoot me in the back, rob me or try to rape me. She risked her life to help me save the griffon and it made me feel good that she cared enough to do so. Or maybe she feels that she owes me for helping her back in the Gunner's apartment, I don't know, but I was glad she was with me regardless. The only real friends I'd had in 41 were Astible, who was dead. Dad, who was dead. And Cedric, who was extremely fucking dead! I felt tears welling up in my eyes as more and more ponies from the Stable flashed before my eyes. Astible, the Overmare, my teacher Mrs Noteworthy. All gone. I floated my locket in front of my face and opened it. I'll find that mother fucker.

I tucked it away and my thoughts strayed to the hospital. What kind of pony do you have to be to do that? How fucked up in the head do you need to be to carve ponies up for sick decorations? But despite all that the thing that bothered me the most was how we escaped. Somepony or some monster named 'Calling Card' brutally killed them all, but why? Was he trying to help us? That didn't seem likely, the raiders sounded like they'd seen him before, that they were looking for him. That he had 'fucked with them'. Maybe, whoever this 'Calling Card' was. He or she just liked killing ponies, raiders or not. But if that was true...why didn't he come after us after we left the director's office?

I rubbed my horn in thought for a moment. The healing spell had been more taxing than I thought it would. My horn still felt sore and I strained a little just to float Sacrifice in front of me. I turned my gaze to the night sky. I'd always seen pictures in the Stable's books showing a starry night with the moon glowing brilliantly, but it was nowhere to be seen. Just more clouds. I wonder if it will rain. As if answering my question thunder boomed in the distance and within ten minutes the rain was pouring from the sky. I watched as bolts of lightening streaked through the skies.

“Wow...” I'd never seen anything like it. It was as if the Goddesses were splitting the skies into fragments and reassembly them immediately after. Even if the sound was terrifying it was a beautiful sight...

“What's up doc?” Azure asked, sitting down next to me. “Never seen a thunderstorm in the Stable I'm guessing.” I shook my head and she continued. “You'll get used to it. It rains like this a lot out here in the Crystal Wastes.”

“What's up with the sky?” I asked. She paused and looked at me oddly. “The clouds. What's with all the clouds?” She nodded and pointed to the sky.

“When the Zebra's launched their megaspells the pegasus ponies closed up the sky with all those clouds to protect their cities. They abandoned the rest of Equestria to the wastes while they live up there in luxury. I met a dashite once, he told me how the cities are made of clouds and there's always enough food and nopony has to kill each other over two hundred year old snack cakes. Lucky bastards; his reason for leaving never did make since to me though.”

“Why'd he leave?” it seemed pretty stupid to cities of luxury in the sky, where you can see the sun and the stars and moon, and nopony killing each other.

“You'll get a kick out of this,” she said pulling a piece of paper from her bags and floating it over to me. I unfolded it and on the front was a drawing of a snowflake, underneath it read.

THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE NEEDS YOU!

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

JOIN THE AUXILIARY TODAY!

“He told me that one of his brothers picked that flier up on a patrol down here. Apparently he liked the idea of ponies helping each other just for the sake of helping each other. He came down here to join and the Enclave branded him a traitor for it.” She explained. Why is it that every time I ask a question I end up with more questions? She saw the look on my face and explained further.

“The Enclave is what the Pegasi call their military. They're not exactly the nicest bunch of ponies from what Clear Skies told me. I heard that they have some kind of outpost in the ruins of the Crystal Palace.”

“Wasn't the palace destroyed by the zebras balefire bomb though?” I asked. Ugh, why did I have to ask. She'll probably just tell me something that will make me ask another question, and another. And another.

“No. That's what most folks think but the zebra's megaspell didn't reach the palace before it exploded. Damn thing exploded outside the city's northwestern edge. Spread all the shadow fog everywhere. And it wasn't exactly a balefire bomb either. This old buck stopped by my home once and told me a story about it. That and a hundred others things. Apparently it was some special kind of megaspell that was only used in the north. Don't know much about it but it still spread the rads just fine.” She took the paper back and folded it carefully before replacing it in her saddlebags. I didn't know much about megaspells but from what I'd read in books they were really, really, big magic bombs that could wipe entire cities off the map.

“How does that work?” I asked. I thought for sure she'd know but she just shrugged.

“No clue. I don't know the first thing about how megaspells work. I just know they go, boom!” she said dramatically, raising her forelegs over her head. We shared a laugh and she yawned. “When do you think 'feathers' is going to get up?” I rubbed my chin in thought.

“I'm not sure, but it shouldn't be long. He'll probably be up in a few hours. If not...then I don't know. He may have brain damage or something” She nodded and looked over her shoulder at where he was.

“It might be a good idea to tie him up doc.” She stated simply.

“Why?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Think about it. What would you do if you were a griffon, who got shot through the wing then crashed into a damn tank; and the next thing you knew there were two ponies that you didn't know standing over you. And one of them is wearing gunner combat armor? You know, the ponies who shot him?” she finished with a smirk. I opened my mouth to argue but I couldn't come up with anything. I looked at the griffon and frowned. She's right, he might freak out and attack us. He may not have any weapons but those claws...

“You might be right but I think he would react worse if he woke up tied up. Besides, even if we did tie him up I think he'd just cut himself out and then cut us to ribbons.” Azure thought for a moment and agreed.

Azure and I spent the rest of the night watching the lightening streaking across the sky and telling stories. Needless to say her stories were more entertaining than mine. Running around the ruins was a lot more exciting than living in a Stable to say the least.

“Why didn't you join the Auxiliary?” I asked. She frowned, and her ears drooped as she answered.

“Well... I thought about it. But those guys have been in decline for a while. You see, they used to control all the old Pre-war forts, I think there were six, or maybe eight in all, then they had a bunch of smaller outposts all over the Crystal Wastes. But then the Syndicate came around, I think this was like thirty years ago. Their stupids androids started killing any ponies they saw as a threat. Then there was the schism about twelve years when I was just a filly.” I raised an eyebrow and waved a hoof for her to continue. She flushed a little. “Sorry, I keep forgetting. Anyway, a schism is when a group splits apart and fight each other. One of the battalions thought that the Auxiliary had the right to conquer the wastes, instead of just protecting the ponies who live here. The Auxiliary was always about protecting ponies but like I said earlier, the pay sucks and it's fucking dangerous. This one mare, Commander Yellow Diamond, seceded and tried to take over. Remember when I said the Gunners stomped them recently?” I nodded.

“They stomped them good. Took one of their forts from them in the east. Then with Yellow Diamond causing the trouble she was the Auxiliary went into a full blown civil war. They ended up winning, that bitch Yellow Diamond and her followers were killed at the battle of Fort Gestalt, but it was very costly to the Auxiliary. They lost so many ponies they had to abandon some of their forts. Now the Auxiliary only controls four forts. I didn't want to join after that. So when a squad of Gunners found me in the wastes I decided to join up. They showed me some wicked tricks with a gun and they sent me out here. So, there ya go doc.” She finished, crossing her forelegs together.

The rain had slowed to a sprinkle and the morning light was beginning to come through the clouds. It wasn't much but it was enough. An hour or so after dawn the griffon began to stir.

“Might be a good idea to back up a bit doc. Don't want to get my face slashed off if he freaks out.” But I shook my head.

“I'm sure it will be fine” I trotted closer as his eyes began to open. He tensed and faster than I thought possible he jumped from the floor put me in a headlock and twisted me around, putting me between him and Azure, who had her rifle ready.

“Let her go!” She yelled, keeping the rifle trained on his head. I wasn't as concerned as she was though. He wasn't hurting my neck, just preventing me from escaping. And he was shaking too. He was just scared.

“Who are you? Where am I? Why.. ow!” he tried to stretch his wing and flinched, his claws tearing the front of my dress. He looked at his wing, wrapped strapped into a brace and his eyes widened. “What...happened?” He asked. His grip on my neck lessened but he still didn't let go.

“We found you yesterday. You were hurt, and I tended to your wounds.” I explained.

“You'd be dead right now if it wasn't for her!” Azure shouted, keeping her rifle pointed at him. The griffon looked surprised at this, and after a moment's hesitation, he released me.

“Why...would you help me? You're Gunners.” I blinked and looked between Azure (who looked like she might shoot him) and myself.

“We're not Gunners. Well, she was but I never was.” I said with a smile. The griffon shook his head and pointed a claw at us.

“I saw both of you on the roof of that building before everything went dark! You were with the Gunners and she's even wearing their insignia!” he finished pointing at Azure.

“I was with the Gunners” she said impatiently. “but they were brutal assholes so I bailed when you and your buddies decided to level the place!” I shot her a look and stepped closer to the griffon.

“Why didn't your friends come after you? I saw you get shot down and they just ignored it.” He rubbed his beak thoughtfully.

“Well the mission comes first. They must have been busy dealing with the Gunners...then again, maybe my signal emitter got busted when I landed.” He pointed at his bags and I dug through them until I found a square metal box with an antenna on it. I floated it to him and he examined it. “Huh, they must have had some trouble. The distress signal's been broadcasting since yesterday. They should have been here by now...” He looked saddened for a moment before brightening slightly. “You...you really helped me, even though you were with the Gunners?” he asked. Azure and I nodded.

“We even fought our way through a bunch of raiders at a hospital near here to get you supplies, including that brace on your wing.” Azure added venomously. The griffon looked stung by her comment and I scowled at her. She noticed my look and rolled her eyes.

“I'm sorry.” He said, making Azure's jaw drop. “I really am. And, thank you, both of you. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you.” I was about to tell him it was nothing when there was a thud on the roof of the APT. Azure shrieked as something grabbed her by the tail and pulled her out of the APT. Three armored griffons landed on the ground just feet from where she was standing. Two wielded assault carbines like the gunners had while the griffon in the center held a pistol that was glowing a sinister green.

“Release your prisoner or the blue one's going to get it!” she yelled, pointing the odd weapon directly at Azure, who was being held by another griffon just feet away. I rushed forward with the male griffon right at my heels.

“Wait! I'm not a prisoner!” The other griffons around us began to mutter among themselves while their leader looked skeptical.

“This is a Gunner” she said pointing at Azure, “If she wasn't holding you prisoner then what are you doing with an enemy combatant?” She asked. Azure bit the claw of one of the griffons holding her and they dropped her on her head.

“Goddesses dammit!” she said, rolling to her hooves. “I'm not a fucking Gunner!” The griffons didn't seem to believe her though, the two that dropped her tackled her to the ground and pinned her down. “For fuck's sake! Just ask Healer.” the griffons seemed surprised and the muttering intensified. The lead griffon turned to me and looked me over a moment before turning to the griffon behind me.

“Is this true, Gareth?” she asked, her voice softer than I thought it would be.

“Yes. They found me unconscious and even went to the trouble of going to a hospital near here to get the stuff I needed. They fought raiders to help me.” he said, bowing his head a little. The griffons all landed and the one's holding Azure looked to their leader. She nodded and they let her go. The lead griffon stepped towards me and held out a claw. I shook it and was very thankful she was gentle. Those things are fucking sharp! I thought.

“Heard about you on the radio. Thought it was just some bullshit story but I guess I'm wrong. I'd give you some armor but I don't think it would fit on ya.” she rubbed her chin for a moment and was about to suggest something else when Gareth stepped forward.

“Maybe, I could help?” Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him and he shrank back a bit. “Well. She did save my life. I'd like to repay her myself.” he looked at me. “that's if you don't mind?” I stammered for a second.

“That's out of the question!” she yelled stepping towards him and grabbing the feathers on his chest. “we have a contract to fulfill. You know you can't leave till the job's done.”

“That's not technically true, Greta” a male griffon said, going to her side. “He only came with us as a trainee. If he wants to take out a contract with this mare it's his right. He's not technically under contract.” She let Gareth go and turned on the other griffon.

“He's too young! Gilderoy would have my hide if I let his son run around without supervision.” Another of the griffons, and older looking mare, stepped forward.

“I think he would be proud actually. He's been wanting him to get into the game for a while.”

“He isn't fully trained!”

“You don't get any better training than on the job training” The old griffon countered. Greta seemed to be at a loss. After a few moments she grunted, pulling out a roll of paper from her bags along with a pen. She wrote a quick note and rolled it up. She tossed it to one of her griffons and ordered him to take it to Gilderoy. When he flew off she removed a second roll of paper and started writing.

“Alright Gareth. This is the contract. Your being hired as a body guard. The duration is as long as you think it will need to be until you paid them back. And just so you know, if something happens you're on your own.” She toss pen to me and I almost missed it. “Sign here and you got yourself a talon guard. And you remember girl, he ain't a servant, he'll protect ya not rub your hooves.” I quickly nodded and read the contract. It said exactly what she had said, including the part about not rubbing my hooves. I signed the bottom and she rolled it up, then put it in her bags. She and the other griffons flew into the air, she turned and nodded to Gareth, balling up her right talons and pressing them to her chest. Gareth did the same and the other griffons as well. Then, without so much as another word they flew back to the south.

…............................

It seemed odd to me that they would just leave Gareth with me like that. Not that I really minded, he seemed nice enough, and he apologized to me half a dozen times about trying to take me hostage. Azure didn't look at all happy about him staying with us, but she didn't complain. From what she said, it was safer to travel through the Crystal Wastes in a group than alone.

Gareth didn't seem like he would be a mercenary. He wasn't at all like Greta had been. She was mean, Austere and intimidating but Gareth seemed calm, if even a little timid. Not to say that he wasn't kind of intimidating. He was muscular, and those claws were sharp as razors. And once he donned his dark gray talon armor and strapped those blades to his wingtips, he looked the part of soldier, but the look didn't extend to his eyes. He seemed kind enough.

After sharing some of our medical supplies with Gareth we left the APT and turned northeast towards Gem City. It was still a day or two off at the rate we were moving but I was happy with our progress regardless. Since in two days I'd been kidnapped, taken hostage, and fought through a bunch of raiders and didn't die, I was happy. Looking at my Pip-Buck I noticed that there were more markers on my map. The hospital and the APT had been marked. I don't know how my Pip-Buck pulled names out of nowhere but I wasn't complaining.

We were walking past several collapsed buildings when Azure grabbed my tail. I looked over my shoulder and she pointed at a large store. The sign read:

TOPAZ ENERGY WEAPONS!

PROTECTION THAT COMES IN A FLASH!

“What about it?” I asked. She facehoofed and pointed at the sign again.

“It's an energy weapons store! There could be some seriously sweet shit in there,” she pointed a hoof at Gareth and asked him, “What do you think Feathers?” he scowled at the nickname, she hadn't called him by his real name once.

“Please don't call me that.” he turned to me. “She is right though. There might be some really good salvage in there. Weapons, ammunition. In the very least there could be parts.” He was standing on his hindlegs, holding a lever action shotgun in his talons. How he could balance like that and not fall over though...

“Gem City isn't going anywhere. Besides, we could get some serious caps for just about anything we could find in there.” She began walking towards the front of the store I hung my head and followed. Fucking bottlecaps for money, how did that one happen?

The front of the store was boarded up, and under the boards were metal bars covering the doors and windows. Azure went to a side alley next to the store and Gareth and I followed. There was a metal door on the side of the building but when Azure tried to open it but it was locked. She aimed her rifle at the door and was about to pull the trigger when Gareth tapped her on the shoulder. She moved aside and he fiddled with the lock for about a minute before if clicked and the door swung inward. Azure and I stared at him in astonishment but he simply shrugged, showing us a bobby pin and a screwdriver.

Azure went in first her rifle readied, I followed right behind with Gareth covering my rear. The inside of the store was dark, very dark. Azure jumped a foot in the air when I turned my Pip-Buck's lamp on. With the room illuminated I could see several dozen crates stacked along the walls, it must've been an old storage room. We continued into the main part of the store and looked around. The center of the store was dominated by several large display shelves that had dozens of strange looking weapons on them.

“Hot damn! We hit the fucking jackpot.” Azure shouted as she ran to one of the displays and pulled one of the guns off. But it broke apart in her magic's grip, the shards falling on the floor with a clatter. She tapped them with a hoof and frowned, “Oh that is total bullshit, these are fucking display models!” just be sure we checked every single magic weapon and like she said they were all plastic floor models. I looked at the front window and shined my light on it. There was a sign that we couldn't see from the outside.

GRAND OPENING NEXT MONTH!

Since the floor room was a bust we searched the rest of the store. I checked the manager's office while Azure and Gareth looked through the storage crates by the door. Gareth had pulled out a little flashlight so they wouldn't be walking around blindly. The office walls were painted a bright pink that made my ears droop just looking at them. There was a poster on the wall next to a pair of filing cabinets.

YOU TOO CAN BE A STEEL RANGER!

Directly below was a pony fully encased in steel armor, he was rearing up in the middle of a battlefield with dozens of dead Zebras surrounding him. That's what I need I thought comparing the Steel Ranger's armor to my nurse's dress. I'd settle for something though!

There was a terminal on the desk and since the rest of the room was bare of anything valuable I checked it out. There were several messages from the store's manager to a weapon's company called Flash Industries. All but two of them were corrupted.

Message to Rose: Buisiness

“Hey Rose, it's Ink. I'd like to thank you for the floor models, it'll keep the lookie lou's from getting too suspicious until the main shipment arrives. Listen, that thing we've been talking about is going to go down next month. I need you to send the real shipment early. My contacts will be ready.”

Message to Rose: M.O.M.

“The pinch came down. A dozen M.O.M. Operatives stormed Wingstrike's house ten minutes ago. He sent the message to my Pip-Buck so it won't be long until they track me down, just make sure you get the shipments to Stable 17 or the cause won't last. I had my supplies moved there last week so they wont get a damn thing when they raid the store. Stupid fuckers. I only hope that I can tell that cunt Pinkie Pie to sit on my horn and spin in person. Haha!”

“Free the Crystal Empire!”

There it was again. I pulled out of the messages and looked through the terminal's other features. Among the private messages and shipment details there was one message caught my attention.

Death to Tyrants! 1590564CADENCE

On a hunch, I typed it into the keyboard, and I heard a metallic whine directly behind me. I jumped clear over the desk in surprise and landed on the floor on the opposite side. I heard the clatter of rushing hooves and claws as Azure and Gareth came into the doorway.

“What happened?” they asked in unison, making them blink at each other. Behind the desk, where solid wall had been just moments ago there was an open stairwell.

“I found a door.” I said simply.

I got up off the floor and pointed my Pip-Buck lamp down the stairs. The stairs were long enough that I couldn't see the bottom.

“What do you think, should we check it out?” I asked. Azure jumped forward and started down the stairs.

“Oh hells yeah! Secret bunker here I come.” She said gleefully, taking Gareth's flashlight. I smirked while Gareth stared after her in confusion. I shrugged, then went down the stairs, Gareth following close behind.

Once we reached the bottom of the staircase it turned into a short hallway. None of the lights in the hall were working but I could see a light at the far end. We emerged into a large concrete room that was only lit by my Pip-Buck, Gareth's flashlight and a terminal built into the wall. Next to the terminal was a massive steel door that stretched from the floor to the ceiling.

“Whoohoo! Jackpot!” azure shrieked, bouncing on her hooves foalishly. Gareth and I watched her for over a minute before she stopped bouncing and flushed furiously. I trotted over to the terminal and was disappointed to find it locked.

“Do you know anything about hacking terminals?” I asked Azure she shook her head. When I looked to Gareth he grinned. I stepped back as he started typing away at the terminal. He sat there for about five minutes muttering a bit and swearing under his breath a couple times before the terminal beeped.

“Got it!” he looked at me over his shoulder. “Would you like to do the honors?” I grinned and trotted to the terminal and pressed, enter. The door let out an extremely loud groan. The door slowly slid open, the door itself gouging a line in the concrete floor as it moved. The room beyond the door was brightly lit by fluorescent light built into the ceiling. The walls of the bunker were covered in from floor to ceiling in shelves empty shelves. Well not entirely empty. There were a few cans of pre-war food and an ammo box. In the center of the room was a pedestal with a slightly glowing orb. While Azure and Gareth went through the shelves I stepped towards the pedestal and focused my magic on the orb to lift it. Suddenly, the world around me disappeared.

---------oooOOOOooo---------

I was standing extremely still in a finely furnished throne room. Crystal pillars were spaced at regular intervals alongside a long purple carpet. There were sparkling stallions standing opposite of me and to my sides. I tried to move but I couldn't, I tried to talk but I couldn't move. Wait...sparkling? Everypony within my field of vision had a sparkling coat, mane and tail. Was that orb some kind of party drug or...

I could feel my body...no, not my body. The body I was feeling was different. Much taller, more muscular and...oh fuck! I could feel something different between my hindlegs, what the fuck! Ugh it felt weird, I every time I tried to move I couldn't but I could feel the body of the stallion. I was almost on the verge of a mental break down when the buck turned his head to the left and if I could I would have gasped. A tall, dark unicorn mare with a flowing mane of stars right by her...wings? Goddess Luna! I felt my heart beat spike at the sight of her and if I could move I'd have been fanfillying all over the place. There was another winged unicorn walking beside her, this one being bright pink with a multi colored mane dressed in golden jewelry. On the Princess's other side was a stallion in dark metal armor. Much like the other stallions in the room. I could feel myself scowl at the Princess and whispered something into a little microphone in the side of my helmet.

“Target has arrived.”

After they passed directly in front of me I felt my legs shuffle to the slightly to the side and not even a moment later I heard glass shatter directly behind me. The head of the dark armored guard exploded into bits of blood and brains that splattered onto Princess Luna and myself.

“Everypony down! Initiate lock down!” Somepony yelled as alarms blared through the hall while dozens of ponies with weapons strapped to their sides rushed into the room and surrounded the Princess protectively.

“Who dares attack the sovereign of this land!” The Goddess shouted, causing everypony around her to flinch a bit as they moved towards the other end of the hall.

The stallion that I was 'riding' I guess is a good comparison, muttered angrily as he joined the protective circle of guards.

“Dammit! She was right there.” he said it quietly enough that nopony seemed to hear him as he and the other crystal guards escorted the Princess out of the room. He scowled at his hooves the entire time and once Princess Luna and the pink mare were safely behind a large pair of doors he, and two other guards trotted down a separate. He was moving fast enough that it was hard for me to make out the decor but I did notice that they took the crystal motif very seriously. Everything was made of the same material with slight variations in the color.

We opened a side door and once they were all inside I bucked the doors shut.

“Son of a bitch!” I felt myself say angrily. “How could she have missed? Her fucking cutie-mark is a bulls eye!” the other guards grumbled in agreement and the one unicorn of the group cleared his throat for silence.

“I'll have to modify our memories. If they catch her our positions will be exposed. We can't risk that.” The pony I was riding nodded then asked,

“Should I send word to Vesper and have her taken care of?” The unicorn shook his head and one by one, pressed his horn to each of the other guards foreheads. When he turned to me he whispered,

“Alright Sand Arrow. I'll send a copy to Topaz. Make sure when the call comes you make it to the shop.” I felt myself nod stiffly, and he touched his horn to my/his forehead.

“Will it hurt?” I felt myself ask. The unicorn smiled, shaking his head and the world fell away again.

-------------ooooOOOOoooo------------

The next thing I knew I was being shaken violently by a very scared looking Azure.

“Goddess dammit, wake up Silver Heart. Wake the fuck up!”

“Please...stop....with...the...fucking...shaking!” I almost screamed. She jumped back from me, dropping me to the ground in the process.

“Shit I'm sorry,” she cried, helping me to my hooves. “ We didn't know what happened. You just passed out and you wouldn't wake up and Feathers wouldn't shut up about memories and I'm so sorry!” she was on the verge of tears.

“It's alright,” I put a hoof on her shoulder. “I don't know what happened either. I just tried to lift that orb and I had some kind of vision or something, where I was a stallion.” She looked at me in deep confusion and I was about to explain when Gareth cut me off.

“It wasn't a vision and you weren't a stallion. Like I was trying to tell Azure, that's a memory orb.” He picked up the little glass call in his talons. “They're filled with memories that are either removed or copied out of someone's mind. Ponies used to get their memories taken out all the time before the megaspells.” He tossed the ball in the air and caught it a few times but he stopped when I kept staring at him. “What?” He asked.

“How did you know that?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” He raised an eyebrow...wait, does he have eyebrows? Or are those feathers?

“Well...why do know stuff about ponies? You're a griffon.” I didn't really know much about griffons. I learned in the Stable school that they were mercenaries. I didn't think mercenaries knew much other than shooting things.

“I live in Equestria,” he stated, like he was explaining to a small child. “There's quite a few ponies here, even after the megaspells. And there's always interesting things hidden away if you know where to look.” He stopped for a moment and scratched his head before adding, “There is no knowledge that isn't power.”

…....................

After leaving Topaz Energy Weapons we made our way through a series of collapsed buildings opposite an old playground. As a way to make up for my earlier bluntness I asked Gareth where he'd learned to hack terminals and pick locks. He brightened as he explained how his grandmother taught him.

“She was real tech savvy back in the day. And even though my dad thought it was a waste to learn it she taught me anyway. She tried to teach me magical energy weapon maintanance but those things are so damn complicated, I never really got the hang of it.”

“Well, maybe we'll find you some books and you can read up on it.” I said, jumping over a large pothole, I could have gone around it, but it was fun jumping. There wasn't a whole lot of fun in Stable 41 so I was trying to make the best of my new life. Azure watched me in amusement out of the corner of her eye. Gareth rolled his eyes and continued to watch our left side, the side with the collapsed buildings.

My Pip-Buck started clicking, I looked at the screen and saw the little rainbow had moved into the yellow.

“We should find another route, this place has a lot of rads.” I said. I was about to turn into the park when Gareth said,

“Stop!” Azure and I looked at him, concerned. Holding up his claws for silence he turned his head to his left and his ears perked in the direction of the buildings. There was tendrils of black smoke seaping out of the rubble and the sewer holes nearby. His eyes widened as he looked at me.

“Run!” he whispered backing away from the rubble slowly, but before he had gone more than a few steps the most horrid creature I'd ever seen began crawling its way towards him. I suppose, at one time, the deformed, rotting creature may have been a pony but now if was a monster that would haunt my dreams. It's body was rotted and blacked. It's eyes were pure white while what was once mane and tail was only smoke swirling about. The creature let out a feral growl and leaped at Gareth as he raised his shotgun. It bit down on the barrel and Gareth struggled to pull it free as several more began crawling out of the wrecked buildings. My ears rang as Azure started firing her assault carbine into the creatures.

“Ghouls!” she screamed emptying the clip into five of the creatures, but it wasn't enough. There were coming from nearby building, crawling out of drains on the sides of the streets, two even fell off the roof and landed spread eagle nearby. For a moment I couldn't move, until Azure smacked me upside the head. “Hey doc, I'm sure the ghouls broke your medical pony brain and all but were gonna die if we don't get moving!” She was right too. Gareth slashed the head of the ghoul he was wrestling with and blew it's head off with a blast of his shotgun. He tried take to the air but he couldn't with his busted wing. The ghouls would have swarmed him but Azure cut the ghouls down with her carbine. By now I had drawn my shotgun and slid into S.A.T.S. I wasn't the best shot, okay that's being generous, I am absolutely terrible. But with S.A.T.S. I could get a few lucky shots in.

But even with all three of us shooting the damn things just kept coming. Gareth had emptied his shotgun and the ghouls didn't give him enough time to reload, so he had to use use blade and talons.

“I'm on my last clip!” Azure yelled, trying to down each ghoul with a head shot. I wasn't doing much better. My shotgun ws effective enough, but since I missed half the time I was reloading more than I was helping. I knew my ammo bag was getting lighter by the shot and I'd be out of ammo soon, so I looked around for a place for us to go but there were nothing around us but broken buildings and the playground...the playground.

“Follow me!” I yelled, turned and ran towards the old playground. Azure and Gareth followed closely behind. Azure firing wildly behind her while Gareth reloaded his shotgun. I ran under the monkey bars and up the stairs to the slide. Azure and Gareth followed, looking at me like I'd lost my mind. The twenty or so ghouls tried to follow but the stairs weren't wide enough for all of them. Azure and Gareth realized what I'd done and opened fire. Gareth's shotgun downing a ghoul with each blast, and Azure's precision shots killing ghoul after ghoul.

“Fuck! I'm out.” she yelled swinging her rifle at any ghoul who got to close. The ghouls had circled around to the slide and began trying climb up it. Emptied my shotgun into the first three then I tried to reload. The last ghoul on my side took the opening jumping the remaining distance and biting down on my shoulder. I screamed as the jagged and broken teeth sank deeply into my flesh. The fucking thing is trying to eat me! I panicked and focused my magic on Sacrifice, popped out the blade and jammed as hard as I could as many times as I could into the ghouls head and chest. Black fluid splattered all over me with each stroke. Finally it released me and I bucked it in the chest, sending it flying down the slide into another ghoul. BLAM! BLAM! Gareth;s shotgun roared just feet from my head blasting the last two ghouls into heaps of deformed meat paste.

And just like that it was over. All the ghouls we lying dead on the ground around us and on the various pieces of playground equipment. Azure was just finishing beating one to death with the stock of her rifle while Gareth dug out a healing potion for me.

“Thanks” I said, taking the potion gratefully and downing it in three gulps. The magic began mending my shoulder but it felt like it would be sore for hours, if not a day or more. “Where did these things come from?” I asked, poking the side of one with my revolver.

“Ghouls are ponies that suffered way too much magical radiation and didn't die. Or at least in the traditional sense, anyway. These freaky fuckers are Shadow Ghouls. See the weird hair? They're only found in the Crystal Empire.” She shuttered at the strange corpses. “Another reason I'd like to move to Manehatten” Azure explained, checking their bodies for anything valuable. Gareth nodded and searched through his saddlebags.

“What kind of ammo does your carbine use, Azure?” she turned and answered.

“5.56 millimeter.” Gareth looked through his bags for almost a minute before pulling out about a dozen bullets.

“Sorry. This is all I got from the ammo box.” She accepted the bullets, loaded them into a clip and slapped it into her rifle.

“How far are we from Gem City, doc?” I lifted my Pip-Buck and checked the map. Dammit...

“We're still a day off at the rate were moving..” I groaned in my mind at the thought of walking through the wastes dealing with fucking monster ponies, and asshole raiders!

“Shame my wing isn't one hundred percent.” Gareth said, stretching like a house cat. “Then I could just fly us there.” Azure turned to him and asked,

“You can lift us both?” He shrugged with a quick 'probably' before loading more shells into his shotgun. He pulled the lever forward and back again, loading a round.

“We should probably get going. If our shooting attracted those ghouls who knows what else knows we're here,” he turned to Azure. “and we don't have a lot of ammo left.” Azure scowled, and nodded in agreement. “If we get swarmed like that again we're not going to last long.” He was right, we needed to get moving.

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful, besides seeing a few frightened looking scavengers who ran at the sight of us we didn't see anypony. Or any ghouls, or raiders either. Thank Celestia for that. By nightfall we had found a place to rest. It was an old winery, there was a billboard on the roof with a faded picture of a purple, middle aged mare with some grapes and a strawberry for her cutie-mark.

BERRY'S FINE WINE CO

Gareth went in first, and after declaring the place was clear of danger we followed. The main room was a large counter that stretched from wall to wall, with a little swinging door so ponies could get behind the counter. The walls were covered in posters with pictures of wine glasses and bottles. There was an open door behind the counter with a terminal visible on a desk. I'll check that out tomorrow. I thought, looking for a comfortable spot on the floor. I found a fairly good piece of floor At least there's no trash. And there was trash all over most of the floor, along with several empty bottles. I dropped my bags and slumped down on the floor. Eyup, nice and comfortable floor. Azure found her own spot on the floor while Gareth sat down and leaned his back against the counter. His eyes trained on the door and his shotgun lying across his lap.

As inviting as sleep was I had a question that was burning a whole in my mind since I'd met the griffon.

“Hey Gareth?” he turned to me with a nod. “Where do griffons come from?”

“Well, you see Silver. When a mommy griffon and a daddy griffon love each other very much...” he started laughing with Azure as I blushed furiously.

“What I mean is, what is your homeland like?” waved a claw around the bar.

“This is my homeland. Equestria. I've never been to the griffon skies and none of my family has either, that I know of.” I raised an eyebrow and Azure scooted closer.

“Story time!” she said brightly, her eyes bulging. Gareth sighed deeply and drew a breath.

“My dad told me that most of the griffons in northern Equestria came from Stable 57. The only griffon Stable in the whole country. Twenty years after the megaspells dropped they opened up the doors and started taking mercenary work all over Equestria. But I have heard stories about the homeland that have been passed down from my ancestors.” Azure and I waited in anticipation while Gareth stayed silent, building the suspense.

“The First Griffon Republic rose two hundred years before the founding of Equestria. Our holdings were numerous, our armies all but invincible. The griffons were the envy of all other species for centuries; but then came Nightmare Moon.

“When Nightmare Moon refused to lower the moon and she and Celestia were preparing to do battle, the Republic sent it's best warriors to kill the night Princess and restore balance to the world.”

Kill the Goddess? I thought.

“How do you kill a Goddess?” Azure asked before I could. Gareth snorted.

“She's wasn't a Goddess, and she still isn't. She was a pony just like any other pony, only she was very skilled with magic.”

“But she controls the moon!” I stated with certainty.

“No, she doesn't. The moon and sun circle around the world but they weren't responsible for it. They just made sure that they were staying in a specific orbit. Kept them moving in harmony. Right now they still move but its a little more random.” he shook his head. “I'm getting off topic. After we sent our warriors to strike her down Celestia used her magic to banish Nightmare Moon and restore harmony. But my people were not satisfied with banishment, neither were the Zebras or Buffalo. Many wanted Celestia to execute her but she refused to kill her sister. The First Griffon Republic and the Zebra Empire had talked of invading Equestria and forcing Celestia to execute Luna. But then the Broken Egg Incident occurred”

“Whats that?” Azure and I asked at the same time.

“The Broken Egg Incident was the greatest tragedy in my peoples history before the megaspells. A dozen Zebra assassins in stealth cloaks infiltrated the Republic and destroyed the state building. More than a dozen soldiers were killed, several republic representatives and thirty unhatched eggs that were in the nursery. The Broken Egg Incident ended the First Republic. With half the government dead and children coldly murdered our armies began attacking the Zebras with a vengeance. Thousands of griffons raided the Zebra Capital of Roam. My people burned buildings, stole valuables, even stole hundreds of books from the library before putting it to the torch. After the sacking of Roam, my people reorganized and formed the Second Republic. Several key laws were changed but the key one was that griffon mercenaries could offer their services to the other races.

“Before the second republic, mercenaries were seen as cowardly. Soldiers served the Republic, not the almighty coin. In fact mercenaries were illegal before the Second Republic came to power. And though some disagreed the effects were great. The Republic became richer and more powerful than ever. Even rivaling Equestria at it's heights. In fact, if the Second Republic would have stayed in power it was seen as inevitable that the griffons would have conquered not only the Zebras but Equestria as well.” What!?

“But woe friends, for the glory was not to last. The Zebra Empire was on the brink of collapse. Our air raids were killing their morale more than we were killing people. We were this close to victory,” He put two of claws really close together to emphasize. “when the traditionalists rebelled and the Second Republic fell into civil war. It hadn't even lasted five years.”

“Why would they rebel though?” Azure asked skeptically. “If the griffons were better off why did they throw it away and fight a war. Seems really stupid to me.” Gareth nodded.

“It was stupid. Very stupid. It was the start of civil war that lasted between my race for centuries. The Zebra Empire recovered but didn't try attacking us again. Knowing that if they did we might drop our differences and retaliate. It wasn't until Nightmare Moon was defeated for a second time that my people reorganized, forming the Third Republic.

“This one was simpler. Instead of a standing army there was only a representative for each faction of the Talon mercenaries. That is why the Third Republic was known mainly as the Talon Republic. Along with the representatives was an arbiter who settled disputes among the factions. It lasted maybe twenty five years before the megaspells. The magical radiation and force of the megaspells was just as devastating to the griffons as it was to everyone else, but with Stable 57 and the high mountains where my people lived, our species endured. They say the Third Republic fell that day but my dad is the head of our band of talons” he pointed to the insignia on his armor, a pair of wings with a sword in between. “He always has visiting leaders from other talon factions in his office. There was this one chick, Gawdya, I think her name was, she operates down south in the ruins of some old train town. Mean bird, but it shows that the Talon Republic is still around, even is there is no Arbiter right now.” He stretched and looked between us.

“What?” He asked. Azure and I smiled at each other before bursting.

“Another story!”

“Okay...” Gareth rubbed his beak thoughtfully for a moment before snapping his claws. “Alright, I'll tell you about the most famous griffon of the Talon Republic. Gilda...”

….........................

“She...killed, Rainbow Dash!?” Azure asked. Gareth nodded. “But, how! Rainbow Dash was the greatest flier in Equestria's history.”

“Not sure. The story goes that the Pegasi hired her to bring back her head... I don't remember if they actually got it or not but it made Gilda a legend. Rainbow Dash fought in the war for more than a decade. She brought down dragons! So when Gilda killed her it sealed her place in history” Gareth leaned back against the bar and yawned. “What did you see in that orb?” he asked casually.

“I'm not sure. I was experiencing it through this stallion guard. He was watching Goddess Luna walk along this hall and...” I froze. Azure was staring at me. Her eyes huge and her mouth hanging open.

“You...saw the Goddess!?” I nodded. “Let me see! Please, please, please!” She begged. “Please, please, please, please, please!!”

“Alright! Just hold on a second.” I dug around in my bags until I found the orb and tossed it to her. She caught it in her teeth, squeeling like like a fanfilly. She focused her magic on the orb and her pupils shrank. Her expression going blank. Gareth snorted.

“Ponies. So what were you saying, Silver?” He asked. I stuttered for a moment before I realized what he meant.

“Oh, right. I watched Luna and another winged unicorn walking down this crsytal hall and then somepony shot through the window and killed one of her guards. It took his head right off...” Who the hell invented guns anyway? What pony thought it was a good idea to make something that can kill ponies so easily?

“What color was the other alicorn?” he asked.

“What's an alicorn?”

“It's a unicorn with wings.” Gareth explained. Again using that tone that suggested he was telling a small child how one plus one is two. “Now what did she look like?

“Her coat was pink. And her mane and tail were pink, purple and yellow.” he whistled brightly and said,

“Wow. You find a memory orb with two pony Goddesses in it just a few days out of the Stable. What are the fucking odds of that?”

“She was a Goddess?” I'd never heard of any Goddesses except Celestia and Luna. 41's priest would have called that blashpamy.

“Some ponies seem to think so. My kind never took stock in Goddesses. But living in the Equestrian Wasteland you learn about them eventually. The pink alicorn was Princess Cadence. She and her husband ruled the Crystal Empire before the Megaspells. Apparently she was the only Princess that the Crystal Ponies gave a damn about. Only reason they didn't rebel against Luna was because Cadence told them not to.” He finished, pulling a canteen out of his saddlebags and taking a long pull. “I gotta say though, the fact that someone tried to blow Luna's head off is pretty interesting. I just wonder who owned that gun shop. Must have had quite the hate boner for Luna.” he put away the canteen just Azure came out of the orb.

“What the fuck was that Silver!?” when I didn't answer she continued. “You could have said somepony's head got splattered all over the place ya know!”

“Well if you had waited until she finished talking you would have known, now wouldn't you?” Gareth said sarcastically. Azure scowled darkly at the griffon before rolling the orb back over to me. “Shame you can't use memory orbs. Eh, Feathers?” Gareth just shrugged and for some reason that only made Azure look even more annoyed.

“You two should try to get some sleep.” Gareth said, checking the load on his shotgun. “If you want to get to Gem City before tomorrow night we'll have to leave early.”

“Aren't you going to sleep?” I asked. But Gareth simply shook his head.

“Nah. You two go ahead.” he said waving his claws at us. Then he crossed his hindlegs and claws behind his head. His shotgun leaning on the bar right by beside him. Alrighty then. I returned the orb to my bags and curled up on my patch of floor. Azure did the same, watching Gareth skeptically while partially covering her eyes with her left foreleg.

It took me a while to fall asleep. My brain just wouldn't stop thinking about the Goddess and the guards and whether or not Azure liked Gareth or not. The way she was looking at him reminded me of the fillies in 41 who were trying to get a colt to notice them. Huh.

Gareth woke me up the next morning and thankfully not by poking me in the face. I stood up and stretched. Then I remembered the terminal in the office. I went to the desk in the back room and looked at the terminal. It was already logged in. Score one for Silver! Besides a massive list of different wine shipments and some expense reports there were some public announcements. I opened a file marked 'New Princess'.

“Today the Crystal Empire had the first new addition to the Royal family in more than a thousand years. Princess Cadence and proud father Prince Shining Armor welcomed the newest member of the Crystal Empire today. Giving birth to a healthy little filly. A celebration is being planned for the following week, all citizens of the Crystal Empire are encouraged to join in the festivities and celesbrate something beautiful in times that just aren't so.”

It wasn't that intresting but it made me smile. Just thinking about an entire city of ponies celebrating something so nice and not war related gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. I opened the next one which read;

“Prince Shining Armor announced today the creation of the Crystal Guard's Civilian Auxiliary Forces. With the deployment of the Crystal Guard to bolster Equestria's troops fighting in the deep south (much to the anger and protest of the citizens of the Empire) our Prince has decided that the Crystal Empire is in need of a local militia in order to keep the Empire properly defended in the event of an internal emergency. The Crystal Guard's Civilian Auxiliary Forces will begin basic training within the month.”

“Crystal Guard's Civilian Auxiliary Forces. That is a mouth full.” I thought aloud.

“You're damn right it is” Azure said behind me. “That's why they just call themselves 'Auxiliary'. Can you imagine getting ponies to join a group with a name that long?” No. No I couldn't.

“The Auxiliary is that old?” I didn't think anything before the megaspells really survived outside the Stables.

“Yeah. Bit of a trip isn't it?” I nodded. “The Auxiliary's been around forever. If they would have lost the war a few years back they might control the whole wasteland. Yellow Diamond had one of those... kill everypony who disagrees with her philosophy.”

“How'd you sleep?” I asked, already knowing the answer. She had bags under her eyes and was trying not to yawn.

“I didn't” she said with a deep yawn.

“Why?” She looked over her shoulder for a moment then she whispered into my ear.

“I watched him all night, and he didn't go to sleep. He just sat there looking out door like there was a mouse or something!” she stated tiredly. I couldn't help but smirk while I turned back to the terminal. “What? What's so funny!?”

“Why did you stay up all night watching him just sit there?” I raised an eyebrow at her but she didn't seem to understand. “I just didn't think you were into griffons. That's all” I jumped off the chair and went back to the main room. Leaving Azure with her mouth hanging open comically. Gareth was waiting in the doorway, shouldering his shotgun.

“You two ready?” he asked.

“Yeah we're ready. Let's go already!” Azure said quickly, pushing past us both. Gareth looked at me questioningly but didn't say anything before following her out.

We followed the back alleys near the wine store for a few streets before getting onto one of the main streets. When we reached the main road the Crystal Palace and the stadium that was Gem city came into view. I'd seen some pictures of the Crystal Palace in books but the real thing wasn't nearly as impressive. The western side of the palace was scorched black and some of the smaller spires were missing. Even from a few miles away I could see black shapes flying around the higher floors of the tower.

“What are those?” I asked, pointing to the palace. Gareth followed my gaze and he scowled.

“Those are Enclave soldiers in power armor.” he said darkly. “I didn't know that they operated this far north. They don't have any cities anywhere near here.”

“Course they do, Featherbrains.” Azure said snarkily. “They need gems for their fancy pea shooters.”

“Magical energy weapons aren't 'pea shooters' Azure. Magical energy weapons use enchanted gems to perform a spell with condensed energy stored in the gems.” Gareth explained. Azure and I looked at him blankly and his face reddened. “Ah. You were being sarcastic.” Azure giggled and we started down the road. It would only be an hour or two before we reached Gem City. Seems like Granny Honeycrisp exagerated a bit with the distance.

“Gem City here we come.”

LEVEL UP: NEW PERK ADDED: PONY MAGNETISM. You have an unkanny knack for aqquiring companions. You now have more unique dialog options when interacting with certain characters.

Chapter 4: Shadow Marks

"...One thousand years ago King Sombra, a unicorn whose heart was black as night took over the Crystal Empire. He was ultimately overthrown, turned to shadow, and banished to the ice of the arctic north. But not before he was able to put a curse upon the Empire..."

I don't really know what I was expecting Gem City would be like. Maybe a few shacks that were close together where nopony was killing each other. I'm glad to say I was pleasantly surprised.

We reached Gem City's main gate where more than two dozen armed ponies in old police barding were guarding the entrance. They were spead out between two towers flanking the gate and several barricades made out of scrap metal and wood. Most were earth ponies while only four were unicorns. Along with the barricades there were also several automated turrets spread out along the towers and into the city walls of the city.

The gate iteself was a large shutter type door that was three ponies tall. Just inside was a couple more barricades with more guards. As we got closer to the barricades one of the ponies (a teal mare with milky white hair) left her post and trotted towards us. She was armed with two hunting rifles strapped to her sides.

“What's your business here?” she asked upon reaching us. She didn't sound unfriendly but there was a stern note in her voice.

“We're here to enjoy the ameneties that your beautiful city provides.” Azure told her, smiling brightly. The guard mare raised an eyebrow but gestured for us to follow.

“You don't need to be a smart ass.” she said before leading us past the barricades and into the city gate. On the way inside she explained the city's rules.

“We have very simple rules here. Don't shoot anypony, don't steal anything and don't damage other ponies property. Other than that Gem City Security won't get involved.” we followed her through the gate past the inner barricades and into the city itself. “You do break the rules and we'll throw your asses in the stockade.Enjoy your stay!” she said, heading back to her post.

Well. Isn't she just a little ray of sunshine.

The gate opened into a large market that was filled with hundreds of ponies going about their business. There were a dozen or so stores that formed a circle around a large fire pit where several ponies were roasting things on sticks. The aromas coming from the fire were intoxicating.

The stores and other buildings were made of a combination of concrete, blue and pink crystal and scrap metal. The ponies had built dozens of small houses into the sides of the stadium where the seats used to be, then they constructed catwalks that connected the houses that were higher up.

“Wow...” was all I could say. I hadn't even imagined there could be this many ponies in the world. 41 just seemed so small compared to what was before me. Just like the guards outside, most were earth ponies. With only the occasional unicorn.

“Oh! Doc look over there!” Azure pointed her foreleg to my left, where there was a stand set up with a blue flag draped across the top. The flag was adorned with a white snowflake. Sitting behind the stand and standing to either side were ponies wearing armor made out of silver. It reminded me of the armor Royal guards wore in history books, except those were gold. They wore silver helmets with plumes of hair coming out the top. Along with armor that covered their chest, back and sides, and pony shoes with added guards on the legs. There was a sign on the bottom of the stand that read;

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

HELP US SAVE THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!

JOIN THE AUXILIARY TODAY!

So these ponies were the Auxiliary. They didn't seem particularly impressive but Azure looked like she was on the verge of a fangasm.

“Why don't you go talk to them?” Gareth asked, looking around the market curiously. Azure smile disapeared and she suddenly looked very nervous.

“I couldn't. I mean look at me!” she gestured to her combat barding. “I'm dressed like a damn Gunner. I'm surprised nopony's tried to shoot me yet.” now that she mentioned it, there were a quite a few ponies giving her dirty looks. Gareth shook his head and held out his talons.

“Here. Hoof over your armor and I'll hang onto it for you. I'm sure they won't mind if you just ask them some questions.” Azure looked at him skeptically for a moment before floating her assualt rifle to me then she began undoing the straps of her armor.

“Just don't scratch it or draw on it okay?” she told him sternly. Floating the chest piece and leg guards into his claws. “I'll meet you guys back here in a few hours alright?” I nodded and she trotted over to the Auxiliary stand. Gareth stowed the armor in his bags and turned to me.

“So...I never did ask why we were coming here. I mean this town is nice and all. A step above most settlements I've seen, but do you have somewhere specific in mind or are we just looking around?” I shook my head and told him about Crystal Fox.

“Sounds like a plan. If I may ask, what exactly happened to your Stable? I mean, Azure mentioned that something bad happened but she wasn't very specific.” he asked.

“Can we talk about this later?” I asked. I really didn't want to get into it right now. Especially when Gem City was making me feel happy for the first time in days. Gareth nodded politely and didn't press it further. I chose a stall at random and went to the counter. “Excuse me, do you know where Crystal Fox lives?” the violet mare behind the counter scowled a little at the question.

“Who's asking” she asked, putting a hoof under the counter.

“I'm Silver Heart. He was an old friend of my father when he lived around here.” I didn't know if Dad had actually lived here or not but it sounded good enough. The mare's expression softened a little and she gave me directions to Crystal Fox's house. Apparently he lived up in the stands, in the largest house in town.

“It's the one made out of pink and blue crystal. No wood or anything. Real hard to miss.” she told us.

“Thanks again” I said as we left. Gareth flipped a couple bottle caps onto the counter, much to the mare's surprise. We passed by a few more interesting shops on the way to the catwalks. There was a weapons store, clothing, armor, a couple food joints and even a small spa. I was tempted to stop at each store but Dad's letter said it was important to see Crystal Fox. And I admit I had about a thousand questions to ask him about my dad. If he had known him when he was traveling the wasteland maybe he could tell me more about him.

We followed the mare's directions and found ourselves in front of a large crystal house with a rusty old mail box seemingly Wonder glued to the wall next to the door. I raised a hoof to knock but before I could the door abruptly opened. Standing in the doorway was an ancient looking earth pony stallion. He face was adorned with a very curly mustache that seemed like two mustaches glued together. His coat was gray while his mane and tail were white. At the sight of me his eyes widened.

“Damn, girl. You really look like your momma. Your pops wasn't kidding.” he smiled brightly and pulled me inside faster than I thought possible with how old he was. He pulled Gareth in a second later and slid us into a pair of chairs by a short table. The inside of the house looked far smaller than the outside. The walls were lined with shelves covered in various knick knacks and what appeared to be just plain junk. The house was lit by a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. He placed a tray of forsted cookies and a steaming cup of some brown liquid in front of Gareth and I. “I betcha ya aint ever had cookies before” Crystal Fox said, sitting on a plush chair opposite us. “Yer daddy and I have been talking for years and he always complained about that damn synthetic food paste ya'll ate.”

“No. no I haven't.” Gareth snatched a cookie off the plate while I gave the plate and cup a tenetive sniff. Well...it smelled good. It should taste good too. I floated one off the plate and took a small bite. The flavor exploded in my mouth. It was like the rainbow paste from 41 on steroids. I'd never tasted anything so good. In a flash I scooped up the rest of the cookies and shoved them in my mouth. Gareth was looking at me curiously, holding his own cookie protectively. Crystal Fox seemed surprised at first but he simply sat in his chair smiling pleasntly, patiently waiting for me to finish.

“Sorry” I said after giving a loud belch. I'd never eaten like that before and I felt embarrassed at m behavior.

“That's alright. Yer dad ate like that the first time he had my cookies too. I take it that something bad did happen then? He said you'd only come if something went bad.” his smile disapeared and he was on the edge of his seat. There was worry and concern in his eyes. How could I not tell him?

So I told him everything. The false message from Celestia. The promise of everything we'd need to survive and things we wanted. How Bounty and his thugs raided the Stable looking for my Dad and I. Crystal Fox ask any questions or try to interupt me. He just sat there and listened. Gareth stared at me in horror at some parts and appeared to be trying not to ask questions. I appreciated that he didn't. When I was finished the three of us were silent for a few minutes. Crystal Fox sat in his chair looking at the ceiling thoughtfully. Gareth was the first to speak.

“Thats diabolical.” Crystal Fox and I looked at him questioningly. And he explained further. “I mean. The way he got the Overmare to just open the door. It seemed like he could have just cut through the thing or maybe hack the system. But he kidnapped one of your own and planted false memories in his head. I didn't even know that was possible.” Crystal Fox nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. Diabolical is the right word. Or maybe evil would be better. I just don't know why the Syndicate would be after you and your pops. That Bounty has been through town a couple times since I've lived here but I haven't seen hide nor hair of him in over twelve years.” he shook his head and his smile returned. “You really do look like your mother. You've got her eyes and her coat, I swear I thought it was Midnight coming to see how old Gray Fox was doing.”

“Gray Fox?” I asked. The old buck smiled and pointed to a picture on one of the shelves. The picture held a muscular gray buck with a minigun strapped to his side. He was smiling cockily at a yellow mare olding a spear in her mouth.

“That's the name I went by back in my younger years. Helluva a lot better than fuckin 'Crystal Fox'. I swear my parents were idiots. I'll tell ya though, I had the most dangerous adventure of my life getting that picture.” I looked at him skeptically and even gareth seemed confused at this.

“Don't you know how rare a working camera is these days?” he asked incredulously. He shook his head and waved a hoof at us. “Never mind. Damn youngin's. Now why don't ya take a swig uh that hot cocoa before it becomes cold cocoa.” I levitated the cup to my muzzle and took a drink. Just like the cookies it was an explosion of flavor in my mouth. Though this time I managed to restrain myself. Gareth calmly drank his sip by sip while Crystal Fox just kept watching us. When I was finished with my drink (it didn't take long. That stuff is fucking good!) I set the cup down.

“How did you meet my dad?” I asked. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask for more cocoa but that could wait. For now. The old buck rubbed his chin thoughtfully before hopping off his chair and digging through a box by the door. H returned to the table and dropped a stack of faded color photos in front of me.

“I met Magnus and Midnight about...” he scratched his head. “Twenty seven years ago? Yeah, that's right. Back then I was still runnin' round the Empire rasing hell and bedding mares” I blushed and he snickered. “Eyup. I was quite the swinger back in the day. 'Course back then I was still young and spry. These days the old bones just aren't up to snuff.” judging from the way he pulled Gareth and I inside he must have been lying.

“My social life aside, I met your parents by the old M.A.S. Hub near Fort Jasper. Midnight was introducing yer pops to some of her friends with the Auxiliary when they got attacked by a swarm of ferals.” he smiled cockily. “My minigun ain't ever roared the same since. Shame the left over pulp didn't have anything good on 'em. After that me and yer parents ran together for a while, course, that was when I was in my fifties. I still had enough bounce in my step to keep up with Magnus and Midnight but now...eh” He shrugged picked up his cup in his hooves. How do earth ponies do that?

“What did you do with my parents?” I asked. The old buck chuckled and pointed at the pictures.

“An easier question would be what we didn't do. We raised hell across the Crystal Wastes for almost a year before I had to retire.” he pointed at a picture of a large billboard with a pink mare on it. “Cleared out the raiders from Pinkie Land, even though more of the bastards infested the place after we left.” he shifted to one of the crystal palace. “We searched the palace before them Enclave Pegasi took it over. We were trying to find the Crystal Heart and use it to fix the Empire but that was a bust,”

“Crystal Heart?” I interupted.

“Ain't ya ever heard of the Crystal Heart?” I shook my head. “Well ain't that a thing. I guess Stable history class isn't very good. I oughtta introduce you to the Storyteller one of these days. By the time he's done talking you'll never have another question.

“The Crystal Heart was what protected the Empire before the war. Right before the megaspell went off in the west the shield protecting the city went down. Somepony took the Heart and left the city to die. Who knows what would have happened if the shield stayed up. Might have avoided the whole 'Apocalypse' thing. Personally, I think the stripes took it. But who knows?” It seemed my brain had stopped working for a second. The entire city was protected from the megaspell and from what Captain Withers' terminal said it was safe from the zebras missiles too. And somepony...took it? That's fucking stupid! What would have happened if the Crystal Empire survived? They could have helped the rest of Equestria! Hell, the whole damn country could have been rebuilt by now. When I voiced my thoughts Crystal Fox agreed. Gareth however looked skeptical.

“If the city did survive that doesn't mean they would have helped the rest of the country. The Crystal ponies hated the rest of Equestria. They saw Celestia and Luna as the ponies who conquered them after the war started. And their own royal family wouldn't stand up to them. There's a reason somepony tried to kill Luna in that orb Silver Heart.” Crystal Fox's eyes widened and he moved closer to us.

“What ya got now? An orb with the night Princess?” I nodded and pulled it out of my bags. He reached for it but hestitated. “Ya don't mind if I take a look?”

“Of course not” I said. It's not like he could even look into it anyway.

“Hot damn it's been a while!” he took it in his hooves and he pressed it to his forehead. His eyes went blank and he froze where he was.

“What!? He's an earth pony, how did he..?” Gareth shook his head and pointed at his eyes.

“Look at his eyes.” I did but I still didn't understand what he meant. Gareth facehoofed, Facetaloned? “His pupils are a different shape. He's a Crystal Pony. Not an earth pony.”

“What's the difference?” I asked.

“The difference is that we Crystal Ponies ain't earth ponies” Crystal Fox said sourly, making me jump a little. How'd he do that? “We have our own brand of magic apart from the other pony races. Kinda like thestrals, I guess. 'Cept Crystal Ponies are better in my opinion. We can access memory orbs and I've even seen a few who could grow crystals and use 'em in a fight.” Gareth's jaw dropped and Crystal Fox smirked smugly. “Eyup. I'm just glad I never pissed one of 'em off. I'd hate to get impaled by some shiny fucking rock shooting out of the ground.” No wonder Eqeustria wanted the Crystal Empire. If it's citizens can just make gemstones...

“Why isn't your coat all crystally?” Gareth asked raising an eyebrow, er...feathers. “I've seen pictures from old books and the Crystal ponies sparkled like somepony shot them with a glitter canon or something.”

“That goes back to the whole 'Crystal Heart getting swiped' , thing. Without it we ain't sparkly. And I wouldn't really mind if the mares didn't go crazy fer a stallion with some sparkle.” He looked back at a clock on the wall behind him, rolled the orb back to me and got off the chair. “I got to head to the market soon. Come with me and I'll show you to your room.”

“My room?” I said questioningly. His expression turned confused.

“Well, yeah. Yer Dad asked me to give ya a place to stay. He even asked me to put a in a good word for ya with the town clinic.”

“I appreciate it but I didn't really plan to settle down here.” I told him, trying to be as polite as possible. He'd been so nice I didn't want to offend him.

“If ya ain't gonna stay in town,” he began, sitting back down. “then what do ya plan on doing? There's not exactly a lot of options this far north as far as settlements go.”

“I want to find Bounty and find out why he was after me and Dad.” Crystal Fox looked shocked at first but after a moment his expression hardened. He turned to Gareth and looked him over. Seemingly for the first time.

“What about you, boy? Why are ya with my old friend's daughter?” He asked seriously.

“I've been hired as a guard.” he said simply. “I'm here to protect her no matter what she does.” Crystal Fox's seriousness left his expression and was replaced with a smug smile.

“I knew it,” he declared. “I knew ya had to much of yer parents in ya to just come and live in town. If yer Dad was still with us, he'd owe me a drink.” he shook his head. “Tell me this, girl. How exactly do ya plan on finding old Bounty and getting him to talk? I don't know if you noticed but he's not the 'let's talk over coffee and donuts' kind a guy.” that stung. But it wasn't like he was wrong. How am I going to find him? A rubbed my chin for a moment then clopped my hoof on the table.

“I'll ask the Auxiliary!” I remembered what Azure was doing and added. “Our friend is talking to them right now. I'm sure they'll be able to point us in the right direction.” the old buck burst out laughing and nearly fell off the chair. When he stopped long enough to speak he said,

“The Auxiliary ain't got time to help you track down some cutthroat. They're in a full on war with the Gunners right now,” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully then added. “But, maybe you could ask the mayor. Bounty owns one of the old storage buildings in town. She might let ya rummage around in there if you get on her good side.”

“Why bother?” Gareth asked. “Just tell us where it is and we'll break in. If nopony lives there nopony will care.”

“Sorry, bird boy. But that ain't how it works here.” Crystal Fox told him while pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. “We got a system of law here. Personal rights are taken very seriously. Especially privacy. The city's protected by Gem City Security and if they see you picking locks or breaking windows they'll chuck you flanks in the brig.” he blew smoke in Gareth's direction. “It would be smarter to just ask the mayor, my boy.”

We left Crystal Fox's house a half hour later. (After I begged a few more cookies and another cup of hot cocoa from the old buck) He gave us directions to the mayor's office, which was built into one of the stadium's old locker rooms for some reason, and we would have went straight there if we didn't need to find Azure.

The market was still crowded with crystal ponies and the occasional unicorn or earth pony. It was hard at a distance but I could see the differences in their eyes when we were close. And I couldn't help checking every pony I came across to see if they were Crystal or just earth pony. Almost all of them were Crystal Ponies.

We found Azure sitting with her back against the wall of the gun shop. She was floating a leather bound book in front of her and she was chewing on a white and red striped stick. There was a radio on the counter playing a rather sad song by Sweetie Belle and an orange unicorn mare standing behind it.

“Hey, Azure” I said trotting up to her. “Whatcha reading?” She broke the stick and floated the halves into her mouth.

“It's called, Crystal Liberty” she mumbled through a mouth full of candy. “I got it from the Auxiliary ponies. Their leader, General StormWing, wrote it about a year ago. They were passing out free copies, if you want one they still got some.” she stood up, carefully placed the book in her bags and pointed to the Auxiliary stand.

“Maybe in a bit. We have to talk to the mayor.” I told her.

“Why?” she asked, stopping in mid trot.

“Apparently that bounty hunter that attacked Silver's Stable owns a place in town” Gareth told her. Azure's eyes widened almost comically as she gasped. “She wants to ask the mayor if we can take a look.”

“Dammit, Doc!” she said, facehoofing. “Don't you remember what I said? That buck is a fucking psychopath! What do you want to go digging through his stuff for?”

“To be fair, he doesn't live there anymore” Gareth said reasonably. Azure looked from Gareth to me and back again before groaning.

“Fine. But I need to stock up on ammo. Twelve bullets wouldn't be enough to kill him if he didn't have legs.” she trotted into the weapons shop and Gareth and I followed.

“Welcome to the Barrel of Guns!” the orange mare declared proudly. “We have everything from pipe pistols to balefire egg launchers all at a reasonal price! Everything hoof tooled by myself and my assistant Sugar Cake. My name is Tanergine, how can I help you?” Azure and Gareth told her what they needed while I looked around the room. There were dozens of rifles, pistols, shotguns and just about everything else. There was even a pair of missile launchers crossing each other over the door. The song on the radio ended and was replaced by a very familiar voice.

“This is DJ Pon3, and that was Sweetie Belle, singing about that one great truth of the wasteland: every pony has done something they regret. And now, my little ponies, it’s time for the news! Now you ponies remember when I told you ‘bout those two ponies who crawled themselves out of Stable Two? Well, I’ve been gettin’ reports that one of those little ponies took out the raider nest in the heart of Ponyville, and saved several pony captives -- including the beloved author of The Wasteland Survival Guide, Ditzy Doo! Hey kid, thanks!

From all of us! And now the weather: cloudy everywhere, with a chance of rain, gunfire and bloody dismemberment...” the radio hissed static loudly for a few moments before Tangerine smacked it hard with her foreleg.

“…one last thing, the other Stable Dweller was last seen out near Appleloosa. My prayers go out t’ that one. And that’s the truth of the matter. Now back to the music. Here’s Sapphire Shores singing how the sun can’t hide forever. From your lips to Celestia’s ears, Sapphire!”

“Seems like you Stable ponies really like coming out lately.” Azure said sarcastically, floating several clips into her saddlebags. “Sounds like she's a step above you though, Doc. She saved Ditzy Doo all by herself. You needed some psychotic monster to kill those raiders for you.” Tangerine looked stunned as she hoofed a couple boxes of shotgun shells to Gareth.

“Psychotic, monster... What are ya'll talking about?” She asked, sliding the caps from Gareth and Azure into a drawer behind the counter.

“We were going through that old hospital between Amore Central and Fort Scarlet and there were some raiders that weren't very thrilled with us being there.” Azure said cockilly. “we had them on the run when somepony finished them off.” Azure floated a small square of paper from her bags. “He stuck this on the wall near the bodies.” the orange mare floated the card to her eyes and they widened, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

“You two were that close to Calling Card, and he didn't kill you.” she seemed both terrified and a little impressed. “I can't believe he didn't gut you and use your blood for paint.” Azure's smile disapeared and Gareth echoed the question in my mind.

“Who's Calling Card?” The mare shook her head slowly and pointed a hoof at the wall behind us. I turned to see a tall, crudely drawn poster of an earth pony (Crystal Pony?) holding a severed head. The word 'Wanted' was printed in large black letters over the picture.

“Best steer clear of the southwest. That's the bastard's huntin grounds.” the mare said, coming out from the counter. “Ya'll better get going. I'm closing up for the day.”

We left the shop and headed straight to the mayors office. There were two security ponies at the door but they didn't stop us from entering.

The inside of the mayor's office was cluttered with several filing cabinets filled to burst with papers. The walls were covered with posters. Most were ministry posters but a few were were Zebras with bright, glowing eyes.

“Better wiped than striped, eh?” A short, plump green crystal pony mare said from behind the large metal desk in the corner. “Never really cared much for these posters but they're somethin' to look at when the paperwork starts making my eyes droop. I'm Mayor Sugar Stalk, but you can call me Sugar.” she shook each of our hooves, and Gareth's talons. “Now, what can I do you for?”

“My name is Silver Heart, nice to meet you,” I said awkwardly. Gem City seemed to be cut from a different cloth than the rest of the Crystal Wastes. She was the second I met who hadn't tried to kill me in one day. “this is Gareth and Azure.” I pointed to each of them and they nodded. “We were wondering if you could help us something.” Her face brightened.

“Well you came to the right pony. Whatcha need?” she asked, pulling a stack of papers from her desk. “I can set you up with a housing permit, residencey test, merchant liscense, Security application..”

“Actually we need access to a warehouse in town.” Gareth interupted. Mayor Sugar returned the papers to her desk drawer and slid it shut.

“For what purpose?” she asked.

“Well you see...were trying to find the buck who owns it and we figured there'd be something inside that could tell us where he is.” I finished lamely. It was a weak plan. Now that I'd said it out loud it made sense that Azure thought it wouldn't work.

The mayor rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment before rumaging through a file cabinet on her left and pulling out a piece of paper in her teeth. She looked it over twice before speaking.

“The only warehouse in town that isn't in use if owned by that Bounty Hunter fella.” she said slowly. “Why are you trying to find him? He ain't lived or even been to town in years.”

“It's private business, Mayor.” Azure said quickly, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. The Mayor's expression darkened.

“I am not about to let you three go galavanting through somepony's private property without good cause...” she turned to a file cabinet behind her and opened the middle drawer. She looked through about a dozen papers before turning back to us. She tapped her hoof on the desk a few times before she saying, “Unless...you're willing to do something for the good of the community?”

“What do you need?” I asked. Behind I thought I heard Azure groan a little and looking over my shoulder I could see a curious look on Gareth's face.

“For some time there has been a problem with the water coming in from the sewer systems. The water purifier is handling it but something in the water is putting a strain on the mechanics. It's broken down a half dozen times this month.” she said darkly. “we don't know what the stuff in the water is but if you could find out we could adjust the system or accordingly. Or if you could stop it from getting in the water that would be even better. You do that, and I'll give you the keys and you can dig around in there to your heart's content.” she crossed her hooves. Azure and Gareth looked at each other and then to me.

“Okay. We find out what's wrong with the water and you give let us in the warehouse. How about you throw in some caps so my friends have a little more incentive to help the community?” I finished smoothly, seemingly surpiring Azure and Gareth along with the mare.

“Well...I don't see why not. It is outside the walls. Alright, I'll throw in a hundred caps.” she said.

“I don't know that seems a little light for a job like this,” I stated slowly. “How about a hundred caps each?” the Mayor's face darkened a little but after a moment she nodded.

“Three hundred caps and the keys. And I ain't going any higher!” she pulled out a key and a blank piece of paper and wrote out the details. She passed me the key and the paper. “Talk to officer Teal at the main gate and show her this paper. She'll show you to the water line, you'll have to take it from there. This key will open the access door.”

“Deal.”

…........................

Turns out that the mare who let us in the gate was Teal. Go figure. She led us around the wall of Gem City. There were more Security guards standing in towers and makeshift barricades around the city walls. Once we reached the western wall we stopped at a large metal pipe sticking out of the side of the stadium.

“Here it is. The pipe leads underground,” she pointed at a line painted on the ground in paint. “Follow that line. It'll lead you to the access hatch. Try not to get killed in the water pipe. It's a real pain in the ass to pull body parts out of the purifier.” with that she tureturned to her post by the front gate.

“I don't know why she's a Security guard” Gareth said as she left. “She should have been an inspirational speaker.” Azure and I laughed as we followed the red line away from Gem City. We told Crystal Fox what we were doing and he gave us a picture of a black crystal sticking out of the ground.

“Since you're heading out of the walls see if you can find one of these for me will ya? For ever one you bring back I'll make ya a full batch of them cookies” that alone would have been incentive enough for me to leave the walls.

It only took us a few minutes of navigating through the broken streets to find the access door. It was on the uncollapsed side of a half collapsed building with a sign that read:

CRYSTAL EMPIRE WATER MAIN

I slid the key in the lock and it opened silently. Gareth went in first, checking for anything dangerous. I followed with Azure watching our backs.

There was a flight of stairs leading down into the sewers. The smell was horrible. Azure and I wrapped cloth around out muzzles while Gareth just snorted and moved ahead. He had strapped his flashlight to the end of his shotgun. I turned on my Pip-Buck lamp and Azure stuck close to me. Her rifle now had a circular magizine instead of the rectangle ones. One of the walls was covered in several pipes dripping water while the other was covered in electrical tubing. The floor was covered in about four inches of water.

Our hooves sloshing the whole way we followed the pipes down the hall. It just seemed to go on and on.

“Hold on” Gareth said raising his his claws. He pointed his flashlight towards the water and pointed out several lines of black swirling around in it.

“Shadow radiation” Azure said quietly.

“We have radaway. We'll be fine.” I said confidently striding forward. Gareth stopped me with his forleg.

“Careful. Radaway or not we should avoid as much exposure as possible. Stick close behind me, try to avoid the clouds in the water.” Gareth strode forward the water sloshing to the sides as he walked. Azure and I followed close behind and even though my Pip-Buck wasn't ticking I could see my radiation exposure level slowly rising on the screen. I floated some rad X tablets out of my bags and gave them to Gareth and Azure before taking one myself.

“Ugh” It tasted like chalk. Wait...no. Chalk tastes better. I ate a piece of chalk in school once to see if it tasted better than the Stable's paste. It did.

The farther down the hall we went the thicker the shadows seemed to get. We'd only gone a hundred yards before the water was totally black and tendrils of smoke were floating out of the water making the hall even darker. Our lights barely cut through the gloom. It was so dark that I walked straight into Gareth when he stopped.

“Sorry” I whispered. The place just seemed...sinister.

“It's okay.” he said, dismissively. “The hall splits here. Which way should we go?” Gareth asked me. Behind me I could here Azure snicker.

“It's obvious, Feathers. We follow the pipes.” It was so dark I couldn't see his face but I was sure he was scowling.

“The Mayor wants us to find the source of the contamination.” he said slowly. “That means we have to find where it's coming from and both directions are filled with the stuff.” he shined his light on us and asked, “Which way should we go?”

“Why not split up and go both ways?” Azure said immediately.

“Splitting up isn't a good idea. We don't know whats causing this.” Gareth told her reasonably.

“It's just shadow radiation bird brain. Somepony must've chucked one of those dark crystals in the water or something. All we have to do is pull it out and throw it in a raider nest and we'll be done.” Azure said confiently, crossing her forelegs across her chest. They turned their gazes to me.

“What do you think, Silver?” Gareth asked.

“What do you think, Doc?” Azure asked.

I looked from Gareth to Azure and back again a few times before finding my voice.

“Well, if it's just a crystal...there shouldn't be a problem as long as we don't go too far.” Gareth covered his eyes with his claws and shook his head while Azure looked at him smugly.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Silver and I will go right, Azure you go left.” he turned to start down the hall but Azure stopped him by biting his tail. “Ow! What?”

“You and I should go right while Silver goes left.” she told him.

“Why? We can't leave her unprotected.”

“Because you two both have flashlights and I don't. You Wonderglued yours light to your gun, so unless you want to hoof over your shotgun I'm going with you.” Gareth gripped his shotgun close to his chest and looked at me, his expression filled with guilt.

“Is that okay with you, Silver?” he asked. I'm sure if I had said 'no' he would have given his shotgun to Azure and went with me but I got the feeling that Azure wanted to talk to him alone.

“Yeah, totally.” I told them. “Were just looking for some crystals. Here,” I floated two tablets of rad X to each of them and started down the hall on the left. Azure and Gareth exchanged looks before heading down the other hall.

Azure was right, she wouldn't have been able to see a thing without our lights. Without Gareth's flashlight my Pip-Buck's lamp barely lit the hall enough to see the walls. I floated my shotgun from my bags kept it close to my side. My hooves sloshed in the black water which had turned thick enough that it felt like trotting through syrup. Not that I'd ever eaten it or even tasted it but my books said it was good.

I kept checking my Pip-Buck every few yards to see my radiation level. The rad X was helping but the meter kept rising slowly. I pulled a pack of Radaway and downed it in one gulp. It tasted surprisingly good despite it's color and consistestency. The meter dropped to the minimum and immediately started climbing again.

“Dammit.” I tore my eyes away from the screen and back to the hall. After maybe another hundred feet I could see a faint purple glow coming from up ahead. I sped up to a swift trot. As I drew nearer I began to feel strange. My eyes drooped and my thoughts started going all over the place, eventually focusing on my dad, and Astible and the Cedric. I slowed down to a slow walk by the time I reached the end of the hall. Sticking out of the black sludge were three tall black crystals.

I couldn't take my eyes off them. The insides were swirling with black, purple and...well black. The dark colors moving in a vortex.

Silver

I looked away from the crystals and around the hall but nopony was there. Or, so I thought.

“You are tresspassing on Sombra's holy ground.” I turned around. I was standing muzzle to muzzle with a tall, charcoal coated unicorn stallion. His eyes were glowing green while the centers were red. Purple smoke seemed to be leaking from the corners of his eyes. I couldn't speak or even move, I could only stand there as his eyes seemed to burn holes through me and gaze into my soul. “You are coming with me.” he said simply, rasing a metal staff over his head. He swung it at me and I felt my forehead explode in pain. I felt myself scream but I didn't hear anything. I collapsed into the sludge and passed out.

…......................

I don't know how long I was out but when I finally came to I was in a well lit room surrounded by a circle of dark crystals. My bags and uniform were gone, and when I tried to move it was only to find that my legs were chained to the floor. I tried to use my magic but my horn wouldn't do what I told it to. I looked at it and saw several dark shards sticking out at odd angles. I lifted my head and looked around.

There were several ponies surrounding the circle; they were wearing dark robes and their eyes were glowing bright green.

“The defiler is awake.” one said.

“Indeed. Shall we begin, Brother?” another asked.

“Do you think she is worthy of being sent to Sombra, Sister?” said the mare closest to me. “if we disapoint him he won't allow us to bask in his glory.” Sombra? I hadn't ever heard of somepony named Sombra.

“She was tresspassing on Holy ground. He will not be displeased with her sacrifice.” Wait...Sacrifice!? The ponies stepped inside the circle of gems. One held up a long serrated knife.

“In Sombra we trust.” the began to chant, holding each others hooves. “his power shall shield us from harm. We will stand together with his children and protect one another. Together the world will fall to shadow and rise to glory once again!” the air around us seemed to shimmer and the ponies eyes seemed to glow brighter. The unicorns's horns were glowing black and purple and the blade floating above me seemed to be vibrating.

“with shadow and steel we will reclaim the Empire and all the world will be surrounded with Sombra's embrace.” their voices deepened, sounding almost demonic. “With shadow and steel will revive the Empire, and with Sombra's divine strength we shall smite the non-believers.” The blade's edge pointed straight between my eys and moved to floated closer, until it was mere inches away. I'm gonna die, I couldn't help but thinking over and over in my head. But...maybe. Would that work? They seemed pretty into this 'Sombra' of their's.

The blade lifted and shot straight down. Before it hit I yelled.

“Oh, Sombra! The dark one appears before me! I feel the embrace of the Holy Shadow!” the blade stopped half an inch from my left eye. The eyes of the ponies around me stopped glowing and I could see their normal eye colors. The unicorn floating the knife pulled his hood down and I almost burst out laughing. He was grinning so broadly that it was comical. He uppled me to my hooves and snapped the chains off faster than I thought possible.

“Brothers and Sisters!” he announded brightly. “we have found a lost soul that the Shadows have embraced! Let us celebrate!” the ponies yelled and lifted me off the floor then carried me out of the room into what looked like some kind of church. It was filled with long black benches where dozens of ponies were sitting, and a short podium in front of them. A familiar charcoal unicorn stood behind it speaking in a low respectful voice. He turned to the ponies holding me above their heads and scowled, his eyes glowing bright green.

“What is the meaning of this? You should have sacrificed the heratic by now.” the buck who unchained me trotted forward and declared,

“But Confessor Tenebris, she has seen Sombra and wants to accept him into her heart!” the charcoal stallion blinked in surprise, his eyes ceasing to glow.

“Well now. Then this is a time of celebration!” he turned to the ponies assembled before him. “Brothers and Sisters we have a mare who would like to join the Acolytes! What say you?” the ponies rose to their hooves and shouted their approval. The room echoed with “Let her join!” and “Let Sombra save her!” and “The Shadow must guide her!” Confessor Tenerbis reared up non his hindlegs and shouted, “Then let us welcome our new sister! Brother Malum, bring her to me and assmeble the Brothers and Sisters not already in attendence. Tonight we celebrate!” they put me down carefully and the charcoal uniform trotted towards me.

“Come my Child, let us begin.” he waved a hoof for me to follow as he turned back to the podium. I didn't argue...or even say anything. I didn't want my own words to betray me. When he reached the podium he stomped on the ground and a circle of dark crystal shards surrounded us.

How'd they do that so quickly? I couldn't help thinking as more than forty ponies poured back into the room carrying boxes of pre war food and bottles of Sparkle Cola. Confessor Tenebris turned to me and held a hoof to his chest.

“My Child, you have have been chosen by Sombra to spread his precious message across the wasteland that his enemies have created. If you wish to proceed you must take the oath of Shadows. Do you accept?” I nodded quickly, not trusting my voice. His face brightened immeasurably and his eyes glowed green again. But now they weren't showing any malice. It was still terrifying but not as much as when he was angry. “Excellent.” he said, his horn glowing sickly purple and green. “I shall administer the oath. Do you swear as an Acolyte of Sombra that you will spread his message to those you meet?”

“Yes, I swear” I managed to squeak out. A small beam of energy shot from his horn to mine and I instantly felt my body stiffen and my blood grow cold.

“Do you swear to stand by your Brothers and Sisters during peace and war?”

“y-y-yes. I do.” my body was shaking but I couldn't force myself to take a single step. The glow from our horns intensified my vision darkened a little.

“Do you swear to defend Sombra's holy ground with your very life if the need should arise?” He asked, his eyes glowing so bright that the room was glowing green. I looked to the assembled ponies and their eyes were glowing just as bright.

“I do...” I told him.

“Do you swear to proect the children of the Empire with all your strength, to ensure the future of His Empire?”

“Yes!” I told them. It felt like was freezing from the inside out.

“You have taken the oath, my child. Now harness the power Sombra has gifted to you. Focus on your hatred, on your fear, on your anger and strike me!” he said, the beams between our horns disapearing. He stepped back and reared up. “Use your hatred! Use the power of Sombra!!” I couldn't help but think of my Stable. All the piles of ash that used to be my friends.

Astilbe

All the bodies torn to pieces by Bounty's rifles.

Cedric.

The Overmare and Baton lying dead by Stable 41's door.

Dad...

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!” I screamed and used my magic. I didn't really know what I was doing, I didn't even know what spell I was trying to do, besides telekinesis and basic healing spells I hadn't ever cast any spells. This time I was different.

My horn glowed purple and sickly green, then a beam busrt from it and struck the Confessor in the chest knocking him back a few feet.

I slumped over and almost hit the floor before the buck, I think his name was Malum, caught me. The room burst into cheers and the ponies began to dance in circles around the room. I felt physically and mentally exhausted but the ponies wouldn't let me dream of resting. They pulled me into the circles and we lock hooves and danced on our hindlegs. It felt really weird but it was almost...fun. Everypony was smiling at me brightly and congradulating me on joining them.

“You made a wise choice.” A purple unicorn mare with black hair to my left said sincerely. “most ponies just don't understand what we're about. It's our job to show them the light” she blushed a little. “So to speak, Sister.” after the dancing they sat me down at a long table that the Confessor summoned from nowhere and placed all the food and drinks they'd carried in. while the other ponies sat down The Confessor stood and lifted a Sparkle Cola.

“To our newest Sister.” he leaned close to me and asked, “What's your name?”

“Silver Heart.” I whispered. He straightened again and said,

“To our newest Sister. Silver Heart!” the others cheered loudly clinked their bottles togther.

“To Silver Heart!” they cheered. At this point I couldn't tell if this was some fucked up dream or I was just going crazy but I actually felt myself smile. I'd never really been without friends in 41 but nopony had ever cheered my name before or were this happy to just be in the room with me. Maybe if I'd joined one of the dodge ball teams but I didn't so I never got a party for just showing up.

When the celebrating was over the Confessor took me into a private room in the church; which the other ponies called “The Monolithe”. The room was filled with hundreds of books on bookshelves made out of that same dark crystal that was in the flooded maintence hall. The Confessor pulled a book off the shelf and floated it towards me. I gripped it in my magic and was startled to see the color of my magic had changed. Seeing the look on my face the Confessor smiled.

“Don't worry, my child. Sombra has touched you but you are not damaged. When you are using Sombra's gift your magic will be as it is now. But when your eyes don't glow with his power it will be it's normal color.” I raised an eyebrow and he floated a small mirror off a dresser in the corner and floated it in front of my face.

The whites of my eyes were glowing the same luminescent green as the others. And my iris's had turned blood red. Purple smoke was slowly pouring out the corner of my eyes. I shireked at the pony in the mirror and would have dropped it if I was holding it.

“It is alright, my Child. Many react with surprise or even fear at this change. But like I said, it isn't permanent. Only when you feel true hatred and anger in your heart will your power show. And after some time you will have the self control to keep it from showing even when you're hatred guides you.” he smiled warmly. Almost exactly like my father would smile when he was trying to reassure me. He turned back to the book case, set the mirror down and floated a black leather tome off the shelves.

“This is our sacred tome. The Book of Shadows, written by the the first High Confessor of Sombra nearly a century and a half ago. As an Acolyte, it is your duty to read this and spread the word of Sombra.” he floated the book to me and after a moment or two of hesitation I took it. “Many in the Wasteland see us as evil, or perhaps even mad. But we believe that Sombra will restore the Crystal Empire, and then the world, to it's former glory. You must spread this message to all those you meet after you leave here.” I blinked in suprise and asked,

“You...you mean I don't have to stay here?” he smiled and shook his head.

“No, Sister. The Monolithe is open to you as long as you wish, but you don't have to stay here. It is the mission of all of us to spread the word of Sombra. But you are tired and likely more than a little confused about the changes you have experienced. Brother Malum and Sister Blue Berry are preparing a room for you. I must insist that you stay the night and rest, for your health more than anything. You'll be able to spread the word of Sombra to the world soon enough.” his expression turned stern. “But there are rules for how we go about this.” He pointed a hoof at the wall where there were several lines of runes I didn't recoginize.

“These are the Five Tenets. They are the guidleines set by Sombra himself on how to conduct oneself as an Acolyte. Tenet One; Thou shall preotect thy Brothers and Sisters as well as the Monolithe, and any children thou may come across, with thy life. For loyalty to family is the most important thing in the mortal world save the protection of the children. The future of ponykind.

“Tenet Two; Thou shall spread the message of Sombra throughout the land, but thou musn't force anyone, pony or otherwise, to accept our beliefs. Sombra himself rose to power not through force but through his guile and charisma. He was forced to use his dark powers to protect the Crystal Empire from the Imperialists of Equestria, not to harm it, or it's people.”

“Tenet Three; Thou shall not harm anypony who is not trying to harm Thou. Sombra was a noble warrior in his mortal life who believed in the values of the Crystal Empire and it's people. Slaying a pony, or any sentient being without cause is the greatest act of cowardess, and will not be tolerated.

“Tenet Four; Thou must pity the non beleivers and attempt to sway their hearts and minds towards true enlightenment. But if they will still not see reason then you must coninue to pity them, and pray to Sombra to forgive their shortcomings and hope that before their time on the mortal world ends they will seek you out or one of your Brothers or Sisters to join us.

“Tenet Five, and this the most important one, my Child.” he said sincerely, looking straight into my eyes and I maybe even into my soul. “Thou shall never harm thy Brothers or thy Sisters. Nor nor steal from them, nor wrong them in any way. Your Brothers and Sisters are just as they seem. They are your Family. Our Family. Wronging one's family is the greatest offense that one can commit.” he pointed at the book. “I trust that you will do us proud. the Monolithe is your home as much as it is mine. Brother Malum will show you to the tunnel I discovered you in when he awakes you tomorrow” he paused and his expression turned curious. “What were you doing there, Sister?” I tried to think of a lie but my mind just wasn't cooperating so I decied to just tell the truth.

“The Mayor of Gem City sent me to check what was poinsoning the water. I was just following the water.” his expression changed to deep amusement.

“How quaint. A quest for clean water becomes one of salvation.” he rubbed his chin with his hoof. “The water isn't poisonous for us but perhaps for those in the city...” he stomped on the floor. “I will divert the water from that hall into another shaft. That shall preserve the Holy ground and fulfill your purpose in coming here. I wouldn't want any children harmed because they have not seeked enlightenment yet.” He turned back to the shelves and looked through the books for a moment before looking over his shoulder. “You must excuse me, Sister. I have some work to do. Brother Malum will be waiting for you by the alter. Your possesions are behind you by the door” I took this as an order to leave and scooped my bags onto my back before turning to leave. As I left he whispered, “Good luck, my Child.”

The Monolithe seemed to be made entirely of black stone and there were dark Crystals everywhere. Sticking out of the floor and walls and there were even chandeliers of them hanging from the ceiling. I found Brother Malum by the Alter, which was right by the podium in the main room of the church, he still had that stupid grin on his face and when I reached him he gave me an almost back breaking hug.

“We are so happy to have a new member of the family. I hope you you come to see this place as your home and us as not only your friends but your true family.” the way he said family kind of weirded me out but I couldn't help but smile. He was just so ridiculously nice. I could hardly believe he was going to stab me in the face just a few hours ago. Azure and Gareth would never...

“Oh, no!” I said loudly, drawing the attention of ponies nearby.

“What's wrong, Sister? Did you forget your tome?” he asked with genuine concern.

“No, I...” what would happen if I told them about Gareth and Azure? Would they be spared, or would they be sacrificed? “I...I thought I forgot it, but I have it here.” I pulled the book from my bags and showed it to him.

“Excellent. I too fear that I forget my copy at times. If you are ready I will show you to the room Sister Blueberry and I prepared for you, Sister.” I nodded and he trotted towards a door on the other side of the room. I followed closely behind and after we were a good distance from the Alter I risked asking him a question.

“Brother Malum?”

“Yes, Sister?”

“Was I the only new pony you've met today or have others attained enlightenment as well?” He frowned and shook his head.

“I'm afraid not, Sister. You are the only pony who has joined us today. We have not seen any outsiders here in quite some time.” I breathed a sigh of relief and when I noticed the curious look on his face I quickly said,

“That's a shame.” after a moment's silence I asked, “why were you going to execute me?” He looked a little guilty at the question and we turned a corner in the hall before he answered.

“You see, Sister. We believe that harming an innocent or anyone unjustly is abhorrent. But when a non believer tresspasses on holy ground they must be given to Sombra for judgement. It is written in the Book of Shadows that Sombra will forgive them if their intentions were noble, or if they were simply ignorant” he winked at me. “and he will return your soul to your body and heal your wounds. Thus returning you to life and showing that you're to be trusted.”

“Has that ever happened?” I asked. He shook his head.

“Not while I've been here. Confessor Tenebris told me that when he was just a colt he saw a mare who had tresspassed sacrificed and less than a minute later her body was restored and her life returned to her. But you're the first pony to tresspass in over twenty years so I haven't seen a sacrifice with either outcome.”

We entered a side hall with dozens of identical doors along the walls. There was a dark crystal above each door that gave off a ink like light.

“This is your room, Sister.” he stopped at the tenth door down and pointed at it. “Simply touch it and it will open for you. And do not worry about privacy, only you and those you allow will be able to open it.” his eyes glowed entirely bright green for a just a second before returning to normal.

“Sorry, Sister. I'm afraid Sister Blue Berry requires my assistence. If you need anything I will be in the alter room once I'm done helping Blue Berry. Try to get some rest, Sister.” I watched him until he was out of site before reaching towards the door with a hoof. The door swung open of it's own accord and revealed a very large black and purple room. There was a massive circular bed in one corner, a large desk in another and a table surrounded by three chairs. There were several paintings of a tall gray unicorn stallion with eyes like the Acoltyes (and me) in different poses. His horn was blood red and curved and he was wearing metal armor on his neck in addition to a red cape with white trim.

Sombra

Not knowing what else to do I trotted over to the bed, dropped my bags on the floor and curled up on the bed. “Gareth and Azure will be fine. They can take care of themselves.” I told myself. But if they get near those crystals... The bed was really comfortable, within minutes I was yawning and starting to nod out. “they'll be fine....”

I was floating in the middle of an endless void. My bags and nurse's gown were gone and I was surrounded by thousands of white orbs. They were floating around aimlessly, occasionally bobbing or spinning. Some collided and became bigger before splitting in two just seconds later.

“What the...?” I reached towards one and I felt myself pulled forward. My hoof touched the light and I was sitting in a clean white room. I was curled up in a corner while three ponies in white hazmats suits with clear visors were standing around me. They were floating clipboards and ballpoint pens close to their muzzles.

-------oooOOOooo-------

“Subject 0178 is unresponsive.” the mare to my right said. She looked to the stallion next to her. “I don't understand. How can Phase Three affect our personel but be complely ineffective against these religious savages?”

“Sombra will cast your soul to Tarterus...” I said.

Tarterus?

“Ah, one of my Sisters knows I'm here.” I felt myself smile at the hazmat ponies. “The wrath of the Acoltyes will be upon you, and the Pretender you have created.”

“She's spouting nonsense again,” the mare on the left said, sounding annoyed. “I think we're going to have to put this one down.”

“But she's our last subject that's compatible with Phase Three.” a second mare told her urgently. “If we lose her we'll have to capture more. And you know how dangerous they are.”

“Keeping her doped up will kill her eventually anyway, and she's unresponsive.” she said dismissively. “There is no logical reason to keep 0178 alive. I'll inform Security that we require another group of subjects. Preferably like 0178 here.”

“Don't you remember how many units we lost capturing 0178 and the other two? I don't think Production is going to very happy about losing another thirty or more units.”

“Production is just going to have to suck it up. We need to find out why Phase Three effects all other subjects and our own without effecting these freaks.” she pointed a hoof at me and I felt myself smile again.

“You fools...I could tell you everything you want to know. In the beginning, there was only shadow” the mare on the left lifted a baton and struck me on the side of the head. The baton sent a charge of electricity through me and knocked me into the wall.

“Enough of your trible nonsense! I am so sick of hearing 'Sombra' this, and 'Sombra' that. Your 'God' was just some dumbass who got blown up!” she pressed her hoof against a button on the wall. “Code 1726 Sparkle Epsilon.” I felt a sharp pain in my neck and everything turned black.

------oooOOOooo-------

I was back in the void and before I could even process what I experienced I flew into another orb.

------oooOOOooo-------

I was standing on the top of a crumbling building in the ruins of a prewar city. The sky was covered entirely in blood red smoke that stretched for miles in every direction. There were dozens of decaying buildings surrounding the one I was standing on. Directly in front of us was a massive steel wall surrounding two thirds of the ruined city. Within it were pits covered in mesh wire surrounded by dozens of ponies in red and black armored barding. They held rifles and whips in their teeth, and every few moments they would snap the whips into the pit. The worst part was that all of this was built into the remains of an abandoned amusement park.

I was surrounded by four other ponies in black, hooded cloaks. My own hood was pulled down and there was a heavy weighted belt around my waist. I felt a single tear running down the left side of my face.

“This place is one of endless suffering.” I said. The ponies around me dropped their hoods, revealing their luminescent green eyes. “and the ones with the power to stop it only care for trinkets.” I turned my gaze towards the streets below, where a half dozen Steel Rangers were exchanging fire with the slavers. And even though they had superior firepower and armor, the slavers outnumbered them ten to one.

“This is a place of sin, Sister.” the stallion to my right said solemnly. “We should elminate this 'Red Eye'. He is clearly not innocent in this.” the others nodded.

“It would be a trivial matter, Sister.” the mare to my left said in agreement.

“The Confessor would not allow it. Red Eye has never harmed the Acoltyes. And we will need his army when it is time to confront the 'Goddess'.” I said the word with disgust evident in every syllable.

“We don't need the Slave King's army to destroy that damnable creature and her pawns. We eliminated almost a dozen of her servants in this city alone. And then there's the ancient one, SteelHooves. He kills them regularly. The 'Goddess' is nothing.” I felt myself nod along with the others

“Yes. But we cannot act until Conessor Tenebris says we can. These ponies will have to hold on a little longer. Sombra works in mysterious ways, my Siblings.” I stepped away from the edge and turned towards a massive white tower in the distance. “The disk jockey can not see us here. Perhaps he requires our assistence...”

“Perhaps you should have stayed home!” Flying in the air around us were three dark purple Alicorns surrounded by magical shields. “You cretons shall pay for harming the children of the Goddess!” I felt myself smile before grabbing a sword in my teeth and pulling it free of it's sheath. The other did the same, either holding it in their teeth or with their levitation.

“Goodbye, Sister.” My gaze locked on the alicorn closest to me and I jumped off the building towards her. Just as the blade in my teeth bared down on the shield the world went black.

-------oooOOOooo-------

The void seemed endless and all of the orbs seemed to be drifting slowly towards me. When one got close enough I tried to push it away but it just entranced me like all the others.

-------oooOOOooo-------

Just like before I was wearing a black robe with a sword strapped to a belt at my waist and there were four other ponies with me who were similarly armed. The only differences were that this time I was a stallion, and instead of overlooking a ruined city with blood red clouds we were on the top of a steep hill with a massive fort shaped like a five pointed diamond. There were hundreds of ponies moving between the barricades, machine gun nests and lines of sand bags surrounding the fort. There were even a few dozen Pegasi in flying in formation overhead.

“Do you think they'll shoot at us?” the mare to my left asked me. I shook my head.

“These ponies may not follow Sombra but they are not against us. We have traded with them before, General Stormwing is a kind buck. We have nothing to fear.” with that we started down the hill towards a large steel and concrete bridge I hadn't noticed before. Then everything faded away, but this time I didn't return to the void I woke up.

-------oooOOOooo-------

I opened my eyes and inches away from my face was the muzzle of the purple mare I'd seen earlier.

“Hello!” she said. “My name is Blue Berry. How are you feeling?” I was so startled that I didn't move. Or even breath. But she was just smiling so warmly that my discomfort began to leave me.

“I'm...feeling alright. How are you?” I added.

“I'm feeling great, dear Sister! And I'm glad you are as well. It is morning, and the Confessor wanted me to wake you. He wishes to speak with you in his study when you're ready.” she backed away and hopped off the bed. She trotted to the door and looked back at me. “Brother Tom and Sister Azlin have just finished making breakfast. I hope you like pancakes.”

“What's a pancake?”

Turns out, pancakes are amazing! I was sitting at one of the tables in a small dining room with a dozen other Acolytes. I had eaten five pancakes so far and there was still another seven on my plate. The ponies around me watched me eat with amused expressions on their faces.

“You must be absolutely famished!” Sister Azlin, a plump little mare with a pink coat and purple hair said as she placed another small bottle of syrup by my plate. “When was the last time you ate, Sister?”

“Yesterday. I've just never had something so good!” Crystal Fox's cookies were great but the pancakes won the prize for 'Best thing I've ever tasted!' “I grew up in a Stable. All we ever ate was synthetic food paste. Tasted like a whole lot a nothing flavored with nothing.”

“I grew up in a Stable,” Cinnamin said from across the table. He was a handsome, brown buck with hair that was the same shade of his coat. (And even though I felt a little guilty about it, he had some pretty nice flanks too) “we had an apple orchard. Why did you leave? Besides the food of course.” I don't really know why but I didn't feel even a little uncomfortable about telling them what happened to 41. By the time I was done explaining many of the ponies looked sorrowful. The rest looked livid, their eyes glowing entirely green and purple smoke leaking from the corners of their eyes.

“This 'Bounty' character is known to us. He is a monster.” Cinnamin said, slamming his right hoof on the table. “The only reason we do not destroy him is that the Confessor does not want to incure the wrath of the Syndicate. We are protected in Monolithe, but many of our Siblings live in and explore the Equestrian Wasteland and beyond. We are not ready for war.” I thought to what I saw in my dream...or was it a dream?

“Uh, Sister Blue Berry?” she pulled her muzzle from her plate and nodded, half a pancake still stuck to her cheek. “I had strange dreams last night...” I told her about the city, the pony I saw in the white room and the ponies near the fort She shook her head and swallowed her mouthful of pancake.

“That wasn't a dream, Sister. Nor were you sleeping. All of us are connected in the Mindscape. It is how we communicate with one another across the Wasteland. You experienced what they were.” she floated the cake off her face and swallowed it whole. “You were communicating with our Siblings throughout Equestria.”

“Does that mean any of our 'Siblings' can watch what I'm doing?” I asked, suddenly very concerned.

“No.” she told me dismissively. “We can see what your doing but not what your thinking, and not without your knowing. And if you don't want anypony to see what you're doing, you can block the connection. When you feel one of us in your mind simply push us away, and the connection will be severed.” Feeling reassured I returned to my pancakes.

“Are you ready, Sister?” Blue Berry asked onnce I cleaned my plate. I even licked the syrup off.

“Yeah...do you know what he wants?” I asked. The purple mare shook her head.

“That's between you and Confessor Tenebris. Would you like me to show you to him?” I nodded and the two of us rose from the table. I followed Blue Berry back through the alter room and towards the Confessor's room. But before I could go any further I just had to ask;

“How do you make pancakes?”

Tenebris was sitting at his desk in the corner of the room, a quill floated over several open scrolls on the desktop in front of him.

“Confessor.” he turned to us and smiled warmly.

“Ah, thank you, Sister Blue Berry. You may go.” She bowed deeply and left the room without another word. “Please sit, my Child.” I sat down on a cushion Tenebris summoned from thin air and he floated a scroll off his desk.

“Sister Blue Berry told me of what you saw this past night. I ask that you do not let it trouble you. Our Siblings are spreading the word of Sombra and even if they fail at times they are not forgotten. They are doing Sombra's holy work.” he opened the scroll and placed a pair of glasses on his muzzle.

“I expect that you have personal business to attend to back in Gem City. Brother Malum will lead you to the tunnel that led you here. He will be waiting by the alter in the main room. Once you are finished with your affairs please contact us...” he floated the scroll towards me and clopped his hooves together. “Please do not read this until you leave. The information is for your eyes only. You may go, my Child. Sombra be with you.” without another word he returned to his desk and continued writing. After nearly a minute of silence (Except for the scratching of his quill) I got to my hooves and slowly trotted out of the room.

More confused than I was the previous night I followed the hall back to the alter room where Malum was waiting for me. He waved me over and the two of us made our way down a side hall towards the room where I awoke chained to the floor less than a day ago. Opposite the door we entered through was a metal door with a bar across it. Malum touched his horn to the door and it opened with a soft Click! Malum turned to me and suddenly wrapped me in a tight hug.

“Be careful, Sister. It's dangerous out in the Wasteland.” he smiled brightly as released me.

“Don't worry. I'll be fine.” after a moment's thought I added, “Sombra is watching over me.” his smile broadened, amazing considering how big it was before. How does he keep his face like that? I stepped into the hall, carefully stepping over the shards and when I looked back the door it closed shut and disapeared. I reached over and touched it and the door appeared again, only to disapear when I pulled my hoof away.

I turned my Pip-Buck's lamp on and followed the hall back to the fork. I shined the light down the hall Azure and Gareth took. I suddenly felt very tired. Like I galloped ten miles in a minute without stopping. And the farther down the hall I went the more pronounced my fatigue became.

“Azure! Gareth!” I whispered. Suddenly I heard sloshing coming from in front of me and my eyes burned from the bright beam of a flashlight.

“Silver Heart, what the fuck!” Gareth said, loudly. He was covered head to foot in black sludge. “We've been looking for you for hours! Where have you been?” I looked down at my hooves and saw my reflection in the water. At least my eyes aren't glowing.

“It's a...long, er, weird story. I'll tell you when we get out of here.” I said tiredly. “Where's Azure?” I asked. Gareth pointed down the hall behind me.

“She went to go find some of those Auxiliary ponies and see if they could help. That wasn't long ago so she should be close to the door.” he looked around before adding, “let's get out of here. This place is creeping me out.” I nodded and followed him down the hall back towards the entrance. We were within sight of the door when it was kicked open and two ponies in silver armor burst in followed shortly by Azure.

“Doc, you're alive!” she yelled and jumped down the stairs, landing on me. She pulled me and Gareth into a spine cracking hug but released us quickly. “What the fuck, Doc! Where'd you go?” she turned to the Auxiliary ponies. “Sorry about this you guys.” the bucks shrugged.

“You have nothing to apologize for. You were worried about your friend and we were in the area. No harm done.” the taller of the two said.

“If there's no problem we'll be going back to our post” ths shorter buck said.

“Yeah, we're good.” Azure said. She pulled out a small bag of caps and floated it to them. “For your time”

“That isn't necessary but we thank you nonetheless.” the taller buck grabbed the bag in his teeth and dropped it in his bags. “Every cap helps.” they bowed and left without another word.

“So,” I said awkwardly. Azure and Gareth looked at me. “Let's go tell the Mayor the water problem's fixed.”

Footnote Level Up! Charisma 25

Quest Perk added: Acolyte of Sombra: Rank 1 You get plus 10% to Speech Checks.

Chapter 5: Heratics

"... You don't believe because you don't understand...

The walk back to Gem City was uneventful. Unless you count me collapsing after trotting for less than a block. Every muscle in my body felt like it was on fire. Even my eyes felt like they were going to melt, though they weren't glowing anymore. It seemed that the farther away from the Monolith I got the more tired I became. Not only that, I started to fear what I would tell my friends. If Gareth and Azure saw me with my eyes glowing like that I'm pretty sure they would have shot me. Hell, I would have shot me!

They asked me a few times about what happened but after I nearly passed out they stopped pestering me. I just didn't want them to know about Monolith, or the Acolyte ponies. The little pony in my mind said they wouldn't understand. That they would be afraid. So I didn't tell them about it.

Or the book tucked neatly in my bags.

Even if I did tell them what happened, would they even believe me? That I was set up to be gutted, then not even a minute later the same ponies were throwing me some fucking initiation party. I wouldn't believe it if Gareth said that it happened to him. Or Azure.

The Security ponies at the gates didn't seem too concerned with me being carried inside by Gareth but they didn't try to stop him either so that was something.

“Don't worry, Doc.” Azure told me reassuringly. “We'll get you to the doctor.” Doctor? Wait, doctor!

“Hell, no!” I rolled off Gareth's back and landed spread eagle on the concrete floor just inside the gate. “I am a trained physician I don't need to go to the doctor. I can take care of my self just fine thank you very much!” I got shakily to my hooves and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. “I'm just tired, that's all. We'll go to the mayor, tell her what the water ponies should look for and then I'll take a nice long nap at Crystal Fox's house” they both looked at me skeptically.

“You promise you'll rest?” Gareth asked.

“Yes.” I said.

“And you won't do anything stupid?” Azure said.

“Yes! I promise.” I crossed my hoof over my heart and that seemed to satisfy them. I leaned on Gareth as we went through the market and towards the Mayor's office, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard my name coming out of the radio nearby.

“ Yes, children. It seems there's no shortage of heroes in the Wasteland these days. Just got word a few hours ago that our little mare from Stable 41, young gal by the name of Silver heart, just cleared the raider gang out of the old Ministry of Peace hospital between the abandoned Auxiliary Fort Scarlet and Amore Central. Much appreciated, Healer, they were some bad ponies.”

I felt my face burning as I looked around the market but none of them seemed to notice. Thank goodness.

“So a word to all you folks livin' in the Crystal Wastes, you see a white mare with silver hair and wearing a white and red nurse uniform, I suggest you don't shoot her. You may have found a new friend.”

That did it. With just those few words everypony within earshot was looking at me. Some with curiosity and others with clear skepticism.

“In other news, I very recently received confirmation on rumors regarding the Steel Rangers of Vanhoover. It has been confirmed that nearly a week ago the entire Vanhoover contingent of the Steel Rangers, under the command of Elder Paula Red has abandoned Vanhoover entirely and migrated to the Crystal Wastes. From what my sources tell me they have taken control of the North Luna Train Station and are using it as their base of operations. I am currently in the dark regarding their motives but stay tuned and you will know as soon as I do. I just hope their there for a benevolent reason."

Now it's time for more of the beautiful Sweetie Belle, dear listeners. May Celestia and Luna be with you all.”

The ponies stopped gawking at me the second DJ Pon 3 mentioned the Steel Rangers. Many of them looked concerned, even angry, and were discussing what they could possibly want. Gareth half supported me half carried me back to Crystal Fox's house. Promising that he and Azure would talk to the mayor then come right back.

“Did you get the crystal?” the old buck asked upon opening the door. “What happened?” he asked at the sight of me. His voice filled with worry.

“She's yet to tell us. Maybe you can get it out of her.” Azure told him sourly, helping Gareth put me on the couch, then she took my saddlebags and dropped them on the table. “And no, we didn't get any crystals. Just nearly died from Shadow radiation.” The old buck looked surprised.

“That's mighty odd. There's usually some of those suckers growin' 'round places with Shadow radiation.” he looked at me and placed a hoof on my forehead. “She's feeling a little warm. Did ya'll talk to the Mayor?”

“We're just going to do that.” Gareth told him. “You mind keeping an eye on her? Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid?” Crystal Fox snorted.

“I'm a grandbuck seven times over. I know how to foal sit.” I scowled darkly at the three of them.

“I'm fine. Don't need anypony watching me.” the old buck laughed heartily.

“ You're just like your dad. I can't count how many times he gave me that 'I'm a trained physician, I can take care of myself' crap.” he threw a blanket over me. And pulled open my bags. His eyes widened at the sight of something but it was so quick I thought I may have imagined it. He pulled two pouches of radaway from my bags and brought them to me.

“Drink up. That Shadow radiation is nasty business.” I drank the two pouches reluctantly and after making sure I had two cans of purified water and another blanket, Gareth and Azure left to see the Mayor. Crystal Fox watched them through the window for a couple minutes then turned to me.

“What happened, kid?” he reached into my bags and pulled a slender package made of black paper from one of the pouches. He dropped it on the couch next to me. “It's been a real long time since I've seen one of these.” I unwrapped the package with my magic and gasped at the sight of long black and purple sword in a sheath.

“I don't know how that got there,” which was entirely true. There was a not tied to it but I didn't read it. “I swear.”

“I betcha don't. But that don't mean you don't know what happened. I could probably guess but I'd like you to tell me.” he sat on his haunches next to the couch. “I won't tell yer friends if ya want.” Crystal Fox didn't seem the type to lie. Or judge. Or do anything bad for that matter. I'd only known him for a few days but he just had an aura around that shouted 'Trust Me. I'm cool.'

What harm could come if I told him?

So I did. I started with how we went to the water access door. How we split up. I told him that I found the crystals then got my block knocked off by the same pony who was calling me 'My Child' and 'Sister' just a few hours later.

He listened to me patiently, only interrupting to ask the occasional question. At my request he retrieved the book from my bags and brought it to me.

“What should I do?” I asked him, tears starting to form in my eyes.

“Do what you think is right.” he said, pointing a hoof at the book. “Why not give it a read?” I looked at the book suspiciously.

“What if it does something bad?” he shook his head and poked me in the chest.

“It's just a book. Knowledge. Knowledge can't do wrong or right. It's what you do.” he stood up and retrieved a small, white crystal from the side table and touched it to my horn. The crystal darkened immediately and begin to emit a faint, purple aura. “Thanks for this. I've been needin' it for a long time.” I looked at the crystal, dread coursing through my entire body.

“What's wrong with me?” I asked foalishly.

“Nothin'. It's just a type of magic is all. Read the book, trust me.” he told me with a wink, before leaving the room.

For the longest time I just lay there on the couch, looking at the book and the blade. Maybe I'll read the note first. I unfurled the note tied to the sword and read it quietly aloud.

“Dear Sister.

Confessor Tenebris was unable to give you this in person. He was busy with important matters concerning the Acolytes and simply forgot. Please do not be cross with him. Even the Confessor makes mistakes. Anyway, I placed it in your saddlebags when you fell outside the City. Sorry I couldn't talk to you but the Security ponies know of my loyalties and don't care much for me. I suggest you be careful in town.

“What the hell? How...?” I shook my head quickly and read on.

“Every Acolyte receives a blade like this after their initiation. They are the instruments of protection for all those who serve the True Divine. Take care of this blade and it will take care of you. I hope you do not mind but I disposed of the poor excuse for a weapon you had on your person when we found you. Acolytes simply don't carry such crude instruments. Sombra be with you, Sister.

-Brother Malum.

P.S. I placed a bottle of polish for your sword in one of your side pockets.

P.P.S. There is also a six pack of Sparkle Colas in your medicine kit.

P.P.P.S. Sister Blue Berry says hi!”

I snorted loudly and covered my muzzle. Then I remembered that Crystal Fox was in the other room and probably didn't hear me.

“Where are they?” I said to myself. Azure and Gareth should have been back by now. Maybe they were trying to get more caps out of the Mayor? Or maybe they went to the warehouse without me. I thought for a moment and dismissed it. They wouldn't do that. With nothing else to do but ly there and drink water I tentatively pulled the dark book towards me and opened the cover.

The first page was covered in the same runes that I'd seen on the walls at the Monolith. They glowed bright red for a second before returning to black. The images of the runes flashed across my vision almost blinding me. I rubbed my eyes lightly with my hoof and looked back at the book. Now the letters appeared in the standard pony alphabet.

“Okey dokey.” was all I could say. The first page seemed to be some kind of warning.

“To those whose eyes are not meant for the knowledge within these pages, nothing but sorrow will come of reading past this page. Thou has been warned.” I read this quietly aloud and after some hesitation I flipped to the next page.

“The Book of Shadows. By Altonius. First High Confessor of Sombra.

Chapter I: Rise of the Sombraic Empire.

The Crystal Empire had been ruled for hundreds of years by the Sapphire dynasty. The fifteenth Monarch of the Crystal Empire, a Princess by the name Crimson Sapphire ruled during the Empire's decline and was the last Princess of the Crystal Empire for nearly a millennia.

Princess Crimson was known far and wide for her expensive tastes. She spent the Empire's funds on luxuries that were seen as too much even for the tastes of her fellow Aristocrats. After two years in power Princess Crimson had bankrupted the Crystal Empire and in the following months the Crystal Empire broke into a brutal civil war that would last for nearly a decade. The Princesses of Equestria, the false Goddesses known as Celestia and Luna, supported Princess Crimson. While many ponies supported the young and charismatic scholar, Lord Sombra.

Sombra had been loyal to the Sapphire family before the rise of Princess Crimson to the throne. He, and many others, protested her expensive tastes and petitioned the Royal Family to appoint her younger brother to the throne instead. One, Prince Zirconic, who had fought in the Yakyakastani/ Equestrian war that ended in a stalemate near Mount EverHoof. More than three quarters of the Empire wanted Prince Zirconic to take the throne, but Queen Sapphire, the grand matriarch of the royal family, left the throne to her first born daughter on her death bed.

When the war started, the rebels rallied around Sombra, who was known as an important wizard and scholar. Most of the Royal family stood by their sister but Prince Zirconic defected to Sombra's side six months into the war. Only to be tragically killed in battle three months later.

The Prince was killed at the largest and bloodiest battle of the war, which also happened to be the turning point of the war for Lord Sombra's rebel army.more than a third of the Crystal Legion was destroyed in what would be known as the Bizmuth massacre. From this point on in the war, Princess Crimson's Legions would be on the defensive.

In the eighth year of the war Sombra and his rebel army controlled two thirds of the Empire and it's surrounding lands. Including the Crystal Palace. The false Goddesses in the south saw that their distant relatives were going to lose control of their Empire, and thus Celestia and Luna of Equestria would lose control of a large portion of their wealth. For even a thousand years before the megaspells, the Crystal Empire was seen as a plaything of Equestria's rulers.

Celestia and Luna raised an army and invaded the Crystal Empire. This army was formed as the Equestrian Civil Defense Force and was disbanded immediately after the war. With the massive influx of troops from Equestria Princess Crimson and her battered forces managed to recapture the Palace and force Sombra's troops north. But they underestimated the King of Shadows.

Being the brilliant scholar that he was Sombra accessed the most powerful magic known to ponykind. Shadow magic. While we shall go over this unique and extremely powerful force in later chapters we will discuss Sombra's use of it in the war. He, and his many followers harnessed the power of their hatred for the tyrant rulers of the Crystal Empire and turned that power against them. In less than a year Princess Crimson's troops had been either captured, killed, or they retreated to the south under the protection of the false Divines.

By the ninth year of the war Celestia and Luna's armies had been crushed and pushed to the very edge of the border with the Crystal Empire. If they suffered another defeat, then the mighty Crystal Legion would be within striking distance of Equestria. Which Sombra declared would under his hoof for their meddling in the Crystal Empire's affairs. Desperate, the false Goddesses harnessed the power of ancient and powerful artifacts known only as the Elements of Harmony. Using these powerful relics they turned Sombra into his shadow form and banished him to the Frozen North, to remain for all eternity.

In a last act of defiance to foreign imperialism Sombra's generals cast a spell to make the Empire disappear as long as Sombra stayed banished. Celestia and Luna captured Sombra's generals and their troops in the year following the Empire's disappearance and had them executed...” The front door opened and I stopped reading, tucking the book under the blanket along with the sword.

“Hey. What took you guys?” I asked. Azure was watching Gareth with an amused smile on her muzzle. I could see why, Gareth looked extremely irritated and it seemed that it was that mare's mission in life to make him irritated.

“The ponies in this town are complete idiots!” he declared sitting in a chair at the table. I looked at Azure questioningly but she just shook her head.

“Why, what's the problem?” I asked. Gareth shook his head with such force I thought he'd hurt himself.

“He's pissed about the Enclave...” Azure began but Gareth cut her off.

“There's more than two dozen Enclave Pegasi in power armor nearby and nopony here cares! That idiot Mayor thought it was good having them less than a hundred yards from the city walls. By the Great Egg, this town is doomed!” I personally couldn't see what the problem was but if Gareth was so concerned... “I don't think the ponies here realize that on a whim the Enclave could obliterate this city and turn it into a landing dock for their Raptors.”

“What's a Raptor?” I asked curiously. Gareth pinched the skin above his beak in his talons and groaned.

“Raptors,” he said slowly. “are giant flying war machines. They can carry hundreds of troops and enough supplies to launch a major offensive. A few decades ago the Enclave invaded the Griffon skies and went on a killing spree. Hundreds died. Now imagine if they brought even one of those behemoths this far north, they would kill anyone and everyone that even remotely poses a threat! They would turn this city into a smoking crater.” Ah. So that's what a Raptor is.

“Calm down, Feathers!” Azure told Gareth, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. “You're going to give yourself a stroke. The Enclave isn't going to do anything. And if they tried, the Auxiliary would wipe them off the map.” Gareth burst into hysterical laughter, falling off the chair and dragging Azure with him he rolled on the floor laughing tell he could hardly breath.

“Those...those poorly trained.... weekend soldiers.... wearing armor...from...from some fucking museum,” he choked out between laughs. “taking out the Grand Pegasus Enclave! Hahahahahahaaaaaaaa!” Azure got to her hooves and gave Gareth a strong kick to the side.

“You'd be surprised what they can do when they stand together!” She almost screamed at him. Even the kick couldn't stop Gareth from laughing. Azure's face had turned bright red and reared up to stomp on him when Crystal Fox entered the room.

“Knock it off!” Gareth stopped laughing and Azure returned to standing on all four legs. “What's the issue?” Gareth and Azure immediately started telling Crystal Fox about the Enclave and the Auxiliary and how one or the other would win. The old buck whistled loudly and they fell silent again.

“I'll tell ya this youngin's. Don't underestimate the Auxiliary. It's the same reason the Gunners are gonna get their flanks kicked off the map.” he pointed at one of the hundreds of pictures on the walls. The frame held a photo of Crystal Fox, his mini-gun strapped to his side and several ponies in Auxiliary Armor. Including a tall Pegasus stallion.

“That's me and Sergeant Storm Wing's squad way back when.” Azure gasped and ran to the wall, pressing her muzzle against the picture frame. “We fought together at the battle of Fort Gestalt. Watched him cut that rogue Auxiliary bitch's head right off.” Azure was almost drooling over the picture by now, drawing concerned looks from Gareth and Crystal Fox.

“I...I don't suppose you'd like to keep the photo. Would you?” the old buck asked carefully. Azure spun on the spot and gave Crystal Fox a hug.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!”

After ten minutes hard work we managed to pry Azure's forelegs off of Crystal Fox long enough for him to retrieve the picture and put it in a sealed plastic bag for her. Then it took another five to convince Gareth that I was feeling well enough to go to the warehouse. It's like he's a mother hen or something.

We left Crystal Fox' and headed to the old warehouse on the edge of the city. The dark tome was feeling particularly heavy in the pocket of my uniform. I thought about leaving it at the house but the little pony in my head told me that was out of the question.

It was a short walk to warehouse; which was a large building with walls made entirely of cinder blocks with a roof made of steel beams and wooden planks. The warehouse was built right on the edge of the city's crop fields, and surrounded by rusty old barrels and piles of garbage.

“This is the nicest settlement in the Crystal Wastes,” Gareth said sarcastically. “I wish I had a camera like Crystal Fox. I could have taken pictures at Tenpony Tower.”

“Can it, Feathers.” Azure said sternly. We reached the door and Gareth pulled out his bobby pin and screwdriver.

“I thought she gave us permission.” he looked back at us and winked.

“She did. But I don't want to get rusty.” it took Gareth almost five minutes of fiddling with the lock to get it open. I thought for sure the Security ponies were going to just stroll by and arrest us all. But thankfully nopony came.

The inside of the warehouse was filled from the floor to the ceiling in crates and metal trunks. There was a set of stair on the wall that led to a second floor. Gareth clicked on his flashlight and pointed it at the stairs.

“I'll check the upper floor. Keep an eye out. He may have left some traps or something.” he went to the stairs and climbed them quickly while Azure and I looked through the various crates and other containers. Besides finding a few dozen bottlecaps, I box of shotgun shells and a few packages of preserved pre war food they were all empty. It only took us twenty minutes or so to look through all the crates so we headed upstairs.

Gareth was sitting at a desk in the corner surrounded by a few open ammo boxes. He was typing away at a terminal with a determined expression. Upon noticing us he waved us over.

“The password is eight digits and I've tried thirty two times but the damn thing won't unlock!” he balled up his talons and slammed the enter key. Much to his surprise the terminal made a soft beep and unlocked itself. “Huh. I guess you two are good luck.” we looked over his shoulder at the screen but there were only three words.

Knowledge Is Power.

“That's it? That's it! I spend almost half an hour trying to unlock this damn thing and that's it? Knowledge is power!” Gareth raised raised his shotgun and blasted the screen. Suddenly the building began to shake and the staircase descended from the floor. The three of us ran to the edge to see the stairs had reclined into into the floor revealing a lower floor.

“Huh, so you had to shoot it” Azure said, looking down at the passageway. “That actually seems like Bounty's style. Doesn't it?” Gareth spread his wings only to recoil when his injured wing stretched too far. Swearing under his breath Gareth sank his claws into the wooden walls.

“Hop on my back, you two.” Azure looked at the griffon skeptically.

“Sure you can handle us both?” Gareth smirked and nodded.

“Okay, stud.” Azure said, throwing her forelegs around his neck. I followed her example, grabbing onto her back and holding on tight as Gareth climped down the wall with the ease of house cat scaling a scratching post.

Once we were a few feet from the bottom I jumped off and landed on my hooves. While Azure held onto Gareth until his feet and talons touched the ground.

“Thanks for the lift, Feathers.” Azure said sweetly before giving him a soft kiss on his beak. Gareth turned bright red under his feathers and almost tripped over a rusty pipe sticking out of the floor. Called it! The little pony in my head couldn't help shouting, while she bounced around my brain.

The room we found ourselves in was the exact opposite of the upper floors. The walls were covered in weapon racks holding various rifles, pistols and from what Gareth told me even some advanced magical energy weapons.

“Now this is the fucking jackpot!” Azure declared, running to the walls and looking over the massive arsenal. Gareth looked equally impressed at the enormous array weapons and ammunition surrounding us. Azure gripped a large magical energy weapon in her magic and pulled it off the wall.

An earsplitting tone pierced through the air reverberated in my skull. Less than a second after it began the noise ended and was replaced by a deep, familiar voice.

“Well, well, well. The cunt was right. You are persistent, stubborn really. Must run in the family.” just hearing the bastard's voice made my chest tighten. “Real shame she wouldn't let me kill you back in the Stable like your father. You'd probably be happier.” All my feelings of anger and despair from the last several days bubbled to the surface. Just hearing his voice; so smug, confident. Like he was untouchable. Was more than I could bear.

“Where are you, you fuck!?” I screamed. I looked around the room and started flipping over weapon racks and boxes of ammunition. Azure and Gareth just stood there watching me with horrified expressions. What the fuck's their problem? They should be helping me look!

“Whoa, hoho,” Bounty's arrogant voice said over the speakers. “Aren't you a busy little bee. Out of the Stable for what...four days? Five tops? Sweet Celestia or...sorry. I know you Acolyte freaks don't care for old the 'false Goddesses'. Tell me this 'Healer', what would you do if I hunted down that little filly you helped around Emerald Valley and gutted her in front of her Granny?” it felt like my body was on fire and the rest of the room had frozen around me.

“You touch one hair on her head and I'll inject powdered glass into you blood!” there had to be a secret door around here somewhere. A switch, a lever, a button or something! And why aren't Gareth and Azure getting off their asses and helping me look yet?

“You know, I think your friends here have the right idea. I might actually be intimidated if I were anywhere near you. I've seen the way those Acolyte fuckers get in a fight. It's weird that She's not one of them...”

“You don't know anything about them you bastard!” my head was starting to throb and my teeth hurt from grinding them. I was just I step away from drawing my blade and slashing everything within my reach to pieces. “They're better ponies then you could ever be!”

“Silver...” Gareth said but I ignored him.

“You're right about that 'Healer'. I am not a good pony. But enough about me. Seeing you act this way really puts things in perspective. Maybe now She'll realize you're a lost cause. Stop trying. I don't know...that cunt has always been too stubborn for her own good. Doesn't matter though. She's occupied with other matters,”

“Doc, calm down...” Azure tried to put a hoof on my shoulder but I smacked it away.

“Who are you talking about? Who's 'She' you fucking...fuck!” Bounty's cruel laugh echoed throughout the room in reply.

“Oh you crack me up 'Healer'. You're famous you know. Been listening to that buck from Manehatten drone on about you the last few days. But you're not special, that stupid bastard DJ Pon 3 has been going on about ponies like you for centuries. It's always been 'so' satisfying to put a bullet in the heads of those so called 'heroes' that he puts on his pedestal. I'm getting stiff just thinking about it. You know all he's doing is building up hope for it to come crashing down! It's the same with you, little mare.”

“Shut up!” I told him.

“It's only a matter a time before I add you to my collection. Your skull will be mounted on my wall with hundreds of others...”

“Shut up!” I repeated but he only laughed again.

“When the Syndicate finishes taking over the Crystal Empire there's going to be a reckoning, 'Healer'. DJ Pon 3 will be first on the block you know. I'm going to take my time with him and not only that, I'm thinking a live performance.” he laughed cruelly. “we'll start with peeling back his scalp and then I'll move on to shock treatments. All on the airwaves. All across the Equestrian Wasteland. Maybe I'll cut off his cutie-mark and the cutie-marks of every stuck up bitch in that tower and stitch them into a nice coat.”

“Doc, please...” Azure wrapped a hoof around me and tried to pull me to the door but I wouldn't budge.

“It'll be the start of the latest Wasteland fashion. I'll call it 'Bounty's Secret' I'll have to wear it when I break the Stable Dweller in half with my cock.” I couldn't even speak. My entire body felt like it was on fire and I thought my eyes were going to melt. The throbbing in my head went from dull to piercing. Like an ice pick was being driven into my head twice every second.

“Let's go, Silver. He's not worth it!” Gareth had joined Azure and the two of them were slowly pulling me back towards the wall.

“She isn't going to be able to stop me. She's already kept you alive for too long.”

“Bullshit!” I screamed at the walls. In an instant I removed the blade from my bags. Gareth and Azure released me at once and backed up several feet.

“You think your trip to Gem City was difficult? Our Androids followed you from Emerald Valley to the M.O.P. Hospital. From there to the outer ring of the city. That stupid cunt wanted to keep you safe. Our Androids killed off dozens of threats. A squad of gunners, a pack of mutant yews. Celestia knows how many raiders, radroaches, bloatsprites and Shadow Ghouls were turned to glowing ash to make sure you didn't die. Hell, we even activated your pet griffon's distress pulsar so you'd get another protector. If it were up to me I'd kill you but she wants you alive. Why she doesn't just have the Androids pick you up...but hey, I'm just a hired gun. She's a smart cookie, I'll give her that one.”

“FUCK YOU!!!” I swung my sword at the wall and cut a deep gouge into it. Several inches of exposed wire fell out and sparked repeatedly. When Bounty spoke again it was slightly distorted and not as loud as before.

“Well that's something to be grateful for. The Shadowphiles weren't too thorough in your education. I've seen Acolytes kill Ursa Minors with blades exactly like that one.” he was silent for a moment before adding, “what would you say to me paying a little visit to let's say... The Monolith?”

“NOOOOOO!!” I carved chunks out of the walls and magic shot from my horn. Black and purple energy scorched the walls and melted the wire beneath while my sword cut deep gouges along the hard lines. I don't even know why I was angry anymore. I just knew that I had to find him and kill him.

“You know... I think you may actually be worth all the trouble after all. You wanna turn that blade on me, little mare?” I stopped mid-swing and stared at the exposed speaker just inches from my muzzle. “You want to find me? Here's a clue. The road begins where the Empire died...” he paused. “Oh, by the way. Griffon! Blue bitch!” Azure and Gareth looked directly at the speaker.

“You got about ten seconds before my house explodes. Toodles!” I opened my muzzle to call him every filthy name I could think of but instead I felt something hard and round strike the back of my head. Then, a powerful wave of electricity arched from the instrument and into my body. My sword fell from my magic's grasp and I dropped to the floor; conscious but unable to move. Gareth quickly pulled me onto his back and scaled up the wall. Azure held his tail in her teeth and he managed to drag her up the wall behind him.

He carried me through the first floor while Azure galloped ahead, reared up and bucked the door right off it's hinges.

“Run!” we didn't even cover five yards before the warehouse exploded into flame and debris. Gareth turned and looked back at the burning remains of the warehouse. He shook his head, lifted me off his back and placed me carefully on Azure.

“Get her back to Crystal Fox!” he told her, panting heavily.

“What about you, how are you going to explain that!?” Azure said incredulously, pointing at the fiery remains of the building.

“I'll deal with it, just go!” there was shouting coming from the direction of the market. “Go, damn it. Go!” Azure didn't need to be told again. She turned on the spot and ran at full gallop towards the stands.

…......................

“What the hell's wrong with her?” Azure asked Crystal Fox. She was pacing back and forth by the door nervously. Every few seconds she'd move the curtain and look outside. “Is she sick? Was it the radiation? Come on! You're like a hundred years old you have to know something!” Crystal Fox sat next to me while I lay on the couch. My head hurt, and my eyes hurt but the worst pain I felt was guilt.

I'd gotten so angry that the dark magic the Confessor put in me showed itself. Bright green neon eyes and all. So much for trying to keep it a secret. Azure had asked the same question almost a dozen times but I wouldn't answer. I couldn't. She already thought I was some kind of monster, what would she think if she knew about what happened?

“She ain't got nothin' wrong with her girl.” Crystal Fox said reasonably. “She's just fine. Just let her emotions get the better of her as all.”

“Then what's up with her eyes?” she had asked me several times but I wouldn't tell her. It must have been freaking her out. It probably didn't help that my eyes hadn't changed back to normal yet. I was looking into my own eyes in the mirror on the wall. I looked like somepony's bad Daring Do Fanfiction villain, with the purple smoke leaking out the corners of my eyes.

“It's just a side affect of the anger. They'll go back ta normal when she's calmed down.” Azure didn't look very reassured and she didn't come any closer to the couch either.

“It's been almost two hours.” She said, looking out the window, her voice filled with worry. “You think Gareth's okay?”

“He's fine. Gem City Security is just givin' him the run around. Probably makin' him fill out a shit load of paperwork or somethin'.” Crystal Fox put a hoof on my shoulder and asked, “Ya willin' to talk yet, girl?”

“Can we wait until Gareth gets back?” I asked foalishly. I didn't want to talk about it at all. I spilled my guts to Crystal Fox because he seemed to know already, but my friends didn't know and I didn't want them to. But if I had to tell them I at least didn't want to do it twice.

Azure opened her mouth to protest but she closed it again at a look from Crystal Fox.

“It's almost dark, and you two have had an exciting day. Why don't you head to bed, Silver Heart? The room is ready for ya.” he pointed at Azure. “The couch folds out, you can make yerself comfortable.” I didn't argue. I dragged my self off the couch headed for the room. Crystal Fox gave me a comforting look, and Azure stepped back a little when I came close to her. I didn't blame her. If I saw her freak out like I did and have fucked up glowing eyes I'd probably have left town and galloped for my life.

Everything seemed fine back in the Monolith. Every pony there seemed to like me, despite only knowing me a few hours. But a certain pink pony in my mind was having a freak out session. Don't tell don't tell don't tell don't tell don't tell!!!

I found the room Crystal Fox showed me earlier and dropped face first onto the bed. I felt like crying but my eyes wouldn't shed a single tear. Does being an Acolyte mean my tear ducts don't work anymore? I'd have to look through my medical books and see if dark magic stops you from crying.

My body wouldn't let me fall asleep so I spent the night thinking of different ways to kill Bounty. Maybe I could give him an infusion of drain cleaner? Or give him to Confessor Tenebris as an offering to Sombra? No. That would be too good for him. After running out of ways to kill Bounty in my mind I pulled my bags onto the bed and opened the pocket with the my new book in it.

Sitting right next to my new Book was my new sword. Still in the sheath and untarnished. There wasn't a scratch or mark on it.

“Weird...” I put the blade out of my mind and floated my copy of The Book of Shadows from my bags.

“Maybe Sombra can help me understand.” it wasn't as if Celestia of Luna were very helpful in that regard. I'd spent my entire life praying to Celestia and Luna and what happened? My Stable was destroyed, the ponies I'd grown to know and care about were murdered, and since leaving I've seen nothing but destruction.

Hell, she even helped Bounty attack 41! Well I guess that's not true, she died two hundred years ago... or did she? Maybe she survived and founded the Syndicate to take over Equestria again! It didn't make that much sense but it felt kind of good to have somepony to blame besides Bounty. Maybe the Acolytes are right.

Celestia started the war with the Zebras. Then, she quit. She quit halfway through it and gave full control of the kingdom to her sister who once tried to kill her! What kind of fucking idiot would abandon her people like that? And if what the book said was true? If Sombra was in charge when the war started would he would have crushed the Zebras under his hoof inside of a few weeks? Could he have won the war before it even really started?

“I...I don't...I don't know if you can hear me,” I said quietly, looking at the ceiling. “but if you are I really need help. How am I going to tell them what's inside me? Will they hate me?” to be honest, I wasn't really expecting an answer. I was taught that Celestia and Luna could hear our prayers but they didn't directly communicate unless it was for something of great importance. If Sombra is anything like them then he probably does the same.

Read the book

No answer. Typical. I sighed and opened the book to the where I left off.

“Chapter 2: The Folly of the False Goddesses.

Many people from Ponies to Griffons and Yaks to Zebras wonder how the world became as it is. Why is Yakyakastan a smoldering, radioactive crater filled with mutant Yeti'? Why is there a city in the Zebra Empire where it's inhabitants are nothing but feral ghouls? Why is Equestria, and the lands beyond as they are now. Two words, my children;

The Princesses.

Damn right. I couldn't help thinking.

I spent the rest of the night reading and after the third chapter I was feeling a little better. The second chapter was nothing but how Celestia and Luna totally fucked up the world but the third was about obtaining enlightenment. It was full of advice and helpful tips on how to channel your anger. It sounded kind of like the self help books that the Stable counselor had in her office.

The first step towards enlightenment is being comfortable in one's own skin.

After putting away the book my mind wondered to the scroll that Confessor Tenebris gave me. The information is for your eyes only... I gloated the scroll in front of me and unrolled it,

Silver Heart

I know that you had no intention of joining us when you arrived in the Monolith. Nor did you even know of our existence, but I'd like you to know that as strange as it may seem, you made a good decision.

After being initiated every Acolyte has to complete a Holy mission in the name of Sombra before beginning his or her true training. I spent most of the night thinking of what yours shall be and I believe I have found the correct task. You may not know it but when you were initiated your mind linked with my own. I know of the horror that befell your home and the one who is responsible. You seek answers, and you seek revenge. Neither is an inherently good or evil thing, it simply is. And I can help you with this.

Your mission is to locate the ancient Stable, Stable 50, and assist them in an important endeavor. The Overstallion of 50 asked for my assistence and I promised to send an Acolyte to help. Much like the noble Auxiliary the Acolytes seek to help the Crystal Empire. Not harm it. Like the Gunners or the dreaded Syndicate.

Once your mission is complete connect to me through the mindscape. All you have to do is focus your mind and your Sombraic powers on me, and we will connect. Please be careful, My Child.

“Thank Celestia!” my ears perked at the sound of Azure's words and the door opening in the main room. Then came the tell tale click clack of Gareth's claws on the floor. “What happened? What took you so long?” Azure asked, worry and irritation evident in her voice

“Damn Security ponies had me filling out forms for the last four hours.” I could almost hear Crystal Fox smirking. “I told them there was a balefire egg rigged to a timer in the basement. The ponies here are really stupid you know. No offense.” he added.

“None taken. Silver Heart's sleeping. I assume you want to know what's going on?” there was quiet scratching on the floor (or wall. It was all made of the same stuff).

“I would be lying if I said 'no'. But if she doesn't want to talk about it...” Gareth began, and I immediately felt grateful towards the griffon.

“She don't. But you two may as well know what happened.” He's going to tell them! As much as I didn't want them to know, as much as the pink pony in my head said 'don't tell', I didn't want them to find out from somepony else. I put the Book and scroll away, pulled myself off the bed and went through the bedroom door.

“She was going through the water tunnel...” The three of them paused when I entered the room. Gareth looked concerned. Azure looked like she was torn between concern and fear. But Crystal Fox just stood there. A blank expression on his face. I silently made my way to the couch and sat down.

“when I found the source of the contamination.” I continued where the old stallion left off. “There were these dark crystals sticking out of the water, like Crystal Fox showed us.” I looked at my hooves the whole time. My eyes wouldn't meet their gaze.

“I don't really remember what happened next. The next thing I knew I was chained to the floor in a circle of crystals with a bunch of ponies in robes.” Azure stomped her right hoof.

“Acolytes!” she hissed under her breath. Gareth looked between Azure and I in confusion.

“They were going to sacrifice me to Sombra when I told them Sombra appeared to me. Then...” I didn't really know how to tell them what happened next without it sounding completely ridiculous so I just said it. I told them everything that happened except for the pancakes and the mindscape. I didn't want them to think I completely lost it and I really didn't want them to think that the Acolytes were watching them all the time.

“Then they let me go. Like nothing happened at all. I...I didn't want you guys to worry or...” Or think I was a freak, I should have said. “Sorry” I added lamely. Azure towards the couch and reared up. I flinched, preparing to be hit but Azure wrapped her hooves around me in a tight hug.

“Enough of that crap, Doc. You saved my life. You don't need to apologize for something like this.” I felt Gareth's talons on my left shoulder.

“Yeah. We'd be dead without you.” I lifted my head and he stretched his braced wing in front of me. “Or if I did make it I might have never flown again if you didn't go to that hospital. This doesn't change a thing.” he paused for a moment then added. “Did the note really say that?” I laughed a little and floated my bags from the other room. Then I pulled out the letter and showed it to them.

The three of them burst out laughing when they read Malum's note and even I couldn't help but join in. It felt good to laugh.

“If half of them are like this Malum guy they can't be that bad.” Gareth said reasonably. Drawing a dark look from Azure.

“They think Celestia and Luna aren't real. You know, the Goddesses!” Gareth rolled his eyes at her. “The Acolytes are all heretics. Try talking to the pastor at the temple in town and she'll tell you the same thing.” she turned her gaze from Gareth to me. “The pastor can answer any questions you have about how the Acolytes really are.”

“Isn't that a little biased.” Azure scowled at the griffon darkly. “What?” he asked, shrugging. “She's a pastor of Celestia and Luna. Of course she's going to say how the Acolytes are horrible 'heretics'. You ponies and your gods.” he finished shaking his head. Azure looked on the verge of striking him and Crystal Fox just sat there with an amused smile. But before Azure could harangue him again he added, “We'll see what she has to say. No harm in a second opinion from somepony who knows religion. But I want to back to that gun shop in town. That Tangerine really knows her guns. You know she made those balefire egg launchers.”

I didn't know anything about guns except that they went 'bang' so I left the talking to the others. They were talking (almost arguing) about what kind of weapons they should get with their cut of the caps from the mayor and the different mods they wanted. I knew Azure knew her weapons and Gareth was a mercenary so he basically had to but Crystal Fox seemed to know more than the two of them combined.

He just gave suggestions at first but soon he was telling stories about the weapons he'd seen, used or got shot with back in the 'good old days'. After some pleading on Gareth's part and a whole lot of whining on Azure's he even got his old mini-gun from his bedroom. Gareth had to help him carry it in and put it on the table. How he ever lifted it on his own even when he was younger was astounding.

“It looks like it weighs more than I do.” I said, looking at the massive multi-barreled weapon.

“It does.” Gareth confirmed with a nod, making Azure nicker behind him.

“This is Scarlet's Bastion. This beauty got me through many a scrap in my day. It takes five millimeter ammunition with a max ammo capacity of one thousand rounds, and is enchanted with an armor piercing effect to boot.” Gareth whistled. Wait. How did he do that? He has a beak! “even has a built in repair and lubrication talisman.” he looked at the gun fondly. Azure and Gareth were almost drooling over the hulking weapon.

“Where did you get it?” I asked running my hoof along one of the eight barrels. “Or did you make it yourself?” the old buck laughed at the question.

“I couldn't put one of these things together if I tried. No, I found this beautiful, one of a kind thing in the ruins of an old spa.” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“You found this,” I pointed my right foreleg at the weapon. “in a spa?” He smiled fondly at the mini-gun and nodded.

“It all started when I was a youngin' like yerselves trying to make my mark on the wall. Twas before I met yer parents and I didn't know much about the world outside my hometown. Little place called Viola Farm just outside a Fort Varado. We were protected by the Auxiliary so we never had to worry about attacks or nothin'. But the downside of living on a peaceful farm is that it's boring as shit! Especially since I spent half the day shovelin' brahmin shit.

“Me and a few a my friends decided to high tail it when we were old enough. Left my brother in charge a the farm while me and my pals went adventurin'.” his expression turned sad. “Needless to say it was a disaster. We hadn't even made it to the city before Lightning died; he was my brother's friend, decided to tag along when he heard what we was plannin'. Got killed by a feral. Next one to go was my friend Black Whip. Got killed by raiders outside of the Ironshod Firearms Distribution Center just north of Viola. Pretty fucked up two days to say the least.

“We had better luck after that, though. Me, Mint and Letter Opener found the spa just south of Gem City a week after we left the farm.” Gareth laughed suddenly next to me, making Crystal Fox pause. Once he realized everypony was looking at him Gareth stopped laughing, looking a little red.

“Sorry. But did you say your friend's name was 'Letter Opener'?” he nodded and Gareth made a choking sound in his throat. “Sorry, but the name's you ponies come up with.” he waved his talons. “Keep going. I promise I won't interrupt again.”

“Like I was sayin',” Crystal Fox said, annoyed. “we found the spa and besides finding a half dozen ferals there weren't any other dangers. We stayed there a while and stripped the place of anything valuable. We were looking through one a the old hot tubs when I found a button in one a the filters. Pushed it and a whole section of wall opened up and led into this room just full a guns and ammo. And a Shadow Ghoul. Said her name was Scarlet Heart.”

“You said she was a ghoul. Ghouls can't talk.” Crystal Fox shook his head slowly, Azure looked at me with a bemused expression and Gareth just shrugged.

“Not all ghouls are feral. They're really fucked up looking, especially in the Crystal Empire, and they live forever but they don't eat ya. Only the ones that went insane are like that. Most are just like you or me. Now Scarlet, she was a treat. Said she was stuck in that room since the megaspells, she was so grateful she gave me that gun and the battle saddle. I think I got a picture of her somewhere...hold on a sec” he left the table and pulled one of the many pictures off the walls and carried it to the table in his teeth.

“That there is Letter Opener,” he said pointing to each of them. “his mare Mint, me a course and there's Scarlet.” he finished by pointing at a mare with a blackened coat, tufts of black smoke for hair and milky white eyes with red iris's. She looked slightly rotted with pieces of flesh missing on her torso and bone exposed on her left hindleg. But besides that her face looked almost normal, besides some scars on her cheek her face was unblemished.

“She was really in there for two hundred years?” I asked, astonished. What did she do all that time?...my brain brought up all kinds a very compromising images and I shook my head wildly. Azure and Gareth watched me curiously but Crystal Fox either didn't notice or didn't care.

“Yep. And before ya ask any more,” he yawned loudly. “I'm mighty tired. I'm headin' to bed, we'll go see Scarlet tomorrow.”

“She's alive?” Gareth said incredulously. Crystal Fox shook his head.

“Nah, I'm just sayin' we'll go see her because I like sayin' it. Yeah, she's still kickin'. Lives on the other side a town. I'll show ya when yer done with yer little trip to the temple. Now help me lug this heavy bastard back to my room” Gareth hefted the mini-gun off the table and carried it back to the room. “Go on! Put yer back into it, boy!” He turned to me, “There's some more cookies on the kitchen for ya, girls.” we spun on the spot and dashed into the kitchen. Sitting on the counter was a plate covered in perfectly frosted cookies.

“How does he make these!?” I said through a mouthful of sugary awesomeness.

“Mmmm, crystal berries” Azure said, reminiscently. “We used to buy them by the basket when I was still a filly. But I never found out where dad bought them.”

“I don't care where it is,” I said, starting on my fourth cookie. “we need to go there.”

“Just ask Crystal Fox,” now that was a plan. We passed by Gareth on the couch who snatched the last of the cookies from the plate. “Hey!” Azure said before jumping on him. I watched the two of them fight over the cookies until they fell off the couch and continued on the floor. Rolling my eyes went to Crystal Fox' room and knocked on the door three times.

No answer.

I knocked again and a tremendous crash came from the room. Along with the sound of breaking glass. The door opened about a foot and the old buck stuck his through the gap.

“Sorry 'bout that I was tinkerin'. Whatcha need girl?”

“How do you make your cookies?”

----------------------

The morning air stung my coat as Azure, Gareth and I made our way towards the Temple. Gareth stretched his fully healed wings in the breeze. I unwrapped it before we left and found it fully healed. Much to Gareth's surprise and delight.

He seemed un-bothered by the cold but Azure's teeth were chattering along with my own. She had given her Gunner armor and barding to Gareth to avoid angering any of the town ponies, who seemed to have an almost fanatical hatred of the Gunners. Without barding the crisp morning air was really bothering her.

I spent the better part of an hour trying to get Crystal Fox to tell me how he made his amazing cookies, but the old buck just wouldn't budge!

“Sorry, girl.” he said, “Tis a family recipe. Ya'll understand.” Understand my flanks! I thought bitterly as we left the warmth of his home. I'll get it out of him if it's the last thing I do!!

The Temple was located to the far left of the of Gem City's gate. Right in between a store with several small, furry animals in a pen and a small building with a sign that read,

The Crystal Times

The Temple itself was a humble building. The walls were made of blue and white crystal with pieces of rusted steel mixed in. There was a single sign on the front wall of the Temple, depicting a sun, a moon, and a crystallized heart.

'All are Welcome' was inscribed on a wooden plank beneath the sign. Azure pushed the door open and we went in. Once I crossed the threshold of the doorway I felt a sharp, throbbing pain in my forehead that went to the tip of my horn.

“Ow!” I said, rubbing my forehead. Gareth and Azure looked back at me so I shrugged it off. “Hit my horn on the frame.”

“Hornheads.” Gareth said sarcastically with a shake of his head.

“Hey, it's not my fault!” I said indignantly. “I'm tired.” which was true. Ever since I left the Monolith I felt almost exhausted, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't fall asleep. Just one of those days.

The inside of the Temple was just as humble. Several rows of simply carved wooden benches were lined up before an pew with three statues behind it. The one in the center was Celestia; it was carved from white marble. Her wings were spread out wide over the other statues.

The one on the left was Luna. It was also marble but instead of white it was midnight blue with hundreds of white dots that made it look like stars. (Not that I'd ever really seen them, but books count...right? Right.) her wings were pointing out behind her, and she was rearing up on her hindlegs with one foreleg straight in the air.

The statue on the right side was made of bright pink crystal. She too was an alicorn, a little shorter than Luna with a bright, playfully happy smile on her face. Unlike the other statues her mane, tail and eyes were different colors than her coat. It made the statue look alive. I thought that she would jump off her stand at any moment to say 'Hello'. Standing near the statues was a short, green Crystal Pony mare in a long robe. She was wiping the face of the Luna statue.

“Hello, my children.” she said when she noticed us, dropping the rag in a bucket near her. “I have not seen any of you before. Are you new to the city, or just to the Temple?” she seemed nice...but there was something about her that made me uneasy. A little pink pony in my head was watching her suspiciously.

“Both, actually.” Azure said conversationally. “My friend here was wondering what the Temple thought of those 'Acolyte' ponies.” she pointed a hoof to me. The green mare's expression turned from friendly to disgusted at once.

“The Acolytes are nothing but a group of misguided heretics! Celestia and Luna may not be worshiped as they should in the Crystal Empire. But they don't even believe in Cadence. The Goddess of Love and holy matriarch of our land.” she trotted to the pew and pulled out a very thick leather bound book. “This is the holy book of the Goddesses. Celestia, who raises the sun, protects us during the day and brightens are lives with it's embrace...”

“Funny, I haven't seen the sun once since I left the Stable.” I said sarcastically. This drew a very dark look from Azure and an even darker one from the green mare. Gareth however looked like he trying very hard not to laugh.

“Then there is Luna. Goddess of the night and guardian of our dreams. She keeps nightmares from plaguing our nights so that we may better face the terrors that the wastes wrought during the day.” I opened my muzzle to say that I'd also had plenty of nightmares since leaving the Stable but Azure silenced me with a jab in the ribs.

“Finally, there is Cadence. She is the grand matriarch of the Crystal Empire. It's mother, it's protector. She used her powers of Love and Kindness to destroy the dread king Sombra, who would have enslaved us all under his banner...”

“Don't you think it's possible that if Sombra had beaten Cadence the Crystal Empire wouldn't be a radioactive wasteland?” I asked simply, my dislike of this mare growing every second. Her expression soured further and she slammed the book shut.

“It appears we have a heretic in the church. Are you an Acolyte or just a pony with no faith?” she shook her head. “Either way, you are on the wrong path my child. I can show you the true path to happiness and enlightenment. All you have to do is devote yourself to the Goddesses, AHHH!" she shrieked and back peddled into the wall. “Leave my church, all of you. Now!!” I didn't need to be told twice, I turned with a huff and trotted to the door without another word. There was a mirror on the wall next to the door, and I was irritated to see my eyes were glowing again. Dammit! Is it just random? Gareth and Azure followed me out the door.

“What the fuck, Doc!?” Azure asked once the Temple door slammed shut behind us. “Why did you say all that stuff? She could have shown you the truth.” The truth? The fucking truth!?

“The truth about what?” I asked. “What truth is so important that I have to learn it from that cunt? By the Shadows, why couldn't you have met the Acolytes with me...” the look on her face after I said, 'By the Shadows' was absolutely priceless. She looked ready to pounce on me when Gareth went between us.

“Enough. You two can debate this religious crap later. I'm hungry, let's go get a yew burger.” my stomach rumbled and the little pony in my head agreed with the pink pony. Food Time! I my eyes stop glowing in a puddle by the temple. Thank Sombra

Gareth stopped right in front of the pen with the small fluffy animals, where a short muscular buck had just unlocked the gate and pulled a yellow one out in his teeth.

“Three yew burgers.” Gareth said, holding out three claws. The buck nodded dropped the yew on the cutting board and drew a very large curved knife in his teeth.

“What are you doing!?” he swung the blade at the yew's neck. He would have cut it's head off if I didn't snatch it away in my magic.

“Hey, I'm trying to fill your order here!” What is wrong with ponies on the surface? And griffons? I closed the distance between us, drew my blade and slammed him against the wall of his shop. His pupils shrank to pinpricks as my blade hovered an eighth of an inch from his jugular. I could see the glow of my eyes reflected in his own. Gareth and Azure were saying something but I ignored them.

“What is wrong with you?” I asked asked, floating the small yellow animal into my left foreleg. “If I come back here and find out you killed any more of them. I'm going to geld you. Turn this place into a petting zoo or something. No more butcher shop, got it?” the buck nodded and gulped. When he gulped his throat touched the edge of the blade slightly, leaving a small cut behind. I lifted the yew with my magic and was about to return the animal to the pen when it looked me in the eye.

It's pupils were huge and sad. It's lip was quivering slightly and it was just...so...adorable. The pink pony in my head was bouncing around on all four hooves shouting; 'pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!'

“How much for this one?” I asked the buck, who was holding a rag on his cut.

“You want to buy a burger then?” I scowled darkly and once again saw my glowing eyes reflected in his. “Okay. No burgers. You just want the yew?” I nodded. “A hundred caps.” I counted out the money and placed the yew in the largest empty pouch in my saddlebags. It rolled around inside for a moment before sticking it's head out comically.

“What exactly do you plan on doing with that?” Gareth asked, pointing a claw at the small fuzzy creature in my bags.

“I've always wanted a pet.” the Stable didn't have any animals except for the rats that lived in storage. A few colts and fillies caught them and kept them as pets but Dad wouldn't let me. Those creatures are far too unsanitary, Silver. He'd say.

“You know those things are dangerous, right?” Azure said, watching the adorable animal out of the corner of her eyes. “They're supposed to be really vicious.”

“You're right. That,” Gareth said, pointing at it again. “is the most terrifying thing I have ever seen.” Azure gave him a dark look. “Listen, I'm going back to the gun shop. That mare Tangerine said she had some specialty rounds coming in today.” he smirked. “Enjoy playing with that terrifyingly vicious monster.

While Gareth went to the Barrel of Guns! Azure and I went to a stall that served roasted crystal corn. Why does everything have to be crystal?

The mare behind the stall slid two ears of crystal corn to us and pocketed the caps Azure dropped on the counter without a word. Even though she seemed to be in a sour mood her cooking was excellent. Every time I ate something new it was like an orgasm in my mouth! I thought back to the tubes of synthesized food paste in my bags.

“Never again.” I chucked the tubes in a nearby trash bin. They were filled with enough nutrients to keep a pony going for more than a week but after everything I'd tasted so far I'd rather starve than eat that shit again. While I ate I noticed Azure watching the yew in my bags with a worried expression. She even flinched a little when I tossed a few kernels of corn into it's mouth. I lifted the yew from my bags and held it in front of my eyes.

“Are you a boy or a girl?” it took a few minutes but I managed to find the proper parts. These things have a lot of fur. (or wool?) “You need a name. How about...” for some reasons my mind flashed to some of the names I learned in magical history class. “Star Swirl? No...Clover? Nah...oh! How about Artimage?” he just looked at me with that same cute look.

“It's settled then. Your name is Artimage.” Azure just kept giving me strange looks as I nuzzled Artimage. “What is your deal?” I asked, turning to her. “He's adorable!”

“Nothing. Let's find you some armor.” I knew she was just changing the subject but I didn't argue.

Azure dragged me from store to store and stall to stall, starting with the armor shop, trying to find a suitable replacement for my uniform. But the armor they had were either too heavy, didn't fit right or were just too garish for for my tastes. I had just taken off a full suit of combat barding when Gareth barged into the changing room.

“We have a problem...” he turned away from me, his face turning bright red. “Sorry...”

“Why? We don't exactly wear clothes.” Azure said reasonably. Despite this Gareth still looked embarrassed.

“You were saying something about a problem?” I said, dropping the barding on the floor.

“Yeah.” Gareth said, distractedly. “Yeah, shit! We need to leave town. Right now!”

“Care to tell us why?” Azure said sarcastically. But Gareth didn't look like he was kidding.

“I went to Tangerine's store and there were three ponies in Steel Ranger armor inside.” he explained quickly, looking out the window of the shop. “They said they were looking for you, Silver Heart.”

“What!?” why would the Steel Rangers be looking for me? “Are you sure?”

“Well, let's go down the list; they were asking Tangerine if she's seen a white unicorn with silver hair, a griffon mercenary and a blue unicorn with her.” he said simply. “Oh, and they were calling you 'Healer'. Tangerine told them she hadn't seen us but it won't be long before somepony rats us out.” Azure rushed to Gareth and pulled her rifle and armor from his bags.

“He's right. Steel Rangers aren't exactly the nicest bunch...” she was interrupted by a gunshot coming from the market. We looked outside and I gasped. There were three Steel Rangers with heavy weapons facing a dozen Auxiliary with magical energy weapons. One of them was on the ground holding her bleeding foreleg.

“You are not welcome here!” the lead Auxiliary said angrily. “If you do not leave here we will use deadly force!” the Steel Rangers laughed and readied their weapons.

“Two of them have grenade machine guns,” Gareth said darkly. “If they fire those off in the market...” They would kill dozens of ponies and injure dozens more.

“Come on!” I said, jumping out the door into the market. I rushed out the door and yelled, “Stop!!” the Auxiliary ponies and Steel Rangers watched as I rushed to the injured Auxiliary pony. “Hold still.” I told her.

The wound wasn't too bad. There was a large caliber round stuck in her foreleg but it missed the bone and lodged in the soft tissue. Before I could begin working on it the lead Ranger stepped towards us.

“Are you Healer?” she asked as Gareth and Azure came to my side, their weapons drawn. I nodded, pulling out my scalpel and forecips to remove the bullet.

“By order of Elder Paula Red you must come with us...” she began, but four of the Auxiliary ponies stepped forward threateningly.

“You are ordered by the authority of General Storm Wing to vacate this city at once!” the buck said sternly. “Leave now!” the Steel Rangers laughed almost hysterically at the Auxiliary. To their credit, the Auxiliary didn't back down they stepped forward again, their weapons directed right at the Rangers. There was something about a dozen armed ponies moving in perfect unison that gave the Steel Rangers pause.

“Back off tribal! If you think for a second we won't turn you into smoldering piles of pulp and shrapnel you're wrong!” their grenade machine guns clicked threateningly but the Auxiliary didn't even flinch. I removed the bullet and gave the injured mare two healing potions before stepping between the Rangers and the Auxiliary.

“There's no need for violence!” I said desperately. “I'll go with you.” the lead Ranger whinnied.

“Finally! A tribal with some sense. Get moving!” she pointed to the city gate and the Rangers with her moved to my sides.

“I hope you know what you're doing...” Gareth whispered as the Steel Rangers surrounded us and led us out of the city gate. The Auxiliary followed closely behind until they reached the barricades by the gate but they didn't try to help us.

“Yeah, Azure. The Auxiliary can take out the Enclave but a few assholes in power armor are just too much.” Gareth said sarcastically. Azure smacked him upside the head.

“They don't want any of the town ponies to get hurt!” we turned onto the main road going south.

Time to see if this works...

I followed the instructions from the scroll and focused my mind on Confessor Tenebris but it wouldn't work. So instead of Tenebris I focused on Malum.

Malum! Brother Malum! Can you hear me? It's Silver Heart! Please, my friends and I are in trouble!

Then I felt it. I felt something odd brush against my mind. It sent a chill up my mind and made me stop in my tracks.

“What are you doing? Get moving!” the Steel Ranger to my left struck my in the side. The force of the blow knocked me to the ground. Then I felt something different in my mind; cold anger.

Do not worry. We're here, Sister.

Level Up! Melee 25

New Perk Added: Shadow Rage. When consumed by anger you deal 15% more damage and take 15% less.

Chapter 1: Stable 41

“...If the Empire is filled with hope and love those things are reflected across all of Equestria. If hatred and fear take hold..."

“No!” said a purple blanked flanked filly sitting on a white Medical bed. “I don't wanna!”

“If you don't take your medicine your cough won't go away.” I said with as much patience I could muster, I'd been trying to get her to take it for ten minutes. “You don't want to get anypony else sick do you?” She clamped her muzzle shut and shook her head. I thought for a moment, rubbing my chin with a hoof and pop! Light bulb. I thought. I levitated the spoon to her mouth. “Last chance, Polo.” she shook her head, leaving me no choice. I spun my tail around and tickled her stomach furiously.

“No! Hahaha! No..! Not fair, Silver Heart! Not fair!” she cried while rolling on the bed. I stuck the spoon in her mouth and pinched her nose and muzzle shut with my magic. She swallowed hard and scowled indignantly at me. “That wasn't fair.” she whined.

“Neither would you giving the rest of your class a cold.” I told her sternly. “ Now trot along. Back to class.” I pointed my tail towards the door and she hopped of the bed muttering to herself. Why can't they just drink the damn medicine? I rolled my eyes, trying to adjust my pink and yellow uniform. Whoever thought this uniform looked good must have either been high or just fucking stupid. Not only was it ugly, it was uncomfortable. It was itchy and too tight in the tail. Well, what can a pony do? It's a two hundred year old hoof me down. Should I really expect better?

I trotted over to my desk in the corner of Medical and sat down. All that was left was paperwork. Before I could start a loud thud came from the X-Ray room behind me. Celestia dammit. They're at it again! I sat up and went to the door and raised a hoof to knock...then something small and round his me in the back of the head. I rubbed my head and looked around but nopony was there. I floated the pencil off the floor and scowled. Seriously Dad? I crouched as low as I could and tiphoofed towards the supply room door. Peaking my head around the corner I saw the brown buck in a lab coat that was my father.

My father was different than most of the hundred or so other ponies in Stable 41, despite looking young for his age he was young at heart. Even though he's more than twice my age he can still take the time out of his day to throw pencils at me while I tried to work.

“What?” He asked with an easy smile, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. When I continued to scowl he said, “To tell you the truth Silver I was aiming for the door button. Magenta and Vicks won't stop leaving stains on those sheets; the Overmare we'll have their hides.” I snorted and floated the pencil in front of me.

“Betcha a bit I hit it on the first try.” I challenged, cocking an eyebrow. He smirked, grabbed the pencil with his own magic and trotted to the door. He spun it three times and launched it like a javelin at the door button. The door to X-Ray then opened with a loud hiss and two mares; an earth pony and a unicorn shrieked as they hastened to cover themselves.

“LUNA DAMMIT, DOCTOR HEART!” The unicorn yelled, slamming the door shut with the press of a button.

“Hey! I wanted to do it.” I pouted, my ears drooping while he laughed. When he stopped laughing he threw a sarcastic look at me and said,

“I hate to break it to you Silver but you're a terrible shot.” I opened my mouth to argue but he cut me off. “Can you honestly tell me one time that you have ever hit something you were aiming at?” Okay, that's not fair. There was that time I....no, that's not right. Well there was the time in the atrium when...shit. He was right. He smiled brightly as I flushed silently. “Thought so. It's a good thing that you can still hit a vein or you wouldn't be able to poke fun at Magenta and Vicks with your old Dad!” He puffed out his chest and strolled out the door. “I'll handle tonight's paperwork but don't forget to clean the X-Ray room.” he pointed a hoof at the door. “You know they're useless.” Not when you want to get off. I thought as he turned on the spot and dropped a brown paper bag on the floor in front of me. I opened it up and saw several small red and white candies inside.

Yes, yes, yes! Peppermints! I opened my mouth to thank him but he was gone. I popped a couple in my mouth and tucked the bag into my left pocket. Dad didn't make them very often because of the shortage, but it was always a treat to find a small bag of candy on my dresser. Why can't the Overmare fix the food synthesizers make these instead of paste? I thought glumly as I made my way down the sterile white hall towards my unit. Magenta and Vicks could handle the cleanup...maybe...probably. Eh, I tried not to think about it. The Overmare never inspects medical anyway so it didn't really matter but Dad always went on about being 'professional'. Not that anypony really cared. All we do is put band-aids on scraped knees and force feed medicine to foals. Not to say nothing interesting happens; one time a buck named Cobalt got a shard of shrapnel in his side when a terminal exploded in the reactor room, but other than that, almost nothing exciting happens.

Once the door hissed closed behind me I stripped off my dress and hopped in the shower. Best thing about the Stable. I thought giving my nethers some special attention before getting out and drying off. I ran a brush through my silver mane a tail for a few times, then tried and failed to get rid of the curl by my horn. I could brush Wonder glue into my hair and it would still be like that. I ran a shorter brush through my coat, paying special attention to my cutie-mark; a heart with a white cross. I had to look good for tonight. And Celestia knows I do! Just as I finished grooming myself there was a loud knock at the door.

“Silver Heart,” my dad called. “Cedric is here for you.” There he is! I'd been waiting for this night for weeks. It was the Stable's annual Sealing Celebration. Cedric and I planned to spend it (and that night) together. I giggled at the thought of it.

“I'll be ready in ten minutes!” I told him; I was basically ready now but it's good to make them wait a little.

“Alright! I tell you my boy she's just like her mother.” I heard him say through the door. He said that a lot. I pressed my ear to the door and listened.

“Thanks again Doctor Heart,” Cedric said quietly. After a few moments pause he asked, “Did you see the Dodge ball match last night?” Ugh. Bucks. Every buck in 41 was obsessed with Dodge ball. Personally I didn't see the appeal of bucking a rubber ball like a cannon ball at each other until you're the only pony left standing. Usually with a missing tooth or two. Cedric seemed even more obsessed with it than Dad; huh, maybe it's because he's an earth pony?

While they were talking about Murder Ball I went back to the mirror and checked my mane and coat one more time. We didn't have any make-up in the Stable except what we use to cover surgical scars in Medical, otherwise I'd try putting some on. Stupid pre-war ponies. Why couldn't Stable-Tec fill the storage room with a few crates of blush?

Well I couldn't make myself look any better so left the bathroom to find my dad and Cedric in deep conversation on last night's match.

The stallion's looked up at me and Cedric smiled. His brown mane had been combed neatly and his coat looked like it'd been scrubbed raw. His mother must have helped. What can you do when you're the Overmare's colt?

“Hi Silver.” He said, blushing slightly. I smiled and blushed more brightly. Dad looked between the two of us and snapped his tail on both our flanks.

“Alright you two. Get going, we'll be late if you just stand here and change colors. Go on, get!” he said with a laugh.

Cedric and I left my family's unit and trotted towards the Stable atrium. The atrium was the largest part of the Stable. Being four floors high and large enough to hold the Dodge ball court, the cafeteria, and the food synthesizers that provide us with sustenance it was no wonder that the entire population of the Stable could fit inside at once.

The walls were decorated with faded banners of Celestia and Luna, along with streamers that might have been colorful a hundred years ago but were only gray now. There were several long tables set up on the court with plates of rainbow paste and cups of water. Looking around the atrium I could see almost everypony. Astible, a friend who worked in the Pip-Buck maintenance. Baton, the head Security mare. Promise, head of Agriculture. (Even though agriculture is just running the food synthesizers) And everypony else in the Stable. Music was playing over the speakers (A classic by Sweetie Belle that we've all heard hundreds of times) and over a dozen ponies were dancing near the tables.

“Wanna dance, Silver?” Cedric asked, touching my flank with a hoof. I blushed furiously and nodded.

It was a great night; dancing, rainbow paste and a second dodge ball match just for the occasion. Cedric was extra happy when he got a souvenir ball to the face from 41's greatest athlete, Pain Train. It wasn't her real name but she got really pissy if you called her 'Paprika'. Cedric smiled at me stupidly holding the ball in one hoof and a broken tooth in the other. Dad can reattach it later. After the match ended and everypony was getting ready to go to their units for the night the Overmare stood up on one of the Tables with Baton at her side.

“Everypony, your attention please!” she shouted above the crowd. It took a few minutes for everypony to stop talking. Most ponies just ignored the Overmare. But when Baton was talking everyone was listening.

“Thank you, Baton. First, I'd like thank thank everypony in Agriculture for another wonderful Sealing celebration!” Everypony in the crowd stomped in applause, myself included.

“Secondly, I know that the past few years have been difficult. The shortages have been causing distress to all of us and I am happy to tell you all that we have found a solution! Baton, if you please.” She gestured to the older beige mare and stepped aside.

“Thank you Overmare.” Baton's voice was unusually deep for a mare and she was stockier than most stallions. I'd always wondered why she didn't play Dodge ball, she could have taken on Pain Train. “As the Overmare explained we have been facing shortages for some time. And far more often than we care to admit. Two months ago we devised a plan to end the shortages and keep our Stable running smoothly and efficiently for the rest of our lives and that of our foals.” She waved to the back of the crowd and a unicorn projected pictures on the wall behind Baton and the Overmare. They were pictures of wrecked buildings, skeletons and a few smoldering craters.

“A week ago I sent my best Security officer on a scouting mission to the surface.” For the first time I could remember somepony interrupted her, not just somepony either; everypony gasped and began whispering in frantic tones. Once the crowd calmed down she continued.

“I know that this comes as a shock to you, but the officer I sent was well prepared and properly armed.”

“Who was it?” Someone yelled. I could see the vein throbbing on the side of Baton's head.

“Officer Barrel.” she said just loud enough to hear and instantly everypony was muttering. I looked at Cedric but he just shrugged. I couldn't put a face to the name but I think he was Baton's brother. Or maybe her cousin?

“Please everypony!” Everyone stopped talking at once. “Despite what some of you may think Barrel performed admirably on his mission to the surface.” She pointed to the magic projections behind her. “These are some of Barrel's memories from his expedition.” the memories flashed from the smoldering craters to large piles of scrap metal, then to Barrel dressed in heavy duty security barding and a shotgun strapped to his side shaking hooves with ponies that were dressed exactly like the pictures of farmers that I'd seen in books. The final memory was of Barrel bowing to a tall white pony with a long slender horn and majestic wings.... My eyes widened and I wrapped my forelegs around Cedric's neck.

“Celestia!” I said, and I wasn't even embarrassed. Everypony in the atrium yelled with me. Ponies were hugging one another, the fillies and colts were bouncing on their hooves. Even Baton was smiling brightly and made no attempt to get everypony quiet again. Ohmygoshohmygoshomygoshohmygoshohmygosh!!! I thought as Baton started to reel the crowd in again.

“I know how excited you all are, but please be silent!” I'd never even heard Baton yell before but it was enough to make the atrium silent. “Thank you. As I was saying. Barrel's mission went exceedingly well and I don't wasn't you screaming when I say this!” She waved a hoof towards the crowd, her gaze lingering on some of the foals for a moment before continuing. “Princess Celestia is alive and well. And she will be visiting the Stable the day after tomorrow.” The atrium exploded in a roar of excited cheers. I have to admit; I couldn't hold it in either. I turned to Cedric and kissed him right there. A few of the ponies around us noticed and let out of whoop before Baton could get the crowd to be quiet.

“For fuck's sake just listen! Star, play the message!” she yelled to the unicorn projecting the memories and it changed to Celestia sitting on a brilliant golden throne, her sparkling rainbow colored mane waving brilliantly behind her as she spoke with her kind, motherly voice.

“Hello my little ponies. You can not begin to imagine my elation at hearing that your Stable has survived. It has been two hundred years since the war ended, and though the Megaspells fell my sister and I have managed to heal the damage to the land.” Even in a projection she showed grace and beauty that made my heart melt. Every word was like music to my ears. Dammit, I want her hair!

“Your trusted guard Barrel has informed me of your Stable's troubles and I am happy to say that I can help. The Royal Guard will be escorting a large amount of the supplies you need and some extras that I'm sure you will enjoy. I will be coming to greet you all personally in a few days time. A day or two after Barrel returns.” Her face grew sad for a moment and it nearly made my heart break. “I would like to apologize for not coming to meet you all earlier. But I have some Royal business I must attend to before I can make the journey and I thank you all for your patience.” She was silent for a moment before smiling brightly and continuing. Her smile alone seemed to fill the room with sunlight.

“I love you my little ponies, and I will be there soon. Please be patient, and I'll see if Luna will be able to make the trip as well” There were more cheers this time but they weren't as excited this time. “The Zebra's were defeated and the land has healed. Though not all the damage is gone, the poisons they attacked us with are, and I know everypony will play their part in making Equestria great again. Goodbye my little ponies, I will see you all soon.” The memory ended and everypony began talking about the Princess. Baton didn't even try to get them to be quiet. She just went off to the side to talk with the Overmare, Promise, Barrel and my dad.

I felt so happy inside that I bit Cedric lightly on the ear and whispered,

“Let's go back to your room” He smiled brightly, his face turning bright red as we made our way through the crowd and towards the Overmare's family unit. I hope the walls in here are sound proof. I thought as I followed Cedric into his unit and from there to his room. I wrapped my forelegs around his neck and kissed him hard. He slipped and we fell backwards onto the bed. Princess Celestia, and I'm getting laid? I smiled mentally and rolled onto my belly. “Come here, Cedric” I raised my tail and gestured with a hoof. “Let's have some fun.

…................

I awoke the next morning feeling sore, sticky, and content. Crawling out of bed, I left the blanket covering Cedric, then went to the bathroom for a quick shower. After I was clean I left a note for Cedric and left his unit, doing my best to not wake the Overmare as I passed her room. He'd understand, if Dad woke up and saw I wasn't there he probably wouldn't be too happy.

The moment I left the unit I was greeted by several ponies scrubbing the walls enthusiastically. Even the Overmare was scrubbing the wall, and when she saw me she galloped to me and grabbed me by the shoulders.

“Get down to Medical! Your dad needs help cleaning.” I tried to ask if she was at all upset that I'd spent the night but she caught me off. “Yes, yes, you and my son played pelvic peafetlock, big deal. The Goddess is coming! GO!” she snapped me in the flanks with her tail and darted into her unit, yelling for Cedric. I headed towards Medical at a trot but started to gallop as the ponies all around me were doing their best to scrub every nook and cranny of the Stable. The importance of what was going to happen hit me like the Stable's door had been dropped on me. The Goddess of the sun is coming to my Stable and I've spent an entire night having sex when I should have been cleaning my room! Shit, shit, shit! I was almost panicking by the time I arrived at Medical and everypony else was too. Magenta and Vicks were boiling the sheets from the X-Ray.

“Dammit they just won't come out!” Magenta yelled, then Vicks slapped her upside the head and said,

“Just replace them with the emergency supplies from storage. We're getting new supplies in less than a day. The Overmare won't care.” She saw me and shouted, “Go get your dad, Silver Heart. He wouldn't leave his unit when we went to get him so you get his ass down here!” He wouldn't leave the room? I thought. It sounded like Magenta and Vicks broke into the rubbing alcohol again but any excuse to get away from them while they bicker was fine with me.

When I got back to my unit I was shocked to find the door locked. Especially since the doors didn't have locks on them.

“Dad!” I shouted, knocking on the door. “Open up, we've got a lot of work to do..” the door hissed open and I was forcibly pulled inside. The door closing abruptly behind me.

“Silver we've got a lot of work to do!” He said, a worried look in his eye. He was wearing saddlebags that were filled to bursting with books, some quills and papers and two first aid boxes from medical. My saddlebags were close to the door and they were similarly burdened. He pointed to the bags. “Put these on while I head to Security and grab a few shotguns then we'll be off.

“What!?” I shouted. “What do you mean 'leaving', what about Celestia?” He sighed and sat down hard on the floor. He looked into my eyes and said,

“What you heard and saw last night was bullshit. I've seen what it's like outside the Stable Silver Heart and what was in Barrel's head could not have been the wasteland.” he said bitterly. What he said was odd but the only thing on my mind was that I had to wash my uniform and fix a few tears.

“Come on dad. You're just nervous, let's get you cleaned up and we'll head down to Medical and help Magenta and Vicks with the sheets.” He scowled darkly, stood up and smacked me upside the head. “Ow, damn! What was that for?” I asked, rubbing the side of my head.

“That's almost exactly what the Overmare said. Silver I've never told you but in my younger years. When I was lot braver and a lot dumber I left the Stable like Barrel did,” Hubbazawha? “and trust me when I say this; there are no farms, there is no Royal Guard, and there is no Celestia! It's a blasted, irradiated shit hole that spans the length of the world. And whoever put that crap in Barrel's head has some bad intentions”

“When did you leave the Stable?” I asked, feeling a little hurt that he hadn't mentioned this before. He facehoofed.

“That's not the point Silver. The point is I have and there's no way it's changed that much in twenty years! I won't...”

“How do you know?” I asked. He paused. “You said the last time you left the Stable was twenty years ago?” He nodded. “Then how do you know? I learned in class that Celestia and Luna had their own Stable in Canterlot. Maybe they left their Stable after the last time you left and they've healed a lot of the destruction up there since.” I said with my most convincing smile. He seemed to ponder what I said for a moment before responding.

“Well... I suppose that might be true.” he looked from his bags to me and back again. “But what if it's not?” I didn't have an answer so instead I gave him a hug.

“I don't know Daddy. I really don't know. But it was in Barrel's memories. I don't think somepony can just put fake memories in someone's brain.” he nodded and nuzzled my cheek.

“I suppose you're right. I...I just don't wasn't anything to happen. Like I said, it's bad up there.” He said plainly, looking like he was staring at something far away even though the room was so small. After a minute or so of silence I asked,

“Why did you leave the Stable?” He smiled and shook his head.

“I was young, brave, and more than just a little stupid. I hated living down here. It feels like a prison and everypony feels the same.” he looked me in the eye. “You do too.” it wasn't a question and he was right. You were born here, you lived your whole life here, and you die here. Not exactly the most fulfilling life.

“But in all seriousness I left the same reason that Barrel was sent out.” he explained. “The Stable was facing a shortage of all the things we need now. It's happened a few times. I wasn't the first to be sent out for raw materials. The first two didn't come back but I did. I came back with a bunch of junk to throw into the synthesizers, enough to keep us supplied for a few years, but everything runs out eventually.”

“What was it like?” I asked, hoping for a better explanation than 'it sucked'.

“Oh Silver, it was terrible. To be honest, I really don't want to talk about most of it. I'm just going to say that it was not a place that you'd ever want to go” Fucking typical Dad answer! I let go of him and he dropped his bags by the door. “If we're going to stay I'm going to put these back where they go. Go ahead back to Medical, I'll catch up in a bit” He looked around the room. “I'll have to clean the ceiling if she really is coming.”

Magenta, Vicks and I spent the morning and the entire afternoon scrubbing every inch of Medical. We washed all the sheets, sterilized every needle, bandage and surface in the three rooms that made up the department. We even cleaned all the supplies in the storage room and stacked the supplies alphabetically. We were so excited about the Goddess that we were singing while we worked. Just helped the work get done faster. And when the work was finished I was proud of it. Medical probably hadn't shined as brightly since the day it was built. Dad still hadn't showed up but from the way our unit looked he was probably make it shine just like we had with Medical.

I was looking forward to taking a break but the second we were done in Medical a pony from maintenance said the Overmare needed everypony to help with the maintenance halls and the Stable's main storage. So instead of a break we got to scrub every surface of the maintenance tunnels, the Pip-Buck stall and finally the cavernous storage room underneath the atrium.

It was two in the morning when the Overmare declared that the Stable was ready. Every room in the Stable had been cleaned, all the trash put into the synthesizers and she even ordered that the last crates of clothing be opened for the Goddess's arrival the next morning. It was a little weird to see everypony in brand new clothes, even weirder for me to see myself in a brand new yellow and pink nurse's uniform.

“Alright everypony, great work! Now return to your units for the night, get a few hours rest and make yourselves presentable in the morning. I want everypony ready by o six hundred!”

When I got back to my unit I found the living area was as clean as it had ever been. Usually there were a few piles of books and some crumpled up papers on the floor near an overfull trash can but now it was as clean as the foal delivery room. Well...when there wasn't a mare giving birth anyway. Like Dad said our bags were gone, his hanging on the wall and I assumed mine he returned to my room. I went to his door and pressed my ear against it. Sure enough I could hear him snoring quietly on the other side. I smiled and trotted quietly to my room. Never had a bed looked so inviting, well...except last night. I pulled off my uniform, folded it carefully and placed it on my nightstand. I dropped onto the neatly folded bed, splayed myself out and fell asleep.

That night I dreamed of Celestia's arrival. How she delighted in the celebration we had planned just for her. She told me I was the greatest medical pony ever and she gave me a job as a doctor in Canterlot castle. Dad and Cedric came too, even Astible, Magenta and Vicks came along. I could see the sun whenever I liked, and the stars and the moon too. But the best part was the food! Apples, bright red and juicy, celery, colorful flowers! No more synthetic food paste and no more being stuck underground.

I was standing in a lush green garden fill with statues of ponies, griffons and a few creatures I didn't recognize. I reached out my foreleg and a little bird landed on my hoof.

“Hello. What's your name?” I asked. The bird opened it's beak and BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! I turned over and slammed my hoof down on the alarm clock. Fucking dream killer. I thought angrily as I rolled out of bed. But then I remembered she'd be here in just a few hours! My inner filly was bouncing off the walls of my skull while I groomed myself and donned my new uniform.

Dad was ready and waiting in the living room. He held something in his hooves.

“Come here Silver” he floated a small gold locket on a chain. It was shaped like a heart. “This was your mother's. I was going to give it to you when you got married but I figured you'd like to have it when you met Celestia.” He pulled it over my head and it came to rest around my neck.

“Thanks Daddy.” I told him with a tight hug. When I looked at his face he seemed almost sad. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing Silver. I just miss your mother, that's all. You look so much like her. I'm not going to be around forever” he said, catching me a little off guard. “so whenever you need me, just open that locket. Alright?” I nodded and he smiled warmly. “Now what are we waiting for? We've got a Goddess to greet.”

When we got to the atrium I was pleasantly surprised to see that maintenance had used what was left of the paint to restore the banners of Celestia, and Luna in case she could make it, back to their former glory. The tables were still set up but instead of rainbow paste somepony had used the yellow and orange flavors to make small suns on each plate. There even a dozen bottles of cider on the tables.

“Wow. I thought we ran out of cider fifteen years ago.” Dad said to Astible, who was setting up mugs.

“Oh, well we dug through a few crates we thought were empty and found them so the Overmare told us to put them out.” she blushed a little. “We want to make a good impression don't we? I love your uniform Silver.” I watched as her gaze lingered on my rump for a few moments. I smirked and whispered,

“If you wanted to have some fun with me and Cedric I'm sure we wouldn't mind.” She blushed furiously and her eyes widened. She struggled to speak for a moment and Dad trotted off to talk to Baton.

“I..I don't know what you're..” I interrupted her with a kiss on the cheek. Her hindlegs gave out under her and she almost hit the floor before I caught her with my magic.

“I wasn't that bad was I?” Cedric said from behind me. I looked over my shoulder pouted.

“I tried to tell her you were great, but Astible wanted to know first hoof” Cedric and I burst out laughing as Astible blushed down to her hooves. Wow, I didn't even know that was possible but she did it. Her coat had turned almost entirely bright red instead of gray.

“All joking aside you two, aren't you just so excited!” She said brightly as I set her down. All embarrassment gone. We spent the next hour and a half talking about the Goddess. Astible was certain that she'd bring the sun itself into the Stable and brighten up our lives, while I believed that we'd be leaving the Stable and moving to the surface. Hooves crossed for Canterlot! I thought brightly, while the little pony in my head let out a squee!

“Everypony, places! She's here!” The Overmare said over the speaker system. From what Dad said, the Overmare, Baton and Barrel will greet her at the Stable's main door and lead her to the atrium for the celebration. We waited. And we waited. I looked at the clock on the wall every minute or so and I was felt my insides squirming with excitement. She's here, she's here, she here!! Oh my gosh! I looked at the clock. It's been ten minutes. What the hay is taking so long

“You think the Overmare is showing her all our units?” Cedric whispered. I felt my ears droop at the thought.

“The Overmare's probably just trying to keep Celestia to herself.” I muttered angrily. Then a loud crack echoed throughout the atrium from the direction of the door.

“That was a gunshot.” A mare said behind me. I turned to see the serious face of Ambrosia. She was a short earth pony mare with a pink coat and violet mane. She was wearing standard 41 security barding with her pistol strapped to her right foreleg. “Minty, Sunny, Bubbles, come with me.” she said to some other security mares as she pulled her pistol from it's holster and galloped down the hall. Dad came up to me and said,

“Silver, go to Medical and grab a first aid kit. There may have been an accident.” I did as I was told. Hoping that the nopony was hurt. Especially Celestia. Fuck! That would be a terrible first impression. I arrived in Medical and pulled a first aid box off the wall and strapped it to my side. Two more gunshots rang out with an accompanying scream. Oh, no! I left Medical and galloped back towards the atrium. I heard several more gunshots and another scream. Except I recognized the voice this time. Astible!!

I stopped in the doorway to the atrium and it took all my strength not to scream. Where just moments ago there were ponies that I'd known my whole life there were now glowing piles of purple ashes, and a couple ponies who were bleeding profusely from bullet wounds. Standing in the center of the atrium with a half dozen identical gray earth pony bucks was a tall, muscular earth pony stallion. He had what looked like surgical scars on his neck, the white lines clashing with his dark brown coat. His mane was light gray and cut so short he looked almost bald. There was a small antenna sticking out of the side of his head and he had large rifle strapped to each of his sides. I was so horrified that it took me nearly a minute to notice he was talking.

“I don't want to kill any more of you. Your security is dead and the guns in your armory will not function, so those of you thinking of fighting, don't.” He waved a hoof around the atrium. “nopony else needs to die. Just tell me where they are.” One of the unicorns in the crowd, I think his name was Lucky Bit, pointed at me and yelled,

“There's one of them!” the earth pony turned his gaze to me and I felt my self freeze. His pupils were glowing red and he smiled. He turned to the strange bucks with him and said,

“Grab her.” Three of them galloped right at me. Raising plain white boxes with mouth grips on them. I couldn't tell if they were supposed to be guns or lunch pails.

“Leave her alone!” Cedric yelled as he left Astible's side and slammed into one of the bucks before they could reach me. As he pushed one to the floor the other two pointed their odd weapons at him. I looked from the boxes to the glowing piles of ash all over the atrium, then to Cedric.

“Cedric run!” I screamed but it was too late. They glowed and with a sharp Pzzt, two beams of purple light erupted from the ends of their weapons and struck Cedric in the back. He turned to me in shock as his whole body glowed brightly.

“S-Silver Heart...” He said before collapsing into bright ash that piled around my hooves.

“C...Cedric?” I dropped to my stomach and tried to scoop it, him, in my hooves but he just slipped through them. Tears spilled down my face as the three bucks grabbed me and pulled me forcibly into the atrium. The bucks were even more odd up close. Their eyes were dead and emotionless and their faces were expressionless and even their mane and tails were the same dull gray their coats.

They forced me to the earth pony's side and forced me to look him in the eye. I could see his pupils get smaller and I thought I heard mechanical sounds coming from him.

“You two really do look alike. I can't believe the bitch was right. Either way, you're coming with me.” he turned to the bucks. “Find the old buck then kill the rest.” Two of them grabbed me and pulled me off my hooves. While the others started shooting their deadly weapons into the crowd. They screamed and ran towards the atrium's exits as the bucks sprayed bright purple death into their fleeing bodies. I saw Astible make it through the hall to maintenance as the stallion next to her was turned to ash. I kicked at the bucks holding me and scrambled to my hooves. The earth pony tried to turn his rifles on me so I tried something I'd only seen done in books. Apple bucking. My rear hooves smashed into his muzzle and knocked him back a few feet.

“Fucking whore! Is it fucking hereditary to cause me pain!?” He held his muzzle with his forelegs and I took the opportunity and bolted as fast as I could towards Medical. Before I even reached the door Dad came from the direction of Medical. He was floating a pump action shotgun by his side.

“Get to our unit Silver, go to my room and lock the door! Now!” He yelled, taking aim at the earth pony and firing off a few shells of buck shot. It took me only moments to reach our unit. The rush of adrenaline being the only thing stopping me from just curling up and crying. I rushed into Dad's room and hit the door button. Wait...how am I supposed to lock it? There's no fucking locks. Suddenly, I heard a gunshot that was far louder than any I had ever heard. With that shot came an explosion of pain in my left side. A small portion of the wall next to me exploded and a large bullet stuck in my side.

“Holy fucking....OW!!!” I screamed. The force of the shot knocking me off my hooves and into the opposite wall. I slammed into the wall but it took a little longer than I expected. I looked around and all of a sudden I was in a completely different room. I looked around, my head spinning and holding my side gingerly. The room was about the same size as my room but there was no bed. Just a line of screens covering one wall and a small chemistry set up next to a sink. There was a gun rack on the wall with a pump shotgun, and an empty space above it. The walls that weren't covered were rusty and stained; not at all like the rest of the Stable.

My vision was blurred but I could focus enough to make out what was happening on the screens. Each one was showing different images from around the Stable. The atrium covered in bodies and piles of ash. The Stable door where the bodies of the Overmare and Baton were lying. The reactor room where several of the gray bucks were pulling the reactor apart piece by piece. I paused on the middle screen where the tall earth pony was floating my father in front of him. I must have hit my head pretty hard. I thought as he dropped my father limply to the floor and pointed his rifles at his head.

“NOOOOO!!!” I screamed as he pulled the trigger. Again I heard the eardrum shattering roar of the rifles as Dad's head was blown to pieces. I stood up, ignoring the pain in my side and the blood pouring from the wound. I put my hooves against the screen and pressed my face to the glass. “Nononononononono....” I watched as the earth pony spasmed from arcs of lightening erupting from the side of his head. It looked painful. I hoped it was. When he straightened he floated Dad's body over to one of his bucks and left the atrium heading towards...my unit.

I looked from screen to screen until I found one that showed the living room and Dad's room. The door opened and the earth pony began tearing the place apart. He went through my room, the living room and finally Dad's room. Flipping over furniture and pulling things out of drawers. He flipped over Dad's bed, smashed his desk to pieces and fired twice into the wall. I heard them dent in the wall to the left of me. He looked at the wall suspiciously and slammed against it experimentally with his hooves. He smiled and bucked the wall repeatedly for about a minute before pausing. His eyes turning from red to blue with lines of numbers flashing across them too quick for me to read. When his eyes returned to normal he said something and promptly left the room. Pausing for a moment and floating a picture of Dad and I off the wall before leaving.

I followed him on the screens as he went from room to room. Searching for me. Or I'm pretty sure it was me. As I watched his progress I tried to count all the identical bucks with him and I lost track at just over sixty. After going through every room in the Stable and the Overmare's office they left. The strange bucks seemed to just vanish into thin air every time I looked for one, while the earth pony left through the Stable's door with a group of six of them. One of them carrying my Dad's body. I slumped against the wall of screens and sobbed. Dad's dead...Cedric's dead...its all my fault! Why didn't I just listen? What the fuck is wrong with me, I got them all killed! Dad knew it. He fucking knew and I convinced him to stay...

I don't know how long I stayed there. Lying against the wall and crying my eyes out. Minutes? Maybe hours? I don't know. But at some point I ran out of tears. And something began to replace my sadness. Anger. Why? What was the fucking point? Why did they want me and Dad? We aren't worth what they did! I thought angrily, my gaze shifting to the alarmingly large puddle of blood coming from my side. I removed a healing potion from the first aid kit and drank it. As the magic did it's work a bullet a third the size of my hoof popped out of my side and landed on the floor with a dull thud. I grabbed it with my magic and brought it to eye level. So that's what getting shot feels like. I thought bitterly, dropping it into the first aid kit. My life is so much richer for knowing. By Celestia I can die happy now. I don't know why I kept it but it just felt right. I stood up and nearly crashed to the floor from the wave of dizziness that hit me.

After steadying myself I looked around the room for a way out. I spotted my saddlebags in the corner near the screens still full of supplies. Maybe I didn't convince him after all.

I put them on strapped my first aid kit to the side. I looked at the gun rack and floated the shotgun towards me. It was a pump action with the stock sawed off. If it will blow that earth pony's head off it'll do. I stuck the shotgun in my bags and looked for a way out. There was no door so I reared up and bucked the wall. Or I tied to. My hooves just passed clean through the wall. I soared through the wall and slammed headfirst into the broken desk.

“What the hay...?” How can I just go through the damn wall when he couldn't bash through it? I got to my hooves and went through the rest of the unit. I grabbed a few things from my room; a picture of Cedric, a few medical books and the rest of my peppermints. I also tried to find a picture of Dad but that bastard stole the only one he didn't shoot. I floated the locket to my eye and pressed the button on top. It clicked open dropping a tightly folded piece of paper. I unfolded it and recognized my father's neat tooth writing.

Dear Silver Heart

If you're reading this then what I feared most has happened. I truly hope that you're reading this with me after having met Celestia and myself being proved wrong. But if something terrible has happened you need to follow my instructions to the letter. If you're reading this at all then I am gone. The locket will let you move through the wall in my room that leads to my lab. You'll be safe inside until the intruders have left, and nothing short of a canon will get through the wall. Inside are your saddlebags which I've taken the liberty of filling with food, water, and some medical supplies.

I'm sorry that I didn't tell you more about myself Silver Heart. I should have trusted you not to make the mistakes I had. I was so afraid you'd want to see the surface that I hid my past from you, and I'm sorry. Now you'll have to go to the surface, and I won't be able to protect you. I managed to send a message to an old friend on the surface. If nothing went wrong I'll have to send another but if something did happen you need to go to a place called Gem City. It's a town built in the ruins of the Crystal Colosseum in the north east. You never learned where the Stable was built in school so I'll tell you. Stable 41 was built on the southern border of the Crystal Empire, a large metropolis that fueled Equestria's thirst for gems before the war. It wasn't completely destroyed but there was enough damage to end civil order and you have radiation to deal with. Keep an eye on your Pip-Buck and if you see any places where there seems to be smoke leaking out of the ground or buildings just stay away. It's very potent magical radiation that your pip-Buck won't register so keep an eye out.

Don't be hostile to other ponies if you can help it but don't be too trusting either. There are more monsters on the surface than the history books say. And the worst ones look just like you and me. And I'm sorry to tell you Silver, if you want to survive you may have to kill. Not just creatures but ponies if you have too. I know that murder is wrong but you have to defend yourself. Nopony else will. If it's that earth pony and his buddies I won't have any problem Defending myself.

I really hope that I wrote this for nothing and we're having a good laugh. But if not remember what I said. Get to Gem City and talk to an old Buck named Crystal Fox, and don't laugh at his name! He is very easily offended. Just get there and live a safe life, please. Your mother would be very proud to see you grown up. I know I am.

I love you, Silver Heart.

-Dad.

For the second time that day I broke down and cried. But not as long as before. I folded up the paper, tucked it into my bags and looked at the locket. Each side revealed a picture, one of my Dad and Mom on the left side and Cedric on the other. Where did he even get that? I wondered, tucking the locket away. I'll find that bastard...I'll make him pay... I didn't know how but I would. Even if it killed me.

I went through the rest of the Stable; looking for survivors and anything that would help me on the surface. I didn't find anypony who wasn't a pile of ashes or had huge holes shot out of them but I did find a few cans of water and some tubes of rainbow paste in the cafeteria. The rest were stomped and smeared on the floor by the ponies who tried to get away, and even though it was probably still edible I wasn't that hungry. Yet. I saw Lucky bit lying on the floor, two holes the side of my hoof in his chest and side. Even though he ratted me out I couldn't really be mad at him. If they hadn't started killing everypony he would have saved the Stable.

The last place I checked was Medical. The storage room was untouched but besides a few bottles of rubbing alcohol, two syringes of Med-X and a couple of healing potions it was empty. Medical looked so normal. Like nothing had happened at all. The ministry of peace posters will still on the wall. A little fade but still readable. There was a mare in an identical dress to mine was saying;

You Don't Have To Be A Steel Ranger To Be A Hero. Join The Ministry of Peace Today!

If I'd been a Steel Ranger none of this would have never happened in the first place. Stupid posters. Maybe if there were more Steel Rangers Equestria would have stomped the zebras to paste and the apocalypse wouldn't have happened in the first place. I looked in the X-ray room and was saddened to see a very large pile of ash that I assumed was Magenta and Vicks. At least they were together. I thought bitterly.

“Goodbye” I told the room. I'd spent nearly a third of my life working in this room. Leaving it behind was like tearing off my tail. Get it together, Silver! You have work to do. With one last look I left Medical and trotted down the hall to the Stable's door. I'd only been in this room twice before. Once on a school trip and the second when Dad introduced me to one of his friends in Security. The room was larger than most of the rooms in 41 but as large as the atrium. The massive gear shaped door was already open revealing a long rock tunnel with light at the end. I looked from the opening to the Stable and back again a few times before inhaling deeply.

"Here we go.”