Fallout Equestria: Survival

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One: An Assignment
Chapter Two: The Wasteland
Chapter Three: New Places, New Faces
Chapter Four: The Truth
Introduction

Prologue

Prologue: The Great War

So, you want to know about our story?

About how we survived the Wasteland and got to where we are now.

Well, we should probably start from the beginning--with The Great War.

The Great War was a decades-long militarized conflict between two global superpowers, the pony nation of Equestria and an unnamed zebra nation with whom it shared a border. This war lasted multiple years and forced Equestria into a rushed industrial revolution as the two superpowers raced to outdo each other in the fields of arcane science, industry, and wartime technology.

One of these developments, the megaspell framework for amplifying the power of spells, was powerful enough that its use led to the destruction of much of Equestria. Those that survived had taken refuge in Stables.

Stables were shelters designed to withstand a nearby megaspell detonation and still function self-sustainably. They could each hold at least 300 ponies (possibly more) and, paired with a near-everlasting spark generator and water talisman can function and sustain life nearly indefinitely.

We were born in a Stable.

I was a mechanic

I was a veterinarian. The best they had if I might add.

Settle down.

We were about 5 years old when the Stable first opened. While we never saw what was out there, our father told us it was a desolate place: a wasteland full of nothing.

The Overmare made it clear nopony was ever to leave the base, with the exception of scouting parties sent out to look for supplies or other survivors.

Out father was usually among them. Whenever he came back, he'd given us gifts that he had found. One day, however, the scouting party he was with never came back.

Since then, the Overmare had permanently anypony from leaving.

While I was fine with that, my sister here wanted to go out and explore the wasteland.

Hey, fake all you want. You eventually saw things my way.

Yeah, yeah. Well, we didn't see eye to eyes at the start. Our point of views caused us to argue a lot.

Yeah, but in the end, it was a memorable journey.

It sure was sis. It sure was. Oh! We never did introduce ourselves. My name's Gadget.

You can call me Ace, pleased to meet you.

This is our story...

Chapter One: An Assignment

Chapter One: An Assignment

"We've got a job to do!"

It was the annoying beep from my alarm clock that woke me. I stuck my right foreleg out from under my covers, felt around for my nightstand, found it, and slammed my pipbuck down onto the tabletop until I hit the right button making it stop. I groaned and stretched, earning a series of pops from my back.

"Morning sleepyhead." A soft voice said. Looking up, I saw a red unicorn mare with a periwinkle mane and violet eyes peering down at me from the top half of my bunk.

"Hey, sis," I mumbled as I half-crawled, half-tumbled out of bed.

This is my sister Ace, one of the veterinarians of Stable 80.

Out of all the ponies in the stable, she was most known for causing trouble every now and then, such as, picking locks, sneaking out of the stable (or at least tried), and most recently drawing a mustache on the Overmare when she was asleep.

The only reason the Overmare didn't punish her too hard was because father, who was a friend of Overmare's family. But that didn't mean she couldn't punish Ace.

Ace also had a huge talent for magic. HUGE. Within days, she could master spells took other months, even ears, to prefect. She could even create her own magic-powered pranks.

"Oh! Remember the smoke bombs!" Ace asks excitedly.

"How could I forget those," I respond, looking back at old memories. "But let's not get off track."

"Rough, night?" she asked, giggling as I got up.

"You have no idea," I answered, trotting toward the mirror on the far side of our room.

"I would think so, you worked non-stop on the generators last night." She replied hopping off the top of the bunk.

"Don't remind me." I huffed, looking at myself in the mirror.

Working on the generators wasn't easy in any way. My mane and tail were VERY messy, but at least they sill had their brown color. My coat was dark blue but, covered with grime. Some of it covered my cutie mark, which was a screwdriver forming an 'X' with a wrench, over a buzz saw blade.

Ace trotted over to the mirror, her mane and tail were combed perfectly, her coat didn't have a single speck on it, her cutie mark--a ball of magical energy colors pink, purple and blue surround by a series of sparks, was flawless.

"You look like you could use a shower," she said, trying really hard not to laugh at my reflection.

"No shit," I replied.

"Why don't you head on down to the showers, I'll meet you there." she said, trotting to the closet to get her uniform.

"Good idea," I mumbled, leaving the room.

Trotting down to the showers, I passed the library where I saw Sunflower the librarian, who I have to say is one of the hottest mares here, reading a story to a group of foals, waving as I passed by, to which I waved back blushing. Seeing them reminded me of when me and Ace were foals.

Open Book, the librarian back then, read storybooks to us about the Princesses and the Elements of Harmony, we used to pretend we were element's, and go on crazy adventures throughout the stable. One time, Ace pretended the Overmare was a "dark lord" and decided to "end her reign of terror", or in other words"drop a bucket of mud of her head."Boy, was she angry, mom grounded Ace for two whole months! I'm glad I wasn't her.

As I reached the showers, giggling attracted my attention. Looking into one of the stalls, two mares were "playing" in the kind of way that got any stallion aroused...

"Ugh..." Ace moans in an exaggerated manner. "Why the hell would you include that?"

"I don't know," I shrug, "I thought our listeners here would enjoy it."

"Nopony want's hear about what they did."

"I have to agree with your sister," one of them says.

"I don't know. It sounds like my kind of fun," the other smiles.

I let out a chuckle as Ace face-hoofs.

"Anyway..."

If behavior like that was caught in public, it was punished by non-stop twenty four hour work. Seriously! The worst part is one of my jobs is to stop that kind of behavior. I guess you can say that sucks. Pretty soon they looked up at me with shocked expressions before turning them to seductive ones. Oh boy, I know where this is going.

"Don't mind me ladies, I'm just here to get a shower," I explained, attempting to get to the next stall.

"I don't know about that," the white mare, Silver, said turning to her partner. "He peeked in at us as we were enjoying ourselves, so I think he needs to be punished. What do you think?"

"I agree," the violet mare, Orchid, replied as they slowly trotted towards me, tails swishing from side to side. "Besides, he's filthy, he'll need some help cleaning those 'tough to reach spots.'"

Oh, crap! Well, I had to have seen this coming. These two always had a crush on me. I didn't mind, but only if they respected my space. Sometimes when I was cornered by them, Ace would usually come to my rescue, either tossing her homemade smoke bombs, using stun spells, or casting a blinding light spell, I owed her lot.

I was really tired anyway, and she would be waiting for me, so I decided to decline.

"Sorry ladies," I said as they circled me, "I'm afraid I don't have time right now."

Their expression turned to disappointment, but then turned mischievous, apparently they came up with a new way to seduce me.

"Are you sure?" Orchid asked, giving me puppy dog eyes, "Can't you stay for a "little" fun?" trotting past me, brushing her tail under my chin.

I chuckled, "Nice try, but that won't work on me."

Their smiles turned to frowns as I entered the next stall.

"Relax," I called over, "I won't tell anypony what you're up to. But you may want to take it somewhere more private."

I turned the lever, feeling relief as hot water flowed over my muscles.

As exited the shower, I found Ace was waiting outside dressed up in her uniform, she was holding a towel and my uniform.

She had an unimpressed look on her face as she watched Silver and Orchid go by.

"Seriously?" She asked, levitating me the towel. "This is the third time this week."

"I know," I replied, drying myself off. "They keep trying at every opportunity. Sorry."

Ace rolled her eyes, "You know, sometimes I feel like you enjoy the attention they give you."

"You're joking right?" I asked, throwing the towel into a nearby washer as she passed me my uniform. "They're nice, but they can be really annoying." As I finished putting on my uniform I slyly grinned.

"Why do you ask anyway? Are you jealous you don't have a couple of stallions after you?"

Ace stepped back shocked, her cheeks flushed a shade of pink, "No! Why would I want somepony chasing after me? The only one..." She trailed off.

"Are you sure you're okay with me tell this part?" I ask Ace.

"It's fine bro," she nods with a smile. "I'd rather not keep it locked up."

My grin disappeared, and in one swift motion I wrapped her into an embrace. I held her tightly as she cried into my shoulder, dampening it and my uniform. I didn't mind, all I cared about right now was staying with her. This attracted the attention of a couple of workers trotting down the hall, I gave them a death glare and they were gone.

You see, two years ago, Ace had a colt friend named Steel Girder. Like me, he was a engineer, and a good friend of the family, he was like a brother to me. He was good at making jokes, and always had knack for stealing my lunch. One day there was a problem with one of the generators, while repairing it he was electrocuted. Ace wasn't the same for six months! It was hard to believe it was still bothering her.

"Look at me Ace," I lifted her head up to look at me, "I miss him too, he always was there you when you were feeling lonely, and haven't I done the same ever since his death?"

Wiping away her tears, she nodded.

"Exactly, so the reason your angry is because I have a lot of mares chasing after me, and it's keeping me from spending time with you. Is that it?" She nodded again, "Okay, if that's the case, then I'll spend more time with you, okay?"

Smiling, she nodded one last, "Okay." She then snuggled into my shoulder, and tightened her embrace, "Thanks big bro, your the best!"

"Anything for you little sis," I reply, returning the embrace, "Anything for you." Our embrace continued for a few more minutes before we pulled apart. "So, wanna get some breakfast?"

She beamed at that, "Yes please!"

"Alright, let's get going before they're all out." As soon as my back was turned Ace bolted past down the hall.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" she called back.

"Hey! No fair, cheater!" I shouted back, chasing after her, the both of us laughing the whole way.

It was tie.

We were both pretty exhausted once we made. So we heading straight for the kitchen, grabbing our trays.

"Morning you two!"

We looked over at the old, salmon colored stallion dressed in an apron -- Omelet.

"Hey Omelet," I responded, "How are you doing?"

"I can't complain, though I am getting considering retirement."

"No!" Ace replied, horrified. "If you retire, who'll make me my favorite cheese omelet!"

"There are other chefs Ace," I chuckled.

"But Omelet makes the best!"

Omelet smiled, "I appreciate the compliment, but I'm losing interest in this work."

"Aww."

"Don't fret. Until that happens, I'll still make you your favorite."

"Yay!"

I rolled my eyes as I chose french toast, eggs, and a carton of milk. Ace got her omelet along with pancakes, a bowl a fruit, and a juice box.

"Gadget, Ace, over here!" A voice called.

Turning, we both saw a earth pony stallion sitting at a table, waving at us. He had a dark gray coat, brown eyes, his mane was black and was a mohawk with yellow zigzags, his tail was short, black, and had yellow zigzags as well. His cutie mark was a flashlight. It was Shine.

Oh, you're probably wondering why he called us Mech and Vet. The reason for that is because of our jobs. My job is being a Mechanic, hence the name Mech, Ace's job was being a nurse, but that wasn't why she was nicknamed Vet, the reason for that is because she was also a veterinarian due to her love of animals.

We trotted over to the table Shine was at to see 2 unicorns over there as well, one was a mare, she had a brown coat, a red mane and tail, green eyes, her cutie mark was 4 green gems, it was Gem Stone, an expert jewel finder. The other unicorn was a stallion, his coat was white, his eye, mane and tail were bright green, his cutie mark was a green apple, coincidentally his name was Green Apple.

"Hey, guys!" I said as we reached the table.

"Hey, Mech, Vet," Gem Stone greeted.

"Hello," Green Apple said as well.

"How are things with you guys?" Ace, asked.

"I've been stuck, helping out in dark places," Shine replied. "The workers have been having trouble using magic to see in the dark, since it requires a lot of concentration, keeping them from working. So they need me to 'shine' the light for them."

I deadpanned as smile as Ace, Gem, and Green groaned at the last part.

"Well," Gem Stone said, trying to move past the terrible pun. "I've been helping the excavators with digging up some recently discovered amethysts."

"Cool," Ace replied. "Those are the purple ones right?"

"Correct."

"The excavation teams job was to dig up as many gems they could to be harvested for power. I know what you're thinking, 'How the heck are crystals used for power sources?' "

"It does sound intriguing."

"Well, about fifty years after the war the generators for the stables were losing power, so the inhabitants needed to come up with a way to keep things going. The tried excavating the ground beneath the Stable in hopes of coming across anything that could used for fuel. Instead, they came across a huge deposit of gems.

The scientists among them discovered that gems could be harnessed into fuel. So our Stable was literally powered by gems. Cool huh?"

"We've also dug up some rubies and emeralds." Gem said.

"The rubies are green, and the emeralds are red right?" Ace asked.

"Complete opposite actually."

I chuckled, "What's the matter Ace? Going colorblind?"

"Shut up!" Ace cried, as everypony busted out laughing. "You know I can forget things! Besides, mares can't go colorblind."

"True," Gem Stone agreed.

When everybody calmed down, Green spoke up.

"I've been busy with the gardens. Worms have been eating the apples."

"Eww," Ace commented. I rolled my eyes and smirked. Ace was always creeped out by bugs.

"So, Shine, what am I going to be working on today?" I asked, as I began to eat my french toast. Shine's usual job was giving the workers here their jobs, whether fixing a broken pipe, cleaning the air vent, or dusting the ceiling, so I would usually ask him what I would be doing.

"You're not doing anything today, Mech."

I paused mid-bite, "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, neither are you Vet, all it's says it that you both need to check in with Blossom." Shine responded, holding up a clipboard.

"We need to check in with mom?"

She was in charge of security her at the stable, after Dad died she taught me to use a gun. She has always been protective of us, mostly to Ace since she was always getting into trouble. Why would we need to check in with her?

"Does it say why?"

"No, all it just says for you two to check in with her." Shine replied, looking at a clipboard.

This is strange. "Well Ace, let's finish up, and go see her. Hopefully she'll tell us what's happening."

After breakfast we trotted down to mom's office wondering why she would want to see us.

"What do you think she wants?" Ace asked, as we reached her office.

"I don't know, but were about to find out," I replied pushing the door open.

Inside was a unicorn mare with a cream colored coat, a brown mane and tail, and green eyes sitting behind a desk, and reading a book. On the desk was a picture of her along with me, Ace, and a earth pony stallion with a dark blue coat similar to mine, blue eyes, and a black mane and tail. It was Dad.

She looked up and smiled at us as we came in.

"You wanted to see us mom?" I asked, taking a seat.

"Yes," she replied in a kind and gentle voice, getting up from her desk. "The Overmare has a very important task to be done, and I think you two have the skill to complete it."

"What is it?" Ace asked, curiosity in her voice.

"The Overmare needs something to be delivered-"

"A delivery?" I spoke up. "Inside of a Stable? Where would we take-"

"Outside of the stable."

"Well that's- wait, what?! "

"Awesome!" Ace cried, jumping up from her seat, "Finally, I'll be able to see the outside for the first time!"

"Wait a minute!" I cried, causing Ace to look at me in surprise. " Mom, you're not serious are you? Do you have any idea what might be out there?! There could monsters for all we know!"

"Oh, lighten up Gadget!" Ace replied. "You should be excited, we're finally gonna see the outside, I can't wait!"

"Mom, you really can't be serious, I mean Sad never came back and he-"

At the mention of him the atmosphere dropped significantly, with none of saying a word. Ace looked like she was on the verge of tears while Mom just stared at her desk with a blank expression, never looking up.

"I am aware of the dangers outside of the stable, but you two are perfect for this job.

Ace, you have the medical skills of an expert and you can talk to animals. You also have amazing skill in spells."

Gadget, you know enough survival skill to survive 3 months outside, and don't forget you're a mechanic, that kind of skill could come in handy."

I still wasn't convinced, and we didn't know what we were delivering. What was so important that had to be delivered outside of the Stable.

"What do we have to deliver?"

'I'm glad you asked!" She replied using her magic to levitate a key, unlocking one of the drawers to her desk, and taking an envelope out.

"This is it," she replied putting it into a saddlebag, which see levitated over to us. "Take good care of it."

An envelope?

"So, will you accept the job?"

I looked towards Ace, who was giving me a pleading look.

She literally dreamed of this moment all her life. I could tell being cooped up in this Stable was driving her mad.

But she didn't know what was waiting for us out there, nor did I. We could end up slaughtered as soon as we left.

Yet, Ace was right. Deep down, I did want to see the outside. This Stable was starting to annoy me as well. Plus, if I didn't accept, Ace would never forgive me, and I'd be the victim of an endless series of pranks.

I let out a sigh, "Yes."

"Alright!" Ace shouted, jumping into the air only to land on Mom's desk, knocking everything off. The three of us busted out laughing.

We stood in front the stable door, waiting for it to open. We were given saddlebags full of supplies for the trip. Mom was with us waiting for the Overmare to give us directions.

"I am freaking out!" Ace cried, shaking with excitement.

"Calm down, it's only a delivery," I responded, rolling my eyes.

She stuck her tongue out at me, "Admit it Gadget, your excited about this almost as much as I am."

Before I could reply, the Overmare -- a mare with a pink coat, blue eyes, stylish purple mane and tail, and a gold key for a cutie mark entered. She glared at Ace, an expression my sister echoed. I think you know why.

"I believe, you two know what your task is?" The Overmare was dress in a neat, grey suit. It gave her the appearance of a business mare.

"Yes ma'am," we replied, though Ace looked like she was gonna hurl.

"Good,deliver the envelope to 'The Retriever'. He'll be waiting in a town a few miles from here. The coordinates are in your PipBucks.

After that, you are to come right back. Am I understood?"

"Yes ma'am," we repeated.

"Very good," She turned to the pony operating the controls to the gate. "Lookout, open the gate!"

Lookout -- a brown earth pony stallion with a blonde mane, and a telescope for a cutie mark saluted her.

"Yes ma'am!" He turned to the console and typed in the code.

Immediately the gate open up to reveal a tunnel that looked like it was underground, leading to the surface.

I looked towards Ace, "You ready?"

She looked at me with a smile, "I was born ready."

"Good luck," Mom called out.

With that, I took one last look at our home. Mom smiled and waved, with us waving back. I trotted into tunnel with Ace beside me, the gate closing behind us.

Author's Note

I wanted to restart this story from the bottom up.

I hope you've enjoyed it so far.

If anyone spots any errors, let me know.

Chapter Two: The Wasteland

Chapter Two: The Wasteland

"In this world. It's killed or be killed."

"Dear sweet Celestia."

I regretted leaving the stable, as soon a we reached the surface, and I think Ace did too. All her excitement disappeared as soon as she saw Equestria. There was nothing in sight, no trees, no grass, no lakes, anything. There was no sun, only an overcast that stretched as far as thee eye could see.

"I can't believe it." Ace said, looking at the wasteland in shock. "Everything's gone."

I wanted nothing more than to turn around and head back, this was no place for either of us.

"We might as well give it a try. Right?" Ace asked as she turned to me.

I honestly didn't know what to say. Ace was still willing to continue forward even after seeing what the world was really like. I had to admire her for her bravery.

I placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Ace if you want to turn back, we will."

She shook her head. "No I want to get this done. I'm just surprised by all of this."

"Then let's focus on the task at hand, then worry about this, alright?"

She nodded.

"Good, let's go."

We traveled for a while, looking in awe at the wasteland, wondering what it was like before this. I knew this was making Ace very uneasy. I had to keep my eye on her, if this is what happened to Equestria, who knows what we're bound to encounter.

"Hey, Gadget?" Ace asked, gaining my attention.

"Yeah?" I replied, looking at her.

"What do you think happened to the Elements of Harmony?"

Now that was a question. What did happen to them? Did they survive or perish from the war?

"I don't know sis." She nodded and looked away. I was afraid I said something wrong when she looked back.

"Do you think Equestria will ever go back to being what it was before?"

That question got to me, could Equestria go back to the way it was? "I don't know, maybe someday."

An hour later we made camp beneath a tree, or whatever was left of one. Ace got a fire going while I opened up a can of soup and brought out a few apples for dessert. We relaxed near the fire as we ate. I gazed up at the sky for Celestia knows how long, wondering why there were no stars, and just an overcast.

"Hey, Gadget?" Ace asked, bringing me from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I responded, "What is it?"

"Do you think there was a reason we were given this task?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just curious as to why we were chosen. I mean the Overmare pretty much hates me."

"I don't know Ace, I'm just an ordinary mechanic, while your just a medic and vet who likes to pull childish pranks." I replied, smirking.

"Hey! Those were top notch pranks, not childish pranks!" She responded, pouting.

Laughing, I decided to keep this going, "Oh really? What about that time with the whoopee cushion." Ace's expression was hilarious, she tried to come up with several excuses, but she eventually gave up.

"Alright, fine. That one counts, but none of the others do."

"Oh, yeah? What about that time you put hot sauce in the Overmare's coffee?"

"Hey, she had it coming. Taking away my joy buzzer."

I laughed, "Ace, you shocked everypony there. You know that's against the rules."

Ace mumbled something that sounded like, "I know.", before yawning. "I'm gonna hit the sack, good night Gadget."

"Good night Ace." I said, as sleep overtook me.

We woke up a few hours later. We had some apples and cereal for breakfast, before continuing on our way. It wasn't long until it started raining. The winds picked up, thunder boomed, and lightning flashed. We struggled to move through it.

"Gadget!" Ace cried, her voice struggling to reach beyond the roar of the storm, "We need to find shelter!"

"I know!" I cried back, "But, I don't see anything here to shelter us. We're going to have to keep moving for now!"

Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the wasteland around us. Sometimes we would see what looked like shelter, only for it to disappear in the blink of an eye, it was like the storm was playing tricks of us. Worse, whenever the lighted flashed, I would usually see the silhouette of a pegasus in the distance. What was really creepy is that it had two beady red eyes, and it was staring at us.

I also saw another figure in the distance, it resembled a dragon, with beady red eyes staring at us as well, there was something off about the way it looked but it disappeared in another flash of lightning. We continued on through the downpour with no destination in mind.

"Gadget, look!" Ace cried out, pointing towards something big and dark.

Lightning illuminated it, revealing it to be a cave. With determination we raced towards it.

We collapsed in exhaustion as soon as we reached the entrance, the inside was big, we struck a match and looked around, it had plenty space, 3 tied up ponies, a-

Wait, what?!

Sure enough, there were 3 ponies tied up, a closer looked revealed two of them to be donkeys, one gray, the other brown, with black manes and blue eyes. The third was a stallion, with a brown coat, black mane, blue eyes, and a shovel for a cutie mark. They looked in terror at us, and started struggling, they probably thought we were gonna hurt them.

"It's okay," Ace cried, "were not not going to hurt you."

They calmed down a bit, only to immediately start struggling again.

"Ooh, lookee what we got here! They walked right into it, didn't they?"

Turning around we both saw the exit was blocked by several ponies.

And they had weapons.

I let out a sigh, "That's when we learned what life in the Wasteland was like."

"Keep moving'!" Sawed-Off yelled, yanking our chains. No pun intended.

We were currently being dragged through the terrain, in the middle of the rain. Several ponies surrounded us from all sides. Some were dragging along several prisoners including the three from the cave, while others kept lookout. The three who were guarding us were named Cager, Sawed-Off and Cracker.

"Gadget, I wanna go home." Ace said, looking at me in fear. Before I could answer, Cager hit me with his shovel.

"Shufp ufph!" He grumbled, prodding us with his weapon.

"Don't you ever stop talking?" Sawed-Off snapped, making Ace whimper.

"Don't to her like that, y-" Before I could finish, a blow from behind knocked me down. Turning around I saw Cracker glare down at me.

"Hold, up!" Cracker shouted, causing the herd to all stop. He looked down at me. "I'd suggest you shut your mouth, before we decide to have some fun with your sister." he said, smiling evilly at her, causing her to shudder. "We won't be gentle."

An echo of laughter rippled through the slavers.

I wanted wring his neck, believe me I did, but the odds weren't in my favor.

"Yes... sir." I replied.

He smiled, "Good. Now get moving!"

As we continued on, I tried to figure out a way to escape. Maybe if the-

"Hey, you alright?"

A new voice snapped me out of my thought, looking to my thoughts I saw the gray donkey, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes!" I replied, getting agitated.

"Ok geez," He stepped back, putting some space between us. "I was just asking a question."

I sighed. "Sorry, I'm just nervous."

"Can't argue with ya there. This isn't the worst situation I've been in though."

"Who are these ponies?" I asked.

"Slavers, raiders, murderers, you name it."

"Since when have there been raiders in Equestria?" Ace asked, trotting up beside us.

"Oh, a couple of decades, but I can't be too sure."

"Dear Celestia." I was shocked, what happened happen to the world?

"Tell me about it, the names Chips by the way."

"Gadget."

"You two recently left your Stable didn't you?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

"How could you tell?"

"Judging by how you're uniform is well looked and after, and from the fact you didn't know about raiders."

"Hey, mind if I cut in?" The brown donkey asked as he came between us.

"Uh, sure?" I responded.

"Oh, Gadget meet my brother Nails." Chips introduced.

"Hi." I greeted.

"Hello," he replied back.

We continued trotting for a few minutes before I spoke up.

"How did you guys get captured?"

"We were out scouting." Chips replied. "We were looking for recruits and supplies for our community."

"Only thing is, these ponies were waiting for us." Nails added. "Caught us in a trap."

"Wait, you two are part of a community?" I was stumped, how could there be a community when there's nothing to thrive on?

"Yep. The two of us and Lucky back there." He replied, gesturing to the brown earth pony.

"Hi," said earth pony greeted.

"How can there be a community in the middle of nowhere?"

"It was built around a Stable. Since those things are stockpiled with food, ammo, armor, and tools, there plenty of ways to start a community." Nails replied.

"So you guys are scouts who look for new ponies to join?"

"Well, not just ponies." Chips answered, "but yeah we do."

I felt a glimmer of hope. "If we get out, of this, can you help me and my sister?"

"We'd have t-"

Before we could finish, we came to an abrupt stop. Looking ahead, Cracker was standing completely still, like the other slavers around him. I could hear some of the slavers at the front of the herd conversing.

"What is it?" Sawed-Off asked, clearly agitated. "Why have we stopped?"

Cracker turned to him. "The boss says we make camp here."

The unicorn let out a sigh of relief. "Finally. I thought we'd never stop."

"Moof!" Cager prodded us with his shovel. He moved us closer to the other prisoners why the slavers set up camp. Eventually they got several campfire going.

Around the campfires, the slavers were having a jolly old time. Laughing, eating, talking about ponies they've killed. They left us bound to prevent us from leaving.

"Is this how we die?" Lucky whispered to Chips.

"We can't give up Lucky." Chips encouraged, we'll find a way out of this.

"I hope you're right," Ace cried. "I wasn't ready for any of this."

I nuzzled her cheek to make her feel better and it worked, just a little.

"Don't cry Ace." Nails reassured her with a smiles. "Chips is right, we'll get out-"

"How exactly is that gonna happen?" I snapped at them. "Unless a miracle happens we won't-"

A gun shot echoed in the air, causing the whole camp to go quiet.

"...Ask and ye shall receive." I muttered in astonishment. The slavers all sat up and looked to where the shot had came from, and their faces all turned pale.

"Oh for crying out loud! What now?" Sawed-Off groaned, sitting up from a nap, before his face paled as well.

Confused, I craned my head to see what was wrong and spotted it. Standing on top of a hill a few feet from the camp were dozens of ponies. The only thing is, they all had the same beady red eyes as the pegasus and dragon from earlier. Their clothes were VERY creepy. They were wearing nothing but rags, they reminded me of scarecrows, only difference is they were alive, and they had guns. They seemed to be conversing with the slavers.

One of the 'scarecrows' stepped forward and spoke, "Two of the ponies you captured they're from a Stable. Give them to us."

Cager was so scared he looked like he was gonna wet himself. "O-of c-c-course, wh-which o-one i-i-is i-it." He called out stuttering, motioning towards us.

I glanced at Ace, getting her attention. I motioned toward her saddlebag and mouthed, "pick the locks." She nodded, and her horn began to faintly glow, and I could see the same glow in her saddlebag.

"Shut your trap Cager!" A pony from up front yelled out. "I'm doing the talking!"

"You do a lot of talking Lead Head," another scarecrow stated. "Boss Sin doesn't like that."

"Well you can tell Boss Sin that I ain't scared of him!" Lead Head yelled back, but I could hear a faint crack in his voice.

"Watch yourself Lead head," a third scarecrow said. "Just give us the Stable ponies and we'll leave you in peace.

I froze. WHat could they want with me and Ace? Suddenly, I felt myself shoved to the ground and pinned. Ace followed soon after.

"Here, they are!" I heard Cracker yell as I tried to get up. "Take them!

"What in Tartarus are you doing Cracker?!" Lead Head shouted.

Out of the corner of my eye Ace had already picked the locks on her cuffs. She was now moving on to mine, I was glad they couldn't see the faint glow of her horn. Just a little longer.

"Being smart, that's what he's doing!" Sawed-Off yelled out. "We all know what Boss Sin is capable of!"

"I'm in charge and it's my decision to make! Not yours!"

"Oh yeah! Well you don't seemed to have control of the situation!" Cracker shouted, getting off of me..

"Well then," the first 'scarecrow' said. "Allow us to remedy that."

Craning my head, I managed to spot one of the scarecrows, a unicorn be precise, charge up his horn. I could hear Lead Head screaming in pain. Many of slavers back off, while others went for their weapons, and the colored drained from Cracker and Sawed-Off's faces as they got away loosened their hold.

I could feel my cuffs unlock. Without thinking twice, I got up , knocking Cracker back and bucked him square in the face.

Then all of Tartarus broke loose.

Once again, it all happened so fast. First, I bucked Cracker square in the face, next, Sawed-Off tried to shoot me with his shot-gun only for Ace to hit him with a spell, finally, causing him to fire a shot in the air, causing both groups to bring up their weapons.

To sum it all up, a huge shootout began. Right now, we're just trying to survive. Sawed-Off used his magic to teleport himself, Cager and Cracker to safety, leaving us to die.

Bullets flew everywhere, shredding ponies to pieces. I could see several pegasus in the air raining down fire with their battle saddles, earth ponies dove for cover, and some of the unicorns resorted to using their magic to protect themselves. Several prisoners were caught in the crossfire while they tried to escape or fought back.

As the shooting raged on, Ace and I joined up with Lucky, Chips and Nails as they moved away from the fight. Looking back, I saw the last of the slavers being slaughtered or chased off by the Scarecrows before they set their sights on us.

"Get the blue one!" A scarecrow shouted. "The boss want's him alive!"

"Come on!" Chips shouted, as he ran ahead, "Our settlements close by, we can take refuge!"

"I hope you're right!" I shouted back. "We could really use some help!"

I looked back, flying overhead, several pegasus were opening fire with their battle saddles, trying to hit our legs. I saw Ace take something out of her saddlebag with her magic, it was small, round, and gray. One of her smoke bombs! She pulled the pin, and flung it at the pegasus.

BOOM!

Smoke went everywhere, blinding them. They flew into each other, fell to the ground, I think I one accidentally shot the other. Thank Celestia for Ace's pranks. It bought us some time, but I still had a feeling it wouldn't be enough.

"How much longer until we get th-" Lucky's head exploded before he could finish, sending blood everywhere. Even on me and Ace.

We were so surprised we both tripped and fell to the ground. Getting up, we looked back and saw his broken body, I was so shocked I couldn't move. I stared at him, blood gushing from the stump where his head used to be, a blow to the side of my face, and a cry from Chips got my attention.

"Hey! Come on, we gotta go! Now!" he shouted, Nails was panicking behind him. I shook off the confusion and nudged Ace.

"Come on Ace!" I cried, but she wouldn't budge, "Ace, let's go!" but she still wouldn't move, she just stood there staring wide-eyed at his corpse, mouth open. "Ace, we don't have much ti-"

"Look out!" Nails cried, turning to run, I was to slow to react. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something that looked like a tiny silver apple without the stem, land a few feet away.

BOOM!

I flew several feet back, my head crunching against something when I hit the ground. Trying to open my eyes, I saw Ace, Nails, and Chips unconscious, I could also see our pursuers getting closer, whooping, and cheering as if this was some sort of sick game.

"We got'em!" One cried.

I tried to get up but every ounce in my body hurt, so it was pretty much pointless. I could see them getting closer, knowing what was going to happen, I closed my eyes ready to accept my fate, if only I could see Ace one last-

RATTA TATTA TATTA TATTA TATTA TATTA!

Gunshots!

My vision went in and out but I could see what looked like a pegasus in black armor, fly towards us, shooting at our attackers with a battle saddle. I heard them shout things like "It's him!" and "Retreat!" Before long they had all fled, leaving me thinking of who that was.

I heard him land a few feet away, and trot towards me. As he stepped into view I saw his was concealed by a black mask with a red visor. He stopped right in front and knelt down to check on me. Before looking around.

"What happened here? Where's my support? Fucking Scarecrows took them all out? Damn." He turned back to me. "Gadget, is that your name?" he leaned closer, mostly likely looking at the name tag on my uniform. "Gadget. The Wasteland's a bitch huh? Don't worry, I'll get you and your friends to safety." He stepped out of view and soon after, I felt myself being lifted up.

"Heavier then you look, a little cardio wouldn't hurt would it?"

I felt myself grow weary as he carried me away. As sleep took hold of me, I overhead the figure talking.

"Lasso, it's me, I found them. Rush was right. They're on the move."

Author's Note

Alright, well, here's chapter two. Let me know what you guys thought. I'd like to know what you believe will happen next.

Chapter Three: New Places, New Faces

Chapter Three: New Places, New Faces

"I'm glad they asked me to join, I've always wanted to make new friends."

Alive!

I'm alive!

As I started to regain consciousness, I felt my body being rocked back and forth as if it was in being carried over a bumpy road. I could feel somepony examining my wounds. I also heard a voice of a stallion.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

I opened my eyes to a blinding light directly above me. Forcing them shut, I waited till it was removed, revealing the face of a blue stallion with a green mane.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I responded, looking around, I saw I was in a carriage, along with the stallion, 2 mares, and... Ace!

"Ace!" I croaked, trying to sit up. She was laying down, covered in bruises while one of the mares bandaged them. The stallion who was examining me kept me pinned.

"You need to rest." he said, trying to keep me pinned.

"No! I have to help Ace!" I responded, struggling to get out of his grip.

"Nurse! Get the anesthetic!" He cried, as I continued to struggle. I then felt them inject something into my foreleg. I suddenly felt woozy.

"Ace." I let out one last time before losing consciousness.

As consciousness once again, came back to me, I found myself on a bed, tucked in with blankets, feeling warmth all over my body. I wonder how long I've been out. I lifted my forehoof to check the date on my Pipbuck, only to find it turned off. I lifted my other forehoof to turn it back on, only to find it didn't work. Damn it! Stupid thing never works! Sitting up, I looked around to see I was in a clinic, I saw rows of medkits all lined up, the walls were white and spotless, I also saw other beds, some with their curtains closed.

I had so many questions. What am I doing here? Who was the pegasus that saved me? Where is Ace?

Ace...

Where's Ace?!

I quickly uncovered my self, and began to search for her.

"Well, look who's awake!" The voice of a mare right behind me startled me. Turning around, a saw an orange mare with a pink mane, who I instantly recognized as one of the mares in the carriage.

"How are you fe-" She began to say before I cut her off.

"Where's Ace?!"

"Ace?" She asked, with a confused look, before looking shocked. "Oh, you mean the mare you were with?"

I nodded, "Yes! Where is she?!"

The mare pointed to one of the beds with it's curtain closed. I sprinted towards it, unveiling the curtain. There, laying on the bed, was Ace. She was covered in bruises. Most of them were covered in bandages. The rest weren't so bad.

"Ace." I croaked, tearing up at the sight of her.

This is all my fault. If i hadn't accepted that mission, none of this would of happened. I promised mom I would watch her. I failed.

"Well. It seems you've woken up." A voice said, drawing my attention.

Looking over my shoulder, I was stunned. He was a zebra, an elderly one at that. He had a small grey beard, and a cutie mark was a big gray swirl outlined by small gray triangles. It sort of reminded me of the sun.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, snapping out of my confusion.

"Uh, fine. Thanks for asking." I replied, feeling a little suspicious. "How long was I out?"

"Two days," the zebra replied, smiling. "It's a good thing we found you in the nick of time. If you're little friend hadn't found us, I don't know what would have happened."

"Little friend?" I was really confused. "What are you talking about? A pegasus found us?"

The zebra arched an eyebrow. "Pegasus? There haven't any Pegasus in Equestria since the Great War. Are you sure you're alright?"

I wracked my brain for answers. Had the Pegasus took off after finding us?

"Then who found us?"

"Our scouts spotted you a few miles out," he explained. "You were all covered in bruises and suffering blood loss."

"If you think he's big now. Just wait until you what he'll grow into." The pony replied chuckling. "So my friend, what are you're plans now?"

"I'm going to wait for my sister to wake up. Then we're going back home."

"Ah, you came from a Stable. That did explain your uniforms," he commented. "Very well, you two are free to remain her until she recovers. By the way, I never got your names."

"My names Gadget, but my friends called me Mech. My sisters name is Ace, but everypony called her Vet."

"Nice to meet you Gadget, my name's Xenor." He replied, holding up his hoof to shake.

"Pleasure." I stated, shaking it.

"Since you're going to be staying for a short while, perhaps I can give you a tour?" Xenor offered.

I glanced at Ace, the orange mare was checking her wounds, it would take some time for her to full recover. Then again, we don't know these ponies. They could be hiding something.

"Fine, but we're going to need our stuff back."

"Of course." Xenor replied, smiling. "Your supplies are being kept in storage, we can get them during the tour. And don't worry about you're sister, Nurse Bandage will take good care of her." The mare nodded her head as she continued to check Ace's wounds.

He led me to the door of the hospital, where a guard was standing watch. He narrowed his eyes when he saw me.

"It's alright, he's with me." Xenor stated.

The guard nodded as he opened the door for us, but he still gave a glare as he closed the door behind me.

To be honest, I was shocked. Several builds stood in pace surrounded by huge walls, the streets were filled with ponies going about their business.

"Welcome," Xenor said. "To Ellicolt City."

A city.

An actual city.

I stared in amazement and me and Xenor walked through the city, ponies waving at us whenever we passed.

"Surprised?" Xenor asked, drawing my attention.

"Very," I replied, as I took in what I saw. "I didn't think anything could survive out here."

Xenor let out a small chuckle. "It wasn't easy let me tell you, I took us over a year to set up these walls."

"How many were you at the beginning?" I asked.

"We started off with one hundred and fifty five, and it's grown ever since the completion of the walls." Xenor let out a small smile. "I remember when my son was born, it was the happiest day of my life."

"What about your wife?"

His smile instantly disappeared and I swore I could see regret in his eye.

"Let's continue on with the tour," he responded, trotting ahead. Not wanting to make the situation worse, I kept my mouth shut and followed him.

I learned so much about Ellicolt City. It was built around Stable 64 about one hundred and eighty years after the Great War. Xenor was the founder and leader of the town as he was first to leave the stable.

When I asked him about the resources he has available he revealed that his scouts where sent out to search and also trouble with other settlements. When I inquired about Chips and Nails, Xenor said that the two were fine, but was upset when he learned of Lucky's fate. According to him Lucky was with them for only one week. They had found him beaten, and nearly starved to death, so they took him in.

"He was a good kid," Xenor mentioned. I felt awkward in that moment since I had only known Lucky for a few minutes before his death.

Xenor introduced me to so many ponies. He took in anypony that was in need of a home. He didn't care if they looked different, talked different, or acted different. All he needed to know is if they could pull their own weight, and help out others. He created a motto for everypony to follow.

"Together, we stand strong. Divided, we fall."

But of course the guards were wary, they always made sure to check for any tricks. But, all in all, they all seemed to get along.

"Here is the storage." he said, as we walked into a building not far form the infirmary. Inside were hundreds of shelves stocked with supplies. Saddlebags, medkits, tools, maps, etc.

"You're bags are over here." Xenor said, trotting over to one of the shelves. Our supplies were all organized into separate boxes. Each box was labeled with our names.

Taking a look inside, all our supplies were in check. Except our weapons.

I turn to him with a suspicious look.

"We have rules. Unless you're a guard or if you're leaving, you can't have your weapons. I'm sure you understand."

I was tempted to demand my weapons back, but I stopped myself. These ponies were only trying to look out for themselves, could I blame them for that?

"Yeah, I understand. You're only trying to protect your family."

He smiled, "I'm glad you do. But enough about me, let's hear about you." He said, as we left the storage. "I'd like to know how you ended up like that, when we found you."

"Well," I began. "It all started when I woke up yesterday."

After explaining our story to him, Xenor generously gave rooms to stay in for the night. Before having to attend to his son. I was taking a stroll through the city, when I heard some shouting coming from an alley. Trotting over, I saw a group of ponies attacking a stallion, and from the looks of them, I could tell they weren't pleasant folk.

"Take that you shrimp!" One of the attackers said.

"Crawl back to the gutter you call home!" Another shouted.

"You wanna move in on our turf, you gotta pay!" The third stated.

"Please..." The stallion cried, "Stop. I've paid whatever I can!"

"And we told you it's not enough!" The first pony shouted.

Without thinking, I rushed over to where they were, and rammed one right into a dumpster. The stallion was dazed for a few seconds before finally falling to the ground.

"What the?"

I turned on the other two so fast I saw them back up a few steps. I actually saw fear in their eyes.

"Back off!" I stated standing over the bruised creature. "He's had enough!"

"I don't think so blue," One of them spat, the fear in his eyes melting away. Most likely since he realized he was dealing with a kid. "Besides, are you even trying to be a hero? Cause you're doing a pretty bad job."

I cringed, they were right I was trying to be a hero. But what else was I supposed to do let them kill this, guy? Looking back at them I saw their smirks. Before I could register anything a powerful blow to the back of my head sent me tumbling down on top of the stallion, earning a grunt from it.

Rolling over I looked up to see a blurry image of the stallion I knock into the dumpster. He had a purple coat, with blood trickling from the side of his head. I should have checked what species he was because I could see a purple glow surrounding the horn on his head.

A unicorn, damn it.

"Kid," he said, levitating what looked like a plank on wood above me. "You're in a lot of trouble." He levitated the piece of wood a feet in the air, before bringing back down. I closed my eyes and braced for impact, only it never came.

Instead what came next, was a sound of magic being cast, and the plank landing an inch from my head. I opened my eyes to see the unicorn and his crones being restrained by guards, as I was helped up by Xenor. After helping the creature get, he turned his attention to the troublemakers.

"I thought I made it clear. You are not to cause trouble in my town!" Xenor shouted, at the three captives.

"Well, that's kinda hard to do, when it's full of ponies who don't fulfill debts," the unicorn replied, glaring down at his battered victim. "Besides, need I remind you of what your kind did?" He continued with a smirk.

It took me a minute to realize that a crowd had gathered once Xenor went stiff. I could see them exchange glances, whisper, and gesture at Xenor.

How could I forget? The Great War...

Before the unicorn could continue, he was gagged and hauled off by the guards with the other goons.

"Mech?" He asked, getting my attention. "Do you think you can attend to our friend here? I have other things to... ahem attend to."

Before I could answer, he trotted away, the ponies stepping aside to let him through, some giving him glares.

I had questions, but they could wait. I turned back to the stallion, his body was covered in bruises and one of his forelegs was bent the wrong way. He looked at me with an innocent expression and a toothy grin, though some were missing.

"Can you give me a hoof?"

His expression of gratitude was the last thing I saw before he disappeared behind a pair of double doors.

I trotted down the hall, heading to the infirmary, I had to make sure Ace was ok. I opened the door-

"Gadget!" A voiced cried causing me to jump and stumble to the floor.

Looking up I saw Ace sitting on her bed looking at me giggling.

"Ace!" I cred rushing towards her, wrapping her in a tight hug which she returned in equal strength.

"Big bro!" She replied, nuzzling my neck, letting loose a few tears.

"Don't let go," She said, her voice muffled, I felt her tears dampen my neck but I didn't care, my sister was ok."

"Didn't even cross my mind," I replied, rubbing her back.

"Oh!" Ace and I turned to see nurse Orange by the door hold a tray. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Oh no, you're fine," I replied, as I let go of Ace.

"Oh good," she responded, as she trotted over. "Good afternoon Ace, how're you feeling."

"Better now that my bro's here," Ace replied, smiling at me, to which I smiled back.

"Glad to hear it," Orange replied as she set the tray on the nightstand next to Ace's bed. "I'm just gonna give you a quick check up alright?"

"OK doc," Ace said as Orange took out a stethoscope. "So Gadget, when do we get back on the road?"

I was just reaching over to get a glass of water nearby when she said that, I almost dropped it in shock.

"What?" I asked, my voice just above a whisper.

"When are we getting back on the road?" Ace asked again as she sat up, letting Orange check her back.

"Breathe in," She said, "breathe out."

"Ace... we're not finishing the assignment."

"What?" She exclaimed, as Orange finished up her examination. "Gadget we can't back out now."

"Yes we can and we will," I reaffirmed. "We nearly died out there Ace! You were traumatized yourself when saw that stallion get shot!"

"I just wasn't ready!" Ace snapped angrily, causing me to step back a little. "I knew we would run into trouble and see things we wouldn't like. But I wanted to go to prove I could any situation like dad did! It's not my fault I'm so weak..." Tears started streaming down her face non stop.

I stepped forward to hold her, "Ace, I..." She swatted me away.

"GET OUT!" She cried catching the attention of the other nurses and patients in the room, "I want to be left alone."

"Ace-"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

"Maybe it's best that you left," Orange said, guiding me away from Ace. "She in serious distress and it's making the other patients uncomfortable."

I looked back at Ace to see, she had turned away to face the wall. "But...

"Please," Orange said. "She's in no mood to talk, give her some time to cool down."

I looked at her before nodding and moved towards the door. Slipping through, I cast one last look at Ace before she disappeared behind them.

I was given a room to stay in, which was pretty nice I guess. It had a bed, a and a restroom I mean, what more could you want?

My sister's happiness that's what.

I should never have let her convince me to take this job, and now she hates me. Can't she see I'm just trying to protect her? Why couldn't the Overmare find somepony else to deliver it? Looking to my left, I saw my saddle bag sitting on a nightstand, along with a couple of welcome gifts from the locals.

With nothing to do I decided to go for a small stroll to clear my mind. As I left, I bumped into a couple of familiar figures; Chips and Nails.

"Hey there Gadget!" Nails said, the brown donkey smiling. "It's good to see you're ok."

"Hey there Chips, Nails," I responded with a small smiles. "How are you guys feeling?" I noticed they had a few bandages wrapped around them, most likely from the grenade.

"We're fine," Chips responded, the grey donkey rubbing his left for foreleg while wincing slightly. "Only a few bruises."

"We heard Ace was in the infirmary." Nails added, looking concerned. "Is she doing alright?"

"Yeah." I replied, my smiling dropping a little. "She's fine."

"That's a relief," Nails responded.

"So, what are you two doing up and about?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, as per rules, we need to report in with what we've discovered on our scouting mission," Nails answered.

"It's standard procedure for all scouting parties," Chips added. "How about you? From what we heard, you and Ace were banged up pretty hard."

"Oh, from what the doc's said, I only suffered a few broken bones. Ace will have to stay bedridden for a another day." I responded trying not to mention the our fight. "So, I'm just looking around town."

"Well, if you're in the mood, I'd suggest heading down to Appletini's bar." Nails suggested. "She has some of the best cider you could ever taste."

"Really?" "I could use some cider."

"Yeah, it's just around the corner." Chips said, pointing at a turn a few buildings down. "You can't miss it."

"Thanks." I smiled, turning to leave before looking back. "Be careful out there."

Nails chuckled, "don't work about us. We've been through worse. As long as we have each others back, we'll be fine."

As the two left Nails's words echoed in my head.

"As long as we have each others back, we'll be fine."

I'm glad nopony else was near. I didn't want anypony to see the tears running down my face.

"You alright?" The bartender; a mare with a buttermilk coat, and a brown and beige mane, who I assumed was Appletini asked as I sat down on one of the stools.

"Not really, no." I muttered. "I'll take anything you have that's strong."

"That bad, huh?" She responded, as she poured me a drink.

"Like you wouldn't believe." I took the glass, and had a sip. I didn't hit me instantly, but my brain felt a little fuzzy. I looked down my glass, spinning the contents in boredom.

"You wanna talk about?" Appletini offered as I stared at my drink.

"Why?" I mumbled, not even bothering to look up.

"I find that talking with ponies about their problems, tends to help them out," she explained.

Letting out a sigh, I looked up. "Sure, why not? Where should I start?"

"How about we start from the beginning?

I explained to her the argument between me and Ace. How I wanted to head back home while she wanted to continue our mission, even after seeing somepony get killed.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Poor Lucky," she commented, looking upset.

"I just don't understand why she would want to continue on," I stated, gulping down the rest of my drink. "It's dangerous out here."

"You're not wrong about that," she agreed. She seemed to be thinking about something before turning to me. "You said, that she stated that she wanted to be like your dad right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, maybe she wants to be just like him. Your father left the Stable in order to find supplies for the Stable. He never cared about what was out, because your safety was all that mattered to him. Your sister probably wants to prove she can get the job done."

"That's what worries me." I countered. "Our dad died our here, and we almost joined him."

"Well, another reason could be that she doesn't want to go back to the Stable."

I arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Come on," she replied as if the answer was obvious. "I lived Stable 64 before Xenor founded this town, you can't tell me it doesn't get boring after a while."

"Well yeah, but it's our home and we have jobs."

"And that's why I hated it," she explained. "The moment you're born your given an assignment to fulfill. Then, you're stuck with it until somepony else takes your place."

She poured herself a glass. "I was assigned to be janitor, when all I wanted to do was make cider. My grandmother taught me how and when I went the Overmare about changing my job, she refused to listen to me. I had nearly given up, but then Xenor spoke up."

She smiled. "He taught us that there was a world out there to explore, where we could be whoever we wanted to be. It was soon after that more ponies began to support his goal to leave the Stable." She took a sip.

"Why would you listen to him?" I asked. "Ponies and Zebras fought each other in the war?"

"Xenor's ancestors had lived in Equestria long before the war," she explained absent-mindedly. "During which they were assigned to be spies. The last of them fled to Stable 63 on the Last Day. The inhabitants wanted to kick them out, but the original Overmare allowed them to stay for a Zebra had saved her life during the war.

"But getting back to the story, Xenor had gained so much support that the Overmare eventually agreed, and we were let out. We were told the outside was dangerous and it is, but it was still our home. We had been given a chance to start over, with our paths in mind. Soon after, we began construction of Town 63, with Xenor as our leader."

Finishing her drink, she looked me in the eye. "Do you understand what I saying?"

I thought over it. Ace had always grown bored during our time in the Stable, that's why she started to do pranks, even against the Overmare. I always believed she was just doing it for fun, but from Appletini pointed out, it was much more.

"Do you want another one?" She asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Um." I looked at my glass before setting it down. "No, I've had enough."

"You sure?" She asked as I got up.

"Yeah. I'm gonna turn in. I have a lot to think about." I trotted towards the door before looking over my shoulder. "Thanks for the talk."

"No problem," she replied smiling. "And don't worry, you two will work things out. Just give it time."

I gave her a small smile and nodded before exiting the bar.

I'm glad they have streets cause I definitely would've gotten lost.

I had just managed to reach the door to my apartment, when a guard came rushing over.

"Excuse me?" He asked in between breaths. "Are you Gadget?"

"Yes?" I answered confused. "Why?"

"Xenor needs to speak with you! It's urgent!"

I followed him to a building that was heavily guarded. After being granted admittance, he took me to what looked like a conference room. Xenor was there along with another Zebra who I guessed was his son, and several others ponies. Two of which were trying to operate a radio.

"Gadget, I'm glad you're here," Xenor said as I arrived.

"What's going on?"

Xenor and his son exchanged glances. "Your Stable, is it number 80?"

I paused. "Why?"

"Our radio operators just received a transmission from them. They're under attack."

Author's Note

Here's chapter three.

I won't deny, I'm having trouble shaping this story.

If anyone is willing to offer some advice, I'll take it.

Chapter Four: The Truth

Chapter Four: The Truth

"Everypony has a secret they'll take to their grave."

"Gadget, calm down!" Xenor shouted as several guards restrained me.

"Calm down?!" I responded, struggling against the guard's grip. "My home's in trouble and you want me to calm down?!"

"I understand what you're going through. Truly, I do. And I'm willing to help, but we need to assess the situation-"

"What is there to assess?" I snapped as the guards held me in place.

"Well, we don't know what we could be facing," the other Zebra stated as he approached, "I'd rather know who or what we are facing, than going in blind. I don't want any of my friends to wander into a trap."

"If you didn't want to go in blind, why did you inform me?" I was trying really hard to keep myself calm. "How can you help in any way?"

The zebra turned to Xenor and back. "Well... is there another entrance?"

I sat there, recalling all the ins and outs of Stable during my time there, and I remembered, "Yes there is! A hidden side entrance that was installed in case of an emergency."

"Can you lead us there?" He asked.

I was confused. "Can't I give your unicorns the location so they can teleport us there?"

"They can only teleport to places they've been," he explained.

"So, you're saying that I'm going to have to retrace my steps and walk all the way back?"

He smiled sheepishly, "Unfortunately."

"...Fuck."

Running!

Not really an excellent idea.

Me, Xenor's son, whose name was Zemy, and several guards had gathered all the supplies we needed before setting off in the direction of Stable 80 with my PipBuck guiding the way. We spent the last few hours, racing through the wasteland, with breaks along the way.

I was glad that for once my PipBuck was working, but Stable 80 was still a long way away. We eventually decided to rest after about 20 minutes. Well, Zemy and the guards. I wanted to keep going.

At least it was for ten minutes. Then we started up again, and I was determined to make it home.

A lot of thoughts entered my mind. These could be the scarecrow ponies from earlier, I realized. After all, they did seem focused on me. But how could they have figured which Stable I was from, or where it was located. The pegasus probably had nothing to do with it. I mean, he did save us. So... who? And why?

Could it be because of the package?

I came to a stop. No. It couldn’t be, could it? My mom would never allow us to be put in that kind of position. Could the Overmare have planned this?

I heard Zemy speak but I paid him no mind. I removed my saddlebag and placed it on the ground.

I searched for it but found nothing. The pegasus had taken it!

Normally I'd be concerned when something of mine was stolen. Yet, I couldn't help but feel relieved. As if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Not only did he hold off our attackers, but he also took away our burden. Maybe he was "The Retriever".

"Gadget!" Zemy called out, drawing me from my thoughts. "Are you ok?"

"Uh, yeah! Yeah! Just something on my mind."

"Well, I need you to be ready. We're almost there."

He was right. A few moments later, I spotted a huge column of smoke. And soon after...

My home.

We ducked behind a hill a few yards from the Stable.

Zemy passed me a pair of binoculars. With them, I could see the smoke was coming from the tunnel that led down to the entrance of Stable 80.

There was no sign of anypony around the tunnel, but I couldn't be sure.

"What do you see?" Zemy asked.

"There's nopony around the entrance, but there could be a few waiting inside."

"Hmm," Zemy leaned back in thought. "This could be a trap."

"I don't think we'd be able to hold off an ambush," one of the soldiers spoke up.

"Well," I stood up, "I don't know about any of you, but I'm not going to just walk away. My mother and many others could still be alive."

"None of us are of leaving," Zemy responded, "We just need to think up a plan that doesn't get anypony killed."

"Fine, but you'd better not take too long-"

“There's nopony there,” a voice buzzed from behind.

We all turned in surprise, weapons at the ready, only to be confused.

Hovering a few feet in the air above us was a… bug? A metal bug that was bobbing in the air before us with little fluttering wings.

"A Sprite-Bot?" Zemy spoke up.

I turned to him. "A what?"

"They're little drones that were built during the war," he explained, "Supposed to play civilians uplifting music. Nowadays they just aimlessly float around repeating that annoying polka music."

"Ugh... Tell me about it," the little robot squeaked. "It drives you crazy."

"Uh, then why don't you stop playing it?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if your function is to play the music, can't you just turn it off?"

"I can do that, but what do you-- Oh! Oh, no, I'm not a robot. I just hacked into this thing. I use them for surveillance."

I eyed the floating device. "If you use it for surveillance, did you see what happened to the Stable?"

"No... I'm sorry. The Stable was already like that when I came across it."

I didn't want to believe the voice, but the evidence was there in plain sight.

"Do you have a name?" Zemy asked.

"You can call me Watcher."

"Alright. We need to see if there are any survivors of the attack, but we could be walking into a trap. Are you sure there's nopony there?"

"I'm positive," the voice responded. "I took a look inside myself. All that's in there is a bunch of debris and mutila--"

I took off before the bot could even finish, ignoring Zemy's calls. My legs were aching by the time I got to the entrance but I didn't care, I had to see for myself.

I held my breath as I entered the tunnel, the smoke stinging my eyes. I made way downward until I cleared the smoke. It took me a few moments to adjust before I spotted the Stable door.

While most of it was intact, the centered to seemed to have to been melted. Several scorch-marks adorned along with jagged pieces of metal that stretched out.

As I took the first few steps into the Stable I felt my right foreleg step in something wet.

Slowly, I looked down to see that I was in a puddle of blood, my own reflection looking right back at me.

I looked away, but what I saw next made my stomach twist.

I take a second to collect my thoughts. It was a very disturbing memory to talk about.

Ace levitates a bottle of water towards me but I turn it down.

I exhale before continuing.

Several bodies of the Stable 80 Security Team were strewn across the floor in pieces. Among them was Lookout. His head was split open like a melon. One guard was split right down the middle, while another was strung up with his own intestines.

A huge amount was bile was trying to force it's up my throat, but I managed to hold it back.

I felt something wet land on my face. Brushing it off with my hoof, I found more blood.

Hesitantly, I looked up, spotting the Overmare several feet above me with a noose wrapped around her neck. Her body was covered in cuts, one her ears had been removed, and her intestines swayed back and forth, dripping blood.

I stumbled back, emptying the contents of my stomach onto the floor. I slumped down against a wall and sat there.

The sound hoofsteps caught my attention. I turned to see Zemy and the others enter. Some of them had the exact same reaction as me.

"Holy Tartarus..." One said.

"I tried to tell you," Watcher spoke up as he entered, hovering over them before turning to face me. "I'm really sorry. I can't imagine what you're going through."

I could only nod as I surveyed the damage.

Everywhere I looked there were bullet holes and blood. Judging from how many of the security guards were unarmed they were probably caught by surprise. I trotted over to the stairs, heading towards the door controls. I cringed slightly as I passed Lookout's corpse.

One thing I noticed that was odd, was all the Pipbucks were gone. Taken. Not a single corpse had one.

The control panel's casing was locked. Either Lookout was trying to access the controls or he was trying to keep somepony from them. Not that it mattered in the end.

I began trotting down the hallways of Stable 80, bodies littering every one. What was once a place where ponies when about their daily lives, was now nothing but a corpse-ridden battlefield.

As I turned down the corridor to the mess hall I came to a stop.

"No."

Green Apple was slumped against the wall, a bullet wound in-between his eyes. He was looking at a far away place as a tiny river of blood trailed down his face.

I trotted over to his body, carefully closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, buddy."

I continued on down the hall coming across more bodies of many friends including Silver and Orchid. The mess hall was a wreck. Tables were overturned or broken in half while the floor was littered with spilled meals and corpses.

I turned to leave just as Zemy and the others were entering, Zemy looked around briefly before looking towards me. I could only shake my head in response.

As I turned down towards the staterooms part of the floor slightly gave way under my step. It was faint, but I could hear a whimper beneath it. I slowly stepped back.

I waved over one of the guards, a unicorn male. He hesitated before trotted over with a confused look. I pointed down at the panel, mouthing 'somepony underneath.' It took a few moments before he understood.

He passed me a pistol before trotting off to get the others. I kept my eyes glued onto the panel, waiting for something to pop out.

A few minutes later, he returned with Zemy and the others, each one with a loaded weapon. Zemy signaled for a unicorn to lift away the panel on his mark.

Zemy nodded and the unicorn quickly lifted the panel, revealing a small crawl space beneath it. Twelve ponies looked up at us in fear.

"Mech?" One asked, standing up. He had a grey coat and a black and yellow mohawk.

"Shine?" I reeled back, turning to others. "Put your weapons down!"

Along with Shine, there was Gem-Stone, Sunflower, a red unicorn mare I recognized as Berry Blast, a tan earth pony stallion I recognized as Brick Pile, and several foals.

"Thank Celestia you're Shine said as he held up a young colt for someone to grab

"What in Tartarus happened here?" I asked Shine as I pulled the colt up.

"I... I have no idea. They came out of nowhere."

I handed the colt to one of the guards. "Who's they?"

"These ponies wearing white armor," Shine explained. "By the time we knew what was happening, they had already broken through the Stable door."

"We didn't have any time to think," Gem-Stone added as she lifted up a filly to a guard. "There was barely enough time to hide. All we could we jump down beneath the panel moments before we were spotted."

She started to cry. "They killed Green Apple."

I nodded solemnly, "I know."

After the foals were pulled out, I helped the others as they climbed out. Gem-Stone was the last one out and I was surprised when she pulled me into a hug. I felt my shoulder dampen from her tears. I wrapped a foreleg around her held tight, allowing her to grieve. We would've stayed like this for a while had a thought not suddenly cross my mind.

"Where's mom?" I asked, letting go and backing up.

Gem-Stone gave no response. She just looked away.

I turned to Shine. "Where. Is. She?"

Shine shook his head. "We were lucky enough to get beneath the floor. We could hear everypony being gunned down." He choked up briefly before continuing. "I don't think they left any survivors."

I gave no response or reaction. Honestly, I was just too stunned. It felt as though a switch had gone off inside, preventing me from saying or doing anything. Shine and Gem-Stone glanced at each other in concern.

"Gadget?" I could hear the worry in Zemy's voice. "Are you alright?"

"There's something I have to do," I stated before trotting down the hall.

Mom was sitting in her chair when I found her.

If you had removed the obvious bullet wound on her chest, it would've looked like she was sleeping.

The desk had been destroyed as if it was crushed by a gigantic hoof. File cabinets were dented and twisted while their contents were strewn across the floor.

Tears dripped from my face, down to the floor as I slowly made my way over to her. I asked one of the unicorn guards who was passing by to carry her back to the others who offered their condolences. I couldn't leave her here. I had to find someplace to bury her.

As the survivors were tended to by Zemy's guards, he and I went ahead to the security room. I needed to know how all this could have happened. I had grown up believing Stable 59 was the safest place for me and my family. Where we could live and die in peace.

Now? I didn't know what to think.

I had hoped that I would never have to leave the Stable under any condition, but doing so not only ended up saving my life but the life of Ace as well. The purpose of the assignment still burned in my mind. Why were we selected? Who was The Retriever?

"Gadget?" I was drawn out of my thoughts by Zemy. "We're here."

My hopes of finding out whoever was responsible for this were dashed when I saw that the door to the security room was destroyed inside all the terminals had been destroyed; the wiring pulled out, leaving it beyond repair.

"Whoever attacked this place does not want anypony to know who they are," Xenor spoke as he observed the wreck.

"Great," I mumbled, leaving the room.

"I'm really sorry Gadget, I can't imagine what you're going through."

"It's fine," I responded. "Let's just make sure the others are okay, then head back to Ellicolt."

"But don't you want to find out-"

"There's nothing to found out!" He backed away from me in shock. "Nearly everypony I know and love is dead, the survivor's don't know who attacked them, and the cameras have been destroyed! What else is there to find?!"

Without waiting for a response, I stormed away.

I wasn't surprised to find that my room had been ransacked as well. I paid it no mind, there wasn't anything worth looking for. Instead, I made my way out of the Stable. I needed to clear my head.

Watcher was still at the gate when I arrived. I made sure to avoid the blood dripping from the ceiling.

He hovered next to me. "I'm truly sorry about what happened here. If it's any consolation, I know what it's like to have everything taken from you."

"I'm not in the mood to talk," I stated.

The little robot retreated a couple feet. "We're more alike than you think, Gadget. Like you, I wasn't around when my home was destroyed. I was devasted when learned my friends were gone."

"You're really not good at listening, you know that right?" I continued into the tunnel with Watcher on my tail.

"All I'm trying to say is that at least your sister and some of your friends are still alive. That has to count as something."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, dead parents and a sister who currently hates me. I've got it made!"

"What's your problem?"

I felt the wind greet me as I reached the top. "What do you think?! My family lived in this stable for generations! Ace and I were safe in those walls until one day we're tasked with a delivery that takes us outside!"

I turned and around and waved a foreleg. "Look at what this world has become! A cesspool of murder, thievery, and slavery! What made the Overmare think we would be able to survive out here! Not to mention the fact the object we were supposed to deliver almost got us killed!"

Letting out a deep breath, I sat on the ground, tears dripping from my eyes. "When the I discovered that the object was gone I was so relieved. we could've come back home and lived out the rest of our lives in safety. Now, there's nothing left for us."

The buzz of the Spite-Bot near as it hovered over to me.

"Gadget."

I looked up at the little machine.

"As I said before, I lost a lot of friends too. I've lived in this world for many years with no company but these Sprite-Bots." His voice seemed to crack slightly. "I regret never having been able to say goodbye, and that will haunt me to my grave. You may have lost your mother and your home, but remember that you still have your sister. Go back and make amends, and then cherish every moment you spend with her from there on."

Wow... I truly had no words to say. Watcher was right, Ace was what brought my life joy. She made me laugh, looked up to me, and I won't deny she was a giant pain in the--

A weird noise snapped me from my thoughts. The Sprite-Bot was blaring out some kind of distorted music.

"Watcher?" I called out. "Hey, Watcher."

There was no response as the Sprite-Bot flew away, taking the music with it.

...Weird.

"Gadget."

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Zemy approach me. "There's something you need to see."

"We managed to fix the Overmare's terminal," Zemy explained as I followed him to said pony's office. "There weren't any files that explained what had happened here, so it was pretty useless. That is until we found her Pipbuck."

I paused. "You found it? How?"

"It was hidden it a hollowed part of the wall behind her desk. The technician stumbled into it while repairing the terminal."

The Overmare's off was generally still intact. The draws of her desk were desk had been pulled out, leaving their contents strewn across the floor.

Xenor approached the terminal and turned it around to face me, revealing a glowing green screen full of text.

"Some of the files we found were heavily encrypted, but we managed to crack them. And we discovered something about you."

Arching an eyebrow, I approached the desk and leaned in to read the files.

Overmare, if you are reading this message please listen. Stables are being raided one after another, with no survivors left behind. These individuals are hunting an as of yet, unknown device, and I believe your Stable is on their list. I urge you to venture out and seek a new home before they come.

--FV.

I see you haven't left. Look, I understand you have no reason to trust me, but I am on your side. They are coming for you, and they are not looking to make friends.

--FV.

The next entry had several pieces redacted and seemed to come with an image file, but the latter was completely distorted.

I'm glad you decided to answer Overmare. Another Stable was recently invaded and the path the hunters are taking points them right towards yours. I highly suggest [REDACTED]

We've learned that the raiders are after [REDACTED]

The image file should provide enough detail. We're are still mobilizing, so it may take a while for us to arrive. Prepare your defenses and pray they hold out.

Good luck, Overmare.

--FV.

"They knew."

All eyes turned to me.

"They fucking knew. That's why we were sent out. We were carrying whatever the raiders were after."

"You okay?" Zemy asked.

I breathed in deeply. "Yeah, I just... I don't want to stay here anymore."

Introduction

Introduction

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

...there can an era when the ideals of friendship gave way to greed, selfishness, paranoia and a jealous reaping of dwindling space and natural resources. Lands took up arms against there neighbors. The end of the world came occurred much as we had pedicted -- the world was plunged into an abyss of balefire and dark magic. The details are trivial and pointless. The reasons, as always, purely our own. The world was nearly wiped clean of life. A great cleansing; a magical spark struck by pony hooves quickly raged out of control. Megaspells rained from the skies. Entire lands were swallowed up in flames and fell beneath the boiling oceans. Ponykind was almost extinguished, their spirits becoming part of the ambient radiation that blanketed the lands. A quiet darkness fell across the world...

...But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalyspe was simply the prologue for another bloody chapter in pony history. In the early days, thousands were sparred the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters known as Stables. One such Stable, none as Stable 50 was the home of two siblings, who would embark on a journey that would change their lives forever.

Fallout Equestria: Survival