Fallout Equestria - Second Chances

Chapter Three

My Friend Red

“It was always about you, wasn’t it?”

Lawbringer Record of Confession: Slaver C.F. Day 003

The storm had finally rolled down from the mountains and engulfed the valley in a dark and heavy rain. It seemed even with the new found sunny days the skies above the wasteland would still pour. The courthouse weathered the rain and wind as it had always done. Reinforced walls and boarded up windows cut the chill from the wind as the ponies inside sought shelter within the largest courtroom.

The mare with ribbons in her mane had taken up the same spot she had held since the beginning of the confessional. She still wore that sundress, but with the heavy rainfall, she’d added a heavy black combat jacket to help keep her warm and dry. There were large white patches sewn over the shoulders and a pink heart sewn onto the patches. She was alone again, her cowpony hat drawn down over her face.

Marshal Charity had trotted over, taking a seat beside her. “Excuse me, miss?”

The mare lifted her head and looked at her. Her cheeks were puffy and damp. Her lip trembled as she looked at the marshal. Her eyes, though red and exhausted, managed an intense glare at Charity.

“What?” Her voice was hoarse and shaky, but there was an underlying tone of bitterness.

Charity looked down bashfully, shaking her head. “A-Ah. I wanted to ask you something. You were the one who stood up for him when we found him and-”

The mare turned sharply to her, behind the sadness and hurt was a fury. “And dragged him off in chains.” She snapped. “You brought him here to... what? Parade him around like a prized slave? Hurt him like... like he...” She trailed off, choking up as she tried to finish the sentence. She couldn’t however, bringing her hooves up to bury her face in them as she began to sob.

Charity was taken aback at first, but as the mare broke down she regained some composure. “I’m sorry, miss. You have to understand, he’s hurt a lot of ponies. If you’re who I think you are, I know he may have helped you but that doesn’t undo the damage he’s-”

She was cut off by the furious hoof slap across her face. The mare’s hat fell off from the speed of it. Charity was caught off guard and fell back off the seat she’d taken. There was a sudden and oppressive quiet as many eyes turned back to mare and the marshal. Several Lawbringers had drawn their guns, and the Sheriff had started moving towards Charity as the mare spoke through pain and fury.

“I know better than any pony what kind of damage he’s done.” A look of utter contempt and anger had overpowered her sadness.

Charity managed to get back to her hooves and look back at the Sheriff, waving a hoof to her and the other Lawbringers who all looked ready to fight. There was a brief and very tense moment as the Sheriff glowered at her before acquiescing to Charity’s waving hoof and stopping behind her. She then brought a hoof up to rub the hoofprint on her cheek.

“I’m sorry for striking a nerve miss but don’t ever strike a Lawbringer again, especially one just trying to ask a question.” Charity said through a pained grimace.

The mare looked around and shrank back as she realized just what she had done. “O-oh. I-I’m sorry, I didn’t... You...” She brought her hooves up to sob into as she broke down again. “Don’t blame Cherish for this, please!”

Charity was taken aback again, shaking her head as she took her seat again. The Sheriff looking displeased but returning to her duties as the others holstered their weapons. “I’m not going to blame him for that.” She said, rubbing her sore cheek again. “Didn’t mean to upset you, miss. Just... wanted to ask why you protected him when we appr-” She stopped, catching the sobbing mare’s sharp glare again. “I mean, when he surrendered to us.”

The mare sighed through her tears and sobbing. She looked up at Charity, tears still welling up in her eyes. “Because despite all he’s done...” She trailed off rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of that black jacket with the pink hearts on the shoulders. “He’s my best friend, marshal.”

Charity sat quietly, unsure how to respond. She slowly brought a hoof up, opening her mouth to speak before she closed it, shaking her head.

“Sorry. It’s almost time now, and I’d best go fetch him. I rather would not have Bronze bring him up alone. I know you probably feel the same way, huh?”

The mare simply nodded, sighing softly. With a heavy sigh of her own, Charity got up and started out of the courtroom leaving the sad mare alone in her spot.

A few minutes later the court room was quiet as Righteous Creed called the Confessional to order. He gave the signal to bring in the prisoner and the Sheriff opened the doors. Today both Bronze Star and Charity led Cherish Favor in chains. Their pace was careful, allowing him to keep up without dragging him along.

The mare could only watch him, dragged to the front of the room again. She took a deep breath and tried to put on the bravest face she could. Cherish looked back to her, and he smiled knowing she was still there as she had promised to be. She smiled back at him until he had to turn towards Creed and begin. As he did, the smile faded and she put her face in her hooves.

Righteous Creed looked down at the pink stallion. “Are you ready to continue, Cherish Favor?”

Cherish looked up at the older stallion above him on the bench and swallowed hard. “I... I am.”

Creed nodded and gestured. “Then begin.”

“I spent a lot of time thinking last night and before I continue with the events that led me here, I need to explain just what... No, who Red Eye was to me. I wasn’t some blind sycophant or eager lacky. We had a long history and to understand what would come and what I did next, I feel I need to explain that history. To give you folks some context and some... understanding of just why I was so utterly loyal to him and why what I’d done the day previous had shaken me up so much.” Cherish spoke clearly and loudly, but with a tone of sadness.

“See I met him a long time before he took Fillydelphia.”

I was just barely old enough to be able to call myself an adult, though I had none of the experience an adult growing up in the wasteland should have. I’d been a homebody, raised in a small village to the north called Hoofhollow near the crystal mountain ranges. I’d been largely sheltered from the wasteland by my father. He had his reasons for protecting me, for sure. Yet it was no real comfort to be honest. Though I was barely an adult, I still was an adult. Yet Dad kept me close to village. Never letting me stray beyond its borders.

Dad was the village doctor. He’d been a stable pony who was thrown out of his stable after some trouble between himself and the Overmare. My mother had saved him and they’d wandered for a long time before settling down in Hoofhollow. When mom passed away, he took to teaching me how to help. I knew the basics of first aid and a bit more about medicine than the average wastelander but I was no doctor. I just didn’t have the head for it. I was better with ponies than he was, though, so he appreciated having me help with taking care of the sick. When I got my cutie mark and he remarried, things got a bit easier for me. His new wife, a mare named Dusty, was the kind to encourage a bit of roaming. I liked her a lot, she really brought out the best in my dad. It took a lot of arguing but eventually with Dusty’s help, my father let me roam a bit further. Out into the hills around town to hunt for the few herbs and plants that grew. Dad would need them to make poultices and healing salves. He wasn’t a unicorn so he was far more reliant on equipment and chems to care for other ponies.

It was a cold autumn day. I’d been out scavenging for herbs and was getting ready to head back when I noticed smoke rising from over a nearby ridge. I had a much different kit back then. Didn’t have the armor to wear, nor did I know how to use a firearm. I had a small knife I used for trimming herbs, a small medical kit, and my simple outfit. Just some boots and an old button up shirt. Oh, and my glasses. I had trouble reading at a distance and Dad had sought out a travelling merchant who specialized in those things. Didn’t get to choose the style so I was stuck with these big round things. I hated them, I had a hard enough time meeting ponies my age as it was being trapped in a small village, but looking like a big dork was just icing on the cake.

I was curious, but I’d been warned so many times to be careful. Where there’s smoke, there’s ponies and most ponies were out for themselves. At least that’s what my father had always tried to drill into me. I should have gone home and let my father know what I saw. I should have blown the whistle and called for help. At least that’s what I was told later on. Instead I trotted towards the ridge where the smoke was coming from. It took a little bit but I made my way there and poked my head over the ledge of the ridge to take in the sight below.

There was a small cart that was tipped over and burnt on one side. A lone pony was laying on his side. He was wearing a stable suit, like the one Dad had but his had some black padded armor over it. Standing beside him was a dog, a cyberdog. I’d seen one before, on a poster one of the traders had been selling back in town but that was for an old pre war movie. I hadn’t thought they were real. I couldn’t make out too many details. Just that the cyberdog had a lot of metal along its back and it’s brain was in a glass dome on its head. It glowed yellow. Around the pair lay three other ponies, dressed in the crudest armor I could have ever imagined. I think one of them had made it out of pony parts. I gagged, completely taken aback. Dad didn’t talk much about the dangers out here, just that I should never trust anypony outside the village. Dusty had told me about ponies who only liked to be cruel and hurtful. Who couldn’t be reasoned with and to run away from them if I ever spotted one. Raiders.

They were all torn up, and riddled with bullet wounds. The stable pony was bleeding out from an impressively large wound in his side and the cyberdog was just sitting there, growling at nothing. I bit my lip and took a deep breath and tried to think. I opened my eyes and saw the wounded stable pony weakly raise a hoof and that sealed it. I galloped along the ridge until I found a way down. It was a steep gravel slope and I skidded over rocks and dirt before I hit the ground hard. I was lucky I didn’t break anything on the way down but I couldn’t stop myself. I scrambled to my hooves and galloped back along the base of the ridge until I neared the dog and what I presumed was his owner.

As I neared, the glass dome carrying the brain of the dog glowed a fierce red as it lowered its head and snarled at me. From up close, I could see the dog had had its lower jaw replaced with a metal one, its legs had mostly been replaced and it had taken quite a beating. Dents riddled its metal parts and it had a few bloody patches in its flesh. Up close the damage done to the ponies was much clearer. The raider ponies had been brutalized by the dog. At least I assumed it was the dog from the massive bite marks and torn parts.

I was awash with emotions as I took in the carnage but the one that overtook all of it was worry. The stable pony had been cut open with something. Looking around I assumed it was the machete laying near him but it could’ve been the sharpened rebar spear nearby as well. He didn’t have long and the dog was keeping me from helping.

I raised a foreleg and the dog snapped at the air and snarled with a mechanical whine. I winced back and held my hoof close.

“N-Nice dog. Please, your friend is hurt!” I took a step back but pointed at the pony behind the dog. “He’s gonna die, I want to help!” I said, trying to figure out how to get close. I dug into my saddle bags and pulled out the medical kit. It was a small metal container, with a faded yellow cross covering its surface and three pink butterflies at the center. The dog looked at the kit and the glass container holding its brain turned yellow. It tilted its head and then looked back to the pony behind it.

I kept the medical kit raised and carefully inched closer. The dog’s eyes narrowed but it relaxed its stance a bit. It wasn’t snarling now, just carefully watching me. As I got a bit closer I heard the pony speak.

“Is... okay... Winter.” Was all he seemed to manage. His hoof lifting lightly but only briefly. That seemed to calm the dog a bit, causing it to move to the side and sit by the pony’s head, whining over him.

I approached and sat down beside the wounded stallion. He was going to die, for sure, if I didn’t get the bleeding under control. “Hey there, big guy.” I said softly, getting a better look at the stallion. His body was completely covered with that suit, but his head and hooves were exposed. He was a handsome red coated earth pony. His rich black mane was matted down in the dirt. He looked just a tiny bit older than myself, and was strongly built. A part of me wanted to swoon, I’d not met many handsome bucks near enough my age. That part of me was overridden by the part of me that recognized how fast this handsome buck would die if I didn’t get my act together.

I placed the medical kit down and popped it open. Dad had always insisted it be kept well stocked in case anything happened to me while I was out. His overly cautious nature paid off in this instance at least, I had several charmed bandages I’d be able to use, and a single health potion. First and foremost, I took my trimming knife and cut away the cloth around his wound. Then with a careful hoof, I lifted his muzzle and helped feed him the health potion. It wasn’t nearly strong enough to close his whole wound, but it would close enough of it I could use the bandages to stop the bleeding. As I fed him the potion I realized he didn’t have a right eye. It was replaced a dark looking metal sheath. A red light flickered on and off inside the empty sheath but there was no eye there. Though interesting, I had no time or focus for it. I had to get him patched up as soon as I could. So I pulled out the bandages and set to work.

It took a little more work getting the bandages in place, but once I was finished I sat back a bit surveying the stallion. He was stable enough I could move him. I looked over to the tipped cart. It was damaged and partially burnt, but it could probably make the trip. I wasn’t quite as strong back then, so it took some effort to tip the thing back over. Once it was upright, I looked at the damage properly. It was a wooden cart and had suffered some light burning on the outside of it but the inside was still intact for the most part. It’d be big enough for the stallion to lay in and while I doubted I could carry him all that way, I knew I could drag that cart along easily enough.

I carefully lifted the stallion, helping him up into the cart. His dog growling the whole time before whining at his unconscious master. I did my best to convince that dog I wasn’t gonna hurt his master and that I was trying to save him but I didn’t have time to argue with a dog. So once he was in the cart, I quickly hitched myself to it and started to drag it. To my relief the dog didn’t climb up into the cart, instead it stayed along side the cart. I moved with as much hastes as I could muster. It took a while before I found a way back up, and required a lot more work than I was used to. I was exhausted by the time I got back to town. With the cold and how long it took I was terrified I’d failed and he might be dead. Some of the towns folk came out to meet me, and my Dad saw me trotting up the road into town with a cart attached to me. He broke into a gallop to me. Though I could tell he was furious with me, when he realized what had happened he put all his attention onto the wounded stallion in the cart.

I was burnt out from dragging him all that way. The cart had been heavier than I’d thought and admittedly I lived a pretty sedentary life at that point. I was scrawny by virtue of small appetite and high metabolism. Once I was unhitched from the cart I tried my damnedest to stay with Dad and help him take care of the stable dweller. The cyberdog refused to leave its master’s side as well, and eventually my father needed me out of the way. I remember dad being frustrated with me, but complimenting my quick thinking on the potion use. It hadn’t sealed the wound, and there was already some infection despite my best efforts, but I’d given him a chance and I got him to Dad in enough time to potentially save his life.

I passed out on the couch in our living room. It served as a waiting room for our patients. Dusty woke me up a few hours later with a cup of soup. I’d missed dinner. We sat and talked for a little bit, but all I kept coming back to was the buck I’d managed to save. Or well, helped to save. Dad did most of the heavy lifting. She cautioned me to get to know him, but was glad that I’d done the right thing, even if dad was a bit upset I’d broken his rules. I spent the rest of that night checking in on the wounded stallion and listening to my father’s lecture. He had saved the buck’s life and he was proud of me for doing the right thing, but I’d broken his rules and could’ve gotten seriously hurt. I swore I wouldn’t do it ever again, going out risking danger like that. At the time I thought I wouldn’t.

The buck woke the next day. His gear had been stashed away and he was in no shape to travel. He sat quietly in the room Dad had set him up in. It was a spare room that’d been set up for long term care with a bed and some simple furniture. I trotted into the room to find the stallion sitting up, looking at the pipbuck on his right leg. His cyberdog asleep at the foot of the bed. The metal sheath where his right eye should have been was glowing with a bright red light. I tilted my head, he hadn’t noticed me. Or he had and was ignoring me. I hoped it was the former. I’d gotten a different button up on. One of my few white ones, and I’d taken care to brush my mane. Even cleaned my glasses to make a good appearance. With a cough, I cleared my throat and he lifted his head to look my way. Though his right eye glowed, his left eye drew me in. It was a bright and shining blue. Welcoming and understanding despite the harsh red from his other eye. He raised the hoof with his pipbuck on it, smiling at me.

“I take it, you’re the pony who found me out there?” He said, his voice charming and friendly.

I swallowed, smiled to him and trotted over. I was balancing a small plate of prewar snack cakes on my back as I went. “Yep!” I said cheerily. Probably a bit too cheerily but gosh he was handsome and I couldn’t help myself.

“And now you’re bringing me snacks? Truly an angel after my own heart.” He chuckled. It wasn’t supposed to be flirty, I think, but I couldn’t help but take it that way. I’d never been called an angel before.

I tried to hide the blush as I helped the cakes off my back but the stallion sighed softly and took the tray.

“Seriously, thank you. I thought I was going to die down there, was trying to make peace with it all when I saw you.” He smiled at me as he set the tray aside and took my forehoof in his own two. “My name’s Red.”

I let him take my hoof, of course. I smiled wide at him. “Cherish. Nice to meet you Red!” I tried not to make it obvious but I couldn’t stop looking at him. All of him. He wasn’t as slight of build as I was, sturdier and much more well toned but a bit shorter. I always was a bit too tall.

He either didn’t noticed my wandering eyes or didn’t care. “Well Cherish, I’d like to get going soon. How long do you think I’ll be stuck here? And where exactly is ‘here’ anyway?”

I blinked, “Oh. Err. We’re in Hoofhollow.” I shook my head a moment, “And Dad says you’re going to be on bed rest for a few days. Fully healed in about a week.”

He let my hoof go, tapping his own to his chin. “Well, that’s not great news. Am I not free to leave now?” He said, moving to slide off the bed.

I went to stop him but he was quick and as he slid off the bed onto two hooves, he groaned in pain and clutched at his side. He fell forward but I was able to catch him in my hooves and brace him up.

“Hey, hey now.” I cooed, helping the poor stallion back onto the bed. “You have to rest. You got cut open pretty bad and pretty deep.” I said, watching his face contort with pain.

“Damn it.” He cursed, still clutching his side as I helped him lay back down. “I’m not a fan of bed rest. Being idle. It’s... there’s so much to do and laying here isn’t getting it done.”

I reached up to brush a hoof across his forehead, checking his temperature. He was warm but wasn’t running a fever fortunately.

“Laying here for a little bit means you can get it done without falling before it’s finished.” I smiled, looking down at him. “You’re in no state to get up and gallop around looking for trouble.”

“Trouble? No, no. I want to help the ponies up here. There’s so much... wrong with Equestria.” He groaned as I moved my hooves to his side, pushing his own hooves aside to check the wound.

“Helping ponies is good.” I smiled wider, looking over my shoulder a moment before turning back to him. “I’m glad that’s what you want to do. Dad says too many ponies are selfish and don’t try to help others.”

The stallion looked at me, nodding softly. “I was scouting a raider group. They were having a lot of infighting. I was trying to ascertain if killing the leader would destabilize them further or allow them to coalesce around another more competent leader. No point in killing him if it only makes them stronger.”

I blinked, utterly lost. “Why would you want to kill the leader? A bounty?”

“I’d rather kill them all, to be honest. Not for a bounty but because of the threat they pose. They’re parasites. The worst part of the wasteland I’ve found since coming out here. It’s bad enough most of the wild life wants to kill ponies, we don’t need selfish and cruel ponies adding to the danger.”

“Err... why didn’t you?”

He shook his head. “I’m just one pony. Wiping them out would be ideal. A good solution to the problems they pose, but I’m not sure alone I could do that.” His cyberdog lifted its head up to look at him, letting out a light bark. “Sorry Winter, I’m one pony and I’ve got a cyberdog.” He smirked, before sighing and laying back. “Every town I’ve found myself in usually has a similar problem. A group of raiders or bandits threatens their borders, prevents trade and threatens the smaller farms and settlements around. And every town has refused to help me get rid of them. They’re afraid, and so they selfishly cling to their ways without trying to fix anything. Sometimes a town will offer money to get rid of em, but they won’t offer bodies to help.” He sounded a bit defeated, bringing both hooves up to rub his face. “Maybe the Overmare was right.”

I shook my head. “Well, no. I mean I could help. I’m not... much in a fight. I’ve never... been in one but I know a bit of first aid and I’m good with talking to ponies. Maybe when you’re better I could talk to some of the ponies in town, maybe they could help. I know everypony here would be worried if they found out a group of raiders was nearby.”

He looked at me, his hooves coming down his muzzle to rest on his chest. “You want to help?”

“Of course!” I did. I really did want to help him. Not just because of the... obvious attraction but because he was right. “Dad’s always said we have to help ponies who come into town because it’s the right thing to do. If that’s what you’ve been doing, of course I want to help.” I smiled at him, brushing my hoof through my mane. “Well, I’d also like to travel outside the town. See the wasteland. So maybe it’s a little selfish on my part.”

He looked at me, sizing me up. “Maybe but I like your thought process. If you’re going to be selfish, try to help others with it.”

We talked like that for hours. Red told me the stories of his travels. He’d not been outside his stable for long when he got hurt. Few weeks. And in those weeks he’d told me of an endless frustration. Ponies were friendly enough but refused to do anything to really fix the problems they were facing. The way he put it, towns would apply bandages to gaping wounds and let them fester, if it meant they didn’t have to risk anything. It was more than just raiders, but they were the easiest for him to focus on. Parasites that fed on the work of others, destroyed everything in their wake, and contributed nothing to Equestria but suffering. It was strange to hear, no pony spoke about Equestria like that any more. It was a ruin, a wasteland not some greater ideal or place. To hear him speak so passionate about it, so firm in its existence that he’d condemn others for their lack of contribution... It was inspiring. He was passionate, caring, and trying to do the right thing. Of course this pushed my interest from piqued to head over hooves pretty fast.

I spent the week tending to him. Helping him recover, fetching his meals, and just generally playing nursemaid. Dusty thought it was cute, my Dad was... less happy I was taking such an interest in him. Especially when Red was well enough to go for short trots around town. He was a great orator. Talking about fixing Equestria, doing better, and generally trying to give hope. It didn’t catch on right away but as I helped him around and added my two bits to his, ponies started to listen. It was fulfilling. He encouraged me to speak my mind, stand with him and help while he tried to convince the ponies in town to come around to his ways.

When he was able to trot on his own and feeling well enough, he began talking about taking out the raiders. The folks in town were easy to convince of the dangers, most knew them better than I did, honestly. Yet no pony was willing to step up and put themselves at risk. Red was distraught and frustrated with the results. More of the same he kept saying in frustration. I stepped up and tried to help though. It started with Mister Well Worn. He was an older buck, acted as the town’s cheery greeter and did most of the trading when a caravan came into town. I spoke to him about the raiders again and he seemed pretty worried. For him it was more than the possibility of the town getting hit. He had friends in the trade caravans. Lots of em. The raiders were a more direct threat to them than our town. He was hesitant though because he wasn’t much of a fighter and taking on the raiders alone was suicide. I told him that Red and I would support him in protecting his friends. He was in if we could get a few more ponies to support it.

Knowing everypony in town helped me immensely. With Well Worn in, I moved onto the next most likely candidate. A mare named Shells. She was the closest thing to a sheriff we had. Mostly because she was the best shot in town. She and Well Worn were pretty close and I figured she might be interested in helping him protect his friends. She acknowledged that the raiders were a problem, for sure but she had her kids to take care of and wasn’t about to go throwing her life away on a whim. I argued that maybe the raiders would come and deal with us eventually anyway and that Well Worn wanted to put them down for the safety of his friends and town. Red and I could help too. I told her how much every pony in town respected her and how she was seen as a sort of leader. Maybe she could inspire some others. She agreed to talk to some others, folks in town who had helped defend the town before.

After Shells, things started to fall into place. I spoke with a few other ponies in town and the end of the week we had gathered a small militia. It didn’t go over well with my father, but Dusty was happy to lend a hoof. She was the most experienced pony in town when it came to fighting. Dad eventually came around, but only with the promise that I stay out of the fighting to help him with the wounded. I was eager to show Red I could fight, but relented when Red pointed out that having my Dad help was more important to ensure the others got medical help if they needed it.

It was a short fight. Half the town had volunteered and most of them had rifles. The raider group wasn’t all that big either, but could have been lethal if they had attacked the town while we were unaware. Though a few of ours got wounded by stay shots and one of the townsfolk got hit by a makeshift spear, no pony died. It was a success and when we were done, we headed back to to Hoofhollow and celebrated. Red was in high spirits, the ponies in town feeling safer and better for having done something good, even my father was feeling better about it all. It was a great day and we sang and drank into the night.

It was a little after midnight when I managed to get some time with Red alone. He was sitting by the edge of town, looking over the hills where I’d first found him. I trotted up next to him, sitting down on his left, away from his glowing red eye.

“Hey, hero. You’re missing the party.” I smiled, putting a hoof on his back.

He turned back to face me, a sad smile on his face. “Oh, hey Cherish. Just... thinking about things. Needed some time to get my head in order and this party is more for the hard working ponies here, who did the right thing. I just pushed them in the right direction.”

I shook my head. “Without you, they wouldn’t have gone and risked everything to help keep the wasteland safer.”

“Without you, they wouldn’t have given me the time of day Cherish.” He said softly, still smiling. “You’ve got a knack for knowing ponies.”

I hid my blush with a bright smile. “That’s what I’m good at, Red. It’s what my cutie mark was all about.”

I saw him sigh a bit at that. “But you’re more than that Cherish. You could be doing real good out there. Not just with a little first aid either. You’ve got a good heart and a good head on your shoulders. Have you considered leaving Hoofhollow?”

I looked down at my hooves. “I mean, I’ve thought about it but my Dad would never let me. I think even Dusty might try to stop me. They both worry so much about me.”

He brought a hoof to my chin, tilting my head up to look at him. I couldn’t hide my blush this time. He stared into me with that beautiful blue eye.

“You’re your own pony, Cherish. You’re more than old enough to decide for yourself. I want to fix the wasteland. Toppling one raider group isn’t going to do that. There are so many things wrong out here and fixing it all isn’t going to be solved by just going town to town killing raiders. There’s more to the problems than just raiders. Somepony has to start building, and actually solving the problems ponies are facing. Not just putting bandages on gaping wounds and hoping for the best. I want to actually help Equestria heal. Food, shelter, power, and law. Order. Harmony. I want to bring back the best of Equestria, no matter what it costs me.” He smiled at me and any doubts in my mind melted away.

“I-I want to help you, Red. I really do.” I bit my lip, “But I’m afraid my family won’t let me. W-what do I do?”

He looked at me, that warm smile so welcoming. I felt like I could take on the world with him looking at me like that. “It’s up to you Cherish. You have to do the right thing. If you want to come with me, you have to make that choice. Defy your family. I’m going to leave tomorrow. I’ll wait down the road for you tomorrow night. If you don’t come, I know you’ve made your choice.”

I swallowed and nodded vigorously. “I’ll be there.”

He smiled and leaned into me. “I hope so.”

We sat like that for a long time, just watching the rolling darkness and thinking. I was excited, afraid, and all together overwhelmed. I wanted this, I wanted to go out and see the world. What’s more, I wanted to help other ponies and do the right thing. Though, to my shame, more than anything else I just really wanted to spend every waking minute at Red’s side.

The next day would go by relatively quickly. I said my goodbyes to Red as he packed, Dusty and some of the townsfolk gathered some supplies for him as a thank you. It wasn’t much but he was leaving town a hero, even if he didn’t see himself that way. The town gave him a real send off. My father was just glad he was gone, though he didn’t say as much. I could tell he’d been worried about how close I’d gotten to Red. I felt horrible that I wouldn’t be giving them a chance to say goodbye to me. I managed to give both Dusty and him huge hugs before they went to bed. I hoped it didn’t seem too out of place. I didn’t want them to suspect anything.

There was a part of me that hated this. I would be hurting them by doing this, and I imagined when I returned I’d get a pretty bad lecture, but I was an adult. I could and should make decisions for myself. I packed up all I thought I’d need. Some clothes, a backpack, my first aid kit, and as much food I could stash away. It wasn’t much really. A paltry amount to keep me going. I took my small stash of caps, just in case as well. With all my stuff packed up, I took a small poster off my wall and grabbed an old pen Dusty had given me. I scribbled my goodbye letter on the back of it. It was long and rambling, and I can barely remember any of it but the part I do remember was, as I thought at the time, the most important.

“I love you. I promise to come back, safe and sound. Don’t worry about me! I’m coming home eventually, and hopefully I’ll have some good stories to share.”

I left it on the counter in the kitchen. I didn’t want them to miss it for a while thinking I overslept. Then, as quietly as I could, I slipped out of the house and started galloping down the road. It took about an hour and I was starting to worry, when I saw the familiar sight of Red’s glowing eye, and Winter’s glowing braincase. I galloped up to him, panting heavily and gave the biggest smile I could force out. I was still afraid, still worried and I couldn’t stop thinking of how much I would hurt my father doing this. Red just smiled and gave me a hug.

“You did it Cherish. Time to start living.”

I nodded into him and he helped me back to my hooves. We weren’t going to rest yet. He wanted to make sure we were well away so if my Dad came looking, we’d be long gone. I followed along with him and he started to tell me about the wasteland and what we could do to help it.

That was the beginning of a long trip.

We spent a year travelling around, trying to help others. At first it was hard for me, I was not used to travelling every day and keeping up with Red was hard. He might have lived underground for his whole life but he had a bottomless well of energy back then. Though it was hard on me, that first year really helped shape who I am. We went all over, offering to help and trying to do the right things. I got my first taste of actual combat, learned how to fire a gun, and thanks to Red, learned when not to. It was great but all wasn’t perfect. Red was distracted. Distant. I’d hoped for a whirlwind romance and to be swept off my hooves. Instead there was little romance, and a lot more wandering than I’d ever asked for. Red was focused on the bigger picture. The Equestrian wasteland hurt him with its mere existence. The more we traveled the clearer the scope of the problem was. Equestria, as he envisioned it, was so very far away. And everypony was too damn selfish to work together towards it.

I remember how frustrated he was, every time we solved one problem three more would become apparent. Everything we were doing was just a series of temporary fixes. I spent more than a few nights just listening to him vent his frustrations. It came to a head when we returned to my village.

It was a brisk autumn day. We’d been travelling for two days. We’d decided to return to my village, talk to my family. Let them know I was okay, and maybe rest for a few days to think up our next moves. Red had come up with some ideas for actually helping restore Equestria but there were just so many hurdles in the way.

We made our way through the winding trails and up the main road towards town but something was off. I noticed how quiet it was, how no pony was outside. Red noticed it too. We galloped up the road and I was hit with an unbearable panic. The decayed body of Well Worn lay in a heap near the road into town. There were bullet holes all over the old sign hanging behind him. My heart sank and I bolted off like a rocket. Red screamed for me to wait, he even tried to grab me once he realized what had happened but I was already galloping by that point. I ran through the road, passing more decayed bodies, the only ponies I’d known until a year ago. Shells was laying slumped against her doorway. I couldn’t stop. I kept galloping until I saw my parents home. The door was open and I rushed inside. There I found my father lying at the back of the living room. Dusty’s body lay between his and the doorway. She’d been protecting him. Though their weapons and valuables were gone, the shell casings weren’t. Dusty had gone down fighting. My father had tried to as well, the small casings for his pistol lay strewn about. The room was a mess and they’d died so close to each other. I fell on my haunches and just cried.

Red caught up to me soon enough, draping his hooves around me and trying his hardest to comfort me. I don’t remember how long I sat there crying. Just that eventually he took my chin in a hoof and tilted my face up to look at him.

“Cherish... I’m so sorry. I’m here for you.”

I tried to speak, to say something profound or... just anything but I couldn’t. I just continued to bawl and cling to him.

We didn’t sleep that night. Red eventually coaxed me out of the house, out to the edge of town. Had me sit, shell shocked while he went to work. He dragged the bodies, as best he could, behind the little village. It overlooked the hills around the village, the same spot we’d once sat. Then he started digging. I eventually joined him, helping him bury ponies he barely knew. He had mercifully already done my parents, knowing I couldn’t face that. We spent the night digging and burying. When we finished, he held me close and tried to comfort me. I was... empty. Exhausted. When he realized he couldn’t get through to me, he gently tilted my head to whisper words I would never forget.

“No matter what happens Cherish I’m not going to forget or forgive this. Neither should you. We’ll find the bastards who did this. If nothing else in this forsaken hell, we’ll get you justice. I swear it.”

I nodded into him, my breathing shuddering as I started to cry again. We set up camp outside town and got some rest, fitful as it was. The next day would see us depart, Red had decided our next steps that night. In the ashes of my old life, Red’s fury and determination solidified. We spent the next few months gathering support, making alliances. In every town we stopped in Red always sought out info on bandits, raiders, and the attack on my home. All while trying to rally ponies together. It was slow going, but we eventually had a small group together. Stability was the goal. If there was to be a renewed Equestria, there needed to be a stable foundation. Clean water, Food, shelter, and the materials necessary to defend and support all of that. Red set his eyes on the slave city. Fillydelphia.

It started out nobly. With good intentions and an idealistic goal. Solve the problems of the wasteland. To rebuild Equestria. The ponies Red gathered were from all walks of life, all of us... wanting to do the right thing. We saw in Red a brilliant leader, a skilled tactician, and generous friend. We believed in him. His goals. His future. We wanted to make it come true. Long before there was the brutal wall that surrounded the city, Fillydelphia was a warren of slave pits and factories. Constantly in flux, always at each other's throats. There was no real leader of the city. Just a series of worse and worse monsters working their slaves to death.

Red didn’t enter Filly with an army. He entered with his closest followers. All of them were good ponies from across the wastes, ponies who’d come to believe in his fight. A unicorn sniper who always seemed to make the impossible shot. A former steel ranger seeking to do the right thing. A dragon killing griffin merc who found herself utterly swayed by Red’s ideals. An unmatched unicorn magician who saw in him a future. A hardened veteran from Whitetail Wood. And... me. A naive buck stuck in the middle of it all.

It started slow. Red spent most of his time just talking to ponies. As we’d done back home and so many times since. They were the outcasts, ponies, ghouls, and anything else the slavers held contempt for and had been thrown aside. Barely scraping by in the ruins. These ponies were cautious, fearful of the wrath they might incur by standing with the pony from across the wastes. They expected him to be shattered by the harshness of the city. To wilt at it’s pain and the horrors it bred. They laughed at his kindness and generosity, because all they knew was violence and death... but then they began to listen. To hear his words and see in him a conviction beyond that of the slavers and monsters within the city.

Red began to make headway. Rallying a few followers from the dregs of Filly and giving them his protection and encouraging them to help protect each other. Then the first of the masters took notice and tried to remove him from the outskirts of Fillydelphia. This master was a bloated wretch who proclaimed himself as, “Wrought Iron the Decadent.” Wrought was not cowed by Red’s words and or humbled by his reason, choosing instead to threaten to have him bound and flayed, then used for ‘entertainment’. He ignored the threats and continued to talk to outcasts. When Wrought’s first retributive forces moved on him, we broke them. Red wasn’t going to back down. That only inspired more of the outcasts to join us and when the slavers came again, Red spoke to them. He was inspiring, promising a change in leadership and offering them direction. A future. Wrought was hated by all those suffering under his weight. Only those at the top of the food chain, as Wrought would put it, were truly loyal to him. For they were the only ones he showed any favor for. He ruled through fear and retributive force and it was his utter downfall. Red convinced many of the slavers to throw down their arms or turn on their master. The betrayal of his men wasn’t so much a shock for the other masters of Filly. It was the aftermath. Red let the slaves decide Wrought’s fate, leaving the bloated bastard to their wrath. He consolidated those loyal to him and found himself as one of the many new lords of Filly. It was still early in those days, many of us were still bright eyed and naive about how hard rebuilding Equestria would be.

Things only escalated after that. We had freed the slaves and slavers from Wrought Iron but he was only one of many. It was then that Red caught the eyes of the Goddess. A trio of Alicorns descended from the sky into his newly captured base of operations. They spoke for the goddess, bringing him a message. She wished to meet the earth pony who had spoke of rebuilding Equestria and working together. We’d all heard the stories of the Alicorns, the rumors and myths surrounding their mysterious and their utterly lethal nature, haunting places of the old world or where radiation was thickest. We argued with Red. Told him it was a trap. He didn’t believe it was and eventually, despite our reservations took the goddesses offer. He went alone, of course. We tried to convince him otherwise but he wouldn’t let us. We were all needed to keep up appearances, for if the slavers saw that we were all gone, they would have no trouble toppling our hoofhold on the city.

I remember the others talking about how... different Red was after meeting the Goddess. They said she must have had a profound effect on him. He certainly spoke highly of her... ideals? Her unity. He spoke of Unity often afterward. I knew him better than that though. It wasn’t a profound change. It was a calculated one. Unity was a message. A goal. An ideal we could achieve and one that gave hope to the ponies who followed him. Though he wore it as faith, I know it was more than that. For with her faith, came her alicorns and the small cult of followers she had garnered. It wasn’t a coming to god, it was a negotiation for reinforcements. Of course, this didn’t sit well with any of us. The Alicorns were... terrifying to behold in battle, and utterly uncomfortable to be around. They projected their thoughts into your head. It was just... horrible but though their numbers were small, their effects were... undeniable. The former ranger was the most put out. First he had allowed the slavers who had surrendered into his ranks, now he was allying with monsters and their god? He and Red argued a lot after that. Our markspony started waver as well.

We soon took the fight to the slavers. Red always offered quarter, always offered a hoof to them. He gave them a chance to become a part of a better tomorrow. At first, all refused and they were torn apart for their actions. We gathered more territory and the masters of Filly began to waver. As Red gained power, ponies began to call him Red Eye. A name he wasn’t fond of but one he took to, for his enemies whispered it and his followers cheered it. Soon we began not only to fight, but to build and to start work on the foundations of a future.

It took three whole months before things... fell down. Lots of ponies assume Red just... took over and accepted the slavery as the norm. He didn’t. We tried to feed the ponies we’d freed, protect them, but Red’s ethos was that all of us should work together. That we had to, otherwise our future would fall apart. It was what he had set out to do in the first place, the linchpin of all his rhetoric. Those we freed were grateful, but most didn’t stay. Worse still, those we asked to work began to resent it and would scurry away. We were winning battles and swaying the followers of the other masters, but we were losing at our goal.

As things got worse, Red began taking prisoners. Pushing them to work while he began to ally with other masters, giving them far better treatment than he had before, in exchange for their soldiers and followers service. We weren’t freeing slaves anymore. We were giving them choices. Fight or contribute. Prisoners didn’t get a choice. They simply had to work. This was the breaking point. We were allying with slavers and putting prisoners to work. Slaves. It wasn’t so... simple really but that was the crux of the issue. First our ranger left. He abandoned Red and fled the city. Then when we were nearing the total conquest of the city, our markspony left. He had said Red had betrayed us all. I remember him storming off, furiously when none of the rest of us would hear it. Our griffin gathered her sisters and soon Stern and her Talons were responsible for ensuring order was kept amongst the myriad of forces. Our veteran brought his clan together and the Whitetail Rogues became a terror on the battlefield, acting as the vanguard in Red’s battles. His magician was given the task of researching the old ministry buildings in the city and Radiant Blaze began to lay the foundations for his research wing. I... helped him with the slaves.

We spoke often to them. Sharing our stories and giving them hope for a better future. In truth, by the time we eventually brought the last slaver to our side, most of the slaves had been put back to work. The workers weren’t going to last long though. The city was a ruin and the conditions were hellish. To accomplish all Red Eye had in mind, we needed to increase production. We began trying to capture raiders, bandits, and other... parasites as Red Eye had called them, to force them to work for the betterment of Equestria. It didn’t stop at raiders and bandits. Red Eye travelled to his stable, and returned with new followers and a host of new slaves. With more slaves came greater production and new projects. The wall was built and soon more slaves were needed. Always more. As the industry came to life, and things began to accelerate, Red Eye made clear his plans. He would rebuild this world and if ponies would refuse, would selfishly condemn the world to continued anguish, he would force them to contribute. Red Eye’s former companions became enemies. One even tried to kill him. It didn’t matter to Red Eye. He respected them, cared for them but they too were selfishly blinded by their morals. Morals he sacrificed because it was the only way he could see to bring an end to the overall suffering of the wastes.

Many would suffer now, so that many more wouldn’t later. He always spared the children, for they were the generation he was building all this for. I believed in him. In all of it. I thought he was right. If ponykind couldn’t get their acts together for almost two hundred years, what really could make them, besides his forceful hoof?

I was made a slave master, an overseer. Red Eye saw it as a chance to have a pony he trusted to be kind and caring to show the other slavers how the city should run. For a time, I was the best damn overseer in the city. Morale, care, and order really help keep quotas and numbers up. I was the most efficient and my death rates were the lowest in the entire city. I did exactly what Red Eye had wanted of me. And it was all undone by my own... inability to sit back and watch.

I kept pissing off other slave masters through my constant roster manipulations and refusals to send slaves to horrible masters. My stocks were always full, my ponies were always fed and I’d gathered some loyal guard ponies to ensure no harm came to my workers. In so doing, I had every other overseer wanting me dead. Some outright threatened me. Some tried blackmail. Instead I was beaten by bureaucracy. They claimed I was manipulating rosters to prevent my workers from having to work extra shifts. That I was gaming the system and that my numbers were not correct. They bribed several of the bastards in charge of supply to ‘misplace’ several of my production runs. Thus, I had numbers I could not account for.

I was stripped of my place as a slave master, they took everything from me. Most of my personal property was sold off and I was demoted to a simple guard. Red Eye knew it was a betrayal, but unable to prove it, his hooves were tied. I had my most prized... possession taken from me and was left in ruins. I languished like that for a long time. I very nearly gave up, throwing myself into despair and darkness. Red Eye once again lifted me from that darkness. He brought me into his private room and told me he had a job for me. I was going to lead a small force of soldiers and I was going to get my revenge. Red Eye had found the bastards who had taken my parents from me.

New Roano was a small settlement north of the Canterlot ruins. There was an old Ministry hub there. It was for the Ministry of Arcane Science and Red Eye found out that was the location of a research project he was interested in. He’d been debating sending Whitetail until he found out the town had been founded by bandits. The same ones who had slaughtered Hoofhollow. Only one of their number was still alive. An old stallion named Roughshod.

It was a little over a year ago. I marched north with thirty three soldiers, two of Red Eye’s magic researchers, and one of Stern’s Talons. The Talon was there to provide personal protection for the researchers and assist my command. We found the little ruin of a town with a sturdy wooden wall built around it. There was a guard atop a platform by the gate. He raised his rifle as we marched up.

“Woah nelly, fella. What’s with the army? Y’all friendly?”

I shook my head. “My name is Favor, I am here on behalf of Red Eye, the Lord of Fillydelphia himself. We require access to the Arcane Science hub in town, and the murderous bastard named Roughshod.” My voice was commanding and firm, but there was an edge to it. Even to this day I remember that. I was right on the edge of fury and jubilation.

“Roughshod? Err... No I can’t do that for you, fella.” The guard called back, looking incredibly nervous as he took in just how well armed we were. Though we didn’t have the newer heavy machine guns, we had a lot of prewar combat rifles and most of the veterans had new shiny black combat armor. Adorned with Red Eye’s glowing red eye.

“I’ll make this simple for you, we’ll be up the road. You have one hour to hand over Roughshod and open the town to our forces, or I will happily smash that gate and bring the wrath of Fillydelphia down upon your heads.” I grinned maliciously at him. I was being denied. I... honestly wanted to be denied. I felt it in that moment. I wanted to put that town to the torch. I wanted to bring it down with fury and wrath. I wanted to kill the bastard that had torn my home apart. We traveled back up the road. I had the griffin, Harker, get an aerial view of the town.

I sat there for an hour, stewing with rage and anger. As Harker landed near me, he tossed an old watch my way.

“Hour’s up boss.”

I nodded, no words left for my soldiers. They knew their duty now. I led them back towards the gate. Stopping down the road before calling out to the towns ponies. “Anypony who stands down and allows us to do our work, will be released. All who take up arms against us? Well. They’ll wish they were dead. I just want Roughshod and the damn hub.”

The response from the ponies on the wall was a shot from a rifle. The shot would’ve been a kill shot had the rifle been of a proper caliber and aimed at my head instead of the thick shiny combat armor I wore. It ricocheted off and I stumbled back before screaming for my ponies to fire.

The fight was over quickly. We blew the gate open, my soldiers storming in. My orders were firm. Anyone who fought us, shoot to wound and maim, but not kill. Anyone who surrendered was captured. Anyone who hadn’t fought us was to be left alone. We lost three ponies. They lost nine. Seven more were captured. Harker brought me to the wounded Roughshod.

He was an older stallion, mottled grey with a thick mustache and mane, though they’d greyed considerably. He was wearing a badge, the town’s sheriff and mayor. He’d fought hard to protect the ponies with him, but had been caught by a stray bullet. A gutshot. He was going to die without healing.

“Roughshod, do you know who I am?” I said as I approached, pushing away the soldier who was trying to bandage him so we could capture him.

“Some bad bastard from Filly.” He coughed, glaring up at me. “Why did you want me?

I knelt down, a sick smile across my face. “My name is Cherish Favor. My father was Doctor Cross Stitch. My stepmother was Dusty Trail. Do you remember them?”

He shook his head, groaning in pain. “Never... heard of em.”

“You killed them, you son of a bitch. You and your bandits. Before you started this play at being a good little town.” I growled, getting in close. My muzzle nose to nose with his. “You killed my family. My friends. Every last pony I ever cared about, save one.” I spat, standing upright.

“W-where?” He coughed again, his blood splattering the dust. He’d be dead very soon.

“Hoofhollow. Northeast from here. Near the crystal mountains.” I said coldly.

“Ah... It was just me left then.” He said softly. “I’m the last one of em alive. The others are long dead. Please, don’t hurt the others. You got your revenge, the others-”

I slapped a hoof across his face. “Shuttup you fucking coward. You killed my family. You killed my friends. You don’t get the last words.” I growled, taking him by the throat. “Harker, I want the survivors of the fight in collars! They’re coming back to Filly.” I shouted at the griffin, before dropping the old stallion. “The others who didn’t fight us can leave, but they must leave. I’m putting this shit hole to the torch. An eye for an eye.” I spat on the old stallion.

He clung to life, barely. “D-don’t. They didn’t do anything, they just wanted to protect me. They weren’t-”

Roughshod was cut off by a rapturous bang as I pulled the trigger on the revolver I’d drawn.

“Pile the bodies in the center of town. Burn them. It’s more than this bastard ever did.” I ordered firmly.

I’d gotten my revenge. As... minor as it was compared to the damage they’d done. Ten dead, including Roughshod and six captured. Six slaves wasn’t much, but they didn’t matter. In my... rage I didn’t even bother to learn their names. I let Harker handle their transfer. Though they’d never been a part of the raid on Hoofhollow, they’d tried to kill my ponies to save a bastard like Roughshod.

I dragged those six ponies behind our marching columns back to Fillydelphia. I didn’t learn anything about them, I didn’t give them the time of day. I couldn’t. At the time I thought I was just trying to avoid feeling sorry for them.

It was the blackest day of my life but I’d gotten my revenge and more importantly I'd gotten justice. It was thanks only to one pony. The one pony for whom I’d go to the ends of Equestria for. The one who’d become my only family. My only friend. My mentor. My dream. Red Eye. When I returned to the city, he gave me a new position. Chief Cooperative Organizer and eventually Personnel Manager.

It is with all this in mind that I ask that you understand why I did what I was about to do.

It was the morning after the riot. After I’d let a slave get away. I had Tender Care come with me, having him follow behind as I made my way through the Funbarn to the roof, where Red Eye waited. Winter sat by the stairwell acting as a guard. He was far bigger than when I’d first met him. Red Eye had augmented him with even more cybernetics, increasing his size almost threefold and he had replaced the dogs old simple metal paws with huge claws that mounted hellhound talons. There was no better protector in all Equestria. I smiled at the old dog, who whined lightly and inclined his massive head towards me. I gave his brain case a gentle petting, before rubbing one of his metal ears. His case glowed a happy green as he let out a tinny bark of approval. Tender simply kept quiet and averted his gaze from Winter.

I passed the dog and trotted through the door to the roof. Two dark green alicorns stood stock still on either side of the doorway, shrouding the roof in a thin but unbreakable shield. I didn’t like the Alicorns. I still didn’t trust them, but Red Eye vouched for their loyalty so I abided their presence. I had Tender Care wait patiently at the doorway between the Alicorns and then I made my way across the roof to Red Eye. He was sitting on the edge of the roof, overlooking the city. His cloak was draped over his back, watching the goings on in the streets below. I took my seat to his left, as I always did.

“Cherish, I’m glad you could join me. You did wonderfully yesterday.” He said cheerily. “I was right.”

“You were... right?” I asked, a bit confused.

“Yes. The stable dweller will do nicely. She’s just what I was looking for.”

I bristled. I’d almost forgotten her in all that had happened. “I heard she caused some trouble and then you set her free?”

He shook his head. “Not quite. Though she did cause quite the ruckus.” He laughed a bit, “Her friends even managed to get the upper hoof on Stern. She’s not taking that well, let alone being the hostage in the trade. The dweller and the zebra for my loyal second. Considering I wanted the dweller out there doing my bidding, it was quite the deal.”

I smiled at his laughter but it was faint. “Red Eye... I’m sorry.”

He turned his head to look curiously at me. His blue eye the only one visible from this side. “Now why would you be sorry, Cherish?”

“I...” I put my head in my hooves. “I betrayed you yesterday.”

I felt his hoof gently rest on my back. “Cherish, what happened?” He wasn’t accusing or angry. He sounded concerned and surprised.

“I let a slave get away. I could’ve stopped her but... I don’t know. I stopped myself and just let her go.”

I felt his hoof rub up my back. “Cherish, you’ve always cared deeply for other ponies. While a bit disappointed I would hardly call that a betrayal.”

I sighed heavily, “I just... it’s my job to stop these things, right? And I... failing is one thing. Everypony can fail. It’s normal. I didn’t fail though. I deliberately let her go.”

He brought his hoof to my chin, lifting my head up to look at him. He was smiling. “You know you’re the only pony in all the world who would come to me after thinking you betrayed me, honestly and without prompting tell me about it, and then when I try to let you know it was okay, you still feel responsible. Cherish, of all the ponies in Equestria, there is no other so loyal. I value that higher than anything.”

I didn’t know what to say, I felt... silly of all things. “Aph... I’m sorry. I’m being over dramatic, aren’t I?”

“Just a tad.” He smirked, “Today’s a good day Cherish. Not one for apologies. My great work is set in motion. Unity, a new Equestria, is closer than ever before.” He beamed, “And I have a task for you.”

“For me? Are you sure? I just... after what I did...”

He looked at me dead pan, “I was wrong, it’s not just a tad over dramatic. Now you’re being excessively over dramatic.”

I sighed and nodded, feeling sheepishly stupid. “Sorry...”

He laughed a bit more, it was nice to hear. “Stop apologizing. I command it.” He said in a playful tone.

I smiled a bit and gave a salute. “Yessir.”

“Now, as I was saying Cherish.” His tone lost the playful hint. “I want you and your squad to find and raid a Ministry of Awesome hub for me.”

The courtroom was utterly silent. Righteous Creed looked down at the slaver before him. He held a look of astonishment.

“Cherish Favor, can you please clarify for the record. You willfully admit to massacring New Roano?”

“I do, yes.” Cherish said, closing his eyes and sighing softly.

Everypony sat in silence, looking at the pink stallion at the front of the room. The mare at the back of the room crying again quietly. Charity looked at the stallion in confusion. Bronze Star glared at him with a mix of contempt and disgust. The Lawbringers in the room held similar glares.

Righteous Creed closed his eyes and nodded. “Very well. That’s enough for today. Marshals, please return him to his cell.”

Every creak of wood and jostle of chain was felt throughout the room as the two marshals slowly unlocked his chain from the floor and trotted him out.

Cherish could feel the eyes on him, his head hanging low as he trotted out. He didn’t look to the mare this time, even as she followed him with her own eyes. He simply couldn’t. With his head kept low, Cherish Favor was ushered out of the room and through the building towards the basement and the cells.

“I told you.” Bronze said, finally breaking the silence as he pushed Cherish into the cell below. The room illuminated only by the light coming in from the open doorway. Cherish’s cell was mostly dark, save for the glow of his pink cybernetic eye.

“Yeah... fuck.” Charity said quietly, looking at Cherish with a mix of confusion and disgust. Both marshals jumped when Cherish broke the silence that followed.

“It was the worst thing I’ve ever done, marshals.” He said softly. “You don’t know regret until the consequences of your actions really sink in.”

“Consequences? You’re only just regretting it because we caught you?” Bronze barked back, furiously glaring at the form of Cherish in the dark cell.

“No, marshal. This? This ain’t my consequences. You all didn’t catch me because of New Roano. Though, I guess you weren’t quite listening today were you?”

Karma Level: -650 "Train Yard Terror"
Faction Reputation:
Red Eye's Devoted: Idolized
Red Eye’s Army: Idolized
Slavers of Filly: Smiling Troublemaker
Slaves of Fillydelphia: Hated
Survivors of New Roano: Vilified