This was getting old. Stuck in a cage, weapons removed, saddle bags taken. The only thing I was allowed to keep was the Rad-Suit. I had a small mat to sleep on, food was slid through the bars for me, not that I could eat it without taking a giant dose of Radiation along with it. Sighing, I rested my head on my forelegs. My only hope was my Pip-Buck started working and I could finally send a message to Artemis. He’d likely be fine, considering he was an Alicorn Princess's Son. Giant freakin’ bomb to drop if you ask me.

Levitating an apple from the tray of food, I stared at it. It was glowing slightly, and the rads it was giving off, even through the suit, made my Pip-Buck click wildly. Throwing it out the bars, I winced when it thunked off of the skull of one of my guards. I say skull because it was exposed. He still had skin on his head, but it was mostly around his eyes, which were barely held in, and his mouth, so he could snarl at me. “Better eat, b’fore we toss you into the Pit.”

“Ponies and Pits… what is it with ponies and pits?” I asked myself as I looked at my Pip-Buck. The screen was lit, but it fuzzed every so often with static. No such luck on getting a message out.

“You’re relieved Duke.” One stallion said as he walked up. He was wearing a Rad-Suit, but his had been “enhanced” with spikes and small metal plates. I was sure the plates and spikes were just glued on with Wonderglue.

“If you say so. The bitch won’t eat, so if she starves, don’t blame me.” The stallion named Duke said as he trotted away. The other stallion snorted as he took Duke’s place. I stared up at the new stallion and was sure I saw pity in his eyes.

“If you go in the Pit. You die.” He said and I sighed and turned away.

“What else is new? You Raiders seem obsessed with Pits. Is it a fashion trend or something?” I asked and he shook his head. “Then what? Some sort of cult? ‘We worship the life stealing green light that ended millions of lives. It must be a god to have that kind of power.’” I knew it was mean to say that, but I didn’t care. Bucking cages and pits!

“It’s not that at all.”

“Then what? Enlighten me, oh raptured one.” “Score one for grammar. Thanks Pip.” He blinked and I knew I’d confused him. Oh well. I was in a bucking cage. What do I care if I confuse a pony?

“You talk too much.” He said as he turned away and stared down the walkway to my cage. One pull of a lever on the other end of that walkway and I’m so much splattered mess of rapidly radiating pony innards. The bottom of my cage was hinged. The lever opened the hinges, opening the doors and dropping the unlucky inhabitants down. Way down. Into the massively irradiated glowing green pit of what looked like green molten slag. I’d likely be vaporized on contact, if I didn’t die from radiation poisoning first. Lucky me… I’d literally die before telling anypony I liked them.

“Yeah, I do. So? It’s my best trait right now since you ass holes stole my guns.” I said and he glanced at me out the corner of his eye.

“You trotted into our camp armed to take on an army and you expect us not to take your weapons? What are you, stupid?” He asked and I glared at him.

“I’m a Wasteland Wanderer. I thought that meant something to you Raiders.” I said and he blinked. Finally, a reaction. “It does, doesn’t it?”

“The last Wasteland Wanderer was a unicorn mare named Blackjack. Who put a stop to Sanguine. You mean to say you’re Blackjack?” I blinked and turned my eyes to the floor. “I didn’t think so. So stop wasting my time.” He said and I sighed and sat down. When my Pipbuck buzzed against my leg, I lifted it and bit back a shriek. Artemis was staring at me through the screen.

“Don’t talk. I’ve got your PipBuck feed on video only. I’m talking directly to you. I’m about ten miles up. When I say jump, jump straight up.” I nodded, wondering how I was hearing him exactly when my ear blooms were with my Saddle Bag. “Ready?” Nodding, I tensed my legs when I heard a whistling sound from straight up. Looking up, my eyes widened. He was roaring down straight at my cage, what looked like a megaspell trailing him. “Jump.” Not gonna argue with that logic. As soon as the last syllable left his lips, I was off of the cage floor. And suddenly on his back.

The Mini-Spell, as well as my Saddle Bags, were strapped across my back, my barding was back in place, and we were soaring through the air. Away from Crater. Artemis yelped as a bullet bit into his flank. Looking down, I noticed we were being followed. By no less than seven Raiders, two of which had heavy artillery attached to their Battle Saddles. Even the big Raider that I’d been talking with. He was glowing. Wait, glowing? Zooming in on him with SATS, I blinked.

“Granite Ash. Raider Artillery. Radiated through medication. Radiation Abilities: Regeneration, Super Strength, Enhanced Aim.” I groaned as his weapons all turned their attention on us.

“Artemis, swerve. One Raider down there is enhanced.” I said and he immediately dove to the side, me wrapping my hooves around his middle to hold on tight as two rockets soared through the section of air we had just been occupying. Watching behind us, Granite was still following us. The other Raiders had decided we weren’t worth it. Either because Artemis was too fast, or something else was going on. I hoped for door number one, because Granite was fast too. I guessed his “super strength” applied to his running speed too. Turning my eyes back to the direction we were going, I tried to gauge how far away from Spike’s mountain we were.

Teleportation worked wonders. I was on the other side of Equestria. Just as that thought crossed my mind, an explosion shattered the air around us. Artemis buckled under me and I lost my grip, the two of us falling to the ground quickly, Artemis’ wings shredded from the shrapnel of the explosives. Looking down, I saw the ground rushing to meet us, quickly. Granite standing directly below us, his guns trained on Artemis, who was out cold. Lighting my horn, I begged for a miracle as the ground got closer and closer. A second before we both would have splattered, we stopped. Both of us encased in my light red aura.

Granite trained his guns on Artemis and I swore he was about to undo all of my hard work as the barrels started spinning. Staring at Granite, I all but dared him to shoot when he turned and fired his guns at a ghoul behind us. It exploded into a bloody mess of guts, bones and other nasty entrails. Looking up at him, I kept myself between the Raider and my friend. “Get him up. You wanderers seem to bring down regimes. I’m tired of working under Rider and his flunkies. If your path takes you where it probably will, I’ll get to watch Rider eat his own ass when you shove his plans down his throat.” He said and I kept my eyes on the big stallion as I nudged Artemis.

He groaned and I managed to slip myself under his wing and hoist him up carefully. As soon as he was standing, I tapped my Pipbuck to his and, in the midst of transferring the Mini-Spell into his inventory, rebooted mine. Once it was active again, I lit my horn and the signal to Spike to port us home blipped. “Stand close if you’re coming with us.” I said and Granite moved over and stood on my other side, keeping himself out of reach of Artemis.

Looking up, I smiled as a beam of sunlight burst through the cloud cover, the magic Pip was feeding into it turning it into a sort of Teleporter Beam. As soon as the magic hit us, I felt the molecules of my body warping and stretching as we were almost instantly teleported into the tower. As soon as we landed, Pip levitated Artemis over to a cushion as a mare that wasn’t there the day before started tending to his wounds. I didn’t pay her much mind at first as Frost leapt on Granite. I was sure if she had Artemis’ teeth, she’d have been trying to tear his throat out.

Until Celestia’s magic grabbed her and lifted her off. “Hear him out before attacking.” She said and Frost struggled in the glowing golden aura.

“I’m tired of Rider’s rules. I can’t even sleep on a schedule I like, and I’m old. I need my rest.” He said and I stared at him. “My name is Granite Ash.”

“Wait… Granite Ash? As in Crusher? The Earth Pony so strong he can shatter boulders with a single strike of his hooves?” He nodded and Frost released a puff of impressed breath. “You really do gather the most interesting friends Ruby.” She said as she sidled over to me. I blushed as she rubbed against my side. “As long as you remember I was here first.”

“Ow!” We all heard from over at the side and looked over. Artemis was glaring at Pip, who levitated a large medical syringe looking thing. “Do you have to try to kill me with a Stimpack?” he asked and she shrugged and lifted another one.

“You know your healing jump starts when you already have one pumping through your veins. A second one stitches the muscle back together and…”

“And a third will jump my healing spell into over drive, yes, I know.” She smiled as she stuck another one into his shoulder. “Doesn’t mean you have to bruise me to inject it.”

“Velvet would tell me otherwise.”

“Just because I thrashed around that one time and cold cocked Calamity…”

“You nearly took his wing off.”

“Ok, yes. And…”

“And his ear.” He stopped there as she stuck him with the third one. I watched as skin I hadn’t noticed was torn open stitched itself back together. Skin on his shoulder. When a mark appeared on him, I blinked. It was Twilight Sparkle’s cutiemark. Looking up at the spectral image of Celestia, I slipped out from under Frost’s wing, earning a grumble as I escaped her, and walked over to her.

“Princess Celestia?” I asked and she looked over at me. “Who is he? Really?”

“A wolf, nothing more, nothing less.” She said and I immediately felt my coat stand up on end. She was hiding something. I stared at her, hoping my indignant gaze would break her. “Ruby, it is not for me to tell you. It’s up to him.” She said and I sighed and looked over at him.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle’s son.” He said and I blinked, everyone else in the room freezing. The only sound in the room, besides the light, lilting music Celestia was playing for us, was Aqua snoring gently. “Strange, right? I’d point you to my mother or father for the story, but they’re both gone, so I guess that leaves me.” I nodded and he sat down and sighed, hanging his head. “Before the war, things were… different. Not different good or different bad, just different.”

Noticing a glow near his paw, I looked around and realized he was sucking us into a memory. Maybe not his memory, since we weren’t not seeing him. It was more like we were watching it on a giant screen. All around us.

Four Hundred Years Ago.

Twilight stared out the window of her office. Her office. It still felt weird to say that. Even just thinking it was weird. Sucking in a breath, she mustered up a smile and turned around. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack. All of her friends. Dash looked incredibly uncomfortable in a suit. Rarity and Fluttershy looked almost at home, their gowns perfectly done by the tailors hired by Rarity for the Ministry of Image. Dash had to wear a military suit. An older model, slightly redone by Rarity, of the original Wonder Bolt’s uniforms.

Pinkie Pie didn’t really have anything on, besides her hat with the Ministry of Morale pin on it. Applejack had her signature hat, but that was about it. “Twilight darling, it’s so good to see you.” Rarity said as she trotted forward and hugged her friend.

“It’s good to see you too Rarity. I imagine the Ministry of Image is doing well?”

“As well as can be expected. Coco Pommel and Suri Polomare are most definitely a help, but several of the other ponies that were hired just don’t seem to have the talent for it. But I can’t fire them. That would leave just Coco, Suri and myself.” Twilight nodded then turned to Pinkie. It was good to see her friend not frantically looking around a room, high on her Party Time Mintals. The newest invention of The Ministry of Morale, Twilight still wasn’t sure what went into the candy like drug.

“I’m ok Twilight. I’ve been getting better. Production has slowed down to a crawl and we’re focusing more on other sort of Mintals. No more Party Time.” She said and Twilight nodded, despite the niggling sense of doubt in the back of her mind. Rainbow stretched and Twilight could almost hear the bones in her back and wings popping.

“Rough job Rainbow?”

“Yeah, but at least Spitfire and the other Wonderbolt Fleet Commanders are helping.” Twilight smiled then looked at Fluttershy. Her mane was disheveled and the bags under her eyes looked like they could hold Rarity’s latest fashion designs. All of them. Her timid friend looked up at her and smiled, hiding a yawn behind her hooves.

“Rough work Fluttershy?” Fluttershy nodded and shook her head quickly, shaking off the grogginess.

“It isn’t easy running a ministry of ponies who have never worked in medicine before… Nurse Red Heart was very helpful when she started work there, and Doctor Stable helped quite a lot.” Twilight smiled and nodded.

“So… why ya’ll call us here?” Applejack asked and Twilight sucked in a breath and looked at the two stallions standing at the door to her On Suite. Long nights in the Ministry required her to have a bedroom she could crash in if she got too tired. They nodded and pulled the door open as Twilight and her friends approached. Once they were in the room, Twilight sighed at the collective gasp from her friends behind her. Laying, passed out, on the bed, was a wolf. Clasped to his right ear was a small pendant with her cutiemark on it.

“Girls… this is Shadow… my husband.” She said and Rarity swooned, leaning against Applejack, whose ear flicked. Fluttershy stared at Shadow, surprised that she hadn’t noticed him before coming in to the room. Rainbow just stood impassive and Pinkie Pie’s smile broadened. They knew. Rainbow had seen the “secret wedding” and Pinkie Pie just knew. She was Pinkie. There was no way she didn’t know.

“Twilight, are you… are you sure this is a good idea?” Rarity asked as Twilight walked over to the bed and nudged her wolf awake. He stretched, groaning lightly as he flipped over and nuzzled against her neck before following her off of the bed.

“I am. I was sure of it when I asked him to marry me in secret. I didn’t even want Celestia to know. Not right away. I sent her a letter recently letting her know about him. She… hasn’t responded yet but… I don’t think she’s mad at me.”

“Why would she be darling?” Rarity asked as she watched Shadow walk around the desk with Twilight.

“Well… I didn’t tell her. She’s my mentor and friend… She’d have wanted to know I was getting married.”

“Twilight, none of us knew.” Rainbow said then looked at Pinkie Pie. “Well, almost none of us knew. I only found out because I’m nosey and flew over the wedding site while it was going on.” She said and Twilight nodded, jumping as Shadow nuzzled against her, pushing her over a little and climbing up onto the chair with her. “I figured you didn’t tell any of us because you wanted to keep it secret.”

“But why? Why would ya keep somethin’ like that from us Twi?”

“It was a bit rushed.” Shadow said and Twilight nodded, looking over at the bed. Her friends followed her gaze and noticed the top edge of a crib.

“Twilight… is that…?” She nodded as Pinkie bounced over to the crib.

“Awwww… he’s so cute Twi. Can I hold him?” She asked and Twilight nodded. Pinkie almost squealed as she lifted a small ball of fur out of the crib. Rarity gasped as the little wolf unfurled a pair of wings, batting at the curl of Pinkie’s hair.

“We’re the leaders of industry… if ponies knew I was married and had a child… they’d use Artemis against me…”

“They could bloody well try.” Shadow said and Twilight smiled and kissed his cheek.

“They’d try to use Shadow against me.” He snorted and Twilight batted him lightly. “I said try.”

“So this doesn’t leave this room.” Rainbow said and Twilight looked up at her and nodded. “I can do that. Secrets are what politicians do, and we’re basically politicians now. Does at least Celestia know about him now?”

“She was there when he was born. She swore to keep it secret.” Her friends all nodded.

“So you’ve got a super duper adorable secret that you want us all to help you keep so you and Shadow and this cutie wootie can be safe from the nasty wasty politician ponies who would take advantage of him.” Pinkie said and Twilight nodded. “Well, your secret is safe with me. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She said and Twilight smiled, gasping as Artemis’ eyes flashed and a cupcake appeared, splatting on Pinkie Pie’s face.

“Wait… he’s got magic? And wings?” Rarity asked and Twilight nodded, looking like she was trying to disappear into herself. “So… he’s an Alicorn? And a wolf?”

“A wolficorn.” Pinkie said and Shadow sighed.

“Please don’t call him that…” He said and Pinkie stuck her tongue out at him.

“All the more reason to keep him secret. If any of those stuck up politicians learn about him, he’d be taken away and experimented on. To see if they could put his wolf-alicorn DNA into other ponies.” Rainbow said and Twilight nodded. Fluttershy, as they’d been talking, had slowly approached and was looking down at little Artemis. He cooed lightly before vanishing in a poof of white magic, reappearing on Fluttershy’s back. She squeaked a little, her wings flaring out and Twilight thought for a second her friend was going to jump away. Instead, she held perfectly still.

Applejack stared at Artemis from her spot near the door before sighing and staring at the floor. “Ah understand why ya want him kept secret Twi, but it’s not gonna be long b’fore he can’t stay hidden here. He’s gonna have t’ go out an’ make friends.”

“I know, Applejack. I know. But I want him to develop his magic enough that he can disguise himself as a unicorn first. I don’t know how ponies would react to him.” Twilight said and Applejack sighed again and looked up at her.

“Ah’ll help ya keep ‘im secret from everyone else. But Ah think Big Mac aughta know.” Twilight nodded and looked at Shadow as he shrugged. Non-committal as always, he didn’t care if Big Mac knew or not. When the prototype Pipbuck on his foreleg went off, he looked at it and sighed before his eye released a magical glow and Rainbow’s jaw dropped as the wolf was replaced with a unicorn stallion with a grey-ish blue coat and black mane.

As soon as the disguise was set, the door to Twilight’s office slid open and three very irate stallions trotted in. Twilight sighed as Shadow took up a position next to her desk, levitating a clip board with a paper of gibberish to him to look over, as if he’d been in a meeting with Twilight when they stormed in. “Lady Twilight, we need a moment of your time.” He said as he walked in then froze, seeing Rainbow and Applejack. “Oh. Pardon. You have guests.”

“Yes. I do. What do you need?” She asked and the one in the middle looked at his companions before leveling a pistol at her.

“Your chair, and your head. The Caesar will give us our children back if we send him your head on a stake.” He said and Twilight just stared at him. He shook, his magic shaking the gun in her face. “Didn’t you hear me? I’m going to kill you.”

“No you’re not. None of you are. Do you know why? Because I’m not unguarded in my own office.” She said and the pony holding the gun in his magic heard his two companions drop on either side of him. Turning around, he fired wildly, each bullet missing Shadow completely. As the weapon clicked on empty, Shadow just stared at him sadly as he looked at Twilight. Padding passed her would be killer, he gently nudged Twilight’s neck.

“Are you hurt?”

“Of course not. Do you doubt yourself that much?” She asked and he just smiled as he turned back to the stallion.

“Allow me to tell you where you went wrong. First, you came in here with two un-armed, un-trained flunkies so you could have witnesses for your scheme. Two, you didn’t bother to check cameras, or even look in the reflection from Twilight’s window to see me in the other room. Three, you assumed she was alone because her meeting was over and this was her office. Four, this is Twilight’s office. The lobby would have been a better choice. Five, you clearly didn’t take the time to learn how to use that weapon. And six, Twilight's friends are all here as well. Including Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. You know, the heads of the Ministry of Awesome, the Ministry of Technology and the Ministry of Morale.” He said and the stallion quivered as Shadow approached. “So tell me. With all of your untrained bravado, thinking she was alone, what exactlywere you planning to do?”

The would be assassin flinched as Shadow’s eyes flashed, the gun in his magical grip flying across the room as Shadow’s own magic easily overpowered his. “Don’t kill him Shadow. He’ll be wanted for Questioning. We should let Pinkie Pie’s ministry have him.” Shadow nodded and the stallion swallowed, loud, before releasing a split second shriek as he was teleported away. As soon as he was gone, Twilight started to collapse only for Shadow to suddenly be at her side.

“And lecture about how you had that handled in three, two, cue Twili.” He said and she swatted his side lightly.

“If I’m being perfectly honest, I didn’t have that handled. I’m glad you were here.” She said and he smiled as they walked into the on suit and over to the small crib. She smiled as they approached it, her magic levitating the small fluff ball wrapped in the blanket as they drew near. “Hey there my little spark. I hope that didn’t scare you.” She said as she nuzzled the pup.

“Him, scared by that? No way. He’s a warrior, like his dad, isn’t that right Artemis?” Shadow said as he nuzzled the bundle in Twilight’s magical grip. Twilight just smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

~~~~~~~~~

I blinked as the memory faded. Artemis was standing in front of us and I can honestly say I saw him clearly for the first time. The streak of violet in the fur on top of his head, ending just behind his ears. The wings. Even the mark on his shoulder. Looking at Twilight, I saw the resemblance as if it had been staring me in the face since I met him. All grown up. He had grown into a warrior like his dad, but he had his mother’s gentle heart.

Frost stared at him with a look that all but screamed that she had a new found respect for him. Even Pip looked at him strangely. “Why did you not tell me?” Celestia asked and Artemis looked up at the screen she was staring at him from. His memory had all but forced her back into the screen, her memory being over powered.

“Mom wanted to. Honestly she did. But she never got the chance. The assassination attempts, Pinkie Pie and the Mintals situation. When the first word of bombs being launched at Equestria reached us, she started writing frantic letters. Trying to tell you. I still have a few of them, even if they’re unreadable, worn away by time.” He said as he sat down.

“Is that why you were so gung ho about me being an Element of Harmony? Because you were sure that you were the Spark or something like that?” Pip asked and he shook his head.

“Not really. I was about fifty percent sure I was the Element of Magic, that I’d inherited it from Mom. When the Element didn’t react to me, I tried the others and got nothing. So I gave up. Went looking for Harbinger and the other keys. I found Harbinger first, right where I’d left it. The other keys had been raided by bandits, raiders, or whatever stallion or mare thought they were powerful looking weapons.”

“But Harbinger is the key. The strongest of the guns.” He nodded and I sat on my rump, Frost wrapping a wing around my shoulders. “And you had me use it?” I asked as I levitated out the aforementioned gun/key.

“I gave it to you. I need to stay here now that more of the Element have been found. I’ll still help where I can, but don’t expect much more than a split second gunshot in sticky situations.” He said and I sighed, staring at Harbinger. The blue glow on it seemed to dare me to throw it away. To leave it where anypony could find it. Tucking it back into my saddle bag, I stood up and stared at him.

“So what’s next… Artemis?” I asked and he smiled then turned to the screen. I’d trusted him this far. I can trust him further, I guess.

Level Up: Level 31.

Perks Received

Harbinger Rank 1: Artemis has entrusted you with the most powerful gun in the Wasteland, as well as the last remaining key to the most dangerous weapon in the entire world. Receive +10 to Strength, Endurance, and Charisma when using Harbinger. +5 points per rank into Harbinger.

Queen of Frost Rank 2: Raid Queen Frost Wing is now your Very Special Somepony. Raiders will now be more wary about making you angry, especially when she is within earshot. Receive +5 to Luck when with Frost. +5 to Luck per rank into Queen of Frost. Sub-Perk of Partner of the Queen.

Friend of the Prince Rank 3: Artemis has shared his deepest secrets with you. Something he hasn’t done even with Princess Celestia. Raiders, Slavers and other Wasteland Dwellers now show you respect due to a Pre-War Royal Guard if they see Artemis’ badge on your barding. Receive +3 to Luck when dealing with Wasteland Dwellers. +1 to Luck per rank into Friend of the Prince.

Author's Note

I couldn't find any inconsistencies, so please let me know if you find any and I'll do my best to fix them. To all of you who have liked it so far, thank you so much. I'm doing my best to keep the chapters coming but right now it's a little iffy. We're hunting down a new house at the moment which, when we get into one, will cut into my posting time in a BIG way since we won't have internet right away, but I'll do my best to keep the chapters up to date. And before any of you go off on "Twilight and Big Mac were married in the original FoE" read back, please. In this fic, in PUBLIC, Twilight and Big Macintosh were married. In Private, in her private life, where she wasn't in the spotlight and always being watched by everyone else, she let her heart lead her decisions.