Chapter 22

-- Wanted --

How could it have gotten this bad? How could I let this happen? I was supposed to keep her safe, to keep all of them safe. I was a Guardian, a protector. But I couldn’t protect Moonlight, not in Sandpit, and not in the Raider Base. She was dying, and I wasn’t going to fail her again. I would find a cure, even if it cost me my life.

“Shadow, you shouldn’t blame yourself.” A mare’s voice said from behind me.

My eyes snapped open and I saw myself standing over Moonlight’s bed, her eyes shut and her breathing ragged. She had a wet cloth on her head to try and help with the fever, but it only soothed her pain a little. She was drenched in sweat and her mane was a mess. I hated seeing her like this.

I turned to the source of the voice, seeing Saskia with a worried expression on her face.

“I brought her into that place. Those ponies were after me, not her.” I said softly.

“And you fought them to the best of your ability. Even our combined efforts couldn’t stop them.” Saskia said calmly.

“But I brought her there! I should have taken that dart, not her!” I said, eyes beginning to water.

Nothing was said for a moment, I didn’t have any words. After a minute, I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

“She wanted to come with you. No one forced her.” Saskia said, before removing her hoof and sitting next to me.

“You know, she and I had a lot of time to talk while you were unconscious. She had quite a lot to say about you. How you two met, how you ditch her and Ratchet at Hydra Junction.”

I flinched at the mention of my disappearing act on them. I still wasn’t proud about that, I just wanted them to stay safe.

“She admires you a great deal Shadow. Ratchet as well. Both of them told me stories of your deeds. You are quite the rarity in the Wasteland Shadow, and I’m not talking about your species.” Saskia said.

“I only do what I think is right. And what is best for my people. Saber is my responsibility, but I don’t want to risk all of your lives too.” I said.

“You can’t choose their paths for them Shadow. Only they can decide what to do with their lives. All of you have suffered great amounts of pain.”

I turned to her in confusion, “What do you mean?”

“Remember, I can feel emotions. Even those buried deep within. Your pain, Ratchet’s, Moonlight’s. It’s all buried so deep in your hearts that it’s taken root.”

I didn’t understand what she meant. I know my pain, but Ratchet always seemed so carefree and happy all the time. Sure Moonlight was shy and timid, but other than what she’s been through with me, I couldn’t see her having that much pain.

“I can sense your confusion. There is much you and your friends do not know about each other. Perhaps as you get closer to them, they will share their pain with you.” Saskia said, smiling warmly.

“Saskia, why are you still with us? You wanted to take on the raiders with us, yet you’ve done more than that. Protecting everyone at the research facility, and standing up to Achyls at the base.” I asked.

She looked away for a moment, seeming to ponder her answer. She then turned back to me.

“I admit, at first I thought it would simply be fun. You and your friends are quite cute together and I wanted to see what you were truly like.”

Her expression turned to a warm smile again.

“And then I grew to know you. How protective you are, how brave, how selfless. Honestly it’s so rare in the Wasteland, I would consider it a treasure. A treasure I would love to be a part of. I would like to call all of you my friend, if you would have me.”

I smiled at her, “Saskia, you are my friend. And Moonlight’s, and Ratchet’s. You’ve been such a great help, and you are just as kind and good hearted as you make us out to be.”

Her expression dimmed a little, but only for a moment.

“That is sweet of you to say. I try to be kind to everyone. The Wasteland is so full of hate, it’s sickening.” Saskia said.

I was about to put my hoof on her shoulder and reassure her when suddenly the ship rocked violently. Saskia and I grabbed onto Moonlight’s bed to keep her steady until the ship stopped shaking.

“What in Tartarus was that!?” I yelled.

“I don’t know. Did something hit us!?” Saskia yelled back.

“Stay here and keep Moonlight safe! I’m going up top!” I shouted before heading up the hatch to the top deck.

I immediately went to the helm, looking inside to see Ratchet looking scared out of his mind.

“Ratchet, what the hell happened? You hit something?” I asked.

“More like something hit us partner! Rocket launcher!” He yelled back over his shoulder.

A rocket launcher, who had weaponry like that out here? We didn’t even have them back in the stable.

“Shoot! Another one incoming!” Ratchet said, looking behind us.

I turned to see a rocket flying really fast towards us, no way I could hit it with Desert Rose.

“Brace yourself!” I yelled out.

BOOM!

The rocket impacted the back of the ship, knocking us off balance. The ship was in danger, and we needed to do something.

“Ratchet, find some cover behind a rock! We can’t lose this ship!” I shouted.

He nodded and brought the ship around a large rock formation, hiding it from sight from whoever was shooting at us. Another explosion rang out as a rocket hit the formation we were hiding behind. Thankfully it was sturdy and nothing but a few pebbles fell onto the ship. When no more explosions could be heard, I dared to venture out onto the deck.

Ratchet was right behind me as I went towards the hatch that led below deck. I opened it and stuck my head inside.

“Saskia, are you alright? And what about Moonlight?” I yelled.

“We’re both alright. A little rattled, but alright. What is going on?” She yelled back.

Ratchet stuck his head in to reply, “Someone is shooting at us! Don’t know who or what for!”

“Well then, why don’t ya ask us mate?” A voice rang out from above us.

Ratchet and I looked up immediately and saw two figures on top of the rock formation. One was small, looking pony shaped, but the other was much bigger, looking rather bulky.

“Good day mates, we were just in the neighborhood and wanted to admire that ship of yours. Mind if we have a closer look?” The voice rang out again, seeming to come from the smaller figure.

“Wait a minute, Ratbag?” Ratchet asked.

The figure seemed to turn its head towards Ratchet and let out a laugh.

“Ratchet Set! Oh this is getting even better! I still owe you for me leg!” Ratbag shouted down.

“As I recall, you were the one dumb enough to step on a landmine!” Ratchet shouted back up to him.

“You know this clown Ratchet?” I asked.

“Sure do. Ratbag, a sniveling little weasel of a pony. We did a job together a year ago, agreed we’d split the pay 50/50, then when the job was done, he tried to kill me.” He replied.

“O’ye, you make me sound like a scoundrel. It was just business, mate.” Ratbag said.

Ratchet looked at the other figure, “And I guess that tub of lard with you is Mako?”

The larger figure pointed a large object at us, most likely the rocket launcher that damaged the ship.

“Thought so. Where did you two idiots get that kind of equipment, and for that matter, what in Celestia’s name are you doing way out here?” Ratchet said.

“First, none of your business.” Ratbag said, blowing us a raspberry.

“Second, we were out here looking for our next take. And lucky us, we get you and a brand new ship.” Ratbag squealed and jumped in place.

Mako grunted and picked up the little guy and flew down to us. It was then I noticed he had wings, as I couldn’t see them from up top. He landed on the deck of the ship, making it rock a little from his weight.

I finally got a good look at them. Ratbag was a scrawny little earth pony with patches of fur missing on his hide, as well as a peg leg where his right foreleg should have been. His mane was strings just going in all sorts of directions. Dirt and other disgusting things were caked into what fur he did have, like he hadn’t bathed in years.

Mako was a griffin, and the largest one I had ever seen, even in our records back home. His gut hung down and almost touched the deck of the ship. Arms thick and flabby, barding that looked like it was ready to snap apart at any movement. His face was half charred off and the other side had scars all across. The rocket launcher sat on his right shoulder, while Ratbag stood on his left side, looking over Mako’s left shoulder.

“So, how’s about a deal? Ratchet gets dead, you give us this ship and we take you to Scrap Town and find you a new line of work?” Ratbag asked.

Ratchet huffed in rage, “You mean sell them to the slavers!”

“Oh sorry Ratchet, did I touch a nerve?” The scrawny earth pony chuckled.

“Enough! I’ll make you a better deal. Get off our ship or you’ll be the ones who “get dead”” I said angrily.

Ratbag was about to say something when he looked in my direction. But he stopped and gave me a closer look, rubbing his chin. After a minute, he jumped back in surprise with a big grin on his face.

“Mako! This is the Badlands Guardian! We’re rich!” Ratbag exclaimed, doing a little dance on the griffin’s back.

“No way.” Mako said, his voice deep and gruff.

“You know any other zony around these parts? Fits the description. Stable barding, sword and dagger on his back. Reverse color scheme for a zebra.” Ratbag explained.

The griffin looked at me and then grinned as he moved the rocket launcher off his shoulder. He sat it down on the deck and pulled out some rope.

“Right then. We tie you up, kill Ratchet and take you to get our payday. Sounds like a fair deal to me.” Ratbag said, jumping off Mako’s back.

I responded in the only way I knew how. I moved like lightning and gave a swift kick to the griffin’s chin, sending him tumbling backwards cursing at me. Ratbag jumped on my back and hit me repeatedly in the head, but I bucked him off, sending him off the ship.

“Ratchet, get below! I’ll handle these clowns!” I yelled.

I then charged towards Mako as he recovered and rubbed at his jaw. My shoulder hit his chest and with him not expecting the hit, I pushed him back and off the ship. I fell with him but landed gracefully on the rocky terrain. Ratbag had recovered and stood up looking pissed. Mako recovered quickly as well, pulling out a pistol from his side.

I dodge a bullet as it bounced off the armor plating of the ship and dove towards the griffin, kicking upwards and knocking the pistol out of his claw. He cursed and tried to grab at my leg, but I spinned in place on my back and used the momentum to pull myself off my back and into a fighting stance.

Venta and Umbra were out now, I was not going to let these scavengers touch my friends. Mako screeched at me as he took flight. Not the most graceful flier, but I guess when you are that fat, it was a miracle if you could fly. He dove at me from the air, claws out to tear me apart.

I swiftly sidestepped his attack and drew Venta across his talon, drawing a little blood as he grunted from the pain. He turned very slowly and went for another attack. This time he went more for a side swipe to throw me off. I blocked it with Venta and let Umbra fly and cut into his wing a little. He lost some feathers but managed to avoid a full on cut.

Suddenly I heard a thump and saw something bounce towards us. I noticed just in time to magically redirect the grenade away from me and the ship. It cleared enough distance to explode harmlessly against the desert floor.

“You idiot! Are you trying to blow me up as well!? Besides, we need him intact if we want a full bounty!” Mako shouted at Ratbag.

Ratbag was holding a gun with a long barrel, a grenade launcher if I recall. We had a few of those in the stable, but Master Gutshot didn’t really like them all that much. Never really knew why.

Either way, Ratbag grinned sheepishly, “Sorry mate, got a bit too carried away there.”

Mako grumbled, “Look, go get Ratchet and see what kind of loot these guys are carrying. I can handle this.”

“Good idea mate! I love me some lootin’.” Ratbag said, looking to climb up the ship.

“You’re not going anywhere!” I said, running towards the little pony.

He saw me and panicked as he tried to climb faster. How he could do that with a pegleg I’d never know.

Before I could reach him, I was hit from behind as a weight fell upon me. A claw was placed on the back of my neck, pinning me to the ground. Merciful Luna, this guy was even heavier than he looked.

“Just give up. I’ve never lost to a pony. Or half of one in your case I guess.” Mako chuckled.

And now I was really pissed. I looked up at him and growled, my horn lighting up before he could do anything else. I unleashed the spell and small embers blew right into his face. He screamed in pain and let go of me, letting me jump back and gather my weapons.

When he tore his claws away from his face, he had new burns to go along with the rest of the scars he had. He growled at me with ferocity and pulled out something from his bag. It was round and almost as big as his claw. It looked like it had some kind of hole in the middle but I couldn’t tell what it was.

He then grinned madly and put the device to his lips, pressing a button on it and breathing in deeply. He threw the object down and his whole body seemed to twitch. His eyes went bloodshot and he screeched again, louder than ever before.

And then, faster than any creature his size should be able to, he closed the distance between us and punched me. The blow hit my chest and sent me flying into the ship with a loud clang. I groaned as I landed on the ground, my head and chest burning with pain. But before I was able to recover from the blow, he was on me again.

He grabbed my head and threw me towards the rock formation. I managed to right myself and bounce off the structure and back onto my hooves. Venta and Umbra were too far away, so it was down to my revolver. Desert Rose was out and I went into SATS, targeting his head and wings.

It was odd though. The chances of hitting him were only under 40%. Even with the distance, the chances of hitting a target as big as him shouldn’t be that unlikely. Something wasn’t quite right here. I released the spell and as I thought, two shots missed, and the last missed his wing and hit him in the shoulder instead.

Mako was tough though as he didn’t even flinch from the pain. He flew right at me again, making me fire three more shots. All of them missed. He shoulder tackled me into the formation and I felt like a wagon had hit me.

I wheezed as the blow knocked the wind out of me. As I tried to breathe, claws grabbed my head again, turning me away so I couldn’t see him. He held me up against the formation, pressing my body into the stone.

“Easy money. Don’t know why ponies are so scared of you.” Mako chuckled, his voice sounding more crazed than before.

“Let me show you then!” I said, forcing my elbow into his beak.

He yelled out in frustration but didn’t let me go. I hit him a second time, this time in the throat. That made him drop me, letting me dive between his legs and hitting a rather tender spot. Sure, it was fighting dirty, but who cares.

He wheezed as he collapsed, groaning and holding his bruised pride. I got up and found Desert Rose, Venta and Umbra. He recovered enough to look back at me with hate in his eyes. He turned and fanned out his wings, screeching furiously.

“O’ye Mako! Ratchet’s got a pair of bitches for us!” Ratbag said from the top of the ship.

I looked up in shock as he grinned down at us.

“One’s a totally hot unicorn that looks clean as can be. And there’s one with bat wings too! Never had one of those before! Avarice will totally pay double!” He exclaimed excitedly.

I growled and aimed Desert Rose at him. I pulled the trigger only to realize too late that I hadn’t reloaded yet. As I went for my ammo, Mako was back on me. I barely dodged another grapple as I bounced off the ship and reloaded my gun. I fired two shots, both hitting him in the back. He didn’t seem to care all that much as he flew at me again.

As I moved Venta to block another strike, my horn sparked painfully as my magic backfired on me.

No! Not now!

My weapons dropped and his claws raked across my shoulder. The wound felt deep as blood poured from it. I tried to fight through the pain and bring my revolver around, but my magic was still sparking. The pain grew as I struggled and I fell to my knees.

Mako took the opportunity to slowly walk up to me and look down at my prone form. He smiled and punched me right on the base of my horn. It felt like a spike had gone through my head. He did it again, laughing as he stood over me.

“Not so tough now are you little pony!?” Mako said gleefully.

More hits came and my head was killing me. What was wrong with me? I had been through worse than this.

“Magic can be a pain when dealing with slaves. I’d be doing Avarice a favor by just getting rid of that stupid horn right now.” Mako said, raising his claw up higher.

“This is for burning my face!” He yelled, ready to crush my horn.

Come on Shadow! You’ve got to move!

My thoughts were running through my head as time seemed to slow to a crawl. I couldn’t move a muscle, the pain was too much. I couldn’t think straight. But I needed to move!

Suddenly, two sounds came to my ears. Ripping flesh and gurgling, like someone was drowning.

I looked up to a gruesome sight. Mako had a long spear pierced into his neck, his eyes wide as he choked on his own blood. The blood fell onto me a bit, making me close one of my eyes. Mako tried to turn his head but only succeeded in moving it a few inches.

His eyes went wide with what looked like fear before the light inside them faded. His body went limp, with the only thing keeping it up being the spear in his neck.

Shock was prevalent on my face. What just happened? Where did this spear come from?

“By Torch I’ve wanted to do that for a while.” A feminine voice came from my right, Mako’s left.

I turned my head to see a creature I had only read about in textbooks. Black scales adorned her body, with a red underbelly. Her horns with a bright silver color, protruding from both sides of her head. Smaller spikes ran down the sides of her head, all the same shade of silver. Her eyes were a deep navy blue, fierce and strong. The leather part of her wings were the same shade of red as her underbelly, with what looked like metal blade attachments on the tips. Her tail was long and slender, but still looked strong enough to break a pony.

A dragon. A real dragon.

She landed next to me and didn’t seem to pay me much attention. She walked over to her spear, still lodged in Mako’s neck and pulled it out, knocking the body away.

“You picked the wrong bounty Mako. I’d feel sorry but I remember you hitting on me that one time. Gross.” The she-dragon said.

My body chose that moment to respond to me again, allowing me to jump away from her and stand up.

“Who are you?” I asked.

She turned to me and shrugged, “Not important right now. Wait here a second, I’ve got one more.”

She took to the air and moved towards the ship. I heard Ratbag scream and before long, the she-dragon flew up and dropped him in front of Mako’s corpse.

“Ow! Hey, what’s the big idea?” Ratbag asked.

He looked over and saw the body of his friend and he paled.

“Mako…” Ratbag said quietly.

He then looked up and saw the she-dragon.

“Ruby, what the hell are you doing here!?” Ratbag yelled.

“I was out here looking for the Badlands Guardian. Thanks for making so much noise or I might have never found him.” Ruby said.

“Come on Ruby, we would have split the bounty with ‘ya. We wouldn’t dare to think we could pull the wool over your eyes.” Ratbag said sheepishly.

“Sure you wouldn’t. But even if I was after the bounty, I don’t work with filth like you. You know that.” Ruby said, piercing her spear into the ground and leaning on it.

“Not after the bounty? How could you turn down a payday like that!?” Ratbag exclaimed.

“Easy, my boss said so.” Ruby said nonchalantly.

“The Commander? Why? She’s never turned down bounties before.” Ratbag said.

“The Commander has declared that until further notice, The Badlands Guardian will be under the protection of the Storm Riders. The bounty placed on him will not be recognized by any operative of ours, and anyone caught trying to capture him for this bounty will be dealt with swiftly.” Ruby explained.

“You… you can’t do that!” Ratbag exclaimed angrily.

“Can and did. Now, since you found him for me and I’m in a relatively good mood right now. I’ll let you go. Get lost and make sure I don’t see your scrawny little flank again.” Ruby threatened.

Ratbag smiled sheepishly and quietly reached back into his saddlebags. I saw the grenades and quickly went into SATS, aiming for his head with Desert Rose. My bullet tore through his skull before he pulled the pins. His body fell limp atop his comrade. Damn fool.

“Nice reflexes.” Ruby said, looking at me.

“Thanks. Ruby is it?” I asked.

“Yep. Ruby, Captain of the Storm Riders, and overall badass. I take it you're the Badlands Guardian I’ve heard so much about?” Ruby said, leaning on her spear again.

“Apparently so. What do you want with me?” I asked cautiously.

“Like I said to those idiots, you are now under the protection of the Storm Riders. Plus, I have a message from our Commander.” Ruby said, chuckling.

I was about to ask what it was when a thought popped into my head.

“My friends!” I said, running past the dragon and jumping onto the ship.

I ran to the hatch and opened it up, revealing Ratchet pointing his rifle at me. He saw me and lowered the gun, sighing in relief.

“Boy, am I glad to see you partner. You take care of them?” He asked.

“No. I didn’t. She did.” I said, turning to the she-dragon who landed behind me.

Ratchet’s eyes widened, “Ruby!? What in tarnation are you doing way out here?”

“Nice to see you too half-pint. Didn’t know you were with the Guardian.” Ruby said nonchalantly.

Ratchet grumbled, getting out of the hatch but not moving away from it.

“Alright, what’s the catch?” He asked.

“What catch?” Ruby asked back.

“Don’t give me that shit. Storm Riders don’t just help ponies out of the goodness of their hearts.” Ratchet spat at the dragon.

Ruby raised an eyebrow at my friend, then she shrugged.

“Don’t really know why. Not my place to question the Commander. Just following orders.”

I stood by Ratchet, “She said I’m under their protection now.”

“Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it. They want something from ya. No clue what it is, but I’m sure we’ll find out.” Ratchet said.

“Yeah about that. The Commander had a message for you Guardian. She’d like to meet you at The King’s Fortress.” Ruby said.

“Yeah, this stinks all right. No one just waltzes into that fortress. Unless they got a death wish.” Ratchet grumbled.

“Think what you want pal. I’ve delivered the message. Bounty hunters will still try to come for you, but we will do our best. Just try not to keep the Commander waiting too long. She hates waiting.” Ruby said.

She walked to the side of the ship, looking out to the desert before turning back to us. She grinned and looked directly at me.

“I hope this was just a fluke. If you can’t handle those two idiots, I don’t see what the Commander would want with a weakling like you.” She said, grinning at me.

Before I could respond to her insult, she fanned out her leathery wings and took to the air, spear in hand. She soon vanished from sight, flying south.

“Don’t let her get to you pal. She’s always been like that. Arrogant lizard.” Ratchet said.

“How do you know her?” I asked.

“Let’s check on the girls first. I’ll tell you then.” He said, moving towards the hatch.

I followed him and we found Saskia standing over Moonlight’s bed. Walking up next to her, I saw Moonlight was just as bad as I had left her. But thankfully she didn’t look any worse either. I brushed some of her mane out of her eyes and sighed.

“What happened up there?” Saskia asked.

“Ruby, Captain of the Storm Riders, showed up.” Ratchet grumbled.

“Ruby was here? That can’t be good.” Saskia said.

“Yeah, I bet it ain’t. Apparently the old Commander wants Shadow to meet her for something. Promising to keep the bounty hunters off our backs for a while.” He explained.

“Who are these Storm Riders? Who is Ruby? And who is this Commander?” I asked.

“The Storm Riders are a mercenary band. Not the worst ones, but not the most honest ones neither. They take just about any job, and they do it with extreme precision. Each member follows every order to the letter. You disobey, you die.” Ratchet explained.

“Ruby is one of three captains. Definitely the strongest out of them. After all, not many ponies can take on a dragon.” Saskia said.

“And this Commander?” I asked.

“She’s a tough old mare. Extremely ruthless with a heart of stone. What she says goes, and when she says it, it happens. No questions asked.” Ratchet said.

“So, what does she want with me?” I asked.

“I got no clue. She ain’t no fan of heroes.” He replied.

I sighed and slumped against the wall of the ship. This just kept getting worse. Now I had a leader of a faction wanting my attention. So much for keeping a low profile. What did this mean? What was I supposed to do?

“We can worry about The Storm Riders after we get Moonlight to Artemis. Ratchet, can you get the ship flying again?” Saskia asked.

Ratchet perked right back up, “Sure I can! Just need to see the damage.”

Ratchet went into the back room, sounds of metal clanging and tools could be heard.

Ratchet came out of the engine room about fifteen minutes later.

“I think that should do it. The hull damage we don’t have much time to repair. We can worry about it later. Right now, we need to get moving. The engines will need to be primed, so it’ll be another half hour before she’s ready to fly again.” Ratchet explained.

“Good work Ratchet.” I said, standing next to Moonlight’s bed.

Saskia had gone up top for some fresh air, so I took my turn watching her. Her breathing was still ragged, but there was no immediate sign of her symptoms worsening. All I could do was try to soothe her pain and keep her hydrated. The poison was slow working but painful. She needed help soon.

I looked at my pipbuck and wondered what Athena thought about the bounty on my head. Did she think I deserved it after Sandpit?

My curiosity finally got to me and I pressed the button to turn the radio on.

Good Afternoon My Children, this is Athena speaking to you all from Olympia! The weather is crap, but hey, we’re used to it by now!

Now for some news fillies and gentlecolts. A riot broke out at the eastern wall of the city here in Olympia. Emissaries from Scrap Town up in the north came to Olympia to offer a new trade route. They didn’t even make it to the palace because our citizens had the answer. NO BUCKING WAY!

Sorry for the foul language children, but that is the only answer you give those slaving bastards. Scrap Town is a place of filth and decadents, where only the scum of the wastes go to trade. Slaves, drugs, you name it, they got it. Rumor has it they have upped their expansion, trying to muscle their way into other settlements. I personally hope they get blown to smithereens by the Steel Rangers.

In other news, I know you all remember our new Guardian up north. He hit a major bump in the road at Sandpit. Now I still don’t agree with how he did it, but he did free the town of a monster. And for that, I believe I can forgive him.

I have actually gotten reports from my personal sources that this Guardian is not the monster some of the ponies in Sandpit claim him to be. Here are a few bits of their interviews.

“Shadow saved us from a terrible stallion. It was gruesome sure, but that bastard deserved worse. He is a hero. Nothing less.” Tulip’s voice said.

“He was brutal yes, but he was only there to help us. He could have left, it was none of his business. But he did more for us than our own town guard. And he gave us a new chance in Hydra Junction.” Cobalt’s voice said.

“Shadow did a lot for my town. I owe him a great debt for bringing me back my family and my citizens. Shadow, if you’re listening partner, I don’t care what anypony says, you are always welcome in Hydra Junction.” Wrangler’s voice said.

“Shadow is the best zony ever! No way he’s a bad guy. He saved me, my mommy and everyone from the raiders!” Lemon’s voice said.

And there you have it my darlings. The people have spoken. Our Guardian is a true Wasteland Hero. But others do not agree.

Guardian, if you are listening, be careful. The Former Mayor Rich of Sandpit has partnered with the Mayor of Scrap Town, Lucky Straight. These two have pooled their resources for a hefty bounty, 30,000 caps.

Now to those crooks who want to try and collect, know this. Do you really want to mess with our Guardian? Who according to my sources, just took out the raider fortress in the northwest? That’s right, that big fortress that even the Enclave and Desert Rangers didn’t want to go near. Gone. Burnt to the ground. Think on that before you go thinking about easy caps.

And that’s all for today. I’ll talk to you all again soon. In the meantime, enjoy the sweet sounds of our very own Aphrodite.

The radio went to the sound of a mare singing, and she did sound lovely. But I still turned it off after hearing that broadcast. She forgave me that easily? Was it because I took out another raider base? Or was it something else?

“Are you alright Shadow?” Saskia asked.

I jumped, not realizing she had come back down the hatch.

“I… I don’t know. I honestly don't know how to feel.” I said.

“Perhaps you should feel relieved that so many are still on your side.” She said smiling.

“I’m grateful for all of them. I truly am. But am I truly deserving of such praise after Sandpit?” I asked.

“I think you’ve had plenty of time to make up for that Shadow. Your actions at the facility and the raider base prove that.” Saskia answered.

I smiled at her and looked to my left, seeing Ratchet looking a bit pale.

“Ratchet?” I asked.

He jumped a little but regained his composure, “Oh sorry there partner, I didn’t hear ya. What’s up?” He asked.

He was acting strange, like he was hiding something.

“Are you ok? You looked like you’d seen a ghost.” I said.

“I’m fine really. 30,000 caps. Shoot no wonder Ratbag and Mako were so giddy to find you.” Ratchet said, changing the subject.

Before I could ask him more, he stepped past me and went to get the ship moving again. I called out to him but he didn’t stop. That was strange. Ratchet had never acted that way before.

“I sense something from that broadcast stirred something inside him. He’s afraid.” Saskia said.

“Afraid of what?” I asked.

“I do not know.” She answered.

Another day of flying flew by without incident. No attacks, no obstacles, no worries.

We went through another pack of spark batteries trying to use the engine to speed things along when the wind died down. Time was against us. Moonlight was starting to get worse, sweat matted her coat and her temperature was rising. She needed help soon. I hoped this Artemis could truly help her.

“There it is everypony! The Hayseed Swamp, dead ahead!” Ratchet said from the wheel.

I moved quickly to the front of the airship, looking out to the horizon ahead. There stood a tall mass of trees and vines, spreading as far across as my eyes could see. The trees were thick as buildings, reaching high above, like mountains of timber and foliage. Past the trees was a mystery, for the canopy dimmed that little light the Wasteland had to offer. I didn’t care. The only thing I wanted to find in that place was this famed healer.

I looked back to the hatch leading down below, “Hang on Moonlight. Just a little longer.”

Footnote: Level up

New Perk added:

Spark Spell, Rank 1:

Your spells are pretty wimpy compared to other unicorns. But with practice, they can become better. You can create fire sparks from your horn, hot enough to cause discomfort and maybe some slight burns. But this could cause your magic to backfire against you more often. So keep practicing.

Author's Note

Hey guys, Hades here.

Another chapter done. And boy was this a one fun. XD

Does Shadow have a new ally? Or is this the calm before the storm?

Will they find this Artemis in time?

Guess we will find out.

See you guys,
Hades