Chapter 7
Honeypot
"Remember, kid, only wound the first one. Wait for his friends to come help then kill them too!"

The dilapidated buildings towering above us groaned and creaked as we made our way deeper into the ruins. Manehattan, the largest metropolis in all of Equestria, had been reduced to nothing more than a skeleton of its former self after the megaspell was dropped. All around us were the remains of a bygone era. Shopping centers that had been ransacked decades ago, museums full of useless items, and libraries whose books had been burned for warmth by long dead ponies. The few times I had come to this place I had been up on the rail tracks that cut through the towers, safe from the dangers that hid in the shadows. Now we were on the ground floor, our hooves clopping loudly on the broken streets, with guns and spells ready and waiting for whatever dared jump out at us. It was still early in the morning with the sun steadily rising at our backs as we moved away from Gutterville. Honeypot had said this was the best time as the creatures who roamed the streets at night were resting and any raiders would still be working off their hangovers. I made a mental note of this for any future death-defying adventures we made into this hell hole.

We had arrived in Gutterville yesterday after a surprisingly uneventful trip. As far as towns went, it wasn't too shabby. Tucked neatly into a large cul-de-sac, the town was made up mainly of the surrounding buildings that had been left relatively untouched by the megaspell. The only way in and out was though a gate built into a massive wall made from debris found all around the ruins. Inside, some smaller hovels had been constructed from large sky wagons and set up haphazardly around the street as a makeshift market. A single building had been gutted and remade into the living quarters for the townsfolk. Honeypot had made her way towards the town hall (which was just the lower level of one of the skyscrapers) and spoke with the mayor about the job. Meanwhile, Vagabond and I had gone to the inn to get a room for the night. An hour later, Honeypot joined us and announced with a smile that she had secured the contract. It turned out we had not been the first ponies to take the job and the mayor was growing desperate to rid himself of the Steel Rangers. Somehow, she had managed to get him to pay each of us 500 caps if we were successful! She certainly hadn't been lying when she said the pay would set us up nicely.

After a restful night's sleep in a bed, we'd left early the following morning per Honeypot's instruction. As we trekked through the ruins, I allowed myself a brief moment to look around the area and found myself gazing up at a large billboard hanging precariously off the side of a building. Six mares stood side by side, each of them wearing formal attire and staring at me with vastly different expressions. A blue pegasus with a bright, rainbow mane gazed with a fierce determination while the yellow pegasus looked worried and tired. A white unicorn stood gracefully beside a pink earth pony with familiar blue eyes. Another earth pony with a cowboy hat stood proudly beside the purple unicorn I recognized from the posters back at the school where I used to live. Just who were they anyways? There was no doubt in my mind they had been important before the war.

Seeing where I had been looking, Honeypot glided next to me and smiled. "Interested in the Ministry Mares, huh?" My brows furrowed in confusion, and she giggled before continuing, pointing a hoof at each pony in turn. "Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle. Each mare was the head of one of six different ministries. They basically helped the Princesses' with the war effort."

"Doesn't look like they did a very good job in the end, huh?" I would be the first to admit that I knew, and cared, very little about the history of Equestria before the war. Knowledge about how good the ponies from 200 years ago had it didn't help me survive the atrocities they had left behind.

"The Ministries aren't nearly as fascinating as the mares who ran them. I've read so many books and articles about them that you could call me a bit of an expert." Honeypot said with a barely concealed smirk.

"Careful Wild. You keep this up and she'll talk your ear off about those mares." Vagabond nickered before the pegasus slapped his shoulder playfully. I paused a moment and gazed at the buck as he and Honeypot continued. That had been the most he'd said since we'd first arrived in Manehattan! The silence might have been a welcome relief, but I couldn't help but feel a little anxious knowing what it meant. Something was going on with the normally talkative unicorn. Of course, he wasn't going to say anything until he was good and ready, something I had learned very quickly. I trotted up behind them and just listened quietly as they talked, or rather, while Honeypot talked and Vagabond just grunted a quick reply.

We continued on our way as the morning turned into afternoon. As the sun moved across the cloudy sky, the rest of the wasteland began to wake up in earnest. Every so often we'd hear the distant echo of gunfire or a guttural roar of some unknown beast. None of them made me feel particularly at ease but it did make me feel a little better knowing they weren't anywhere near us. Turning around a rather large structure, the Luna Line finally came into view at last. If anypony wanted to safely traverse through Manehattan they'd want to be up there, high above the rubble. There were two main rails that cut across the skyline, the Celestia Line and the Luna Line. The first led directly to Tenpony Tower and, as far as I knew, was the only way to actually get there. The Luna Line led to the Four Star Grand Terminal across the city or so Honeypot explained as I had never actually been up on that particular rail.

Most importantly, however, it was where merchants came to do their trading with the ponies of Gutterville. This was the reason why we were here. Somewhere along this rail a group of Steel Rangers had set up shop and were preventing any ponies from coming near. From what Honeypot was able to gather from the mayor, if anypony tried to get close they would be shot on sight. Stories of the brutality of the Steel Rangers were spread all over the wasteland, including the Youngbloods. They were a rather large group that coveted pre-war technology and killed anypony who dared get in their way. That was about all I knew of them but that’s all I needed to know to understand just how dangerous this mission was. But we had to succeed. The ponies of Gutterville, several of which were foals, needed food and medicine. If we didn’t open up trade they’d be forced to leave their homes!

"Alright, let’s see if we can find a place to camp. We need to wait for nightfall." the purple mare said quietly, her eyes watching the railway closely.

"Camp?" I asked. “Why do we need to set up camp? Why didn't we just wait in Gutterville until nightfall?"

I was a bit surprised it was Vagabond who answered. "There is no way on the Goddesses' dead, brown earth we are traveling through these ruins in the dead of night."

Point taken. Without another word, I followed behind my companions as we sought shelter. It didn't take long for Honeypot to find a building with most of its walls intact. Of course, it wasn't entirely empty but thankfully we didn't have to do much but squish a few radroaches. Vagabond levitated a few of the heavy desks to patch up a few holes in the walls and the doorway and soon we found ourselves tucked away quite nicely. I allowed myself to relax a little as I placed my saddlebags on the ground close by before laying down towards the back of the building. Honeypot stripped off her battle saddle and busied herself checking the impressive weapon to ensure it was in optimal condition while Vagabond rummaged through his saddlebags. After a moment he pulled out three cans of beans and made quick work of the sealed tops with a flick of his horn. It was in that moment I felt my stomach give a low growl. We had skipped breakfast in our eagerness to get to our destination and I hadn't realized how hungry I was. Licking my lips, I gave the buck a thankful nod as he floated a can to me. Half of the contents were gone with a quick gulp, but I couldn't help but think how much better they would have been if they had been cooked. I doubt we would be able to start a fire, so I settled for second best as I finished the rest of the can off.

"What do we have as far as supplies?" Honeypot asked suddenly. We had tried to restock our ammo and poultices back in Gutterville but were sorely disappointed. The markets were abysmally under stocked and what they did have was either poor quality or half rotten. Looking into my bags, I noted how many bullets I had for Amethyst's Peace and the single magical bandage. Vagabond's pack was in much the same condition. The mare tapped her hooves in thought and seemed to come to a decision. "We can't do this with what we have. I'm going to have to go get us more items…" she said, her voice trailing off.

My ears pricked up. "I'm sure there's a lot of places around here you could forage for some stuff but is that safe?"

She gave me a cunning smile as she flapped her wings. "You don't have to worry about me, Wild Chains. I know this city like the back of my hoof. You two rest up and keep watch here. I'll be back before sundown."

Vagabond simply nodded and levitated a desk out of the way as she darted out like a shadow. I noticed she had left her battle saddle behind and thought maybe it would be easier for her to fly unnoticed if she wasn't burdened with the large guns. We sat in silence for a moment as the unicorn finished off his meal. A gust of wind blew through the streets causing the teetering buildings to moan hauntingly and a few scattered shots echoed from somewhere far off. I kicked the can away and winced at how loud it seemed to be in the heavy stillness. He didn't even look at me as he absently munched away at his beans. I couldn't stand it anymore!

"Ugh what is with you!?" I snapped, perhaps a little too harshly.

Turning to me, he blinked those light blue eyes and tilted his head in a wordless question.

"That! You've been way too quiet for way too long. What's going on with you?"

"I thought you didn't like it when I talk," he replied straight faced. I could have cut him to ribbons with the daggers I glared. But, true to form, he smirked and forced a light chuckle before sighing. "This job reminded me of how Honey and I first met."

My ears shot up as my eyes grew wide with anticipation. It had been a few weeks since the two of us teamed up and in that time I had learned very little about my companion's past. I knew he was a unique pony of immense power that he tried to hide (albeit poorly), but that was about it. There had been several occasions where curiosity had gotten the better of me and I asked him about it. Each attempt had been rewarded with an annoying head pat and a quick change of subject. For a moment, I thought this might be another of those times but he carried on and I listened intently.

"It may come as a surprise but I wasn't wasteland born like you. I came from a stable," he started. It didn't come as a surprise, but I remained quiet as he continued. "It was attacked by Steel Rangers and I had managed to escape but not before somepony noticed. Imagine emerging into the land above after spending a lifetime in a bunker. Now imagine doing that while being chased by ironclad ponies who you'd just witnessed murdering everypony you knew. I had never been so scared and confused and the only thing I could think to do was run. As fate would have it, Honeypot happened to be flying above just then and without a moment’s hesitation she sniped three of the ponies in the blink of an eye. In the mayhem that followed I was given enough time to teleport away.

"Mind you, I wasn't able to get too far. A unicorn has to see where they want to teleport to and the further away the more magic it takes. I managed to get out of bullet range, but the rangers weren't too far behind me. Thankfully, Honeypot managed to catch up to me faster and with her help she guided me to safety. We hid in some ruins together until the coast was clear. She saw how much of a greenhorn I was and took me under her wing."

As he finished his tale, I had to hold a hoof up to my mouth to stop the stream of queries that almost burst out. Now it made sense why he had hesitated to accept a job that involved Steel Rangers. Were they still hunting him after all these years? Was he still afraid of them? Why hadn't he just blasted them out of existence like he had the ghouls back in Stableton? Where was his stable at? Had he ever gone back? Question after question bounced around in my head but I found myself only asking one that seemed to be louder than the others.

"What was it like down in your stable?"

After our last adventure into one of those death traps I was curious to know what the day-to-day life was like. My gran had told me stories, but they had been mundane and nothing of note. I wanted to know what caused a knowledgeable pony like Vagabond never want to return to his home. If he had lost the Steel Rangers, why had he never gone back? Why was he so hesitant to go back down into a stable? He opened his mouth to respond, paused, then closed it again. I knew better than to rush him. I was just happy he had told me as much as he had! So, I waited until a sudden yawn caught me off guard. An early start to the day and a belly full of food had made me very tired and my body was demanding an afternoon nap.

Vagabond used this to his advantage. Standing up to stretch his legs, he moved to me and ruffled my mane. "I get it my story is boring and you'd rather be sleeping than hear anymore."

"What? No, I-"

"We have a job to do tonight and we need you to be at your best. After all, as you've said, I can't be left alone. Gotta have you watch my back. Why don't you rest up and I'll keep watch." he nickered, trotting towards the barricade.

"You bastard! Get back here!"

With a flick of his horn, the large desks hovered in the air as he passed under it. I galloped after him but skidded to a halt as the light around the tables faded and they fell with loud crash. Weren't we supposed to be laying low and staying quiet? Why was I suddenly left alone in the middle of the Goddessesdamned Manehattan ruins!? Growling, I bucked the tables hard, but they stayed firmly in place. Well, at least it would take more than a kick from a raider to get to me. Sighing in frustration, I trotted to the back of the room while muttering curses under my breath. There was nothing for me to do so I busied myself with making sure my gun was fully loaded and the straps on my barding were cinched tight. Thoughts of what Vagabond had told me kept me from thinking about the upcoming mission and the dangers we faced. After Stable 42, I’d had a sneaking suspicion that my unicorn companion was from a stable himself. What had Vagabond's life been like down there? Did he have a family? Why had the Steel Rangers killed the ponies inside?

Laying down, I kept thinking about it even as my eyes grew heavy. No! I'm not a child. I don't need a nap…

I was getting far too much sleep. Back in my days with the Youngbloods it had felt like there wasn't enough time to rest. Between scouting patrols, guard duty, raids, and long nights in a Dash filled high I had been far too busy to take an afternoon nap. Still, I had to admit it felt nice. It had been the sound of voices that gently pulled me out of my dreamless slumber, but I didn't open my eyes right away. I recognized Honeypot and Vagabond speaking quietly together and after a moment of listening I realized they were talking about me. It took everything I had to remain still though I couldn't stop my ears from turning towards them. If they noticed, neither one said anything. Did I feel bad for eavesdropping? Hell no! If they wanted to talk about me, they could have at least done it while I wasn't lying close by.

"…are we doing?" Honeypot was saying. "She can't be older than, what, twelve? Thirteen? What were we thinking bringing her here?"

"Weren't you the one who said she wasn't a child?"

"She might not act like one but she's still just a filly. Sure, she can handle herself in a fight and she's tougher than most adults, but that doesn't change anything!"

Vagabond sighed before replying. "No, but we can't stop what's been set in motion. The damage has already been done. What childhood she could have had is long gone. All we can do is help her see that there's more to life than distrust and pain."

"What of her parents? Has she said anything about them?" I could only assume the buck shook his head before she continued. "What do you know about her anyways?"

"Not much. She hasn't said anything to me about what her life was like before that day. I've thought about asking but I figured she'd tell me when she was good and ready," he said, then chuckled lightly. "I think she's been holding back asking me questions as well. Perhaps we are the same in that sense."

Welp, I think that's enough of that. The mere mention of my parents set my heart racing. I didn't want to think about them, think about what they did. Opening my eyes, I yawned loudly and shook my mane as I tried to wake myself up fully. It was late afternoon and the light was beginning to fade in our little hidey hole. My companions were sitting not too far away with their backs to me. Stretching, I trotted towards them, the sound of my stirring finally getting their attention.

"Ah, there she is. Did you sleep well?" Honeypot said with a little too much sweetness.

Nodding, I didn't say anything as I moved to sit next to them. It was then that I saw a large stack of supplies sitting in a neat pile. Bottles of potions, magical bandages, RadAway, Med-X, and a variety of ammo. Part of me was upset there wasn't any Dash or Buck mixed in with the loadout but I wasn't going to complain. This would give us a huge advantage in the fight to come!

"Where did you get all this?" I said, turning to Honeypot.

She smiled. "Why Tenpony Tower of course."

The way she said it made me feel like I should have known this all along. My brow furrowed in confusion as I glanced briefly at Vagabond. He hadn't said anything, but I could see a glint of humor in his eye. "How did you get in? Fly through a broken window? Kill a guard?"

Her giggle was light and pleasant. "No, Wild, I walked through the front door and bought them."

My eyes grew wide as I gestured for her to explain further.

"I live there. Born and raised."

That wasn't what I had been expecting. All my life I had believed that the ponies inside the imposing tower were like royalty. They never left their safe and lavish home. Why would they? Seeing my shock, Honeypot giggled again and ruffled my mane like Vagabond always did. I couldn't bring myself to bat her hoof away.

"Perhaps after this job I'll tell you more about me, but it'll come at a cost," she said. Eyes narrowed as I sensed where this was going. She only smiled as she continued. "I want to hear your story, Wild Chains."

"Not much to tell. I was a raider, now I'm not." Vagabond tilted his head curiously as I used the word 'raider'. I had come to terms with what I had once been. I couldn't deny it anymore and I was tired of pretending the Youngbloods were some righteous group of mare do wells.

"There's more to you than that. So, let's make a bargain. After this job I'll show you my home and tell you about me in exchange for your tale."

I tilted my head towards Vagabond. "Him too or no deal."

The grin faded from his lips as he stared at me. I didn't look back at him, keeping my focus on the pegasus. She smiled slyly. "That seems fair to me."

He sighed. "Fine. Perhaps it is time we learned about this dysfunctional, little group we've created."

With that out of the way, we began to prepare for the upcoming battle. Filling my saddlebags with several healing poultices and ammo, I felt much more hopeful about this mission than I had earlier. The light had completely faded at last as the sun sank below the high buildings. Vagabond's horn glowed softly as we finished the last of our preparations. Giving Amethyst's Peace one final check, I moved to stand beside Honeypot as she buckled the last strap of her battle saddle. With a nod to Vagabond, he levitated the desks from the entrance, and we carefully left the hidey hole. The sky above was still clinging to the last rays of sunlight as we made our way towards the Luna Line. The railway loomed overhead as we neared, surrounded by tall structures that had once been apartment complexes.

Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire exploded above us causing me to unconsciously crouch low. A strange guttural bellow echoed through the ruins shortly after the shots. Honeypot and Vagabond exchanged a quick nod and before I could say anything, the dark pegasus wrapped her hooves around my smaller frame and lifted me off the ground. I almost screamed, but in my surprise, the only sound I was able to make was a pathetic whimper as my legs kicked wildly beneath me. In the blink of an eye, we were soaring high above the ruins as Honeypot flew on silent wings towards one of the apartment buildings. A large hole on one side was just big enough for her to dart inside and my hooves were on solid ground again. My trembling legs gave out from under me and I fell to my haunches heavily as my heart thundered in my chest. She could have at least warned me before! If she had felt any remorse, she didn't show it as she quickly trotted to the other side of the room to look out a broken window at the scene below. Once the adrenaline finally simmered, I looked through the hole at the street several stories below to where we had been just moments before. There was no sign of Vagabond. I tried to find the unicorn, but his stark white coat was nowhere to be seen. He must have teleported somewhere nearby. Moving through the ancient bedroom I stood beside Honeypot.

Below we could see the remains of a large brahmin as it lay dead in a huge pool of blood the contents of its pack lay scattered all around the railway. Two earth ponies stood behind the large corpse, gathering up what weapons they could find and loading them with shaky hooves. They were talking but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Further down the line stood a massive figure. It was a pony, but much taller and made entirely out of metal. It took me a moment to realize it was magical power armor! At either side of the armor were two large miniguns that were still spinning lazily as they were pointed directly at the helpless ponies.

"This area is under the control of the Steel Rangers! Surrender and die!" the voice from the suit of armor boomed.

The minigun began to spin faster, the sound of the engine whirring loud enough for me to hear from this height. I started to reach down to grab my gun but felt a firm hoof on my shoulder and I turned to see Honeypot shaking her head.

"We can't act yet," she whispered. The rage was clearly evident in her grim expression. She didn't want this, but what choice did we have? We had the element of surprise on our hooves and if we wasted that now we'd be torn apart by that weapon. Clenching my jaw, I could only watch as the bullets began to fly again. They ripped through the flesh of the dead animal with ease and found their targets. The ponies were dead in an instant, but the hail of bullets caused their bodies to lurch around violently for longer than necessary. Finally, the attack subsided as the ruins quieted once again. Smoke rose from the barrels of the gun as the Steel Ranger walked towards the bloody mess, his metal hooves slamming hard with each step.

There was a magical pop behind us as Vagabond suddenly appeared in the room. From the look in his eyes, he had seen the senseless violence too. He beckoned us away from the window in order to keep us hidden as he explained where he had gone.

"There are eight of them in total. The one in the power armor seems to be the leader but there were three others hiding in various places along the rails. The other four were back at a camp they have set up in a station just a few yards down the line."

"Only eight? They must be part of a scouting party," Honeypot said.

Vagabond nodded. "I overheard two of them talking about searching for a stable nearby. If this is true, then it would certainly explain why they are being so aggressive."

I was beginning to hate stables. They seemed to bring nothing but pain and suffering to the ponies of the wasteland.

"It's nearly time," the pegasus said, her dark eyes watching as the velvet blue of night filled the sky. "Before we move into position, here's the plan."

In the cover of darkness, I flew through the sky once more. I had been expecting it this time and since I couldn't see the ground below, I didn't feel as scared of the height. What I did see, however, was the bright light of a fire within the Steel Ranger encampment. Slowly, I was lowered into position on the top of an ancient billboard within range of the makeshift base. Looking up, I could barely make out the figure of Honeypot as she flew away. Her dark purple coat blending perfectly with the inky black sky. Soon she had vanished completely as I was left alone. The wind blew past me as if to remind me where I was, but I tried to ignore it by watching the ponies nearby. Most of them were sitting around the fire, talking quietly and completely unaware of us. Two ponies walked along the railway on guard duty, their guns drawn and ready for any threat that dared approach. They would move from one end to the other separately, making sure both sides were never left open.

I heard a magical pop seconds before Vagabond appeared right beside me. Even though I had been waiting for him it still startled me how suddenly it had happened. Without a word he just nodded and quietly moved to the other end of the billboard to get into position. While Honeypot had flown me here, the unicorn had teleported around the area to ensure there were no hidden rangers that could take us by surprise. Now all we had to do was wait for the signal. For the hundredth time, I made sure my gun was loaded and ready as my heartbeat slowly began to beat faster in anticipation.

The shot came from seemingly nowhere. In the blink of an eye, one of the ponies that had been walking along the railway was standing at attention then she was on the ground screaming in agony. Instantly the ponies in the camp responded. Two of them galloped to aid their fallen comrade, one of them carrying a pair of yellow medical bags. They never reached her. It was like Luna herself was smiting the rangers as a bolt of red, magical energy fell from the starless sky and ended their lives. It would have been beautiful if it wasn't so horrifying! I never saw the pegasus as she darted somewhere in the dark sky above. It was only when her guns fired that I caught a faint glimpse of her, but by then she was already gone. Another stallion raced across the Luna Line towards the endless screams of the mare, unaware that his fellow rangers were already dead. Within seconds, he joined them. And just like that, the assassin had managed to take out half of their numbers.

It was then a bright light cut into the darkness as the Paladin’s headlamp illuminated the battlefield. The light fell upon the wounded mare and, to my disgust, a quick bullet to the head put her out of her misery. He had killed his own underling! The jig was up as the light searched the sky for the assailant, finding her hovering high above. The Paladin took aim and fired, but his miniguns were too slow and Honeypot had already dived away. That was our cue. Taking aim, I fired an armor piercing round into the second guard. He had been running back across the line when the first pony had been shot. Flying true, the bullet ripped through his armor and into his heart, causing his body to fall hard onto the pavement. That left only three more rangers. However, they were nowhere to be seen as I scanned the overpass. My shot had alerted them to our presence and they had taken cover in the rubble. The paladin had turned his gun on us now and I felt my ears droop as I heard the minigun winding up. However, before he could shoot us, Honeypot flapped up behind him and blasted an energy bolt at his back. The armor protected him from the worst of it, but he still rocked forward from the force of the blow. Returning his attention to the pegasus, he began to shoot wildly at the night sky. For a moment I just stood and watched him but a movement from behind the big brute caught my eye. A buck had been aiming at me while I had been watching and was just about to take the shot, but a bright, blue light flew past me and into the ranger sending blood splattering all over. Smoke rose from Vagabond's horn as he hollered something I couldn't make out but understood. I needed to keep my head in the game or I was going to lose it.

The last ranger wasn’t hard to find. After watching all his companions die the coward thought he could get away by sneaking off. His hooves clattered loudly as he galloped down the Luna Line and I aimed my gun at the back of his head. I could have done it. I could have killed him. But then I remembered seeing a pale unicorn standing unarmed as a horde of children rushed to murder him. Looking down the scope I watched as the buck turned a corner and out of my sight. Lowering the weapon, I turned to see Vagabond watching me. I didn't understand his expression (a mixture of anger and acceptance?) but we didn't have time to talk about it. The paladin screamed in pure rage as his red, hot gun continued to fire into the clouds. His unit had been obliterated, his operation in shambles, and he couldn't even shoot the pony responsible! Sensing that he was going to lose total control of the situation, the power armor's headlamp turned to us once again. Swinging the huge gun towards us, we barely had time to duck before the billboard above us erupted into splinters. Vagabond's horn glowed as a shield enveloped us but I could see the strain on his face as he tried to hold the spell through the onslaught.

Then, just as suddenly as the barrage had started, it stopped. I watched it all in slow motion and even now I can't believe what I saw. The clouds above parted for just a second and the light of the moon shone brightly in the sky. The dark outline of a pegasus was clearly visible as she took aim at the paladin. The sniper showed her skill as the red laser exploded from the gun and blasted through the only weak point of the power armor, the eye. One moment the pony was firing his gun, the next he was falling to the ground in a lifeless heap. The sudden silence that followed the battle caused me to shiver involuntarily. There was no wind to shift the monolithic ruins above, no cries of distant monsters fighting in the night. I hated it.

"Are you two alright?" Honeypot called. She landed on the railing in front of me and I could have hugged her. Her voice cutting the silence was like music to my ears.

"I think so," Vagabond replied as I simply nodded.

"Good. Why don't you get back to the apartment building while I scavenge? This place is going to be swarming with raiders soon and I'd like to be tucked away for the night before they get here."

The unicorn agreed and as our companion flew away, he placed a hoof on my shoulder and in a flash, we appeared back at the apartment where we had first saw the rangers. Teleporting was a new experience and I found myself feeling dizzy all of a sudden. Stumbling, I moved to sit on a broken sofa before I fell on my face.

"I didn't know you could teleport with another pony."

"I don't do it often. As you can see, most ponies don't have the stomach for it," he replied with a smirk.

I didn't have the energy to retort, so I just shook my head and instantly regretted the movement.

"You spared one of them. Just when I think I have you figured out you continue to surprise me, Wild Chains."

I sighed, knowing he was going to bring it up. "Don't read into it. I didn't have a clear shot and I didn't want to waste the ammo."

He nickered but didn't respond. A few minutes later Honeypot rejoined us carrying as many supplies as she could find. It turned out the rangers had been hoarding a ton of medical items and food from the merchants they slaughtered. We were all of the same mind that the ponies of Gutterville would benefit from the spoils of the night more than us. Honeypot managed to fly back and forth three more times before the area had become overrun with raiders. There was still so much more we could have grabbed, but the risk was too great. Still, there was more than enough here to compensate for the lack of supplies the ponies of Gutterville had had to deal with for the last few weeks. As the night wore on, we settled down to wait for the first light of morning. Very little was said between us as we watched the dozens of figures move through the dancing flames of the ranger's encampment.

"I really don't know how I can thank ya'll. Ya saved us, ain't no two ways about it."

The mayor of Gutterville, an old stallion named Buckshot, shook my hoof wildly as he congratulated us on a job well done. My leg still wobbled even after he let go, only stopping when Vagabond caught it.

"That's what you paid us for. No need for more thanks," Honeypot said with a radiant smile.

"True, but then you returned with more supplies than we've had in a month! Are ya sure you don't want to take something with ya?"

She shook her head. "We'll be fine. The caps are all we need."

After another barrage of gratitude, we were finally allowed to leave the mayor's office. Gutterville was buzzing with activity after our arrival earlier that morning. Ponies were passing out the plethora of food, medicine, and ammo we had brought back with a renewed sense of hope. I couldn't help but smile as a pair of foals danced around a growing pile of 200-year-old oat cakes. All night long I wondered if we had done any good. If we had made any difference in the world. Seeing their smiles confirmed it for me. They would go to bed with full bellies tonight. The ponies in the hospital would finally have the treatment they desperately needed. They would sleep soundly knowing the guards had loaded guns to keep the monsters at bay. Yes, we had done good. It might not have changed the world, but it had changed the lives of these ponies and that was enough.

Honeypot nudged me, snapping me out of my thoughts, and handed me a pleasantly full bag of caps. Doing good deeds and getting paid for it? I was beginning to like the sound of this more and more! We finished our business with the ponies of Gutterville and left just as the sun reached the highest point in the sky. We walked in companionable silence for a long time as we made our way towards the Celestia Line and from there we could make a relatively easy journey away from this hellscape. All the while I contemplated deeply about my future and what I wanted to do going forward. The last few weeks had been nothing more than endless wandering and scrounging around for enough caps to survive with the world's most annoying unicorn. But now… now I had the opportunity to do something with myself. To make amends for all the suffering I had caused in my youth. As we climbed the stairs to the overpass above, I knew I had made my choice. Standing above the Manehattan ruins as the sun began it's slow decent, I sighed and turned to Honeypot. She had been talking to Vagabond about something, but when she saw the determined expression on my face she paused and raised a curious eyebrow.

"Teach me how to be a mercenary," I said, my voice firm with finality.

"Got a taste and now you want more, eh?" she said, smiling knowingly.

"I've done a lot of bad things. I can't change that but I can try to make it right somehow. Even if it's just a little bit. I want to help ponies."

Honeypot's smiled widened as her wings flapped excitedly. "I knew there was something about you I liked. Stick with me, kid, and I'll show you how to be the best damn mercenary in the wasteland."

For the first time I didn't bother reminding her I wasn't a child. I even allowed her to ruffle my mane fondly as she took to the sky. Vagabond moved to stand in front of me, staring with those icy blue eyes. He didn't say anything for a moment, but I could tell he was thinking. Patiently I waited for him to make up his own mind though I think he'd made it up a long time ago.

"Don't think you're getting rid of me that easily. Who's going to make sure you're doing your homework?" I rolled my eyes and groaned, turning away from him to hide my smile. He chuckled and trotted after me, nudging me playfully. "Alright, Honey, where are we headed now?"

The pegasus hovered above us with a wicked grin. "Don't think I'm about to wander into the wasteland with a pair of filthy bums. Our next stop is Tenpony Tower. It's time you low life's learned a little class."

Footnote: Level up!
New Perk: Night Pony – You are a creature of the night blessed by Luna's pale light. You gain +2 perception between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Companion Perk Unlocked: Death From Above – As long as Honeypot is in your party, your sneak attacks do 5x normal damage.

Author's Note

At long last! Sorry for how long it took me to write this one. I hope you enjoy and thank you for your patience.
As always, thank you to Sonnystar for helping with proof reading.