Fallout: Equestria Swift Tale

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One: Deep Freeze
Chapter Two: Broken Mind
Character Profile: Swift McGlides And Sarah FlameHeart
Chapter Three: On The Road To Nowhere
Chapter Four: The Ballet Of Stardust
Character Profile: Stardust
Enemy Profile: Raiders
Chapter Five: A Pony Possessed By An Evil Sprit
Chapter Six: A Crazy Noisy Bizarre Adventure
Chapter Seven: Griffons and Answers.
Introduction
DLC Chapter: How to cook the perfect roasted raider.

Prologue

Prologue

"Unlike it matters...no one cares about my past."

I'm not sure why I'm talking into this box computer arm thing I found, It's not like any pony is going to listen to this or care to listen to what I'm ranting about. Maybe it will comfort me when I'm dying alone or at least let some travelers have something to listen to as they walk a long road to where ever there walking too. Well if that is the case I thank you for listening to the ramblings of Swift McGlides traveler or my cause of death whatever comes first. So I guess I should talk about my early life as a foal. At a time before the war a much different time and how I surprised my parents (Who were both pegasi mind you) to the fact that of all odds I was born a unicorn...I was a small white fluffy unicorn with a dark black mane with a wave at the end with two cute green eyes.

At first, it was my destiny to be a great flyer like my parents before me. My father had taken the liberty after he found out I was a boy to naming me Swift McGlides after his great-grandfather (Who had won lots of racing medals back in his day). So when the day that should have been that happiest day of their lives turned sour. As my mother had a difficult pregnancy as my horn was ripping against the walls of her womb and all most drowned in a pool of blood. (It was not fun for anyone of us) So when they saw my horn they also checked for what was going to be my wings...

Instead, they saw little baby stubs where my wings were going to be if I had them. My parents started to freak out as they saw me. Dad started asking mom is the baby was theirs and mom started asking dad if there were any genes that could cause this. The doctor said it was a birth defect that causes my wings not to fully develop and to all insult to injury I was a unicorn and I could never glide nor swiftly glide through the air like my parents wanted to so...as well as I couldn't stand on clouds and my parents would have to carry me everywhere. They wanted to send me to an orphanage as no Pegasus wanted a child with a birth defect or a unicorn child. The doctor also said that there was once another case similar to this when the parents were both earth ponies and they had twins one with a horn and the other as a pegasus.( I think they had something to do with cake but I can't remember).

So that's how I the unicorn got a Pegasus name...it's not that bad...it's better than something with sparkle pants or other names that make it sound like all unicorns are female. I was lucky that I at least that my parents decided to move to ponyville so I could roam with the ground walking ponies. The house was more of a small two bedroom, one bathroom and a living room that connected to the kitchen. (It was better than the hotel room we had to stay in as we were moving).

So I grew up in ponyville with the rest of the ponies in that small town. I didn't really get along with the other kids and they bullied me because of my lack of wings. (By then I called the things number one and number two). And I would just be with my parents most of the time. They tried to hide them with a large cloak and I felt much more confident in my self that I could go outside and enjoy Celestia's amazing daylight and sometimes I would climb out on the roof to watch Luna raise the moon. As soon as I was older about 6 years old I was interested in what this magical bone that was growing out of my head could do. I could see the other unicorns levitating stuff like teacups to their mouths to sip it and some unicorns could to other stuff. (To a 6-year-old seeing magic being used for everyday activities was amazing). So one day I decided today was the day that I lift something off the ground with my mind and horn. I looked around for something to lift and I spotted a strange looking vase and that was to me the perfect test subject for me to lift.

I aimed my horn at it and shut my eyes and concentrated with all my might as I felt the magical energy flow through my small body. I heard a familiar sparkling sound of magic that I heard from the other unicorns and one moment I was doing something (I couldn't see) and the next moment I heard a crash of the strange looking vase as some strange powder tickled my nose. I opened my eyes to see a scorch mark on the wall and a broken vase with the powder dumping out off of the shelf. I didn't know what to do it didn't look like I lifted up the vase...but instead, I vaporized it.

Being the curious pony I was I licked the powder. It tasted funny...like it was burnt. As I turned my head I could see my parent's horrified faces in the doorway. My mother started to cry and my father was lost for words. (Turns out I was licking her mother's ashes that were in the strange vase). And the rest of the day was blurry I started to pass out as I have used so much of my magic and strength to not only make the scorch mark and vaporized the vase. The next day I woke up in a hospital and I had lots of eyes looking at me. My father, mother, and some doctors. In my mother's hoof, I could see a letter for a magic school for gifted youngsters. They were going to send me away to this school and I don't blame them. (after all, I didn't want to kill them by mistake.) So they packed my bags and said my goodbyes as they dropped me at the front of the magic school.(It was a college) It was in Canterlot the home of the princesses and I stayed there to learn as much magic as I could. I felt if I couldn't fly I could at least make my parents proud with my magic talent...or I thought it was.

My would keep in touch with my parents as I would send them letters magically and they would write me back and give them to the mail mare (That I hoped I would meet again if I could.) She did have trouble finding my room and sometimes hit the door on her way out. Maybe it had something to do with her eyes or something.

After 10 years of learning different magic spells from a simple healing spell (learned it after I fell down the stairs and broke my leg and was sent to the hospital again so I spent the time healing to learn to heal my self and others.) And a shield spell. (I felt that it would be a good spell to learn to block any attacks or other things) I never needed to learn an attack spell (But I would later know one by heart) I was still a "blank flank" normally a pony would find their cutie mark at a young age but for me...it never showed. So not only did I have thing one and two but my flank was void of any mark. So back to the old cloak as I was kind of embarrassed. So as I got older I did manage to find someone I liked a cute mare by the name of Sarah Flame Heart. (The mare I would soon fancy and would soon to be my mare-friend) The cutest mare I have met. Her purple mane and her blue eyes to her soft grayish white fur. (or hair I'm still having trouble with that). And her cutie mark of a heart on fire (I guess that's why her nickname was heartburn). How we met was a classic love story when stallion meets mare that whole thing but what really brought us together was one day...

So as a project I was told to write a 5 front and back report about the history of an important figure of pony kind and dressing up was optional so me wanting to be a good student I chose to dress up. I choose Princesses Celestia as I was the easiest to pull off. So I looked for a potion recipe to grow out my hair and I dyed it like hers as well as build my own crown and neckless. (For some reason I wanted to be a princess after all maybe I was suppose to be an alicorn but that was a long time ago and I yes...for a project I did dress up as Princess Celestia.) As I was writing my report I would be painting her cutie mark on my flank. As I was building my own pair of wings I would be editing it. Then when the time came to read my report and show off my costume. I was a perfect copy of the princess of the sun. All my features matched her and I walked into the class with my report and turned to the class and I was shocked...

The princesses were in the classroom as well as my parents...
(The school was very interested in my project that they sent word to the princess and my parents).

To make matters worse the class started laughing at me and this one unicorn. (Who was an asshole started cracking jokes and started calling me Swiftlestia that would be my code name.) I felt embarrassed, no one else was dressed up and to make matters worse they were laughing at me...not with me. Then an idea came to my mind. I WAS the princess at least in there so I decided to improvise. I jumped up on his desk and with a voice, I never knew I had I yelled him her voice.

"If I was the real princess I would have the guards send you to the Canterlot dungeon for disrespecting me!"

I yelled at him. Everypony was surprised. And they shut up so I could do my report. When I said guards and dungeon the two from outside came in all confused. (I forgot about what I wrote but it was a great grade). The princesses enjoyed it and Celestia invited me for tea after it was over. My parents were impressed that their hard earned bits were being put to good use. After that was over Sarah found me and pulled me to her room. She had a scene of humor and loved the fact that had the guts to dress up as a princess in front of the class, Tell the ponies in class to shut up and make the princesses smile.

The next morning we were cuddling together after a night of romance.

So that some of my happy memories...well...I would like to take a minute so just sit right there and tell you about...wartime.

War broke out on my 20th birthday and last I checked I was 24 when I was unfrozen. The same day I was also graduating from the school and a law was passed that all abled ponies that could would a firearm and could help in the war effort was forced into fighting in this war. I was part of this Unit with Sarah. No matter how many days past of fighting and death. Our love was stronger than the weapons that wounded us. We kissed before every battle. I would fire two 9mm submachine guns (I called them the twins) and Sarah would wear a fireproof jumpsuit and use a flamer mounded on her battle saddle and she would run at the enemy and burn them alive. That was her favorite thing to do. She was insane but she was my pyro-lady-aic and was not like other girls. And that is what they both liked about each other. We both had our problems and together. Sarah with fire and Swift with his blank flank stubs. (They were bigger and started to give me back problems so health potions and some drug I didn't unknown was a must)

Everything was perfect with the two of us together...but there is one day that haunts me forever...

We were fighting the zebra scum (I don't care anymore.) and I saw her burning them to death as I was shooting the twins I looked at her and winked and she winked through her gas mask and continued to melt the flesh off the zebra's bones as their blood boils. It was around midnight and it was going to be a thunderstorm as she was on a roll...But then there was the shot of a sniper rifle as it hit her flamer causing it to explode in her magic aura and she was thrown back. I saw that and I radioed my team that heartburn was down and I ran over to her...But another shot from the rifle and this time I saw the sniper and I looked back and was blown away as the second flamer exploded. As I was blasted back I heard the scream of my lover burning to death. (she was blown up and burning to death from the inside.) I was wounded but I didn't care. I saw her burning and...and...I snapped. I screamed a un-pony scream out loud as the rain started and the sky turned gray. I shut my eyes and aimed my horn down the battlefield and with all my might and rage I vaporized a whole row of zebras ( 6 zebras and 3 ponies). In my mind, it only had one task...

Kill them all...

And my first target that mother fucker that shot my lover. I knew where he was at and I just ran at him. I was going to pass out from my fatigue after using my magic but I didn't care (something was driving me to go on). I was getting shot at and I was bleeding from my wounds but my eyes were on this one zebra. He tried to run but I was faster and I stabbed him with my horn and lifted him up into the air. He was still moving and I pushed him deeper. I felt his blood drip down my horn onto my face as I said to him in a deep and angry tone.

"When I see you in hell...I can promise ...PAIN WITHOUT END!"

I pushed him fully on my horn and I fully killing him as the rest of the zebras fled as they saw me like I was a bad omen and then I passed out... I could tell you how I wanted to kill my self to end it all. But I can't remember it right now. So I guess that is a story for another day.

The rest of my memories are blurry because I just woke up from a long nap after...Well, I can talk about my self later...Right now...I ate some pony...I just tried to kill my self...I want to leave the stable...End recording.

Chapter One: Deep Freeze

Chapter One: Deep Freeze

"How long was I out for?"

Cryogenic sequence disengaged...

Cold...

I felt cold...

Everything was cold...

...But I didn't feel cool, I was not moving but I was breathing. I didn't know what to do but sleep. But I wasn't tired in fact everything was cramped. I needed to get out of there but everything was frozen. It was me and my own thoughts that have stuck with me for the last...I don't remember it was like time stopped. The strange thing was...if I was supposed to be asleep...then why was I awake? I was wet...was I...defrosting? It hurt to think...like it really hurt...The sides of my head were burning. After waiting for about 5 minutes before I was able to open my eyes. From what my eyes could see was in a strange pod with ice melting.

The glass was fogged so I couldn't see what was on the other side. But I swore I saw somepony out there pass by as I heard the sounds of galloping hooves leave me. (only 5 seconds of being alive or something and I was already hearing and seeing things). I was waiting to be able to move as the ice melted from every nook and cranny of my body as well as water dripping off my horn to my face. 1 hour passed and I was able to touch the door. (It didn't budge maybe because it was frozen shut) I forced my self to punch the door. My blood was frozen and my muscles were sore. Ok, I guess magic will have to do...but my head would hurt like crazy.

"okay...here...we...go..."

I tried to levitate the door open it took awhile for me to build up some magic charge and my head hurt like mad as I forced the door open and fell out on the floor with a thump as it echoed through out the dark and dank room I was in. The room It's self-was a long hall with the cryo pods running down each side of the gray walls and checkered black and white floor. The pod was a large chair that could fit one pony or a pony with a new born. (That I saw the skeleton of both of them) There was a small window in the middle of the door so you could look out or others could look in. On the side of the pod was a control switch that could close the door from the out side as well as an emergency switch inside.

I was very weak, so weak that I couldn't move. (Due to my body still unfreezing.) I turned my left but my eye sight was blurry as they were still adjusting to the light coming out of the pod. I could see a long row of the same kind of pods on each side. Some looked like they were broken and the others were either not in use or were in fact broken. The dust in the stale air tickled my nose as I could my first breath in ages. Then I looked to my right and I was spooked by a skeleton of a dead pony that was laying on the floor next to me.

"Sweet Celestia! What happened here!"

I screamed as I shot up to my feet and weakly tried to balance my self. That pony could have been me if I just laid there waiting to die. My back felt heavy like I was carrying some one or something. I was backing away seeing all the skellingtons in the hall and I backed into a glass wall. Slowly turning around I saw me...but not me. I saw a lot of different me's in the broken glass as they reflected back the fear in my face. Instead of seeing my normal self I saw I was still a unicorn...But my stubs had grown out to a pair of large feathered wings.

"No way!, Imposable! This could not happen!"

I screamed in shock to the fact I was an Alicorn. The stubs were replaced with wings. I stepped forward and one of my hooves got impaled on a shard of glass. If I was dreaming that won't hurt. I cried out in pain when I saw my blood was leaking from my body. I needed to remove this and find out why I was here again and what happened to me. Quickly but carefully I walked past the broken glass and down the hall without getting hurt once more. (It hurt to use my magic for anything so I was going to heal the old fashion way.) I looked at my self again still no cutie mark but my wings...well were wings. I tried to give them a flap but they were still frozen.

"Where I am? How long was I here?"

All I could remember was the first time I was jumping into the pod, and even that was blurry. I slowly made my way past the minefield of broken glass and skeletons so I wouldn't get any more glass anywhere else. The water dripping off my body to the floor every time I placed each careful step past the bones of the once lively ponies that walked this hall. I was in their tomb the least I could do was not disturb them.

I managed to walk safely to the next room I entered was a what looked like a hospital or clinic. There were hospital beds with dividers some had skeletons on the beds that didn't look normal at all. Some were strapped down and others were on the floor. There were other medical equipment and some computers but what I needed was bandages. And it just so happens that there was a metal box mounted on the wall. It was not like a normal box but the best box that I needed at the present moment. The medical box was yellow and had three pink butterflies painted on it. It was slightly rusted and the paint was faded. But I was hoping there was something in there that could help me.

"Thank Celestia's back-feathers."

I limped to the box and to open it. I forgot that most of the time they're locked. With no chance of lockpicking it. (Because I knew there had to be something to fuck with my luck) I just sat down trying to think of ways I could open the box as blood slowly was leaking out of my hoof on the floor. Okay looks like I had no choice but to use my magic no matter how much it was going to hurt. I shut my eyes and tried to think of something to take my mind off the pain. I started to think about my love. Her soft and warm smile. The smell of her tuffs of burnt mane she tried to cover up with a cheap perfume. I smiled as I started to use my magic to pull out the glass and heal my wounded hoof.

It didn't feel half as bad and I opened my eyes to see my hoof healed as a sighed happily as I remembered her. Then I remembered why I was here. The misshaped bones and the medical equipment everything started to make sense. I was here because I wanted to die. I didn't want to take my own life because that was not how I would not want to be remembered. Instead, I signed up to be a test subject of the unethical tests I have been hearing about. The tests that one pony would go in and never come out. And if they did they were never the same again. I saw the faint green glow of a terminal that was activated...recently.

"Strange...really strange...how did you turn on..." I walked to the terminal and looked at the what it had to say. Most of the logs were corrupted but I saw the most recent one the log of me.

Subject: Swift McGlides Code Name Swiftlestia.
Status: Activated.
Pod ID: 0000007.
Race: Alicorn (was our only perfect unicorn test subject)
Sex: Stallion.
Doctor: Aloe vera.

"Strange...no one else knew that but me...from all my days in the war...no one but..."

I looked around the room. As much as I was baffled at what I just read...only...Sarah...would know that... I looked around then back at the terminal. There was no way she was alive...she is dead and I am going crazy I'm seeing stuff and I'm hearing things. I continued to read the log as I felt like I had to know its secrets. I clicked on one of the files and read the first one.

...I don't care what the ministry mare says, She wants an army of alicorns that are all female. I believe it would be better to breed them instead of dipping unicorns in a vat of the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion one at a time. Oh well, what she doesn't know is that me and some of the team are here with our own plan to deal with that problem and we have loads of test subjects even one who shown much willingness to do anything and everything. In the rest of the logs is detailed info on what happened to the others. After all, we already started dipping them in the vat of the I.M.P so we are far from what the ministry is doing taking their own sweet ass time when there is progress to be made. That is why we have our own stable away from the ministry so we can do our own experiments with no one to stop us.~ Head of the project Doctor Aloe vera

"Well, she sounds like tons of fun."

I said with noticeable sarcasm as I typed on the terminal to access the other logs of this crazy mare known as Doctor Aloe vera. "Here we go Swifty Time to find out what the hell happened."

Subject: File name corrupted virus detected.
Status: Dead.
Pod ID: 0000001.
Race: Unicorn.
Sex: Stallion.
Doctor: Mantis Toboggan.

...Okay, so we started the test right away after we heard a loud noise from what I can gather it was a balefire bomb. I demanded we start at once due to lack of time. We readied the first test subject and lowered them into my own batch of the I.M.P for three minutes. After that, we lifted him up and were shocked to see that 0000001 had melted into the batch. So that was a waste of a batch I will have to fix that after all, I don't really care about what happens to them I just want to see progress! I sware if somepony fucks this up I'm going to force them into the dip! In other news, the control visor is in testing, more on that later. So I guess it's back to the drawing board...Again!

I was horrified!

"They melted ponies in this I.M.P stuff! And what is a control visor?" I kept reading the logs.

Subject: Flank West and Buck Green.
Status: Dead.
Pod ID: 0000002 and 0000003.
Race: Unicorns.
Sex: Stallions.
Doctor: Silver Gear (Dead).

...We lost half our team today after we tested 0000002 in the vat. When he came back up he didn't change and he was "dead." When we sent him away to get an autopsy about 30 seconds later he was walking in the lab with his guts falling out onto the floor, his eyes cloudy and the blood of Doctor Silver Gear on his mouth. The Doctor turned as well as another medic and they were trotting at 0000003 and bit him. I had security shoot them and take the bodies to the incinerator and burn them but not after taking some samples for later. All but 0000003 we dipped him and...well we got some interesting results after all this was a nice breakthrough even if it wasn't what we needed but it was something...

I stopped reading, each time I would read the logs I could see that it would have been better to blow my brains out than be apart of this sick and insane shit that these ponies have been doing here to the soldiers and...and...what they did to me. I felt sick and I wanted to throw up but realized I was hungry...Not just hungry I was starving. I needed food badly. Okay, no more reading till I find some...

Stable door cycling sequence activated please stand by.

A loud noise filled the stable of the sound rusted metal on metal as the massive steel door was pushed out of the way. As the musty smell of the outside flooded into the whole stable. My head was killing me and I tried to limit the noise in my ears. I felt the rumbling from the door on my hooves. Somepony had opened the door for the first time in ages. Then I heard someponies trot into the stable.

"You sure this is the place she told us about?" some pony said.

"The map box thing I stole of that bitch that the others raped and killed says this is the place she said to go." This other voice said.

"Let's just find what she wants and get out of here, I hate these stables they creep me out."

"Don't be a baby, Okay it looks clear go tell the others to move in."

I could hear their voices from the hall. They didn't' seem friendly at all and something tells me I had two choices. One meet them and die. Two fight back. And I was wondering what my new body could do... I heard them coming closer as well as more hooves. So I left the terminal and when to hide somewhere to get the jump on them. They were in my cave with a hungry alicorn and if they thought they could best me then...

They were doomed...HAHAHAHahahahhahah!

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Cannibal-- Your so hungry you can eat a small horse. When sneaking you gain the option to eat a corpse of your fellow ponies to feed your self and regain health.

Chapter Two: Broken Mind

Chapter Two: Broken Mind

"Well...you look very...tasty."

I'm not sure what happened to me...

One moment I was my self, But then I was not even a pony...

I couldn't think straight or think at all...

All I wanted to do was feed...

...Even if I didn't know where I was I knew every nook and cranny of this stable. I was in the clinic and next door down a small hall was the classroom. (Which was turned into the Cyro pod room.) Up a flight of stairs on the left was the entrance to the lower part of the Atrium. My prey was on the top of the atrium where the Overmare's office was located. Now where to hide my self so I can pounce. I could hide anywhere but I believe that should hide in plain sight. I ran and with a little flap of my wings hopped into the chair and pretended to be a sleep. All I could think was how tasty they were going to be as I eat their flesh off their bones. How would it taste in a soup or roasted or...fresh off the bone?

Meanwhile on the other side.

"Okay, guys we do this nice a quick no fuck ups." One voice said.

"We got this buck-shot shut up and get moving." A voice that sounded female said.

"Look we got pre-paid for this job 50 caps each and you saw what she did to Wing-nut."

This BuckShot said as they were getting closer to me. I was surprised how small this stable really was and the fact that the ponies weren't trying to be quiet at all. My mouth was drooling but I had to hold my self back. I could smell them. (They didn't take a bath in years).

"Wing-nut that horny bastard, She ripped him apart with that mini gun battle saddle when he tried to lay a hoof on her."

"And that's why I don't need that crazy bitch following us if we don't do this okay Wooden ladle?"

"Fine you think there is anything to loot here?"

"Maybe just after we do this job."

They walked down the stairs and entered the medical lab. I heard some shifting of the skeletons as they walked down the Cryo pod hall down to my pod. I was already thinking of my plan of attack and how I would deal with their friends if they had the guts to fight me. The stopped in front of my pod and I could feel their eyes staring through the window.

"You think this is the pony she wanted us to kill?"

"No, it's not the pony we are looking for, It's the mail mare." I heard the sarcasm in his voice as he went to the door controls and put a hoof on the switch.

"Ugh, I'm not sure we should let him out this seems like it's better if we leave him sleeping."

"Oh look who is the scared filly now!"

"Shut the fuck up and open the door."

Time to put on a show for Mr. BuckShot and Miss Wooden Ladle. As the door opened I fell on propose with the same thump as before. I laid there motionless making sure to show off my wings. I felt that they were surprised just as I was when they found out that what they had just released. What they said was not what I thought.

"That's...that's......It's...is one of those...things."

"Fuck...okay maybe it hasn't heard us..."

"They get into your head buckshot...Just one is able to kill a whole group."

"Let's just get this over with." I heard the sound of a gun cocking as they were in my kill zone and I was ready.

3...

2..

My eyes opened as I jumped to my feet and I violently opened my wings pushing the ponies to the ground. In surprised one fired a shot that hit the ceiling as I hissed showing my fangs. (Some how I grew fangs). And ran at the one with the gun. Shot after shot she had missed her target as I jumped on her and pinned her down causing the gun to slide under the pod. The other pony was running at me from the back with a machete. Buckshot was a male unicorn with a shaved mane and was dusty brown with a shotgun shell on his cutie mark. (I was confused as much as you). And wooden ladle was a female earth pony with a light green and dirty coat and with a wooden spoon as her mark. I used my magic to lift buckshot up and slam him against the wall causing him to drop the machete with a loud clang as it hit the floor. I looked back at the earth pony and licked my lips. She was scared and her heart was beating very fast.

"So you're going to make a tasty treat cutie." (That sounded kind a rapey even for me).

"Do your worst you monster!"

"Gladly!" I headbutted her causing her to black out as I tied her up with a rope she had on hoof. She was going to be for dessert. (Okay that sounded well...anyway!)

Then I walked to the wounded raider as there was a gash in his head. His blood dripping out on to the floor as I picked up the machete and let it drag on the floor letting it scrape and scratch the tile. He tried to get up but I stabbed him in the haunch and I pushed it deep into his cutie mark as he cried in pain. I laughed as I twisted the machete and ripped it out and held him down with my magic. The blood was pouring out of his wound and I loved it. No matter how much he screamed for help I didn't stop. There were more coming to aid my dinner there hoof steps running to the noise.

"More fun for Swifty!"

I screamed as I stamped on the Raiders skull crushing it under my hoof with a satisfying crunch! I pulled the gun out from under the pod and held both the machete and pistol in my aura. The Smell of blood was empowering and I decided to help my self to some drink. The taste was iron with a slight alcohol mixed with some strange taste I lapped it up like a dog. My muzzle was bloody like my hooves as I was standing in a pool of his blood. The others were getting closer and closer.

I flew up into the vent. (It was a pretty damn big vent.) and I crawled through it just as they found their friend dead on the floor with his pancaked skull. When they were in range I busted out of the vent behind on raider and slit his throat and used his body as a meat shield as the other pony fired an automatic weapon bullets into the body. I fired back and hit him twice in the chest and once in the head. (I was surprised that my aim was not that bad after being frozen for years). I chucked the meat shield at him as another one had been running at me. So with all my strength, I lifted the machete and with a stroke of luck I fired the blade with my magic and hit him right between the eyes. His skull splitting into two parts as his eyes flew out onto the floor. His brain started to melt out from his head like a waterfall. The last one started to run away but with my magic, I lifted him up and held him in place and smiled as I watched him struggle. I could smell the adrenaline in his body as I started to torture him. Cutting his belly open with my new favorite weapon as I watched his guts fall to the floor. All of them were dead.

"I win you fools! hahaha!"

As yelled madly as walked to the first pony and started to feed. The flesh was chewy even a bit salty as I dug into my meal. Ripping at the meat with my new found fangs not caring about the mess I was creating. It tasted great like this was the meal I had needed all my life to satisfy my hunger. (About his whole leg was almost gone) After I had my fill I decided to take a nap curling up into a ball of feathers and swift.

About 20 minutes later.

I was woken to the sounds of muffled mare screams in the corner of the room. I was sleeping in a pool of blood and stepped back I was a mess. I felt like a had a really bad hangover after one too many apple jack Daniels. (The best drink that could make you forget your problems and then some). I stood up to looked at the mare, She was scared like someone was going to rape her. I undid her gag and I asked if she was okay.

"Pardon me ma'am are you okay?"

"Get away from me you motherfucker!"

"Ma'am I'm trying to help you can you tell me what happened?"

"You fucking tied me up and killed ate them!"

"WHAT!"

I stepped back and looked over my work. Then it struck me like a bolt of lightning of what I did.

I had killed four ponies (And tied one up) without asking or checking if they were friend or foe at all...

I had killed them based on an instinct like I had too...

I was feared as a monster, not as a normal pony...

I ate one's leg...

...Now I saw what I did and what they truly turned me into...a killing machine. I mindless monster! I sat on a medical bed and thought to my self.

"This is not how Sarah would have wanted me to become,"

I said as I lifted the gun to my head. I'm going to kill my self it would be the best for everyone. No pony would forgive me for what I have done here. I felt the cold metal of the barrel of the gun tap the side of my head. I'm going to do every pony a favor and end it all right here and right now! I shut my eyes ready to pull the trigger. Then I heard her soft voice echoed through my head.

"Swift...please...don't do this..." Her silky voice flowed like a waterfall.

"Why shouldn't I Sarah...I'm a monster...Look at what I have done!"

I opened my eyes to see the ghost of the mare I loved sitting with me with one hoof on my shoulder. Her face had a scared and worried look to it. (I was hallucinating). I think this is what happens when you use bond magic. Funny thing bond magic is when two unicorns can share their magic. It is used to make spells stronger but it did have some side effects such as this on.

"You are better than this Swift...Please...Do it for me...Stay strong...Remember don't lose hope."

"Sarah I...I...I"

"Shhhhhh...I know...I love you too...and I'm all ways with you."

The ghost mare gently kissed me as I felt the trigger pull...

...Click...Click...Click...I snapped back to reality and saw that the gun was empty.

"Okay, Sarah...you got me this time."...

...I trotted back to the first raider that I killed and looked at the body. He was wearing strange clothes but upon closer inspection, I found out it was some sort of shoddy looking armor. Not knowing what the fuck was outside I looted his corpse after all he wasn't going to need. One machete, some crappy looking armor. (That I could upgrade if I had more of the same armor.) Some bottle caps, a half-full canteen, and two strange looking arm boxes. (On his hoof and the other in his saddlebags.) I looked at the first one on his arm. It had taken me some time to figure out what it was.

It was a Pipbuck one of those box things that you would wear on a foreleg just above the hoof. (as shown on the dead raider). This was a very magical piece of tech I had found a could prove its self-useful outside. It kept track of everything from your health and heal you if you were hurt to organizing whatever you had in your saddlebags. It could be a map and make them. Even play decrypt radio broadcasts and assist in repairing. Hell, I have heard stories that these little buggers had a feature that could tell you if something or someone was hostile and some sort of targeting system that could help you aim your shots up and sometimes if you were lucky you would get a critical hit.

And yes it can glow like a lamp.

This PipBuck was in the worse repair I have ever seen. There were scratches on the paint from knives the screen was smashed like someone hit it with a sledgehammer. So this PipBuck was just as useful as a paper boat. Then I looked at the other one. It was in mint condition with the initials VR and cutie mark (It looked like a songbird). It looked like the owner of this PipBuck was very proud to own such a piece of magical equipment that it didn't look a day over 200. I decided to try it on for size. It fit like a glove. (at least the glove part did) It was a little tight but snug and with a little snap of the latch, it sparked to life. As it rebooted a small smiling pony with was giving me the okay and the interface snapped to a screen. It showed a diagram of an alicorn as it scanned my body, Everything was a hundred percent and all green.

I booped the button and switched to my saddlebags to make sure it was organizing everything. Then I started to loot the bodies till I had some nice pile of stuff which included. (Not to forget the stuff I had already had).

Some scraps of raider meat.

Some bottle caps. (That I later found out that was the currency around these parts.)

An SMG in such poor condition that I was surprised that it fired at all.

Some health potions and a syringe with a purple liquid in it.

The 10-millimeter pistol that I had tried to kill my self with but with no bullets.

Four raider armors (That my new PipBuck turned all four of them into one better piece or armor with the repair spell).

3 bobby pins and a screwdriver.

And one bloody but still sharp machete.

"What are you going to do to me!"

Wooden ladle screamed as I got closer with the machete still trying to get my barrings on straight. She flinched when I lifted it up in my aura.

"Cutting you lose...you have no business here...get out."

I said in a serious tone as I cut her bindings off her hoofs. She jumped up and cornered her self. "Tell whoever sent you that Swift McGlides is a force not to be reckoned with!" I lifted my wings up for more of a dramatic effect to show that I had no time for games and I was giving her 10 seconds to get the fuck out of my stable. And she didn't waste one second of it and ran out of my sight so fast like her tail was on fire.

I packed up the rest of my things and walked to the terminal to read what it what it had to say before I left here for good.

Subject: Swift McGlides Code Name Swiftlestia.
Status: Activated.
Pod ID: 0000007.
Race: Alicorn (was our only perfect unicorn test subject)
Sex: Stallion.
Doctor: Aloe vera.

...It's been months and I'm the only one left in the stable. I didn't know you could work ponies to death, after all, I was the Overmare. Anyone that wanted to stop the project was to be forced into the tests or killed. I have the whole stable to my self and all the time in the world. I finally did it number 0000007 is the first alicorn! At first, he was weak so it was easy to install the control visor on his head. But I Doctor Aloe Vera had made this scientific discovery!...and no one was going to know about me...Oh well...Anyway, I'm running tests now and he had some interesting results. For starters, they are highly aggressive. (Good thing I put the control visor on him before hoof) And not to forget their strength and speed as well as enhanced physical and mental capabilities. Once they get past their boiling point they will violently and actively seek their target. Once spotted they will attack using weapons of their own raw physical power and sometimes use magic. They are neutral and can engage in everyday activities and are mostly harmless if left alone. The control visor is up in my office and is linked to any PipBuck through radio waves. 0000007 had to be kept on suicide watch after trying to drink some unmarked liquid. The test was really painful for him and he expected him to die. But anyway he is in the cryo pod room ready and waiting for the world above ground to be habitable. This is Head Doctor Aloe Vera signing off...and I'm going to get drunk in my office maybe even have a roll in the hay with 0000007...

"She was one crazy bitch!" I said not knowing what else to say. From what I just read was...well I was lost for words.

...I needed a shower. I picked up my loot and booked it to the showers. They were in good shape for 200 years a bit rusty. They had a stall with a shower in each one some of the doors had rusted off the hinges onto the floor. I was hoping that one worked so I could clean up. I got out of my armor and hanged it on a rusty hook next to a dusty lab coat. I tried all the showers and only one of them worked. I Filled my canteens and washed my body. The water was red with Buckshot's blood as it trickled down the drain. The water was cold (No shit the heater hasn't been turned on or was it broken?) And I washed under my wings. (Trust me you do not want wing rash I hear it causes blisters). I also plucked some of my loose feathers and kept them on me. Maybe I could use it as a quill or something.

After I finished my shower I dried off using the lab coat. (That I also pocketed because I felt smarter if I wore it) and armored up. I passed the medical box and got an idea. I don't need to lockpick it I could bust the door open. I slid the machete into the box and I used it as a crowbar to bust it open. Just like that, it popped open inside was some health potions and some bandages as well as a small box of mints.

After that I headed to the Overmare's office it was up to the stairs on the top part of the atrium. I passed rooms that didn't have much to loot so I just left. Well time to open this office and get whatever was in there. I tapped on the latch and it didn't budge. (Locked) Well...shit.

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Bloody Mess --With the Bloody Mess perk, ponies, and creatures you kill will often explode into a red, gut-ridden, eyeball-strewn paste. Fun! Oh, and you'll do 5% more damage with all weapons.

Character Profile: Swift McGlides And Sarah FlameHeart

Name: Swift McGlides.
Code Name: Swiftlestia.
Army Role: Frontline.
Race: Alicorn (Originally unicorn).
Sex: Stallion.
Age: 24. (Or 200 something?)
Status: Alive.
Coat: Thick white coat.
 Other features: Green eyes, Hairy hooves.
Height: Average alicorn height.
 Mane/tail: Black with a wave.  
Cutie mark: Blank.

Bio:
After the funeral for his special some pony, Swift fell into depression. From refusing to get out of his bunk to even going so far to threating to shoot himself with his "grease gun". He was discharged from his unit Crazy Diamond for failure to serve or corporate in the field. After he left he was signed up for a secret test from The Ministry of Arcane Sciences (Found out later twilight sparkle had nothing to do with this testing.) After noticing that with enough pain (both physically and/or mentally) Swift would become so enraged and filled with adrenaline. He would become very violent to everypony and everything. His magical energy output was off the charts, and his pain receptors would shut down as well as his vision. Building on this Doctor Aloe Vera used this to make her only one best alicorn. Now, After 200 years he walks again still mourning the death of his love. Who now haunts his mind talking and comforting him. (Due to the bond magic spell.)

Skills and pros/cons:
During his time in the war, he is able to use and maintain a variety of weapons. (His favorite being automatic weapons). He is very well educated (From being a "Magic Nerd") and can quickly think tactically and react in a firefight. From his skills in magic, range weapons and to hoof to hoof combat. This makes him a dangerous opponent. Due to his transformation, he is able to carry and magical lift up heavy loads. His large wingspan allows him to catch more wind to lift his body off the ground and fly faster in the air. His magic is insanely powerful if angered.

Even with his strength and speed he still needs to rest and recharge. Using his magic too much and carelessly will wear him out or can even make him pass out. His body is bigger than normal so there must be a food source, that is capable to feed him. If no food or not enough is available, he is able to survive on an empty stomach for 3-4 days but only 2-3 days without water. During that time he will enter a low intelligence predatory state that his only primary concern is to get nurturance from anything. Basically, he will act like an animal in the sense of speech and reasoning will be zero.

Other random non-important notes that were recorded:
Swift will often say "Ring-a-ding-baby" in response to being asked to do something.
The nickname "Swiftlestia" was brought back when some of his old schoolmates meet him in the army. (He hates it so much but doesn't regret the school project.)
The stubs that were on swift's back was due to a medical condition that the wings don't fully develop in the womb. (The horn and the blank flank however, is still a mystery.)

Name: Sarah FlameHeart.
Code Name: HeartBurn.
Army Role: Frontline.
Race: Unicorn.
Sex: Mare.
Age: 19.
Status: Dead.
Coat: Soft grayish white.
Other features: Blue eyes.
Height: Average unicorn mare height.
 Mane/tail: Purple with curls.
Cutie mark: Burning heart.

Bio:
Swift's special some pony he met in college died after getting shot with a zebra rifle. Sarah's normal behavior was a strong yet kind-hearted mare in a normal setting. But once on the battlefield, something in her snapped causing her to burn her targets alive with two battle saddle mounted flamers. When asked about her life she explains very little saying that "It was hot and too much for me to handle." Her name isn't a normal pony name as it comes from an old piece of forgotten pony literature. The FlameHeart was due to her pyromania in which she will repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires. It was best to keep everything flammable and fire starting tools away from her. Other than that she was a valued part of Crazy Diamond, and may her rest in peace.

Skills and pros/cons:
Sarah and Swift were able to use bond magic in which happens only when two ponies are compatible. The effect is their magic output is doubled and are able to use stronger spells. The only downsides to this are the pair must act in unison and with each movement be precise as if it was like dancing. Another downside to this is that if during the spell if one gets hurt the other will feel the pain as well. Part of Swift's Insanity is that some of her are still left from the spell making him sometimes be able to "talk" to her even if she has been dead for years. Bond magic is not commonly used for this reason. Sarah gets burned from time to time from her use of the flammers even with her fire retardant suit the heat is enough to burn off some of her hair.

Other random non-important notes that were recorded:
Sarah will do anything for ice cream. Security would have to guard the ice-cream rations against her.
Swift and Sarah have been caught "Loving" several times.
Sarah doesn't like to talk about her rough fillyhood.

Chapter Three: On The Road To Nowhere

Chapter Three: On The Road To Nowhere

"Don't lose hope Swift...I love you."

I looked at the door controls. The one thing keeping me out of the Overmare's office. A high-pressure sealed steel door connected to the lock from the inside. After all, I could understand a ponies privacy but is locking your self in your office really a good idea? Oh well, I was going to get in that office one way or another. Nothing was going to stop me. Because in the Overmare's office she kept all the goodies. From guns, ammo, food, armor if I was the only pony left in the stable then it I would want to put everything I had left in there when I locked my self up. But of course, that was only a guess. (Not even a well educated guess more like I assumed that it was full of goodies). Well, how am I going to get in? You can't pick the lock on an electric door control because there was no lock to pick. I sat down and started to think deep and hard.

"Shit...okay what do I have on hoof."

I opened my saddlebags and dug through my stuff till I found the mints...(Worst mistake I have ever made).

"Why were these mints in the medical box?" It was a small rectangular box with a smiling zebra on it and it read.

Mint-als "Refresh your mind and your breath".

Zebras...I didn't seem to care anymore they are all dead and that's how I liked it. (I would soon be eating those words later).I smelt my breath (That I could kill someone with it) and opened the box to lift three mints into my mouth. They tasted not too bad for being really old and the minty goodness was pleasing. Then I felt the effects immediately like my mind started to get back on track. I felt strangely smarter like the gears in my head were in motion and I knew how to open this door. I was going to open the panel and hack the door open with "my" new PipBuck. As I lifted my machete (Which I named Lyra). and forced the panel open and plugged my PipBuck into the door but something caught my eye. A lone audio file in the deep in the code that I managed to open and listen.

“The override code for opening the door to Stable Two is… CMC3BFF.”

A country pony accent, it must have been around the country side before the war. (Duh even with an intelligence boost I couldn't be any dumber) And what if this stable was still in use? Would they take in an alicorn? I thought as I started to unlock the door. It was stuck for a bit it but it opened to show the Overmare' s office. It was a large room with a circular desk in the middle. On the desk was the box with the visor in it. Once opened it started to link up to VR's PipBuck. The visor it's self-was a clear red thing that could go over my face around the eyes. It attached to my head with these two black ear things. I didn't want to put it on because this could control me or something else very bad so I just pocketed it.

There were some terminals a lot of useless junk around but there was an ammo box with two 10-millimeter clips (Each with 12 bullets in it). And another 10-millimeter pistol that "My" PipBuck helped me disassemble to fix my other one. There was not any canned food or anything else of use but what I saw from the Overmare's room was quite a shock to see the least. There in her room was a cryo pod with the one and only...

"Doctor Aloe vera!"

I said as I walked up to the pod that was laying down on the ground like a bed or a coffin. It was decorated with a mural of a starry night with the window the moon. I looked at the sleeping psychopathic and sociopathic unicorn that was the reason that I was an alicorn. There was a hoof written note on the top of the door, the paper was faded and the ink was hard to read but it was legible.

Dear who ever is reading this.

I realized my mistake after it was too late, My team tried to bring me what I wanted and I killed them. I can't go a day with out knowing that I killed them with out reason. I was blinded by my lust to create the perfect killer that I turned into one! I am insane any pony that didn't want to follow my instructions were shot on the spot and used as a warning to the others! In my terminal, there is all my work and my logs and I hope you can put them to good use. Not like it matters anymore everypony is dead!

Now if by some how you are 0000007 and have managed to live for all these years I want to say...I'm sorry for hurting you for my own personal gain. I have to say you are wonderful and even if you have no reason to forgive me I ask that you leave me here to die. I have done horrible things that I will have to live with for the rest of my days. I ask that you make an audio log if you are ever lonely or just bored talk to your PipBuck and record. I can't offer you much but there is a box in the closet and a suit for you to wear as well as the control visor. I have upgraded it so you are able to control your self but you might have some problems but I trust you will take care of it.

-Doctor Aloe vera

I didn't know what to feel. She had killed most of her team and killed others for the project. I thought that I should just leave her to herself and make an audio log. Maybe it will help me keep my sanity.

"I'm not sure why I'm talking into this box computer arm thing I found, It's not like any pony is going to listen to this or care to listen to what I'm ranting about. Maybe it will comfort me when I'm dying alone or at least let some traveler have something to listen to as they walk a long road to where ever there walking too. Well if that is the case I thank you for listening to the ramblings of Swift McGlides traveler or my cause of death whatever comes first..."

After I finished I looked into the closet and saw the box and the suit. It was a lovely white jacket with a black shirt and a red tie. Nothing says Hello I'm friendly like a stallion in a nice jacket. (It meant "I have nice stuff come and rob me.") It was a shame that it might get dirty but I was still on the mint-als. I thought that it would be best If I hide my wings for now and play it unicorn. I put it on under my armor and looked in the box. There were some canned food, another pistol clip and a picture of her. I counted my loot and got ready to leave here. I plugged into the terminal and downloaded her work as she asked and made my way to the stable door. I wasn't sure what I would do with it but who knows it might prove useful.

Just as I was going to leave I felt drowsy and everything was starting to spin. I wasn't even close to the door. I felt my self-becoming stupid and my senses lowering. Everything was spinning and turning upside down. I was going to pass out I...

WACK

I hit the floor...hard.

I had a dream that me and Sarah were at the coast walking down the beach. It was like a painting I could smell the fresh sea air and feel the sand on my hooves during the summer months I would let my mane grow out with a small pony tail and a goatee. Sarah would shave on side of her mane and look bad ass. We were walking enjoying our time together watching the rest of the ponies enjoying the beach with their families. Everything was perfect till the sky turned purple as there was a green blast of a balefire bomb as to destroy every thing. I shut my eyes from the light of the blast and when I opened them It was me and Sarah all alone. There where skellingtons of the ponies around us and the ground started to crack open showing the fires of hell. And from out of the ground, the zebra's came! There black and white stripes to the evil smiles on their faces. We started running from them faster and faster but we when nowhere! millions of balefire bombs were going off each time the zebras would laugh. The ground burning with fire as we climbed a mountain as the fire started to come closer.

"We are all most there!"

"Swift help me!"

I looked over and I saw the monster a shadow zebra! His eyes red and his smile as this demon like arms grabbed her by the tail and was lifting her to his mouth. I saw some nearby power armor and jumped into it. I felt invincible and and stronger then ever!

"Get away from her you bitch!"

I lost it and picked up a sword I found and leaped at the monster and cut its arm off causing it to drop her on my back as I ran. We were surrounded I readied my guns and shot at anything that moved. The bullets penetrating their flesh but from their blood more zebras came! The armor melted off my body with a sharp pain. The world was crumbling behind us, each piece of land was being sent into the eternal darkness from which there is no escape, filled to the brim with the influence of evil. It was gaining on us closing in and all around there were islands that I had to jump too dodging bullets each time the islands would get smaller. I jumped to the last island and nuzzled Sarah good bye as it crumbled under our hooves. We fell down into the depths of hell an endless abyss of insanity forced to bear witness to. Growing farther into the darkness farther and farther, farther and farther and farther...

"SWIFT!"

"SARAH!"

I screamed as I woke up gun in my magic and shells on the ground. The smell of gun powder was strong and tears were running down my face. I had fallen down the stairs when I passed out. "My" PipBuck said I had used my two clips. My precious ammo wasted on a hallucination. A very bad high from the mint-als It was playing on my emotions and my mind. Something so small has caused me waste the only thing that could change the odds in battle. I found Lyra on the floor next to me.

"Okay, no more Luna damn Mint-als ever again!"

I packed everything up and angerly walked to the stable door. The controls were easy to use and I sat down waiting for the door to open. The flashing warning lights and the large bolt that would hook on to the door to roll it away was very loud. No matter I needed to get out of there, The stable was going to chew me up and spit me out. The door was open now, I saw some small train tracks and some rubble. The Light from the stable was dim and would flash bits of the out side. This was a perfect time to record and I activated the voice recorder spell.

"This is log two of Swift McGlides bringing you or my self a warning. Do not Overdose on Mint-als they make you smart but they play with your mind if you abuse them. This mistake had cost me two clips of ammo and a very bad dream that I might talk about later. Right now I met the doctor that turned me to an alicorn and I have a nice suit. (That made me feel flirty and kind of horny when I wear it). I am ready to leave the stable which was left unmarked. (Maybe because it was a secret stable?). I'm walking to the edge of the large door that separates the stable from the outside. I am not sure what I will find out there but I'm going to find out there. But I'm going to go out with open hooves and an open mind. (Note to self the Raiders are not friendly at all) This has been Swift signing off for now."

This was it once I left I was never coming back here. I hated this place so much that I just ran out the door nothing was going to stop me. I ran outside and heard the door shut behind me. No more safety of the stable I was in unknown territory. The rocky tunnel was dark and dank, kind of humid too. With a click of "My" PipBuck it flashed on the lamp spell and I saw that I was in a mine. The train tracks and some of the old mine carts were rusted to the track, and a pool of water was at my feet.

"I wondered whose mine this was because it wasn't mine" (That was a dumb joke)

I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and stepped forward only to be blinded by the little parts of the sun poking through the clouds. My eyes hurt but adjusted quickly and I took into my surroundings. "My" PipBuck started buzzing as the map maker was scanning the land before and beeped.

"Ghastly Gorge Gem Mining co, well that's a relief."

I felt the sun's warmth on my face and a small breeze ruffle through my mane as the PipBuck started to click a little. I was taking some dose radiation, not a lot to kill me but it was best that I get walking. I walked down the large gorge, the huge stone walls of the gorge boxed me in. My saddlebags were bouncing on each side of my wings as I walked along the road. There was some old mining equipment, and piles of large rocks. A small railroad was lined around the plot of land. From cranes to converter-belts and large hoppers of rock. Gemstones were abundant here, and when I say were I mean there are no more gemstones here. Even if there are any gemstones here, they would have been traded for coal or to make Talismans. (I Knew about this stuff some how). It was strangely relaxing and I felt I could let my guard down, and try to make the best of it. Like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and the stress leaving was helping my headache.

Then I stopped, I had no idea where I was going to go, or what I was going to do. I was so busy trying to get out of the stable that I haven't planned on what I was going to do once I was out. (The little things you that you overlook). I thought about it for awhile and replayed the events in my head. Something was odd about my experience, Like why were there raiders there Who wanted me dead and would pay some drug junkies to come and kill me. (Or at least try too). That guess that was my main quest them. I opened "My" PipBuck and typed it down.

Quest Name: Who wants me dead?
Quest Info: Find out who paid the raiders to kill me.

"Well...that's not much to go on at all"

I continued my walk and saw a large destroyed railroad bridge with a train car hanging from it. Some of the bridge was hanging from the still cables. From the looks of it, I could use it as a ramp to get out of here. Or I could fly... I was scared of flying to tell you the truth. (Oh the irony) The thought of falling from hundreds of feet in the air, only to splat on the ground with every bone in my body broken sent chills down my spine. But if I had the time and guts it wouldn't hurt to try and fly. How hard could it be I have already mastered a small jump and a glide with them. All I had to do open my wings and give them a flap.

Or I could use magic to levitate myself up there. But even then it's still flying and my head couldn't handle that. Not to forget that most unicorns couldn't/did't like to levitate them self. (Maybe because it looked awkward floating around in your own aura of magic). I got closer to the bridge and put some of my weight on it to make sure it could hold me. It looked stable enough and I started to climb up, my hooves were sliding on the rusted metal. I heard the metal creaked as it struggled to hold my weight and the bridge started to sway side to side.

"Oh shit!"

I stopped and didn't move a muscle or even blink. The bridge stopped shaking and I sighed with relief. I wondered if I should continue or find another way up out of this hole. This could be a mistake that would cost me my life...

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Swift Learner --You are indeed a Swift and a Learner with this Perk, as each level gives you an additional +5% bonus whenever you earn experience points. This is best taken early.

Chapter Four: The Ballet Of Stardust

Chapter Four: The Ballet Of Stardust

"Please sir...don't hurt...me."

"Okay...easy their swift...lets take this nice and slow."

I said softly as I looked around at the bridge. I was surprised that it could hold my weight. (Not calling me well..."fat" just my new wings added like 2 pounds to my back). I watched every hoof step carefully as a continued my ascent up the bridge. Each sound would put me on edge but I had to stay cool. At this point, I was almost to the top half way there. I passed the train car that was hanging off the edge. It was an old caboose, the red paint faded and wood was rotting away. The old bridge cables were hanging down holding the train car in place as well as some of the bridge.

"You are all most there, you're doing great"

Sarah's voice rang in my head as she was guiding my hoof placements. I looked into the caboose, there were skeletons and other junk that wouldn't be of value. For example bent tin cans and empty glass bottles. Just your average junk that is everywhere for some reason. Maybe if you did find a need for them they would be of use. It was then that I made the wrong move and fell. I was so focused on the stupidest things and didn't realize that there was nothing for me to step on.

"Fuck me sideways with Lyra!"

I yelled as I fell I got tangled in the cables that were hanging down, they were warping around my body. My stuff fell out of my saddlebags as the cables got caught in my wings and started to dig into my skin. I was suspended about 30-feet in the air upside down. I yelled in pain as I was swinging from side to side, my fear of heights was bad and I was freaking out. All the blood was rushing to my head mixed in with all the adrenaline. I started to get motion sickness from everything that was happing. The bridge was creaking and struggling to hold my weight. I was going to die here, whether it was the fact I was hanging upside down or...

"Well well well...I never thought I would see you hanging around here."

Her voice shot out through the air like a gun. It was the same light green earth pony mare I or "Other Me" whose life we spared, sitting on an old mining hopper with a smug look on her raider face. (That joke wasn't funny either damn it!) She was taunting me, basically pointing and laughing at my predicament.

"DAMN IT WOODEN LADLE!"

I yelled at her but that wasn't any use. She began to walk under me to where my stuff was and started to dig around in it. She pocketed the Chems, the caps, and my only other working gun. She tossed the Buck Shot meat away in disgust. As much as I wanted to go down there and teach her a lesson I couldn't for obvious reasons. She lifted her head and looked straight into my face.

"Nice to see you again swift, Thank you for the free stuff you're such a gentle-colt." She said with sarcasm and a snort.

"Hey help me out, will you?" I asked with a worried voice creak.

"Nope...after all it's kill or be killed world, so I'm doing you a favor by not killing you."

"And just taking my stuff!, What type of logic is that?"

"Hey, it Works for me and finders keepers."

"Can you help me out?"

I asked in hope that there was any way she could indeed help me. I was really tied up. (Damn it now I am doing it.) I couldn't concentrate on my magic because all the blood was going to my head. Making it harder for me to even try to move. Not to forget each movement could mean death. Blood was running down my face and ruining my suit.

"Well I got to cut this talk short, It's getting dark and I got to go."

She started to trot away from the bridge maybe to find another way out of the gorge. My eyes Lit up (From trying to repress the anger from her stupid jokes) and I tried to talk to her again. I had forgotten to ask her why she was in the stable. The sun was on the horizon and I didn't want to hang here all night. With one sharp whistle, I got her attention again and she ran back.

"Yes, something on your mind?"

"Why were you in the stable, and why did you want to kill me?"

She looked confused for a minute even she answered quickly.

"We were paid to go in there to scout it out, however, are employer hid her face well."

She sighed hard and continued to answer my question as the sun began to set and the moon rise. The darkness soon fell over the land.

"She was a griffon from her front talons, maybe from one of the Talon Corp. mercenary camps I am not sure."

"Anything else Wooden Ladle, anything to help me find out who wants me dead?"

"Look I can't be out here for long, just go to new Appaloosa its after Ponyville maybe they can help you."

She began to take off running till I couldn't see her anymore. I was left all alone, my eyes started to close from the pain and blood loss as well from being exhausted. My wounds started to stop dripping cake up as I began to take a quick power nap. No dreams this time only loud and music...

MUSIC!

My eyes opened and my ears started to follow the music. It was pitch black outside and I was asleep for four hours. Where was that music coming from and why? The sound of trumpets and drums along with a flute solo was moving somewhere on the ground. I scanned the landscape and saw a dust cloud being kicked up from the ground. The music was getting louder and the dust cloud stopped. (The song flight of the pegasi was playing). It was coming from a small rusted robot with four small wings and antennas poking out of it. It looked like it was just looking around minding its own business when it came up to me.

"What are you doing here, you bucket of bolts?"

The robot didn't answer me all it just did was float there under me, still playing the same song over and over. It started to get annoying and I tried to make it go float away somewhere else.

"Hey robot please leave, your song is going to make me go bonkers."

"Sorry about that."

My jaw dropped when I got a response The robot just apologized for being so annoying. Not only that but it talked normally like somepony was controlling it. Not wanting to let this chance slip by I asked if it could cut me loose from the cables.

"Uh...robot...could you shoot the cables off my body?"

"Well...I could but you are going to blast me out of the air like all the rest of you alicorns."

"What there are more?"

"You didn't know? you're a real Filly in the dragon's den if you will."

"I am a truly sorry robot for insulting you, I just want to move on with my life."

"Well because you apologized I guess I could help you out, Just I don't have much control for long so give me a clear shot."

I smiled and tried to move the cables around for the shot. Even if the robot hit it dead on I was still going to fall and break my face into the ground. Maybe if I was lucky if I could manage to open my wings I could glide down at the last minute. The bridge was creaking and parts of it were falling off.

"Ready when you are robot, she ain't going to hold much longer!"

A blast of magical energy shot past my face, I felt the heat from the beam and the smell of burning metal. I looked up top and saw the cable halfway melted. The rest started to loosing up and I could move my wings and hoofs a little.

"Get out of there!"

The Sprit-Bot yelled as the supports were coming out of the cliff face. The bridge was collapsing and I got loose. Using the force and gravity I shut my eyes and forced my wings open to catch the wind just as the caboose fell with a loud crash and another train car fell with it. I opened my eyes and saw the damage as the whole thing caved in on its self. I was flying (Even if I was hurt to move and flap my wings I was truly flying). After I circled back and landed next to it.

"Thank you whoever is on the other side of the bot."

"No problem it's rare that someone would thank me for anything, and that coming from an alicorn well it's bizarre."

"I'm guessing "other alicorns" aren't friendly out here?"

"Not at all they are hostile to everypony."

Well, so that's why the Raiders in the stable were scared of me then. I dug around looking for my stuff, luckily the control visor didn't fall out of my saddlebags. I didn't get all my stuff as it was taken off my hooves (Thanks to Wooden Ladle) And she only left me...

The SMG that was empty and was in disrepair.

3 bobby pins and a screwdriver.

One health potion.

The water canteen.

My machete.

I chugged the potion down my throat and all my wounds started to close up like magic. It had no taste at all but I felt better. After I found my stuff, I turned to respond to the sprite-bot but it was already gone and the music was fading away. In no time at all, I packed up everything and leaped into the air. I wasn't scared of highs anymore, in fact, With my new ability travel was going to be much easier. Even with a fight, I could just fly away and come back later. I landed on the edge of the gorge and sat down. I had made a big mess and the sound might have been heard from miles.

I went to "My" PipBuck and added the new intelligence I got from Wooden Ladle to my main quest.

Quest Name: Who wants me dead?
Quest Info: Now after hanging around the bridge, I bumped into the raider mare.
Who told me that there might be somepony to help me in new Appaloosa.

"Well...now that I'm here might as well log as I walk."

I turned on "My" PipBuck's voice recording spell on and started to record as I followed the track to Ponyville.

"This is log three of Swift McGlides, bringing you or my self some advice. Note to self-do not try to walk on anything without checking if it can hold your weight. Becuase of this I was caught in some cables and hurt my self, to make matters worse my stuff fell out of my saddle bags and were swiped by that one raider mare. Thankfully a user-controlled sprit-bot cut me loose before I was crushed by a train car. I managed to get over my fear of heights and fly because of this although I do not recommend it. I'm starting on my way to Ponyville to stop for some supplies and to make it to new Appaloosa to find out why someone wants me dead. Well...I need to find a place to rest for awhile and tomorrow I will make it to my old house."

There wasn't much to see on my way to Ponyville as everywhere I Looked was more of the same thing dark, gray and flat. The cold crisp nighttime air was blowing on my face and I kept an eye on my E.F.S so cheek for anything that wanted to eat me or blast me to bits. It was very lonely and being very tired didn't help at all but I pressed on. I kept my self-awake by talking with my self. It was around midnight as I was in a heated argument with my self over "Does princess Luna like pineapples?" (Hey it worked for me).

The moon was overhead and there was an old station house up ahead. A place where I could rest maybe I could for a bit. I could take a nap and do some repairs maybe even find something useful. I stopped and looked around the building, making sure there was no one else was occupying the station. There was smoke coming out of the chimney so there was a low chance of the owner letting me rest there. I didn't have anything to trade and my wings may get me shot at. There were some train cars that might have something to help me and I sunk around them to look inside.

Most of them were empty or just full of useless crap. However, there was an old tarp neatly folded in an old cardboard box. It was dusty and ripped with wear and tear but it was there. I took off my suit and put it in my bag as I unfolded the tarp and dusted it off. The dust tickled my nose and the smell was musty. It was a purple cloth and it wasn't too bad as I wrapped it around my body. Nice use of a tarp and it was just right for some sort of cloak/cape thing over my wings.

Once it looked clear I started my way to the door, the wooden steps creaked as I stepped onto the station platform. There was a strange smell almost like something was cooking. I Knocked on the door and waited for about three minutes then let my self into the station. Inside was some benches and the ticket booth around next to it there was the fireplace. A table and some chairs were set up to make the station house more homelike.

"Hello anyone home?"

I asked as I went to the fireplace where a cast-iron pot was cooking something that smelled like chocolate cake. After opening the lid, it was indeed a chocolate cake type mush. Maybe it was a bread pudding made from the cake mix...Where would you even get chocolate cake mix at this time? It didn't smell too bad and I tried a little, it was great for being 200-years-old. After helping my self to some I sat down and began to eat but I felt like it was too easy. After I finished I put the bowl away and made my way to the door when I heard a thump upstairs.

I jumped in surprise and pulled out my machete and looked around. This place was getting creepy and slowly I made my way up the stairs. There were two bedrooms and one bathroom and one of the doors was open a crack. As I walked into one room it looked like a children's room. With a bed and some old and rusted toys on the floor and some old comic books, I was in a little filly's room so this felt awkward. I walked all the way in and lowered my machete. On my way out there was some muffled whimpering was coming out from the closet.

"Hello...Is somepony there?"

I said in a soft and caring voice as I opened the closet with my magic.

BANG!

A muzzle flash and pain in my shoulder followed by a small dark blue blur running out of the closet. I laid on the floor bleeding out and stunned. The bullet went right through the muscle and hurt badly. "My" PipBuck was beeping notifying me of my injury as it wasn't obvious enough. Even though I was shot the E.F.S was telling me it was non-hostel. I groaned as I tried to get up, it was hard at first but I managed a little magic to numb it but even then I needed normal healing. Limping downstairs I tried to find who shot me. I turned the corner there was another shot, this time it missed and the culprit was behind a overturned table. With no time at all, I jumped over and landed over to the makeshift barricade only to come face to face with a small dark blue unicorn filly with her gun pointed at my forehead.

She yipped in surprise and almost dropped her weapon from her magic aura. Her light blue eyes were red like she has been crying a lot and she had some brushes to cuts here and there. Her mane was a slightly lighter darker blue. With a quick gasp, I quickly opened my wings and launched my self back before she could fire the next shot. From the force of me launching my self, I hit a wall with a loud thump as the filly fired off another shot from her strange weapon.

"No M-more!"

She cried as she struggled to reload her weapon. I got up and magically ripped the weapon out of her magic aura. The filly curled up in a little ball on the floor and started to cry knowing she had lost. The weapon looked like it was a bolt action hunting rifle with a sawed off barrel and with mouth held pistol stock. The clip was a standard 5 bullet clip and from the looks of it this was supposed to be the poor filly's "Magnum". I turned back at the crying filly and just watched her not knowing what else to do.

"It's Okay...I won't hurt you."

I got close to her and she looked at me with her tears running down her cheek as she backed her self into a corner.

"P-Please s-s-sir...Don't...h-hurt me mister a-alicorn."

"I am not going to hurt you...Even if you shot me with a rifle."

"Y-your...not?"

"Nope, I am not...If I may ask...Do you have any bandages?"

She smiled weakly but was careful when she left to the bathroom to get a bandage. I took off my cloak and tried to move my shoulder. The filly came back and gave me the bandages and went to the cooking fire to check on her cake. I tried to make some small talk with her as I wrapped up my shoulder.

"So...whats you name miss?"

She looked back with not knowing what I might do as she ate some of her cake mush.

"Stardust mister..."

"My name is Swift, nice to meet you Stardust."

Some thoughts when through my head as I tried to think of more to talk about with her. She was the first filly I have met ever since I was De-frosted and I wasn't sure how to talk to her. I wasn't the most social pony back in my day and even when I first came out I killed a bunch of ponies. (Not a lot of social skills) I thought about what I should ask her then decided to ask her about her parents as every concerned adult should.

"Where are your parents Stardust?"

I should not have said that as she stopped eating and burst into tears. It turns out her mother was taken away by raiders and her father was killed by the same group that would come to visit Stardust. And...well...let's just say they forced her to do stuff no filly should ever have to do. I went up and to comfort her I opened my wings and wrapped them around her (She needed a hug.), she didn't mind and buried her head into my chest and whimpered softly. The things this little filly had to do and had seen was too much for her.

"Mister...Swift?"

"Yes, Stardust?"

"C-Can you...P-protect me...F-from the...Raiders?"

"Stardust yes...I will...I promise."

At this point, I realized just how sick and twisted the raiders can be. I wanted to kill them all as they were the scum of the wasteland. I wanted to make sure this little filly was safe and have somepony to look up to. She gave me the details of what time they come to the house and it was up to me to make a plan. I started to play out what she said in my head. First, About five raiders would come in un-invited, next they would find Stardust and hold her down and then... (I stopped it there.) I let her go and she sat down on the floor looking at me with a smile. She hasn't seen this much kindness in forever and she was eager to help me with anything.

"So Stardust do you have any more weapons and ammo?"

"The Raiders...Took most of the things...But Pa had some stuff hidden under a floorboard."

"Could you give me the stuff please?"

"Sure mister swift."

We didn't have much time and the raiders would be coming soon. Stardust ran upstairs only to return with the following and well it was a surprise. The father of the filly kept a nice little stash of stuff that where going to be very useful.

A box of two hunting rifle clips. (Ten bullets plus one extra clip she had for 15 bullets)

50 bottle caps.

Some bandages.

One grenade.

Apon looking at this I was thinking of what I could do with it. Then it struck me and I needed Stardust for it. The plan was that with the grenade and Stardust's tail, the only problem was would Stardust be okay with it. I found her upstairs playing with an old toy when I took out the machete. She flinched and looked at me with a confused look.

"Stardust can I...well...I need your...tail."

"What for Mister Swift?"

"Well...it's for a trap...so can I cut some of it off?"

It was very awkward for the both of us, but after explaining it the best I could to a child she agreed on one condition. I had to find or buy her more of that chocolate cake mix she loves. After agreeing she bent over and with a quick swipe from the machete I had a nice long tuft of her tail hair. After tieing it to pin of the grenade I tied it to the underside of the bed and left the new "tail" out. After that, I took all the knives from the kitchen and told Stardust to hide in the bathroom as I locked her in there. I hid the knives under the bed to act as a shrapnel for extra damage.

I loaded the hunting "pistol", put on the visor and hid in the closet hoping the element of surprise would aid me. And as if it was like clockwork. The door opened downstairs and the sound of hooves was getting louder as they trotted upstairs.

"Hey hey hey where is the filly hiding?" A deep sickly voice said.

"I think she is under the bed It's time to play again Stardust!" another voice said.

I was in the room with two perverts and they were going to have a blast.

Click

"What the!?..."

KABOOM!

The explosion shook the whole place as it exploded and I heard Stardust scream. I jumped out of the closet and it was a sight to behold as there was a huge hole in the wall and floor as bits and pieces of burnt dead raiders were stuck to the remaining ceiling. Some of the raiders downstairs where hurt and slowly got up. Swiftly I aimed the "pistol" at them and targeted their heads with "My" PipBuck's targeting spell the link to the visor made it a perfect shot for one. But the others were getting away as I reloaded.

"He's over here!"

One yelled as he fired an automatic machine gun from the bottom of the stairs. With a quick dive into cover, I just missed the shower of his bullets. I felt the same feeling I felt at the vault but this time I was fighting it. I didn't want to turn into a flesh-eating monster again. (And the fact that eating them was not good because I could get high from the chems in their blood or worse.) Once it was clear and the targeting spell refreshed I turned the corner and shot the raider in the face.

"I Got him in front up there!"

"Where the fuck do you ponies come from!"

I screamed in frustration as I got back into cover due to a bolt jam in the "pistol" This wasted time I didn't have. Suddenly one of them chucked a strange grenade inside from the massive hole in the wall. I didn't have time to react and it flashed me. Blinded and deafened by it I couldn't see or hear and the floor below gave way as I slid down to the outside. I think they stopped shooting and there was muffled laughter and the raider was just moving blobs. I felt a sharp pain as it struck my front leg causing the bone to break. No matter how much I tried to do it hurt worse than anything I could think of. The ringing in my ears was leading to the evil laughter from the group.

"Leave him alone!"

The filly shrieked angrily as she started to fire at the raiders. One by one a rain of bullets penetrated the remaining two dropped dead right in front of me. She had managed to flank them and had caught them by surprise. The once shy and scared little filly just killed two raiders by herself. I was losing blood fast as she ran up to me tears running down her face as she pulled out a needle and stabbed it into the crippled leg. The last thing I remember was the ground moving under me as she dragged me back inside.

About some hours later I woke up on the floor next to a fire. The filly was sleeping on my chest as if she was protecting me. I tried to move without disturbing her but I didn't have much choice. She shot up with a start and backed off awkwardly. Even if she is a filly she is pretty smart as in she gave my front leg the works when it comes to healing. I managed to get up and limp to her.

"Thank you, Stardust for helping me."

She ran up and gave me a loving hug.

"I wasn't sure if you would wake up or if I did it right I...I..."

She said with the worry in her voice disappearing as she continued to hug me tightly. She looked up and smiled as I wrapped my wings around her. (She said I was really fluffy). After a while, she broke it off and walked to a pile of stuff she got from the raiders and put them in my saddle bags. Everything was nice and tidy as she put them next to me.

"It's ya stuff mister swift."

"Thank you Stardust."

She skipped around and did what little fillies do as I put the saddlebags on. It was really heavy and the PipBuck said I was over encumbered. It was best if I traveled light so I started to organize and repair some of the things but then I felt her poke my wing. When I looked back I saw that Stardust had her own saddlebags and was wearing a bandana on her head.

"Mister Swift are you...going to leave me...here?"

My heart sank as what she was asking. She wanted to come with me, My mind started to do loops as I tried to think what to say. She is just a child in a dangerous world, Its, even more, dangerous with me. What if she gets filly napped or killed? I can't provide for a child. I didn't know what to say, I couldn't just leave her all alone.

"Pa said if he is dead find a caring and nice pony that will keep you safe."

"But...I"

"And I feel safe with you..."

"I'm not sure...I."

She looked up at me with her beautiful light blue eyes as they shined off the rising sun. I decided it was best I keep her safe.

"Are you sure you want to travel with me?"

"I can help you with stuff and maybe fight I'm a big mare now!"

"All right let's go."

She smiled and for once I felt like the world wasn't so bad like everything was back to when it was again. Having her by my side meant that I had promised to raise her as my own. I can't explain how much kindness and love I felt that day as doing so might ruin the moment we had together. After some time we were about to get moving when Stardust asked me to help her put the rifle barrel and scope back on the "pistol".

"So to ponyville then?"

"That place is full of raiders and I HATE raiders."

She said with an angry tone as she looked down the sight of her father's old sniper rifle. I took a mental note that if ponyville is raider occupied then maybe that is where Wooden ladle came from. And maybe it was best to avoid there at all cost. But I had to ask least check it out first.

"Hey, are you any good with that?"

"Well...It might take awhile for me to fully line up my shots but I will try."

"You sound different Stardust what happened to the shy and scared filly?"

"Well killing the Raiders made me realize that...you would do anything to protect the ones you care about."

"I see...That's very deep coming from the filly that made swiss cheese out of the raiders."

"What is swiss cheese?"

I laughed and started limping with her beside me talking about everything from the past. She was amazed at what I had to say. Sometimes she would say I was pulling her tail and didn't believe me. Then she would tell me all about her life and other useful tips on how to survive in the wasteland, hell she had a book about it. It was fun and kind of relaxing to have somepony to talk to. The sun started to rise and the two of us made our way to new Applelosa.

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Guns, guns and more guns. (Did I forget to say guns?) -- You are a crack shot and can use many firearms to the fullest. You do 5% more damage with any type of gun and reloading is much faster in S.A.T.S.

Companion perk: Bites The Dust. (Stardust)
With Stardust's hatred to raiders, you do bonus damage to anypony that is menacing. You also gain the chance for Stardust to aid you in combat from afar.

Character Profile: Stardust

Name: Stardust
Race: Unicorn.
Sex: Filly.
Age: 10.
Status: Alive.
Coat: Dark blue coat.
 Other features: Light blue eyes.
Height: Smaller Unicorn filly height.
 Mane/tail: Lighter dark blue. (Short tail due to swift cutting it off)
Cutie mark: Blank.

Found at an old station house she lived there scared and abused by raiders. She would have suffered the same fate as her parents only to be rescued and adopted by Swift. She is very smart for her age and is eager to help swift in any way. She learned to shoot from her father and heal simple wounds from her mother. She loves chocolate cake so much that is could be an addiction from the preservatives in that and other things. She hates raiders to the point that she would kill them all if she could. (That's coming from a filly). Stardust likes her new father and sticks close to him sometimes shyly hides under his wing when she meets someone new. She is still a child and still needs somepony to take care of her. Not a day goes by that Swift doesn't think of her. Stardust can't really fight but can use a weapon and defend her self when needed. She mostly is told to hide and wait for swift to come back to get her. In the event that swift needs assistance Stardust will help from a distance if she can. (Mostly with the use of a hunting rifle and in rare cases with a grenade launcher.)

Companion perk: Bites The Dust. (Stardust)
With Stardust's hatred to raiders, you do bonus damage to anypony that is menacing. You also gain the chance for Stardust to aid you in combat from afar.

Other random non-important notes that were recorded:
Stardust is very shy at first but treat her right and she will like you.
At one point in her life, she was accidentally addicted to Med-X. (Her sickly light blue eyes are a reminder of it.)
She is really sneaky when it comes to moving around in dangerous places.

Enemy Profile: Raiders

Raiders.

A.k.a Scumbags, Chem junkies, All around wastland menace.

Raiders are a common sight around the equestrian wasteland. With their camps located in and around old cities, towns and sometimes in random places. You can tell that a place is a raider occupied, from the smell of rotting corpse strung up like party decorations. There are normally walls made of junk and empty chem containers everywhere. Raiders and not part of any meager fraction (That is a surprise as if they were to group up together then that would be bad) and are normally just there because they are jerks who make living killing others for no reason once so ever.

Raiders favorite pass times are the following.

Getting high and drunk. (Sometimes at the same time)
Torturing others.
Attacking caravans.
Molesting.
Killing the innocent.
And much more unsettling things.

Raiders are easy to deal with if you have the proper equipment. But if they manage to get the upper hoof. (which is very unlikely but it happens) They will be the death of you. Most raiders are dumb as rocks and are either too high or too stupid to notice your presence. It's best to sneak away from them than to engage them on purpose. If you have to fight them headshots are best after all but a simple leg crippling will allow you to run away from them. (But be warned they can heal themselves.) Raiders could be anypony or anyone.

How to tell if that one pony is a raider.

Raiders were some makeshift armor and have little to no common sense. As in bringing a switchblade to a gunfight. They are dirty and smelly. (Thank you Stardust). They travel in groups and will attack you for no reason at all. Other times If you are lucky you can sneak up on them and fill them full of holes. (Thanks again) Other than that those raiders are one of the most easier things to deal with in the wasteland.

What to do if you come in contact with a raider.

Raiders could be any pony race. For example crippling the wings on a pegasus, raider keeps them from flying.
It's best if you shoot or bash the right part for the right pony. May this poem help you remember.

Wings for the winged.
head for the horned.
legs for them all.

Do this right and you will gain an upperhoof in battle.

What to do once they are dead.

Normally raiders don't have the greatest of items to help you survive in the equestrian wasteland, but it's best if you loot them for their ill-gotten gains to become your ill-gotten gains. The useful items are as followed...

Meds and chems.
Ammo.
A weapon of some kind. (If you must use them try to fix it up first.)
Food and water.
Armor. (Be warned if you were the armor you might get mistaken for a raider and get shot at.)
Money. (Caps are important to save up.)

Hopefully, this guild has helped you in your quest to stay alive.

Chapter Five: A Pony Possessed By An Evil Sprit

Chapter Five: A pony possessed by an evil sprit.

”Mister swift...are you okay?”

We continued our journey from the station house to new appaloosa. My front leg was feeling a little better like it was healing faster than a normal ponies would. Stardust walking beside me looking around the barren landscape a tad bored like. There wasn’t much for her to do as we walked and we just kept to our selfs till she broke the silences.

“Mister Swift?”

“Yes, Stardust?”

“Could you turn on the radio please?”

I had forgotten all about the radio on “My” PipBuck and I gladly turned it on for her. The sound of music from the old world filled our ears as we strolled along. The previous song just ended and a news report played.

“Hello, Equestrian wasteland! This is Dj-pon3 coming to you loud and proud over the airwaves. News reports of an another pony coming out of the stables. Damn what is going on in those underground shelters? First stable 2 now this? Anyway turns out this stallion is one crazy dude and to top it off he is that an alicorn. That’s right ladies a Male alicorn but don’t get too excited he has a taste for pony flesh. We will bring you more updates later when it comes. Now back to music.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. It didn’t take long for Stardust to figure out who Dj-pon3 was talking about. I looked at her and saw she was pointing her rifle at me with a scared and confused look.

“Uh...Mister Swift....you aren’t going to eat me...are you?”

I face hooved and tried to tell her about what had gone down in the stable. She kept her rifle on me at all times but gave up after I told her that I don’t want to eat ponies...I just did out of extreme hunger...and I wasn’t my self. I sighed sadly and continued walking forward with Stardust right behind me. We must have walked for miles because in the distance I could see ponyville. (Or what was left of it.)

“Well...Home sweet home.”

We were walking down an old cobblestone path when I turned to Stardust and told her to stay behind to stay safe. I looked around to find a place for her to hide when I saw an old stone bridge up ahead with a drainage pipe under it.

“You go hide in that drainage pipe and I will come back later if I don’t come back...”

She interrupted me with her optimistic filly enthusiasm.

“No pony can’t kill you mister Swift, You go there and kick their flanks!”

I smiled as she ran to the drainpipe under the bridge, Only for her to scream from what she saw. I quickly limped over and saw what she had seen. There was the mutilated body of a small gray unicorn with a PipBuck as her cutie mark. Her stable tech jumpsuit was ripped and bloody as she was nailed to the underside of the bridge. I lifted pushed stardust away from it and covered her eyes. I looked closer to her jumpsuit and realized it was indeed that this must be the pony that came out from stable 2. Stardust when into the drainage pipe and made sure it was safe before she gives me the all clear. I continued to look at the unicorn and as an act of respect I dug through my saddle bag and lifted out the smashed PipBuck.

“Well...I guess this is all I can do for you now.”

I removed her from the wall and laid her down on the far side of the bridge. After that, I wrapped her up with the tarp I used to cover my wings. With a sigh a placed the broken Pipbuck on the body. I must have bumped something inside it as it flashed on. The outer screen was cracked but the inner was just fine. Carefully I looked through it and saw that there was a recording that read.

“If you are somehow are listening to this I have failed to find Velvet remedy and I am most likely dead. The wasteland was too hard on me and it was my undoing. I have no regrets as It was my choice to leave stable 2. I hope that no other pony will have to suffer the same fate as I have...whatever that may be.”

~ Little Pip

Stardust looked at me from her hiding spot wondering what we should do with the body. Maybe I should take it to the stable or maybe just be on my way. I carefully looked at the map and saw that she came from around Sweet apple acres. It wasn’t that far and I guess we could make a stop there. I didn’t know what to do with her and I just sat there. After a lot of thinking and pacing around, I thought that if we went to the stable it would give me more time to plan out how I was going to enter ponyville. Stardust was a tad bit tired of walking so I lifted her on my back and held the body in my telekinetic aura. Apon doing that my bound leg hit the ground and didn’t hurt at all and that meant it had healed. After undoing it we began to backtrack.

An hour of walking later we arrived at the farm. The whole place looked abandoned and a field of dead trees dotted the area some had strange apples. I gently woke up Stardust from my back and asked her if she knew anything about this place that would help me understand what to do here. She slid down my wing and walked around looking at the farm.

“Well...this farm has these apples that make you sick from what I heard.”

“So don’t eat the apples got it anything else?”

“Nope, that is all sorry.”

“Thank you for the help.”

She smiled and trotted around the farm but stayed somewhat close to me as I took it all in. To think this place used to be so busy and lush with apples everywhere. Sometimes the whole damn town was here for cider season and by Luna’s horn, it was a madhouse. Some ponies would camp here for the night just to be first in line. The memories filled my mind the more I thought about how tasty the cider was and how juicy the apples where. Maybe It was best that I didn’t think of that right now as I was really hungry and thirsty (That’s what happens when you have to fight and walk everywhere.)

I was around the back of the farmhouse and saw the apple cellar door. (That’s where the good stuff was kept.) Curiously I opened the cellar doors and walked inside as Stardust followed. The light from outside faded into the darkness and I clicked “My” PipBuck lamp spell on only to be greeted with more skeletons and a large stable door with the number two painted on it. There was an outside control panel on the left side of the door a little light was blinking from it. From the looks of it, it was functioning and powered on. I told Stardust to stay close and I pulled out the strange suit.

I wanted to look presentable so I put on the suit I was given in the unmarked stable then I walked over to read the instructions on the control panel. Step one insert PipBuck cord. Step two enter code. Step three pull lever. With a snap and a click, I plugged the Pipbuck into the socket and entered the code. A voice shot out from an intercom above the panel.

“Velvet remedy you chose to leave stable two and by doing so you chose never to return. If you have anything to say then say it. Because the whole stable is listening.”

“Uh...hello?...I think you are mistaking me for somepony else ma’am.”

“What?...how did you get ahold of Velvet remedy’s PipBuck?”

“It’s a long story ma’am uh if I may could you please let a stallion and his daughter into the sta...”

“Nope sorry but I can’t be having more ponies leaving and new ponies entering the stable how did you find out about this place?”

I thought about what to say and how I was going to say that I found a PipBuck had a map that leads me to here.

“I found the corpse of this mare...Littlepip I think her name was?”

There was a gasp from the intercom and some mumbling from the mare over it.

“I have the body with me... I thought she would like to be taken home after getting raped and killed by raiders.”

The mare on the intercom sighed and said something to her self that I couldn’t hear.

“Stand back I am opening the door.”

With a loud clang from the inside, the bolt latched onto the door. As it rolled opened the light from inside the stable creeped out into the darkness. Me and Stardust were met with two earth pony guards and a mare over the intercom. (That was the over-mare.) I walked forward with stardust under my wing hiding. They were surprised about seeing my wings and they bowed.

“Your majesty.”

The over-mare said. It took me awhile to figure out why they were doing that then stardust called it out...well...almost.

“He isn’t a princess you dummies he is a swift.”

I blushed hard and stood there awkwardly from what she had said. First off I am a male alicorn. Secondly, I’m no princess or part of any royal family. Thirdly thank you Stardust for making our first impression to some normal ponies an awkward one. The stable ponies stood up and let us both into the stable along with the body. I think we were getting a somewhat warm welcome as we both followed the over-mare as the two earth pony guards took the body someplace. Stardust wasn’t too comfortable with everypony looking us like some sort of circus freak show. The stable its self-was nothing compared to what I have seen in Aloe vera’s stable.

Everything was spotless and in order. There were some colts and fillys late for school running down the hall. I was impressed that a stable could last this long and still be used. The over-mare walked us up a flight of stairs and opened her door to the office. She sat down and I pulled up a chair as Stardust found some crayons and some paper to draw with at the coffee table.

“So Mister?”

“Swift McGlilds Frontline for the equestrian army ma’am...It’s just a meaningless title now.”

“So are military stallion huh well If I may ask how are you in possession of not one but two PipBucks?”

I didn’t want to tell her I had killed and eaten a bunch of raiders and these were in the hooves of them.

“I found both of them next to the body of LittlePip.” I lied.

“Well, I guess that explains it, damn it first velvet remedy then Littlepip leave then now you and your daughter show up.”

“Do you want them back?”

“I have no use for them at all.”

She sighed and went to her terminal to type some things in as Stardust drew me a wonderful picture of that time back at the station house. As I was waiting my stomach growled and I felt the hunger pains. I didn’t want to ask the over-mare if we could get something to eat as that was rude...But so is eating her face off. I asked her anyway and as gentlestallionly as I could. She stopped typing and looked over at me and to stardust and back to me with a concerned look.

“Sweetie could you step outside for a bit thank you.” The over-mare said.

The filly hopped out and the door shut behind her. The over-mare looked at her terminal and said.

“What happened to the filly?” She said in a low and serious tone “Why does she have all those brushes and cuts?”

I told her about how I saved her from the raiders and that I had adopted her.The over-mare had some other questions about the outside that I answered the best I could. After that, she went back to typing. I sighed in relief and relaxed a little till she somehow managed to pull up my army medical file from 200 years ago.

“Well, this is new...It says here you were discharged from crazy diamond because of depression from a lost love.”

Let’s just say I had a really bad flashback and that mixed in with being super hungry. Made me kind of freaked out upon hearing her say my story out loud. It played in my head and it was so real that I was screaming Sarah’s name...or I think I was that’s what they told me after I woke up in the medical bay when the doctors had tied me down. Luckily nopony wasn’t hurt. I was hooked up to machines and other useless medical stuff as I tried to get out. There were tubes down my throat and some sort of yellow mush was being pumped into my stomach.

“Hold on we are almost finished Mr. McGlides” One of the doctors said.

“You had a bad flashback a sort of PTSD and from lack of food It made it worse.” A nurse said in a soft tone.

“You will be out of her in a minute after we make sure everything is all right with you.”

She injected me with a strange needle then I was gassed and I fell asleep it was strange that I lashed out like that. It had never happened before and I was left in a dark empty space of my mind. I was alone and confused as this wasn’t like the other times or anytime I would “talk” to Sarah.

This time it was different.

Something about this place made me think that maybe I shouldn’t be here.

I felt an evil presence with me.

“Hello? Anypony here?” I called into the darkness.

There was no answer but someone or something was there I knew it. I ran without knowing where or if I was going anywhere. Everything looked the same. But that evil presence was following me and I turned around and yelled with anger and fear.

“Come out you bastard!”

Upon doing that there was a red glow in the distance and the sound of hooves followed as it got closer. I tried to stand my ground if there was any at all as a cold sweat ran down my face.

“You are capable of so much more Swift McGlides.” A voice that sounded like my own but deeper.

The walking stopped and the voice continued to talk to me as I was speechless. Everything was numb as if it was my first day in the army I froze up not even blinking.

“Oh allow me to introduce my self...I am you...a much better you and this place...is your insanity.”

I tried to speak but nothing I would say would change the fact that this going to break down. The fact that once the red glow came closer my mouth hit the floor to see...me...But it wasn’t me...

“I am so disappointed in you swift after all If it was me I would have saved Sarah on that day.”

“No...I-It...Why...y-you.” I struggled.

“Oh sorry I was just thinking about how no pony cares about you and how you let her die a painful death.”

He was walking around me as I stood in the middle. His hoof steps echoed in the darkness as the glowing eye was, in fact, the visor that was given to me. With a deep breath, I managed to say something.

“You are nothing...I may be going crazy but I’m sure as hell...not going to be like you!”

The other Swift just sighed and walked off into the nothingness leaving me alone. This didn’t seem like having a mental illness. No this was something different and if this wasn’t kept in check then this could be very dangerous. Not just to me but to Stardust and others that I meet.

When I woke up again I was in a bedroom in the stable. It was your average bedroom. The far right had a bed and on the left, there was a dresser with a small rectangle window looking out to the hall with some curtains. My saddlebags and Stardust’s belongings were on the side of the wall. From the looks of it, somepony dug through our stuff. (They took the weapons because the guards didn’t want anyone shot.) I was dressed in a stable-tech jumpsuit and Velvet remedy’s Pipbuck was gone. I looked around the room and saw that Stardust was asleep on a small bed of her own wearing her own jumpsuit as well. She snored softly and was out like a light. My head hurt a little as I got up. I needed a drink something to take any mind if had left off what I had just witnessed.

I walked out of the room hoping not to wake her up. I thought about how I said she was my Daughter. Like it was a normal everyday thing. I did promise to protect her and protect her I shall. With a smile, I opened the door only to be greeted by some children. (About Stardust’s age.) One was an earth pony. And the two other ones where pegasus twins. They looked at me with amazement and asked if Stardust could play with them. I told them she was sleeping and they ran off. I tried to find my way around the place as it was much bigger than the last stable I was in. But I managed to find the diner part and sat down at the bar.

“Do you have anything cold and with a kick?”

The bartender looked at me and poured up a glass of hard apple cider. When I asked how much I owe him he said they have no use for the wasteland currency and just gave me the caps from the last couple of drinks. After thanking him I sipped my dink quietly. I was expecting this place being so busy as these ponies have lived in here for centuries. After finishing my drink a walked around once again to enjoy being safe for once. I had all the time to plan out who me and Stardust were going to go through ponyville. I made it to my room and Stardust was in the bathroom wondering how to turn on the shower.

“Mister Swift can you help me?”

“Yes, sweetie what do you need?”

“The thingy won’t turn on.”

I opened the door and she moved to the side as I stepped in. I tried to turn on the shower but the hoof activated leaver was stuck in place in the water off mode. After a few more tries of me banging the leaver down to the water on mode, it worked as water splashed down on my face soaking me and Stardust. She giggled as she waited for the water to heat up and I left to dry my self off. I hung the jump-suit out to dry and I sat on the bed to see velvet remedy’s PipBuck on the table. I flopped on the bed and started the recording spell to log what has been happing for the last...hell I didn’t know what day it was. I didn’t really care as much as I thought about what to say.

“This is log four of Swift McGlides, bringing you or my self some advice or random chatter. So I am a father now after saving and adopting the cutest little filly you have ever seen. At first, I didn’t know if it was a good Idea to bring a child with me but she is a big girl and knows how to take care of her self. I hope I can be a good father to for her...thats what Sarah would have wanted. Speaking of her she knows about the stable incident thanks to a news broadcast over “My” Pipbuck. Great now everyone knows about it and are getting the wrong Idea. Anyway, we went to the outside of ponyville only to be greeted with the body of LittlePip. The mare that the other PipBuck belonged to and It lead us here in stable two which we are staying for the night...”

I thought about more to say. Maybe about the other Swift? Was it true could I have been about to save her? I thought hard as Stardust came out of the shower and hopped on the bed as she cuddled into my fluff. She was clean and smelt nice like a fruit basket you give your boss if you worked at the cloud factory. The PipBuck still was recording.

“Mister Swift what are you doing?”

“I am recording an audio log want to say something?”

“Oh yes please."

She put her face next to the PipBuck and started to talk into it like someone was listening. It was cute and I chuckled a bit. Stardust would talk about her experience in the stable and other parts of her life and ask questions to the Pipbuck. After she was finished I clicked it off and set it on the table as I got up to go take a shower my self. As I walked in and turned the water on. It felt good to get clean again after everything even though nothing could wash the gilt I had. But whatever Stardust had used made my mane soft and bouncy was close enough. The water was warm and it dripped off my wings as I scrubbed I had missed the hot water and it was amazing to think we take it for granted.

After relaxing I dried off and walked out to see Stardust listening to the other logs on my bed. She looked at me and asked about Sarah and a lot of other questions I didn't want to answer right now I just wanted to sleep and leave tomorrow. She sighed as I laid down next to her and told her the plan of action. About how we will sneak into ponyville late at night and quickly move through it. She thought about it and asked about what if I used my wings. I forgot I could fly as I was still getting used to them. After thinking about it more if we started to fly over the town it would leave us with less cover and more likely to get shot. (That and Stardust couldn't fly.) She started to nod off as I wrapped my wing around her as a blanket and fell asleep my self.

"Mister Swift!" Stardust hissed quietly as she was literally punching me.

I was asleep for about a five hours and stardust looked like she was going to explode. I could hear automatic gunfire and the clanking of metal. There were screams and smoke as well as fire. (Great I must be the most unlucky stallion in the world.) Stardust was freaking out trying to stay calm as whatever was happening outside sounded dangerous and we needed to go now. I shot up and made sure the door was locked as I got our stuff. I slowly looked out the window and saw some sort of scary looking robot like pegasus outside mowing down the stable dwellers with a minigun battle saddle. No wonder Stardust was scared this was something crazy. Alarms were going off and I was struggling to keep cool.

"Oh Sarah, Princesses, anyone help us please!"

Stardust looked at me but didn't question it as the walking and shooting continued.

"All you have to do was ask."

Her soft voice said in my head and told me that there was a vent up above. With no time to waste I opened it and lifted Stardust into it as the robot pegasus outside started to try to break down our door. I jumped in after her and grabbed the saddlebags and the visor that I put on. (Our weapons were in the armory and they couldn't do jack to the robots if I could even try.) I just managed to shut the vent just in time as the robot pegasus bust the metal door like it was nothing.I covered Stardust mouth as she was going to cry. The E.F.S labeled the robot pegasus as hostile. (No shit.) I looked down at the vent and saw him dig through everything till he found the drawing Stardust made me.

"This confirms it he was here, Sweep the stable and find them." It said in a robotic voice changer.

"Yes, sir over and out." Another robotic voice replied.

The robot pegasus took all of the drawings and placed them in a folder. What was amazing is that they wanted the drawings in the first place maybe as evidence? The robot pegasus left the room and the two of us started to make our way to the armory using the vents and the help of the PipBuck. We had some close calls but we managed to make our way to the armory. Stardust stopped and beckoned me to stop as well as I looked down the vent. There were the two pegasus twins and the earth pony. They were cornered by another robot pegasus their parents dead on the floor from trying to protect them.

"Sir there are children here awaiting official instructions."

"Sir...they are just children...they..." That robot pegasus seemed to hesitate.

"Understood..."

The children cried as the robot pegasus revved up their minigun battle saddle. I covered Stardust's face and looked away as they killed them. There was nothing I could do and I was thinking of bust down there and killing him with my own hoofs. But Sarah told me she would take care of it. (Great as if a ghost could do anything about it.) We hopped down and got our weapons. The armory was somewhat equipped for the guards to only have batons. There were 10mm pistols and some stable-tech guard armor that I put on and fitted the other one on Stardust. We packed our stuff and took as much stuff as we could carry only for the door to open.

"I found him armory!" The robot pegasus yelled as he revved up his minigun battle saddle.

"Stardust behind me!"

I screamed as I started the old shield spell I learned in school as a storm of bullets hit a wall of white powerful magical energy. Stardust was screaming and crying as the bullets were bouncing off my shield. I was getting weaker and other swift's power grew as each bullet was fired. I was going to turn in front of her and she might get hurt. I was about to give way to the power of the minigun battle saddle. I thought we were done for but he stopped. I saw that his gun was jammed as he slowly backed away. This was my chance and I lifted stardust into the vent and shut it closed. I let my self-lose if it meant that we get out of here alive and we could avenge the innocent ponies of stable two.

"YOU FUCKED WITH THE WRONG ALICORN!"

I ran at the robot pegasus and grabbed the minigun ripping it off caused it to un-jam as I bashed the robot pegasus down like a freight train. The bigger they are the harder they fall. He struggled to get up as I revved the minigun and started to rip his face off with the remaining bullets. His head exploded in a red mist as the bullets flew through it. I could sense more of his friends coming fast and I quickly reloaded the gun. "Other" swift was talking to me like he knew where more robot pegasus would be attacking.

"Two on your left straight ahead."

His voice echoed as I turned the corner to see the two of them. They had these weird green laser weapons as I started to fire at them. The goop that they were shooting was slow but had the power to disintegrate a pony into a pile of green goo. Bullets weren't going to cut it and I wasn't here to kill them all. I needed to get Stardust and my self out of here. With no other option and no more ammo, I chucked the minigun at one of them disarming one and distracting the other for enough time to kill them both. Even if their armor was bullet resistance in some places they couldn't stop a dive bombing alicorn forcefully landing on their heads with all four hooves. Their heads squirted out like a can of fruit ran over by a bus. Their armor was different like a scorpion tail with a blade at the end.

Without thinking I looted both bodies and lifted both of the green laser guns in my magical aura. I ran back to the vent and jumped up to look for Stardust. She was nowhere in sight and I started to panic. The thumping of my hooves in the vent where attracting more of them trying to shoot me through the vent.

"Stardust where are you?!"

I screamed as "other" Swift was losing his grasp on my mind. I was tired and all this fighting was not good for my body. (I needed to do some training or something.) I was lucky not to get hurt this time but getting hurt was the least of my worries. Finding that filly was on the top of the list. She was my only friend and companion I had in this world and I be damned if something happened to her. The vent ended at a large fan and I jumped out. The PipBuck Map said I was almost out of the stable. All I had to do was get out the front door and hope that my filly made it out safely.

With all my might I pushed to the entrance and was about to leave and fly out of here. Well, I was when I found my self-surrounded from the front and the back with no way out. The door was blocked and they were everywhere pointing weapons at me. I tried to stand my ground and I opened my large wings as to make my self-bigger then I was. They were all pegasi in this robot armor. It was power armor that you could fly in so it wasn't that heavy armored but still protected the wearer to let them fly. I thought to my self what did I do to anger these guys? They just stood there waiting for anything to happen. I was holding each goo gun and but if I did shoot one of them I would be dead from the rest.

"By the Grand Pegasus Enclave Drop your weapons and get on the ground." One of them said angrily.

The Grand Pegasus Enclave? What the hell? I had no beef with these guys and I had no Idea who they were. I didn't really have a choice here so I dropped both of the goo guns to the side and laid on the ground. I had to surrender here and take my fate like a stallion. They walked up to where about to hold me down when somepony threw a fire extinguisher at us and shot it as the fire extinguisher exploded causing a huge mess of the powder all over the place. A smoke screen that is what they did as I quickly and sneakily ran out the door. I needed to do something fast and shutting the door came to my mind as I ran and hit the emergency stable door closing cycle and bolted out of the stable and up the stairs.

It was storming and raining hard with the wind blowing. I tried to fly up to the farmhouse and hide on the roof. It was hard in this wind and I crashed through the roof in front of an unarmored Pegasus. He was surprised and was about to call for backup. I got my bearing straight and I covered his mouth with my hoofs and held him down with my magic.

"So this is how it's going to play out motherfucker" I harshly whispered in his ear.

He nodded and waited for instructions.

"Why the hell did you ponies attack and purge a whole stable and what does this have to do with me?"

I let his mouth open and levitated Lyra to his neck. I needed to do this quick, find Stardust and get the fuck out of there. If he tried anything I would slit his throat open. When I asked him my question he hesitated and started muttering. He said they heard about me and we're going to kill me because I was a "Dangerous threat to Equestria that needed to be put down" and some other crap. They didn't purge the stable they were dealing with some mild resistance (I don't recall shooting three unarmed stable dwellers who came to greet them with a smile "Mild Resistance".)

I sighed and let him go, there was no use to adding more deaths to my name. I flew out the hole in the roof before he tried to call the rest of his enclave buddies. I needed to find stardust but it was pitch black outside the rain and thunder was making it too dangerous to fly. I landed somewhere and opened "My" Pipbucks lamp spell and my visor lit up. Night vision! what a wonderful thing to have at this very moment. I kept running but I felt my body slowly stopping me. Sarah was there walking with me.

"Hold on swift...You can do it..."

"Sarah...If you are more than...A hallucination...Help me find Stardust..."

She sighed sadly and couldn't give me an answer as she slowly disappeared into the mist of my mind. My muscles ached and exhausted. My hooves dragging through the mud as I forced my self to walk hoping that Stardust made it out okay and would be waiting for me at the bridge in the drain pipe. I couldn't take it anymore I passed out in the mud. The stress and exhaustion took its toll on my body and I just laid there like I was dead.

It was hearts warming eve, I was with family and friends at the house. I Just came home from training. It was perfect all of us together mom, dad, and some other family all flying around laughing. The fillys and colts wondering when they could open their presents. It was perfect and I relaxed. Dad walked up to me and wanted to talk outside in private. I got up and followed him to the snow-covered balcony. The cool winter breeze tickled my nose as I stepped outside. Dad was smoking and watching the snow fall to the ground. He offered me one and I kindly refused.

"Swift my boy, I'm sure you know why I wanted to talk to you." He said in his comforting voice.

"I am not sure what is it?"

"You know me and your mother aren't going to be around here forever you know."

"I understand."

"Me and your mother are very proud of you Swift, you have grown up to be a Stong yet kind-hearted pony."

"Thank you, dad It means a lot to me."

He smiled and wrapped a wing around me he put the cigarette out and looked out and then he sighed sadly.

"They ship you out soon...right swift?"

"Yes in about a month...I think."

"Promise us that you will come back to us soon."

"I promise that as soon as this is over...you and mom will be grandparents."

Me and dad laughed together and started to talk about If Me and Sarah ever will have kids and Dad started talking about if he was younger he would steal her from under my muzzle in a heartbeat. (He was drunk off the eggnog.) We sat there watching the snow lightly falling to the ground. It was nice and quiet with the two of us bonding.

Then It ended.

Just like that.

I woke up and was covered in dried mud. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining through the clouds. With a groan, I got up and tried to clean my self up the best I could. The visor had shut its self off other the night as I slowly started walking to ponyville in hopes that Stardust was there in the drain pipe or close by. I needed to take my mind off what happened so I clicked on the PipBuck, but something was off as in really wrong. I clicked to the notes and noticed that they were accessed recently. I realized three things...

All of Doctor Aloe vera's research or some of it was copied to the stable 2's mainframe.

The robot pegasus enclave assholes are in stable 2 with the research to make alicorns.

I was fucked.

Great now the ponies with the power armor and magical energy weapons had a reason to hunt me down. Anypony with the technical know-how to maintain power armor and weapons and be able to kill a whole stable with ease. Can now build up an alicorn army and its game over for everypony else. And thanks to that bitch that had the bright Idea to make alicorns in the first place. And I was the Celestia damn courier being played like a damn fiddle. I tried to delete the files but it wouldn't let me even if they managed to find the files that were downloaded it would take ages to decode. Hell, I might have caught a break and they don't know about it anyway.

I switched to my radio as I walked to the bridge and who do you know came on but Dj pon3 back at it again with the fake news. I wonder what other bull shit they had to say about me this time.

“Hello, Equestrian wasteland! This is Dj-pon3 coming to you loud and proud over the airwaves. So remember when I told you about that one alicorn. Swift? that the guy, so I may have accidentally have made his life much worse. But more on that later turns out he isn't who you think he is. Sure he is a bit rough around the edges, but after his heroics at the station-house, he has shown that maybe there is some good in this crazy crazy world. Keep up the good work Swift, this song goes out to you and your new daughter. Ta ta."

I was shocked and didn't know what to say. How does this Dj pon3 know what is going on so fast? And how did she make my life worse? I was getting close to ponyville and I saw Stardust up in the distance. I started to run to her at full speed as I called her name. She saw me and began to run back and we met in the middle as she tackle-hugged me to the ground. I wrapped her in my wings and hooves and gave her the biggest and tightest hug I could as I nuzzled her. Tears of pure joy were running down my face as I cuddled the little filly giggling as my feathers tickled her body.

"Oh, Stardust I thought you were dead or lost!"

"Pa I missed you, I didn't know where to go but here."

"You did good sweetie you did amazing!"

I kissed her head and she blushed awkwardly. (A bit much?) She laid on my chest humming to her self as I cuddled her. (For about three minutes.) I lifted her up and we both walked back to the bridge. When I asked her how she found her way back to the drainage pipe she said that she couldn't remember only waking up wrapped in a blanket with 3 boxes of cake in her hooves. It was weird almost like somepony had put her there. I was too hungry to think and we made a small fire and using a pot Stardust had and some canteen water we were cooking in no time. Just me and my daughter together, even with we were dirty and hungry both of us were happy to enjoy each others company. We both ate the persevered cake mush and I went through our supplies to check if we got everything.

Swift and Stardust's supplies.

Hunting sniper rifle.
2 boxes of cake. (chocolate.)
1 box of hunting rifle ammo. ( 5 bullets per clip. 5 clips =25 shots.)
Machete.
Some random medical supplies. (Stardust stole.)
The strange suit that I armored with the security vest and the visor. (Called it Dr. Love.)
2x Almost dead green goo guns. (Had 18 shots left each.)
Half full canteen.
50 caps.
A 10mm pistol. (with two clips of 12 for 24 shots)
The machine gun. No ammo.

It wasn't much at all but I'm sure we can make it. After all, we could all ways go hunting for something to eat. The PipBuck sorted everything and stardust cleaned and packed up as I told her the plan to go through ponyville. I would lift her up to a high point in town and she would watch my back or hide. I would make sure it was safe to go through town by flying up to her and fly low to the ground as fast as I could. If It was safe would make a personal stop to my house. Then it was off to New Appleoosa. Stardust went over the plan again and got ready cleaning her gun off and making sure it wouldn't jam. To think I was putting my life in the hooves of a child but I knew she was a big girl now. She already showed she wouldn't hesitate to kill another pony. (Even if no little filly should be killing, it was her choice to do it.)

"Ready Stardust?"

"Ready mister swift, don't get to hurt."

I smiled as I lifted her in my magical aura and started to walk into the town. We stuck to the shadows and we were close to the mane street. (Yes that is a pun.) Up ahead, I saw the old boutique down the street. From my knowledge, It was the second largest building in town the first being the town hall. That was the perfect place to see everything the only problem was that there were raiders walking in and out of it. Stardust was getting mixed emotions but we made it to the back of the building and landed on the roof without being caught. As I turned the corner there was, in fact, a raider sniper already there. He hadn't noticed us as he was too busy napping on the job. What Stardust did was scary even for me. She slowly went up and slit his throat with the raider's own combat knife then spit on his corpse. (She didn't fuck around and maybe I should not cheese her off.) The raider died without any trouble and Stardust looted him took his place. I just stood there in awe of what I just witnessed.

"What are you going to piss on his corpse next?"

I should not have said that as Stardust smiled evilly and told me to turn around and shut my eyes. I told her that was the grossest thing she had ever tried to do and I stopped her before anything happened. We were hidden from the top as Stardust took the old rifle and with the help of the PipBuck savaged it to repair hers and I opened the roof access door and left a chair outside for her to jam the door shut. And I slowly made my way downstairs to a bedroom nothing was really interesting just some mattresses soaked in every bodily fluid you could think of. The wallpaper was peeling off the wall and there were some empty boxes to some broken mannequins. Some had holes carved behind them that where for... Anyway, as I made my way down to the next room (kitchen and living room.) I overheard two raiders in a heated debate about if ghouls could get pregnant? (I had no Idea what a ghoul was.)

"Dude the more you talk about pregnant ghouls makes it sound like you want to fuck the one in the tree."

"We already cut her tongue out...I think I am Ghoulsexual?"

"What the fuck?!"

"Well she hasn't turned feral yet, and I will use some RadAways after."

I had enough of this and I just snuck by them. (I was curious myself.) The next floor was the store floor and there was an old sign on the wall that read carousel boutique. Windows were boarded up and it was just empty with some mattresses and a broken terminal somepony had taken and smashed to bits. I was just about to make my way out when I heard the two raiders coming down the stairs. quickly I snuck to the counter and hide under it as the two came down. I was starting to get annoyed as they wouldn't leave and I was cramped. After about 10 minutes of listening to them talk about their day they fucked off.

Quickly I opened the door and slipped outside and walked to an alley behind some old houses. I could see a back door to the library teen house. (Yes another one of ponyville's weird buildings.) I was about to go when I saw some ponies in cages next to the tree house. They didn't look like raiders...In fact looked like slaves. I hid behind a rubbish bin. I didn't know what else to do and just sneaking by wasn't going to cut it. They were being guarded and blocking the door. I could just leave them to their fate but that is what "other" Swift wanted as I felt him breathing down my neck. I wasn't much of a hero and I just wanted to scout out and run as fast as I could out of here with stardust. But this was not the time nor the place for heroics.

I was just about to move when I heard a gunshot and felt something wet on my back. The guards were on high alert as I turned around to see a headless raider behind me. That bastard was going to sneak up on me and Stardust killed them. I readied my pistol and looted the body for more ammo as I moved to the raider guarding the cages. They were surprised and I shot at them as they tried to fight back. The caged ponies outside watched what was happing. After taking care of those two I gave the keys to the caged ponies and told them to get out of here fast. The once caged ponies thanked me by screaming as they were running.

Stardust shot another raider this time in the leg as she tripped and fell. I made my way into the library were more of them were geared up and ready to fire. The library was a pigsty as there was shit smeared on the walls and ripped up books. I got into cover and reloaded. I could hear Stardust shooting anypony that had exited or tried to enter the building.

"Guys it's him that alicorn bastard!"

One of them screamed as they shot at me. I shot back and ran to flank them and I saw a zombie. Her skin all wrinkly and her derpy eyes glowing. I jumped back in disgust and apparently tackled one of the raiders. I used him as a meat shield as the rest of his buddies shot him. After they were reloading I chucked the body at her and used it to get the jump on them. (Throwing stuff at ponies is an awesome strategy.) I shot her chest and he died instantly almost too easily. (They were having sex and they didn't have their armor.) I looked out a crack in the window to see that Stardust had killed three of them at the door. After that, I took a second to catch my breath. There were more of them upstairs and I could hear them. The library was in ruins, tables broken and rotting bodies like streamers on the walls. There was thumping upstairs and they were coming from both sides. I quickly changed to the goo guns and turned them on.

"Any pony that enters my kill zone will be nothing but a pile of green goop!"

That pissed them off as the PipBuck's E.F.S was showing red dots moving fast. They ran in fast and saw their doom armed with duel green goo guns. I fired at them but missed the few times even if my sights were perfect. Then it hit me you aim at where they are going to be not at where there are. With this in mind and the help of the targeting spell, I maimed one raider and with a flash of green light turned another one into green jello as his flash disintegrated. They started to retreat knowing they couldn't win this fight. It was fine till one of them threw a grande, killing one of the caged ponies and splattering their guts on my face as well as a shower of splinters from a table. Throwing me back to the cage with the ghoul pony. I was wounded and they started shooting me. My armor was talking most of the damage but the splinters on my back hurt. I was lucky that none of them got my face or eyes. I was backed outside as I tried to get out of there but there was a blast of a shotgun fired into my flank. The pain burnt like fire as I fell over onto the main street. I saw that Stardust was being held over the edge of the boutique by one of the raiders I have overheard.

"Stay where you are or the filly gets it!" He screamed as some other raiders me.

"Mister Swift HELP!"

"Quiet you!"

That was at least a 30 or 20 hooves drop from a three-story building. Even if I managed to do anything Stardust would be dead before I could do it. I laid on the ground with blood leaking out of my wound and sprinters up and down my back. Stardust was endangered and I couldn't do anything about it. He was holding her by the mane with his magic aura adding to the pain stardust was experiencing.

"You want her back? Do as you are told!"

I limped up but was only shot at again this time in the other side of my flank. I screamed in pain as I flopped down And I could see Stardust crying as the raider licked his lips in lust. He whistled and one of the raiders brought out the ghoul pony and threw her down next to me. Even if she was all wrinkly and rotting her cutie mark didn't lie. The bubbles were still visible on her flank and her eyes were still out of place.

"Oh my...Ditzy doo the mail mare?!"

Her ears perked up as she looked at me. Not many ponies knew about her past life as she looked surprised and confused.

"It's me Swift from floor 4 room 20 Canterlot collage for gifted unicorns!" I smiled as I tried to make her remember me.

"I invited you for tea after you gave me the wrong package for the third time in a row."

she gasped and smiled weakly. I would have continued talking to her if we had time but this wasn't the place or time to do so. The unicorn was tieing up Stardust and had hung her upside down over the side of the building. The pain in my flank was healing slowly for some reason. (Alicorn healing is slow unless with rads are there.) Stardust was struggling and scared as the unicorn raider brought out a knife and began to talk again.

"Sorry to ruin the reunion but I have no time for chit-chat."

"What do you want!."

He smiled and looked at Ditzy doo and to me. Then well this was a first for me and I never want to talk about it ever again. Nopony should ever have to do the thing I had to do to Ditzy doo to get all of us out of ponyville safe.

"I want you to fuck the ghoul!"

My mouth dropped as I heard that. Ditzy doo blushed and pushed away from he only to be pushed closer to me. Stardust was going to be sick not only form hanging upsidedown be she had to watch the whole thing unfold. I looked at her and sighed as I turned to her.

"I will find another..."

She kissed me before I had a chance to finish my sentence. It wasn't that bad for a ghoul pony as she didn't hesitate at all. I was being kissed by a two-hundred-year-old mail mare as Stardust was hanging right there.I broke the kiss off and blushed.

"Uh...you are okay with...me and...you."

She nodded her head yes and bent over awaiting the first pony to enter her for 200 years.

"Stardust shut your eyes!"

I think Stardust shut her eyes (She didn't at all.) as I slowly got behind ditzy doo. I know I did as I took this nice and slow as not to hurt her as we spent the next ten or 20 minutes in the middle of the street grunting, moaning and growling.(I can only imagine how I was supposed to breed with other alicorns thanks to Doctor Aloe vera.) And well she was a 200-year-old virgin and the more I continued it didn't feel that bad, to be honest. (I wouldn't recommend it though.) As soon as we both climaxed the raider was pleased and let us go after giving me time to heal. This had to be the luckiest and disgusting thing that had happened to me.

All three of us go the fuck out of there and ran together down the road. Stardust was asleep on my back and Ditzy doo was in front of me. Stardust was hugging me tightly as we went anywhere. I didn't have the goo guns as I left them in the library and most of the splinters were gone. I was just following ditzy doo the ghoul pony I just fucked in the middle of the street to save Stardust. (Not awkward at all.) We stopped at a crossroads and I asked her if she knew where new appaloosa was. She just nodded and started walking. It wasn't a response as well she couldn't talk but it was like she wanted us to follow her.

I continued to replay the whole sex with a ghoul in my head.I couldn't stop thinking about it. But It was my first taste of what the equestrian wasteland had under its belt. And I was never going to forget that at all as it was burned deep into my memory. I turned on some music to focus on it and stardust woke up.

"Are we there yet?" She asked sleepily.

"Not yet we have a guild."

Stardust looked at Ditzy doo and smiled before asking me a question. (She was high as in the raider drugged her.)

"Do you like me mister swift?" She giggled.

"I do like you Stardust you are funny and a cute little filly." I replied as I took a drink of my canteen.

"Do you want to love me like the ghoul." She said in a flirty voice as I spit out the water and almost coughed up a lung.

Ditzy doo blushed and kept walking.

"Stardust I like you...just not like that...Don't even say stuff like that." I carefully and clearly said it to her. "What is going on with you?"

She was giggling and blushing and I was going to lose my mind. I stopped and set her down to have a very VERY long talk. Ditzy doo wasn't helping as she couldn't talk and she would be acting like we have been dating for ages. After our talk, she sighed as she walked with me. This was voice log worthy so I stopped the music and clicked it on once more.

"This is log five of Swift McGlides, bringing you or my self some advice or random chatter. So after getting attacked by the "great" Pegasus enclave at stable 2 when they were purging it or something, I was separated from Stardust after turning. Over some sort of miracle, I met her back in ponyville and we made our way through. Stardust was a creak shot and helped out with fighting but she was in trouble after getting caught. I was injured but my body can heal slowly? (Thank you, Doctor!) I was going to save her but to do that I had to fuck the gorgeous 200-year-old mail mare. (I didn't want to hurt her feelings.) And they let us go...Just like that. Anyway, I think they drugged Stardust she is acting weird..."

"Mister Swift LOVE ME!"

"WHAT! did we JUST TALK about!"

"Log end."

We sat down and rested for awhile, It gave me a chance to talk a quick nap. Stardust cuddled up to me under my wing and I told her if she tried anything there would be no cake at all forever and she was going to be grounded. (That got her.) Ditzy doo was laying down on her back enjoying a well-deserved break. Ponyville was out of sight and somewhat out of mind. We weren't there for long when Ditzy doo started to write in the dirt with a stick.

"Swift I know our meeting was awkward but I wanted to thank you for saving the other ponies...even if you couldn't save them all." She wrote.

"Uh...your welcome it's nice to see an old friend"

She started to write again after cleaning her slate.

"I have a confession." She wrote.

"What is it?"

She blushed and wrote it down.

"You were the only pony to give me a tip even if your package was in the wrong place. I was a young mare back then and sometimes I did it on purpose just to see you again." She wrote down.

"Well, I could see that Ditzy doo."

We had a laugh and we hugged it out. To think that she has seen 200 years of torment and pain. She was still the same mail mare I knew from the past even with her zombie-like appearance it was her. Well, I wasn't planning to stick around with her and well date. Then the question I had learned about earlier rolled off my tongue.

"Can ghouls get pregnant with foals and colts?, after all, It was burning a hole in my soul if I didn't ask you."

She smiles and laid on my chest as Stardust moved out of the way. Ditzy doo smiled and shrugged her shoulders and kissed my cheek before taking a nap. (It was awkward but we were awkward together.) I took watch as I felt the warmth of the two mares in my wings pressing against my body. The sun shined through the clouds and I was scanning for any signs of danger.

Then something flew up in the distance.

Footnote: Level Up.
New Perk: Tough bastard -- You have been shot, stabbed, punched and you are still kicking! Pain doesn't effect you as much anymore. you Instantly gain +10 Damage Resistance.

Chapter Six: A Crazy Noisy Bizarre Adventure

Chapter Six: A Crazy Noisy Bizarre Adventure.

"Your not a joke your fit right in."

Whatever flew up there was flying fast. I wasted no time in standing up and got into a stance. This caused the two mares to fall to the ground wake up. My visor started to scan the flyer and go crazy as stardust started yelling at me for not fucking her and hurting her head. (Fuck whatever drug those raiders used is make in her get on my nerves)

“Get to cover!” I screamed as I took stardust’s sniper rifle as Ditzy doo covered Stardust.

The flyer was coming right at us and my visor switched to this dog fight mode. I had zero Experience in fighting in the air at all. The unknown flyer started to shoot at us as I just barely managed a shield around my group. Whoever this was they weren’t fucking around. And with our lack of supplies could be our downfall.

The flyer was coming back for another run this time I was ready. I shot into the air and started to tail them. Even though I didn’t have much flying experience I was pretty fast in the air. They took notice of me and started to shoot at me. The visor started to lock on to them and it zoomed up on them and I got the full picture.

This wasn’t a pony…

It was a griffin.

The griffin swooped down and into an old factory. There was a lot of old crates and stuff around. Some skeletons and scrap metal. I landed and hid behind some of them. I didn’t realize how far I was from ditzy doo and stardust till I didn’t see them. I didn’t recognize the factory but I did know that the griffin was perched on the roof waiting for me.

“Where are you?”

I slowly poked my head out and looked over the create, only for there to be a muzzle flash and a bullet break into the create and something warm in my armor. Too my surprise it was the bullet it just barely missed but it did leave a nasty burn in my skin. She had a sniper rifle too…but hers was in much more quality and deadly. With no other choice I ran out of hiding and dived into another create. The next thing I heard was humming not just humming but it sounded like a female humming. It sounded like she was close to me...No she was up there and…

I looked up and saw she had moved from the roof. She was trying to flank me to get a better shot.

This was a game of cat and mouse, And I have just falling into her trap. I had to keep moving if I stood still I was screwed. My visor was looking for her with its E.F.S and sending it to “My” PipBuck. I started to look for her with the sniper rifle up ready to kill her.

“If you are here I don’t want to fight!”

I yelled as I snuck around the factory. The door was unlocked and I snuck inside. I didn’t know what I was going to do if I met face to face with her. But if it had to come to it one of us would end up dead. Inside the factory was messy and dark. Some file cabinets where overturned and built like a wall. Some of the roof was caved in but I jumped up and stayed low. The humming was getting louder as I slowly moved around. She was here somewhere and I would be ready for her as I stayed away from the windows.

Click.

“NANI!”

I was not ready for that.

Without warning I had stepped on a trip wire. Fearing I was going to blow up I did my “famous” “force yourself back with my insanely large wings trick.” I hit a wall as expected but there was no explosion…In fact there were just some rattling cans. Confused I lifted them up and gave them a shake and there was another gun shot. Well It turns out this was not the trap I was expecting. This was a sound trap and in the cause that I was being hunted down It had worked perfectly. The she-griffon didn’t need to see me at all…she could hear where I was.

I made a mental note to watch out for more of these in the future and started to run up the stairs.

If I could make it to the roof I could have a vantage point. I also made the point to watch my step as well. I started to think about why one would go through all this trouble just to kill me. This place and its traps. This was her playground and I bet she knew everyplace to hide. Why would anypony want to kill me? There was no reason to do so…I think.

I open the roof access and she was there waiting back turned. She knew I was there as I made a lot of noise. I aimed the rifle at her and she turned around and throw off the cloak. She didn’t look scared or anything as she shown no emotion at all.

“You going to do it?...One free shot alicorn scum.” She said in a low monotone growl.

“Why do you want me dead?” I asked quickly.

She didn’t fear death at all. She came closer and started to walk around me. I keep the gun on her at all times. I didn’t know what she was planning at all yet she knew I wasn’t going to shot her…at least not till I get some answers. Her talons scratched through the dirt as she left dusty paw prints. I got a full look at her. She was unarmed and some of her feathers rustled. Her green eyes where red as she with either high or had not slept in a while. She looked like the other griffins I had seen in the army. She was completely naked as in she had nothing.

I pushed the gun at her head and she just smiled.

“I will ask again…Why do you want me dead?”

This she-griffon was not fooling around. I could have just shot her and that was it. But there was no reason to now. The more I thought about it, it came to me. I gave her a free pass as in she was testing her luck. She had information I wanted and she knew that I was not going to kill her till I got it.

“You are real pathetic you know that? After all a Alicorn that killed and ate a group of raiders and left one alive to tell the tail...I would have thought you would do the same to me.” She taunted me.

“I don’t know why I am who I am and I don’t want to fight.”

She turned around and walked to a box. I was going to shoot her but she seemed calm and quite.

“You do know that you dropped this…right?” She chuckled as she held the clip in her talon.

I froze in place as I looked at the gun. The clip holder thing was broken. She got all her stuff and grabbed a can of old fruit cocktail. She returned and opened it with her beak as I just sat there.

“Look if you’re not going to kill me and you thought I was somepony else I will be leaving, I have a kid and a ghoul to watch over.” I started to walk away.

“Do you know why I wanted to kill you?” She said in a full beak of pineapple.

“No…will you please tell me why” I stopped.

“Because I need to.” She Smirked.

“Oh is there a bounty on my head?” I asked in response.

“Nope more like a rite of passage…I killed many normal ponies before and yet they want you dead.” She stuffed her beak into the can slurping all the juices like an animal.

“Oh and I guess the pony was a Pegasus in a weird robot suit huh.” I told her meaning the vault thing which I didn’t tell her about.

“Nope I can’t tell you much as in well its confidential…and I didn’t know you were a parent.” She threw the can off the roof and got up.

“It wasn’t my choice.”

“Oh knock a mare up did you now?” she smiled.

She was really getting on my nerves. How would a griffon who would put her own head to a gun joke around after trying to kill me? She was a professional yet maybe she was leading me into a false scene of security.

“Look I am going to leave now you’re wasting my time.”

I started to leave only for her to tackle me (Or would it be pounce?) and pin me to the ground. I struggled but she was stronger than she looked. (After all being part lion and all.) I gave up and didn’t move. I could feel her breath on my face.

“I. Hate. Alicorns.” She hissed.

“I. Can. Tell.” I managed to spit out.

About 2 minutes of just her with a talon on my throat ready to rip it out she let go and sighed. I had no Idea what the fuck was going on at all. I have never met someone as weird as her. This was super awkward. What she was going to do next was going to change everything. She laid down and surrendered.

“I am useless…I can’t even kill you to prove to the rest of talon crop I am not soft and not to be fucked with.” She said in a sad tone. “Just kill me…I am no better than the raiders I sent to scout out the area.”

I understood what she was saying. She was a griffon trying to prove her worth to the rest of her…corp.

(bird term fuck yah I am smart.) I stood over above as my shadow case over her. I she had found another alicorn then she would be dead. I could had just kill her and move. I took up the rifle and put a bullet in the chamber manually. And aimed it at her. I could hear that even though she was trained in being a merc and how she looked death in the face she was breathing heavily trying to hide it.

Bang!

She looked up and saw that I had shot next to her. The bullet hit the stone and bounced somewhere else. She saw the hatred in my eyes yet the kindness in my face of sparing her life. A tear went across her face and down her beak. The she-griffon that killed many for was begging for mercy at the hooves of death.

“To day I killed you…” I said.

I started to walk away to find my group however they were in the court yard. They had followed the sounds of shooting. Stardust was on the back of ditzy doo asleep. They had been watching me as I walked to them. Ditzy doo was relieved to see me as stardust slept. I was happy to see that they were safe and we could make our way to new appaloosa. We were walking when the she-griffon landed in-front of us stopping us once again. Ditzy doo growled like a ghoul when she came in to view and she pulled out a note book that they found and started to write into it.

“No-Pony!” she wrote.

“No-pony What…that is a griffon.” I asked confused.

Ditzy doo looked at me un-impressed and wrote down angrily.

“No-Pony is her name!” She finished.

I thought for a bit then I got it. Think of this when she hurts someone and they go to a guard…they say
“No-Pony did it” as in the guard thinks that no one hurt the pony and they are crazy. That was clever…maybe I should have killed her as this “No-Pony” was to clever for her own good.

“Oh it’s you nice to see you again Derpy, still leaving your shop roof hatch unlocked?” No-Pony said.

“Look “No-Pony” I “killed” you…your dead why are you here?” I asked.

“I know...but I failed my mission and if I got back without your head, they will kill me on site or laugh at me.” She exclaimed.

Stardust woke up and jumped off of “Derpy” and hid under. She pulled my wing feathers in causing me to lay on her me like a chick hiding under a mother hen. She felt safe when I was with her to protect her from strangers or things that want to hurt her. (Thank fuck the drugs wore off). She likes cuddles and hugs as well as chocolate cake. Her body was rolled up under me I “sat” on her blushing hard and awkwardly as just a while ago she wanted me to fuck her. She poked her head out from my wings and looked at me with her cute sickly blue eyes.

“Mister Swift…didn’t she want to kill you?” She muffled.

“It’s…well fine sweetie.” I said kindly as I nuzzled her.

Stardust went back into my fluff and hid their getting comfy. Derpy however was still angry after losing a lot of stuff from the talons of “No-Pony” and was at least wanting an apology. “No-Pony” was looking at us as griffons do by turning their whole head to one side and was surprised to hear my name.

“Your name is Swift McGlides?”

“Yes…It is...” I said concerned.

“You…show kindness…even to ones that don’t deserve it…I owe you my life…” She bowed.

“Miss “No-Pony” I appreciate the offer…But I don’t think you would want to travel with me…we are taking Ditzy doo home and going to stay there for a bit.” I said.

“Please…something about you…I just…your too good for this world…you shown me that it’s not about the score…I feel empathy.” She admitted.

“I am glad you had learned something from me but…” I was interrupted.

“I want to learn more! This feeling is so different then what I have been through…It feels…good. Your just like the book said…I was surprised you were even alive and it was you I found!” She smiled.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This assassin was engaging in a powerful conversation. Maybe there are still good ponies in this world. If only we could all come together, talk and rebuild equestria.

That was too much to ask as I have seen true evil. She was face to face with the broken soldier. “No-Pony” was going to sell me the world if it meant she could tag along. Who was this she was talking about and what did it have to do with me?

“What book?” I asked carefully.

“I will explain everything later; I am sorry if I am not making sense I am all jittery.”

We packed up and fixed the rifle as we got back on the road. Stardust would hum and sing a little song she heard off the radio. I didn’t fully trust “No-Pony” but if what she said was true then I could give her a chance. She hadn’t killed us yet and that was fine with me but one wrong move from her and it was going to get messy. To keep my mind off of what happened I began to think of what we would do at this New Appleloosa. “My” PipBuck already strike the who wants me dead quest as well a lot of ponies do for some reason. With some careful planning I put in the PipBuck.

Quest: Home on the range.
Quest Info: I have befriended a merc calling herself “No Pony” And she is taking us to New Appleloosa. Hopefully I can get some answers to my many questions I have.

It was a really long walk as for the many detours and some bathroom breaks. Most of us where just quiet and didn’t really talk. Stardust looked bored as she walked along, So I decided to play I little game with her. Carefully I lifted her up in my telekinetic aura slowly to see if she would notice. She must have been day dreaming or something as I managed to lift her off the ground above me. “No Pony” and Ditzy doo looked and smiled as stardust finally snapped out of it and saw that she was being levitated.

“Oh Mister Swift!” She squealed as she looked down and saw us from the top down.

“Took you long enough sweetie, what’s on your mind?” I asked her.

“I am just thinking about what we have been through…how you have risked life and death caring for me these past days.” She continued.

“I feel like we have known each other forever and I wanted to thank you.” She blushed.

“Well thank you Stardust I appreciate it.” I set her down and nuzzled her.

“So that’s a family right?” “No Pony” asked.

“I guess it is a family, I care for her and after all we have been through those last days I guess that makes it official.” I said.

“Huh…I guess your lucky little unicorn…I was raised in a hatchery with others.” “No Pony” explained.

“Griffins don’t like each other as much…I was trained to hate ponies and only worry about the money.”

“Huh what is different about you?” I asked.

“I got to meet you like the book.” She smiled.

Just being with “No-Pony” was strange. She was quirky for a lone griffon and she liked to talk a lot. (Maybe they sent her out because she was annoying.) Just then Stardust started running forward at a fast speed.

“Mister Calamity!” She said in-between breaths as she panted.

There was a caravan up ahead but having stardust leave my side to a bunch of strangers made me jumpy as I ran after her ready to fight if needed. They were up ahead as Ditzy doo and “No-Pony” ran from behind. Now It would have gone much smoother, but by the time the pony and his friends looked and saw an alicorn chasing after a filly as a ghoul and a griffin followed. Well…It could have gone better.

Long story short there was lots gun fire, lots of screaming, lots of blood and a blackout.

It was summer.

I was laying down on a lawn chair in a backyard I didn’t recognize. There where children playing and the smell of pie was in the air. I slowly got up and the door opened and a purple tail backed out. As I stood up I saw it was my love. Sarah looked different as in she had an apron and her mane was up in a bun. She looked older and well…pregnant as she set a pie on the table and looked at me.

“Oh your up sleepy head.” She said softly.

“I…uh…where am I?” I asked confused.”

“You’re at home honey, you took a long nap.” She smiled as she laid down next to me kissing my cheek.

I was very confused I didn’t know what else to think. Everything was so real. If this was a dream or a vison I could tell…I think. She wrapped her hooves around me and hugged me as I felt her baby bump.

“Third baby is going along nicely honey. “She whispered.

“Oh uh…good…uh I am going to get some water.” I said nervously.

I got up and walked into the house. It was beautiful and the interior decorating was amazing. I made my way to the kitchen and splashed water on my face. It was cold as in I could feel the coldness from it. I levitated a towel and dried my face. I started to pour a glass of water and drink it. Even the taste of the water was felt real as in went down my throat. I saw a wall mirror and I saw my reflection.

I had no wings and my stubs where gone. I looked like I had aged a lot and I looked more tired.

There was a shelf with pictures of me, Sarah and some children that were my family next to the mirror.

Some other pictures where from the army days and school photos. Others were of my parents with all of us together.

“Daddy? What are you doing?” A voice said.

I turned around to see a filly that looked like Stardust…No it was Stardust! It was her from her dark blue coat to her light blue eyes. She had a white bow in her mane as she looked at me.

“Uh nothing sweetie just freshening up.” I quickly said.

She smiled in response and trotted off back outside leaving me in awe.

“This is weird” I said to myself as I went back outside and laid down next to Sarah.

She was cutting the pie and gave me a slice as the kids sat down to eat. I could get used to this if it was real. Maybe everything I had been through was just some crazy dream. I thought as I ate the pie which was the best damn thing I have eating so far. Sarah started to hum as she started to take a nap.

I played along and ate pie and cuddled her as the children played. When our neighbor popped his head over the fence.

“Hey McGlides, you want to go bowling?” A stallion said.

I turned and saw it was Buckshot. Well if Buckshot took a shower and was my next door neighbor.

“Me and my cousin wooden ladle are going later if you want to come.” He continued.

“Uh…maybe some other day.” I replied.

“Alright then see you later.” He said before going away.

I was just about to take a nap just as Ditzy doo crashed in my bird bath waking Sarah up and scaring the kids.

“Oh mails here.” Sarah said.

She got up and lifted ditzy doo up and drying the letters and the pony with her magic. She took the mail and gave the mail mare a tip before she sped off to the sky. Sarah gave me a letter from Doctor Aloe Vera about my stubs being a cancer. A tumor of some kind and they were removed without a hassle.

A little later It started to get dark as the sun was setting. We just had dinner with “No-Pony” as she was in town. I helped clean up and put the left overs in the fridge. Sarah reading a little before getting up and lifting me up in her magic. She took me to the bedroom and smiled with lust.

“Surely my swift wants some more dessert.” She giggled.

She laid me down and got on top of my chest as we had a long kiss.

“Sarah your pregnant…And I am not really up for it now.” I admitted.

She rubbed herself up and down my chest moaning a bit before noticing I wasn’t getting into it. She sighed and she laid down next to me. I smiled and held her as I rubbed her belly. We just laid there in silence before going to sleep.

Or at least I thought.

It was summer…again.

I woke up laying down on a lawn chair in my backyard. Our children were playing and pie was cooking its smell was strong. I slowly got up again as the door opened and a purple tail backed out.

“Strange…” I thought.

As I stood up I saw Sarah again. She looked the same as yesterday still older and still pregnant. She had the same apron and her mane was still up in a bun. She set a pie on the table and looked at me.

“Oh your up sleepy head.” She said softly again.

“Oh hello Sarah.” I said.

“Have a good nap?” She smiled as she laid down next to me kissing my cheek again.

I didn’t respond as I was too busy experiencing déjà vu. I had already had lived that day…but everything was going more or less the same. She wrapped her hooves around me and hugged me as I felt her baby bump.

“Third baby is going along nicely honey, want to take bets if it is a colt or a filly? “She whispered.

“Honey I am going to get some water okay?” I said quickly as I got up.

I got up and ran into the house. Even inside was the same as I made my way to the kitchen and splashed water on my face. I was getting scared I have already lived his day. The water was cold as normal and I levitated a towel to dry my face. I wasn’t thirsty I just needed to leave for a bit. I looked in the mirror and saw myself again.

No wings and my stubs where gone. I looked the same as before. On the shelf with pictures of me, Sarah and our kids that were my family next to the mirror. They were the same pictures where from the army days and school photos. Others were of my parents with all of us together.

“Daddy? would you like some water?” The same voice said before.

Stardust was there with the same white bow in her mane as she looked at me levitating a glass of water in her magic.

“Thank you sweetie” I nuzzled her and kissed her head taking the water and drinking it before walking back outside with her. Sarah was cutting the pie as the kids sat to eat. I laid down on the lawn chair and waited for her to give me my pie. She did just that and I wanted to talk to her before she hums and falls asleep.

“Sarah we did this all this yesterday.” I said concerned.

“What no silly we went to the park yesterday.” She said.

“Sarah I can prove that I have seen everything before and what is going to happen next.” I said quickly.

“Okay then…Let me take a nap.” She started to dose off.

“No naps just watch honey.” I woke her up a bit as I walked to the fence.

“Our neighbor is going to ask us if I want to go bowling.” I said.

Sure enough buckshot raised his head over the fence once again.

“Hey McGlides, you want to go bowling?” He said on cue.

Sarah was surprised but dismissed it as a fluke. I kindly refused his offer again and went to the bird bath, waiting for Derpy to crash into it.

“Now Derpy is going to crash into the bird bath.” I said with a smile.

Just then the bird bath fell down and a wet Pegasus and mail flopped on the ground.

“Oh mails here.” I said.

I helped her up and dried everything off with my magic as I took the mail and tipped her.

“Sarah see what I am saying?” I told her.

Sarah nodded and got up as everything started to disappear leaving me and her in an empty plan of existence. There was no pie or babies just the two of us.

“I thought you would take longer to notice.” She said.

“Sarah…I know the bond magic left some of you still in me…but this what is this?” I asked.

“You were shot up real bad and are in a comma like state for 3 days.” She sighed.

“Huh and your just here because?” I continued.

“I am here to offer you a choice love…To die and live with me in harmony…Or wake up and face the horrors that await you as you struggle to survive.” Her tone was serous.

“Sarah…there are ponies that count on me…I love you but…I couldn’t forgive my self-letting a child down.” I said.

Sarah walked to me and gave me a hug. This was the side effect of bond magic if a pony dies then a part of then is left with you as a spirt. What Sarah was basically doing was talking to me from the other side somehow. A whole new discovery in magic that will never be documented because no one cares anymore. I don’t know if this had to do with “other swift”. But I didn’t want to find out.

“Then I will wake you up…And see you later my love.” She whispered and kissed me as she stared to disappear.

“I will Sarah…I will…” I said

The floor was stone cold.

I woke up only to find that I was chained up and in a cell. There was a strange magic ring on my horn blocking any form of magical ability from being used. I was healed but Everything was sore and bandages where on my chest. I tried to get up but the chains held on tight.

“Stardust! “No-Pony”! Derpy!” I screamed.

Using whatever strength, I had left I pulled at the chains. They were rusty but still strong as I pulled them around trying to find the weak link. I was causing a lot of noise and I could hear screaming and yelling from outside.

“That doesn’t sound good!” I thought

One of the chains snapped from my struggling giving me the room I needed to brake the others out as well. I was going to kill the motherfucker that shot me. I felt feral because I was hungry as the logs from Aloe Vera said that was bad. Some ponies busted through the door of the jail armed to the teeth.

“HE’S UP!” One cried.

They ran out of there as fast as possible. So much for guards more like pussies. I wrapped the chain around the door and started to pull hard and jerk it hoping to pull it off its hinges. Only with a few more tries I pulled the door down with a crash as the chain whipped me in the face scratching my cheek causing me to bleed. Not having time to retaliate the pain I ran out to the street.

I was causing a scene.

“Stardust! Derpy! “No-Pony”! where are you?!” I yelled angrily.

There where chains on my wings over the bandages that I couldn’t remove. This horn ring was digging into my horn every time I tried to take it off or use magic. I ran down main street looking for my group.

“Mister Swift!” She cried

Stardust was running to me only to be tailed by the Cowpony Pegasus bastard that shot me. Without thinking bolted at him horn ready to fucking stab through his heart. He must have known what I was planning as he flew up just as Stardust stopped running. I snapped out of it just in the nick of time or I would have run over the filly. I slid to a halt causing a big dust cloud as I dig into the sand and hugged Stardust tight, she was crying and I started to as well.

Some ponies came to look at us and I plopped her down and laid on top of her using my body as a shield covering her and screaming gibberish if some pony came near. Stardust went quite as she had passed out from stress as I laid there bleeding and protecting. It took about an hour before anyone would talk to me. That being “No-Pony” and Derpy coming back from a delivery.

“Oh Swift your up!” “No-Pony” Said in a whistle click.

“You...Okay?” I asked weakly.

“Of course! After all we are in New Appleloosa.” She chirped.

The town was full of old train cars. Some used as houses and others used as walls to protect the town.
Ditzy Doo was hitched up to an empty cart. The rest of the towns people started to looked at what I was going to do. I felt Stardust wake up and struggle under me as I moved over and let her out.

“Mister Swift I am so glad you are Alive!” She whimpered.

"Now…take me to that rust coated winged desperado.” I growled.

“I have a name ya know?” His voice said behind me.

“You better I have a damn good excuse before I shove those guns up where the sun doesn’t shine.” I said angry.

“Well for starters from a distance you looked like you were chasing the poor girl.” He said calmly.

“Plus your kind is known for being a pain in the flank.” He continued.

I stood up only to flop over in the dirt. The pony chuckled and walked over offering a hoof. I just looked at him in disgust. All I knew was he could be part of that enclave. He sighed and started to walk into a store as “No-Pony” took off the horn ring and chains after helping me up.

“Come on McGlides…you must be famished.” She said.

I was taken into Derpy’s shop and the sign above read.

Absolutely Everything

Yes, I do deliveries!

No hooves, nasty stingers? No service.

Ask me about special orders! I won’t answer, but I’ll get right on it!

Wasteland Survival Guide! Available now! First copy for every family is free

“Wasteland survival guide?” I asked

I sat on the couch as “No-Pony” looked around for something to give me to eat. Stardust brought “My” PipBuck and laid on my chest as “No-Pony” dug around the shop.

“Uh…what do you alicorns eat…besides ponies?” She asked.

“Anything that is edible…but meat sounds good.” I said.

“Okay…I will be back!” She said.

She grabbed her rifle and flew out the hatch in the roof as Derpy and the rust colored Pegasus came into my view. Derpy smiled and went to the back room as the Pegasus sat down close but not too close to me.

“The names Calamity sir…” Calamity said.

“Makes sense” I growled.

“Well I am sorry we uh…shot ya It’s not every day a we see a nice alicorn.” Calamity apologized.

“So you think apology to me will change the fact what you guys did at the stable? I bet you were at stable 2 killing children and trying to find me…Well good thing I killed a whole lot of you robot looking heartless fuckers. “I said in with so much pent up anger.

I must have busted a nerve in calamity that he held deep down inside him. He just sighed and walked away knowing that I didn’t want to talk to him at this time. These ponies have taken me in and have helped me, even if it meant chaining me down. It wasn’t for a punishment it was more like a safety measure to make them feel safe. I started to feel bad later after “No-Pony” came back in holding what looks to be a mangled ghoul bunny.

“One raddit for McGlides.” She said.

My nose smelt the rust of the blood dripping from the raddit and I had changed to the simple minded animal Doctor Aloe Vera said I would. Just seeing “No-Pony” take the raddit and start to cook it made my mouth water. Stardust must have taken notice and jumped off as I came to get a closer look.

“Now you ponies can’t really handle meat but you guys eat it anyway.” She said.

After it was cooked she took some for the rest of the group and gave me half of it. I as I tasted the cooked flesh of the raddit I started to recover and snap back to reality as I ate it. It wasn’t that bad and it could be a good source of food on the go. After I was feed I thanked “No-Pony” so much I swore I saw her blush. Stardust came in holding the PipBuck in her magic and looked at me.

“Mister Swift after you do your little talk with the PipBuck, can you teach me magic?” She asked cutely.

Well lucky for her I could try to teach her what I knew. I told her about a healing spell that she didn’t recognize. (As in she used a simple one and more heath potions and bandages to heal me before.)

This one however if toned right could heal a pony from very bad wounds. (Something I should use more often.) She was interested in in expanding her knowledge in magic as all unicorns are, so I spent the most of the day helping her train.

More on magic if in combat the caster would have to be focused to cast and charge an effective spell. Meaning you would have to clear your mind and charge that spell as you are being shot at. Most spells however can be casted quick and don’t need a charge as long to be cast but it is weaker but faster.

“Log…whatever I don’t remember the number this is swift. So it has been a bizarre adventure. I was hunted down by this griffon and yet she is more or less my friend now. I was almost shot to death by this calamity…I will apologies to him. I was just scared. I had this crazy dream about Sarah and turns out she is somehow talking to me from the afterlife. I don’t understand but it’s true. I am going to teach Stardust some magic and find out about this book the griffon has. That is basically the gist of it…Oh and remember to use healing spells. Log end.”

“Let’s make some noise.” I said to Stardust.

After a few mishaps and close calls, she managed to get half of it done. She was proud of her self but really tried and had falling asleep on the couch as I cleaned up. I walked in to the back room to check on Ditzy Doo and how she was adjusting to coming home.

“Hey Ditzy Doo how are you doing?” I asked.

The ghoul smiled and presented me with some sort of heavy armor stable tech barding, and a saddle bag full of supplies. On the gift was a note that read.

“Never in my life have I met someone like you, take these supplies as a thank you for saving me and showing this mare a good time. “

~Ditzy doo ; )

I smiled and gave her a long hug. To think I would have a “ghoul friend” (A pun of quote on quote “Mare Friend”) I didn’t care if her skin was rotting or her eyes where dead, I had made a genuine friend. After breaking the hug and trying on the armor. (To my surprised was light because I was stronger than normal ponies) I looked into my bag and there was a lot of stuff added.

An auto shot gun.

2 boxes of shells each for had 12 shells for 24 shots.

A 10 mm pistol and 4 clips.

Assortment of dried food.

A large canteen.

Some medical supplies.

Now add that to my old stuff.

Lyra the machete.

The suit.

The visor.

2 boxes of cake.

Some lose bullets to the sniper rifle.

Broken SMG

50 caps

She had taken the broken stuff for parts and other lose things to her collection and given Stardust her own pack as well as filly armor. I took everything as the PipBuck shorted it and keep me light. Just then “No-Pony” bust into the room.

“You’re on the news McClydes!” She said.

I turned on the PipBuck’s radio and waited for what Dj Pon3 had to say this time.

“Hello there equestrian wasteland how you all doing? Good to hear any way so up with the news.

So our horned and winged friend has awakened from his stay at some inky dink town after being shot. Now If listening Mister McGlides if you don’t want to be shot at wear that red tie on your head as a bandana. Fellow listeners if you see a white alicorn with a red bandanna on his head don’t be a shooting, after all he just wants to live a quiet life with his daughter. I have faith in you Mister McGlides, now if you want ponies to like you I hear community service is a great way to help your rep.”

“This has been a message from the pony there self…Dj pon3”.

“You must be really popular if Dj pon3 knows your name.” “No Pony” said.

“I sometimes wish she wouldn’t tell everyone I exist.” I said.

Doing what Dj pon3 asked I took the tie in my magic and wore it on my head. It was a stooped Idea but if it worked less ponies would try to shoot me…However I could abuse it but that wasn’t way I was here. I was glad to see “No-Pony” as that my personal quest to see this book.

“ ”No Pony” can I see what book you were talking about three days ago?” I asked her.

“No Pony” nodded and pulled an old blue leather book from her coat. It was old with age but I almost broke down and cried when I recognized it. The book was Sarah’s diary and she had it in her talons and to add more pain to it is that her diary was buried with her.

“No-Pony” had dug up my dead lovers grave.

I swiped it out of her talons and held it close to me. This was Sarah’s private thoughts of every day we have been together. It was all here and I was about two seconds from punching the griffin so hard her beak would crack. Instead of freaking out as I already caused a scene in the middle of the street. I took a deep breath and counted to three.

“ “No-Pony” …you found this in a graveyard yes?” I sputtered.

“Uh…yes? I…oh dear you and her and the stable and old war…” She went on.

So instead of respecting my privacy as I lay dying for three days not only have they looked and listened to my logs on “My” PipBuck but now they have Sarah’s secrets that maybe she would want to just die with. My mind was doing flips as I sat down. I had her memories in my hooves and I didn’t know what to do with them. Should I read it? Should I fly to the ponyville graveyard and hope there is something left to re-bury? No there was no way in hell I was going to go back “home”.

“ ”No Pony” I am taking this because it belongs to…” I was interrupted.

“Sarah FlameHeart? sure you can keep it.” She said quickly.

“Thank you.” I said as I put It in my pocket.

It was getting late and if I was going to boost positively into my rep I could start by apologizing to Calamity. Then after that fix the jail door that I bust down. With my tie on my head I looked outside to look for him. The locals must have heard Dj pon3’s massage but they were still ready to run if I would to do something. I tried to stay out of everyponie’s way as I looked for him. Easier said than done as he was in the bar in the far corner.

Once I entered the building everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the winged horn freak show. I made my way to the counter and put some caps on the counter.

“Apple whiskey all of it” I said as the caps fell to the counter.

The bartender nodded and put some strange yellow apples on the table and magically turned them to a bottle of apple whiskey. They then sided it down the counter as I stopped it with my hoof. The rest of the bar patrons watched as I drank the whole bottle without stopping for air. After finishing it I threw it behind into the trash.

“What you all looking at?” I said.

They all went back to their normal business as I walked over to Calamity at his lone table and sat down.

He didn’t move his head but I knew he was looking at me. With a sigh I started to speak I knew the whole bar could hear it because world travels around town fast.

“I am sorry how I acted…I shouldn’t have snapped like that…it was the stress talking and this crazy world then suddenly being in a new place after being shot…I hope you understand.” I said.

“Well there is something to help you with your stress Mister McGlides.” Calamity spoke.

“What is it that and how does this play into my apology?” I asked.

“I here sex with Ditzy Doo is really good for stress relief.” He spoke trying to hide his laughter.

I gasped as the whole bar started to point and laugh. How much has stardust told these ponies and we are going to have a long talk. There is perhaps time for some punishment to be in order. I sat there embarrassed and as Calamity started to laugh with the others.

“Come on tell us how it was after all we are all very interested.” Calamity continued.

The whole bar stopped and waited for me to talk. This was Calamity’s revenge or a lesson for me to learn. That lesson being don’t talk crap about Calamity or don’t let your adopted daughter get captured and watch you be forced to fuck a ghoul.

“You guys really want to know?” I said awkwardly.

“Oh yes they do and you do this and all is forgiven Mister McGlides.” Calamity commented.

He gave me another drink and sat down.

“Well here it goes.” I said drinking the apple whiskey.

I spent the night telling them in great and absurd detail about how and what me and miss Ditzy Doo did in the middle of the street. The drink made me feel let awkward and more open as I told them about kissing to the whole sexual intercourse. Some left because it disgusted them and others made notes. It’s like the whole night went by faster.

“And as soon as we were finished I gave her a small kiss and pulled out letting my love pour out of her.” I said.

They all clapped their hooves and cheered. This was very embarrassing and I started to walk out of the bar blushing. Calamity swooped down in front of me and smiled.

“You are forgiving McGlides.” He said tipping his hat.

“Thanks…I guess.” I responded.

He flew off and left me to walk back to Ditzy Doo’s shop for the night. “No Pony” was on the porch enjoying the cool night air. I got up and sat next to her just listening to the crickets if there was any.

“Seems like you were really into it” She said under her breath.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I said.

“Well At least you showed her a good time…mostly we she-griffins are pinned down and…” “No Pony” was interrupted by me.

“I don’t need the whole world knowing about my sex life…” I said sternly.

“Right then…uh I didn’t know you alicorns where so…horny.” She said smiling trying to make me feel
better.

“Fuck me…did you really make that joke?” I looked unimpressed.

“Uh…Well you are a nice pony and her book tells a lot about you…but I don’t know…” She said awkwardly.

“What are you saying?” I said confused.

Apparently she didn’t know that I meant by “Fuck me” as a way of saying “Everything has gone to shit and I am screwed.” Having talked about how I fucked a ghoul and this griffin reading Sarah’s diary like an ancient text.

“Nothing at all! nothing at all! Uh did it get hot in here?” “No Pony” quickly changed the subject.

I blushed and without hesitating I nuzzled her then went back inside leaving the griffin speechless.

I took off the armor and set it aside as I laid on the floor it wasn’t that cold as there was a small fire burring next to me. As I shut my eyes I started to doze off.

The next day was raining and wet.

I knew this after waking up in a puddle as water dripped on my face. (Good thing the dairy was put away safe.) The air was cold and smelt fresh. From what I knew either Pegasus raiders could mess with the weather or it was the enclave. Either way I was still tried from last night. Ditzy Doo’s shop was flooded a little and the mare herself was working on moving buckets of water to the next place.

I got up and yawned as she wrote down her to do list on the table.

Fix Roof (Asked Crane for lifting stuff).

Help Ditzy Restock shop.

Help Other Ponies.

It was a simple list but I smiled and told her I will help with the roof the best I can. Ditzy smiled and wrote down a note before giving me a peak on the cheek. (I swear it she is taking it like we are married.)

I looked at the note and blushed.

“I love you.” ~ Derpy.

I suited up in my armor and put on my red tie bandana before grabbing a tool box and walking outside.

It was windy, muddy, and rainy a gloomy day I believe. I opened my wings and caught the wind as a gust lifted me up and landed me on the roof. I could see the whole town and in the distance there was a crane and a train. I set the tools down and carefully glided over riding on the wind rather than flap my wings to keep myself air born.

The ponies where loading some supplies into the train. One of them being the unicorn called crane.

There was a locomotive at the front and some cars in-between and then a caboose. The conducer must have known I was looking at the train and started to talk about it.

“You see the train is pulled by a group of ponies because we don’t got any coal.” He said.

“You know if you got rid of the locomotive and switched it to a siding it would be easier for the ponies to pull the rest of the train.” I said intelligently.

He looked at me and stopped talking after realizing that we were on two different tracks and walked away. I brushed it off and walked to the unicorn that was loading the train.

“Are you crane?” I asked.

“Who’s asking?” He said.

“Ditzy needs help lifting stuff to fix the roof.” I said.

“Tell Ditzy I can’t do it today I have to pull the train.” He said.

“Uh…what about me? I can do it?” I asked.

“Sorry we aren’t letting you on this train...Besides you couldn’t pull it.” Crane said.

“I meant about lifting the stuff to fix roof…And I could to pull the train.” I said.

“I bet you 300 caps plus bragging rights.” Crane said.

“Oh I don’t have that kind of money.” I admitted.

He chuckled and went back to work leaving me alone as they started to pack up and roll out.

I sighed and went back to the shop to fix it myself. I didn’t know that it wasn’t roof tiles but the whole train car had to be moved. I had lifted up ponies before but not something as big as a train car. I knew that if I messed up I could crash some ponies or myself and that wasn’t worth the risk.

I came back down and went back inside all soaked as I told Ditzy the news. She looked kind of upset but understanding. I also told her about the bet crane had offered and she giggled. Because I wouldn’t risk crushing anybody I helped her restock the shop and move buckets to drips in the roof. It felt good to work and have a normal life for a bit. No more running around and getting shot at.

There was a knock at the door and Stardust walked in all muddy and angry. Turns out she was tripped by some colt and fell in the mud. Stardust being her lifted up some mud and started to throw it at him.

“Mister Swift…I need a bath and…my gun...” She said angry.

“Yes to a bath and no to the gun.” I said as I stopped her from reaching her rifle.

“He started it” She said as she ran upstairs and got into a big metal tub that ditzy was pouring hot water into.

“Well the less problems we have to deal with the more time we have to enjoy ourselves.” I said.

She started to clean herself as I left back then the rain started to come down hard.

“Another storm fuck!” I said to myself.

Why did there have to be another storm. I hated storms as they were nosy and always leave a mess afterwards. I made sure the door and any windows wear shut before it got too bad. Just then Calamity bust through the door gasping for breath. There was blood on his coat and his battle saddle was broken.

“McGlides We need your help!” He screamed.

“What is it?” I asked as I suited and loaded my shot gun.

“Alicorns!” He yelled.

I got ready quickly as I set the visor to its night vision mode as me and Calamity stormed out the shop. “No Pony” was already outside ready to fly to the train.

“How you think I can help?!” I yelled.

“Not sure but if posable shoot them!” Calamity yelled.

I never have met another alicorn out here and if they are attacking a train then that must be a reason to this weather. It wasn’t really far as I looked down to see a four alicorns on the ground. The light from the train car’s lamp lit up the battle field as lightning crashed on the ground. They didn’t look friendly or look like me. They were green, purple and one was blue.

There were dead guards as I landed on the ground leaving “No Pony” as a sniper and Calamity as a spotter till he fixed his guns. Then I heard a voice in my head.

“Sisters he is here.” It said

I didn’t know where it was coming from but I started up my magic shield. The voice still spoke as if they were right next to me.

“I feel strange sister…as if there is a burning between my legs.” A different voice said.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I knew I was built to breed alicorns…but this I believe either it was because I was with in close proximity to them that they could “Smell” a potential mate. Or they just where in fact “horny”.

“We can hear you…and did you really think that shield will stop us?” The voice before said.

I walked out shield at the ready knowing we were going to do this the hard way. They looked kind of well if you cleaned off all the blood and mud. Pretty. They inspected me like I was some sort of trophy.

I was surrounded only by choice as one wrong move would mean death.

After getting a full glimpse of them my visor started to track their movements but then it turned black.

I lost all emotion and I was empty. I felt my self-change. This was the work of the visor it was starting up a command. I tried to take the visor off yet I couldn’t use my magic or my hooves. The other alicorns looked at me curiously. Everything was locked up the visor rebooting its self for a new mission…that one being repopulation.

I didn’t know what the others were doing but seeing how all these mares laid down next to me after killing all these ponies it was wired. They stopped the weather and started to playfully nuzzle me like I had put them all under a spell and “tamed them.”

“Oh yes goddess is pleased to have a mate.” A voice said.

“How do we make him join the unity, He doesn’t look interested in “playing” with us.” Another said.

“Goddess wants to see him in action and has chosen me to start.” The blue alicorn spoke in an awkward way as if she had not spoken a word before in her life.

I sat stood there trying to move as the blue alicorn stood up and waited for me to “engage” her.

I felt my self-walking to her only for her head to explode and fall over dead as “No Pony” and Calamity started to shoot at them. “No pony” kept faraway as Calamity flew around and shot from the sky.

The alicorns noticed them and started to get ready for the fight. This sudden action had allowed me to snap out of it and with some lucky shots from spray of bullets two alicorns where dead. Now let me tell you about that auto shot gun. This marvel of weaponry was a beauty. The way each shell was fired in a quick snap in your magic aura and the wonders it had. This one was special as I later found out (after all the alicorns where dead thanks to my team.) That this gun was remodeled. The drum was easy to reload and change and the magic touch trigger was calibrated.

After having a look for survivors and using whatever magic I hand left to put the train back on the track. (It was hard as hell) We managed to regroup and talk about what just happened. Calamity was kind of furious and confused as “No-pony” just stared at me. The weather was clearing up and it was awkward just being there.

“You are a very dangerous pony McGlydes!” Calamity yelled.

“I don’t know what happened it’s just…I was really scared.” I replied.

Calamity just sighed and hitched was going to hitch himself up to the train before I stopped him.

“You need some rest I will pull it.” I told him.

He just nodded and left me alone with the train. I was going to pull this thing back to new appleoosa with my strength alone. But even then he brought “No-pony” and they both hitched up to the train for team work.

“We are not letting you do this all yourself.” “No-Pony” chirped

“Team work remember” Calamity said.

I smiled and we started to pull the train back to town. This train was heavy and a lot of swears where said but it was much easier to do it together. We sang songs and we talked about stuff to pass the time pulling the train up the hill. I felt like a normal pony again and I loved that.

Chapter Seven: Griffons and Answers.

Chapter Seven: Griffons and Answers.

"You okay?"

We just returned to new appleoosa dragging the fucking train with us back up the hill. The bird, The Cowpony, And the Monster. The weather changed back to calm as the alicorns changing it had expired. After we managed to unload the survivors and the dead off the train and unhitched ourselves as a crowd surrounded us. I wasn't in the mood to talk to them as "No Pony" and Calamity went and talked to them.

"Damn it why does everyone want to kill me?"

I sighed as I walked out from the crowd that surrounded us. Can't a stallion take a breather with out being shot, hunted, forced to breed and other shit. I walked back to the shop and walked upstairs to take a bath and started to undress when suddenly stardust tackled me casing us both to fall into the tub. Stardust giggled and kissed my cheek and hugged me tightly.

"Oh mister swift I heard everything. I am glad you are okay!"

"Easy there Stardust daddy isn't going anywhere."

She lay on my chest purring and nuzzling into the fluff as I relaxed in whatever water was left in the tub as it dripped down stairs. "No pony" fluttered in from the roof hatch and landed on the bed in her talon was the Sarah's blue journal. She seemed like she didn't know what to do after what happened.

"Uh...so Mister Swift I am sure you want to be alone but I thought you might want to ask me thous questions and stuff...you know.."

I seemed annoyed but that was why we where here in town. To finally get answers to the questions I have about everything. About why she has my dead marefirend's diary, why raiders wanted to kill me, why I am still alive. "No pony" took a deep breath and began to speak softly.

"I was hired to find you...I don't know who but they payed me up front. They told me where you where and I sent the raiders there to scout it out...not to kill you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The raiders said they wanted to kill me then "No pony" wanted to kill me...this was a bit much.

"You know how raiders are...not the best cheep labor but it works. One of them tried to get the jump on me so I ripped him to shreds with my talons." She continued.

"When I heard that you ate them I didn't know what to think so I was going to kill you no mater what. But after finding out it was you from the book...and you showed your kindness...I froze...I didn't know what to do..."

"well that explains somethings...so you where hired anonymously...a another mystery and quest." I said as stardust washed my head and played in the suds.

"Yes...It was when I dug up her grave and put the puzzle together that...well...this might sound crazy but..."

"But what?"

"What if...now don't have a panic attack...but what if it was...Sarah?" She said quickly as she braised her self for a insult or something.

"You think...that Sarah is alive? Hired you to find me, and maybe is watching us at this very moment like some guardian angel?" I said sternly enough that Stardust got out of the tub and walked off.

"I am not saying that to be rude but yes, thats my theory mister ice-cube." She said as she tried to lighten the mood.

I thought about it. Maybe there was more to bond magic then I thought. It was a theory that didn't seem to crazy to me from what this new world had to offer. Maybe she was a ghoul and was trying to find me though bond magic. (I would still love her even if her face was busted and her skin was peeling off) This was something I could use to give me the hope I needed to keep me calm, even if it was false hope there could be against all odds in hell that Sarah could have been reborn somehow. (I should sleep on it).

I snapped out of it and started to wash up and dry off as I put everything away. Then I got on the bed and rested as "No pony" laid beside me. Her feathers puffed up as her lions tail batted its self around. She tucked Sarah's book under my pillow and smiled as she shut her eyes. I didn't mind if she was sleeping next to me it just felt kind of natural as my eyes felt droopy. For once I could maybe have a nice full night of rest surrounded by my new family.

It felt so peaceful...

The next morning I was being cuddled and snuggled as the two girls were resting on me like some sort of living blanket. Blushing I slowly made my way out of hooves and talons as I got into my jump suit. It was nice to be living here with ditzy doo rent free as long as I helped her out with the choirs and other tasks she needed. She wasn't there perhaps she was out and about doing "ghoul things". Having no other things to really do today I decided to do my pip-buck log while I had the chance.

"This is...why should I keep track of these logs. I can just label it later. Right now I have a bomb to drop. So after coming to this town yada yada...wait why am talking like this? Skipping details and stuff to remember. Oh my...have I finally become safe? One thing I have learned in the war is to always be on your guard...No mater what. Anyway off topic So after settling down in town I was called to action because other alicorns came looking for me. Turns out I am a sex magnet and with that visor on I freeze up and act like a sex robot. Anyway they killed some ponies and me, cowpony and birdie killed them and came home. Okay future swift here is what I have learned. "No pony" thinks Sarah could be alive...crazy right? Sarah...if you find this pip-buck on my dead body...I love you dear. I am sorry I couldn't save you on that day. Now uh what was a I talking about. Never-mind swift out."

Damn I am getting too comfortable.

[...I End it there. No more for a long time.]

Introduction

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria...

...Oh, what can I say about it that hasn't been already said...Right now everything has gone to shit. There is fighting everywhere, riots in the streets and wars breaking out. This has gone far out of control that some call it "The end of the world as we know it". You may or may not care about the Zebras and Ponies fighting a losing war. And these things called mega spells and balefire bombs that destroy everything in sight in a big blast of magical energy. And to make it much worse with the dwindling amount of resources that are being put to the war effort and other stuff then it only adds to the problem at hand.

The amount of violence and damage both sides causing was tremendous that it was by law that every able pony who could hold a gun was to be shipped out to their death to fight a war that had no victory for anyone. Not for the ponies of Equestria or the zebras of...well...you get the point. What matters is that even with all this crazy and sometimes unethical stuff that caused ponies to retreat into underground shelters called stables as the rest of the world burned on top of them. Is that we have to hold on to hope. As it's the last remaining thing that no one can take away. No matter how dark and scary times can be. We have to stay strong so we can get through the day and fight for a better tomorrow...Because at this point hope...

Is all we have left...

Fallout: Equestria Swift Tale

DLC Chapter: How to cook the perfect roasted raider.

Tired of your raiders tasting bland and the same? Try Other Swift's mouth watering Equestrian wasteland recipe that will blast your taste buds out of this world!

Ingredients

1.5 kg topside of Raider haunch. (Normally one that you killed your self so you know it's fresh).

(for the next steps I'm not sure where you can find these out in the wasteland).

2 medium onions.

2 carrots.

2 sticks of celery.

1 bulb of garlic.

1 bunch of mixed fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, bay, sage.

olive oil. (Or if you want you can use an alcohol).

Method

Remove the haunch from the body after you killed it before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature.

Skin the hunch of the raider making sure to some how to keep the cutie mark in some condition that it makes a great napkin for an after dinner clean up.

Preheat your cooking fire to 240°C/475°F/ gas 9. and wait till the flames die down before you cook it. (you can make an "oven" out of an old metal garbage can if you want to be fancy. Just make sure to empty it).

Wash and roughly chop the vegetables (If you found any) – there’s no need to peel them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled. (As well as wash the raider haunch because you have no idea where the fuck they have been).

Pile all the veg, garlic, and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with oil. (or pour wine all over it).

Drizzle the haunch with oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper, (Not sure where to find that as well) then rub all over the meat. Place the haunch on top of the vegetables.

Place the tray in the "oven" or cover it with a scrap of metal, then turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 by taking some of the coals out. Cook for 1 hour for medium haunch. If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier. For well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes.

If you’re doing roast potatoes and veggies, this is the time to crack on with them – get them into the "oven" for the last 45 minutes of cooking.

Baste the haunch halfway through cooking and if the veg looks dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them from burning.

When the haunch is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the haunch to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tin foil and a tea towel and wait for the juice to sink in.

Enjoy your sadistic meal!