Fallout Equestria: Exiles

"We have to get her off the train, now!"

A metallic, gravelly voice rolled through the bloodstained gas mask of the Desert Ranger, Zena, her green lenses glinting in the darkness of the metro as the subway sped away from San Palomino Station. No less than fifteen of us were huddled together in the frontmost subway train, zipping along the rails towards the San Palomino trainyard. Each one of us was grimy, scared, and hungry, but we were alive, and we weren't slaves or strapped to a legion cross. We were alive and in almost complete darkness, save for the blue magic of my horn and my PipBuck's built in flashlight.

I found myself sitting there, conflict broiling in my chest as I stared at the iron door. I was well aware that on the other side of that door, somewhere on this train, was a bomb strapped to a filly. The Phoenix Legion had used a foal to plant a bomb on the train, and now that it had left the station, everypony fleeing San Palomino was in danger.

"We could try to disarm the bomb!" I found my voice. "Even if we throw her off the train, she could trigger the device. Hell we might set it off anyway even if she doesn't decided to detonate. "

"My trigger is quicker than that filly." Zena said, turning towards the door as the subway rounded a curve, causing her trench coat to kick around her like the Grim Reaper's shadow.

"We should just detach this train car and leave the rest behind. None of us know how to disarm that bomb." Scarlet Mist, a well dressed pegasus mare with a flower on her butt, blocked Zena's way. "I don't give a fuck about saving those leather faced peasants. If we detach this train car, we live. If we open this door, we all die. I'm not letting you through here."

I felt a ringing go through my ears as the room broke out into argument. For a moment I thought there was going to be some sort of stand off between Zena and Scarlet Mist, some sort of critical moment where one of the two personalities would clash and one would override the other. I was wrong. It all happened in a moment, I felt myself go blind, and then there was the screaming. Terrified screaming mixed with a train derailing from it's tracks. Behind us, the walls were collapsing inward, burying anypony still alive in a tomb. I guess that meant I got lucky. Because the only thing I could mentally comprehend was being thrown off my hooves and into the roof of the train car. The light of my horn went out, and then there was the screaming of terror and death.

That was the motto of the wasteland I knew. Screaming, and then silence.

This wasn't any different. I wasn't sure if I was screaming or not, but even if I had been I wouldn't have been able to hear myself over everyone else who was. No sooner had I finished comprehending that I had hit the ceiling than I found myself comprehending my face into the floor of the train car. The sounds of bodies slamming into each other and metal warping against centuries old brick all formed a mad cacophony that ended almost as soon as it had begun.

It was a moment before I collected myself. The entire world was a blitz of strange colours and shapes, all of them forming into one shape before morphing into something else entirely. Somewhere near me I could hear a dying pony gasping and crying out.

I pulled myself off the ground, aiming my PipBuck around to try and see the situation. The train car was slanted, turned up on it's backside. I could see other ponies shoving each other off of one another or scrambling to get out of the train in the darkness. Different obscenities filled the air as ponies cut themselves on broken glass in the dark. I myself was near the front, so I used my PipBuck light to scan the area in front of me as I began to crawl out of the train. The front of the train was resting on it's side, leaning downwards, nose into the now broken tracks.

The immediate area in front of me was governed by ripped up carpet, but directly in front of that was a small body blocking my path. I felt my heart flip as I crawled over to it, pulling the body over and looking at the terrified face of a young pony. He was young, barely older than a child but in no way a teenager yet. I looked him over and saw that although he looked physically unhurt, he was obviously shaken up. Using my magic, I levitated him towards me, half pulling him onto my back as I searched around for a way out. One of the train doors was facing the tracks, and the other required climbing up and onto the top of the train car to get out. Bracing the young foal, I began pulling myself up, using some railings to boost myself out and onto the top of the train car. Once I was free of the train I could hear the steady drip of water from nearby, accenting the complete darkness of the underground. I moved my flashlight around, watching some bugs scurry away from the light as I looked around for anypony else. I wasn't sure if I should be concerned I saw nopony, or relieved. If nopony was outside the train, that meant they had all stayed inside of it, and were probably safe. I shakily pulled myself up onto all fours, beginning to look for a path down when I noticed part of a pony below me. A young unicorn mare's eyes glinted from my flashlight, her mouth open and her jaw hanging loosely outwards. Her torso was missing, the middle of her spine and most of her ribcage had been forcibly torn off, thrown through the train and leaving a bloody set of intestines as entrails. I could see her heart still throbbing in her open chest, but they were slow, involuntary spasms, the last flinching of a corpse.

I turned my eyes away, sliding down the cold metal of the train and onto a concrete divider that separated two sets of tracks. It wasn't much to stand on, but it was enough for me to lay the foal on the ground and look back at the train. A few other ponies were starting to climb out now, and I willed myself forward, back to the train as the darkness around me spun. I saw Xavia-- a strong, tribal zebra mare who served as her tribe's chief warrior-- helping the pegasus from before out, Scarlet Mist. I offered them my Pipbuck Light, flashing it on the area around them as they crawled from the wreckage.

"Arc? good, you're alive." Scarlet Mist panted, pulling herself free with Xavia's help as they both stood shakily on the tracks, face to face with the collapsed tunnel behind us. "And I assume your PipBuck is still working... that's very good." Scarlet Mist fell down, sitting on the tracks and breathing heavily. She looked unharmed, but was clearly badly shaken by the train bombing.

"Arc of White, Come assist." Xavia said, motioning to me and gesturing to the train. I moved my light in that direction and nodded, approaching her and peaking my head into the train with her. There were at least a dozen ponies still inside, all of them in varying states of consciousness as they stumbled blindly for a way out. Two bat ponies had worked their way to the top of the train and looked to be pulling themselves free, and I saw Zena's lenses in her desert ranger helmet flashing as she scanned the situation. I gestured at the next closest pony, some filly with wide eyes staring around in confusion.

"Come here, it's safe now. I promise." I said, holding out my hoof to her. She took it, letting me guide her down some seats and towards the back of the train. Other ponies had found their way out by the time I had her on the train tracks. Zena and two bat ponies were now assisting others in climbing out of the train and helping them avoid broken glass or warped, sharp metal. It took us the better part of fifteen minutes, but finally we had everypony resting on the concrete or resting next to the train tracks. I pulled myself up into a circle that consisted of Zena, Scarlet Mist, Xavia, and one of the bat ponies.

"We need a plan." The bat pony, a young and muscular stallion, said. "There must be a station nearby."

"The nearest station we just passed." Scarlet Mist spat. "It'll be at least ten miles to the next one."

I reached down and activated my PipBuck, looking at the map of places on it. Zoomed out, I could see locations all the way in the NCR, and right below that, my former home. Halfway across the map, there was the blinking dot that was us, only a few miles from San Palomino and right next to the old Palomino Grand Station in the heart of the city.

"Map please." Scarlet Mist's voice brought me back to reality as she held out a hoof expectantly. I extended my leg, offering my glowing map to the others.

"Worst case scenario, it is 48 miles to the trainyard and safety. Your crew will be there, yes?" Zena asked Scarlet Mist.

Scarlet Mist made an angry tch sound, followed by a sassy neigh. "Of course they'll fucking be there. But I don't want to crawl through 48 miles of subway. Come on, there has to be a train stop somewhere nearby we can get out at. Somewhere that's not an irritated death trap."

"Most of the city's unliveable. Even if we find a way out you won't be able to navigate it." A gravelly voice called from behind me. I felt a whimper escape my throat as I shifted uncomfortably across the circle, still unable to look one of the denizens of our group in the eye. She was a ghoul, full on flesh and gunk hanging off her tortured, tanned hide. Her eyes were a milky purple, although supposedly, she could still see past the dregs of green hair that hung as bangs across her face.

I watched Zena put a hoof on her chin, and then she stood up, unslinging her massive sniper rifle and letting it hang at her side as she pointed up at the wall behind her. I shined my PipBuck up at it, illuminating two letters and two numbers.

M. I.
4 8

"Gather any supplies here. Then start walking." Zena's voice exhaled through her gas mask. "Everypony that can trot, trots. Leave the others."

"What? No no no." I said, standing up to face death itself as Zena turned to me, her green lenses flashing dangerously. I continued, feeling an angry glare fall over my face. "I came here to save these ponies. I came here to save you. I'm not leaving them behind."

"You already left most of them behind." Zena said quietly, pointing her rifle at the broken stones of the explosion. "Scarlet Mist, Limelight, gather supplies. Arc, Sky Song, get everypony on their hooves. I'll keep watch." Zena hopped down off the concrete, starting to make her way forward.

"Keep watch for what?" Scarlet Mist said, standing up indignantly and watching as darkness swallowed Zena whole.

"Whatever lives down here." Zena's voice replied back from the darkness, the metallic click of her heavy boots echoing through the abandoned subway.

I looked over at Sky Song, glancing away from her face pointedly as I approached the ghoul. "Everypony's not hurt right? Shouldn't take long to get everypony up and moving."

"One's hurt." Sky Song mumbled in her zombie tone, "Fucked up and must have broken their leg, couldn't walk out.

Shit. A broken leg right now with miles ahead of us was basically a death sentence. I gathered myself, looking Sky Song in the eye and asking, "Who?" Sky Song gestured to one of the ponies, a rancher we'd saved from San Palomino. I hopped down to stand next the pony, shining my PipBuck Light on their body.

"Yes it's broken." The earth mare squealed, looking at her twisted leg. I let out a sigh, watching out of the corner of my eye as Zena re-approached, her lenses still locked on the darkness ahead.

"Arc, leave her. Get the others up and moving." Zena said, helping one of our pegasi off the ground and pushing their blue flank forward.

"I told you Zena, I'm not leaving anypony down here to die." I growled.

Zena looked down briefly at the mare, then looked back at the darkness. "She's already dead. Don't waste your energy."

"Zena!" I yelled, my voice echoing down the tunnel. "We are not, leaving, her!"

"Y-Yeah, please, don't leave me here, I'll--" the mare seemed to be realizing what being left here was going to entail, her eventual starvation and dehydration alone in darkness. I saw her eyes go wide with fear as it all set in proper.

"We could at least shoot her if we're going to leave her here. No reason to let her dehydrate alone in the darkness." Sky Song pointed out.

"Waste of a bullet." Zena grumbled as she glanced at the train, and then grabbed into the darkness, pulling on the tail of the mare she has just helped up. She gave a yelp as her blue and green tail was pulled into view.

"Greasy, your tool kit." Zena said seriously, holding a hoof out. Greasy, a blue pegasus mare that seemed to have permanent spots of oil and grease in her coat and mane, looked quizzically at Zena, then to me, as if expecting some sort of magical answer. I merely shrugged my shoulders as Zena pressed the issue with, "Today, Greasy."

Greasy carefully opened up a small satchel that hung from her side, and I watched as Zena rummaged around and pulled out a screwdriver. She passed it to me.

"Arc, go unscrew two railings from the sides of seats. I'm going to cut up the cloth on them." Zena looked away from me,the light from her lenses reflecting in the eyes of a bat pony a sort distance away as she raised her voice, yelling, "Limelight, eyes forward!"

"What the fuck are we doing?" I asked Zena, following her with the screwdriver magically held above my head.

"Saving somepony. two metal rods, cloth for bandages. I'll make them a splint. then, we start trotting." Zena climbed into the train, and I hoisted myself in after her, lowering myself onto one of the seats and using my Pipbuck light to find the screws that bolted the seats into place. Above us I could hear Scarlet Mist rummaging through some supply boxes on the train, usually followed by her passing them off to somepony who ferried them away from the train.

"Zena..." Scarlet Mist said, much of her flame from earlier seemingly sapped from her voice. "We have a day of food, maybe that much in water. All the medical supplies were at the middle of the train. Other than what we have on, we-- we have nothing."

I felt my stomach churn over at Scarlet Mist's words as I fumbled with the second screw. I looked up at Zena, my light shining over her form, and suddenly I felt my blood boil over in my heart. Zena kept saddlebags under her coat. And I knew what things she kept in them, I'd seen them the first time I'd met her.

"Zena!" I hissed, leaning forward on the train and drawing myself close to her, pointing down at her side. "Zena, you have fucking healing potions in your saddlebags, don't you? We don't need to make this fucking splint."

The lenses of Zena's helmet flashed towards me, her sniper rifle falling across her chest as she held up a knife, bringing it down viciously on the chair as the sound of shredding cloth filling the air. Moldy padding burst forth from inside the chair, the foam finally knowing release after centuries of non-use.

"Those are for emergencies. This is not an emergency." Zena said, continuing to cut at the cloth. "The screws, Arc."

I felt my heart thump as I slammed the screwdriver into a screw, a clang of metal echoing around the train. "A fucking broken limb with miles of dark tunnel ahead of us isn't a fucking emergency?"

"No." Zena said pointedly, cutting free two strips of cloth and testing them by running her knife along it.

"No? That's all you have to say, is no, a fucking broken leg isn't call to use one of your precious healing potions?" I could feel my face growing flushed now as the anger rose out of my chest and into my cheeks.

"Affirmative." Zena said, leaning forward and pushing past me. I grabbed her, and instantly realized that was a mistake. My world turned upside down as the screwdriver went flying out of the train and I found myself doing a half somersault. Zena had suplexed me like a bag of mutafruits and planted me firmly on my back, her dark figure now leaning over me as her lenses drilled into my skull.

"If you're going to die of a bleeding heart, do it now. Save us the supplies." Zena hissed darkly through her helmet, a soft ringing of her voice bouncing off metal penetrating my eardrums. I found myself breathing very heavily as Zena stepped over me, leaving me to stare up at the ceiling of the train as I slowly began to slide downward. After Zena exited the train I felt something fly back inside and hit my chest. I let out a squeal as the screwdriver landed on me, rolling downwards and resting on my hip. I quickly grabbed it, trying to right myself and letting my PipBuck shine on Scarlet Mist. I tried to make what I hoped was a pleading face at her, but I realized she probably couldn't see my face in the darkness.

"I hate to say it, but she's right, Arc." Scarlet Mist mumbled bitterly. "Nopony is bleeding to death, we have to conserve what we have." I looked back at the screws angrily, lifting up the screwdriver and starting to work on them again. I let out my fury into the screws, stripping them as I worked at taking apart the metal from the chairs. By the time I had finished loosening two metal bars, Scarlet Mist had already left the train car. I emerged with the two metal bars levitated in front of me dropping down onto the train tracks.

"ugh- What the fuck!" I instantly splashed forward, moving to get up on top of the concrete divider. All sixteen ponies were now located up here, some looking forward, others looking thankful-- and I use that word relatively-- to be alive. The most innocent member of our group-- Quick Shimmer, a moth pony with a breathtaking cotton candy mane, was soothing the mare with the broken leg. Zena held out a hoof expectantly, and I pushed the iron bars towards her, turning around and shaking my PipBuck towards the ground below. A few inches of water had filled up the ground here, and it seemed to still be flowing from behind the rocks.

"So now we have to walk through a dark, wet tunnel?" I asked, scanning the putrid water as the mare began screaming. I glanced over but kept my PipBuck light off Zena's handiwork. I didn't figure anypony needed to see Zena forcibly binding this pony's leg into a splint. The painful cries were more than enough of a description.

"Let's hope it doesn't rise any further." Scarlet Mist spat. I looked over at her to see her assigning out supplies to various ponies, emptying out the little supplies we had. She raised a small sack and tossed it my direction, which I caught in my mouth.

"How long do these supplies have to last?" I asked through the cloth, spitting it onto the floor and opening up the contents. It wasn't much-- jerky, dried mutafruit, and my favorite treat, a box of Sweet Apple Acre's Brand Caramel Apples, which certainly weren't grown on Sweet Apple Acres, wherever that was.

"If we find a way out that's not an irritated hell hole, a couple days." Scarlet Mist said, passing out the last of the rations before straightening up and approaching me. She shot the darkness ahead of us a nasty glare, continuing, "If we're unlucky, it's a one week trot at least to that trainyard."

"A week?" I blubbered. "Scarlet, I eat this much in a day."

"Well, learn to fucking ration." She hissed angrily. "You think the rest of us aren't hungry?"

I looked away at the harshness from Scarlet. It wasn't exactly something I was used to, she was normally sanguine and upbeat. But really, the train bombing had just been icing on the cake for the storm of terrible events lately. I found myself lingering on how I got here before I was jolted back to reality by the crunching of rocks and the shattering of stone. Something was digging through the wall behind us.

"Zena!" I yelled, scrambling for my sidearm and pulling out a small, automatic pistol. I saw Limelight turn and ready himself, an assault rifle strapped to his battle saddle and ready to fire. Zena was already on top of it, having just finished binding the splint and found time to aim her rifle at the moving stones.

For a moment, we all waited in silence, the crunching of rocks filling the tunnel with an aching for bloodshed. Finally, with a crash and a rush of disgusting water, a creature emerged from within the debris, stomping forward and bending one of the rails as he marched into the area. The terrifying creature was covered from head to tail in algae and dirt, with it's heavy metal plates bent and crushed in a few places as the menacing helmet stared forward. A bright flashlight from it's head flashed at us, blinding everypony watching the scene and forcing us to look away temporarily.

"Point that somewhere else, eh?" A voice echoed from under the metal plates as it stomped forward, letting the algae fall away as the form of a steel ranger filled the gap in the rocks. I head a gasp from beside me as Limelight blinked and rushed forward, averting his eyes from the bright light.

"You survived!" He cried, practically hugging the hulking pile of metal. Zena let out a grunt as she pulled her rifle away, turning back to the splint and making sure it was tight enough.

"Damn right I survived." The metal pony said gruffly, his flashlight illuminating various parts of the tunnel as he took in the situation. I returned my gun to it's holster, starting to trot forward and stopping short of the Steel Ranger by a few meters. I was only barely familiar with this pony, but I knew the markings on his chest well enough. NCR, and one of their heavy shock troopers by the look of the condition of his armor. Yet he bore no red crests on his armor, at least that I could see.

"I thought only Applejack's Rangers wore power armor." I asked, standing quizzically next to the train as little trails of the putrid water swam through my hooves.

""I'd say I'm the exception, not the rule. Glad I am though, or I'd be crushed dead." The metal pony said, starting to walk forward as Limelight pulled away.

"hmm." I mumbled to myself, watching as Zena stood up, roughly pulling the mare with the broken leg up at the same time.

"Your suit functions fully, right? So you won't be another mouth to feed." Zena remarked, standing on the concrete divider so that she was taller than the Steel Ranger.

"Yes, but some actual food would be nice!" The metal pony said. Zena replied with a cold shoulder as she turned back to the tunnel.

"Everyone with flashlights, light the path behind me. Limelight, up front with me." Zena said, taking point and beginning to trot forward into the blackness. I saw other ponies moving out, beginning to follow behind Zena. I let the Steel Ranger go in front of me, choosing to bring up the rear with Scarlet Mist, the broken legged pony, and the young colt I'd rescued from earlier, who although he was standing now, had remained silent through all the proceedings. I let out a deep sigh, looking up and giving a bit of a start as I saw a pair of bat pony eyes quizzically looking me over.

"Don't-- do that, it's..." I started, but stopped. The bat mare had beat a hasty retreat at my words, looking hurt. I let out a sigh, breathing calmly. I found my words more carefully now, and gestured for her to approach me as I said, "Sorry-- sorry, I'm on edge right now. You just spooked me, that's all."

"I didn't mean to spook you." The mare asked. She then gestured at my armor, which drew the attention of every other pony around me. Even the Steel Ranger turned his flashlight around, casting full light on my frame. There wasn't any hiding how I was dressed now, and I pulled at the curtain I used as a cloak so it would partially cover the metal platings.

"A Stable-tec suit, and, legion armor?" She didn't wait for an answer to this, continuing with, "Why is a member of the legion with us? Aren't we supposed to be running away from you?"

"I'm not Legion!" I said, brandishing one of my hooves that held a barbed wire bracelet. "This barding is made up of the ponies I killed, which include a lot of Legion and raiders."

That seemed to shut the mare up, who backed off a bit. Unfortunately now I had every single set of eyes steeling glances at me. Everyone from a tall Alicorn scavenger to the young colt trotting next to me.

"Well if you're not Legion, then who are you?" One of the rancher pony refugees asked me. I glanced at Quick Shimmer, then to Xavia or Zena, and finally at Scarlet Mist, hoping somepony would bail me out. I let out a sigh, playing my broken record one more time.

"I'm White Arc, from Stable City." I said.

"That's a pretty long way." The alicorn remarked. "Are you NCR?"

"No." I growled, feeling my ears lower.

"Arc of White." Xavia said from the middle of our caravan. I looked up gratefully at her, eager for the save. Her words continued, crushing my spirit with, "Perhaps telling us your story, will pass time in this journey?"

I glanced down at my PipBuck, and quickly shifted the dials to the recording area before flipping it on.

"Alright, but this time I'm recording this." I said, more to myself than anypony in particular. I let out a sigh, looking up at Zena as I began to speak, "This all started with Zena, I guess, maybe it was a month ago. I'm not sure."

When we do not know the past, we are condemned to repeat it. I am not here to tell you a happy story. This is a story about a scared mare who changes. It is a world where goddesses fall asleep on the job. It’s where I live. My name is White Arc, and I want to share with you, not my story, but the story of a real hero I’ll never forget. I want to share with you the fate of the world I call home. It all started on a day where I went out for a smoke and met a friend of mine for the first time.

Every office in my the city was the same; concrete walls surrounding you on all sides with a precious few personal effects surrounding your workspace. For mine, this meant that a large filing cabinet with a radio on top of it and a wired intercom resting next to a pile of loose papers. My personal effects were limited to a poster and a picture. The picture was of me and my brother, the first time we could afford to have one taken when I was little. The poster was one of a mare who trotted the wastes long ago--The Stable Dweller, the Lightbringer, and the source of my constant daydreaming. Not only was she dashingly cute--something I’d never share in Stable City--but I loved imagining myself off on adventures with her, back in the old days before the New Canterlot Republic.

Leaning back in a leather chair, I felt myself sigh as I nodded off. My job was to keep detailed records of all caravans passing by and through Stable City. When I had started this had been a job that kept me busy most hours of the day. However, in the last year it had slowed to days or weeks passing without any work for me. I let out a sigh, feeling my mind drift off to those old stories as I kept myself barely awake in my chair. There was something so poetic about running through the desolate world, battling slavers and raiders, fighting back against the horrors of the post-war Equestria. A shadow fell over my vision as I saw myself wearing battle armor and charging at evil ponies in power armor, fighting for my life beside old heroes.

No sooner had the scene appeared to me then I heard the rattling of a metal door lift me out of my daydream. I spun around in my chair, keeping my hind hooves crossed and up on a table as I reclined, watching Two of Stable City’s guards stand in the doorway. They did not wear the advanced power armor that the main gate guards had, but instead wore lighter combat armor that left them more agile, sacrificing the strength and security of their more heavily armored counterparts.

“You really should try to get more rest at night,” One of the guards grumbled at me, leaning on the doorway. I sat up properly, watching him as he pointed over my head and gestured to the radio on top of the filing cabinet. “Arc, have you heard anything directed this way?”

Arc, that was my name. It was a simple name that was given to a servant filly, like many within Stable City’s walls. Although I had not been raised as a servant thanks to my generous brother, I had never been able to earn citizenship in Stable City. I supposed that even if I had, I wouldn’t know what to change my name to.

“Uh, no,” I said, turning and looking at the silent radio before turning back to the guards and asking, “Are we expecting something?”

The guard who had spoken to me gave a frown and shook his head. “Not sure. The Zebra caravan was supposed to be here early today, but they haven’t arrived yet. You know, those ones that the Desert Rangers are in charge of?” I gave him a short nod. I knew all about the black armored rangers who guided caravans when it suited their interests. The guard pony had a grave look on his face as he continued, “It’s just not like them to be late. I thought maybe they would have sent a message over the radio.” He turned away with that, looking perturbed as he gave me a nice view of his flank and swishing tail. The blue plasma rifle on his back accented his body well, making him look both fearsome and attractive at the same time.

“You know, if anypony else was falling asleep on the job like that…” I could hear the other guard whispering the stallion I was admiring, but he quickly hushed up. The metal door closed behind the two of them and I frowned. Now I was once more confined to a boring day in my office.

My thoughts were far from my boredom though. I knew stories of the Desert Rangers, although they were not as well documented as those of The Stable Dweller or The Security Mare were. Everypony south of Equestria knew about these Desert Rangers though. They dressed in old police riot gear and wore dark desert dusters. Every one of them possessed glowing red eyes that pierced your soul. As long as you were amenable to their opinion of justice they were helpful, if an unfriendly, group. I had never personally seen one up close, as they never approached with the caravans when they traded. Desert Rangers prefered to remain hidden, and only appeared when something bad was happening.

Now, I am not one to wish harm upon other ponies. But I was really wishing that something, anything, bad would happen today. I needed something to break up the monotony of sitting around staring at a radio while I daydreamed the same dreams I’d had for years. There had not been a caravan from the New Canterlot Republic-- The NCR for short-- or from anyplace else in weeks. I feared something didn’t happen soon, I was going to end up being assigned to manual labor by the First Pony.

I stood up now, grabbing my saddlebags and opening the metal door to my prison. I knew that no message was going to come over the radio, and I wasn’t content to sit around bored. I snuck past the guards, not that they would have dared say anything if they had saw me. My brother would have their hides for ratting on his little sister. Once I was well clear of Stable City, I strolled down to my favorite outcropping of rock. I had half of a torn mattress here and it offered me a great view of the Equestrian Badlands. Inside the matress was a saddlebag, and from there I pulled out a rolled cigarette, striking a match and lighting it up. Alcohol, Cigarettes, and chems of any nature were expressly prohibited in Stable City, although since I worked with trade caravans regularly I was often able to barter my way for some recreational drugs.

The unfortunate part of course, was that I could not smoke within Stable City’s walls. The smell was so strong that it clung to everything nearby. If you caught a whiff of it from ten feet away it was still potent enough to tell you exactly what that pony had been doing. I ducking under a large rock outcropping and sat on half of a torn mattress. This mattress did smell of the plant I was burning, a smell I was most used to.

The first puff was always the best to me, as it instantly made my body relax, my brain aware of what was coming next. The paper on the end of my cigarette sizzled, smoke rising up and around me. I leaned back, enjoying my vice as I gazed at the scenery. The scenery was, admittedly, not much to look at. It had small plants cutting through solid stone and pillars of dust that the breeze blew along. Today, however, the scenery was scarred by something new. A short distance away I could make out a contraption burning up broken road and rough dirt. It was moving fast on two rubbery wheels, fast enough that I guessed it could outrun most wasteland dangers, although it only seemed big enough for one pony and some few possessions to fit on. I watched as it streaked by, knowing what this was. This was a bike with a motor, and it was employed by mercenaries who worked with the caravans.

I let the fumes of my cigarette fill my lungs before I exhaled sadly, knowing that I was going to have work to do. It would have been more fun as sitting in my office high and dreaming of those old stories. I considered one more puff, watching the bike below smash into a rocky outcrop and explode in a ball of fire.

“What the fuck!?” I whinnied, hurriedly putting out my cigarette to save it for later and staring down at what I had just seen. A pillar of smoke was spiraling towards the sky from the crash, which was probably more than enough for somepony from Stable City to investigate. I certainly didn’t want to be caught smoking when they did. I gazed down from my spoke, looking at the crash. The bike looked totalled and I could not see it’s rider, although I could see a set of black saddlebags that had been thrown off at the last moment. They were sitting near the wreckage, plain as day. I scurried down from my vantage point, swifting making my way down towards the wreck.

Waste not, want not. Nopony could survive that crash, which meant those saddlebags… well, it seemed wrong to just leave them there.

This all seemed too convenient, but I was not about to question the madness of the Wasteland. The bike was barely scrap metal now, and I could not see any sign of its’ owner. I bent over and began to rifle through the first saddlebag. There were medical supplies, and quite a lot of them. A half dozen Stimpaks were bundled together with what I hoped was Med-X. Underneath the medical supplies were three lunchboxes that felt about half full. I put these aside for the moment and opened the second saddlebag.

As I was pulling open the second bag, I felt something graby my long mane from behind me. I let out a startled neigh, my voice dying as the barrel of a gun was buried into the base of my head.

“Step back from the saddlebags, scavenger.” The voice was feminine and had an odd metallic sound to it, almost like it was echoing off something. I gulped and nodded, standing up. Whoever had ahold of my mane started to slowly trot backwards with me. Their grip was surprising to me-- it was not a painful grip, which I had felt before when my mane was pulled on-- but instead it was a gentle and firm grip. My captor leaned on my slightly, their heavy body pressing against me as they walked backwards on two hooves, trotting me away from their saddlebags. When the grip had trotted me back several feet, I felt the hoof release my mane, the barrel of the gun leaving the base of my head.

A metallic clip-clop hit the ground, the same voice from before speaking with a matter of fact tone. “Normally I’d shoot scavengers, but I didn’t want to get your blood all over my things. Get lost.” I turned around and let out a scream. My hooves gave way as I fell over, staring at one of the most terrifying ponies I had ever seen as they trotted past me.

She stood as tall as a stallion, wearing an incredibly long rifle that offset her body armor. The makeshift armor had power armor plates mixed with police riot gear and fabrics I could not identify. They wore a long, dark garment over their armor, a coat that was covered in sand and dirt from the wastes. Bullet slings were wrapped over their forelegs, holding bullets that were the larger than my hoof.

And I must say, none of this was particularly scary on it’s own. What had triggered my fear was the pony’s helmet. They wore a triangular helmet on their face that was reminiscent of the power armor some Stable City Security, the SCS, wore. It functioned as a gas mask, with a valve on one side for speaking and breathing. Above this were two large green optical lenses, which glowed and saw through anything that they perceived.

“You’re incredibly well washed for a would be thief.” The mare commented, trotting past my cowering figure and starting in the direction of Stable City. She treated me with no more regard than somepony might treat an interesting rock after threatening my life, and then she just moved on!? I scrambled to my hooves and chased after her, keeping a safe distance away in case her patience ran out.

“Wait, hang on! I didn’t know they were yours!” I said, tailing her back as we made our way towards the trade gate.

The Ranger barely seemed to take notice of me, but I swore I could make out a low, “Sure kid.” from her helmet. We trotted together for a minute or so of silence, my hooves tailing her much larger hoofprints. She suddenly looked over her shoulder at me, causing me to give a little jump. I had no doubt that she was scowling under her helmet, as her voice reeked of impatience.

“Stop following me, or I’ll give you that bullet.” She threatened, making sure I saw her weapon hanging at her side-- a massive revolver.

“I’m not following you, I’m going back to my city. I live there.” I felt my ears flatten as my voice died. A small part of me wanted to stand up indignantly against the Ranger, but every other part of me very much wanted to keep living. I was not about to take chances with this terrifying pony.

The Ranger’s flashing green eyes stared at me, the visage of her helmet causing an involuntary whimper to escape my muzzle. For a moment we were both silent, her staring down at me and me staring up at her. Without ceremony, she turned and gave me a wave of her hoof, beckoning for me to follow her as Stable City drew into view. I could see a couple guards approaching, making their way towards the pillar of smoke behind us. I hung my head low, knowing that I was certainly going to be in trouble this time. Not only was I outside the walls when I was on duty, but I had returned with a Desert Ranger, an entity so hated they weren’t allowed near Stable City.

That’s a thought that was lingering on my mind. Those guards feared one thing more than a megaspell striking the city, and that was a Desert Ranger. You could always feel the uneasiness of Guards when they saw or knew that a Desert Ranger was nearby.

I made a move to run past the ranger, to the safety of the guards and my city, but she put a hoof on my shoulder. I ground to a halt, not daring to test her.

“Let her go!” One of the guards challenged, shakily reaching for his rifle. I felt the Ranger’s hoof tighten and press into my shoulder.

“A caravan was attacked on your land by raiders. Is Stable City no longer patrolling these roads?” The Ranger kept her eyes on the guards, and even though they had hooves on their weapons, she had not reached for any of hers. The guard’s faces were twisted with fear, their hooves shifting slightly as they considered their options.

“There’s no raiders in these parts! You’re making that story up!” The guard stammered. “Now-- let her go and get back to playing in the sand!” The ranger kept her eyes on the guards, but I saw her tilt her head towards me slightly.

“Hey, filly. Know how to shoot a gun?” She whispered, asking me in a voice that was not loud enough for the guards to hear. I quickly shook my head yes, not daring to lie. I was not a good shot, but my brother had taught me how to operate a firearm.

If I had known what was going to happen by nodding, then I never would have done it.

“It’s your lucky day.” The Ranger said, before speaking up and turning back to the guards, “She’s coming with me to do your job.” The Ranger gave me a push, making me face the rising sun in the east. The guards did not move, standing their ground and watching as I began to trot away, the terrifying Ranger staying five inches behind me.

Terror spiked through my chest as my hooves carried me over a small hill. I finally found my voice, and looked back at the Ranger pony, trying to get out any excuse I could for her to let me go. My voice died in my throat as I saw my fear reflected in the terrifying lens of her helmet.

“I can’t go hunt raiders!” I gulped, my voice was weak and hoarse. “They’ll kill me!”

“Nah.” The mare said, giving me a push on the rump. “Move like you mean it.” I picked up my pace slightly, trotting a little faster. The Ranger sighed, speaking very authoritatively, “That means gallop, girl.”

I broke into a gallop, which was half a run and half a sprint. The ranger pony, despite having dozens of pounds of gear and armor on her, kept pace with me. I didn’t dare look back at her again. I knew that right behind me was that damn staring helmet.

The hills passed by as we ran, and to be honest I’m not sure for how long we were running. I was constantly out of breath and my vision was swimming with sweat and the sun’s glare. The Ranger pony ran me like a workhorse until we came to a stop.

We halted at the crest of a hill. I felt like I had been run all day, but the sun was still high in the sky. The Desert Ranger had seen fit for us to stop near an old mechanic’s shop. Below I could make out some old houses that still stood up and a large office building that might have once been several stories tall, but now was barely more than the first two stories. I ignored all of it as I collapses on the ground, rolling over and trying to force air into my lungs. I could barely breathe, but my aching legs and chest thanked me for the respite. The Ranger wasted no time, and even though I could hear her breathing heavily she began looking around the mechanic’s shop. She had grabbed some loose pieces of thick metal and I could see her looping rope and leather straps here and there. Her hooves worked with frightening speed and caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.

“What’s-- what’s that for?” I gasped out, sitting up and looking at seemed to be a rough suit of body armor. The Ranger put a hoof on my shoulder and then helped me up so I was standing again. She shoved the armor at me without any words. I got her meaning and started to struggle into fitting it over my body. Even though the armor had been quickly fashioned, it was enough to cover my thighs, shoulders, and chest, however most of my legs and my neck were left exposed.

“Look out there.” The Ranger said quietly. I turned and looked down the hill, taking in the remains of the small town. The Ranger was carefully setting up her rifle as she laid prone on the ground, pointing it towards the office building. The office building looked like it had been fortified, and I could see what looked remains of different ponies hanging from chains and spikes. Inside I could see a small pillar of smoke that looked like it was the remains of some bonfire.

“I’m not going in there!” I squealed. My entire body balked, rooting me in place. The Ranger mare stood up and gave me a push, forcing me to lurch forward.

“I don’t want you to go in there. I want you to run past it.” The Ranger pony kept their voice much lower than mine, going back down to her rifle and making sure the bipod was stable and she could easily aim at the building. I looked at her uneasily, and she gave me a sigh.

“You’re going to run past there, and when the psycho raiders come out to shoot and kill you, I’m going to shoot and kill them first.” The Ranger pulled her coat back, showing me two identical revolvers. She passed me one, which I held in my hoof stupidly. It was a pretty revolver, sitting idly in it’s holster with five giant bullets ready to be fired. The steel with a gold plated finish glinted in the sun, the weapon much more confident than I was.

I had never done anything this scary in my life. While sometimes my brother had gotten into fights when I was younger, he had always kept me out of it. Now, the Desert Rangers were legendary specialists and among them, being a marksmare that would put my brother to shame was commonplace. Even with that in mind, this Ranger pony wasn’t my brother, and I couldn’t ease my fears about getting shot up.

“What if they shoot me and I bleed and die?” I asked. “What if I get hurt?”

The Ranger was silent for a few seconds, and then sighed. She stood up once more and pulled a raggedy old curtain off of the mechanic’s shop. From her saddlebags I saw her produce two healing potions, which she tucked into the curtain and then rolled up. She placed it around my neck, securing the dull curtain into my armor so it would not come loose.

“Drink those if you get hit. They’ll be protected by your armor in there.” The Ranger said, getting back down to her rifle. There was silence for a few seconds as I looked down the hill. It seemed like a long way to run past the office building, although some of the still standing homes looked safe enough.

“But I could get shot.” I said, feeling a small case of vertigo come over me as I looked at the path in front of me.

“This is what happens when you try to rob others.” The Ranger growled. I’m certain that she might have shot me if I continued to test her, so with that, I took the plunge down the hill. I’d never ran so fast in my life.

My hooves jumped and carried me over the broken and scarred road as I ran right past the office building, my eyes tunnel visioning on a house nearby. I prayed to Celestia that my hooves wouldn’t give out until I was tucked safely inside. By the grace of the princesses, I slid into hiding.

It was only after this that I realized something was wrong. No shots had rang out from the building or the ranger, and I was currently hiding in the ruins of some old house. The only sound in the world was my heavy panting and the breeze of the wind rolling through the wastes. I poked my head out, looking towards the building and waiting for some raider with a gun to poke their head out.

There was nothing. The building looked utterly deserted, and I couldn’t guess why. I carefully peeked out from the house, starting towards the office building. Although I was still scared as I possibly could be, I couldn’t sense any danger. There didn’t seem to be anypony home, despite the evidence that the building was inhabited. When I was closer I could see through the front door, a set of double doors hanging off their hinges. There was daylight inside from a series of holes where the floors above or the roof had caved in, betraying that this place was little more than an abandoned building.

I could smell the fire now, and it smelled like something was burnt. My muzzle wrinkled up and I let out a whinny as I pressed inside against my better judgement. Perhaps the guard from Stable city was right, there were no raiders in these parts. But the Desert Ranger had not struck me as the type to make up stories.

I wandered inside, following my nostrils as they lead me towards the source of the burning. I peeked down halls of broken terminals and upended desks until I finally came to a large, open area. There were the remains of a bonfire in the middle, and it looked like it was a cozy meeting place by raider standards. However, it was not a place they would be enjoying anymore In the middle of the bonfire were charred bodies, most of the flesh and muscle burned off. With the full light of the sun I could see the skeletons wearing blackened remains of armor. Most of their armor was composed of chains and scrap metal, not a far cry from what the Ranger pony had quickly crafted for me.

I suddenly felt the breath sucked out of me as I drew the revolver the Ranger had given me. I stifled a scream as I hid behind a ruined armchair, my heart hammering against my chest. In that moment I suddenly realized that somepony or something had killed and burned these raiders, which meant that it was more dangerous than they were. While the place looked deserted, I knew that they could still be around.

A few seconds turned into a minute as I felt my body easing up. I was still in fight or flight mode, but I was broken out of it as I heard a feeble cry for help. Turning away from the burned bodies and my hiding place, I ducked into a side room where I had heard the cry from. My hooves balked as I ground to a stop, reeling in horror.

On the floor before me was a young zebra mare that looked like she had been beaten nearly to death. I was amazed that between her bruised skin and showing organs she had remained conscious. I could see broken ribs digging into her thoracic cavity, forming a small pool of blood under her. There was a horrible gash running across her face, and one of her eyes was matted shut with dried blood. She had somehow managed to not bleed to death, but I knew she was not long for this world without help.

Any good pony knows it’s better wiped than striped, and I wanted to leave this zebra mare for dead. I wasn’t sure if a healing potion would help her and I certainly wasn’t a hero. But another part inside of me spoke up, reminding me that she was still a living creature. I had a chance in that moment to play the hero to this zebra.

I sprung into action, pulling one of the healing potions from the curtain and forcing open her mouth so that she had to drink it. Instantly her body began to heal, wounds closing up and swelling in her bruises reducing. Although she still looked terrible, she no longer had life threatening wounds. Her chest had closed up and the gash on her forehead looked several days old.

“Thank you,” the zebra said, hugging onto me and pulling me close. I gave her a hug back, patting her on the shoulder as I assured her everything would be fine. As we pulled out of the hug and she kept a hoof wrapped around mine, I saw her face brighten. She was looking over my shoulder and I turned my head to see what she was looking at.

“You’ve come back! I knew you’d come back, I told-- the others…” The zebra mare grinned. As silent as a shadow, the Ranger had entered the room and was leaning against the wall, sticking to shadows and staying out of sight unless you were inside the room.

“What happened?” The Ranger asked bluntly. I turned and saw the zebra mare’s eyes growing sad as tears welled on the corners of her eyes.

When she spoke, I could feel her sorrow filling up the room, making the world outside seem all the more harsher. “Oh Zena, it was horrible! The raiders were beating and abusing us after we got attacked, it all happened so fast. Those of us they didn’t kill, they took us here, and then… then…”

“We can all imagine. I followed you that far, and left to go get help. I got her.” Zena the Desert Ranger did not pause as she gave me a dismissive gesture, “How did the raiders die?”

“It was them, ponies in red led by those-- Pegasi.” The zebra mare was sobbing now as she recalled her terrifying day.

“Pegasi, like from the Grand Pegasus Enclave?” I piped up.

I had a great wealth of knowledge about specific old topics, usually those that made the best stories. Unfortunately, Zena was always less than amused by my selective memory.

“No, these Pegasi can’t fly. They’re every bit as mean as the Enclave though.” I followed Zena as she spoke, wandering back into the main room. She stepped around the pile of burning corpses to the other side. I watched her pick up a spear that fallen over. Hanging on the end of this was a red banner with a golden circle. Imposed over this circle was a feathered wing holding a short spear.

“We need to get out of here, now.” Zena’s voice had a tone I had not yet heard. While she had been steady and possessed a girly voice so far, her voice was now stern and urgent as she moved back around the pile of bodies. I tailed her around the pile of armor and skeletons, looking over at the zebra mare as she teetered out from the side room. A bullet barely missed Zena and flew past into the Zebra mare’s skull, ripping out a portion of her neck and spraying the wall behind her with a new coat of paint. I let out a scream as I saw brain matter and chunks of bone fall to the ground as the mare collapsed, dead.

I hid behind the blackened corpses, fear returning in full force at the sudden brutality. My eyes snapped to Zena as she reacted like lightning. I had not even seen her draw her other revolver, but I heard the echoing bangs as it was fired twice, bullets traveling from her hoof and eliciting screams from ponies as their hooves backpedaled. I stayed where I was, watching as Zena moved in one fluid motion to cover while firing another shot off. This shot came with no scream, but rather a wet crash, like meat hitting concrete. I peaked out and could see Zena’s dead attacker, who had been flung backwards and layed sprawled out in a pool of his own organs and blood. Three more ponies were storming over him now, each of them dressed in strange armor.

I knew about this armor from old pre war stories. Stories so old they were old before the war. It resembled the old armor of Princess Celestia and Luna’s guards and was mixed with a lot of hiking gear and anything else that they could cobble together All of this gear was bound up in a blood red sheet that was fitted like a tunic that had the symbol from the flag on it, although few were pegasi themselves and none of our attackers were. They fought with spears and machetes clenched in their mouths or with magic, except for those few rifleponies among their number.

I looked over at Zena and I knew I was going to have to do something. I wasn’t going to be able to hide and let Zena fight on her own. She had three enemies, and only two bullets. I poked my head up and lit my horn, using telepathy to hold the gun up and fire it towards the attackers. The kickback was immense, I’d never fired anything this high caliber.

Bang, bang bang bang. I had wasted all of the bullets, fighting to not close my eyes and duck away in fear. My bullets had done nothing to stop the oncoming attackers, and I let out a shriek as the riflepony looked over at me, raising his rifle that looked as cobbled together as his armor. I screamed, my eyes wide with terror as I watched him prepare to kill me.

Before the riflepony could fire, I saw his head explode into a mist of blood and brain matter, shattered parts of his skull joining the blackened bones on bonfire. Zena had chosen her moment to strike, and with her first bullet she had shot dead the most immediate danger. I watched as she turned, her dark clothes swinging around her as she planted the other bullet in the hind leg of an earth pony. The earth pony let out a scream as he dropped the large machete in his mouth. While he dived for the machete, Zena dived for the riflepony’s fallen rifle. Zena was faster.

Zena ducked and rolled for the rifle, dropping her revolver and strapping on the rifle in a fury to take aim. The unicorn, who had a brace of terrifying spears on his back, launched one in Zena’s direction with a telepathy spell. She ducked, not sacrificing a bullet until she was ready. I let out a loud pitched whimper as I saw Zena plant a bullet in the unicorn, who had raised another throwing spear, aiming it at Zena. I screamed in empathy, covering my eyes as Zena shot the unicorn’s horn. A full moment passed before I dared to look and see what was happening. Zena put two bullets into the earth pony, the first one to drop him back down as he let out a scream of pain. Zena recocked the rifle, putting it to the back of the stallion’s head and ending him with an execution shot.

While I had never truly questioned why ponies feared the desert rangers, any thought of hyperbole was now gone from my mind. Zena was a grim reaper surrounded by the blood of her enemies and facing the screams of the unicorn. Her dark coat billowed around even darker armor, every metal hoofstep drawing her further away from the blackened bones in the bonfire and closer and closer to her next victim. She was a peerless marksmare, the green lens of her helmet leaving a glare in the gloom around her.

I shuddered as Zena recocked the rifle, aiming at the crying unicorn pony. Not all of his horn was gone, but it was definitely ruined, I wasn’t sure if there was any fixing it. Zena pointed her rifle at the unicorn, holding at the ready but not firing. The unicorn continued his agonized moans.

“Where did you take them.” I now knew Zena’s scary voice. It was one of fury and cold resolve, further painting her as an agent of death. She was standing tall now, one hoof pressed into the cut of the attacker, and the other hoof keeping the rifle planted in his head.

“My fucking horn! Ah, fuck-” the unicorn tried to flaim away, but Zena kept him pressed into the ground.

“Where did they take them?” Zena repeated, her voice devoid of any warmth. She pressed the rifle further into the unicorn’s face, enough that if she slipped I was sure she would poke an eye out. I watched as the unicorn looked up at her and-- grinned. He was grinning!

“You’ll never save them. They’re on the path north of here.” The unicorn’s horn was spitting sparks and faintly glowing. Amazingly he managed to get one spell off, raising one of the spears he had previously thrown and aiming it at Zena’s neck, a weak spot in her armor.

“Zena behind you!” I screamed. I didn’t have time to hide my eyes from the blow. Zena swayed to the side, the spear ripping part of her flesh. It looked serious, but not life threatening. The same could not be said for the unicorn, who had failed to plan for what might happen if he missed Zena. The spear shot down and impaled him, nailing one of his upper legs into his body. A bullet from Zena’s rifle joined the brutality, landing right between the unicorn’s eyes and showering the floor with fresh gore.

There was silence following the end of the fight. I had never seen such brutality before in my life. Of course I had read worse in stories about the old heroes, but nothing compared to actually being there, watching one pony murder another pony just to survive another day.

Zena trotted over to me, slightly covered in blood and ignoring the fallen zebra mare. It was impossible for me to move at first, and for a moment we just stood there.

“I need to go.” Zena said. “I have phoenix to hunt. And you need to get out of here.”

“You’re going to hunt birds?” I asked stupidly, whimpering and recoiling from Zena in horror.

“No. Phoenix Legion. That’s what they’re called.” Zena reached down and collected both of her revolvers, reloading them before holstering both and collecting the casings and putting them in her saddlebags. It was surreal to see her picking up the leather holster for the rifle and stowing it away before pushing it at me. It was a nice case, designed to hold a few extra clips. Wordlessly, Zena turned to leave and I instinctively chased after her. I couldn’t bare to be left alone with all the corpses, I was too frightened and unsettled by the day.

Once we were outside, Zena sat down and began undoing the latches and buckles on her helmet. I collapsed, crying in fear and exhaustion. Now that we were out of danger, it felt like a good time to cry. Zena did not agree.

“What’s your name.” Zena asked, stopping with her helmet and looking at me.

I looked up at her, a little caught off guard and with blurry eyes, and then mumbled it to her. “It-- it’s Arc. White Arc.”

“Sounds like a hooker name.” Zena commented. “You aren’t used to the wastes outside your front door, so three things. Kill so you aren’t killed, Don’t waste my ammo, and shut the everloving fuck up.”

I was stunned that she had spoken to me like this, and it knocked me out of my sobbing. I wiped my eyes clean and looked up at her as she took her helmet off. Although her gas mask was still partially on, covering from the bottom of her forehead to her chin, I was able to better see Zena. She was not the pony I was expecting

Zena has a cute muzzle, small and feminine like you’d expect on your perfect mare. Her hair was short and fell across her neck and head in pleasant light brown and white stripes. I was unsettled by her greatly though, as she was not a pony at all.

“Zena, you’re a… zebra.” I said dumbly, sitting down and feeling my whole body shiver. Although I was surprised, I was still too scared by what I had witnessed earlier to have a proper reaction.

“Yes?” Zena replied, taking out one of her healing potions and chugging it back.

“You didn’t tell me you were a zebra!” A harsh whinny escaped my mouth, and I made sure to give Zena even more space than I had previously.

“Arc, I’m a zebra.” Zena said plainly, tucking away the empty healing bottle and putting her helmet back on. Her head disappeared into the confines of her dark helmet, the green lenses lighting back up. Zena paused for a moment, and then gestured southward, back over the hill we had come.

“Arc, if you go that way it will lead you back to Stable City. Try not to die on the way back there.” She gave me a pat on the head and then fastened the leather rifle holster tighter around me. I looked at her in fear, then looked at the hill in disbelief.

I had never been alone in the wasteland, and the very thought of having radiated, mutated creatures, or raiders, or worse, come at me without somepony to protect me…

“Whoa, wait-- no!”I blurted out, taking a step back from Zena. “I’m not going crawling through the wasteland without a strong pony to protect me. It’s dangerous out here!”

“I know, that’s why I want you to go home. You’re putting me in danger.” Although Zena had not struck me as nice, that statement had been downright cruel to my frightened heart. This was not the first time somepony had said I was putting them in danger, but I had always shrugged it off in the past. Zena’s words stung deeper because I knew they were true.

“I can’t go back to Stable City alone, Zena. It's too dangerous” I looked up at her with lost puppy eyes. The green lenses of her helmet flashed back at me. Zena seemed to be considering for a few seconds before she turned to face north.

“Then you’re going to gallop fast, and you’re going to stay out of my way. I’ll take you back by Stable City as soon as I can.” I could feel Zena’s eyes burning into me through her green lenses as she gave me a look, and then pressed north with a gallop.

All my life I had somepony watching over me until that moment. I was never far away from the watchful eyes of guards or my brother, and those precious few times I was I used them to get as high as I could on recreational chems. But this far away from home, with nopony to protect me if I turned away from Zena now, it scared me. It scared me badly. The only thing that scared me more than being alone in that moment, was having the company of some savage thing from the wasteland.

I hurriedly kicked my own hooves along, following the ranger in front of me.

As we slowed our pace, I caught breaths of fresh air, watching Zena as she looked around at the ground, reading some language in the dirt I could not understand. Somehow, Zena had this innate ability to understand the wasteland. Whether this some zebra talent she had or all part of being a Desert Ranger, I had no idea.

“We’re gaining on them.” Zena said quietly, looking up and continuing at a trot.

“Right, them.” I let out a sigh, trotting to keep up with her. “And just who exactly are the-- Legion, right?”

“The Phoenix Legion.” Zena clarified, going quiet. I almost thought she was not going to answer to me before she cleared her throat, the metallic echo bouncing out of her helmet before she began.

“They’re the many. Many decades ago new tribes formed south of Equestria after the great battle between the enclave, Red Eye, and the free ponies of today’s NCR. After the NCR was victorious, those that could flee, fled. The Phoenix Legion is the strongest of those new tribes.” Zena stopped. I waited for her to comment further, but she seemed to feel as if she was done with the subject.

“Why are they called the Pheonix Legion?” I asked her. “I’ve never heard of them before.”

“That doesn’t matter. They’re murdering fascists, they only care about their own power, and crushing any that challenge it.” Zena let out a heavy breath, leading us up a hill.

“Ponies like you.” I said. I didn’t need to ask, I could tell from Zena’s choice of words and her impunity in executing the Legion soldiers from earlier she was their enemy.

“Yes. Ponies that want to keep them away, in the far south.” Zena remarked.

“So-- but if they live far south, then what are they doing here, near Stable City? We’re on the border to the NCR.”

“You have a brain, filly. Figure it out.” Zena has reached the top of the hill with this statement, and I watched her helmet scan the wasteland.
I considered it all for a moment. The thoughts popping into my head were not pleasant ones. I came up with two answers however, and I gave both to Zena.

“Are they hunting somepony? Or expanding?”

“Or both,” Zena commented, beginning to trudge down the hill. “I think it’s expansion.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but suddenly Zena doubled back and grabbed me, forcing me into the ground. I felt the air knocked out of me as I gasped, the world spinning and a small cloud of dust rising around us. Zena had already unslung her rifle and was setting it up, keeping a watchful eye on something moving in the distance.

My body spiked with fear. I wasn’t really sure what we were going to do when we caught up with more legion. Then again, I prefered to run into them with Zena, as she seemed perfectly capable of picking them off.

“Quiet. We caught up.” Zena pointed forward at the ponies in the distance, already aiming down her scope at them. As I caught my breath, I could make out about six of them chained together, a fair mix of different ponies and some zebra. While the zebra were obvious because of their colour, I couldn’t make out much more about the line of ponies except who was obviously in Legion armor and who was not.

Zena wasted no time in taking a shot, despite the considerable distance. Zena’s accuracy was terrifying, blowing a hole through the lower neck of a pegasus. Shapes that I guessed must be muscle and bone scattered freely behind the pony as they fell dead to the ground.

It was only when I saw the second Legion pony drop that I realized I could not hear anything. There was a ringing in my head that accompanied the sound of a gun being fired, but other than that noise nothing. I realized before she fired her third shot that the rifle was so loud on my ears it had made me feel temporarily deaf. I felt my ears flatten against my head, and I watched as the final armored Legion pony died. Zena stood up, starting to shoulder her rifle. Although I had no way to tell with her helmet on, I suspected she was beyond caring about the fact she had just killed. She didn't seem upset by it at all.

I was still laying on the ground as she started towards the ponies in chains, realizing for the moment that I didn't have to be scared of Zena. She was like those old heroes, killing the wicked and protecting those that could not protect themselves. Like the caravan, or like me.

When I finally stood up, I gave Zena’s rifle a sideways glance as I caught up with her. My hearing had returned, but I was never going to like her deafeningly loud weapon. I could still hear a slight ringing in my head as we reached the ground zero of Zena’s attack.

The ponies in chains and shackles looked both surprised and terrified to see Zena approaching them. They had a look on their faces that mirrored the one I was sure I’d had most of the day. Zena searched the butchered legionaries, pulling a set of keys away from one of the dead and beginning to unshackle the ponies and zebras. My eyes wandered towards the end of the line, where I saw a pony wearing a lab coat over her Stable jumpsuit.

“Hello.” She said quietly, giving me a suspicious look, as if she was trying to remember something. I knew here instantly, it was hard to mistake bright pink and purple mane that laying over her silky grey coat Of one of the top scientists of Stable City. She was called Quick Shimmer, and belonged to the ‘elite race’ in Stable City-- Moth Ponies. Whether they were some horrifying mutation or actually some forgotten species, I had never figured that out. I couldn’t even be sure the moth ponies themselves knew.

“What are you doing out here?” I blinked at her, confused. She shrugged at me, being in chains with flecks of red blood from a nearby legionnaire on her lab coat failing to phase her.

“I could ask you the same question-- It’s Arc, right? Your name?” Quick Shimmer asked with a tilt of her head.

“I-- Yes, my name is Arc. I saw Zena crash and then, now I’m here. Your turn.” I stammered, looking at Zena. She was making her way down the line freeing ponies still.

“Zena?” Quick Shimmer queried, following my eyes.

“Yeah, the Desert Ranger.” I motioned at Zena. “...I don’t know why she was in a crash though, now that I think about it.” As I said this, Zena moved over to Quick Shimmer, motioning for the moth pony to hold up her hooves so she could be unshackled. Quick Shimmer looked at Zena like she was considering what to have for lunch, offering her hooves forward cautiously.

“So why are you out here?” I asked Quick Shimmer again.

“Oh, you know, research. Sometimes you just need to get away from the lab to do things.” It was Shimmer’s turn to stammer something out. She had never struck me as a very good liar, and now I knew for a fact she had no talent in this area.

“And get captured and enslaved by the Phoenix Legion? Stable City is raising their ponies soft.” Zena finished freeing Quick Shimmer of her binds and tossed the keys aside, looking over the collection of ponies she'd freed. Her eyes were fixed on the few zebra in the gaggle, who the ponies were keeping their distance from.

“Thank you, Zena.” Quick Shimmer said, rubbing her legs in a way that would have been lewd if the skin wasn't rubbed red from the shackles chaffing. I didn't want to imagine how that felt, so I looked away, focusing on Zena and the other zebra.

Zena had not taken time to respond to Quick Shimmer, and was currently staring down one of the Zebra that was asking her a flurry of questions mixed with insults.

“So,you run away when the going gets tough, and now you're back to play hero. That's just like you fucking Desert Rangers. I knew I shouldn't have hired you. I don't suppose you spotted our caravan? Or did we lose everything?” The zebra was a large stallion, but despite his size he still paled in comparison to the black armored Desert Ranger.

“No.” Zena said firmly to the last question.

“That’s all you have to say? I suggest you get to finding that caravan if you want a chance at keeping your pay for this job.” The zebra remarked. I was stunned at this behaviour. Zena, and myself, had run at a breakneck pace across the wasteland for most of the day just to rescue these zebra, and now they were making more demands like entitled foals.

“She just saved you, and now you’re-- you want her to do more for you? You’re lucky you aren’t being marched off to be slaves!” I growled, stepping up to the big zebra. This zebra towered over me, his sizable muscles and height more than intimidating. I wasn't scared now though, because I knew that no matter how big he was, he wasn't going to be able to hurt me. I had a gun, and he didn’t. Granted, I wasn't exactly a great shot and I'd never fired this rifle before, but he didn't know that. I saw his eyes move to my weapon and then move back to staring me down.

“And what would a Stable City blueblood know about slavery? No, you call them servants. You’re just slavers yourselves.” The zebra puffed himself up, trying to look intimidating. I jumped up on an outcropping of ruined road so we were standing at eye level with each other and landed a punch right in his face. It drew blood, a little trickle running down his snout.

“Don’t talk to me about slavery, I know what it’s like to be a serv-- Ah!” My sentence was cut short as the Zebra retaliated, landing a grand slap right across my face and knocking me to the ground where I rolled a little ways.

“You should no better than to talk back and attack strangers, little mare,” The zebra said, turning his attention back to Zena and saying, “Zena, we’re going to head to Stable City and sleep in it’s safety. And tomorrow, you’re going to be back with our caravan in one piece.”

I could feel my blood boiling. I was not at all what I called a fighter, but I had learned how to defend myself from my brother. I knew that sometimes, you had to be harsh. Really harsh. You had to show somepony else who was in charge. Pulling the rifle out, I took aim at the zebra’s leg. Before I could pull the trigger however, Zena’s hoof was pointing my rifle away. I hadn’t even heard her move.

“Arc, don’t waste ammo.” Zena said.

“Damn straight.” The zebra jeered down at me. “If Zena doesn’t do what I say, no water for the Desert Rangers for a month. See how long they survive out there in the heat. So don't be an idiot and threaten me, Zena could eat you for breakfast.” I gulped, looking up at Zena and lowering my rifle. I was certain that if she wanted to hurt me she would have by now, but I wasn't about to take a chance and not listen to her.

“Your payment is in water?” Quick Shimmer asked rhetorically, trotting over and offering me a hoof to help me off the ground, which I readily accepted. After I was on my feet she approached Zena and the zebra stallion.

“You know, I’m a scientist from back at Stable City and I’ve been trying to-- get away, work on different projects. I can get the Desert Rangers water if you help me get the supplies for it. We could set up a great water purifier.”

“NCR has better water than you, Stable City ponies, but you’re sure you can make something functional for us?” Zena asked, glancing at Quick Shimmer. Quick Shimmer nodded, and Zena continued saying, “How hard will these supplies be to find?”

Quick Shimmer brushed her mane back, scoffing at the question. “We can find almost all of them in Grove, and I have an idea on where to search for the rest.” Quick Shimmer gave a charming smile, and I watched as Zena exchanged glances between the zebra and Quick Shimmer. Zena gave a beckon with her hoof to Quick Shimmer.

“Find your own caravan, Zecks. Arc, and Shimmer, right? Follow me.” Zena began trotting away and I quickly put my weapons away and followed along.

“Zena, damn you! Zena, come back here!” The stallion, Zecks, tried to run after her, but stopped just short of being within grabbing distance. I could tell by the hesitation on his face as I watched him that he knew as well as anypony else not to fuck with a Desert Ranger.

“What do you need for this project?” Zena asked Shimmer.

“A hot plate and some cooking pots, some scrap electronics, and a water talisman. I know where we can get the last one. There’s a town that can make counterfeit water talismans, but they don't last very long.” I kept up behind Shimmer, trying to keep my eyes to myself and not watch her tail sweep along behind her.

“Grove, right?” I knew about this town. When Shimmer nodded, I continued, “It's a town of mutant deer. They have not had good business since the NCR became able to mass export water, so I bet they can be bought for dirt cheap.”

“I know where Grove is, never visited it.” Zena said. “It’s right past Stable City. We can drop you off at Stable City on our way to Grove, Arc.”

“What about Quick Shimmer? Are you--” I was cut off as Shimmer shook her head.

“Absolutely not. I have to help the rangers and they’ll need me to build a nice water purifier. Arc, you need to go back to Stable City. You aren't meant for the wasteland outside the walls.

“But I made it this far! I helped!” I knew I sounded pathetic, but I couldn’t just let Shimmer talk to me like I was useless. Zena crushed my indignance under her hoof without missing a step.

“You’ve got dangerous enthusiasm and are a horrible shot, pulling your gun on Zecks. I cannot carry your weight across the wasteland.” Zena’s cold voice told me she was not looking for a conversation.

I turned my head down, following them in silence. Deep down, they were of course right. I had spent a majority of my day dead tired or scared to death. I was a bad shot and I had pulled my gun on the zebra, not caring about how that would escalate the situation. I understood why Zena didn't want me around. No one in Stable City wanted me around, and the wasteland was no different.

“So, Arc mentioned that you had an accident earlier. A crash?” Quick Shimmer asked. “But you’re obviously okay. What happened?” Quick Shimmer asked a question that I had wondered earlier, but I had not had the chance to bring it up. I wasn’t honestly sure that Zena would even tell me what had caused the crash, but she was more than willing to tell Shimmer.

“It took a few too many bullets.” Zena said shortly. Shimmer waited for more on the tale, but nothing came. Silence fell over our group as we trotted south, back to Stable City.

The sun was almost set when we reached the main gates, both Zena and Shimmer keeping their distance on a ridge overlooking the outside of my home. The tall walls with watchtowers that could see for miles around them cast long shadows across the world. I felt a sigh of relief force itself out of me as I turned to Zena and Shimmer, not really sure if I should say anything.

“Goodbye, Arc.” Shimmer said. I gave her a nod, and then looked at Zena. Zena’s green lenses burned hollow lights into the vision of my eyes. I gave my head a little shake to clear my eyesight.

“Goodbye Shimmer, and you too, Zena.” I gave them a little wave of my hoof, and then turned back towards Stable City, trotting down towards my home. I could barely make out the guards at the front gate from where I was, and I felt waves of safety and relief wash over my body. Despite my terrifying day, I was now safely back at my home. My hooves felt like jelly by the time I was standing in front of the gate, smiling like a fool and collapsing into a sit, staring at the two main gate guards in power armor.

“Can we do something for you?” One of the guards said, staring at me from behind a gatling laser that they had pointed towards the wasteland.

“You don’t recognize me?” I said, incredulous. “It’s me, White Arc.” The guard leaned in a bit, then shook his head slightly, leaning back and pressing a button on an intercom.

“Open up!” The guard said into the speaker, before turning back to me. “The last shift said that you were kidnapped by a Desert Ranger, and your brother’s been worried all day. How did you escape?” I opened my mouth to speak, but then the other guard cut me off before I could say anything in reply.

“Let the filly breathe.” The other guard said. “She looks half scared to death. Let’s get inside first.” The other guard nodded, and I watched as the main gate began to open. Large metal doors strong enough to survive a few missile launchers were pulled wide open by mechanical limbs on either side. I forced my legs to move forward, hurrying inside and stopping in the foreyard

The foreyard was a simple place, and during the day it was open to most outsiders. It was a place of markets and stores from dawn until dusk. I saw a few ponies milling about, but other than the guard’s station there was no real activity going on out here. Not sure what to do, I began to move forward, making my way towards an inner gate that led to the nicer part of Stable City. While out here there was sparse vegetation, it was a part of the city that smelled like brahmin and unwashed rent payers.

I was still standing there like an idiot, relieved to be back to safety, as I saw light flood out from inside a building. I blinked, watching as a security guard tailed a powerful stallion dressed in a grey longcoat. He was very pretty, with a long dark mane that fell over his coat and complimented his short and silky coat. He could be the splitting image of me, except several years older and male.

“Oof!” I felt my face press into the coat as I was forced hinto a hug, my brother quickly embracing me and holding me close. The hug did not last long, and he quickly pulled away, looking very authoritarian in front of his men. Although I was somewhat afraid of what my brother was going to have to say to me at first, these feelings faded when I felt his warm embrace. My brother, Captain of the Guard Solar Spark, was just happy to see me.

“Arc!” His voice was a deep and sobering one that commanded my attention. “Arc, over here.” He motioned towards the guard post. Although I could see that he was trying to look tough, it was obvious that he was as happy to see me as I was to see him. I nodded, following him inside the guard station and down a hallway to his office. I climbed onto a couch, practically flopping onto it as he magically closed the door, sitting down in a comfy looking office chair.

It was always a little awe inducing to be in my brother’s office. Unlike many ponies in the Stable City guard, he had seen actual combat. He had pictures on his walls of ponies, griffons, zebra, and other fascinating creatures that he had met in his travels. Behind him was a gun cabinet filled with many different rifles, shotguns, and handguns I could not identify. He always looked at home when he was in his office, sitting behind a simple wooden desk and usually working on paperwork.

But tonight my brother had no paperwork on his desk. The only thing written in the room was the worry on his face. I winced at the idea of detailing everything that had happened that day to him, as I was sure he was about to ask me to do.

“Arc, how did this all happen?” he asked. I took a deep breath, looking down at the motheaten couch below my hooves. I nodded to him, opening my mouth and resolving to start from the beginning. My brother was fiddling with a pencil magically, scratching stray lines on a piece of paper as I recounted everything to him. The only time I paused was when he stopped to give me a drink of water for my throat or he got a new sheet of paper. When at last it was done we both sat there in silence for a minute.

“Quite the adventure,” his voice was low and reserved before he cleared his throat and continued, “I will have to make a full report on what happened and make sure that one of the First Mare’s secretaries sees it.” I nodded, standing up now that we were done. My legs almost gave out under me from exhaustion, and I strained to keep myself upright.

“So, am I free to go home?” I hesitated, and then added, “I'm really tired.” Spark gave me a nod. I saw myself out of my brother’s office, but stopped in the doorway when he spoke up.

“You aren't off the hook by the way, Arc.” My brother said quietly. “I know it isn't your fault that you had to wander as far as you did, but if you hadn't gone outside in the first place this would not have happened.” My ears fell back on my head and I turned to look at him. I gave him a solemn nod, and then continued on my way out. The dusty streets of outer Stable City were totally deserted now. I passed through them and into the upper part of the city. While the outside had a strong wall, the inner wall was composed entirely of reinforced steel and concrete. It was an expansive fortress designed to hold back a modern siege.

I never paid the wonder heed as I turned down the road towards my house. It was a quaint single story building with a garden out front and and green grass growing around it. If it wasn't for the need of a tall wall right outside my front yard, you wouldn't know the world had ended. Some citizens lived their whole lives in this place, never knowing about the outside.

I entered through the front door and headed through the living room, ducking into the hallway and heading straight for the bathing room. It was a small room that consisted only of a tub and a shower head. However, it was designed allowed it to trap heat inside. So even after the ration of how water was spent, one could enjoy the steam and the lukewarm water for a dozen more minutes.

I stepped inside and closed the door, turning the faucet and watching as the streaky water started to sprinkle out. Stripping off everything I had on, I tossed it into a pile and stepped in. On the way I grabbed a glass container filled with what looked like thick lotion from the floor. Shampoo, something that I knew the wasteland did not have. But this was not the wasteland.

Climbing into the bath, I telekinetically shut off the faucet and began to soak my fur and mane with water and shampoo. I watched steam rise up, the water under it slowly turning from the warm clear white colour to a dirtier grey and brown. I used both my hooves to scrub every bit of me I could reach, and used magic on a washcloth to reach those my hooves could not.

Baths had always been a time of reflection for me. A time to reflect on the day while washing off all the dirt and grime and today, blood. I shivered, standing up and looking down at the water. The water was now brown, grey, and here and there, little flecks of red. I knew the blood wasn’t mine, but that might have been what made the feeling worse. I had no clue who’s blood was on me. Enough of this.

I pulled a stopper out of the bottom of the tub, letting the water drain away. I wandered into the hall and grabbed a towel from a closet, using telekinesis to magically dry myself as I entered my room. It was a pleasant place for me, filled with books from before and after the war. The only other things to look at in here were my posters. Some were from the pre war era, and others were NCR propaganda. NCR propaganda depicted brave ponies fighting the Grand Pegasus Enclave or Red Eye’s Slavers, although the ponies doing so were New Canterlot Republic Soldiers, which I knew had not existed during that time.

I slipped into a Stable-Tec outfit that I used as pajamas before collapsing onto the bed. I curled the colours around me as I looked out through my window.Through a tattered curtain I could see the night sky, with the moon and stars looking down at me with a twinkling smile. It was relaxing, relaxing enough to let me temporarily forget the day and fall asleep.

I didn’t feel like I had been asleep long before there was a loud knock on my door. My eyes shot open, looking outside. The moon and stars were still up. I crawled out of bed, going to answer the door. My first thought was that my brother was waking me up, but he never bothered me when I was sleeping. I was utterly confused when I opened my door and saw not my brother, but two guardsponies with weapons drawn.

“Huh?” I asked, staring at them sleepily.

“Nothing personal, Light Arc. But you have to come with us.” The lead guard said. I stared at him stupidly, rubbing one of my eyes with my hoof. Who was he even talking to? Me? He didn't even get my name right.

“It’s the middle of the night. Why-” The guard cut me off mid sentence.

“You’re under arrest.” I blinked at the guard’s statement. I was under arrest, for what? Rather than argue with the ponies holding the guns, I followed them outside. Stepping outside into the street I blinked at the bright lights, trying to take in everything that was going on. There was definitely a commotion, with a small crowd of notable ponies. Standing at the far side was the First Mare in pure silk clothing. Standing next to her was the only pony not wearing a Pipbuck, who wore a plain yellow and crimson business suit. Since everypony else around had on a Pipbuck except for me and the pony in the suit, I knew we were the only two non-citizens. My eyes turned away from these two and towards the center of the commotion. Several guards had their weapons pointed at my brother, who had a look of disgust on his face.

“Hello, Arc.” He said quietly. One of the guards bumped me with the butt of his rifle, urging me forward to join my brother. I did so, standing next to him. The guards began to trot us towards the center of Stable City, where the First Mare’s manor was. I was still too tired to be fully taking things in, but the more I woke up the more I realized that something bad was happening. Solar Spark obviously noticed this, and I felt my brother nuzzle the shoulder of my pajamas gently.

“Just let me do the talking Arc, everything will be fine.” he said. I was still stressed out about whatever was happening, but I gave him a nod, feeling some of the tension slip away. My brother always had a way with words, and was great at getting his way. I stayed close to him, inches from his side as we entered into the First Mare’s manor. The First Mare proceeded to the far end of her lobby, taking her seat in a comfortable armchair.

The manor was richly adorned, holding all of the finest pre-war treasures from art and collector’s guns to old instruments and sculptures. I turned my view away from the busts of long dead ponies staring at me, looking between the First Mare and my brother.The Pony in the yellow and crimson suit stayed by the First Mare’s side, smirking slightly while he dusted himself off.

“So, will you tell me why I am under arrest, and why you brought Arc into this, now?” My brother said. His words didn’t comfort me in the slightest. For me to be arrested was one thing, but if he too was under arrest, that meant the guards weren’t taking orders from him anymore. Suddenly the guns of the Stable City security force didn’t feel like excuses for them to push ponies around, but dangerous weapons that they were not afraid to use. Dangerous weapons that were pointed at me and my brother. I felt a squeal of panic escape my muzzle as I imagined being turned into a pile of ashes or a splattering of goo.

My squeal was ignored as the First Pony addressed my brother, crossing her hooves and speaking in her fuax regal ways. “Oh please, captain. Do not tell me you don’t know. You know that I do not tolerate insubordination.”

“Fine. Why’s she here?” My brother gestured to me.

“She is here for similar crimes to yours. Chem smuggling and insubordination. But these I can forgive when you have spent enough time in prison, Captain. Your sister will not be forgiven for her other crimes-- Deserting her post, the murder of innocent ponies, aiding a Desert Ranger.”

“Wait, what? Murder?” My brother asked, looking at me with a shocked expression. I too had a shocked expression, but mine was at the First Mare.

“I deserted my post yes but wait, those ponies weren’t innocent, and how do you know about them being murdered?” I cocked my head to the side, questioning her. The First Mare looked nervous for a second, but then recovered as the pony in the suit whispered into her ear. I couldn’t make out what he said, but the smile on the First Mare’s face did nothing to ease my tension.

“Since you cannot perform any useful function in Stable City, we’ll have a far more capable pony replace you.” The First Mare looked to my brother, and then back to me. “Guards, imprison the Captain, so that he may learn his lesson. White Arc, you are henceforth banished from Stable City, and are to be branded as such.”

“What-- No!” I yelped. Two guards grabbed me, their fluffy coats pressing into my skin and causing goosebumps to shoot up and down my spine as I was forcibly held still. My panicked eyes swiveled over to my brother, who was being held back by three ponies.

“Andromeda, this is madness! She is barely a mare, she could not have possibly committed murder!” My brother yelled. I saw a guard raise their rifle and bash him in the head, causing several drops of blood to leak from his muzzle and smack the floor.

“Silence Captain. You’d do well to remember your place. I gave it to you and I can take it away. You should be grateful that I am only imprisoning you.” The First Pony said, motioning for the guards to take my brother away. For his part, Solar Spark bit and screamed as they hauled him away, leaving me standing fearfully before the First Mare. One of the guards forced my left hoof up, revealing the tender inside of my leg. A guard from behind me stepped forward with a red hot iron with a large X on the end of it. I began kicking and flinching any part of my body I could, but it was no help. The sleeve of my pajamas was rolled up and I watched as the burning began. The burn did not even hurt at first, and I stood there numbly watching it melt away the fur and flesh on my lower leg. The nerves were dying almost too fast to send the pain to my brain. Almost.

I settled for screaming, tears flooding my eyes as I felt the branding iron burn every layer of my skin. The guards held me still, keeping my hoof to the iron until the work was done. My whole head was blurry, flashes of colour and pain interrupting my regular thought process. I saw the red and black X scarring the inside of my leg before I was turned away, the guards dragging me out of the First Mare’s office. My gaze spun to the First Mare and the pony she was speaking too. The last thing I could make out was a strange necklace with a symbol I’d seen before. A wing holding a short spear. A Phoenix Legion pegasi standing there, smiling and talking to the First Mare was I was exiled.

My hooves dragged against the pavement outside as the doors to the First Mare’s house closed sharply. I simply stared, my world spinning as I let out another scream, part in desperation, and part in agony from the throbbing pain in my left foreleg. I was sure ponies were watching the display from their homes, and for all I knew I was being dragged through the streets on display for everypony who had ever hated or cared for me. Although the latter was very few, I wondered briefly if anypony would miss me. I realized almost immediately that it didn’t matter. This wasn’t my life anymore.

Despite my realization of what was happening, I could not understand why. I couldn’t understand how the First Mare knew about ‘innocent ponies’, which I figured were the slain legion ponies. My head was a mixture of confused pictures and frustration. I could still see my brother’s face painted with blood as he was rifle butted in the face for trying to defend me. My wandering mind was brought back to reality as I felt the guards toss me onto the ground. I had been dragged all the way out of the city, and now another guard threw a tattered sack at me. I felt metal smack me in the head and side, the clanking sounds of the rifle and armor Zena had given me hitting my fur and bones.

“If you’re still here in the morning, our orders are to shoot.” I did not look at the guard talking to me, not that I would have been able to make him out through the tears in my eyes anyway.

I stayed on the ground as a sobbing mess, watching the gates of Stable City close and leave me alone in the darkness of the wasteland. The gloom of the wastes crept over me, wrapping around my body and possessions. It took me almost an hour to finally wipe my eyes dry and pick myself up. As soon as I stood up I felt better, and began putting on my possessions. I had no idea what was waiting for me in the wastes, but it couldn’t be anything good. I put on Zena’s armor over my Stable pajamas, strapping on the rifle over my curtain that served as a cloak. The final thing I did before staring out at the Wastes and beginning to trot was pulling my pajamas over my hoof, to hide the scar. I felt cold sweat run down my body as i trotted forward into the darkness of my first night in the wasteland. This all felt like a bad dream. Surely that had to be what this was. It couldn’t be reality.

I felt my eyes close as I concluded my story. The group was dead silent now, with half the eyes looking at me, and the other half looking at Zena. Zena kept looking forward, never betraying any sign she was listening into my recollection of events. Not that she needed to. She already knew what had happened.

"Well, What happened next?" A small voice asked. I looked down, checking to see who it had come from. My eyes rested on the young colt, who was staring up at me. I let out a sigh, shaking my head at him. As much as I wanted to continue, I seriously had to rest my voice. I flipped off the recording on my PipBuck and looked away.

"Halt." Came Zena's voice from the front. I watched as everypony collectively ground to a halt, all of us staring forward as I shined my flashlight up to join that of the Steel Ranger's helmet mounted light. Before us was a train junction, with three different rails. Cobwebs hung everywhere, and I found myself looking at the age old bricks that were cracked or missing, here or there I could see where animals had burrowed underground, but I thought nothing of it.

"Arc, come here, aim your flashlight up there." Zena said quietly, pointing towards the ceiling area. I did so, watching as she turned the lenses of her helmet off and began scanning the tunnel. I watched my flashlight as well, illuminating the different names of the train rails. Yellow went left and green went right, while blue north west kept us going straight. Zena turned her helmet back on and looked away from the lines.

"Yellow line will take us to a station in the city. We're going that way." Zena said, pausing and glancing back at the group. "We will search for supplies."

Zena took the lead down the yellow line, and we all slowly fell back into our marching order. I found myself standing next to the young colt from before, and other the side of me, the Alicorn. I gave them a look over, gazing at the innumerable objects they had strapped to them. Everything from spoons and tin cans to spare gun parts and transistors lined their saddlebags and gear.

"By 'we', she means me and the ghoul." The alicorn said begrudgingly.

"Well, you look like you're good at it." I remarked, trying to give the pony some encouragement. They stifled a snort.

"I shouldn't have come down here." The alicorn said. "Now I've got nothing to show for it and we're going to die in the city or in a tunnel.

"Well, at least you've got options." I quickly felt my desire to encourage the alicorn fading. "You can just fly away, can't you? You have wings."

"Yeah, but fuck, gotta live long enough to get in the sky. And then hope the legion aren't out there. Fuck no, I'll take my chances down here." the alicorn looked away, and I gave a sigh, turning to look anywhere else. Most of the ponies I was antiquated with were trotting ahead of me, and short of entertaining the others with stories, they didn't seem to have much desire to get acquainted with me. I began looking around the tunnel, and came to a sudden stop, causing the pony behind me to walk into my flank.

"Hey don't fucking stop!" The pony yelled, but I hushed them, flashing my light off to the side. I could see a set of double doors here, set into the side of the concrete. I hurriedly clambered up, pulling on the doors. The lock on the door had been welded off, leaving a hole in the middle of each door. A chain had been wrapped around them,, keeping them closed but not locked.

By this time, a few other ponies had may there way over, I slid the chain free magically and creaked open the door,s flashing my light around inside. There wasn't much to speak of here, but there were old desks and filing cabinets, as well as a bunch of metal tools and trinkets. The alicorn let themselves in behind me and instantly began going through things, and I wasn't far behind. I trotted around a desk and pulled open the drawers, seeing old paperclips and what looked like an injection needle. It was all junk, so I looked up, preparing to see the next place I could scour for objects. The dark figure of Zena glared in at us from the doorway, taking in the situation through those two green orbs.

She said nothing, but after a few moments turned away, continuing to trot away. I knew Zena was a zebra of few words. There was a time when I used to be thankful for her watching out for ponies. Not anymore. I felt my eyes trail to the other ponies in the room, all of them looking for any supplies they could. A dark feeling rose up in my chest as I turned away from the room and went to go catch up with the rest of the gang, wanting to be alone with my thoughts, even if just for a bit. I knew Zena's track record, and if the time I had known her was any example, most of these ponies weren't going to live to see the train yard, no matter what path we took.