“Wait,” said Futile, “you mean that failed project by the Ministry of Arcane-Sciences?”

“Um...it didn't fail,” said Shard with a confused look, “whatever gave you that impression?”

Futile gave him a look, “I got that impression due to what I learned out west. Out there, every mutated creature is the result of the F.E.V., and seeing as how we never found any evidence of the I.M.P. back out west, we all just assumed that Twilight's little vanity project had failed.”

“Well it didn't,” said Jericho, “but I think I know why you guys out west came to the conclusion that you did.”

“And that is?” asked Futile.

“Well, according to some old records, which I found in the various ministry buildings I've scavenged over the years, The FEV Project was started in response to the IMP Project, for Fluttershy was against the IMP because it wasn't naturally made.”

“So what, if they projects were both in operation, shouldn't there be evidence of IMP samples in the west coast?”

“There would be if Princes Luna hadn't placed a sanction on the IMP preventing it from entering her court.” said Shard.

“Wait what?” said Futile, looking confused.

Shard smiled, “Princess Luna's Court encompassed the entirety of the west coast, and Fluttershy was favored by Luna. When tension began forming between the two ministries, Luna created a sanction which made it so that neither the IMP nor any projects relating to the IMP enter or be done within the territories of the Lunar Court. In response, Twilight moved all IMP production and projects into the Solar Court territories, so that there would be no risk of overlap between the two projects.”

“Huh,” said Futile, looking at the fire for a moment before speaking up. “Well....that certainly would explain a few things.”

“Like what?” asked Jericho, looking curious.

“Well like I said, I'm from the west coast, and out there, we have Satyrs like you guys do, but they were far different from the ones I have been encountering here.”

“Um,” started Shard, getting their attention. “Before you continue, could one of you tell me what a satyr is, I mean I know what the old Greed legends thought they were, but something tells me those are completely different from what you are talking about.”

“Probably not the same thing,” said Futile. “Anyways, Satyrs are ponies who have been transformed into what are essentially pony minotaurs, transformed through the use of the Forced Evolutionary Virus, or in the case of this part of the wasteland, the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion. And now that I think about it; that does explain why the satyrs of the DC region are different from the satyrs I met out west.”

“And how are they different,” asked Jericho, “I mean a satyr is a satyr right?

“Not from what I've seen,” said Futile, before taking a quick sip from his canteen and then continuing to speak. “Out west, the satyrs are covered in the same color fur that they had before they were changed, while the satyrs out here in the Day Court Ruins have no fur, and instead are covered in what looks like rotting flesh. Also the satyrs out here continue to grow in size as they age, but the ones out west stay the same size throughout their entire lives. But it's the final bit that makes them vastly different, and that has to be their intelligence.”

“Really,” asked Shard, looking curious.

Futile nodded, taking another sip before putting his canteen down and continuing to speak. “Satyrs out her are....well for a lack of a better word their just plain dumb. They have no tactics, no sense of strategy, and heck as they get older and bigger their intelligence decreases to the point where they lose their ability to speak. But the satyrs of the west coast.....the are intelligent, they retain most if not all of what they once were, and added with the their strength and size it made them a terrifying force in the wastes back then.”

“So what happened to them?”

The three stallions looked to see Sorceress had awaken, the mare having moved into a sitting position with a large piece of mole rat jerky near her paws.

“And how long have you been awake,” asked Futile with a smile.

“A little while,” said Sorceress, “so...what happened to the satyrs out west?”

“...A stable dweller by the name of Fever Dream killed their goddess before finding the place where they were made, and then did his best to destroy the entire facility, scattering them and forcing many of them to flee the west coast.”

That got a reaction from both Jericho and Shard, the young stable dweller speaking first as Jericho just stared wide eyed. “Wait, are you telling me this Fever Dream killed an immortal alicorn....like one of the Princesses?”

Futile stared for a moment, and then burst into laughter, startling the rest as he fell on his side.

“What?” asked Shard, “it's a serious question!”

“I....I know,” said Futile, suppressing more chuckles as he spoke. “But the goddess of the satyrs was no alicorn, she used to be a pony, but she got warped and twisted after she fell into a vat full of the Forced Evolutionary Virus.”

“Oh,” said Shard, looking sheepish.

Futile chuckled, “Its ok, but now we should get some sleep, after all we need to make the Frontier Memorial Bridge tomorrow, so we need to be rested.”

They all nodded, got up and found places to rest for the night. However, as Futile was lying down, he felt a body move up against him, and looked to see Sorceress had lain down next to him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Sorceress placed one of her claws on his mouth, holding it there as she spoke. “It would be safe to assume that life is harsh out here in the wastes, and ponies live day to day wondering if it might be their last correct?”

Futile nodded?

“So because of that, love and companionship are hard to find out here do to life being so short for most ponies out here.”

Futile nodded again, looking curious as she continued.

“Then if I were to tell you that I find you physically and mentally attractive, and wanted to mate with you, would you be willing to capitulate to my desires?”

Futile blushed for a moment, and then nodded, before speaking with her claw still on his mouth. “I would say that I would be....eager to capitulate to your desires, for they are equally shared.”

That got a smile from Sorceress, who used her thumb to close his mouth before speaking again. “Then my eager stallion, would you be willing to do so now?”

He nodded, and then pointed to the supply door in the back of the store, which they were close to.

Nodding, she let him up, and then followed him to the door before heading inside, closing the door as voices sounded from the room they just left.

*

“How can they just do that,” said Shard in shock, “there was no love....no courting at all.”

“Kid,” said Jericho, “you’re going to learn pretty quick out here that love is fast and brutal in the wasteland, often formed in the briefest of moments between two or more ponies who don't know of their going to be alive come tomorrow. And honestly, I'm surprised that these two weren't already going at each other, for she has been taking glances at his ass every chance she got, though I have to now that I think about it.”

That got him a look, “Wait, you’re gay?”

Jericho smirked, “Bi actually, though I had to keep that shit hidden for a long time, for the raider gang I was born into was very bigoted towards gays and bisexuals; never knew why though.”

“....You were born into a raider gang?”

Jericho nodded, and then sighed, “You've been lucky so far, you know that right?”

“What?” asked Shard.

“This gang, and the gang you dealt with before were just scout gangs, they weren't fully established raider gangs. If they had been....there would have been fillies and colts in the gang, all of them armed and just as dangerous as the full grown ones.”

“Wait....so you’re saying...?”

“I'm saying that they have kids....and they raise them as raiders,” said Jericho, the old stallion looking forlornly into the darkness of the ceiling as he spoke. “From the moment they are born, they are raised in a world of violence, and they get a taste for it, become just as monstrous as their parents. I am telling you this so that when the days comes that you run into a well-established raider gang, and that day will come, you will be able to point your gun at those children and pull the trigger.”

Shard looked aghast, “You can’t be serious, I'm not going to kill children, not even if their raiders!”

“Then they'll kill you,” said Jericho with chilling confidence, “and the saddest part is....they might get a cutie mark out of your death.”

Jericho then laid his head down on his pillow, leaving Shard to ponder his words as the young stallion stared off into the darkness, before he to laid down to sleep.

*

Futile and Sorceress were awakened by the sound of loud knocking.

“Hey, lovebirds; get your asses up its morning!”

The two looked at each other for a moment, and then they giggled, both of them grabbing their gear before exiting the room to find Jericho already cooking food.

“So?” asked Jericho with a devilish smirk, “How'd it...”

He looked up, and saw that Futile had a few claw marks on his body, his eyes widening as he spoke, “What the fuck happened to you?”

Sorceress giggled, flexing her claws as she spoke, “My fault, I....well let's just say I didn't realize that these puppies come out when I'm experiencing an orgasm.”

“Eh, no harm done,” said Futile, smiling as he settled down and grabbed some food. “Besides, most thestrals have pain fetishes, and I am no exception.”

“TMI dude,” said Jericho, before laughing when he saw that Shard had turned a delicate shade of green.

“Can we please move onto other topics, I would like to keep whatever food I manage to get down in my stomach please?”

Sorceress giggled again, then grabbed a bit of food herself before speaking. “So, this Frontier Memorial Bridge we're going to, what is it commemorating?

“It commemorates the final battle up in the Yakyakistan territories,” said Jericho, taking a bite of his food before speaking some more. “When the war between Equestria and Zebrica got in full swing, the yaks, who had become our allies thanks to ministry mare Pinkie Pie, seceded their entire country over to Princess Cadance, expanding her court and giving Equestria access to its resources, which pissed of the Zebra's something fierce. The Zebra's invaded and captured one of Yakyakistan's major sites, but it was eventually liberated by Equestrian and Yak forces, and they built the memorial bridge as well as an island to commemorate the battle that liberated that city.”

“I see,” said Sorceress.

Jericho smiled, then turned to Futile and spoke. “So, am I going to have to worry about you two making that a regular thing, because were not always going to be in places like this, and you will not believe how many horror stories are out there about ponies who got ambushed by some horror out in the wastes while they were making the beast with six legs.”

Sorceress giggled at that, while Futile answered, “We won’t make it a regular thing, but don't be surprised if when we are camping in a safe place that we disappear to some side room to get freaky.”

Sorceress giggled even more, leaning against Futile and kissing him on the cheek before digging back into her food, everyone else joining her and getting their fill before getting up and unblocking the door so that they could leave.

*

“HELP! HELP ME PLEASE!”

“What the hell!” said Jericho, looking to see a colt running down one of the roads toward the mall, a road which he knew lead to the town of Gay Ditches.

Futile and Shard ran to the colt as Sorceress and Jericho checked to make sure nobody else was approaching them, Shard reaching the colt first, getting him to stop as the colt took in deep breaths while Shard tried to calm him down.

“Kid, slow deep breaths ok, I'm here to help, but we can’t have you passing out if you want said help. Now tell me, what's wrong?”

“M....monsters attacked my town,” said the colt, the young pony looking frightened as he spoke. “They....they looked like the giant ants that sometimes attack, but they were different, they....they breathed fire!”

That got an alarmed look from Jericho, Futile and Shard, but Sorceress just scoffed, “please, unless it's magical fire they can’t burn me.”

“Well that may be good for you,” said Futile, “but not everypony out here in the wasteland is fireproof, so this could be a serious threat if true. Now kid, tell us, when did these things appear?”

“I....I don't remember, they just showed up one day, started attacking and.....and killing everyone, my dad made me leave today, told me to run and get help....he....he's still back there!”

That got a grim look from Futile, but soon he steeled himself and spoke, “We'll help you kid, but till we take care of the problem is there any place you can hide?”

The colt nodded, “dad told me of this one place, a personal shelter I think it was called, I'll go there.”

He then sprinted off, leaving the group alone as they began checking over their guns before Futile turned to Jericho and spoke. “Never been to Gray Ditches before, know anything about the place?”

“One the last trading hubs here in the capital wasteland, been there a few times myself, but sadly it went silent a few days before the kid here left his Stable.”

“Then let’s see what the damage is,” said Futile.

*

They made it to the edge of Gray ditches within a matter of moments, finding a damaged building and heading inside so that they could scout out the immediate area.

What they saw worried them greatly, for the area was crawling with giant ants, and, as the colt had told them, occasionally one of them would spew fire at a rat or iguana that would wander within their range.

“Well were royally fucked,” said Jericho, looking over the creatures scuttling about before speaking once more. “There must be hundreds of those things running around there; no settlement will stand a chance.”

“Then why the hell haven't they moved beyond this settlement,” asked Futile, “the gates are open, so there is nothing stopping them from moving on and spreading across.....?”

He was interrupted by a snort from beside him, everypony turning to see Sorceress scratching at her muzzle and growling.

“Sorceress,” asked Futile, “what’s wrong?”

“There's some sort of damn repellent on the gate,” said Sorceress, scratching her muzzle again, as she spoke. “I remember what it smells like because my damn captors used to use it when I was small.”

“So what, the gate is open....”

“That doesn't matter,” said Sorceress, “it is purely an instinctual thing, and the scent taps into that, making them stay away from it because it smells like something they should fear. Hell, if I wasn't as smart as I am, I would be doing as my instincts are telling me to do and staying as far away from those gates as I could.”

Futile's look turned to one of concern, “If that's how it works, then somepony placed it on the gates, and if there in the town, I can only think of one reason for that.”

“You think somepony released these horrors into the town and then covered the gates in repellent so that they would stay centered inside?” asked Shard.

“That doesn't make sense though,” said Jericho, “if someone is using these things to clear towns why the hell keep them corralled in the town after it's been cleared.”

“Maybe there are some ponies left in the buildings,” said Futile, before pointing to a tall building in the center of town. “That would be the best place to start picking these fuckers off, but the problem is getting there without getting burned.”

“So what you need is a distraction what can’t be lit of fire,” said Sorceress simply, smiling as Futile looked at her as she shrugged off her gear, before his eyes widened as her realized what she was going to do.

Before any of them could react, she leaped out the window, landing with a squishy thud upon one of the ants before unleashing a cone of white flame down the road beside her, incinerating several of them before roaring and running off, causing the mass of insects to chase after her.

When the mass thinned enough, Futile grabbed Shard and took off, swiftly followed by Jericho as they zoomed through the air towards the building, landing on one of the upper floors before pulling out sniper rifles from the bag, Futile attaching cylindrical objects to the guns which caught Shard's attention.

“Silencers....why?”

“So they won’t hear us, and if they can't hear us, they have more reason to keep their focus on Sorceress and thus allow us to pick more of them off.”

Nodding in understanding, Shard took up one of sniper rifles before beginning to open fire along with Jericho and Futile, picking them off one by one.

It was gory work, the scopes allowing them to see the insects loose eyes, or as their heads would fly apart due to the force of the impacting bullets. All the while, Sorceress was keeping the ants in the open, using her magic, her claws, and her tail to kill them by the dozens, the fire from the creatures doing nothing to her, and their bites healing as quickly as they marred her flesh.

Eventually, all the ants were dead, Sorceress standing upon a mound of corpses as the others joined her down below, Futile looking around as Jericho and Shard checked over the guns. “Well the town is clear, so we should have no problems checking the houses in the area. Now the kid said his dad was still in the town, did anyone happen to get the location of their house?”

“No, but I know where the kid is.”

Futile turned to Shard, seeing the earth pony point to a personal fallout box which was next to the town’s diner, causing Futile to sigh before he spoke to the group as a whole. “K, you and Jericho go talk to the kid and see if you can find out where the kid's father lives, Sorceress you go with them and see if you can find out about anypony else who lived in the town. I'll patrol around and pick off any stranglers that may have escaped our notice.”

Everyone nodded, and then split up, knowing what they needed to do and setting out to take care of things as the sun made its slow way across the sky.

*

Sorceress opened the door to the sound of a very familiar piece of patriotic music coming from somewhere inside, looking around before walking inside and closing the door.

She looked at the ground floor for a moment, but then decided to head up the stairs, wanting to shut off the music as fast as possible so that she would not have to listen to that shit anymore, after all, she had listened to it enough when she had been trapped aboard The Dawn's Fang.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she went inside the bedroom, turning off the radio before looking to the computer in the room, and then she turned around and looked to see if anything else was in the room. Finding a trunk, she used one of her claws to break the lock, opening up the trunk to find several weapons, but one stuck out to her as she pulled it out of the trunk.

It was a heavily modified, shear black assault rifle with a box mag and modified scope, with the words “Grace Is Dead” on both sides of the barrel. She could swear she had heard the name before, but couldn't place when it had been.

Taking the rest of the stuff from the trunk, she then headed to the computer, having a bit of a difficult time hacking into it, before she remembered the little tricks Blood Letter taught her when it came to hacking computers.

Getting inside, she took a look at the entries of the computer, seeing only a few before looking at the first one.

Entry # 10-02-2476
“I've finally found a quiet place for my family, thank the.....the princesses for that. We've been running from one settlement to the next, just trying to keep out of sight, because we need to make sure they....that they can’t find us. But now that we're on the other coast, I feel much safer.”

“The family across the way from us seems pretty decent. Their colt, Brand I think his name was, likes to play with my son, which is great. It's hard for Wilt to make friends because we haven't stayed in one place long enough. Maybe we can finally put down some root here in Gray Ditches, I....I think that would be good for us all.”

“So mister Bolt, you were running from something, but what were you running from,” said Sorceress, before clicking on the next entry.

Entry # 10-30-2476
I was scavenging some of the near buildings for junk to sell at the open market when I came across a damaged radio. I took it home and fixed it up, and no sooner did I turn it on than I heard the familiar patriotic anthems they used to play whenever Richter Scale would give a speech. But this....this was different.

Who the hell is Princess New Day Eden? When did that happen? Are they on this coast too? And most importantly, will they come looking for me?

I hope this journey wasn't a huge mistake, I really do I....oh god, my wife just came home and heard the radio, I have to go calm her.

Sorceress sat frozen in front of the computer, dread filling her after what she had just read. Bolt was Enclave, or he had been before he had arrived here. Then she remembered; years back some of the Scientists looking over some of her growth charts had been talking about a recent deserter, saying how he had vanished with his wife and two children during the night, but that, unlike the others before, they had not wasted resources on a recovery mission.

Wanting to know more, she clicked on the next entry.

Entry # 11-15-2476
Some scientist named Luster moved in with Wire and his family across the street. They are helping him make some sort of a structure on the old lot near the diner. Luster offered to pay me caps if I helped, but I declined. I dunno who he's working for, but I don't think they're still looking for me.

Our supplies are running low, and I need to begin foraging for food and some better drinking water. I'd have an easier time if it wasn't for the damn ants. I swear they have a nest around here somewhere.

“So the ants started showing up a few months ago,” said Sorceress allowed, thinking it over before looking over the words again. “Hmm, he says nothing about them breathing fire though, but why, the way Futile and Jericho reacted it wasn't normal...hmm.”

She clicked on the next entry.

Entry # 2-24-2477
These ants are becoming a real pain in the ass, so much so that I had to take a trip to Remnant to buy a better gun; after all I need to protect my family. It cost me a small fortune...I had to trade every bit of ant meat I had collected, but it was worth it. I'm teaching Fault and Sharp to use it just in case something happens to me. If one of you is reading this and....and I'm gone, I keep the gun in the kitchen behind the old fridge.

Getting up, Sorceress made her way down to the kitchen pulled the fridge away from the wall, finding a toolbox that had been hidden their and opening it to find a revolver, one she recognized as a Raging Bull Taurus, for she remembered seeing them upon the hips of the officers that would occasionally look in on her in her tube.

Heading back upstairs, she went back to the computer and clicked on the next entry, noting that she only had one more to go after this one.

Entry # 4-02-2477
I'm going to have to find a better way to protect Sharp and Wilt from those ants. Ever since Luster came to town, I'm certain they're getting more and more aggressive. Wasteland ants are bad enough, but at least you could run away from them. But these, these would seem to pursue you to the ends of the earth if they could, and I think they damn well would.

Also, call me crazy if you want, but I swear I saw one start a fire the other day. I don't know how this could be happening, but I'm going to find out what's going on.

I've decided to dig up my old sidearm and keep it hidden on me at all times, if those things get too close, I'll blast the antennae right off their ugly heads.

Sorceress sat back, the pieces starting to fall into place and allowing her to put together what happened. Two months after this Doctor Luster had shown up, the ants had become extremely aggressive, and then two months after that, they had started developing their ability to breath fire.

It stank of genetic tampering, and she should know, she was the horrific bastard child of genetic tampering.

“But what the fuck is the goal?”

Coming up with nothing, she decided to click on the last entry.

Entry # 6-17-2477
I can't believe I went through all that trouble to leave Never-Hole and make my way across the country just to get stuck in this shithole, but I'll be damned if I'm going to die here.

Now that we're cut off from Luster and Wire's place though, I think we're on our own. The damn ants keep trying to find a way to get inside the house. Even as I'm typing this, I can hear them scraping the walls looking for a way through.

I...I don't know how much longer we can last.

Sorceress sighed, and then shut off the computer, before heading down the stairs and exiting the house to meet up with the others.

*

They gathered in the dinner, Futile being the last to show as he rested in one of the booths before speaking. “So, what did you guys find out?”

“It seems that a scientist who moved here is responsible for both the behavior and the ants as well as their ability to breathe fire, but I have no idea why,” said Sorceress.

“We don't either,” said Shard, “but we found out something else. On the computer it mentioned something about a lab set up in the Mare Gold metro tunnels, and it seems that's where the queen of these ants resides. If we go down there and find out where his lab is, we may be able to get at the queen and kill it.”

“I see; what about survivors?” asked Futile.

Sorceress shook her head, and so did Shard.

“The boy wants us to stop this,” said Jericho, “and I would kinda like to, after all if this place gets cleaned up it could become a decent trading hub again, even with how close it is to the Day Court Ruins.”

“Then let’s get going,” said Futile, leading the way towards the entrance to the metro before heading down with the rest of the group.

When they made it down the stairs, Shard shivered, Jericho giving him a look which caused him to speak. “Reminds me of being down in the stables, and now that I've been outside...let's just say I have a problem with enclosed spaces.”

“Huh,” said Jericho, “usually it’s the other way around, most stable dweller's find comfort in enclosed spaces, and develop a deep fear for the outside world.”

“Outside is where ponies belong,” said Shard, before looking at his pip-buck and looking to see where his objective to see where they needed to go. “Ok, I managed to hack into the Protectron kiosk Luster had in his shack, and got myself a signal to track, so wherever that robot is, he has to be close.”

They began walking along, and as they did, Sorceress spoke up, “So, if we find this scientist, what are we going to do with him, for he can’t keep doing this?”

“Well we need to find out why he gave them the ability to breath fire,” said Futile, taking a shot at an ant that came crawling out of a hole in the metro wall before throwing an explosive down it, collapsing it to prevent more from coming from that hole.

“Then if we do find him, let me do the talking,” said Shard, throwing a grenade down another hole and collapsing it just in time to crush an ant. “You know, scientist to scientist.”

“I thought you were supposed to be some sort of government type,” said Jericho.

“I also trained in science and medicine,” said Shard, “my father insisted on that, even when he found out I was to be made Overstallion someday. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to him in his own language....hopefully.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, filled by the occasional crack of a fire arm or the detonation of a grenade, till they reached a door, Shard checking he eyes forward spell and seeing that the arrow was flashing at a fast pace, indicating that they there.

“Ok, let me take the lead, and hopefully we can get out of this without killing him.”

He stepped forward, and the moment he did the door opened, revealing a unicorn stallion in a lab coat and glasses who looked at them all, wide eyed. “By the stars you startled me; you really must not creep up on ponies like that!”

“Doctor Luster?” asked Shard.

That got a curious look from the doctor, “How do you know my name?”

“We just came from above ground,” said Shard, but before he could speak further he was interrupted by a groan from the doctor.

“Stars dammit, you weren't sent down hear by Wire to look for me were you, cause if you were your help was not necessary. Do you realize that you and your....compatriots have been trampling in a delicately balanced and highly sensitive experimentation area?”

“And what kind of experiments could you be conducting which would require such an area.”

“Experiments so complex it would take a scientist to explain it to you...oh wait, I happen to be a scientist, how marvelous!”

Futile made to interrupt, but was stayed by Shard, who wanted to keep things as peaceful as possible.

“My experiment is to reduce the girth of these insectoid creatures, and I intend to generationally reduce their immense stature by way of a pre-birth induced mutagen. It is of the upmost importance, and quite clever if I do say so myself.”

“I see,” said Shard in understanding, leaving the rest confused as he spoke. “You're trying to make the ants smaller over time by injecting the eggs with the mutagen.”

Luster's face turned to one of surprise. “By the stars, you understood perfectly, simply marvelous!”

“Um....not to kill the mood or anything,” said Sorceress, drawing everyponies attention, “but are you aware that your new ants breath fire, and have increased aggression?”

“Well....” started Luster, “I'm afraid I...um...may have made a slight miscalculation with the mutagen. Instead of decreasing their size, which was my intention, the new brood hatched with a new bio-mechanism. I have labeled this genetic aberration “Pyrosis;” the ability to emit flame from their bodies.”

“So this was all an accident?” asked Futile, looking cross.

“Indeed,” said Luster, “but I may be able to correct this error, however I cannot get near my equipment.”

“I'm shocked you didn't attempt this in a controlled environment first,” said Shard, impressing the doctor.

“Your knowledge of experimental procedure surprises me I must admit,” said Luster, “and indeed I have skipped a step by directly modifying an entire brood. Perhaps I was too hasty...but I was so sure it would work!”

“So what can you do to correct the error,” asked Shard.

“To correct this mistake, I would need to my terminal so I can modify the mutagen,” said Luster, “however, therein lies the problem. My portable terminal is set up in the Hatchery Chamber near the Ant Queen, and I will need to get near it if I am to continue my work on improving the mutagen.”

“If the queen is your concern, why not deal with her directly?” asked Futile.

“You can’t do that,” said Luster sternly, “if you were to harm her in any way, months of data would be lost! No, what I need you all to deal with is her quintet of nest guardians, filthy little abominations which seem to have been made with the sole purpose of protecting the nest from any intruders.”

“And how exactly is this supposed to undo all the mayhem and harm your experiments have caused doctor?” asked Sorceress with a growl.

“I have rigged the equipment at my portable terminal to emit an inhibitor pulse,” said Luster, “once this pulse is activated, it will sever the neural link between the ants and their queen, causing the remaining ants to frenzy and destroy each other. So, what do you say?”

“If it will stop the ants from burning down Gray Ditches,” said Shard, “then we'll help you.”

“Marvelous!” cried the doctor, before moving out of the way so they could walk inside. “The Hatchery Chamber is beyond my lab through the second door, but be careful; the nest guardians are quite ferocious and will not easily be killed.”

“We'll take care of it doctor,” said Shard, before he and his companions made their way through his lab and into the tunnel beyond.

*

“GET OFF OF ME YOU GODDESS DAMNED INSECTS!!!”

It seemed that the doctor’s assumption of quintet had been a bit off, for the moment they had gotten part way into the tunnel they had been swarmed by dozens of them, Sorceress leaping into the fray and keeping them at bay as the rest took pot shots as the ones they could.

However, Sorceress had flown into a rage, biting, clawing, cutting with her tail and breathing fire to kill as many of them as she could, till eventually she was standing in a charred hallway, breathing hard as her wounds closed by themselves.

“I....hate....fucking....insects....!”

“Bad memories?” asked Futile.

Sorceress nodded, before taking the lead once more as they moved deeper into the tunnel till they reached a large chamber, filled with eggs and with the queen standing near a set of equipment.

“So, what's the plan?” asked Futile, looking to Shard.

“We kill the queen.”

“You sure," asked Jericho, "I mean come on, wont that piss the doctor off?”

“He ran before he crawled, now were cleaning up the mess.”

Without elaborating what he meant, he pulled a miniature fusion bomb out of his pack, grinning ear to ear before pulling the rigged pin and throwing it, and then, much to everyponies surprise, erecting a shield as the bomb exploded, a wave of fire splashing against his shield as he looked toward his comrades and spoke. “I may have also learned some advance magic....but just a tad.”

*

“I see you have returned; I assume you were successful in your objective?”

“Yes we were,” said Shard, standing in the doctor’s laboratory once again with his friends behind him. “We killed the queen.”

“WHAT!” cried Luster. “Why would you do such a thing!”

“Because your theories were in error and beyond correction, so I had no choice, otherwise countless more lives might have been lost while you floundered trying to correct a mistake you could not see.”

Luster looked at him for a moment, and then he sighed, walking over to his desk and sitting down before finally speaking. “Your right....I ran before I crawled...and countless paid the price for my arrogance....but....but I was so sure it would work.”

He then turned to Shard, smiling a bit as he spoke. “You corrected that mistake thought, so you deserve a reward. I created two serums for myself originally, serums which are designed to enhance the user with traits of the ants. And before you say anything, serums are the one thing I am an expert in, so do you want Ant Sight, or Ant Might?

“I'm guessing one improves my vision while the other increases my strength?” guessed Shard.

“Very astute of you,” said Luster, “so...which one?”

“Ant Sight,” said Shard.

“Then please take a seat, this will only take a moment.”

As Shard sat down to get his injection, Futile turned to the others and spoke. “Well, that's the ant problem taken care of, but what are we going to do about Brand, I mean we can’t leave the boy in the town by himself.”

“Well I wouldn't trust him with the doc,” said Jericho, before looking back at the doctor, “No offense.”

“None taken,” said Luster, “I don't do well with children.”

“We should probably ask the boy if he has family anywhere else in the wasteland,” said Sorceress, “but for the time being he may be safer here, the repellent on the gates is strong enough to repel even the most aggressive of predators, so that will keep him safe till we can find him a place to live.”

Futile nodded at that, “then that's the plan.

“Alright, all done,” said Luster. “It will take a while to take effect, but you should notice an improvement in your vision by the end of the day.

“Thank you doctor, and good luck on your next project, just make sure to pace yourself next time.”

*

It hadn't taken them long to wrap up things in Gray Ditches, getting word from Brand that he had a cousin who owned a hotel in Rivet City, and Futile promised that next time they stopped the place he would talk to her and see if she was willing to take Brand in.

Now they were back on the road, having crossed the river on a bridged that was much closer to the Barnyard Bargains Superstore then Futile remembered, but then again, it had been a while since he had last traveled in this part of the Capital Wasteland.

They stayed along the road, following Futile as he kept checking his Pip-Buck till finally they reached a town surrounded by trees, Futile guiding them along a specific root till they entered a house, then he led them further inside, leading them to a garage before pulling a lever on a wall, and instead of opening the garage door, like everyone thought, it opened a secret door which revealed a hatch leading down, Futile sighing in relief before walking over and opening it, looking up at them before speaking.

“We'll be safe in here, but let’s hurry; Minefield gets pretty dangerous during the nighttime hours.”

They climbed down the hatch, finding themselves in a hallway that looked oddly familiar to Shard, promoting him to speak. “Is this....a stable?”

“One of the original models,” said Futile, “back before Silver Spoon took over the company and discontinued these models in favor of the modern day stables. This particular model was owned by a stallion named Codex, and he was a paranoid sort who wanted to protect his family, but best I can figure he and his family were out on vacation before the bombs fell.”

He then hit a button near the ladder, the hatch above closing followed by the sound of the hidden door closing as well, before Futile moved down the main hallway and pointed to his left. “There are bathrooms as well as bedrooms down that way, as well as restaurant like area, which also leads to the main bedroom, which is mine. There is also a clinic down that way, as well as a wash room and the administrator’s office.”

He then pointed the other way, “Down that way is the armory and storage room, which is where we should take inventory of our weapons before sleeping tonight, we need to make sure everything is ready for our trip to Paradise Falls tomorrow.”

“How far is Paradise Falls?” asked Shard, moving with the rest of the group as they headed into the armory.

“An hour's trot east of here,” said Futile, moving over to a table and setting the guns he had down upon it, the others followed suit, then he headed over to a draw full of scrap metal as Jericho spoke.

“So, how the hell did you stumble upon this place?”

“I came across it when I split from Talon Company,” said Futile, drawing a confused look from Shard and Sorceress.

“Talon Company?” asked Sorceress.

“Mercenary thugs,” said Jericho, helping Futile with the repairs as he spoke. “They have a nasty reputation for taking any job, no matter how dirty, as long as there are caps involved. I'm still surprised you worked with those fuckers, considering what they do.”

“Because of the way they recruit people,” said Futile, “they give you light missions at first, missions that won’t challenge your morals, till they think you’re loyal enough. Then they send you on what they call your proving mission, which is meant for only one purpose, to reveal whether you are loyal to your principles, or to Talon Company. The day my mission came, I was assigned to kill this person for some stupid reason, I don't remember what it was, but when we got to the target, I found out it was a griffin cub.”

That got a gasp from Shard, but he wasn't finished. “It only took me a second to decide, so I did, and killed my entire squad before running for the hills. I figured it wouldn't take long for them to come after me, so I decided to hide in Minefield, for this place is considered a death trap by those who don't know how to properly navigate it. Anyway, I came here, stumbled upon the secret door thanks to my keen eyes, and been using this place ever since.”

“So that's what went down,” said Jericho, “the way they spin it you would think you had fusion bombed one of their headquarters.”

“Heh, figured it was something like that,” said Futile, before returning to work, the others following suit as the lights flickered overhead.

*

Futile collapsed on the bed, followed soon by Sorceress as she moved close to him, the large mare breathing deep before speaking to him. “Futile, I have something I need to tell you.”

Dawning a confused look, Futile rolled over, looking at her as she spoke again. “The day you found me, you assumed I fell from an airship correct?”

He nodded.

“I did not fall from an airship....I fell from an Equestrian Flying Fortress.”

Futile's eyes widened, “A....an Equestrian Flying Fortress, as in...”

“As in a warship,” finished Sorceress, looking somber.

“But all the mobile fortresses were destroyed when the balefire bombs fell,” said Futile, looking serious.

“Not all,” said Sorceress, “two to my knowledge survived the war. One, The Dawn's Fang, was in near perfect condition, while the other, The Dusk's Fang, was and in need of major repair. Both were in a port out in what is called the big empty....which was found by the Enclave.”

Silence hung in the room for a long moment, and then Futile finally spoke. “You....you were made by the Enclave?”

Sorceress nodded, “After their defeat by the Chosen One out west, the heads of the Enclave decided that how they handled things in the Lunar Court territories not the right course of action, and decided to change up their tactics in regards to out here in the east coast. One of the changes was in regards to their....super soldier program, and for that, my mother turned to Equestrian mythology, deciding to work on creating Kirins for the use as soldiers to replace the Satyr soldiers they had been creating for their war effort out west.”

“Why Kirins, why not something else?”

“Because of what Kirins represent to the wasteland,” said Sorceress, “every wasteland tribe has a legend or legends about Kirins, and the Enclave want to harness that for their own use. The project was going horribly at first, but then....but then my mother Blood Letter came up with an idea to solve the problem.”

“Your mother...wait are you saying you were naturally born?”

“....As naturally born as a genetically modified fetus can be.”

Futile looked discussed by that, “What the fuck was does that have to do with the solution?”

Sorceress smiled sadly at that, “Everything. She figured that do to the fact that growing the subjects in test tubes, she....she thought a more....natural process would help it. So, she got herself pregnant, and then when the fetus properly formed, she began experimenting on it...in her own womb, giving it injections of special mutagens till, after eleven months, she gave birth to me....”

She made to speak further, but Futile stopped her with a hoof, before kissing her and rolling her on top of him before speaking. “I'll let you finish your tale; I promise you I will, but not tonight. I don't want you thinking anymore of that dark time tonight...instead I only want you in this moment, with me....and let nothing else matter till the morn.”

Sorceress remained silent for a moment, before leaning down and kissing Futile gently, and then...they made love.

*

Footnote:

Futile Task: Maximum Level Achieved!
Starting Perk: Unburdened Flight.
You are an above average flier, you can fly as fast as you would unburdened even when carrying large amounts of gear or full sized ponies.

Sorceress: Maximum Level Achieved!
Starting Perk: You Can't Burn Me I'm Already On Fire!
You were born in flame and forged in fire; you have 100% resistance to all fire save for fire of magical nature.

Crystal Shard: Level Up!
Perk Acquired: Daddy's Colt (Rank 3)
Just like dear old Dad, you’ve devoted your time to intellectual pursuits. You gain an additional 5 points to both the Science and Medicine skills.

Quest Perk Acquired: Ant Sight.
Your body has been genetically enhanced with the perception and flame resistance of the Gray Ditches Fire Ants! Your Perception has increased by 1 and you are now 25% resistant to natural fire.

Author's Note

Next chapter we will be reaching Paradise Falls to liberate Crystal Shards Sister and his friends, but that will have to wait. As always, if you guys want to comment or ask questions, please feel free to use the comments box bellow. And for those who can and want to, consider supporting me on Patreon, every little bit helps.

Mod Inspired Content:
The mention of Raider children:
This idea was actually inspired by two mods really, the Hair and Face Models mod Children of the Wasteland- Enhanced Playable Children by Kiwi and the CotW Team, which adds the ability to kill children in fallout 3 as well as giving you the ability to play as a child if you want. And it was also inspired by the Lil Bastards - Raider Children by arclad, which adds killable raider children to all the raider locations in the game. I know some people may not like those kinds of mods, but it’s the wasteland yah’ll, it’s going to be harsh for everyone, and examples of both these mods can be seen here:

When Futile began attaching silencers to the guns.
While this feature would come in later games in the series, this particular moment was inspired by the Gameplay Effects and Changes mod Weapon Mod Kits by Antistar, which allowed you to attach various modifications to fire arms in game, and an example of this can be seen in this picture here:

“Grace Is Dead” Automatic Assault Rifle:
This weapon is actually inspired by the cut unique assault rifle “Wanda”, which was added back in by either the Gameplay Effects and Changes mod FOOK2 v1-2 Open Beta by FOOK Team, or by the Weapons mod Apocalypse Armory by Thogun, but I will not provide a picture because it looked like a normal assault rifle.

The Raging Bull Taurus Revolver:
This was inspired by the Raging Bull Taurus Revolver included in the Gamplay Effects and Changes mod FOOK2 v1-2 Open Beta by FOOK Team, which like most weapons from FOOK 2, I cannot provide a picture for because they do not have a picture of every weapon included in the mod.

The Miniature Fusion Bomb Grenade:
This was actually inspired by the Mini-Nuke grenade from the Weapons mod Apocalypse Armory by Thogun, and as stated before, I cannot provide a picture at this time.

The Personal Stable Futile led the group to in the town of Minefield:
This personal stable was inspired by the Buildings mod Cotozics Personal Vault by Cotozic, and a room from this Vault can be seen here:

The Equestrian Flying Fortress Dusk’s Fang:
This flying fortress was was actually inspired by the AFS Brisbane by Den1982, which can be seen in this picture here:

Trivia Section:
The first Trivia section I will be including in the story, and this is included for special topics that were inspired not by mods, but by lore outside of the game and even continuity errors, so without further ado, lets begin.

Trivia Fact: The Inclusion of both the Forced Evolutionary Virus and the Impelled Metamorphosis Potion in the same setting.
This was actually brought about by a continuity error brought on by Fallout 3, this continuity error being the forced evolutionary virus itself. You see, according to the lore of Fallout’s 1 & 2, The F.E.V. was only located in the west cost, specifically in the Mariposa Military base, so people had a major problem with F.E.V. showing up in fallout 3 even though they gave what I think is a good reason for it. So, I decided to incorporate both the FEV into my Story along with the IMP, that way, FEV could stay on the west coast, but I could still have satyrs on the east coast, and even give a reason for why the east coast satyrs are so different from the ones on the west coast.