Fallout:Equestria-Reckless

I sat there and cried covered in the cold ichor, as I was being hugged by the mare, who I swore up and down in my mind was Sparkler.

“I’m afraid not miss,” she said as she squeezed me tighter and I could only cry harder as the hard truth hit me like a train. “I’m sorry,” she whispered gently in my ear.

I gently pushed the mare away from me. I turned to look at her, she was a candy blue small statured pegasus mare with bronze eyes and her mane was pink and blue tied up in pigtails, and Her wings had a pink tinge on the tips of the feathers.

My heart seemed to skip a beat when I gazed into her bronze eyes. ‘What is this feeling,’ I thought to myself. Confused, I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

“I'm Radiant Blossom,” I introduced myself to the pegasus, I offered a hoof but I remembered that I was covered in ghoul blood so I lowered my hoof back to the dirt.

“Blossom are you ok,” Jacker yelled as she ran up and pulled me into a tight hug.

“I'm ok Jacker,” I answered the Android before looking at the pegasus who wore a huge grin on her face.

“Oh my Celestia!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Is that a Bio Jacker unit?” she asked as she flew closer to the Android.

“I sure am missy,” Jacker answered with a tip of her hat as she released me.

“that's amazing,” the pegasus said in awe. “I am Mecha Toy it is a pleasure to meet both of you,” she introduced herself with a little bow.

“What happened here,” Jacker asked.

“There was a huge hoard of ghouls that moved here when the Bonnet summit erupted and destroyed Hoofington and Horsigan,” Mecha explained gesturing to the many Ghoul corpses.

“There are more moving this way about a two days hike from here,” she said, pointing south.

‘That had explained the dark clouds over the city when I escaped the hospital,’ I thought, remembering the escape from the hospital.

“But that doesn't explain how the former villagers ended up buried on the hill over there,” I state.

“That was the RSMC’s doing,” she said grimly. “So, why are you both here,” she asked.

“Those bastards took my sister and I’m trying to figure out where,” I answered with an angry look on my face.

“I think there about ten of those mercs around town that you can loot for clues,” Mecha informed me while pointing in the direction of the church and bakery.

I went on to investigate as they spoke to each other and I felt my stomach sink when I looked at the two buildings. I did my best to cover my feelings with stress, random thoughts, and anxieties as I ventured onward, but as I got closer; my thoughts were shattered like a falling plate by sudden flashes of my fight. I began breathing hard to steady myself as I stepped inside of the bakery. I gasped as I saw blood stains and was greeted with the memory of watching Sparkler get shot and killed. Tears fell from my eyes as it repeated, but I forced myself not to break down and cry.

Shakily i stepped closer to the bodies of the two mercenaries and found nothing before I quickly ran out, breathing hard as I felt my world close in on itself, trapping me within the memory of my closest friends death. I was truly alone and it was my fault for telling her to check the other side of town.

Shaking my head to clear the thoughts of Sparkler, I turned to the church I felt the same sensation that I felt when I was inside of the bakery. I took a deep breathe and focused on the reason I came back; finding Cherry Blossom.

With the thoughts of finding my sister, I entered the church and was hit with the strong stench of decay. I spotted the three dead mercs I shot and walked over to their bodies. I searched the first one only finding some ammo but nothing indicating the location of my sister. The second one didn't fare so well either, but the on the third one, I found a map with an X drawn in the middle of northern Manehattan and it was labeled ‘next objective’.

It wasn't much but I figured I should tell Jacker it was a clue and I might be able to find more clues to the mercenaries whereabouts, so I rolled the map up and walked out of the church and made my way towards where I left Jacker and Mecha Toy.

As I got closer to the duo I overheard them talking about someone named Dawn Shadow. But as I got closer they grew silent, but I didn't care about what they said I was more focused on giving Jacker the map.

“I found something it might be a clue to finding my sister,” I informed the Android while levitating the map over to Jacker.

She took it and looked at it with concern.

“Uh, Blossom? Ya know this is RSMC territory right,” she asked to which I responded with a confused look.

“No I didn't,” I answered looking at the map again.

“Oh, right you were asleep when it happened,” she chuckled.

“How bad is it,” I asked.

“Their top dog, Corpse Maker, reprogrammed all of the robots and turrets when they set up in the Liberty Tower, as well as surrounding it with an electric fence and filling it with at least three dozen mercenaries,” she said.

“Wait, Corpse Maker was one of the mercenaries that attacked and killed everyone here,” I yelled in angry confusion as my thoughts were filled with intense rage.

“Ah’m afraid so sugarcube. He’s been around this old bush more than a few times in his life. Last I heard was that an AWOL lieutenant of the revolutionaries was lookin’ for ‘em after he killed-,” she stopped mid sentence as though confused by my anger.

“Well there are many things being said and it seems you two may want to be alone,” Mecha observed while adjusting her glasses. “Well while you two are here talking I am gonna locate some supplies.” She said before flying over to the bakery.

“Ok, what's going on Jacker,” I asked the robo pony with annoyance plaguing my spoken words.

“It's none of your damn business, especially when you're like this,” she retaliated angrily.

“Anything that involves No Zera is my damn business!” I yelled in anger looking the robot pony.

“Cut it out ladies, aren't you supposed to be friends,” Mecha said from a junk pile.

“Shut up Mecha,” we both shouted.

“Alright! Geese,” she shouted back.

“Ah’m goin ta look for a good house ta spend the night,” she said.

“I think that'd be best,” I sneered at Jacker.

I was too angry about everything and only come to learn that Jacker was hiding something about No Zera. So to say I was absolutely livid was an understatement. As the Android vanished from sight I walked in the opposite direction towards my old home.

“Hey where are you going?” Mecha asked as she flew up behind me.

“Home,” I answered bluntly.

“Wait you used to live here,” She said in shock.

“Not used to, I live here,” I corrected the pegasus who flew above me.

“Oh I'm sorry for your loss,” she said with sympathy. “You must have known everypony who died.”

I gave her a “no shit" glare and kept walking as I told her, “Yes, I did, now leave me alone.”

“Sorry, but no can do,” she said landing in front of me and got really close to me with a smile. “because I think you need to be supervised or you will run off and do something suicidal, again.”

“Wow you really figured me out in half an hour of knowing me,” I said sarcastically with a roll of my eyes.

“Listen to me Blossom, I know your type and-" I cut her off as I exploded.

“My type! And what would that be miss psychologist, huh!? You think I’m just gonna run myself through before I find my sister and kill the piece of shit who did this!? If so you're dead wrong! You don't understand! You won't understand! Now leave me the fuck alone,” I screamed before shoving her aside and trudging to my home, punctuating each step with a curse under my breath.

Once I arrived at my home, I took a deep breath to calm down. My house was a small two room shack made from scrap metal. I walked to the door and pushed it open. Apparently the Mercs busted it open probably looking to loot the place. Sure enough, when I walked in the place was ransacked. Bookshelves were emptied and shoved over, desk drawers hung open, and things appeared to have been thrown around.

I ignored it and walked past it all, unfazed by the disarray and stuff thrown about. It was all meaningless junk save for the pictures that were shattered on the floor. As I arrived in my bedroom I found the same thing had befallen to this room, but like the last I ignored it and lifted my bed with my magic.

Underneath was a bare floor, my horn lit up as I focus on an unseen lock under the floorboards it was soon followed by a distant thud. I lifted the secret door that led to the basement. Then I heard glass break behind me I turned around to see what it was and was greeted by a very familiar candy blue pegasus.

“What are you doing here Mecha,” I asked the persistent pegasus.

“I just wanted to say sorry,” she answered looking at the ground. “I didn't mean to assume anything about who you are.”

“It's fine I'm not angry at you it’s just everything in my life is just, uh I can't describe it in words,” I said as I sat down on the wooden floor.

“What’s down there Blossom,” she asked as she tried to look over my shoulder.

I quickly closed and locked it with my magic, keeping my eyes fixed on hers as I began to glare at her.

“Don’t push it,” I said before pushing my bed back over the trap door.

“Sorry my brother says I am a bit too curious for my own good,” she laughed.

“You are a very strange pegasus,” I commented before I took off my jacket. “If you want to stay here for the night you can.”

“Really?” She asked excitedly. I just nodded in response.
“Yay it's like a sleepover,” she exclaimed gleefully as she pulled me into a hug.

“Sure, you can say that,” I deadpanned as she squeezed me tightly.

When she finally let go, I led her to the other room and used my magic to straighten it up before turning to her and saying, “This'll be your room for tonight.”

“Thanks,” she said with a smile.

“Ok then if you need anything I'll be in the other room,” i tell her before walking to the other room and laid down on my bed.

I say sat up from my bed with a jolt at the sound of breaking glass. What was that pegasus up to? I asked myself as I walked to the door and opened it and found myself staring at the church where I last spoke to my sister.

“Blossom! Where are you!” I heard my sister's voice scream.

“Cherry!” I yelled running into the church breaking the double doors down. Once inside I saw Corpse Maker standing beside Cherry, who was tied up on the ground. In my haste I failed to notice his rifle until I was shot in the left leg then the right I collapsed on the ground in pain.

“Your too late,” his growly voice said before he walked up to me and pointed his gun at my head and pulled the trigger.

I bolted upright as I awoke in a cold sweat and I cursed my nightmare as I checked the time and saw it was still around two in the morning.

I took a deep breath to calm down as I got up and walked to the door of my room. I took another deep breath and opened it to reveal the rest of my messed up house. I walked the long hall as if I was to be executed when I reached its’ end and I opened the front door to reveal Jacker, who had a hoof reluctantly raised as she stood in the rain.

“Morning Blossom can Ah-" she started but I cut her off with a harsh whisper.

“What are you doing out there! Get in here,” I snapped in a whisper as I pulled her inside.

“Ah’m sorry about earlier,” She apologized lowering her head.

“It's fine,” I said as my horn glowed and levitated a towel towards the wet robot. “Dry up don't want you to rust,” I told the robot as I walked away. “there's a room on the second floor you can stay there until the storm passes.”

“That’s not how copper and stainless steel works,” Mecha shouted.

I deadpanned as I realized that I was being quiet for no reason and gave up as I went back to my room. Once inside I laid back down but I quickly realized I didn't want to go back to sleep.

With a sigh I rolled off the bed and lifted the bed and opened the trap door. I grabbed my jacket before stepping down the old wooden steps into the passage below. I used my magic to flip a switch to turn the lights on. Once on, Eight rows of ammunition crates of six each lined the massive room, in the walls were many weapons ranged and melee lined the walls. This place is the town armory, it was put here during the foundation of the town, my grandmother Bulletstorm built it so it was my family's duty to guard it from intruders.

I ignored the many weapons That lined the walls and towards a machine that looked like a washing machine. I tossed my jacket inside then proceeded to take the rest of my gear off and tossed it inside with the jacket. I turned it on there was a flash of purple light and it turned off.

I left my gear in there as I walked down to the left end of the room. There was three mannequins each was wearing a different kind of armor, the one on the left was a heavily modified power armor suit that belonged to an outlaw named Shining Blade a rogue steel ranger. The middle was an old military outfit with a the Equestria Flag and the Zeta symbol printed on the sleeve, it belonged to my ancestor Minuette, who was the captain of the Equestria special forces team Zeta before she was discharged due to a mission related injury. And the one on the right was Ncr ranger gear minus the jacket it is as you guessed belonged to my great grandmother Bulletstorm.

I walked over to the one of Minuette and touched its nose, there was a click and the one of Bulletstorm moved up and back revealing a black wooden box. I ignited my horn grabbing the box when I was hit by a shocking pain, as if I had cut a live wire, before collapsing to the ground. I heard light hoof steps walk by me, and was greeted by the candy blue hooves of Mecha.

“Sorry Blossom but i need what's in that box,” she said opening the box and immediately yelled, “Luna fuck me with the moon! I just betrayed my friend over a damned caravan shotgun!”

I slowly began to get to my hooves before I began to shout at Mecha.

“What the fuck are you doing,” I screamed at the pegasus, who jumped in fear.

“I uh can expl-,” she started to but one look at my face caused her to freeze. My horn ignited again pulling the shotgun from the box and loaded it.

“Gimme a good reason why I shouldn't kill you, thief,” I say coldly pointing the gun at her.

“Cause she was only following orders,” The unmistakable mechanical voice of Jacker who stood behind me.

“Why the fuck is everyone coming down here,” I yelled, completely missing the point.

“Because we thought something your great grandmother stole from Alpha was hidden in here,” she answered calmly. “Seems we were mistaken.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked the Android.

“No one knows what it is, but according to a message the resistance found, it's dangerous. We thought we could find it here,” Mecha said with conviction.

“Do you both seriously think that something like that would be this easy to get,” I deadpanned in annoyance.

“Yes? Kind of,” Mecha said hesitantly.

I sighed in irritation before pointing to the stairs and saying, “Get out of my armory.”

They left hastily and I stayed, looking at a strange double barreled shotgun that I had seen before, but never quite knew about. I vaguely remembered something about a cribbage game I thought, but I was too young to make much sense of the conversation at that age.

As I left, I took a moment to look at a weathered FAL with the number seven written in Prench on the wooden stock. I shook my head at the strange inventory as I locked up and lay down on my bed once more. I almost wished I had someone to talk to, but I realized that I would only push them away, so I just lay there, trapped in my thoughts.

I was relieved when the morning sun danced through the blinds, signaling that my long, sleepless filled, night was over. I rolled out of the bed, with my plan to leave those traitors behind, and opened my door to find Mecha curled up in a ball snoring, I roll my eyes she was clearly waiting for me so I nudged her with my hoof startling her awake.

“I didn't eat the last waffle!” She practically screamed before looking at me. “Oh good morning Blossom,” she chirped.

“Do I want to know,” I asked.

“Probably not,” she said with a blush.

“O...k...then,” I said before walking past her and into the kitchen. “Hey Mecha, you hungry?”

“I guess but why do you ask?” She asked confused by my kind offer.

“Think nothing of it,” I said walking over to a cabinet and pulled out a small can of oats out with my magic.

I cast a spell I had memorized with Sparkler long ago, before pouring some sugar from the cabinet followed by some cream before mixing it up with a spoon. I set it on the table as Mecha took a seat.

“Thank you for feeding me Blossom,” she said with a smile.

I grinned and thought I gave myself away as she paused, before she took a bite.

“This is-" she never finished as her head fell into her bowl.

I grabbed a towel and lifted her head from the bowl and cleaned her face with the towel, before setting her head on the table.

“Now for that traitorous android,” I said to myself as I walked into the front room, where Jacker lay on the couch.

“Hey Jacker,” I asked.

She groaned and sat up before she spoke.

“Morning, Blossom.”

“I’m sorry about last night,” I said as sincerely as I could.

“It's fine sugarcube,” she said with a small smile.

“I want show you the armory, to make it up to you,” I told the dark grey robo pony.

“You don't have to do that Blossom,” she said with a happy tone.

“But I want to Jacker,” I insisted eagerly before walking away. I listened closely to her heavy hoof steps as she followed me to the room. But she stopped as we walked past the kitchen, crap what if she thinks Mecha sleeping at the table is suspicious.

“Seems Mecha raided your cabinets last night,” she laughed before walking into my room where I opened the secret door and motioned for her to follow as I disappeared into the dark armory. Once inside I ignite my horn and grab a small metallic device and hid behind a cabinet. I then pulled the pin of the pulse grenade I had grabbed and rolled it at the unsuspecting android.

“Oh, sh-" she never finished as the grenade let loose with the sound of booming thunder.

I ran over and saw her eyes no longer glowed with power and I grabbed my grandmother's 10 gauge double barrel and ran back upstairs.

I burst out of my house with all I needed to get back to Manehattan as well as a map of the interstate that I needed. As I walked out of No Zera I felt mixed feelings of anger and sadness, I shook my head to clear my thoughts I needed to focus if I was gonna get to Manehattan in one piece if I was gonna save my sister and avenge my town.

I looked at the map to plan the quickest and safest route to Manehattan, I could go the way I got here but I don't want to run into those cat creatures again. So I decided to cut through the city Rust Peak, which is a city made from old vehicles, and it is also one of the few safe cities around here.

I rolled up the map and put it away in my coat pocket and started walking. I turned to look at No Zera one more time before I turned and left it behind me.

*

Surrounded by pine, I hummed a tune I barely remembered as I kicked a can down the broken pavement. As I continued to walk down the ruined road I thought of my sister and what she could going through in the hooves of those monsters.

I sighed with out someone else around I am left with only my thoughts. “This is going to be a long trip,” I said aloud to no one in particular that only emphasize the fact of how alone I was.

I froze in place when I heard rustling in the bushes on the medium. I turned, readied my shotgun, and kicked my can into the bush, but I didn't expect there to be a child’s voice that said ow.

“Who's there,” I ordered.

“Just me,” a familiar yellow filly said as she popped out of the bushes.

“How the in the wide world of Equestria did you get here,” I asked as I pulled her to me with my telekinesis.

“I walked,” she said as she lifted a metal hoof.

“But-wait alone,” I asked, stumbling out of my original question.

“No, Reshuffle is-" she stopped as we both heard slurred singing.

“Ya do the pony pokey and ya turn yourself around,” he stumbled down the street in my path, wearing a pair of mirror lense aviator shades and his helmet on his web equipment set over his coat.

He then tripped and burped before looking at me and my annoyed expression.

“Oh hi Mark,” he said in a strange tone before his head met the ground with a snore.

“Really,” I asked incredulously.

“Eeeyup,” she said with a giggle.

“Luna dammit all,” I cursed under my breath. I sighed again and pulled out my map, it was too far to Rust Peak but I remembered seeing ruins on the other side of the forest. “Sweetie I am gonna carry Reshuffle to some ruins nearby I need you to stay close okay,” I tell the young filly as I lift the pegasus from the road and began carrying him through the forest with the yellow filly following behind.

“So, has he done anything to you,” I asked.

“Not really. He hurt me when he was connecting the nerves in my leg though and he calls me Heart,” she said thoughtfully.

“He’s mostly been schooling me, talking to me about what happened to me, and helping me sleep,” she said nonchalantly.

“Helping you sleep,” I asked, worried about the intentions of the strange and surprisingly light pegasus.

“He sings to me when the memories return,” she replied, her almost downcast tone worrying me as she spoke.

“What's wrong Sweetie,” I asked, stopping and turning to look at her in her sad pink eyes.

“He’s sad,” she said, her voice almost breaking and betraying her sadness.

“I try to ask him about it, but he just tells me that I shouldn't burden myself with it, before drinking himself to sleep,” she cried.

I was confused as to why she would be worried about a buck she barely knew, but I dropped him and hugged her tight.

“It's ok Sweetie,” I cooed.

“It's not. He’s helped me so much and I can't do anything to repay him,” she bawled.

“Child, you aren't old enough to have to burden yourself with debt let alone trauma,” I said, not believing that those words were my own.

“Thank you miss Blossom,” she said.

“No problem,” I replied.

I turned to where I had dropped the pegasus and picked him up.

*

We arrived at the ruins a bit later than I expected, so we decided to take shelter in the remaining building, which was the sheriff's office.

I put Reshuffle in a cell bed, and Sweetie had fallen asleep in the next cell over. I sat and cleaned Sparkler’s 9mm as I hummed a tune from when I was younger. I heard a snap and whirled around to face a sober Reshuffle with a flame in his mechanical fingers and a cigarette in his mouth.

“Hello miss Blossom. I figure you wish to speak to me,” he said as he lit his cigarette and extinguished the flame.

“Aren't you hungover,” I asked as I got back to cleaning my gun.

“No, but I blame that on my being a piece of shit,” he said with disgust.

“How,” I asked.

“I acted like I got drunk and upset Heart once again,” he said sadly.

I snorted with disdain for his actions, before asking, “Why?”

“I’ve been through some shit believe it or not,” he said.

“Everyone in the wasteland has been through some shit, so that's no excuse to play with a child's heart like you did,” I sneered.

I began to reassemble my gun as he spoke.

“I realize that. That's why I tried to find you. I figured you knew her well enough to know what to do, because I’m just a washed up combat medic,” he said.

I snorted, before I said, “You're a pathetic excuse for a pony. How about you fuck right off to your cell.”

“How do you think your family would react to your cold attitude,” he said, irritatingly calm.

I drew the revolver I found and aimed it at his head.

“Shut the fuck up, scumbag! You don't know them! You don't know me,” I screamed.

“I know you better than you think. I also know that you're scared. Not of me, but yourself. You may not realize it yet, but you will. You aren't going to pull that trigger,” he said as calm as ever.

I hated to admit it, but he was right, I wasn't going to shoot him. I cried out in frustration, before all out bawling when I thought of Cherry’s disapproval. That’s when I felt the wings and foreleg of the strange buck, but I couldn't pull away as I cried into the soft embrace.

*

I awoke under the covers of a warm bed, not knowing how I got there, but comfortable all the same. I sat up and saw Reshuffle sleeping in a desk chair outside of the cell I was in. I got up, and walked out, but saw that Sweetie was also up, and fiddling around with a big revolver that looked like mine, but different. It was a grey blue with a black heart on the barrel.

“Sweetie, what are you doing with that gun,” I asked.

“Well I was just cleaning it for Reshuffle,” She answered putting the gun down.

“Does he know your doing this?” I asked the filly.

“No, he doesn't know I am doing this,” Sweetie answered quietly.

“Then you shouldn't touch it then,” I tell her as I took the weapon from the filly. “If you want to help him why don't you ask him next time ok.”

“Yes ma’am,” she said timidly.

“Ok I gotta go Sweetie,” I told her as I grabbed my weapons and walked toward the door.

“No, don't go Radiant!” Sweetie yelled grabbing my tail.

“Sweetie let go of me now,” I tell the filly who only tightened her grip.

“No, take me with you,” she begged on the verge of crying.

“I can't, where I'm going it's too dangerous for you,” I say pulling the filly off my tail with my magic. “How about this you stay with Reshuffle for now, and I will come back to get you once I am done with what I gotta do.”

“Ok miss Blossom be careful ok,” she said hugging me. I return the hug then set her on the bed and walked out the door.

Once outside I paused I heard something then I felt something sharp stab into my neck. I felt tired soon after then I collapsed on the ground before losing consciousness.

I opened my eyes, and was hit by a bright light blinding me. I heard voices speaking but I could understand them like I was under water. I tried to move but I couldn't so do I tried to speak but I could not. I kept trying until I felt severe pain in my side followed by a warm sensation flooding my entire body, then everything went black.

When I woke up the second time I found myself in an oval prison cell. The cell was a sterile environment that looked more like an operating theatre.

“Hey good looking,” a raspy voice with a Cajun accent whispered behind me. Turning around quickly I spotted a shadowy figure sitting against the wall. “What brings you to Ol Shadow?”

“Who are you?” I asked the shadowy figure. “where am I?”

“Ah am Shadow Fall,” the figure answered.

“Ah’m a business pony, I make deals for a living,” he said in his voice, which was as rough as sandpaper.

‘Maybe it's a ghoul,’ I thought. I sighed before turning away from the thing talking and looked over my body for any scars from earlier.

“I see ya lookin’ at your body for the scars but ya won't find em,” Shadow Fall said in my ear.

“What the hell!” I yelled at the shadow as it surrounded me before flying in front of me and formed a large black stallion with solid white eyes. “What are you?”

“Another one of Alpha's lab rats,” he said sadly.

“Your pegasus friend is next,” he said as he sat next to me.

“I don't care about him! Where’s Sweetie,” I yelled.

“Ah don't rightly know Ah only overheard the guards talk about the pegasus,” he rasped extensively.

“I need to get out of here,” I say aloud to myself.

“You and me both,” Shadow Fall commented. “The only way out is death however, so I don't suggest that.”

“Well I'll find a way to g-” I stopped mid sentence as I felt an intense headache that shot up into my horn. I screamed as the pain increased to unbearable levels.

“The pain will pass soon,” Shadow said standing above me. Surprisingly as soon as he said that the pain stopped.

“What the hell was that?” I asked feeling light headed and relieved that the pain stopped.

“It was the injection kicking in,” He explained changing into a smoke cloud. “It is meant to make you stronger but from what I been through that is never the case,” he sighs before continuing. “I wasn't always a smoke monster, it is what that injection did to me.”

“So you mean that pain I felt in my horn was some kind of mutation,” I asked the shadowy stallion.

“So it focused on your horn interesting,” he muttered to himself. “It is odd you don't seem to be showing any signs of change.”

“ Well that's good to hear,” I said before looking at the wall. “How do they keep you in here?” I ask the Smoke Creature.

“I don't know I never tried to escape using my powers,” he admitted but paused before continuing. “I see where this is going but we need to figure out what they did to you before we try anything.”

“I guess you're right about that,” I say sitting down on floor. “How do we figure out what I can do?”

“Well I guess we could try some physical tests,” he suggested with a shrug.

“sounds good but how are we gonna do that?” I ask looking at the blank room.

“Good point,” he agreed. “okay well let's rule out magical energy, it could have affected your magic given it's its focus on your horn,” he formed a bullet out of his shadowy body. “I want you to augment this bullet,” he said, holding it up.

“What,” I say in disbelief. “I don't know how to do that.”

“Ah’ll show you how depending if this tires you then it didn't affect your magic,” he said before taking a deep breath. “Ah want you to focus all your energy on the bullet and think explosive thoughts.”

I rolled my eyes and attempted to focus, when I heard a tell tale whaling reached my ears. My focus shattered into a million pieces.

“Sweetie,” I screamed looking at Shadow. “No time I need to get out of here now.”

“Ah agree that was a child's scream those monsters need to be stopped, “ He agreed before enveloping me. “stand still this is gonna feel strange.”

“What!?” I said before I felt a crawling sensation and everything went black

When I could see again I found myself in a hallway I'm in front of a room that seemed to to contain all the repossessed items taken by our captors.

I searched the room across the hall and grabbed my gear, before being joined by Shadow. I stormed past him, busy worrying about my godchild as I stormed into the next cell to find two guards. Laying there was Reshuffle, but I ran out of the room after I shot both guards in the head their guns rose in my aura as my anger grew. Sweetie wasn't in this cell, so I moved on. In the next cell were two doctors. I blew them apart with my shotgun, 9mm, and two M16s. I moved on and in the next room were three guards. I snatched their riot shotguns and turned them on their owners.

“Die,” I screamed, before I blew them to grease stains.

I moved on, my anger growing as I did. I ripped doors off their hinges and took every enemy life and gun I could find, and by the end of the hall, the final room, I had 30 guns and a mouthful of bulk. There she was, strapped to a table, blindfolded and held at gunpoint. He wore a faded gold trimmed power armor with a rearing alicorn on the forehead.

“Hello there, Radiant Blossom. You've been a serious pain for me and my…associates,” he said.

“Who the fuck are you,” I screamed.

“You know who I am, but I’ll be sure to kill you later,” he said as he disappeared in a brilliant flash of light.

“Fuck you,” I screamed.

“Miss Blossom,” she asked, crying softly.

THUMP

I turned and saw that Reshuffle had been unceremoniously dumped on the ground by Shadow, who then dropped his prosthetic foreleg on the ground.

“Is she ok,” he asked.

I ignored him as my guns all hit the ground as I walked to Sweetie.

“I’m here Sweetie,” I whimpered, nearly in tears as I saw her cut and bruised body.

I heard sobbing from the hall, but ignored it as I brushed her mane away to reveal a bloody horn. I removed her blindfold and sobbed at her tears and buried my face in her chest.

“I am so sorry Sweetie for not being able to save you sooner,” I cried before wiping my tears away and placed the filly onto my back. “Shadow can you wake up that pegasus we might need his help,” I ask the shadow pony.

“I thought might ask that so I am ahead of you,” he said.

I heard him rummage through a vacant medical cart, and before long I heard the strange buck gasp for air, coughing and kicking. I turned and saw as if he was suffocating, but turned to block Sweetie’s view. I heard a puking sound before Shadow spoke.

“That's weird, his body rejected the cells,” he said, clearly intrigued.

“That's nice, now get him over here,” I said irritably as Sweetie cried.

“How do I-" Shadow began to ask Reshuffle, but stopped as he spoke.

“I got it,” Reshuffle said, as if distant.

I heard a click, a hiss, and a groan of pain before the pegasus appeared beside me.

“Collect what medical supplies and ammunition you can, I’m gonna have to do some painful and disturbing work that I don't want you to see,” he said grimly as he took in the scrapes, gashes and disrepaired cybernetic connections.

“I’m gonna stay with Sweetie,” I said sternly.

“I don't think you should,” he said as he began to gather surgical tools and medical supplies around the room.

“I don't give a single solitary fuck what you think! You aren't my keeper, nor would I ever want you to be,” I yelled, seeing red.

“Fine be stubborn,” He muttered before turning his focus back to Sweetie. “Just stay quiet, I gotta focus so no distrac-” he was cut off by a loud bang followed by a blinding light. I having been hit by one before I instinctively covered my eyes.

Now deaf, I turned to look at the entrance and saw several soldiers barging in I grabbed my weapon and prepared for a fight.

“Surrender or be destroyed,” the leader said cockily.

“How original,” Reshuffle said mockingly.

“Are you mocking me,” the leader asked angrily.

“No, not at all, miss,” Reshuffle said, grinning cheekily.

He was then struck in the nose with the butt of a rifle, causing his smile to disappear. He had still stood his ground, not shifting an inch.

“You hit like a bitch,” he said slowly.

At this point they all had their eyes on him, and Shadow stood behind them, at the ready. I nodded, and we opened fire on them, spraying blood on the walls as the bullets struck.

“Well done,” the pegasus chirped.

“Mr. Fall, did you happen across any anesthesia,” he asked.

“No, but Ah found some morphine and a healing potion,” Shadow said, as he set the things on the table.

Reshuffle picked them up, and began to set up a morphine drip. As he did this, I went to Sweetie’s side and held her hoof.

I heard the light scrape of metal on metal, and looked up to see Reshuffle, holding a scalpel.

“You may not want to see this,” he said.

I could feel Sweetie beginning to shake, so I looked into her eyes and said, “It's ok, Sweetie, I’m here for you.”

“Will it hurt,” she asked worriedly.

I looked to a frowning Reshuffle, who sighed and said, “It will only hurt for a second.”

He cut away the skin after removing the connection hub. Sweetie tensed and screamed as she tried to pull away, but I held her down. He cut further into the flesh, and I was ready to shoot him when she fainted from the pain. I was about to yell at him, but stopped when I saw him hold the hub to the bleeding stump, and little pin sized wires stab into the flesh before pulling itself into the stump.

“There's some hydrogen peroxide in the cabinet, and we need to clean these glass cuts,” he said sadly.

“Glass cuts,” I asked, as I grabbed the hydrogen peroxide.

“Those bastards threw her through a window,” he said as he took the chemical from my telekinesis. He poured it into the cuts, and it bubbled and fizzed before it wasn't visible. He then bandaged her cut up barrel, as I left the room.

I stopped over the bodies of the soldiers who we shot and took in their uniforms, they all had the alicorn crest that one stallion had on his helmet. “who are these guys?” I asked myself.

The raspy voice of Shadow Fall answered “Those traitors are now Alpha’s researchers.”

“Traitors,” I asked.

“Some came from the royal guard, but they're mostly ex-revolutionary doctors and soldiers,” he said with disgust.

“I hear a lot about this Alpha character but no one ever tells me who or what Alpha is,” I commented looking at the shadow pony.

“Alpha is the last thing you want to run into,” Shadow said flickering, I took this as a shiver of fear. “There are many theories about Alpha, many claim it is a monster made during the great war, others it is a pony so powerful it can destroy massive cities and armies with a thought.”

“That has to be far from the truth, right?” I ask confused looking at the symbol. “Hey, Shadow what do you know about the Bio Jacker androids?”

“Not much but from what I gathered from other inmates, they were created by one of Alpha's Generals Named Arsenal,” the shadow pony answered picking up a rifle from the pile of dead bodies. “When the general found out that the droids were kidnapping children to be experimented on, she destroyed them all.”

“That can't be right,” I say quietly.

“Wait what do you mean that's not right? Did you see one?” He asked sounding scared.

“More than seen one, I was rescued by one,” I say pocketing bullets I found on the bodies.

“That makes no sense,” Shadow said, confused.

“To be honest she reminded me of one of the ministry mares, but I don't remember which one,” I said.

“I still don't understand. They were all destroyed, and even if one survived it wouldn't have saved anyone,” he said.

“But I learned it was just using me to find something,” I tell the shadow pony before walking back into the room Sweetie was in. “Hey how is she doing?” I asked the pegasus.

“She is unconscious, but other than that she'll be fine,” he answered while placing the small filly on his back.

“That's good to hear,” I let out a sigh of relief. “Now we need to get out of here.”

“Before we do, I must ask, why do you hate me,” he questioned softly.

“Let's go,” I said, ignoring his question. I went to Shadow as Reshuffle put on his gear, and Shadow gave me my gear.

“So have you found a way out Shadow?” I ask the larger shadow pony.

“Yes but it is gonna be hell to get through,” Shadow said flickering slightly.

“Never thought it was gonna be easy,” I comment loading Silvia and Sparky. “What kind of resistance are we looking at?”

“Several guards and I think at least one heavily armored Titan, possibly a heavy weapons variant,” he informed us.

“Damn, you are right that is gonna be hell to get through,” Reshuffle commented.

“It’s gonna be tough but it's not impossible,” I say confidently. “Now I will be going ahead to clear out the area, Shadow Fall I need you to watch Reshuffle’s back, ok.”

“Let's blow this popsicle stand,” Reshuffle said.

“Let's go,” Shadow said.

So we took point at the door with Reshuffle on the left of the door, and Shadow on the right with me ready to buck it open.

Reshuffle got up on his hind legs as I kicked in the door, and charged into the room back to back with Shadow. Their guns roared and bodies fell before I heard the roar of minigun fire. I turned the corner and saw a beast the size of a bus with miniguns the size of sky carriages. I took cover once more as the reality of the situation hit me, and I knew I’d neet more than my 9mm and shotgun to kill whatever that was.

I decided to take a 10 gauge shell from the chamber of my double barrel, before focusing my magic on it. It began to glow and burn in my grasp before it popped and stopped burning, but glowed with a brilliant raspberry red aura. Exhaustion hit me like a sack of bricks, but I forced myself to remain upright. I loaded the shell, and snapped it shut, and pointed it at the monster and fired it as I blacked out.

When I awoke I was outside, I could tell by the breeze. “H-How did I get here?” I asked groggily standing but I felt weak and laid back down.

“Well y'all were just laying in the middle of the woods so I thought you'd tell me?” A familiar mechanical southern voice answered.

“Jacker!” I yelled in fear but even with the adrenaline rush I couldn't move.

“You're lucky we don't kill you for whatcha did,” she said cooly.

“We? What do you mean we,” I nearly shouted.

“I’m here too,” Mecha said from behind me, causing me to jump.

“So, why did you throw a pulse grenade at me,” Jacker asked.

“And why did you drug me,” Mecha asked.

“You assholes shot me with a fucking taser, so you could raid my armory for something that isn't there! So excuse me for ruining your morning, but I didn't want to travel with you after what you did, and I knew you wouldn't let me leave,” I yelled at the two mares. “So if you don't mind go away.”

“Wait a second,” Jacker said holding her hooves up defensively. “If you just said ya wanted to leave you could've, I wouldn't have stopped you.”

“I would've!” Mecha chimed in happily and was jabbed in the ribs by Jacker. “What? I was only joking,” she whined rubbing her ribs.

“So you mean to tell me I was paranoid over nothing,” I said, face hoofing. “sorry I kinda freaked out back there.”

“It's fine Firecracker,” Jacker said picking me up off the ground. “Besides I think I need to keep an eye on you since you seem to be incapable of going a day without becoming incapacitated.”

“Fuck you,” I muttered.

I was bitter and pushed all of the doubt from my head. It wasn't that bad was it?

“Where’s Sweetie,” I asked.

“You were the only one here besides Shadow Fall, but I’m guessing we can't be too far behind Sweetie,” Jacker said.

“Reshuffle isn't here either,” I said.

“So what,” Jacker asked.

“I highly doubt that he would let her travel alone,” I said.

“Oh, shit,” Jacker said as realization dawned on her.

“Hey Mecha,” Jacker asked.

“What is it boss lady,” Mecha quipped.

She was met with a glare before Jacker asked, “Could you fly above the treetops and see if you can find that prick.”

“I highly doubt I'll find anything,” Mecha muttered.

“Check anyway,” Jacker said.

“Guys, don't worry about it, we already know where he hides. Besides, we have business to attend to that is more important than some weirdo in a duster,” I said.

They all stared at me, then I realized that I was wearing a duster as well as they began to snicker, and I face hoofed once. I was so annoyed, that I just began walking through the forest, before they tried to catch up. I needed to get to Manehattan to hopefully save my sister.

End of chapter 2.