Chapter 2
Youngbloods
"We’re peas in a pod. We’re thick as thieves. Any cliché you can throw at me.”

Five years later...

The rain fell in heavy drops from the darkened sky soaking my coat to the bone. The leather barding wrapped around my midriff felt soggy as I trotted through the mud beside Ash Blossom. It was clear by the thin line her lips made she was even less thrilled about the weather than I was. Behind us, Lug Nut and Razz trudged slowly in the muck as we moved further away from the our comfortably dry home. I was beginning to regret coming on this scouting mission but I knew it was important. Bad weather was the perfect time for the neighboring raider clan to try and poke holes in our defenses and for us to do the same to them. In the distance a flash of lightning lit up the gloomy wasteland for just a moment, allowing me to check our surroundings quickly. The wasteland was as empty as ever with only a few scattered, dilapidated buildings to mark the area. While there wasn't much in the way of site seeing, I had come to realize over the years that this area was a goldmine for merchants and caravans passing through on their way to the larger settlements. Rusty was a genius for choosing this location as the Youngbloods territory. To the west lay the ruined city of Manehattan, it's tallest towers clearly visible even through the dull, gloomy shadows of the storm. Merchants from all over the wasteland traveled there to sell their wares to the snobby ponies that lived in Tenpony Tower. We rarely traveled there due to the heavily armed guards that were always said to watch the tower. Not to mention the countless dangers that were rumored to be hidden in the shadows of the ruins.

Somewhere to our north was a pre-war town called Hoofington. I knew very little about it and had never thought to travel there. Most of the wasteland north of us was barren with very few settlements and even more monsters. Finally, to our south, was the infamous city of Fillydelphia. Even as I thought about it, I found myself turning my head to face the direction of the city. It was too far for me to see even on a clear day, but I knew it was there. Three years ago, Fillydelphia had been nothing more than a raider haven. I had only been there once on a mission with Rusty Blade and a few others as we tried to establish trade with other gangs. Needless to say, it hadn't gone well. My left ear twitched at the recollection of a crazed mare's teeth tearing my flesh flashed before my eyes. Sometimes I could still hear the sickening rip as half of my ear was torn off. Shaking my head, I quickly rid it of the memory. Those raiders had been exterminated, if the rumors were to be believed. Word had it that a powerful group had cleaned the city and had even started rebuilding the various factories. Perhaps one day Rusty would take us back there, but after such a painful defeat, I doubted it.

"Hey, Wild, you smell that?"

Razz's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and returned my attention to the task at hoof. Turning to the red coated colt, I lifted my nose and sniffed the air. Blood. The scent was thick and fresh, leaving a metallic tang in the back of my throat. The rain hadn't even washed it away yet. Unholstering my pistol, the others followed suit and formed up tightly around me with the largest of us, Lug Nut, covering our rear. It wasn't just the smell of blood I had caught riding the stormy gale. Gun smoke and the stench of filthy ponies also stung my nose. I hadn't realized how close to the border we were and mentally kicked myself for letting my thoughts wander. Being so close to a neighboring gang meant we needed to be extra careful. I was in charge of this scouting party and it would be my head if anything happened to the ponies who trusted me to lead them. Focusing, I moved forward slowly as we came to a bend in the trail. There was no way to climb the steep, muddy slope so we would have to simply walk around. Holding a hoof up, I signaled for the others to stop and quietly peeked my head around the corner, tongue hovering over the trigger and ready shoot the first threat.

The sight that greeted me came as no surprise. Laying in a massive pool of blood was the body of a large, two headed brahmin and four earth pony stallions. No wonder the smell had been so heavy. Even after all these years, I still felt my stomach tighten at the gore and swallowed hard to quell my rapid heartbeat. Tearing my eyes from the bodies, I gave the area a thorough examination before cautiously stepping forward. Once I was sure we weren't in any immediate danger, I let the others know it was safe to come out. Ash Blossom gasped and allowed the magic holding her gun to falter before regaining control and setting her face in a grim line.

"What do you suppose happened here?" Lug Nut asked, nudging the leg of a corpse. Even if he was large for his young age, I could see that the gray earth pony's face had turned a slight shade of green.

"Isn't it obvious," Razz chimed in. If he felt any nausea at the gruesome sight, he wasn't letting on to it. "The raiders got to them first."

"He's right. Look, here are their tracks," Ash Blossom called out, pointing a hoof at the muddy ground.

Trotting up to her, I holstered my gun and gazed at the hoofprints that led to the east. Beside them was a long, deep line. "It looks like they dragged something off with them too. Alright, let's scavenge what we can and report back to Rusty. He'll want to know about this."

Desperate to be out of the rain and away from the bloody mess, we got to work quickly. All signs pointed to this being a merchant's caravan. The bastards probably thought the foul weather would have protected them from being seen at a distance. In the end, it had prevented them from seeing they were being hunted. I watched as Lug Nut and Razz began to loot the remains of the fallen ponies. Three of them appeared to have been hired guards that had been heavily armed, yet their empty holsters and packs suggested that the raiders had looted them. The remaining buck seemed to have a single pistol that didn't even look like it had been drawn during the fight. I walked up to the body and noticed that the drag marks that had been next to the raider's trail started here. Had they taken something from this pony? Razz suddenly whistled loudly, distracting me from my observation as his magic pulled up a long-range rifle from underneath one of the dead ponies. He turned to Lug Nut and chuckled. "Crosshair is gonna love this baby."

Nodding, the bigger colt took the gun and tucked it away before moving to another body. I smiled, watching the exchange fondly. Even out here, in the miserable rain and mud, my friends were thinking of the others back home. Shaking the water from my face, I turned towards the brahmin where Ash was digging through the massive pack. She had managed to pull out a variety of different food items like canned peaches and a box of sugar bombs along with a few dirty toys. Things a herd of murderous ponies didn't want. The lot that had massacred these ponies had taken most of the weapons and all the ammunition, leaving behind only a few remains for us to scavenge. For some reason, however, they had left behind all the merchant's belongings so I quickly got to work looting him.

A sudden movement from the underside of the large pack beast caught my eye but before I could react, I was body slammed and sent sprawling away from the corpse. I slid through the mud and blood but managed to quickly get back on my hooves before looking at my attacker. I was surprised to see a white, unicorn colt with a black mane standing beside the fallen pony. He had no cutie mark, signifying his young age, and yet, the glare he gave me was beyond his years.

"Stay away from my daddy!" he screamed before launching his second attack. He came at me with a flurry of kicks that I had managed to barely dodge. However, thanks to the wet ground and constant rain, I slipped and was rewarded with a solid strike from his horn on my cheek. The blow sent me reeling and I felt blood seep from a deep cut but I managed to stay standing. He was quick, I had to give him that, but he lacked what I had an abundance of. Experience. The wasteland was a cruel place and if you didn't learn how to fight, you wouldn't last long. The adrenaline of battle made my body shake as I charged at him, sending him flying from the full force of my larger frame. With the wind knocked from his lungs, he staggered long enough for me to draw my gun. My companions were at my side in seconds, each one holding their own weapons. Realizing he would not get the chance to attack again, the colt, instead, limped over to the dead pony who I now knew was his father. Even in the rain I could see his eyes full of tears as he glared at us.

"Take what you want, but don't you dare come near my dad again, you filthy raiders!"

"Brother!" cried another voice.

Turning, we saw a black and white filly run out from under the brahmin to stand beside the colt. She, too, was a unicorn and had a blank flank just like her sibling. Together, they bravely stood their ground against us. As the heat of the fight faded, I could finally think with a clear mind. They were foals who had just had everything taken from them. I knew what they had seen when the raiders had slaughtered everypony around them. It was understandable why the colt had assaulted me and I felt no ill will towards him.

Slowly, I holstered my gun, freeing up my mouth and took a small step forward. "Look, I know you're scared, but we're not raiders and we're not going to hurt you anymore," I said, flicking my tail to signal the others. They lowered their weapons, but not their guard.

"Then why do you look like raiders?"

"An unfortunate side effect of living in the wasteland. We take what we can find in order to survive and most of what we find raiders have left behind."

"So, you were just going to steal our stuff?" the colt barked, stamping a hoof in the mud.

"We didn't think anypony was left alive. What are the dead going to do with boxes of food and ammunition?"

"Don't you talk about my daddy like that! He's-"

"Dead," I interrupted firmly. "I'm sorry, but he's dead. We have young ones, foals like you, who need the food your dad was transporting."

This seemed to catch him off guard as his next words seemed to fall back down his throat. He stared at me a moment before asking. "Foals? What do you mean you have foals?

Taking another step, I carefully began to close the distance between us. "We're part of a group of orphaned ponies. We've helped several kids like you who would have died in the wasteland."

I remembered what Rusty Blade had said to me when he had saved me. I knew the fear these two were feeling and how to help them see that I was not a foe. My words weren't sugar coated, but realistic of the danger these two now faced. I could see it was beginning to work as this same realization showed on the colt's expression. That brave look he'd shown melted and what now stood in front of me was a terrified child whose world had just been spun upside down. Seeing the change in her brother, the filly sank to the ground as she sobbed into her hooves. Turning to my friends, I nodded and watched as they came forward to circle around the foals. Ash Blossom nuzzled the filly while Lug Nut placed a hoof on the colt's back. We allowed them to cry, to release all the fear and pain they had been trying to hide as they stood beside their dead father.

"Who… who are you all anyways?" the young filly asked.

Ash smiled and pointed a hoof at each of us. "I'm Ash Blossom. This is Lug Nut, Razz, and Wild Chains. What are your names?"

"I'm Yang, and this is my twin brother, Yin."

"Those are nice names."

Ash's voice was gentle and kind, further comforting the foals in a way that my harshness couldn't. Watching her interact with them made me smile a little. She had always been one of the sweetest ponies I'd had the pleasure of knowing, even when the wasteland had battered and scarred her just as much as it had me. Razz tapped me on the shoulder before tilting his head quietly in the direction the raiders had left. Following his gaze, I couldn't see anything through the sheet of rain, but my eyesight wasn't nearly as good as his. Trusting his judgement, I nodded at him and returned my attention to the others. "We need to go. We aren't safe here."

Yin's ears stood up as he looked at me, his pupils shrinking in fear. "Are they coming back?"

"There's a pony who's been watching us. Not sure if it's a raider, but it's better to be safe than sorry," Razz said, his eyes staring off in the distance.

"We can't leave yet! What about Mom, Yin?" Yang cried out, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Your mom?" I asked, my ears drooping.

"Those mean ponies took her away."

Suddenly, I knew what those drag marks had been. I felt my heart fall into my hooves as I realized what was in store for her. The eyes of my companions turned to me, silently asking what we were doing about this new information. Keeping my expression neutral, I looked at the foals. "We can't stay here. If the raiders return, we won't stand a chance against them. You can stay here or come with us the choice is yours."

With that, I swished my tail and turned back the way we had come. The others moved to gather what they had collected and fell in line behind me. Ash Blossom trotted up next to me, her mouth opened to form a question, but I held up a hoof to stop her. I mentally counted down and right on cue the foals called out and galloped up to us.

"Wait! Please, let us come with you," Yin begged.

I nodded, offering a solemn smile. "Of course. Stay close to us, we have a bit of a walk ahead of us. Razz, watch our backs and make sure we're not followed. Lug, Ash, you two watch our sides. Weapons out."

Without another word, I drew my gun and began the trek back to the school.

The glow of the fires was a welcome sight. The rain had finally stopped, leaving us soaking wet and miserable as we neared home. Yin and Yang had kept up with us easily and had remained quiet during the whole trip save for a few sniffles and sobs. As we approached home, however, I could see that the idea of being safe and warm inside a building was as enticing to them as it was to us. Our hooves moved just a little faster until we had reached the gate where two guards were standing watch. Upon seeing us, they relaxed a bit and parted ways to allow us entrance, their eyes watching the two newcomers with piqued interest. Not stopping, I continued leading the group until, at long last, we burst through the door and were greeted with the warmth of several trashcan fires. I could have collapsed right there and then but I managed to stay on my hooves. There was still lots to do.

"Ash, will you take Yin and Yang to the kitchen and get them something warm to eat? I'm sure Tato will be more than happy to see all the food you managed to get too."

The lilac filly nodded and ushered the youths towards the back of the building. Lug Nut and Razz needed no direction as they made their way to the makeshift armory. It was nothing more than a bunch of beat up lockers but each one was full of a variety of weapons and ammunition. I watched as the small formed Crosshair danced excitedly as she helped the boys unload. Shaking the last remnants of the storm from my coat, I trotted towards the little tent I had called home since first arriving here. Dumping my wet saddle bags and barding, it took everything I had not to plop down on to the worn sleeping bag inside the tent. Instead, I turned and made my way towards the stairs leading upstairs. Along the way, I heard the voices of several ponies talking and laughing around the fires. Some greeted me as I passed, a few offering me a Sparkle Cola or a quick hit of Dash, but I declined, at least for now.

The roof of the building had collapsed decades ago, sealing off the second and third stories. However, one room had been spared, an office of sorts that Rusty Blade had converted into a meeting room where the higher-ranking ponies could discuss the needs of the clan. Pushing the door open, I found our leader standing over a large table with a crude map carved into the wood, writing in a ledger. He had grown a lot over the years. Tall and slender, Rusty Blade looked older than his sixteen years and, in some ways, he was. Intelligent and charismatic, he had turned the Youngbloods from a rag tag group of feral foals into an organized, respectable gang with over a score of loyal ponies. I had a great deal of respect for him and as he looked up to greet me with a fond smile, I returned it with my own.

"Ah, Wild Chains, welcome back. Any news?"

"We found a merchant's caravan along the northeastern boarder," I said, moving to sit on the opposite side of the table. "The raiders had gotten to it first. They killed the ponies and took almost all the guns and ammo, but we managed to get a decent amount of food and even a few toys."

"That's good ta hear. We were runnin' low and I know a few of the young 'uns will love ta have somethin' new ta play with."

"We also found two unicorn foals. The raiders were true to their word and left them unharmed. Can't say the same about their parents."

Rusty's magic released the pen, his attention solely on me now. "Well now, color me surprised. I weren't expectin' them to actually hold up their end of the bargain."

I nodded, remembering the treaty he had made with the leader of the raiders. Any ponies, along with all their loot, who passed through our territories were free game to the first group that found them, but the kids were to always be left unharmed. Until today, there hadn't been any evidence that the raiders would do what they said, but Yin and Yang were proof of that. Those foals would probably never know just how lucky they had been.

I opened my mouth to say something more, but the words failed to come out and I quickly shut it again. This didn't go unnoticed and the brown unicorn tilted his head, a single eyebrow raised in an unspoken question. Looking down at my hooves, I tried to think of the best way to ask my question and realized there wasn't any way other than to just bluntly ask it. "The children's mother was taken by the raiders… alive," I said, seeing Rusty visibly cringe. "They wanted to try and save her, and I was thinking… why don't we? They could still have at least one parent left to take care of them and we have more than enough ponies to raid their camp."

His head was shaking before I even finished my sentence. Moving around the table, he stood in front of me and placed a hoof on my shoulder. I couldn't help but to look directly into those powerful, orange eyes. "Wild, ya know we can't do that. Besides, I doubt she'll have much time left. Raiders tend ta get bored with their prey quickly. If those so-called parents really cared about their foals, do ya think they would have traveled through known raider country? They put their lives at risk! If not fer us, those two would be raider food by now. Do they sound like ponies those foals deserve?"

"Well, I mean, was it really their fault? Is there anywhere that is totally free of raiders? They hired guards and…" My words trailed off as I watched his expression slowly turning into a glare. Gulping, I found myself quickly nodding in agreement while simultaneously ignoring the little pony in my mind telling me he was wrong. But he was never wrong! In all the years I'd known him, Rusty had shown only kindness towards the children of the wasteland. Time and time again he'd saved poor souls like me, who would have perished if not for the brotherhood we had in the Youngbloods. No, I knew he was right. Yin and Yang were better off with us. We would protect them, unlike their parents, and raise them to not only survive in the hellscape that was Equestria but thrive.

Seeing my approval, his expression changed as if he had never been angry as he tapped my shoulder. "Remember, adults can't be trusted. You, of all ponies, should know this."

"I do. But, what do we tell the foals? They're still loyal to their parents and will want to save them."

Moving to the other side of the table again, Rusty tapped his chin in contemplation. "Tell them we sent a scoutin' party to check on the situation. I'll wait fer a few days an' report that their mother died before we could save her."

Even though I felt horrible for lying to the kids about their mom, I understood it was necessary. Without parents they had nothing left and when a pony falls so far, they have no choice but to fall in line with the Youngbloods. We would be their new family. I didn't understand why that thought made me feel bad, but I couldn't dwell on it. My face remained neutral as I nodded. Rusty watched me for a moment longer before returning to his ledger.

"We'll give them their new names later. Fer now, let 'em eat and rest. I'm sure what they witnessed out there was pretty traumatic."

"Sure thing, Rusty."

The conversation turned to more mundane topics such as the weekly food count and shift rotations. I yawned not realizing how tired I was. My leader saw this and dismissed me with that familiar smile I was so fond of. After an exchange of farewells, I left the office and slowly made my way downstairs. My thoughts were all over the place as I tried to make sense of what had just transpired. Since when had I cared so much about the well-being of some adults? Over the years I had stolen from and even killed adults who had deserved it. We did what we had to in order to survive! So, why was I now worried about the lost mare? As I reached the main floor, I saw Ash Blossom leading Yin and Yang towards a single hut made from old, burned books. They looked so tired and frightened but followed without resistance.

I absentmindedly made my way towards one of the many barrel fires that littered the large gym and sat beside a few other ponies. Outside, I could hear the rain begin again as it beat against the ruined roof relentlessly. Thankful for the fire, I leaned closer to the flames and rubbed my hooves together. One of the ponies levitated a bottle of rum and I took it happily, swigging the harsh liquid and wincing as it burned my throat. I took a few more gulps feeling my get stomach pleasantly warm. Soon, my brain had turned fuzzy as the alcohol pushed away the anxiety and uncertainty I had felt before. Looking around, I saw one of the many posters that littered the school watching me closely. I had seen that obnoxiously purple pony before, and not just here. Her face, along with several others, were all over Equestria. She was always telling me that "reading is magic" or "books open doors". My parents had taught me to read a little, probably the only good thing they had ever done for me, and yet it hadn't done much. There wasn't much use for books in the wasteland, save for building little huts for orphaned ponies to sleep in.

"Ah, there you are Wild."

Turning, I saw Ash Blossom walk up and sit beside me. I nodded a greeting and slid her the half empty bottom of booze. Nothing was said as she drank, gagging a little at the harsh taste. Finally, she sighed and turned to lay on her back, leaning against me.

"How are the foals?" I asked, glancing over at the hut where two forms lay still.

"They're hanging in there. You have to hand it to them, they are brave little souls."

"Aye, did you see how Yin attacked me? He's a fighter through and through."

"Little Yang isn't a push over either. You should have seen the way she scolded Tato for her lack of hygiene."

We laughed and each took another swig of booze. Sitting in companionable silence for a moment, we listened to the hum of conversation around us. Finally, unable to hold back her curiosity anymore, Ash tilted her head and asked, "What did Rusty have to say about their mother?"

I sighed. "He thinks we can't take on the raiders. Plus, chances are she's already dead or worse."

"So, what do we tell them?"

I explained what our leader's plan was, trying hard to hide the bad taste it left in my mouth. Knowing Ash, she probably felt the same. It came as a bit of a surprise when she simply shrugged her shoulders. "Rusty knows what's best."

"Yeah," I replied hesitantly. Then, after a yawn, I carefully stood up, allowing the lilac unicorn to sit up. "I'm gonna head off to bed early tonight. Have a good one, Ash."

"Oh, okay. You too Wild."

As I lay down on the filthy mattress, I didn't fall asleep instantly like I'd hoped. Instead, I tossed and turned as my brain refused to turn off. Outside my hovel, the conversations slowly died down as ponies turned in for the night. I don't know how much time passed but sleep finally came to me at the same time the sounds of quiet sobbing echoed from a pile of burned books.

"I hereby denounce yer old names and bestow upon you a new callin'. From here on out, you shall be known as Ebony and Ivory."

I clopped my hooves loudly alongside my brothers and sisters. The white and black twins stood on the table next to Rusty Blade as they stared down bashfully at us. "Ebony! Ivory! Ebony! Ivory!" we chanted in unison. It had been a long time since we had new recruits join our ranks and the excitement was clear as we cheered loudly. Rusty had graciously given the kids a few days to come to terms with their new lot in life. The news of their mother's death had been hard and with nowhere else to go, they had joined the Youngbloods. As per tradition, they were given their new names as we officially welcomed them to the gang. They were greeted with pats on the back as they stepped off the stage, the cheers of their companions widening the smiles on their faces.

Rusty followed them and made his way through the crowd to me. "I was thinkin' about showin' our newest recruits around our territory to finalize their initiation. Round up a few others and meet me out front."

Nodding, I pushed my way through the crowds until I found that familiar lilac coat. Ash Blossom had always been my number one choice when it came to missions and tasks. She was always by my side and I knew I could trust her. When our eyes met, she simply twitched her head and made her way out of the cafeteria. I spotted Razz as he was patting Ivory on the back and moved to stand beside him. "Bring the twins and meet us outside."

I felt a tap on the shoulder and turned to see a pair of bright pink eyes staring at me. Crosshair, the weapons master, looked up at me with a wide grin. She was an earth pony with a bright yellow coat and an even darker yellow mane. Her cutie mark was a target with a bullseye in the center. "Ya'll goin' scoutin'? Betcha need my eyes so count me in."

She hadn't been my first choice, but she was absolutely right about her eyes. They were the best of anypony in the gang. With a wave of my hoof, she cheered loudly and scampered off to her hut, emerging moments later with the same rifle we had brought for her a few days before attached to a battle saddle. After gathering my own pistol, I galloped out the main door and found the group waiting for me. Ebony and Ivory stood close to Ash Blossom and looked nervous yet eager to be out of the schoolhouse.

"Alright, let's go," Rusty declared.

"Stay close," Ash whispered to the twins as we fell in line behind our leader.

The trip was standard with very little excitement, much to Crosshair's disappointment. Rusty showed the new members the various locations where we stashed caps or ammunition in case of a raid and where to go should such a raid ever happen. Always thinking of his family first, our leader had made several safe houses around our territory should the need ever arise. I always admired that about him, and I could tell Ebony and Ivory were thinking the same thing. We had gone about five miles from the schoolhouse when Crosshairs keen eyes pin pointed a disturbance a short way off. With a sharp whistle, she tilted her head and brought our attention to where she was indicating. With a wave of his horn, Rusty pulled out a pair of binoculars and gazed down at the distant figures. My eye sight wasn't the best but even from this distance I could make out at least two ponies.

As we watched, the larger of the two ponies began to shout at the smaller, his voice carrying across the wasteland. Though I couldn't make out the words, I didn't need them to know they were not friendly. Then, he struck the little form, sending the poor thing hurling to the ground. Rusty growled as he passed the binoculars to me. Looking through them, I could see the smaller form was a colt who looked like the older buck. A father and son perhaps? I felt my own stomach burn with anger as the buck kicked the child hard, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"What's going on?" I heard Ebony whisper.

"Ash Blossom keep an eye on the foals," Rusty said, gently pushing a curious Ivory behind him. "Crosshair, Wild Chains, with me."

"Sure thing, boss," the yellow filly said, her lips set in a firm line.

Pulling out my pistol, I fell in line beside Rusty as we galloped down a slope. If the stallion saw us coming, he took no notice. He continued to beat and kick the poor child all the while filling the wasteland with his voice. I bit hard against the handle of the gun, the taste of iron and dirt filling my mouth. The only thing I could think about was bringing that bastard to justice! As we neared, the buck lifted his hoof to strike again, but Rusty had seen enough. Skidding to a halt, he magically unsheathed Crosshair's rifle and gazed down the scope in the same fluid motion. With an ear-splitting bang, his shot landed true as the stallion's hoof was blown off. His shouts turned to screams of pain as he crumpled.

We rushed in and quickly surrounded the colt, shielding him from his attacker. With a quick glance, I could see the boy had been badly hurt as blood seeped from several gashes on his face. There were bruises all over his body giving me all the evidence I needed that this was not a first-time offence.

"You shot me! You fucking shot me, you little shits! I'll kill you!"

Rage boiled my blood and I aimed my gun at the stallion's head, pulling the hammer back with a quick flick of my tongue. His death would be sweet. The coward's words failed him as he began whimpering and blubbering incoherently.

"Wait! Please don't shoot my pa!"

Turning, I watched the colt try to stand up but failed and almost fall again, but Rusty was there to catch him. Helping him up to his wobbly hooves, the brown unicorn looked at the poor colt with eyes of concern and sympathy. "Ya mean ta tell me that this buck is yer dad? What kind of father beats his own son?"

"Who the hell are you to tell me how to raise my kid!" the stallion growled as his confidence began to return.

"It's not his fault. I was supposed to pack the canteens, but I forgot. Please, please don't hurt him anymore!"

He began sobbing as tears mixed with blood streamed down his teal coat. Looking at my leader, I silently asked him what we were supposed to do. He merely nodded once, giving us the signal to back down. Holstering our weapons, Crosshair and I took a step back and let Rusty handle it. My eyes continued to watch the stallion in case he tried anything.

"I know yer afraid of him, kid, but you don't got to be no more. We ain't gonna let him hurt you again."

"Gizmo, what the hell are you doing, you worthless dung heap? Get over here and help me!"

The poor colt visibly trembled but complied with his father's wishes. I was surprised Rusty let him, but soon I understood why. As the boy tried to lift his father up, he inadvertently bumped the raw stump. As if we weren't standing there, the stallion moved to hit Gizmo again but was stopped as I rushed forward to land a sharp kick to his side. The power behind my attack sent the large stallion flying as he landed a few feet away with a winded grunt. This time, the colt didn't rush to his father's aid. Rusty Blade moved to stand by his side as he placed a gentle hoof around the lad.

"I told ya. Never again," he said, his voice calm. "How long has he been doing this to ya?"

Sobbing, Gizmo didn't answer right away. Rusty didn't rush him, instead allowing the tears to flow much like he had done with me all those years ago. Finally, the boy answered with a shuddering sigh. "All my life. He's hurt me so much."

The stallion had recovered from my blow and managed to stand up, glaring at me with eyes of pure hate and cruelty. "I'll kill you, you little bitch. Get away from my son!" he screamed, pulling out a rusted machete.

Standing our ground, both Crosshair and I yanked out our own weapons and pointed them at him. "Looks like ya brought a knife to a gun fight," Crosshair said with a wicked smile.

Rethinking his strategy, the old buck stood and watched us, hoping we would drop our defenses. Behind me, I could hear Rusty Blade talking quickly to the young buck. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I knew our time was growing short. "Bossh," I called through the gun in my mouth. "Wha' ya wan ush to do wiff 'im?"

Suddenly, I watched Gizmo step forward with Rusty's gun held in his mouth as he pointed it shakily at the cruel stallion. I felt my ears droop as I realized what he was about to do. Holstering my weapon, I backed up until I stood beside my friend. "What are you doing?"

"That bastard caused enough agony for our friend 'ere. It's about time he gets his revenge."

"You're going to make him shoot his own father!?"

Rusty turned on me, his fierce orange eyes glaring at me. "Are you questioning me, Wild Chains?"

I felt myself sink under the weight of that gaze, but I didn't back down. "That boy has gone through enough! We can end this for him without causing him more pain."

Something flashed in my friend's eyes, something I had never seen before. However, before we could continue, the blast of a gunshot echoed causing both of us to stare at Gizmo. The gun in his mouth was smoking and my eyes quickly moved to see the stallion stare at his son with a look of confusion and sadness before he fell in a pathetic heap. Dropping the gun, the young buck suddenly rushed forward and began landing blow after blow on the dead form of his father. We watched silently as years of abuse and torment were finally avenged. After a long time, the blue colt vomited and collapsed. Rusty Blade moved away from me without a word and stood next to him.

"I-I hated him so much, but I didn't want to kill him. What have I done?"

"You did what you had to. You took your life into your own hooves and destroyed what was holding you back. He was going to kill you slowly."

Rusty's voice was soothing, something the colt probably never heard in his life. Slowly, Gizmo began to nod as he understood what Rusty was saying. "You're right. He never loved me. He was always telling me to sleep with one eye open. Thank you for helping me to see. Who are you ponies anyway? Where did you come from?"

As Rusty Blade explained about our gang, Crosshair walked up to me and nudged me before whispering quietly. "What the hell was all that about? It looked like ya might have said somethin' to upset Rust."

I didn't reply. I was still trying to understand what had happened myself. Never had my friend forced another pony to kill their own parent. Sure, it looked like Gizmo had done it of his own free will, but I knew the silver tongue hidden in the mouth of that dark brown unicorn. Gizmo had had little choice in the matter and yet I felt I was the only one who knew that. But, was it my place to question my leader? After all, he'd never let us astray before.

"While I thank you for your offer, I believe I have family in Manehattan. My pa always told me my ma had run off to that big ol' fancy tower. I want to meet her and now I feel like I finally can."

"Well, if I can't change yer mind, then take this," Rusty said, giving the young buck the very weapon he had used to kill his own father with. "It's dangerous out there."

"Thank you. I won't forget what you've done."

With that, Gizmo gave one last final look at the corpse of his dad before galloping away. Rusty turned back to us with a smile on his face and began to walk back towards Ash Blossom and the twins. "Well now, that was excitin'."

"Ya sure showed him, boss! No way some rotten adult is gonna git away with hurtin' somepony on our turf," Crosshair said.

"Aye. Cross, why don't ya run ahead and let the others know all is well. Wild and I need to have a little chat."

"Sure thing!" she said before galloping away obediently.

We watched her go as we continued to walk side by side. I could feel those eyes watching me and yet I couldn't bring myself to look at him. Why was my heart pounding so fast? Why were my legs beginning to shake? Was I afraid? But Rusty was a friend! He would never…

The thought was thrown from my mind as a hoof came crashing down across my face. The force of the unexpected blow was enough to send me falling to the ground as I looked up at my beloved leader with shock. He just glared at me, the fire in his eyes sending a shudder down my spine. When he spoke, his voice was calm and quiet which only caused me to tremble more violently. "You been gettin' ideas in yer head lately, ain'tcha, Wild Chains? Don't think I ain't been watchin' ya. I am the leader and my word is law. If you ever question me again, I'll beat you until you can't remember how to talk."

Too stunned to reply, I just watched him wide eyed as he began to walk towards the others. Already I could feel my eye beginning to swell. A thousand questions tumbled over a thousand emotions as my brain tried to make sense of what just happened. As I slowly stood up to follow Rusty Blade, I just kept repeating the same question. Why? Was he afraid I was challenging his authority? Did he think I was trying to take over the Youngbloods? What had I said?

Soon, I was climbing the ridge where the others were waiting and saw the foals prancing at Rusty's hooves, asking him what had happened. I listened silently for a moment as he retold the events, exaggerating the details for the young ones. Ash Blossom walked over to me and placed a tender hoof on my cheek, pulling back as I winced.

"What happened to you, Wild?"

Had she not seen what Rusty had done? No, she wouldn't have. Ever the clever pony, he had sent Crosshair ahead to distract the others while he punished me. I could feel his eyes on me now, carefully watching to see what I would say.

"That big bastard got a hit in right as I slammed him down."

"Really? He musta been pretty quick 'cause I didn't see him do it," Crosshair said, moving to stand beside Ash. "Yer getting sloppy if ya let a dimwitted pony like that hit ya."

I forced a smirk and playfully pushed the yellow pony away. "And you must be going blind if you missed it."

"Alrighty, ponies, I think that's enough excitement fer one day. Let's head back and get some grub," Rusty announced, seemingly pleased with my response.

Ebony and Ivory cheered at the thought of food and began to race back the way we came, careful to stay within eye sight of us. Crosshair moved to walk beside Rusty, talking with him about sending a group to loot the body later. I stayed back, telling a concerned looking Ash that I was watching our backs. I didn't want her to see the single tear I had been unable to hold back as it glided down my bruised cheek and splattered on the scorched earth.

Footnote: Level up!
New Perk: Scout -- Your sense of direction is impeccable! It’s now easier for you to find special random encounters in the wasteland.

Author's Note

First off, a huge thank you to SonnyStar for their help with both proof reading and editing! This chapter may be a little slow, and I do apologize for that. I promise things will pick up in the next chapter. Thank you for reading!