Fallout Equestria: Redemption is Magic

Chapters

Hiding until Dusk
Getting in the Zone
It's your Lucky Break
Beauty Versus Brute
Hindsight
No Longer Worlds Apart
Patience [Extra Halloween Mini-Chapter]
Morality
Unlikely Friendships
Laughter and Lost Love
Are you a Background Pony or Not?
Tenacious Ambitions
Prophecy Fulfilling
The Kindness Arc: Beginning
The Dead are Plenty
The Goddess
A New Direction?
A Tricky Beginning
The Pony and The Fiddle
Dungeons and Dragons

Hiding until Dusk

Chapter 2

When writing a story, one must take into consideration the plot. Is it justifiable? If you say yes, chances are you’ve missed a plothole or two.

Rainbow Dash hit the pavement hard. How she was able to survive the impact without a scratch, she’d never know. She got up onto all fours, placing a hoof on her head in pain. “Ugh…
that hurts…”

As the pain subsided, she began to look around, seeing nothing but desolate land surrounding her, the ground cracked and seemingly devoid of life. The only sign of civilization was a wide road leading to the side of what appeared to be a large warehouse in the distance. Dash, seeing nowhere else to go, and wanting to get out of the cold air, decided to head there.

As she made her way across the hard, rough ground, she took note of the sky. It was a bit discolored; the clouds were darker than normal storm clouds. They had a sinister shade of sorts to them, as if they were there to set the mood for a dark scene. Dash shook off the uneasy feeling, continuing on her way to the building.

Luck seemed to be on her side for the warehouse to have been there, as it had started raining, the drops of water pitter-pattering on her back as she approached the door. With her right wing stretched out to push open the front door, the knob having been rusted completely off, Dash called out into the building’s expanse, “Hello? Anypony here?”

The light from outside was filtered through the door and the window beside it, the blinds on the ground from the strings having been decayed over time. With each step Rainbow took, puffs of dust rushed away from the spots where her hooves would touch down. “Anypony…?”

The warehouse was noticed to be filled with endless shelves as she went further inside, all holding boxes with many unique labels. However, one label stood out among the rest: Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark, a cloud with a rainbow in the shape of a lightning bolt emerging from the bottom. Rainbow Dash, confused and curious, approached the dusty cardboard box bearing her signature.

She carefully slid her wings under the top flaps and opened it slowly, revealing six sky-blue spheres, each sphere containing swirling mist within. She picked up one with her wing and inspected it closely. It was completely smooth, with no flaws or bumps; It was perfect, like a marble. “What... is this? Some kinda toy?”

It would be a while before she got an answer. Her ears picked up several clicking noises, each click accompanied by a short-lasting high pitched whine. She quickly turned around, coming face to face with what was definitely a weapon of sorts, being held in the covered wing of a pony in full black barding and armor, only his mouth being exposed.

The pony spoke into his headset. “Uh… Command? Are you picking this up on camera view? I’m not sure if I’m hallucinating.” Behind him were five other ponies, all dressed in the same black metal armor. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but notice the scorpion tails they all had, with thoughts in her mind of how awesome she might look if she had armor like that.

The headset responded, with Dash being able to clearly hear the voice. It sounded way too familiar, being the voice of a mare who was probably a bit too happy with her job. “Probably a Rainbow Dash sympathizer. Terminate and finish objective.” Complying with her order, the pegasus aimed his weapon point-blank to Dash’s forehead.

Everything seemed to pause at that moment, with something registering in Dash’s brain. She wasn’t sure why this was, but the weapon in front of her was eerily familiar. She felt as if she knew more about it than she should, as if she had seen it for years. Memories flashed in her brain, images of Spitfire holding one of these weapons, demonstrating her skill with it, a beam of light, a dummy exploding.

Rainbow Dash, realizing what it could do, zoomed sideways in a flash, out of the aim of the “gun”, then charged into the side of the opposing pony; her front hooves outstretched in a kick, knocking him into a shelf, the shaking of the metal structure causing a few smaller boxes to fall atop him, not enough to really kill, but enough to keep him busy..

The five remaining soldiers aimed their weapons. “It’s a hostile! Threat level raised!” Dash, not wanting to stick around, flew high above the metal shelves, narrowly avoiding beams of light being emitted from the weapons and decided to book it, her usual rainbow trail following close behind as she sped away towards the exit of the warehouse. The moment she left the building, she was pelted with both rain and hail. The weather had definitely taken a turn for the worse while she was inside.

Exclaiming, “What’s with those ponies?!” Dash quickly turned, poking her head back inside the warehouse. The sounds of disgruntled and annoyed ponies echoed through to her ears, getting closer. She pulled back, then simply sped off in one direction: away from the building.

Who were they? What were those spheres? She’d have to go back for them later when it was all clear. Why would they want to even hurt her? And more importantly, who was leading them? As she flew, Rainbow Dash would go over the questions in her head, pondering the possibilities.

After only a few minutes of flying, her left wing flared up in pain as she was hit by a beam of light. She receded the wing, causing her body to spin out of control. “Nononononononono!” She took an unexpected nosedive, and she was a hundred feet up! “NONONONONONONO!” She couldn’t die like this! So she did what any wonderbolt would do - embrace the pain. Luckily, it wasn’t the splattering kind. She forced her injured wing to stretch out, eyes filled with determination, embracing the pain of her damaged muscles.

“I’m not going down just yet!” Her outstretched wings, both of them, were finally able to catch the wind, slowing her descent as much as she could. She slowed to a vertical halt, still flying forward, face inches from the ground. With a great heave, she flapped her wings, both good and injured, forcing herself to fly upward.

The pegasi trailing behind her followed, keeping in a tight V formation. They rapidly fired their weapons, forcing Dash to perform evasive maneuvers, maneuvers that only a Wonderbolt could do, pride swelling in her chest, despite her pain. She flew higher, higher, higher still, above the rainy clouds, even further! She wasn’t stopping until she hit the thermosphere, a layer where no sane pegasus would ever go.

But, then again, Rainbow Dash was no mere pegasus. She was as awesome as she wanted to be. She began to feel the air getting thinner. It was harder to breathe, harder to keep her speed. The soldiers stopped at the stratosphere, staring at the dot that was this crazy mare.

A pegasus in the back of the squadron group spoke up with an uncertain tone. “Do we go after her?”

The leading soldier shook his head. “Negative. She’s suicidal. She won’t last up there. Basically did our job for us.” He grinned, sending a shiver down the background soldier’s spine. As they turned to pull back, her ears perked up, that unmistakable boom catching their attention. The leader looked back, eyes wide behind his helmet.

A rainboom, only caused by intense speeds. Rainbow colors flew outward in a ring, making the sky look brilliant. Was she really just a Dash sympathizer? Or was she the real deal? The dot rapidly grew as the mare came closer, hind hooves outstretched in a kick. He was going to die. There was no way he could survive a blow at that speed. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for imminent death, as no one could possibly move out of the way in time.

But then, she flew past him and the others, yelling, “Psych!” As she flew by, the wind displacement behind her forced the flyers to spin out of control, distracted as they attempted to correct themselves to an upright position. Dash looked back with a huge grin on her face. “You should really get on my level sometime!”

As she sped away, she noticed a few small details in the distance ahead of her. They were abandoned buildings. Well, abandoned buildings were still better than none. A great place to hide, that was for sure. As she got closer, it was apparent that it wasn’t just a few buildings. No, it was an entire city. Dash’s coat stood on end as she realized something was definitely wrong.

She looks over the streets from above, flying high over the abandoned skyscrapers. It looked eerily familiar, as if she’d been here before. No… It can't be. It was Manehattan. She could recognize these shops. She swooped down and landed on a random street, looking around for the signs.

Finding one, she could tell she was on North Hoofway Street, just next to a large movie theater. She had been dragged here once before by Rarity for some kind of “culture lesson”. Some lesson that was, as it was just about some detective, and the whole thing was in black and white.

After all that flying, the pain in her left wing had caught up to her once more. She’d need to find bandages, as she’d obviously done more than just sprain it. Perhaps there was some kind of emergency kit in the theater?

She walked up to the theater. This would be a good place to hide. Multiple rooms would increase her chances of survival. She went to the glass double doors and pushed them open, going inside. “Alright… Maybe a few movies are leftover to watch?” She grinned nervously, trying to put aside the fear and the fact that this building might be more than it seemed.

Going past the front counter, she made her way into the hallways that led to multiple rooms, each one with a different poster depicting a movie. One poster stuck out to her among the others: The High Flyer: A Rainbow Dash Documentary. She felt both flattered and creeped out at the same time. Who would make a movie about her? Sure, she was awesome, but wouldn’t someone need her permission first to make one?

She opened the theater room and walked into the darkness, the light of the projector being the only illumination. Why was it still on? This place looked like it hadn’t been used in centuries, dust covering most of the surfaces. She flew up to the projector and examined it, the machine having been propped up on a decaying wooden stool.

A voice called out from the front row of the seats. “Who’s there?” This spooked Dash, not expecting anyone to be here. She turned around and could barely make out a ruby red mane, most of the mane having been combed to the right side of the pony’s head.

“Who’s there?” Dash asked in response.

“That’s what I said. You’re definitely not Seatrow,” the mare said.

Dash walked closer to the front row, still talking. “Seatrow? Is that a pony?”

“Kinda,” the mare answered. “He’s like a caretaker here.”

Dash stayed silent as she got to the front row, eyes fixated on the pony. The mare in question was an oyster white pegasus, with beige-tipped wings. Her cutie mark was of a dusky sun, surrounded by ruby red feathers. What really got Dash’s attention, though, was the medical blindfold over the pony’s eyes. Dash couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you?”

The mare hesitated to speak. “My name? Dusk Feather. And I assume yer a surfacer, right? Please, lemme be right.”

Dash was a bit confused. “What’s a surfacer?”

“So, you are,” Dusk confirmed. “That’s good. If it were Enclave, I’d probably be Dust Feather instead of Dusk Feather.” She emitted nervous laughter after that sentence.

“You alright?” Dash asked. “Is that what those ponies are called? Enclave?”

Dusk put a hoof to her chin. “Menacing armor? Pegasi? A tendency to be a bit shooty on the first date?”

“Yeah!” Dash answered. “They tried to take me down! As if I’d let ‘em!”

Dusk chuckled, leaning back in her seat. “Yeah, they’re pretty cocky. Of course, what Enclave soldier isn’t nowadays? It’s that natural pride of theirs.”

Rainbow Dash was almost offended. “Pride, huh? I know a thing or two about pride. That’s not pride. That’s just hurting ponies.”

Dusk smirked. “Pfft. Where are you from? Sugarville? It’s not like many ponies care about each other. We kill, we get over it, we kill again.” Her mouth returned to a neutral position, the mare now serious. “It’s not like there are heroes. Sure, Littlepip may’ve been one, but now she’s stuck in some tower. Raiders gonna raid, Enclave gonna invade, and ponies gonna hurt each other.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t like this pony right now. She took ahold of her by the shoulders. “Look here! Ponies don’t have to hurt each other! What kind of place is this? What happened to Manehattan?!” She shook Dusk a little, trying to shake the answers out.

Dusk growled and pushed Dash away, standing up. “The hell you mean? It’s always been like this! I think you’ve hit your head one too many times!”

Rainbow Dash pushed Dusk back into her seat. “No, it hasn’t! I was in Manehattan a month ago for a Wonderbolts show! Everything was fine!”

Dusk tried to stay calm. Blinded, she couldn’t risk a fight. Last time she got lucky with those troopers. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay. So, you’re trying to tell me that this city was bustling with ponies a month ago.”

“Yeah! Exactly!” Dash growled. “There’s no way this wouldn’t be in the news!”

Dusk’s nose twitched. “It was, two-hundred years ago.” This made Rainbow Dash’s blood run cold. “When the megaspells dropped, it was devastating, forcing the pegasi to seal up the sky, separating us from the surfacers. Those on the surface who survived were either mutated in some way or were trapped in underground facilities called stables. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m tired, and I’d rather be left alone than to talk to you.”

Dash was in the future? She could hardly wrap her head around it. This mare was really peeving her off, but was she right? From what Rainbow Dash had seen of the decrepit city, it was the only thing that made sense. The only thing that didn’t make sense was what a megaspell was, but if it was something that could cause this kind of damage, Dash didn’t even want to be near one.

Dusk’s ear twitched. “I don’t hear you leaving.”

Dash shook her head. “I’m not leaving you here. You’re blind.” She gestured to the blindfold. “Why don’t you take that thing off?”

Dusk also shook her head. “My eyes are as good as gone. They were greatly damaged. I gotta keep this on to prevent any nasty infection from getting in.”

Dash was surprised. “Did those Enclave ponies do that to you?!”

Dusk nodded. “Eeyup. I’d rather not go into details. Later, maybe, but not now. I still gotta wait for Seatrow. They’re supposed to be bringing medical supplies from the basement.”

“Alright.” Dash took a seat next to Dusk. “How long do we wait?”

“Not sure. I’m a little worried,” Dusk admitted. “They’ve been gone for an hour, I think.”

Dash blinked. “An hour?! It shouldn’t take that long to get to one room and back! How big is this place?”

“It shouldn’t be that big,” replied Dusk.

“Then I’m gonna go find ‘em,” said Dash, getting back up and flying to the exit of the room. Dusk tried her best to follow after her, the blind pegasus barely able to avoid bumping into the seats.

“Hey, wait! Don’t be stupid!” Dusk cried out. “You can’t go off on your own!”

“Sure I can!” Dash said back. “I’m not scared of some stupid Enclave soldiers!”

As Rainbow reached out a wing to pull open the door, Dusk warned, “It’s not Enclave we should be worried about! It’s feral gho--!!!”

It was too late. Once Dash opened the door, a partially decayed face of a pony stared back at her, only one eye blinking while the other was gray and looked to be full of some putrid liquid. Upon the very sight of the monstrosity, Rainbow Dash was pelted with flashback after flashback of a particular prank gone wrong, specifically when she put special dye in the cookies that should have only colored her friends’ faces upon eating them. However, once they found out, they did inevitably teach Dash a lesson by pretending to be zombies.

How she wished this was a prank.

Rainbow Dash screamed, and the ghoul screamed in return with added gurgling in its voice. Dash slammed the door shut, her back against it. “What is that thing?! A zombie?!”

Dusk facehoofed, sighing. “It’s a feral ghoul, based on what you just called it. Were you born yesterday or something? You should know what a ghoul is. Even wasteland foals know what they are.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “I’m not from around here. And, considering your little story, I’m not even from this time!”

Dusk didn’t really care, however. In fact, she just wanted to sleep. “Whatever, crazy. Just make sure you prop up something against that door.” The fact that this random mare just came in and disturbed her rest, then caught the attention of a ghoul unsettled her. This mare was bad luck. “There was only one, right?”

Dash nodded, but then, remembering that Dusk was blind, replied, “Yeah, I think so.” She quickly went over to the projector and lifted it off the stool, setting it down on the ground gently. She then took the stool and came back to the door, propping the furniture piece underneath the door handle. “Wait, what am I doing? I can take one zombie, can’t I?”

“Nope. Problem with feral ghouls is that they can travel in groups,” explained Dusk. “Sometimes they’re sneaky, too. If one is around, you can be sure the others are probably hiding nearby.

"Then what are we even supposed to do?" Dash questioned. She wasn't liking this situation at all. Dusk just stayed silent for a few seconds, unsure of how to answer.

Dusk Feather huffed, annoyed. "We'll just have to wait. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not become a meal to some surface creature, especially not to a ghoul."

Dash grumbled and reluctantly flew over to an empty seat, sitting down in it, following the blind mare’s advice… for now.

And so, they waited...

And waited…

And waited…

And waited…

Dash had fallen asleep from boredom while waiting for Seatrow to return. Her head was filled with dreams of Equestria, the blue skies, the bright sun, and happy ponies, everything being as it should be. But then those dreams grew dark, with a mysterious object falling from the sky. Dash could only guess as to what it was.

She got her answer soon enough. When it hit the ground, a massive boom echoed throughout the world, forcing many ponies to cover their ears. The confused cries of a few mares and stallions were quickly drowned out by an unnatural scream, one that wasn’t equine. It was a scream of static, and it was coming from Canterlot.

A pink, gaseous giant loomed over the city, its loosely equinoid shape reminding Dash of a similar creature she had once fought alongside her friends. But this creature didn’t bring disturbances to one’s sleep. Instead it brought death.

One by one, every single pony in Canterlot succumbed to its deadly effects, ponies being fused to the ground, the buildings, their own clothes, trapped and forced to breathe the burning air as it slowly killed them.

The creature wasn’t satisfied with just that, though. Its form spread out across the land, covering villages, towns, cities, all of Equestria, and then the entirety of the planet.

Its reign was absolute, and under that rule came forth twisted shells of what were once the citizens of Equestria, not alive, but not dead. The undead, seeing the last pony fall to their might, unleashed a scream of static, startling Dash from her sleep.

As she steadied her breathing, she noticed that Dusk was no longer in her seat. Dash turned her head to see the blind mare talking with a pony whose head was covered in bandages, blotches of dried blood staining the once-pristine white medical cloth. Covering the rest of their body was an old movie theater employee uniform.

The pony, noticing Rainbow Dash, turned to walk over to her. She spoke with a very scratchy and gender-neutral voice. "You're either an imposter or got lucky enough to be frozen. Sorry for the bandages. They're stuck to me. Nice to meet you. I'm Seatrow." The pony laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Dash could see some of the exposed skin, dried and rotten. "You're a zombie? How come you're not trying to eat my brains or anything?"

"Ha. Zombies. I miss those movies," replied Seatrow. "There are three types of ghouls: Normal, Feral, and Gaseous. Some argue that ferals are the norm, but I'd rather not feel any more like a freak, so I try to call myself normal."

"Your voice is a bit scratchy. I can't tell if you're a stallion or a mare. Sorry," said Dash, trying her best not to offend.

Seatrow's lips turned slightly upward into a smile. It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. The ghoul knew this. "I'm a mare," she replied. "It's okay. A lot of ponies get confused."

"How'd you get like this?" Dash asked.

The ghoul almost flinched at the question. That too was a question that was often asked of her. She stowed away the discomfort and widened her smile a little more. "I was in Canterlot the day the megaspells dropped. I remember it vividly. I had just gotten out of the hospital three days prior. I was allowed to work as long as it didn’t bother my face, and all I really did was sweep out the theater rooms after the showings.”

Dash motioned to Seatrow’s face. “Um… Why were you in the hospital?”

Seatrow coughed, and embarrassingly said, “Burns from scalding water. I was boiling it for a dish.”

Dash nodded. “Yeah, I getcha. Anypony could get hurt from something like that.”

Seatrow smiled at Dash’s understanding. She then continued her story. “I was on my break, and as I was about to head out, the theater shook. I could hear ponies screaming outside, and some of those screams were pretty haunting."

Rainbow Dash hung onto every word, her curiosity knowing no bounds as this point.

Seatrow continued, her mind flashing back to the event in question. "Before I could run out of the theater, a flood of ponies ran in. I assumed there was an earthquake, so I thought it was odd that ponies would be running into a building. It was a mess, ponies climbing on top of the counter, doing everything they could to stay off the ground. Pegasi would stay in the air, never landing."

Dash raised a brow. "Why were they trying to stay off the ground?"

If Seatrow's tear ducts hadn't been burned away, she would have shed a tear as she said, "The pink gas."

Dash was even more befuddled now. "Pink gas?"

"The gas seeped underneath the doors," said Seatrow. "It was no use. The poor souls were reached by the vapors. I could see some ponies struggling to move, but they couldn't, and it was plain to see why. They were melted to the floor. I couldn't tell where the pony ended and the ground began."

"How can gas do that?!" Dash asked, eyes wide in disbelief. It felt more like a horror story than a real event to her, but here was a pony who was literally undead. How could she not believe?

"That's what I asked," replied Seatrow. "I was scared, so I ran, trying to outrun my fate, but…"

"Don't tell me it got to you!" Dash almost begged, desperately wanting the story to end on even the slightest happier note.

Seatrow looked the sky-blue mare in the eyes. Dash couldn't look away from the cloudy eyes. This ghoul had seen many things in her two hundred year long life, but Dash was certain that out of everything Seatrow could have possibly experienced in that time frame, this was the most traumatizing event for her: the beginning.

Seatrow nodded slowly. "I was lucky compared to everypony else. I hid in the janitor's closet, and then I took the mops and stuck their heads in the crack under the door. By the time I finished, a small bit of the gas got in. I wasn't fused to the floor, but my bandages…"

Rainbow Dash stayed silent, unable to think of what to say. What could she say? There were no words of comfort that could make what Seatrow had gone through any better. All Dash could do was wait for the ghoul to finish her story.

Seatrow's eyes roamed over Dash's figure. "Funny… I was asked to go out on a date the day before by a foalhood friend. The fact that he'd seen my bandages and still asked makes me smile. But look at my body now."

Dash continued to be quiet. This was the first time she had ever felt it appropriate to keep her mouth shut. Other situations weren't as bad as this. This was a dead mare, for crying out loud.

Well, undead…

"I feel like he'd run and hide if he was still alive to see me." The ghoul grabbed onto the name tag that was attached to her vest and straightened it. It had lost most of the gold-colored coating on it over the years, becoming a rusted gray. "At least I kept my job, right? I mean, nopony's fired me yet… nopony to fire me."

"So you just stay here…? And why this theater if the one you worked at was in Canterlot? And even then, why a theater or all places if it’s just gonna remind you of that event?" Dash couldn't understand why Seatrow would remain in a place that gave her bad memories.

Seatrow gave a sad little smile, her foggy eyes full of sorrow. "Well, the one in Canterlot is still full of pink gas, so I decided to relocate to this one. It's all I have left. Sure, there were traumatic experiences, but there were good ones, too… Before the megaspells, I used to spend a lot of time in theaters, even as a little filly. It keeps me sane, and keeps me going."

"I'm really sorry to hear that," said Dash. "I didn't know something so bad could happen to anypony."

"Sheltered lives, I guess," replied Seatrow. "We took everything for granted before the war, thinking everything would be sunshine and rainbows for the rest of our lives."

There was a long silence, all three mares standing in the dimly lit theater room, expressions barely recognizable in the dark. What could be said? It was a cruel world, and Rainbow Dash, having just learned this, couldn't feel as awesome as she did earlier.

Her views from before were to take life by the hooves and beat it into submission, but this damaged mare in front of her was proof that life could just as easily make a pony admit defeat.

However…

Dash wouldn't give up. She had been in many scrapes before, facing impossible odds and outperforming almost everypony she had ever met. The only exceptions were her friends, and that was because

Dusk was the first to break the silence. “Um… I don’t mean to be rude, but uh, I’m still blind. I kinda need that stuff you promised me."

"Oh, right." Seatrow pulled a large syringe from her vest pocket. It was yellow, with the signature of Fluttershy, that being her cutie mark, the familiar pink butterflies adorning the object.

Dash looked at the object and, with as straight a face as possible, asked, "What's that thing?"

"Hydra Plus," answered Seatrow. "Started selling a week before the megaspells dropped, so you'll be very lucky to find one in the wasteland."

"What's Hydra Plus?" Dash asked.

Seatrow smirked. "A more advanced version of Hydra, which normally regenerates minor parts of the body. Hydra Plus, though, that's an entirely different ball game. This thing is said to bring ponies back from being mangled. Broken bones? Hydra Plus. Missing lung? Hydra Plus. Entire torso gone? Stick somma that good ol' Hydra Plus on it."

Dash reeled back, incoherent thoughts filling her mind. Whether they were her own thoughts or not, she didn't know. "Why am I getting a bad feeling just from looking at it?"

"You're not the only one," said Seatrow. "The Ministry of Peace took on this project, and from what I've heard during the war, dozens of employees quit after working on it."

Looking over the syringe again, Dash now had a concerned look upon her face, a little hint of both confusion and fear mixed together. If there was a gas that could fuse ponies to the ground, then what could this possibly do if gone wrong?

"Now that we're done with the lesson," Dusk interrupted, "can I get my eyes back please? I'd like to be able to see when my enemies are about to shoot me."

Dash looked at Seatrow, and she could tell that the ghoul was also having second thoughts. What if something did go wrong?

"Well?" Dusk urged. "Get on with it."

Seatrow hesitantly stuck the needle into Dusk's leg. According to the instructions, Hydra Plus could be injected anywhere to take effect on the entire body. They waited, but nothing seemed to be happening. Dusk seemed a bit disappointed.

"What the hell? You said it wou--" Dusk fell onto her side, screaming loudly, the entire theater filled with the sounds of her agony. Dash quickly held Dusk tight as the afflicted mare spasmed violently.

"Why's she shaking?!" Dash asked frantically, worried.

Seatrow just calmly stared at Dusk. It was as if the ghoul had seen near-death experiences countless times, no longer even phased. "From what I've seen, it's a seizure. It's a side effect from taking the Hydra Plus."

"Well, can we stop it?!" Dash asked, trying to keep Dusk still, not knowing what to do.

Seatrow, shaking her head, knelt down and placed her hoof on Dusk’s forehead. “It’ll pass, hopefully. There’s really nothing I can do.”

And just as she said, it did pass, Dusk's twitching fit settling down. Dusk quickly broke free from Dash's grip, breathing heavily. Sweat ran down the sides of her face as she reached her hooves under her blindfolds.

With a single tug and a snap, the blindfold fell free, revealing Dusk's fully-healed sunset-colored eyes. They were full of maliciousness, the mare desiring revenge upon those who had caused her pain. The steely gaze made Dash secretly shiver in her head. This was the mare she had just spoken to a short time ago?

Dusk, wanting to see who her visitor was, let her eyes travel over… a forbidden rainbow mane. A dash sympathizer…? No, wait. As she looked over the rest of her friend's form, her eyes widened in realization. That face, that mark, the color if her coat, it looked too much like the same mare in her training videos.

She let out a scream.

Project Clarity

Video #109

Video Feed Interrupted.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

The following is an audio report from Professor Study Guide. All Enclave personnel ranked below General are forbidden from receiving this information.

"This is Professor Study Guide, calling in for the reports on both ghouls and the possible timeline fracture. I must admit, the fact that these topics even mixed together surprises me. I never thought they'd hold this much information. Due to the differing security classes between the two subjects, I have decided to put them into two audio files. The second audio file may only be accessed by higher levels in the Enclave.

"Ahem… Ghouls are the 'undead' residents of the wasteland. There are four types: sane, feral, gaseous, and feral gaseous. Current research on the sane ghouls is limited due to their reluctance to interact with the Enclave.

"Luckily, we had one volunteer, and we've learned much from her. I regret to say, however, that she went feral last week. We were forced to put her down after the situation became too unruly. May she rest in peace.

"Feral ghouls were once sane, those who've simply gone crazy. The initial cause of a sane ghoul turning into a mindless beast such as the feral is unknown, but we do have a theory, and it's willpower.

"Before these claims are dismissed, I'd like to bring up our late volunteer as an example. She had something to live for, and although it was unrealistic, she was very optimistic. It was a sad little tale, and it's... been keeping me up at night lately.

"Her name was Petal Skip, and she was a florist from Manehattan back during the war. She had a daughter who would come home every day after school and help her with her garden. When the megaspells dropped, her daughter was still at school, and so Petal Skip risked everything to get to her, fighting off rampant ponies who had lost their morals the moment the damned devices fell.

"When she got to the school, all the children had been evacuated to Stable Eighty-One. Given this information by her daughter's teacher, she rushed to the stable, only to be denied entry due to her elevated radiation. She was assured her daughter would be frozen and preserved, then thawed out when all was safer in the future. Of course, this news would scare any parent. After all, this wasn't what ponies were originally told, and the thought of her kid being on ice made her near-hysterical.

"After figuring out she was basically immortal from the effects of the megaspell, she decided to wait for her daughter. Every day for two hundred years she'd come by the stable entrance and ask for her in the hopes that the little filly would be thawed out. Then we came along.

"My team and I asked her to be a voluntary test subject, and although she was reluctant to leave, we were able to convince her by saying we could... open the stable. We took her with us to the nearby camp and ran a few tests, took samples, asked questions. I'm sure she was flustered from the barrage of quizzes she was given.

"During all the necessary tests, I quickly went into researching the stable in question. What I had found was unsettling: the children Petal Skip had told me about were not present within the still-online records of Stable Eighty-One. It was as if they had never existed in the first place.

"When the time came to open the stable, we used everything within our resources to hack into the stable's wireless systems. What had greeted us were both the stable dwellers and an unnaturally large army of synths. Synths, as many of us know, are machines built in our image, to look like us, built during the war.

"What many ponies back then didn't know, however, was that most Synths were normally used for spying. There was even a project proposed to place a pony's soul into a zebra synth in order to blend in much more seamlessly. With what we've encountered, I'd say whomever proposed the original idea had succeeded.

"Petal Skip was hysterical upon seeing her daughter's new form. Even we were shocked, seeing that her daughter had been killed long ago, her soul transferred into a synth body. She… didn't even recognize her own mother, even asking her owner if she should terminate the 'threat'.

“Needless to say, this was enough to push Petal Skip over the edge, the poor mare having lost all will to live. The moment she went feral, we unloaded what we had to put her down before she could harm any of the stable dwellers. The stable dwellers thanked us for everything.

“Too bad that thanks wasn’t enough in my book. I ordered their termination. The dwellers were killed, and all synths were shut down and dismantled, despite their pleas for mercy. What had gone on here was an atrocity. Many questioned my ability to lead that day, and while it was seemingly reckless, I did have a reason.

“We had found plans hidden in their stable’s computer systems; a plot to take over the wasteland with their army of synths. This gave me authority to terminate for Enclave preservation. We’ve purged all evidence of the plot and have disposed of all bodies. Dismantled synths will be sent back to the camp for study. Hopefully we can reuse some of the technology for the betterment of the Enclave.

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

As she flew, Celestia gazed out upon the land that was once home. It was almost instinctive. She knew every landmark, and she knew every street. It would have been difficult for her not to have known: this was Equestria, but what twisted version, she didn't know.

Throughout her life, she had learned enough from Starswirl the Bearded, her old teacher, that there were an infinite number of universes, each one being either extremely similar, or vastly different. It was no mistake that the portal had transported her to one of them. She just had to find her companions and bring them back home with her before it was too late.

Luna, flying beside her sister, stayed quiet. As she gazed over the broken buildings from above, she couldn't help but feel familiarity. Inside of her was regret, and she didn't know why. It was like all of this was her fault, but she knew it to be impossible.

Celestia looked to Luna and, sensing discomfort, gave an assuring smile. "We'll be fine, Lulu."

Luna looked back to her sister, Celestia, and gave a hesitant nod. "I know. Something just seems unnatural in this place.

"This is not our home, Luna. Be assured, we will be back soon enough," said Celestia, trying to comfort her little sister.

"I am aware of this," replied Luna, sounding cold. She didn't need comfort from an authority like Celestia. She knew Celestia meant well, but she wanted to be treated the same, with respect.

Celestia could feel an oddity in the air, some unusual behavior was coming from Luna, and Celestia wasn't certain if it was because of the current situation or something else. She looked away and saw what looked to be a tall skyscraper.

"Luna, look," pointed Celestia. Luna focused her gaze in the same direction, spotting the building and… something more unusual. There was a lone unicorn, sitting in an old chair and strumming a guitar.

"A pony in all of this?" Luna was surprised. She had thought this place to be devoid of life. Perhaps there was a hope in this forsaken land after all. A small hope, but still hope to begin with. "Let us land. I wish to ask of our surroundings."

Celestia hesitantly nodded. She wanted to be careful, but she also wanted to give Luna a chance to make her own decisions. After all, Luna was still older than most other ponies, just like Celestia. "Very well. Just be careful. I fear not all may be what it seems."

"Fret not, sister. If he is hostile, we can easily wear him down. I do not intend to lose to a single unicorn." With that, Luna swooped over and landed on the edge of the building, then slowly walked towards the center where the unicorn sat.

"Some say I'm a drifter, others say a crook.

But when I look upon myself I can see every nook.

These hooves of mine, they're nimble, as fast as they try to be.

But when I take a chance at stealin', they always gon' catch me.

Cuz I know I'm no crook, no prize winnin' thief with some medallion.

I'm just a no-good, clumsy, one-eyed stallion."

Luna had heard many songs in her lifetime, but she had never heard one like this. It felt odd and off-key. It almost felt like it was made up on the spot, too. With Celestia landing behind her, Luna approached the stallion with a bit more confidence. "Excuse me, local. My sister and I are lost, and we wish to--"

"Ehh?! Lost, ya say?!" The stallion, lifting up his hat, his apple green face disfigured, took one good look at Luna and, without a second thought, threw a wrapped sponge cake of some sort at her.

Luna tried not to be phased, but the reaction was so unexpected, it was hard not to be. "Are you alright?"

The stallion cackled. "Eat that there snack cake, lest ye be fixin' to offend mah hospitality!"

Luna reared her head back a little. What was there to offend? She saw no hospitality. What she saw was a stallion throwing food her. "I will do no such thing. There is no offense to you, nor any from my sister. We just wish to receive directions and information."

The stallion, looking dejected, sat back in his chair. "Eh… Not many visit, so Ah tend to get carried away iffin Ah do get a guest."

"I can clearly see that," replied Luna, keeping her distance. She didn't dare to relax, nor to sit down. This pony was possibly off his hinges. "Where is the most populated area? My sister and I must find civilization."

"Civilization? In this place?" The senile pony laughed. "No such thing in this place, but I can give you directions to Tenpony Tower. It won't do ye any good though."

Luna tilted her head slightly. "Why would it not do us any good?"

The stallion gave Luna a twistedly wide smile, and as he did, Luna could feel the dizziness taking her by surprise. Something was wrong with her, but what?

Luna pointed to the pony. "What have you done…?" She could feel herself getting weaker, barely able to speak.

Celestia ran up, catching Luna as she fell forward. The younger alicorn was out of commission. "What have you done?!" Celestia asked in a panicked manner.

She gently laid Luna down and lit up her horn with a golden aura. Celestia fired a beam of magic at the unicorn, who returned his own beam of purple energy, cancelling out both blasts. He rushed in, a knife floating out of his hat. He quickly threw the knife from his magic at high speeds, forcing Celestia to blink out of his sight with a teleportation spell.

She popped back into existence, eyes glowing with golden fury as she fired off multiple blasts from her horn as if she had been firing a minigun. The unicorn twisted his body, dodging as many shots as he could. One, however, hit him in his chest, knocking him back onto his rump.

He groaned and slumped over, his energy having been sapped from him by that blast. Nonlethal…? Why had she spared him? He didn't care. All he knew was that she was too weak to finish an enemy, so now he'd end it. Grabbing a syringe from his hat and into his mouth, he jabbed it into his leg.

Celestia stepped forward, her eyes still aglow with righteousness. "You're lucky I don't hurt ponies…"

"Damn right Ah'm lucky," he replied, that one shot giving him the boost of energy he needed to fling his knife with his magic from behind her, directly into her back. Celestia let out a shocked cry in pain.

While she was distracted, he ran towards her, jumping and throwing… the same wrapped sponge cake? It hit Celestia square in the face, confusing her. It was then she realized something. Her face was wet with something. He'd coated it with some sort of chemical!

Celestia ran for Luna, needing to teleport out of here right away before she passed out, too. There was no telling what he'd do! But… another knife jammed itself into her leg, then removed itself and slammed into her side. She groaned in pain as she slowed down. Have to get to Lulu…

The knife stabbed Celestia again and again, the unicorn showing no emotion as he struck her. Celestia inevitably went down, the dizziness from the chemical making her lose consciousness, still alive.

But for how long…?

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

Welcome.

Please enter password.

[********]

Password Accepted.

Level 6 Personnel Has Accessed File #198005-B7.

“Before the incident, we received conflicting stories. Not of anything to do with the stable, but of the megaspell events. Petal Skip had noticed one of our history books, and upon reading it, she informed us that our recollection of events were severely wrong. Many had laughed this off, of course, but I begged to differ. After all, I’m nothing if not a professional, and a professional takes everything into consideration.

“With assistance from partnering unicorns, we were able to extract raw memories in perfect condition. Now, to be fair, I must add that all memories degrade, especially traumatic ones, and so I did comparisons with others ghouls we had come into contact with, two weeks after the untimely termination of Petal Skip.

“Strangely, we had found two scenarios. Petal Skip claimed that, rather than Canterlot, it was Manehattan that had been hit with the pink gas. We had confirmation of her claim the moment we had acquired memories from at least four other ghouls. Only two ghouls out of the group had what we know as the real events.

“There is currently no doubt in my mind. Some are skeptical, but we must take into the possibility that there may have been a rip in our timeline at the initial impact of the megaspells, as I believe only a megaspell could cause such an occurrence. Therefore, I am sending a request to use [Redacted. Level 8 Clearance Required.] to test this theory. This is the end of my report. Professor Study Guide, signing out.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

It had taken roughly half an hour to calm Dusk down. The fact that she had seen Rainbow Dash, of all ponies, was staggering to her. She couldn’t quite get into that peaceful state of mind, but she was calm enough to keep her sanity. Dusk’s renewed eyes roamed across the legend’s form, the pegasus still having trouble taking in the information.

“Do you know you’re supposed to be dead?” Dusk asked. Dash blinked, both in disbelief and in offense.

“Uh, Yeah, no way. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” Dash replied, a smug smile spread across her face. She then tilted her head, a thought coming to mind. “Why were your eyes messed up?”

Dusk stayed calm and firm in her stance. “Don’t change the subject. You’re not even supposed to be alive, and yet here you are, talking to me like the megaspells never happened.”

“I don’t really know a lot about this place, but I do know it’s filled with some pretty crazy ponies. I don’t think I’m the weird one here. Now what happened with your eyes? Why are you even hiding in here to begin with?”

Dusk pressed a hoof into Dash’s chest, pushing back the rainbow-maned pegasus. “That’s none of your business. I have a right mind to report you to the Enclave.”

Dash raised a brow. “Weren’t you against them? Wait, is that why you’re here? And if it is, why go to them and report me? You’re not making any sense!”

The whole conversation was beginning to wear down on Dusk’s nerves. She gritted her teeth and said, “Because there’s a lot of money in it for me, and a chance to reclaim my position if I bring you in.”

“As if you could even catch me. I’m a Grade A Wonderbolt. And since you’ve been blind for so long, you’re probably a little rusty in the flying department,” Dash said both proudly and smugly. She was certain she had won the argument at this point. Besides, no winged creature had ever truly beaten her except for a special few.

“Really now?” Dusk was very frustrated with this so-called legend. “I’ve trained under multiple instructors in both pegasi and zebra fighting techniques. I could take you down before you could even lift yourself off the ground.”

Being confident, Dash flew up into the air, looking down at Dusk, challenging her. The pure anger was evident in Dusk’s newly restored eyes. Before Dash could even react, Dusk flew straight at her, using her legs to propel herself up before flapping her wings in a single powerful lunge. Both pegasi tumbled through the air, exchanging hits with their hooves. Dash inevitably freed herself, pushing Dusk away as Dash zoomed towards the eastern wall of the room.

Dusk wrapped her hooves around the arm of a theater chair, then, with a slight amount of force, tore the wooden arm off its base. Thank Celestia for two-hundred years without maintenance. She then zipped off the ground and through the air at Dash, swinging the broken-off arm of the chair at her.

Dash very quickly flew to the side, then wrapped her hooves around Dusk’s new improvised weapon. Using all her strength, she ripped it out of Dusk’s hooves, throwing it onto the ground and shattering it, the wooden splinters scattering across the floor.

Dusk wasn’t able to predict Dash’s next move, as the rainbow mare immediately zoomed forward and delivered a punch to Dusk’s face. Dusk could, however, see the next punch. She raised her hooves, taking a hit to them instead of her head. It was a little difficult to block the third blow as Dash tried to go in for a headbutt.

Dusk did the only thing she could think of: do the same thing. She reared her head back and thrust it forward in a headbutt of her own. Both heads collided, creating a thunk sound. “Ow!” They both cried out. “That hurt! You’re hard-headed! What?! Me, hard-headed?! You’re hard-headed!”

Dusk flew in and kicked out her hind legs, getting Dash in the stomach. Luckily, Dash had taken far worse hits before. She wrapped her hooves around Dusk’s hind legs and swung her into the eastern wall before letting go.

Spiraling, Dusk went down, with Dash quickly landing and pressing a hoof to Dusk’s back, keeping her held in place.

“I told you you couldn’t beat me!” Dash gloated. “Now that that’s over, tell me why you’re hiding. Something tells me you’re in trouble, and I wanna help you.”

“Get off me! You’re insane!” Dusk fought with all her might, but Dash had her effectively pinned.

Rainbow Dash pressed her hoof down in between Dusk Feather’s wings, a known weakness among pegasi. “No way! You’ll just give me away to those Enclave bozos! Now spill it! I can help you, but only if you tell me what they did!”

Dusk, frustrated, shouted, “Fine! I’ll tell you! Just lessen the damn pressure!”

Dash, still wary, only let up on the force by a tiny bit. “Talk!”

Dusk sighed, a bit disgruntled at the fact she was being pinned by somepony who was supposedly dead. “Most Enclave stay up in the air. I was torn between both the clouds and the surface. My dad wasn’t exactly somepony a pegasi would approve of. Anyways, I’d rather not go into that part of my life right now. What you do need to know is that I was often watching over a unicorn colt. He was like a little brother to me…”

“Yeah…? What was his name?” Dash asked.

“His name was Coast,” Dusk replied. “He was a little troublemaker at times, but he never really meant any harm. A few magical surges here and there, but I’d often help him get it under control. Used to sing him to sleep in his younger years. Those were more wholesome times…”

“What happened?” Dash asked, keeping her hoof pressed against Dusk.

Dusk paused, flashing back. “One day, I was watching Coast at our usual hangout. I didn’t think they’d find me there, ya know? The fact that I had been watching Coast at the time had made it even worse. Enclave showed up at the door, and dragged both of us out. Coast was fighting so hard against them.” Dusk stared blankly at the floor. “That… stupid kid…”

“What did he do?” Dash felt as though she shouldn’t have asked.

“As they were about to shoot me, he got in the way. I told him not to be a hero. Fucking idiot…” Dusk coughed from the dust she had inhaled from being on the floor.

Dash finally let her up, holding out her wing and pulling Dusk to her hooves. Dash then asked, “Is that how they blinded you?”

Dusk rubbed the back of her neck. “No. I was blinded when I went up against my own squadron. Grenade to the face.” She smiled nervously. “Because of that incident, they ramped up the search for me. That’s when they found Coast and I. It was supposed to be just me, but…”

“But what?” Dash tensed up. Why did she keep asking? She didn’t understand why she kept pushing. She knew this was traumatic, but she just kept going.

Dusk stared at Rainbow Dash. “So… I heard Coast. He cried a little, and he was just… there in my hooves. Then he was gone… It was like he had never existed. All that remained,” she choked out, “was dust, and I just… snapped. I used everything I had ever learned from both the academy and a special friend, killing who were once fellow soldiers. They took everything from me, and so I’d take everything from them.”

Dash swallowed. She immediately regretted asking. “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be,” Dusk replied. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have led them back there. If I’d just surrendered back when my eyes were damaged, Coast wouldn’t be dead. He would have grown up. Who knows? Maybe he would’ve done something to help the wasteland.” She gave Dash a sad little smile, then coughed out a sob. She dropped to all four knees, tears leaking from her face and soaking the carpet. Dash instantly hooked her hooves under Dusk’s helping her up.

“H-Hey… It’ll be okay! We’ll get back at those rotten Enclave!” Dash said, trying to encourage Dusk to go on. “We can easily take ‘em!”

“You’re fucking insane,” Dusk barely whispered. “You can’t fight the Enclave. We can’t fight the Enclave. It’d take a miracle. Even if their forces are scattered, we stand a better chance flying to the moon!”

Dash’s mouth slowly spread into a smirk. “You’re looking at a miracle right here!”

Dusk’s ears lifted upon hearing those words come from a passed legend.

“Once we find my friends, we’ll take on the entire messed up world if we have to!” Dash promised. “We’ll show ‘em a thing or two!”

Dusk smiled, tears still running down her face. She shook her head, then looked Dash in the eyes. “You’re a crazy mare, have I said that?”

“Only about two or three times,” replied Dash, giving a grin. Dusk grinned back, then looked to the side, seeing Seatrow. The ghoul had been sweeping up the wooden splinters from the earlier fight.

Seatrow glanced up. “You two made quite a mess. Good thing I don’t get paid, otherwise it’d be docked.”

He had been waiting for years. He knew they’d come, and now they have. The silhouetted pegasus wrapped the tip of his wing around a small teacup, then brought it to his lips. Blowing onto the hot beverage of ginseng, he smiled, then took a slow sip. The monitor flickered as it displayed the three mares in the theater.

The door behind him opened up, allowing light to flood the room and reveal his white coat and slick green mane. An earth pony poked his head into the room.

"Uh, sir?” the visitor pony muttered. “They’ve been waiting for thirty minutes.”

“Ah. Pardon my lateness,” said the white pegasus. “I was just keeping an eye on our new friends.”

“New friends, sir?” the earth pony raised an eyebrow. “Are they the blessed ones you spoke of?”

“Hush now. All will be revealed in time,” the pegasus promised, giving a charismatic smile as he put on a blindfold. “All will be revealed…”

Project Clarity

Video #36

Video Feed Interrupted.

Author's Note

Forgive us for the wait, but now our production has ramped up. In order to do so, we had to settle for a shorter comedic video while the longer video is posted in a later chapter.

We will now be running smoothly from now on, bringing you Fallout: Equestria goodness!

A big thank you to Francis, for animating this video for us!

Special thanks for the entire Project RiM team, like Rand-Dums, from Deviantart, who gave us her permission and character's backstory, design, and AngryPenguin gave us the nice chapter art for the story.

Update: We now have the longer video in this chapter! Thank you for your patience!

Getting in the Zone

"What fun is there in making sense?" - Discord

A gust of wind, a flash of light. Fluttershy was swept across the gray skies, clouds swirling around her as they seemed to attempt to guide her safely onto the ground. The poor yellow pegasus kept her eyes shut throughout the whole process, too scared to look.

A pack of scorponies, a species known for their scarceness and odd looks, watched from a distance in both curiosity and fear, for they knew not what creature could mess with the clouds in such a manner.

The scorponies had mainly kept to themselves these past few months, but now something seemed to be threatening their peace. It was then that they had decided to send one of their own to investigate and report back.

As the clouds dissipated, Fluttershy was thrown directly into the side of some poor creature, knocking it over and sending both it and Fluttershy rolling down the barren hill. They tumbled, eventually stopping at the bottom. Fluttershy quickly got up, panic quickly overtaking her. “Oh gosh! I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened!”

The creature, rising up, made it apparent that it was much bigger than the worried pegasus, almost twice Fluttershy’s height. “Do not worry. It will take more than some small pony to bruise me,” it, or rather, she replied.

As Fluttershy squinted her eyes, she could make out key features that would immediately strike her as familiar. “Zecora…?”

The zebra blinked, then smiled. She then let out a hearty laugh. “Oh! That is quite the compliment. I suppose to you, I look like such a legend, but believe me, I am not Zecora.”

The first difference Fluttershy noticed were the thick, long sections of hair, which made it look almost animated, as if this zebra were from some cartoon. Another difference was in the stripe pattern on her face, stripes that made it look like she had whiskers of sorts. Fluttershy took a step back, a little intimidated by the height of this equine.

“Oh? Does my appearance frighten you?” The zebra asked.

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, no, I’m sorry. You don’t frighten me. I was just startled. I didn’t expect to end up,” she looked around, taking in the scenery of the wasteland, “here.”

“Did you expect a settlement here?” The zebra queried. She seemed intrigued by the appearance of this pegasus. Something about this avian pony was familiar to her, yet she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it.

“I didn’t expect to even be here,” replied Fluttershy. Maybe that portal had sent her to another country? She didn’t expect to see a zebra way out here. She didn’t even know where here was. “Do you know where I am?”

“Ah.~” The zebra gave the most sincere smile. “You are just outside of Manehattan. I would be careful, though. We are near scorpony territory.”

“Scorponies?” Fluttershy’s eyes looked left, then darted right. “What are those? Are they dangerous?”

“Indeed.” The zebra patted Fluttershy on the head. “Scorponies are very vicious if you get too close to them. I have heard many tales of their accomplishments out here. Some say they have even set up a trade system with other scorpony settlements. But even I am not sure they are smart enough to do so. Many myths collide with facts.”

“O-Oh…” Fluttershy shrank back, looking around. She then remembered her manners. “O-Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t introduce myself! I’m Fluttershy!”

The zebra stayed silent, looking over the pegasus as if skeptical. “Fluttershy?” She chuckled. “Well, ‘Fluttershy,” I am Zone.”

Fluttershy could hear the suspicion in Zone’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“It is nothing, Fluttershy. I am just a little wary of your claims, for from what I have been told, Fluttershy has been dead for two-hundred years.”

Hearing the very word, “dead”, was unsettling to Fluttershy. She shook her head in denial. “Oh, that’s… that’s silly. I’m not d-... dead. I’m very much alive.”

Zone kept her smile and nodded. “Then I will take your word for it. Come, follow me. We must leave before we are found by the--”

She was cut off by a barrage of small missile-like projectiles, pointed like a spear, that seemed to spread out all over the place, exploding on impact. Several struck Zone in the side as she quickly jumped in front of Fluttershy to shield her, the barrage lasting about ten seconds before the attack ended.

As the smoke cleared, it was at this time that Fluttershy noticed one final oddity that would separate this zebra from the rest. At the end of Zone’s body was a tail, but not the kind any normal equine would have. At the end was a thick reptilian tail with small frills adorning the topside, draping across the ground. It slammed into the earth several times as Zone tried to warn off the attacker.

“Zone?” Fluttershy reached out her hoof, but as she did, the zebra-dragon hybrid turned to look at her with that same sincere smile.

“It is alright, Fluttershy. It will take more than…” Zone suddenly slumped over, her strength failing her..

Fluttershy’s eyes quickly scanned over Zone’s body, seeing the very small wounds caused by the earlier attack. She then turned her eyes upwards to see their attacker.

On a small hill to the southeast, Fluttershy saw a small pony about the same small size of a foal if she had to guess, but something seemed off.. This pony was hissing and acting very aggressive.

Fluttershy slowly moved around Zone, stepping closer to the strange pony. “O-Oh, I’m sorry. Are we on your land?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “We certainly didn’t mean to intrude. Um…” She then looked back at her nearly unconscious zebra friend. “C-Could we please leave, if that’s okay with you? I really need to get my friend to a hospital.”

“Fluttershy!” Zone shouted, staggering as she slowly rose onto her hooves. “Do not be a fool! Run!”

Fluttershy, looking back at the odd pony, ran as told. She didn’t know what was happening, but if Zone was more familiar with the area than her, then she should listen.

Zone tried sprinting, but limped with nearly every step. This caught Fluttershy’s attention, making the pegasus fly back for her new friend. “Zone!”

The pony saw this and immediately booked it over to the pair. With her agility, it was fairly easy for her to catch up with the slow-moving pair. "Cloud mover!" The filly yelled out, if the shrill voice was of any indication.

Fluttershy, feeling a rare instance of bravery, spread out her wings in a defensive position over Zone. “P-Please! Don’t hurt her! She didn’t do anything wrong! I promise we’ll leave if you let us go!”

“Fluttershy,” Zone said, “do not be foolish. This is a scorpony. Look closer.”

Fluttershy, following her friend’s advice, looked at the other pony, taking notice of the long stinger ending in a set of stinging pincers. Along her back was a small amount of chitin running down her spine, still mostly hidden by the light brown coat of fur. Fluttershy stepped forward, presenting a weak smile. “O-Oh… You don’t look so bad. Maybe if you let us go, I could bring you back some food?”

"You follow," the scorpony said. When she spoke, Zone flinched, the scorpony’s tone indicating no room for argument. "Pack need cloud mover."

Fluttershy looked back at Zone, who nodded slowly and stepped forward as Fluttershy moved to follow the scorpony. Where the scorpony would lead them, Fluttershy didn’t know, but she had to at least trust in her. Zone was very wary of the creature, her dragon tail tensing in preparation for defense in case of a surprise ambush.

The scorpony took Fluttershy and Zone deeper into the wastelands, occasionally sniffing the air in order to keep on track, at least, if Fluttershy’s animal experience was anything to go by. For Zone, however, the walk only stressed out her injuries.

“So, um, do you have a doctor? I don’t suppose they could help my friend here?” Fluttershy seemed to remain hopeful while Zone simply kept walking in silence. From the zebra’s experience, foreign creatures could be both good and bad, and she wasn’t sure which of the two this scorpony was.

The scorpony seemingly ignored them and kept walking, only occasionally glancing back at them to make sure they were following. "Pack in canyon up ahead."

Zone looked back in the direction of Manehattan, the idea of being further away from it worrying her. “If this is a trap, I will not go quietly,” she stated calmly.

Fluttershy smiled nervously. “I don’t think it’s a trap. I’m sure they’re very reasonable.”

“Keep alert, Fluttershy. Not all is as it seems when you speak with strangers,” replied Zone.

"Watch step, weak ground ahead," the scorpony spoke as it cautiously avoided certain spots on the ground with caution Zone had never seen before.

Both Fluttershy and Zone took the same careful path as the scorpony, only stepping wherever she did. As Fluttershy walked carefully, she took several glances at the small creature’s anatomy. “Pardon me, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a hybrid before. Maybe kirin, but I’m not sure if those were tall tales or not.”

Zone raised a brow as she thumped her tail on the ground, reminding Fluttershy that the zebra was also part dragon. “Ahem… I’m right here.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I meant before today,” Fluttershy corrected herself.

As they made their way in between and beneath two tall cliffs, Fluttershy couldn’t help but marvel at the size. Then she was reminded that it was much like the cliffs where the portals had appeared earlier. She suddenly shivered.

"Here," the scorpony announced, and when the pair looked to where she was pointing, they could see a small group of scorponies in two distinct sizes: foal-sized and Zone-sized. Two of the taller ones seemed to be going at it, jabbing their tails at each other while a smaller scorpony watched.

Fluttershy was both amazed and concerned. She was amazed at how curious this hybrid species looked, and concerned at their aggressiveness towards each other. “Oh dear… Are they alright? They’re roughhousing.”

"Alpha this way." Once again ignoring Fluttershy's question, the scorpony slammed her tail on the ground three times as she announced her return to the pack, only wanting to draw the attention of her own kind and not some predator. "Follow."

As they walked by, Fluttershy noticed two key differences between the tall and the small: the tall were males while the small were females. She could tell not only by the frames of their bodies, but also by their behaviors. Years of being with animals had given her an expertise on the subject of anatomy.

Zone stepped ahead of Fluttershy, regardless of her own limp. Clearly, the pegasus was not from the wasteland, as she had exhibited too many innocent traits. From then on, Zone led for now, following the scorpony.

As the scorpony led them through the pack, the others growled and hissed at the pair, but never attacked. Zone ignored the hisses of disapproval while Fluttershy’s wings would twitch with every growl. Fluttershy felt intimidated by the crowd, wanting to run away, but she couldn’t. She doubted Zone could catch up to her with such a limp, and was also afraid of what else these creatures could do.

While walking, Fluttershy would observe their surroundings. The ground was completely barren of all plants. Even the grass had withered away long ago. To her, it was a nightmare. Where were all the animals? What happened to this place? There should be life here. Where are my friends?

At the end of the canyon were the two supposed leaders, one big and one small. The big one was chocolate-colored, with his tail being black, and the small one was purple all over with cyan eyes.

Zone stepped past the scorpony who had led them and looked at the bigger one in the eyes. “I am requesting that you let us go. We have done nothing wrong, and I would not like to cause trouble.”

He just let out a yawn as the small one spoke up. "Forgive my mate, but he isn't much of a talker. To be frank, I'm surprised you were able to understand the orders given by the scout."

Fluttershy, hearing the female leader speak clearly, smiled. “I was worried we wouldn’t be able to understand anypony from this place.” After Fluttershy finished speaking, Zone looked down to the pegasus and cleared her throat, then gently waved to the wound on her own leg. Fluttershy, nodding in understanding, continued, “If you could just let us go, I’d be happy to bring you back something as thanks after I help my friend with her injuries.”

"How about no? You would just run away and never come back, much like the others." Fluttershy went on to speak but was interrupted by a quick glare from the female leader. "Here is what's going on, cloud mover. You are going to help us or we will simply kill and eat you."

“A-Alright? Help you with what?” Fluttershy timidly asked. She wasn’t liking where this was going at all. She just wanted to go find her friends.

The feminine leader answered, "Hellhounds have recently moved in nearby and they have been taking our food and water. We tried getting others to help but they were too weak and died." The male leader rose his hoof and a few scorponies came forth from behind the leaders. "These fine warriors will assist you on your mission.”

Zone looked over each warrior, judging by their appearance alone. She could not see much muscle mass in the females, but did notice the bulky frame of the males. Perhaps the females were faster? Or were the females strategists? She could only hope that it would be enough to get the job done faster so she and Fluttershy could leave.

Fluttershy took notice of Zone’s psychoanalyzing. “Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked.

Zone nodded. “I am just a little concerned, but it is fine. If they have trouble, I will just have to pick up the slack.”

"You may rest for the night but you are to take off at the first sign of light," the female leader said. "Feel free to make yourselves a hole to sleep in."

“You expect us to sleep in a hole? As in, the ground?” Zone asked.

"How else will you stay warm?" The leader asked. "The nights get awfully cold."

“I suppose a hole would work, but what about a fire? I could easily start one,” countered Zone. She seemed to be very skeptical of these creatures.

"It would draw too much attention to us, striped one," countered the leader.

Zone took a deep breath, then let out a concealed sigh, not moving her lips, merely breathing out through her nose. “Alright. That will do. Lead us there. I wish to finish as soon as possible.”

"Very well, Kobra." A blue male rose his head to his leader. "Take them to a suitable spot to nest for the night.” Nodding, the male half of the supposed leadership began walking, not even looking back at the pair. "Have a pleasant rest," she said as both Fluttershy and Zone followed him.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

The following is a Class F report. All citizens may have access to this information under the agreement that their access to said information is recorded and filed away for legal purposes. Do not attempt to sell said information. Any attempt to copy to an offline terminal will be recorded and placed on a watch list.

“This is Professor Study Guide, reporting on the topic of scorponies. I’d have to say at the moment that it was an… interesting experience, to say the least. Would I do it again? No, and that should go for anyone who has ever come into contact with these creatures, as most encounters are typically unpleasant and outright ridiculous in some cases.

“Upon being given the task to study these creatures, I set out at once, getting to the surface within a few hours. This was my first time visiting the wasteland, actually. The reason I report this now instead of back then was due to the Enclave focusing their attention elsewhere and giving me a second task instead of having me report. I was much younger, more peppy, excited to be able to do my part to contribute to science. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that science requires sacrifice.

“The moment we touched down and left our vehicle, one of our own accompanying soldiers were struck by a scorpony. He later went into a fit of coughing and experienced multiple seizures. This is not always the case when encountering a scorpony. As we had found out later, the first incident was a very rare case of a severe allergic reaction. The soldier had later died that day due to his body being unfamiliar with such a toxin. Most ponies, however, survive the sting, but go through sickness for several days. After the sickness, they recover just fine.

“I have found the best way to treat the wound is with water and soap, as is the case with most toxins. Attempting to ‘suck out’ the neurotoxin is pointless and is actually a myth. You cannot really suck out the substance. In fact, it would only cause more infection due to the mouth of a regular pony being riddled with disease, even when properly cleaned.

“This is not to say ponies are filthy. It’s just that the mouth comes into contact with all sorts of bacteria on a daily basis. The bacteria does not really come from us, rather than from what we eat, but I am getting off track.

“Scorponies are usually hostile towards any foreign entity, often firing warning shots in the form of the first sting. This normally forces the trespasser to turn around and leave due to the severe pain of the toxin. When faced with creatures that refuse to leave upon warning, the scorponies will do either two things, either retreat further into their territory or fight with very specific tactics similar to what normal ponies do. One of their more famous tactics involves setting up poisonous traps, using their natural magic to imbue the ground with their neurotoxin.”

“In fact, these tactics seem very similar to some used during the war, which leads me to believe that they have either learned this from somepony within the Royal Guard long ago, are mutated from a group of soldiers, or are just naturally gifted tacticians. We may send synths later to learn more. As for now, however, we are too busy with our recent defeat at the hooves of the Death Bringer, A.K.A. Littlepip.

“Scorpony neurotoxin is extremely similar to that of the box jellyfish, which usually kills within ten minutes, yet its slightly-less-than-deadly effects on ponies is astounding. There are multiple theories on why it doesn’t kill equines, but one of the more popular is the theory that it’s not designed to kill equines. It’s only designed to kill anything with a vastly different anatomy.

“We have even tested this on several paid volunteers, and none of the pony subjects died. Sadly to say, a gryphon and his abyssinian friend were a different story. The money was sent to their respective families as compensation, along with an offer to join the community. Both offers were turned down.

“Scorponies have a unique sexual dimorphism. Males are bigger, weighing in at around fifty to a hundred pounds while females are smaller, weighing in at thirty-five to fifty pounds. However, the females are deadlier and are far more aggressive, even going so far as to attack another female for dominance.

“There can only be one scorpony at the top, and in our case, it was a female, which made sense due to their heightened aggressive behavior. When approaching, we had to avoid making eye contact or we would risk a possible attack from one of the creatures. They did not offer to help us when one of our own was clearly dying. They were only focused on their own survival.

“It had taken us a while, but we were eventually able to come to an agreement. If we provided them with food and water, we were allowed to stay and study them. It was a major success in our eyes at the moment, due to the stress of the situation at hoof.

“At the slightest sign of danger, they will immediately retaliate. This was made evident when I had asked for a blood sample. After seeing the syringe, they went into a state of unrest and promptly stung me. I barely have any recollection of the event or the following days, as I had gone into a deep sleep. According to my team, I was in a state of sickness, and that they had to pull me back to the vehicle as soon as they had everything back under control.

“Upon waking, I was given a more detailed report on the scorponies. While I had been unconscious, my team had no choice but to study via observance only. They could no longer touch a single scorpony. While we were unable to get blood samples, we were able to learn more about both their behavior and their anatomy.

“During the days I was out of commission, my team had followed the scorponies as they hunted, learning more about their strategies and methods of feeding. It is safe to say that their ways involve much more than just physical consumption.

“Scorponies often hunt in packs of five to ten. Their natural prey are changelings and minor mutants, typically surrounding them and using their stingers to kill the prey as they feed on magic. In the backs of their mouths are magical vacuums, absorbing magic whenever they need to feed.

“Overall, they are effective killing machines, and continued research on them would be wise, but costly, due to the more recent move-in of hellhounds two weeks ago. I recommend we send in an extermination team as soon as possible. Of course, not like they’ll send one with my level of authority.

“Study Guide, signing off.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Fluttershy and Zone had spent their night in a dug-out hole. While it was uncomfortable, it did still keep them somewhat warm, allowing them to survive the cold harshness of the wasteland. Upon waking, Fluttershy spread out her wings and looked over to where Zone was sleeping.

Zone stirred in her sleep, her large tail twitching as she experienced a dream. Whatever the dream was about, Fluttershy couldn’t tell. What she could understand was that it was unpleasant, as the poor zebra had a pained expression on her face.

“Zone?” Fluttershy called out, worried.

Zone whimpered, sniffled, then eventually got up, her tired eyes looking in Fluttershy’s direction. “Yes?”

“Were you having a bad dream?” Fluttershy asked.

Zone smiled tiredly at her. “Ah… Just a normal night in the wasteland. I feel as though you were born just yesterday. There is no offense, of course.”

“Oh, I don’t take any offense,” Fluttershy assured. “I was very worried. You looked like you were having the worst nightmare.”

Zone took a deep breath, then spoke. “It is nothing. I just--”

She was interrupted when a scorpony got in between them. "Move now," it ordered.

And so they went, with Fluttershy still questioning the severity of her situation.

Zone led the group with a scorpony giving her directions. While the scorpony had offered to lead, Zone had none of it. She didn’t want anything to get the better of her again, and she certainly wasn’t going to take anything from the scorponies.

Fluttershy followed quietly, feeling the tension in between the entire party. Her eyes would occasionally wander, spotting both odd and scary features of the wasteland. Never before in her entire life had she ever seen a full pony skeleton. It was a grim reminder to her that one day, after she had lived her life, she would end up looking like that.

Zone turned her head to check on Fluttershy and, noticing the pegasus’ eyes cast downwards, became concerned. “Miss Shy?”

Fluttershy snapped out of her depressing thoughts and glanced up. “Oh! I’m sorry. Are we there?”

Zone blinked, staying quiet for a few seconds before saying, “Almost. I believe you will need to stay back for this fight. I will not have you endangering yourself.”

“Can’t we just talk to them?” Fluttershy smiled hopefully, even though it was a desperate hope. She couldn’t help but feel like something bad was going to happen. She had even begun to wonder if this entire land was filled with the same mindset as the scorponies. “I’m sure if we asked them to leave, they’ll gladly comply.”

One of the male scorponies chimed in. "Say that when you meet them." He snorted afterwards. Fluttershy almost flinched. She didn’t like the tone of these characters.

Zone gave Fluttershy a soft smile. “Hm… Although I would love to ask them to leave, the scorpony is right. Hellhounds are vicious. Two-hundred years ago, they used to be diamond dogs. Even then, they were still very unreasonable. Nowadays they would simply eat you.

“That doesn’t seem very nice,” said Fluttershy.

“Nice is no longer a thing in this world. I’ve learned that the hard way. You could say kindness is dead,” clarified Zone. With Zone saying this so casually, Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t even her world. It was like she had been transported onto an alien planet.

The scorponies slammed their tails on the ground, catching the others’ attention. Immediately, they started to spread out. "They’re here," The male said before he quickly joined in the `hunt’.

Zone and Fluttershy looked on ahead. A distance away, they could see a large junkpile of scrap metal and a few stray weapons laying on the ground beside it. In front of the pile was a roaring campfire, with massive hulking canines crouched around it. Their muscles were easily visible, even through what rags they wore as clothing. Bipedal and standing proudly on their hind legs, they definitely reminded Fluttershy of the diamond dogs she had encountered in the past.

Many hellhounds had scars on their bodies, with the smaller ones holding the most of the gruesome visage. The bigger ones had fewer scars, obviously from no creature ever wanting to mess with such large beasts.

To Zone, it seemed they had not noticed their new guests yet. She looked to Fluttershy and thought to herself about what the pegasus had said about politely asking, but upon looking back at the beasts, she shook her head clear of the distracting thoughts and began thinking of what fighting style would be best to take them down.

A hiss from one scorpony began the assault, the males charging from their hiding spots and the females launching their magic from the nearby hills, catching the hellhounds completely off guard. One of the smaller hellhounds went down easily, but the bigger ones simply brushed it off with either a limp or nothing at all. The bigger ones began charging while the smaller ones dove under the ground, digging at extreme speeds that would make a regular canine jealous.

Zone slammed her tail on the ground in front of Fluttershy. “Stay,” Zone instructed. She then rushed into battle, jumping into the air with grace and suddenly spinning as she fell, her heavy dragon tail crashing into a hellhound and creating a sickening crunch. Fluttershy was absolutely horrified, her eyes widening.

“What?! What are you doing?! I thought you’d just stop them, not… this!” Fluttershy ran forward before receiving a glare from her zebra friend.

“Stay!” Zone repeated.

The male scorponies clashed with the hellhounds,dodging long enough for the females to sting them and move onto the next one. Soon 5 fell to this tactic, but the ones underground sprang up, ambushing them and breaking the scorponies formation. The fighting quickly became scattered and with enough chaos to make Discord proud.

Fluttershy’s eyes welled up with hot tears, the poor pegasus not expecting this at all. “N-No… Stop!” Fluttershy cried out, but no creature listened. Zone was slamming her tail into various hellhounds while also implementing her own style of zebra martial arts, delivering blows that just couldn’t damage the hellhounds enough, and in order to make these blows, she had to take small scratches to her body herself. She could just barely keep up.

A hellhound sprang from the ground, slicing his claws through a scorpony. Another scorpony fell as a hellhound stabbed his large claws through him, leaving him a bloodied mess.

Zone would continue her strikes while something within Fluttershy stirred. This wasn’t right. This world was too violent. She couldn’t help but think back to all the times she had been in a fight alongside her friends. It was never this bad. Why was it worse here? As her tears fell, the ground soaked up the moisture. She had to do something, but what…?

Zone looked back at Fluttershy, having heard her crying. The zebra was a little concerned at her new friend’s state of mind. Perhaps after the battle, Zone would do something to remedy that. But, being distracted, Zone was suddenly struck down, a hellhound’s claws slicing into her side and leaving it bleeding heavily.

She fell onto her knees, eyes wide and body shaking. And as the hellhound, the biggest out of all of them, possibly the leader, rose its claws to deliver a final strike, Fluttershy stepped in. She couldn’t take this anymore. She stared into the hellhound’s eyes as he swung his arm down, and just before he could make contact, he stopped, his eyes having made contact with Fluttershy’s.

This feeling was unfamiliar to the hellhound, but Fluttershy was fully aware of what it was. It was The Stare. She had only needed to use it on special occasions. It was a move that had allowed her to settle most situations, almost freezing animals in their tracks and making them feel bad for their actions.

Fluttershy unleashed her anger. “What is WRONG with you?! What’s wrong with ALL of you?! How could you do this to another living creature?! Don’t you have feelings?! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, mister!”

The hellhound stared back into her eyes, and he began to whimper, taking a few steps back, with Fluttershy only getting closer. As she stepped, Zone could see something peculiar through her teary eyes. Was that… grass… growing where Fluttershy stepped? And it was green…? A few more blinks, and the grass beneath Fluttershy’s hooves was gone. Perhaps an illusion.

Fluttershy continued her onslaught of words. “You’re going to apologize to these scorponies and you’re going to take your friends elsewhere! Do I make myself clear?!”

The canine looked at his fellow hounds, and they all looked back, expecting some sort of command. He gritted his teeth as he forced himself to nod to them, and then turned around, walking away. The other hellhounds followed him, with a few taking second glances at both the scorponies and Zone. A few others would glance at Fluttershy as they walked by.

Unfortunately some of both sides didn't see Fluttershy's Stare and kept fighting, but they soon stopped when she turned her attention to them, stopping them in their tracks as if their lives would be in danger if they didn't stop fighting.

"What you do to us?" The scorpony that led them there asked.

Fluttershy sent another Stare their way, increasing the intensity. “You should stop fighting, too! No good comes from hurting each other! It only makes things worse!”

"Cloud mover?" The scorpony questioned as she shoved her way past a hellhound. "What other way is there?"

Fluttershy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “There’s so many things you could be doing, like working together and thriving as a community! There’s a lot you can do when you’re working together, but if you’re just fighting all the time, it’d just lead to more harm!”

Fluttershy motioned to some of the dying individuals laying on the ground. “Is this really what you want? Is this how you want life to be, or would you rather be eating healthy and staying safe in a nice, warm shelter?”

"You not wrong, but need to defend selves," the scorpony then gestured to Zone. "What about her?"

Fluttershy quickly hurried to the injured zebra, holding her head up. “We need to get some gauze. She’s b-b-bleeding…” Fluttershy could barely utter that one word. Bleeding. It was foreign to her, and it made her feel uneasy. “Let’s get her back home.” She then turned to everyone else. “All of you, go home! Don’t come back unless you’ve learned to say sorry!”

The hellhounds, still disturbed by the Stare from earlier, didn’t hesitate. They quickly left as soon as possible, only a few looking back as they ran off. Fluttershy attempted to lift Zone, but she found it very difficult. It appeared that much of the weight was in the hybrid’s tail. “I need help!” Fluttershy cried out. A couple males ran to help her as soon as she asked. The females quickly prepared a place for the injured now that victory was theirs… kinda.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

"Trixie does not need this right now!"

Hooves pounded the ground as both Starlight and Trixie ran for cover. They had had a rough landing after being thrown through that portal, followed by an even rougher welcome.

"I didn't think they'd be so quick to attack!" Starlight shouted, a bullet wound in her side. She kept going, despite the searing pain. From her judgement, they were running through the ruins of what appeared to be Manehattan. While running for her life, she saw a sewer plate, and grabbed Trixie's leg. "This way! Under there!"

Trixie objected, looking shocked. "What?! I'm not going down there! Such filth should not touch the great and powerfu--"

Starlight wasted no time. Lifting up the sewer entrance, she pulled herself and Trixie down the small hole. Concrete walls surrounded them now, the cold emanating off of their stony surfaces. The rusted ladder bars were slick with cold water, but Starlight and Trixie held on tightly. Pulling the cover over, she prayed to Celestia that they wouldn’t look down here.

Trixie was appalled. "I can't believe you did that!” She covered her nose with a hoof while the other held onto a ladder bar. “It smells like--"

"Shh!" Starlight hushed her friend with a hoof. She pressed her ear to the bottom of the plate, the dulled sound of running hooves greeting her ears, then stopping.

"That blue one looked fun,” said one of the ponies outside. “Would’ve loved to have gotten my hooves on--”

“Shut it. I know they’re hiding around here somewhere. They couldn’t have gotten far,” said another one. “Spread out. Search every nook and cranny.”

“Yeah, yeah, but if I find one of ‘em first, I get first dibs,” said the previous pony as they seemingly walked away, their hoofsteps getting quieter. Starlight released a quiet sigh of relief and began to open up the cover, only for her to find she was suddenly falling, the noisy screech of metal assaulting her ears as the ladder bar she stood on snapped, the poor mare falling back into Trixie and sending them both plummeting.

Both mares screamed as they descended down the dark hole and landed on their rears, something very wet cushioning their fall with a *SCHLLKK*. After a few moments of staying still, Starlight lit up the area with her horn. They had landed on an old, soggy mattress. From shock, Trixie stood up, eyes wide. “EEEEEWWWWWWW!!! There’s old water in my coat!”

Starlight got up, shaking her rear until she could get all the water out of her coat, leaving just a slight stain. “You should just be glad we’re safe from those weirdos,” she said as she attempted to heal her wound with magic.

Ripping the bullet out, she winced, exhaling a short breath, then used her magic to try and slowly heal the surface of the wound. For many unicorns, healing with magic could be deadly, as they could only work with what they could see. Without any special vision to see through their skin, they could never heal the damage inside. The very least Starlight could do was to speed up the coagulation of her blood, leaving a very messy and bloody patch. No use in getting an infection down here in the sewers.

Taking a closer look at her surroundings, Starlight noticed a deep trench made from concrete to the right of the heightened cement platform she and Trixie were on, extending all the way into the darkness. Dark green sludge rushed through it with the same consistency as water. This must have been running for a long time without anypony to cut off the flow.

“I could handle the weirdos,” said Trixie, her voice barely audible over the artificial stream of waste. “What I can’t handle is this filth! Trixie is above dwelling in sewers!”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Well, I’ll just levitate you back up there,” she said as she grabbed Trixie in her magic.

As she levitated in Starlight’s magic, she began to squirm “Wait! Trixie was kidding! I was kidding!”

Starlight gave her friend a look of disbelief “What?! But you said you could handle the weirdos!”

“I don’t want them near me!” Trixie replied, her lower lip quivering. Starlight, sighing, dropped Trixie back onto the ground and started walking.

“Wait! Where are you going?!” asked Trixie, chasing after Starlight. Starlight ignored her. If Trixie didn’t want to go back up there, then Starlight would just have to find another sewer opening, and if her suspicions were correct, there wouldn’t be one too far from here.

Trixie, following Starlight, couldn’t help but take note of the details in the tunnel. The concrete walls were littered with graffiti, such as “She lied to us!” and “Down with the moon,” making her uncomfortable. Quickly noticing Starlight had gotten further ahead, Trixie sped up her pace.

“I don’t like this, Starlight,” said Trixie, wary of the darkness at both ends of the tunnel. Looking back, she could no longer see where they had entered the tunnel, making it seem like the darkness was waiting to close in and grab them if Starlight’s magical light ever went out. “I feel like there’s something in here with us.”

Hearing raspy breaths echoing from both in front and behind them, Starlight narrowed her eyes. “I think you’re right, but we’ll get out before it can get us. Let’s just hope they don’t have those weird weapons. That thing hit me before I could even react. I’m good with magic, but I’m definitely not as fast as whatever hit me."

Going further, the breathing would get louder, enough to make the puddles in their path vibrate and ripple. This didn’t deter them, however, as they needed to keep going or risk falling prey to whatever sick pony was out there. Trixie caught glimpses of what appeared to be eyes in the darkness, but whenever she’d point her gaze to where she thought she saw them, they’d be gone.

Starlight, experiencing the same thing, could feel her heart beat faster. It almost felt like it would burst from her chest. The lack of sight, stuck in an enclosed space, where a creature could easily dash in and drag her into the darkness; it would grind on anypony’s instincts. She began to walk faster, and Trixie would soon follow suit, both attempting to find some kind of escape.

“It sounds like it’s breathing in my ear!” Trixie cried out, now running side by side with Starlight. “Where is it?!” Starlight ignored her. She was too focused on running to answer. The breathing grew even louder than the sound of rushing water. Eventually, they came to a sudden stop, the light illuminating a dead end up ahead, with nothing but a flat concrete wall. The only way they could go forward was if they decided to jump into the rushing river of sludge and hitch a ride.

Seeing nowhere else to go made Starlight’s heart beat even faster and harder than before. Both mares turned around, their backs to the dead end, both horns now lit up with an intent to defend. But then…

The breathing stopped.

Fearing it was the calm before the storm, Starlight fired off a paralyzing burst of magic into the darkness. In fact, she fired repeated shots, not wanting to take any chances. “Get back! I mean it!”

Trixie would do the same, her blasts weaker, but still able to lightly stun whatever it might hit. Desperation filled both mares to keep firing, and after several minutes of going at it nonstop, they finally ceased.

“Is it gone?” Starlight asked, brightening the intensity of her light, but there was still nothing there. Then she would notice that… Trixie also wasn’t there. Panicking, she did a quick three-sixty turn, her senses shot from fear. “Trixie?!”

With the rush of the nearby running water crashing like waves, she found it hard to listen for any cries for help. She’d brighten her magic even more, but it still showed nopony up ahead. Where could Trixie have gone? Did she seriously just attempt to pull a disappearing trick just now?

Starlight was answered with a drop of liquid on her back. She froze for a bit, then slowly turned her gaze up, moving her head to get a better look at what had her friend. Hanging from the ceiling was a strange monstrosity of hairless flesh and limbs, with eyes of varying species and massive mouths all over. The limbs were long, much like a spider’s, each from a different kind of creature, and wriggled every so often without provocation. The limbs were all sprouting from one massive lump of flesh, somehow fused to the ceiling.

In one of these mouths, Trixie’s hind legs kicked and flailed, the mare being swallowed whole. Her screams grew to be more audible as she became more desperate to escape. Starlight, cranking her magic up to eleven, fired a beam at the monster, the creature absorbing the blow and, while it seemed to be fine for the moment, exploded a second later, showering Starlight in blood and sending Trixie down, the blue mare falling on top of her.

Trixie, dry heaving in disgust, slid off of Starlight. Starlight then looked Trixie over, checking for any wounds. Miraculously, there were none, giving Starlight that sense of relief she needed. Both mares looked at the mess on the ground, the red liquid pooling at their hooves as the bloody shower ended.

“What was that?!” Starlight asked, her eyes wide with shock. Trixie made another dry heave before answering.

“I--hrrrk! I don’t--hrrrk! I don’t know!” Trixie replied, shaking from the disgusting event that had just occured. “I’m going to puke!”

Starlight shook her head and grabbed Trixie’s foreleg. “We don’t have time. We need to get out of here before more show up. Who knows how many are down here?!”

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

“Mutation is a bitch, I won’t lie. What? We’re recording? Fuck. Ahem! Hello, children of Fog City! This is Professor Study Guide, your ‘Guide’ to the wasteland. Fuck, that was terrible. Who wrote this script? ...You’re kidding? The head of--... Nevermind. Look, just get my whiskey. I’m gonna need it after this.”

Take Two

“Hello, children of Fog City! I’m Professor Study Guide, and I’m your ‘Guide’ to the wasteland! The Enclave works really hard to protect us all from those savage wasteland creatures outside our temporary city walls, but sometimes it’s not enough! There may come a time when one or two of you will leave the safety of your homes on some dare, braving past our own defensive systems and somehow surviving.

“If you ever do make it outside of the city, you may be forced to use all your wits in order to stay alive. Out in the wasteland, death is fair game to the savage locals. That’s why I, Professor Study Guide, will teach you what we know about one of the lesser known creatures: amalgamates.

“Amalgamates are, well, an amalgamation, a conglomeration, a fusion. Balefire, as we know it, has unpredictable effects, and one of these effects will sometimes affect some poor creature and her unborn offspring. That’s right, her offspring. Multiples, twins or triplets, maybe even quadruplets. Sometimes, when there is enough radiation, the offspring can fuse together, creating abominations that come out as amalgamates.

“Most of the time, they are killed outright to end their suffering. These creatures will grow over time if the mother foolishly keeps them alive. Unfortunately, a mare’s instinct to keep their foal alive can become too much at times, and these creatures often end up killing their own parents.

“To avoid detection, these creatures have learned a unique ability to cling to ceilings, quickly snatching their prey from above by, relying on the surrounding sounds to mask the noise of both its mechanisms and its prey.

“Most of the time, ponies don’t notice the creature until it’s too late. In fact, should you be caught, you’d be devoured. Depending on the state of its misshapen teeth, your death could either be mercifully quick or agonizingly slow.

“Oh! Would you look at that? My time here is up! Be safe, stay within the city, and remember: The Enclave is here to protect you! ...Am I done? Are they done recording? Good. Get me my fucking whiskey. I don’t get paid enough for this indignity.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Zone awoke to the strangest sound. It was like a soft whistle was being blown, barely audible. As she got up, she noticed there was a weight on her tail. She looked to see Fluttershy, softly snoring, her snores being the very same audible whistle.

“Hm…? Miss Shy?” Zone started, but then stopped as she saw a female scorpony.

This particular scorpony had vertical black stripes going down her back, stopping at her tail. "No wake her. Cloud Mover talk with alpha dog. Now sleeping," she said as she scratched her ear with a back hoof.

Zone raised a brow. “And she succeeded in making them leave? That does not sound very realistic. Perhaps you were all hallucinating?”

She shrugs. "Those wounds seem real to me." To prove her point, she put pressure on Zone’s wound, making the zebra flinch.

Zone looked at the scorpony in the eyes. “I suppose that is a fair point. I would not be here if Miss Shy had not done something. I doubt a scorpony could do much. No offense…”

"We better than you think," said the scorpony, the annoyance clear in her voice. "Alpha want you when able."

Zone groaned a bit as she rose to her hooves. The pain was dull, but still, it remained. She didn’t doubt that it would linger for several days, maybe a couple of weeks. As she walked forward, limping, she glanced at the scorpony. “Why do you have such stripes down your back?”

"All those that battled got stripes of honor from alpha." She explained.

This intrigued Zone a bit. She had been known for fighting her fair share. “Battled? And your name would be?”

"It's Taipan, you ready to go?" She introduced and asked.

Zone, wanting to know more, pressed into the subject rather than walking. “What battles have you fought?”

"Hellhounds," was all Taipan said.

“You mean the most recent battle,” Zone attempted to figure out.

Taipan nodded. "Can you move?"

Zone lifted her front and back hooves one at a time, making sure her pain wasn’t too much to bear. Somehow, the scoponies, although their knowledge seemed to be limited, they did an incredible job at patching her up. She nodded towards Taipan, and they began walking.

As they inevitably arrived at the alpha’s abode, she seemed happy, to say the least, her tail no longer looking like it was about to strike at a moment's notice, if there was any indication. "Striped one. You are awake. Good."

“I am. I see your mood has lightened,” Zone observed. “Now that we have solved your problem, we are free to go?”

"Indeed you may, on the condition that, if you ever return, it is to be with food and water." She mused "In return, you will be granted safe passage."

“That seems reasonable,” Zone replied. She thudded her tail idly on the dry, cracked ground.

"Then you may use the rest of the day to recover from your injuries, but you are to leave by first light," the alpha then waved her hoof, dismissing Zone. Zone then walked away, heading back to where Fluttershy was sleeping with the assurance that Taipan was watching her.

"She worried about you." Taipan informed Zone as they arrived at the rather large burrow off to the side of the settlement.

“She barely knows me,” Zone responds. “I merely kept an eye on her, because I know she is definitely not from these parts.

Taipan turned her gaze to Zone for a quick moment. "Something about kindness or something." Taipan then went into the burrow, "Stay close. You get lost."

Zone shook her head in denial. “I am not kind. I am merely a temporary ally. Once she is somewhere safe, I will be on my way.”

"Never said anything about you being kind," Taipan replied as she tapped her tail on the wall to check their location. Although Zone couldn’t understand how tapping a wall could help find somepony, the scorpony seemed to be able to determine where to go using this technique. “She over here.”

“How are you able to do that?” Zone asked, very skeptical of these methods.

“Walls hollow sometimes. That mean we near room inside," Taipan explained as she demonstrated on the wall. She tapped hard in one area, where it made an audible thud. She then tapped in another area, making the same thud, but with a slight distortion.

“Ah. I can see your reasoning now.” Zone was a bit fascinated. Where she once thought these creatures as simple brutes, she now saw a more complex intelligence.

Taipan went in first to see if any young ones were in there. Only upon seeing the sleeping yellow pegasus did she motion for Zone to come in. As Zone walked in, she noticed that Fluttershy’s face showed expressions of distress. A bad dream of sorts, perhaps.

“Fluttershy?” Zone placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s side and gently shook her, stirring her from her sleep.

“Zecora?” Fluttershy said, still half asleep. Upon realizing where she was, however, she quickly corrected herself. “Oh, Zone! You’re okay!”

“I believe I have you to thank,” the zebra hybrid replied, smiling.

"So, where're we going?" Taipan asked, interrupting the two.

Zone looked to Taipan, then placed a hoof on her own chin, closing her eyes, deep in thought. “You act as though we are to take you with us. I have other plans, I must admit.”

"Oh. Pack getting too big. Some need go, start their own," Taipan explained. "I choose to go. Want pack of own.”

Fluttershy smiled, her eyes holding a sense of excitement. “Oh! Is this how you spread out? I’ve always wondered how a group could keep their population regulated,” she said with giddiness. Zone gave her a look of confusion. Fluttershy returned the gaze with a nervous smile. “I have a strange curiosity when it comes to a new species. The scorponies seem to work in packs, a lot like some animals do, and so it just makes me so eager to learn more about them.”

"We talk later. For now, we rest. Long journey ahead," Taipan informed Fluttershy.

Zone growled a bit. “I am not quite sure I wish to take orders from you. We have not even decided to bring you along.”

Fluttershy, meekly looking at Zone, replied, “I certainly wouldn’t mind. It’s just a tagalong, right? It couldn’t possibly hurt anypony.”

Zone, although respecting much of Fluttershy’s words, gave her a stern look. “Let us not forget that these ‘creatures’ pushed us into battle, where we were nearly killed. They threatened us, and now one wishes to tag along? I have no ill will toward them, but for a species that tries to be respectful, they certainly do overstep boundaries.”

Taipan shrugs. "What grudge do tomorrow or week from now? Much better to worry about important things, like food, water, protection."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “She’s right, Zone. You shouldn’t have to hold such a grudge. I’m sure they did what they had to in order to protect their own. It’s only nature.”

Zone smirks a little, chuckling to herself at naivety. “Is it not nature to also kill? Is it not nature to hoard? Nature is good in some aspects, but in many others, nature is cruel. You give this creature too much credit.”

Fluttershy stayed silent, not wanting to argue any longer. Instead, she looked to Taipan, hoping for the scorpony to say some kind of wise phrase or verbal parting.

Frowning a little, Taipan replied, "You don't give enough credit, striped one. We healed you, gave you food, water and made sure our young didn't kill you. You think you better, but you not in scoponies’ situations. You not forced to make choice."

Zone’s stripes seemed to change in color slightly, to a dark green, dimly lighting up the burrow as she attempted to calm herself. “I know what it’s like to have no choice, but I do not attempt to make it the same way for others.”

Taipan looks Zone dead in the eyes. “We just want to live. We want to be left alone. I not try to hurt you. We rushed by dangerous foes. We know it wrong, but we desperate. Not mean to hurt. We mean to live and protect offspring. I sorry. Please, understand us.”

Zone’s stripes went back to their usual light gray coloring, the zebra hit with a small amount of guilt. Surprisingly, she could sympathize with one sentence more than anything.”

We just want to live.

She went quiet, and sat down next to Fluttershy, not wanting to speak anymore. Fluttershy, a little concerned, gently patted Zone on the back.

“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” said Fluttershy. “Taipan will only be with us until they find a new home. Am I right?”

"Not have interest in staying longer than yesterday." Taipan confirmed.

“Alright. Fine. We’ll make a quick trip to Tenpony Tower, drop Fluttershy off, and then I’ll help Taipan find a new home. Hopefully with no problems,” stated Zone, looking to Fluttershy, who smiled in response.

Taipan gave no indication of either approval nor disapproval.

“Then it is settled,” Zone confirmed. “We shall make our way to the tower today.”

“What is this tower?” Fluttershy asked.

Zone put a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “It used to be exclusive, just for the wealthy, but ever since recent events, it’s been repurposed by a temporary union of two factions as a shelter for ponies in need, but who knows how long that peace will last in this day and age? For now, we will simply take advantage of their current situation. There is no doubt that the previous residents will want their old lives back.”

"C'mon, everypony! Smile smile smile!
Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine!"

Author's Note

Worked on this for quite a while, and now that it's out, it's time to start on chapter 4. This chapter was made possible by Viper Pit! With his permission and help in writing this, we were able to bring a few ideas over, such as the scorponies. Permission for scorpony art given by Viper Pit. Drawn by Little Tigress!

It's your Lucky Break

Fallout Equestria: Redemption is Magic

Chapter 4

“I’m not giving him cake! I’m ASSAULTING him with cake!” - Pinkamena Diane Pie

The Lucky Mare Casino was a popular place, visited by ponies from all over who gathered up caps simply to spend them all in one fun-filled night. A place full of sin, but also full of wonder for ponies like Lucky Break. Having inherited the casino from her mother, Lucky Break was living easy, but it didn’t mean she was free from harm.

“So, lemme get this straight,” a big gray stallion muttered. “You want us to give ya another week.”

“Yep! Another week!” Lucky replied, sitting behind her oak office desk, hooves behind her head as she leaned back in her easy chair.

“You asked for another week just last week,” stated the gray stallion. “The bosses ain’t gonna be happy, and when they ain’t happy, ain’t nopony happy.”

Lucky gave him a wide smile. “Hey, is that a new hat?”

The stallion, looking up at the fedora on his head, was a bit surprised. “Why, yeah. Got it last week from a few slavers.”

“I knew it. Looks very nice on you!” Lucky complimented, making the male blush and take a step back.

“Heh… I uh, yeah, thanks,” he said, a small smile appearing on his face as he averted his eyes. Then he realized. “H-Hey, wait a minute! You’re doing the same thing as last week!”

Lucky rolled her eyes, her smile vanishing. “Yeah, yeah, but c’mon. This casino can only make so many caps, and I don’t think being a prostitute is good for my health.”

“Look, forget it. I’ll… I’ll tell the boss you need one more day,” the stallion said. “Only one.”

Lucky Break sighed in relief. “Thanks,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, well, don’t expect any more extensions,” the stallion said as he walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Lucky Break, seeing this, leaned back further in her chair, relaxing and looking in the mirror on the wall next to her. A drover yellow mare with conifer green poofy hair, green eyes, and an eyepatch, stared back. She’d decided to wear her favorite jacket that day. A simple brown color was good enough for her, even if it didn’t suit anypony else.

“You’re a real piece of work, Lucky,” she said to herself. “Real piece of work…”

Her office was small, but comfortable, having once been her mother’s room. Lucky remembered every single time she had been called into here when she did something wrong as a young filly. Although it was a room of discipline, it was still a room of memories as well. This was her home, and this was where she’d stay for the rest of her life.

Lucky finally stood up from her chair and walked across the room to where her mother’s old bed lay. Lucky was only twelve when her mother had died, and it was here that Lucky had made a promise; a promise to keep smiling, no matter the events that may come. When it came time to finally run the casino, she took over by storm, even at such a young age. To others, she was a party pony, encouraging others to try their own luck at the casino. In reality, she was putting on a facade to hide her uncertainty.

She could remember what was said about her on the first night she took over.

“Who’s that filly at the poker table?”

“Shh! That’s Lucky Break! They say she’s a descendent of Pinkie Pie! Got that weird sense, too!”

“You’re probably lyin’, but hey, why the fuck should I care? Gamblin’ time! Ain’t no way a filly can win against me!”

Of course, Lucky won. She always won. That was her talent. It wasn’t winning. It was just being lucky, and being able to use that luck to her advantage. An itchy back would always signify when she should take her chances at something. However, it came at a cost. Every once in a while, she’d take a great amount of bad luck every once in a while as fair trade. That luck had even resulted in her losing a leg.

Luckily, a doctor had happened to have been passing through with a prosthetic leg, and luckily, Break happened to have been saving up caps for a gift for her mother, and luckily, it happened to be her size, with modifiable length.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought, followed by an uncertain voice. “Uh… Miss Break? We have a problem in the bar area.”

Lucky turned her head to the door. “Is the drunkard back?”

“No, Miss Break,” the voice answered. “It’s uhh… a mare, and she’s dancing on the piano. Literally just put a bag of caps on the counter and told the musician to play something called ‘The Pony Pokey.’”

Lucky sighed and opened her door, leaving the safety of her mother’s old room. “Let’s get it over with.” She marched through the short hallway before entering into the main casino room. It wasn’t anything too fancy, with its old wooden foundation, making it still look like the saloon it used to be before the bombings. Even the swinging doors were still there. Her mother had originally gotten the idea to take old casino tables and to set them up in the building, making it both a place to drink and to play games.

She turned to where the bar sat, and next to it was a piano, with a pink pony dancing atop it while the pianist played from a sheet of music. He occasionally gave Lucky confused glances as he performed, a bit confused by this sudden appearance.

“Miss?” Lucky called out. “Miss, please get down from there. That’s not allowed here. We’re a bit more respectable than that. Also, that piano is over two-hundred years old, so I don’t think dancing on top of it is wise.”

The pink mare, hearing this, hopped down and giggled. “Sorry! I was just so excited! You never know when there’s gonna be another pianist nearby!”

“I’m scared,” whispered the pianist to Lucky.

“Maybe I’ll find a tuba player next time!” exclaimed the pink mare.

For the sake of all the tuba players in the wasteland, Lucky grabbed the mare by the foreleg and dragged her outside, the mare still rattling on about other poor musicians she could possibly harass. After stepping out into the daylight, Lucky faced the source of the disruption.

“Miss, might I ask why you decided to cause a scene in my casino?” Lucky asked, her face giving away her discomfort.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to!” replied the pink mare with a poofy mane. “Earlier I was patrolling the Equestrian Badlands with my friends, then I got sucked into a portal, saw some weird visions, landed on my butt, played tag with armored ponies, met an overgrown bugbear, hitched a ride, ended up here, and then I heard piano music and I was all, ‘There’s NO WAY I’m gonna miss out on a good old-fashioned musical number!’”

Lucky blinked several times, trying to process what this stranger just spat out. “Um… Right. Look, could you please go somewhere else? There’s a shop nearby for wandering ponies. If they haven’t been raided recently, they’re probably still running.”

The pink mare, shaking her head, said, “No can do!”

“Why not?” Lucky asked.

The stranger’s face then turned serious. She pulled Lucky close and whispered, “Cuz my Pinkie Sense keeps telling me something bad’s gonna happen here! I just gotta find out what!”

This seemed to catch Lucky’s attention. “Wait… You can sense it?”

“Yeah! I get many different subtle feelings that tell me what’s about to happen! For example, when my tail twitches, something’s about to fall! When my knee gets pinchy, something scary is about to happen! And when my back itches, it means it’s my lucky day!” the pink mare replied.

This information hit Lucky like a brick. She could normally put two and two together, but this was the entire equation in front of her. The Pinkie Sense was a trait passed down from parent to offspring, originating from only a few special ponies.This trait would be passed down through only a few bloodlines, few enough for Lucky to tell that this had to be Pinkie. “You’re my ancestor? You’re Pinkie Pie? That’s not possible.”

The stranger, now revealed to be Pinkie Pie, giggled. “I dunno about being an ancestor, but I’m definitely Pinkie Pie!”

Lucky Break shook her head. “But you’re supposed to be dead.”

“That’s silly!” Pinkie said. “If I was dead, I wouldn’t be here!” She pulled Lucky Break by the foreleg. “Now, c’mon! We’ve gotta prepare for the huge clusterstorm that’s about to hit!”

Lucky, stammering, was pulled along. She didn’t know what to think. Now that she looked back on her life, she did remember seeing all kinds of posters of Pinkie, and this mysterious mare was a dead ringer, looking exactly like the ministry mare, but just a little younger.

Pinkie trotted through the casino, holding Lucky’s hoof as Pinkie looked for some kind of way to begin prepping. “We’re gonna need a lot of padding! If this is like my time with Twilight, then we still have some time!”

“But I have questions!” Lucky said as she was tugged.

“So do I, but Pinkie Sense comes first! Prep now, ask questions later!” Pinkie said, set on this. Somehow, she was able to locate Lucky’s emergency blankets, pulling up a loose floorboard to reveal the neatly folded stash. “We gotta pad everything! The walls and the floor! Oh! And we gotta make sure the windows are sealed!” After she said this, her body began twitching. Her nose wrinkled while her tail twitched.

Lucky, an unsure look on her face, asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t really sense anything.”

“Don’t worry! We got this!” Pinkie assured, grabbing up a big, thick blanket and only folding it twice before laying it in the center of the room. “Nopony touches this! Emergency!” Pinkie shouted, the few ponies in the room staring at her as if she were a madmare. “Get a hammer and nails!” Pinkie shouted at Lucky. Actually afraid of this pony, Lucky did as asked, heading to the back room and grabbing the old rusty nails and hammer from her bottom desk drawer.

She came back, and saw Pinkie jumping on the thick blanket padding, testing it for effectiveness. Lucky holding the hammer in her mouth, reluctantly asked, “What are these for?”

“We gotta hang these other blankets on the walls!” Pinkie Pie answered, taking the hammer from Lucky and climbing on the piano. She drove a nail through the blanket, then a second one after climbing onto a table in the corner of the room. Lucky got to work, getting more blankets out from under the floorboards.

Long ago, her mother would be very paranoid at times, and would often keep many of her supplies hidden, an entire stash meant to help out an entire small town, but how Pinkie was able to find the blankets was a mystery, as Lucky’s mother had only ever entrusted the secrets to Lucky herself.

Lucky draped folded blankets over as much of the wooden floor as possible. “Do you even know what we’re preparing for?”

“I don’t know!” Pinkie answered as she hopped down from a table. All the walls had been completely covered with the stash of blankets, save for the windows. Stallions and mares looked all around, taking in this scene of insanity with confusion. As Pinkie helped Lucky spread out the blankets, she could overhear something.

“Mooooooom! Can we go yet?” a filly asked her mother. The little filly’s dark green coat and orange eyes seemed to fit in with the other patrons.

Pinkie turned, seeing the filly and her mother. The filly’s mother, an orange mare with blue eyes replied with, “Not now, honey. Mommy’s winning slots for yer birthday tomorrow. How else am I gonna afford a present in time without whoring myself out?”

Pinkie moseyed on over with a smile. “Um, excuse me.”

“Go away,” the mother grumbled, pulling on the arm of the slot machine in front of her. The symbols spun around and around until finally they came to a stop, showing three crossed-out circles. The machine beeped loudly once, and then went silent, signaling a loss.

“Better luck next time,” the machine blurted out in a monotone voice. Pinkie squinted her eyes as she looked over the machine.

Lucky, walking up to the mother, put on a fake smile. “Ouch. Don’t worry. I’m sure you can win next time!”

Pinkie looked at Lucky in disbelief for a moment before asking, “Aren’t you in charge of this place?”

Lucky looked back, confused. “Yeah? So?”

“Well, didn’t you hear?!” Pinkie gasped. “This poor mother can’t get her daughter a present for her birthday anymore! She lost!”

“What’s that got to do with anything? If you’re saying I should give her her caps back, I can’t. It’s against policy,” Lucky said calmly.

Pinkie was appalled. “Where’s your compassion?! No foal should go a single birthday without a present!”

Lucky sighed. “Pinkie, if I were to give even one pony their caps back, then other ponies would be pretty pissed and start demanding their own caps back. I’m not a charity mare.”

Pinkie looked at the small filly, who hid behind her mother, seeming to be a bit shy around strangers. Pinkie then turned back to Lucky Break, lower lip quivering as she put on the saddest face she could possibly make.

Lucky, seeing this witchcraft, stared wide-eyed with confusion and concern for the pink mare’s sanity. She then took a deep breath and said with a sigh, “Fine, but on one condition. You have to beat me in a game of Poker.”

Pinkie’s grin spread wide across her face and said, “Okay!” Then, in a flash, Pinkie raced to a table near the east window. Looking out, she noticed the sunset. The day was about to transition to night, which made Pinkie wonder if it was Celestia and Luna’s doing. Last she saw them, they were all being sucked into portals. Maybe they were out here somewhere?

Lucky sat down at the opposite end of the poker table. “Alright… Appleloosa Holdem is the game we’ll play. Are you sure you’re up to it, Pinkie?”

“You bet I am!” Pinkie replied, looking confident as she sat down in her seat. “I’m gonna knock your socks off!”

“Sounds lewd,” Lucky Break replied. “No, thank you. C’mon, colts! Get over here!”

As soon as she said that, two light blue stallions approached, one with a groomed yellow and green streak through his white mane, and one with a messy white and brown mane, both sat at both sides of the table between Lucky and Pinkie, looking a bit disgruntled.

“Wasn’t really expecting a Poker match tonight. Thought it was our day off,” the groomed stallion said.

“Yeah, well, I’ll give you hours to make up for this,” Lucky replied. “Yo, Pinkie. If you win, you get the caps. If any of us win, what do we get?”

“Welllllll, I did happen to bring my bottle cap collection!” Pinkie replied. “I wanted to show it off to my friends, but I guess I wasn’t thinking with portals.” She then shrugged and, pulling a box out of seemingly nowhere, placed it on the table. Lucky looked inside the box and…

“Pinkie… Do you realize how much booze you could buy with this?” Lucky asked.

“Why would I want a crowd to boo at me? If anything, I want 'em to laugh!” She giggled, then placed her box on the bar counter nearby before sitting back down.

And so the game began.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Thorax walked along a ruined street in Manehattan, his eyes taking in the gruesome scenery. He was hoping to have at least still been with Ember, then he’d have some backup in case something went wrong. Now though, it seemed he was alone. There was nopony here except these odd giant roaches, which he could easily avoid by flying away.

“I’m getting bad vibes from this place,” he said to himself. “I need to get back to the others somehow.”

It was at that moment, he heard a hiss, and it was all too familiar. There was another changeling in the area. “What’s this…? A stranger in my turf?”

Thorax stood his ground, staying in place and looking around himself. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

“Ugh… That color. It’s ugly,” the hissing voice said from seemingly all around.

“I’m sorry, did I offend?” Thorax asked, a bit irritated.

“I want you out,” the voice snarled. “Leave this street!”

Normally, Thorax would have listened. This wasn’t even his own world, and he could tell from all the ruins, but… something inside of him kept stirring. What was it? There was no love here. Even in some of the most isolated places in Equestria, there were minute amounts of spread out love, not enough to feed on, but at least it could be felt. Here, in this world, there was no love at all. In fact, there were hints of another emotion. There was hatred and fear here.

“No,” said Thorax. “Not until you apologize.”

There was silence, then a chortle. It was laughing at him. From out of an alleyway came an oddity. It was a changeling, to be sure, an unreformed one, still black and void of color, but… its eyes weren’t blue, not like other unreformed changelings. Its eyes were an emerald green, and its fangs seemed to be more numerous as it spoke. “As if I’d apologize to some giant conglomeration of lollipops and melted crayons.”

“Excuse me?” Thorax’s anger seemed to build. Something was definitely wrong. It was almost as if he were feeding from the miniscule amounts of hatred surrounding him. “Don’t insult me.”

“Oh, boohoo. I’m being insulted,” the stranger mocked. “Cry me a fucking river, why don’t you?”

“I said not to insult me!” Thorax demanded, “You might not realize it, but I’m at least eight times bigger than you.”

“What, in the gut?” The changeling smirked. “That belly is pretty big. Maybe you’ve been feeding a bit too much.”

“I swear to you. Stop, or I’ll…” The rage built up quickly. His color slowly started to fade, but then he stopped, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.”

“...What?” The foreign changeling seemed to be confused. “Hey, wait! You’re supposed to be angry!”

Thorax took a step back. “No. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“You’re a bitch!” The strange changeling called out. “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!”

Thorax put a hoof to his chin. “Uhh… My mother was a tyrant, and I think she ate my father, honestly.”

“Uh… You’re so full of shit, the toilet’s jealous!” The foe changeling snapped back.

Thorax wasn’t having it anymore. He flew off, leaving the odd changeling confused. “Sorry!” Thorax called out. “Didn’t mean to make you angry!”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

The office was cluttered. No sign of any organization was present whatsoever, and that was exactly how Study Guide preferred it. It was her mess, and that meant only she could tell where everything was at. The white walls were completely covered in tacked-on documents, with strings of yarn wrapped around each tack, connecting one document to another in some way.

To many, this oftentimes made Study Guide look like a conspiracy theorist, but in her eyes, it was merely her way of connecting the dots between seemingly unconnectable events and subjects, and even if it seemed irrelevant, she was always able to find proof to connect the two.

The door to her room suddenly slid open, stirring the professor from her sleep. She had been hunched over her desk for well over an hour, and she wasn’t used to being awakened in such a state. Alarmed by the sound of her door opening, she kicked the desk with her hind leg, bruising herself. “Gah! Motherfucker!”

A dark red pegasus with green mane and yellow eyes walked in. His eyes then shifted to look at her. “Professor Study Guide? We’ve assigned somepony to work with you.”

“Who the fuck…?” Study Guide mumbled. Study Guide, a white pegasus with blond hair and blue eyes, was in her early sixties. To her, having somepony assigned to work with her was an insult, as she had been working alone and efficiently for a little over forty years. Her youth was long gone, but her good looks remained, and she was somewhat prideful of that fact.

“Think of it as an intern, I guess,” the dark red pegasus answered. He seemed a little nervous. Being around Study Guide was much like being around a pack of piranhas. “He’s fresh out of the academy, and we don’t really have any room for him in the Delta Sector. Automatically, that means you’re next in line to help him learn the ropes. You go out in the field more often than anypony, so we think this would help him gain a bit of experience before we move him up to Gamma Sector.”

“Can’t Field Study take him? She’s just as capable,” Study Guide argued.

“Field Study is currently being questioned for her recent findings,” the red pegasus replied. “He’ll be arriving soon, and we expect you to be on your best behavior. You’re supposed to be a good role model for our best and brightest.”

“That’s funny,” said Study Guide, reaching for her bottle of alcohol. “Last I heard… I was the best and brightest.”

“The Head of Enclave Science has said otherwise,” replied the red pegasus.

“And it was her who said I was the best and brightest forty years ago. Forty years later, these best and brightest will be replaced just like I am for those who will also be called the best and brightest.”

“Look, just do your job,” the red pegasus said, storming out. The door slid closed automatically. Study Guide grumbled and took a swig of her bottle, then let out a loud burp.

“Fuckin’ idiots… Do this. Do that. Make sure we get an update on the stalkers. Update us on the hate changelings… Oh fuck, I forgot the hatelings.”

As she reached out for her recorder on the desk, a tan-colored unicorn with a brown mane walked in wearing a white lab coat, but what stood out about were his pink eyes. He immediately set them upon Study Guide and smiled. “Hello,” he said. “I’m Double Blind. I was sent here to be a temporary assistant. I have the pape---”

“Yeah, yeah,” Study Guide stopped him right there, then downed the rest of her drink. Another burp emanated from her. “Guh… Alright, here’s the lesson for today. You’re gonna sit there and you’re gonna listen to me do my job, and then you’re gonna tell me what you learned from it. You got that?”

“Uh, yes, ma’am,” Double Blind answered.

“Time for my magic,” Study Guide said to herself. She then switched on her recorder.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

“This is Professor Study Guide reporting on the topic of hatelings. Hatelings are more or less a recent phenomenon, with only three ‘confirmed’ sightings so far. There are far more sightings by wastelanders than there are by Enclave soldiers. After questioning dozens of wastelanders, along with the Enclave soldiers who have reported these sightings, I believe I am able to put together a summary of what these creatures may be.

“During the war, there have been more or less reports of changelings infiltrating the ranks and ‘supposedly’ fighting on our side. Changelings, however, are normally only able to survive by feeding on the love of ponies. In order to do this, they need to be able to get close, typically through transforming into a member of our species. Usually they will attempt to become one of our relatives or lovers in order to get the maximum amount of love possible. This feeds the changeling, helping them to become stronger.

“Whatever had happened to them after the war was a mystery, but that may no longer be the case. We now know that the lack of love may have forced them to feed from other emotions, such as hatred and other malicious emotions, but it still doesn’t explain why there are so few of them, as it would seem there is enough hate to feed entire hives.

“These new changelings will now be referred to as ‘hatelings’ until further notice, and will be classified as a vague threat due to the scarcity of this new subspecies. What I’m more interested in is what their society may be like, if there is one at all. They seem to be so scarce that there may not even be a hive at all. They may just be lone creatures.”

“What if they all just hate each other?”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

“What…?” Study Guide looked over to Double Blind.

“I asked about the possibility of them just hating each other,” replied Double.

“I’m sorry, are you an expert?” Study Guide asked before going back to her recorder. She then resumed to speak into it. “Any and all attempts to find a hateling have been met with failure.”

“If you think about it from a psychological standpoint, there’s a chance they could be suffering from low self-esteem due to their history,” Double Blind chimed in.

“Would you stop that?” Study Guide asked. She then stopped her recorder before setting it down. “This is going to be a long day…”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Their game dragged on through the night, with it seeming like neither Pinkie nor Lucky Break had the upper hoof. On occasion, Lucky would check Pinkie’s unmoving smirk. Everypony had a tell, but Pinkie… She was like a machine. Lucky just couldn’t decipher anything from this pink mare. Lucky was supposed to be a master, but everything about Pinkie was misleading. It was almost as if Pinkie had played the game her entire life, a perfect match for Lucky.

“So, Ponk-a-ponk,” Lucky said as she drew a card. “Portals, huh? Wacky story.”

“Mhm.~” Pinkie nodded, then went back to her neutral smirking face. “I run into all kinds of wacky things!” Next to the poker table, sitting at the bar, were several patrons. A zebra, two hatelings, and a bat pony.

“My money’s on the Pinkie look-a-like,” said the larger of the two hatelings.

“Fuck you. It’s always Lucky Break. Bitch robbed me of my caps last week with her stupid roulette game,” said the smaller hateling.

“Are you sure you were not just a shit player?” asked the zebra.

“HNGKKKKKKKKKKHHHHHHH…” the batpony snored, sleeping comfortably on one of the stools.

Pinkie darted her eyes to the left, spotting the mother from earlier, sleeping on a folded blanket with her daughter nestled next to her. Pinkie would win this match. She had to. The two stallions by now, after four hours of playing, had both lost the game, having bet all their chips, now simply sitting in their seats and watching.

A question popped into Lucky’s head. “Why are you so intent on this? Even if she does get her caps back, you heard what she said. There’s no way she can afford anything anyway.”

“I know,” Pinkie replied, and she seemed to leave it at that. She knew Lucky was stalling for time, looking for a tell. But now that Pinkie drew her card… “I’m gonna go all in!”

“Really now?” Lucky asked. She looked at her own hoof of cards. Fine. All in. I’ll even throw in a few free drinks.” Now it was Lucky’s chance. She put down four Clover the Clevers and one Applejack. “Four of a kind.”

Pinkie, not even looking at her own cards, put them down. Lucky’s eyes widened as she saw what was there. Five Pinkie Pies. “Five of a kind!” Pinkie shouted.

“But that’s… literally impossible,” said Lucky. There’s only four Pinkies. I’ve even counted every card in the deck!”

“Did she cheat?” asked one of the two stallions.

Lucky Break stayed silent, then a small giggle escaped her lips, leaving the two stallions confused as she burst into laughter. The entire casino could hear her, and finally she said, “I don’t know what kind of trick you’re trying to pull, but… Fuck it. It worked.” She stood up, and then tossed five caps across the poker table. “I don’t know if you really cheated or if I miscounted. Right now, I’m tired, and I don’t care, and to be honest, I needed a good laugh.”

“Great! Now you can help me set up for the party I’m gonna throw for the filly!” Pinkie said, grinning wide.

Lucky suddenly stopped her laughter. “No.”

“Yes!” Pinkie replied.

“Pinkie, I can’t keep giving in to requests,” Lucky said.

Pinkie’s grin grew even wider somehow. “Not a request if I’ll do something in return! Then it becomes a trade!”

Lucky held up a hoof to object, but then she stopped herself. Pinkie was… right. Lucky couldn’t help but smile and laugh to herself. “Damn it, Ponk! Fine! You owe me, and you’d better keep your end of the deal!” Lucky said, laughing. The two stallions at the poker table looked at each other. It was rare for another pony to make Lucky Break laugh like this.

“So you’ll let me use your casino?!” Pinkie asked, eyes and smile begging.

“Yes, fine,” said Lucky, calming down from her fit of laughter, “but you’d better clean up the mess after, and you owe me one favor, and it’s gotta be whatever I ask!”

Without a second thought, Pinkie went to work throughout the rest of the night, tirelessly working to improvise with decorations after her own supply had run out. Where she had kept those supplies all this time, Lucky would never know, and she didn’t really care anymore. She was beginning to like this mare more and more. Maybe this really was Pinkie Pie. From all the stories she had ever heard of the ministry mare, this behavior seemed to fit Pinkie’s earlier days in Ponyville, before everything had gone downhill.

Other ponies, a bit surprised by this friendly gesture of kindness, decided to join in, helping to decorate the entire casino with whatever they could make use of. The decorations weren’t perfect, but at least they were something. Everything from boots to ripped pieces of old jackets were utilized as many things, like streamers or simple visual aesthetics. Even Lucky Break had joined in, not really caring about her image at this point. However, at this point, she couldn’t shake the feeling she was forgetting something.

Daylight eventually broke, and the small filly who had been sleeping against her mother opened her eyes to see everything. In front of her was a large blue cake with pink frosting on the front saying, “Happy Birthday!” Pinkie had somehow been able to make it using only an old bag of expired flour and by using rusted pans over an open fire. As for the frosting, Pinkie had apparently stashed a tube of it away in her mane for “birthday emergencies”.

The filly, in awe, stood up and warily walked closer, wondering if this confectionary delight was even real. She looked to see if anypony was watching. Nopony else appeared to be in the room. Sticking her tongue out, she slowly inched her face closer to get a quick taste when…

“SURPRISE!” Pinkie Pie burst through the top of the large cake, a big grin on her face. “Happy Birthday!”

The filly suddenly jumped back, eyes wide in both confusion and fear. She had never seen such insanity before. Why was this pink pony in the cake, and why was she even wishing her a happy birthday? The only other pony she knew who would actually wish her a happy birthday was her own mother.

Cautious, the filly asked, “Is this for me…?”

“Well, DUH! Of course it is! It’s your birthday, silly!” Pinkie replied. Jumping off the cake, she landed on the ground and lifted the filly onto her back, letting her reach the flickering candles. “Make a wish! Make a wish!”

The filly, not wanting to offend, closed her eyes and blew gently, the flames easily going out without much effort. She then saw other ponies walking into the casino, along with her mother, who was smiling when she saw Pinkie carrying the filly.

“Mom, did you do this?” The filly asked, climbing off and rushing to her mother.

“Nah, but this psycho did. I guess not all ponies are bad,” said her mother with a smirk, gesturing to Pinkie with a slight nod.

The filly turned to Pinkie and smiled wide. “I’ve never had a cake before! You did this for me?”

“Yep! There’s no way I’m gonna let somepony go a single birthday without a birthday cake!” Pinkie said proudly, her chest puffed out, the pink mare looking serious with a smile.

Lucky walked out of the back room, holding a bottle of booze in her mouth. Taking it into her hoof, she said, “I don’t normally let this kind of shit happen in here. You’d better appreciate it.” She then looked to Pinkie with a smug grin. “Ya know, you’re pretty fucking crazy, but maybe that’s where I get some of my own risky traits.”

“Yeah, well I--” Pinkie was about to say, but then…

A pony suddenly came crashing through the front window, bloodied up. His body twitched in pain as his fearful gaze landed on Lucky Break. “They’re here! They’re here!”

Lucky raised a brow in confusion until she heard a familiar tune playing, strings of a metal guitar being plucked from outside, one by one.

“Luuuuuuuuucky… LUUUUUUUUUUUCKY!” Two voices, one mare and one stallion, called out playfully at the same time.

It was them. Nopony had ever messed with them and lived, and Lucky had messed with them. They had three names. Some called them Tracks, the leader of the Wheelz gang. Others called them Burnout, the savage rampaging raider. But the most prominent name they had ever gone by was Wreckage.

“Fuck! Pinkie! Get that filly and her mother out of here!” Lucky commanded. She rushed to the back corner of the casino behind the bar counter, then began pulling up loose floorboards to reveal a small emergency pistol.

“Where’s our caps, Lucky?!” A single light-purple hoof stepped into the bar, then a second, but not a third. Wreckage appeared to be standing on both her hind legs. Lucky peeked her head out from behind the bar counter to see the familiar cyan eyes and sinister grin with a long, flowing, teal mane. Still smiling, Wreckage said, in both mare and stallion voice tones, “We promise we’ll let you live, Lucky. We only want our caps!”

“Don’t worry! I’ll get you your caps tomorrow, I swear!” Lucky shouted back, getting up on the bar counter, the pistol in her mouth. In Lucky’s mind, however, she knew that this monstrosity wasn’t going to give her any second chances. She’d seen what it could and would do to ponies who crossed it.

Wreckage ran forward on her two legs, taking a metal guitar from behind their back that had been strapped to them, then swinging it wildly with her two forelegs. “You either give us our caps or we're gonna take our payment in another currency!”

Lucky fired her gun, the bullet ricocheting off the approaching goon as if the strange mare was made of metal. It didn’t even leave a mark on her. Seeing this, Lucky jumped off her back, following the sign her itching back gave her and barely dodged the metal guitar slamming through the bar counter, making a clean dig through it. Not even the guitar was damaged, which made Lucky even more wary as she picked herself up off the floor.

Pinkie, a bit peeved, stepped forward. “Hey! This is a party! You can’t just start crashing parties like a… like a… um... like a party crasher!”

Wreckage’s gaze landed on Pinkie, the sadistic smiling psychopath rushing towards her. Lucky quickly tackled Pinkie from the side, getting them both out of the way of the oncoming attacker. Wreckage skidded to a halt, her guitar raised before slamming it down into the birthday cake, sending bits of the dessert everywhere. She turned her head slowly, the grin still present on her. It appeared to Pinkie that this pony didn’t know when the right time to smile was.

“Where’s the filly?” Lucky asked Pinkie, helping her up and running outside with her. Lucky needed to get behind the casino. Her mother had hidden a stash of weapons back there before she passed away. If Lucky could just get to them...

“Ummmmmm I dunno,” replied Pinkie. “Her mom took her.”

“At least she’s not near the carnage,” Lucky said.

Pinkie then noticed something sticking out of Lucky’s jacket. It was a tin. “Hey! What’s that?”

“Uh… Mint-als?” Lucky replied. “Don’t judge me. They help me think sometimes.”

Just then, Wreckage called out from the entrance of the casino, “LUUUUUUUUUUCKY! Are we playing tag?! Are we supposed to chase you?!”

“Luna fuck me,” Lucky swore to herself.

“Luna what you?” Pinkie asked, following Lucky along the side of the casino. They were halfway there.

“It’s nothing,” said Lucky. She then realized something. Wreckage wasn’t chasing them. She slowed her pace and turned around, still walking backwards in case the monster was still coming. “Where’d she go…?”

Pinkie stopped and her ears flopped, her eyes fluttered, and her knees went wobbly. “She’s coming through the--!!!”

The wooden casino wall exploded into splinters, allowing a mass of blankets to push their way through. It appeared that Wreckage had attempted to break through the wall to get to them faster, but didn’t think the thick blankets would stop her. Fortunately for Lucky, Wreckage was wrong, and now she was caught temporarily.

Lucky grinned, then grabbed Pinkie’s foreleg. “C’mon, before she untangles herself! Glad you put those things to good use!”

Reaching the back, Lucky began removing a large plank off of the wall, revealing a very deep space behind it. She reached in and pulled out various weapons, but the one she went for was one she hoped would stop the abomination, a rocket launcher. As she grabbed the rocket ammo as well, Pinkie looked inside the weapon storage space, her eyes lighting up with joy.

“Hey!” Pinkie cried out. “Is that my party cannon?!”

“Your what?!” Lucky asked as she tried to put in the rocket, but it was much too wide for the rocket launcher. What kind of ammo was this?

“My party cannon! It’s my party cannon!” Pinkie shouted, pulling out a faded blue cannon. The paint had been a little chipped over the past two-hundred years, but it still kept its signature color. She looked inside her weapon. “...Where’s the confetti? I always keep my cannon preloaded just in case!”

Lucky looked at the large width of the rocket, then at the party cannon, putting two and two together. “...Seriously?”

She pushed Pinkie out of the way, Lucky’s tin of mint-als falling from her pocket. As she fitted the rocket into the cannon, Pinkie looked at the tin. Pinkie couldn’t help but feel drawn to it, as if she’d seen it so many times before. She then swiped it, sticking it into her mane before Lucky could see. Maybe Lucky won’t miss them?

Lucky Break shoved the explosive into the cannon, she looked for a trigger of some kind. Pinkie, seeing that Lucky was having trouble, said, “Oh, silly! You’re doing it wrong! Watch this!”

As Pinkie pulled the string on the back of the rocket, Wreckage had just walked around the corner to see the missile flying as her. Hitting her in the stomach, Wreckage went flying into a dead tree, the missile still pressing itself into her as its nozzle continued to spew flames. Eventually Wreckage grabbed onto the missle with her front hooves and turned it, making it point in a new direction and flying off in a random direction before it went off in a fiery explosion.

“You’re dead,” Wreckage said as she stood up. It was then that she ran forward at an unholy speed, slamming her guitar into Lucky and sending the poor mare flying through the back window of the casino. Hitting the wall, Lucky immediately conked out, her vision going black.

“You’re dead.” Pinkie watched in slow motion as the party pooper ran forward and smashed her new friend through a window with her guitar, then, turning towards Pinkie, she struck again. Of all the things Pinkie had felt up to that point, getting hit in the cutie mark with a metal guitar into a wall by a purple earth pony was only the third strangest, but it was the most painful.

The impact from the guitar sent her slamming against the wall, her body now filled with the sensation of intense pain. She dropped down, and then opened her eyes to see something dripping down from her brow, something red. Was that blood? She could remember being cut once before on the rock farm as a filly, but there wasn’t nearly this much.

Standing over her was Wreckage, staring down with the same grin she had worn throughout the entire battle, the feature seemingly permanent on her face for some reason. Pinkie could just barely move. Her instincts were scrambled, multiple thoughts running through her brain at the same time. She felt like she knew what she had to do, but didn’t know what. Wreckage raised her guitar high in the air.

“You’re no fun,” Wreckage said. “Just like any other pony, you’ll die, and only we will remain. How does it feel? Tell us, because we can’t feel. We want to feel, but no matter how much we put ourselves through, we’ll never get to feel any sensation. What does your pain feel like?!”

It was at that moment that Pinkie’s mind screamed one word, and she didn’t know why: mint-als. She reached into her poofy pink mane and pulled out the tin, opening it. Inside were what looked to be four little candies. Maybe just one more sweet treat before it all ended?

Simply seeing them, something stirred inside of her, something that felt random. It was multiple emotions at once. It didn’t make much sense, but then again, “What fun is there in making sense?” she said to herself. She dumped the entire contents into her mouth.

In that moment, images rushed into Pinkie’s mind. She could see every outcome, every single event that would ever happen, all the way into next week. It was actually pretty neat. What if she used this to plan the perfect surprise party? Nopony could ever predict a Pinkie surprise party ever again! She suddenly received more images, ones that seemed to worry her. She could see ponies in armor, abyssinians with daggers, Rainbow Dash? Is she…? Oh no! Wait, no, that doesn’t happen. The problem with this was that she could see every outcome, all within a week, even hundreds of outcomes within the next ten minutes! Now THIS is a doozy!

The guitar slammed down, hitting the dirt. Pinkie was gone. A crackle of electricity could be heard from behind Wreckage. Turning around, she saw a pink flash before being punched across the face with a hoof, blood, for the very first time, dripped from Wreckage’s face.

“What is this feeling…?” Wreckage asked before receiving another punch, more blood dripping down her face and soaking her fur. “Is this pain? ...DO IT AGAIN!” She said, being punched once more. Maniacal laughter escaped past the mad mare’s lips. She swung her guitar, narrowly missing Pinkie. Multiple swings, with each one missing, almost as if Pinkie could tell where the next attack would be. At this point, it appeared to be getting on Wreckage’s nerves.

Pinkie seemed to enjoy this. It was like a game. A game of… “Hey, way! Didn’t you wanna play tag earlier?!” She then dashed behind the rampaging mare, poking her in the back and sending her stumbling forward. “You’re it!"

Wreckage swung in a half-circle, trying to hit the pesky mare, but yet again, Pinkie wasn’t there anymore. In anger, Wreckage began slamming her guitar against the ground, kicking up dust and clouding the area. “Where are you?! Give me more pain! More!”

Well… she did ask. As the dust settled, the familiar blue cannon could be seen in front of Wreckage, leaving the mare confused until she felt hooves shoving her forward into it, cramming her into the tight space. Pinkie pointed the cannon upwards and then pulled on the string, sending the abomination straight into the sky at breakneck speeds. With every outcome Pinkie could see, this was actually the most efficient way to get her away as far possible without killing her. Looking up, Pinkie could see the details vanishing quickly as Wreckage went further into the air and over the nearby city.

Pinkie then suddenly felt like jelly, her legs giving out on her. She collapsed, her mind going blank. Every future event she could see before was gone, and even her present-day vision slowly darkened until she finally went unconscious.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

This is a class D report. All Enclave are to be briefed with this information effective immediately or as soon as possible. Civilians may be briefed by soldiers under the supervision of a commanding officer to ensure there is no misinformation.

“Professor Study Guide on the topic of a recent raider gang that has surfaced. Currently known as the Wheelz, this gang has been inflicting chaos all across the wasteland, attacking settlements and traveling merchants. They’ve even been known to attack Enclave officials with little to no hesitation, making them a large threat. I recommend moving their status to Threat Level Three, which is common for most wasteland raiders.

“The only significant member of this gang is their leader, who often goes by multiple aliases, such as Tracks, Burnout, or most often, Wreckage. Wreckage has done major damage to multiple vertibucks, with an ability to resist all weaponry so far. The only tools that have been effective so far are smoke and flash grenades, slowing down her destruction, albeit temporarily.

“Due to their inability to feel pain, they can push past what the normal pony body will allow. With this in mind, Wreckage is often known for lifting many things, from rusty signs to sky carriages, often either using the former as melee weapons or projectiles.

“What is most interesting about this individual are the rumors that surround them, most of them claiming that Wreckage’s unnatural abilities may be the product of zebra magic. We have been attempting to contact local zebra tribes near the Manehattan area, but all mentions of Wreckage are usually met with either anger or fear. Many zebra appear to deny this, and it is difficult to get any more information out of them without using torture tactics.

“I want this pony captured at all costs so we may perform closer studies. This may allow us to weaponize whatever zebra magic Wreckage may be using.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Lucky Break held a wet cloth to Pinkie’s forehead. When Lucky found Pinkie, Pinkie was undergoing some kind of fever, but it wasn’t any kind of fever Lucky had ever seen before. On occasion, Pinkie would tremble, her body emitting static across her entire body, the bright electric arcs temporarily lighting up.

With Lucky’s reliable talent coming through, a wasteland doctor had stopped by the casino to spend some caps. Lucky was told that Pinkie would be just fine, but nothing could really explain the static. The filly and her mother had returned later that day, and Lucky, having been influenced a little by Pinkie’s eagerness to help this foal, gave the filly a slice of the remaining smooshed cake.

For Lucky, seeing the filly’s eyes light up with joy at her first taste of it seemed to make the day seem brighter, despite everything that had happened. In secret, Lucky was happy that Pinkie came along, but Lucky was still curious as to how her ancestor had managed to travel across time. What secrets did this pink mare hold?

Lucky’s eyes drifted across the casino, eventually landing on a box next to the poker table. Wait a fucking minute. She walked over and peeked at the contents, seeing bottle caps. Pinkie’s bottle cap collection. Lucky then thought back. How much did she owe the Wheelz gang? Then she realized something…

We could’ve paid Wreckage back with this…

Fuck.

Author's Note

Was three days late with this chapter, and it's slightly shorter than other chapters by at least 800 words. I hope you guys don't mind. We really had to crank up production and do a lot of quality control to ensure consistency. Got a few lore experts helping me as I write.

Still waiting for progress on that video. Should be out by today, hopefully. If not, then some other day.

Beauty Versus Brute

Rarity awoke to the sound of a crackling fire, accompanied by laughter. Opening her eyes, she realized she was laying half-buried in a small mound of garbage. Disgusted, she quickly stood up and lost her footing, falling onto her back in the dirt.

“Ew!” Rarity cried out. “What in Equestria am I doing here?” Rarity asked herself, getting up and trying to brush the bits of filth from her coat. After removing as much as she could, she focused her eyes on her surroundings. Directly in front of her were a few ponies, all wearing old rags, surrounding a trash can, its contents having been set ablaze. The sight made her a little queasy, and if she were in her boutique right now, she’d be helping them with finding the proper attire.

Surrounding those ponies and even her were massive piles of trash so big, they might as well be classified as mountains. It quickly became clear to her that she was in a dump of some sort. How did she get here…? Ah, she remembered now. Brief remembrances of portals flashed about in her mind. Those gateways must’ve brought her here. She looked over to the ponies surrounding the fire and began walking over. As Rarity approached them, she could hear one of them talking to the rest.

“And so I said, ‘That’s not a bugbear, ya idjit! That’s a radroach!’” one pony said before bursting into laughter. The rest of the ponies joined in on the hysterics, their cheerful voices filling the air.

Rarity’s mannerisms would normally prevent her from interrupting, but this was a situation that was dire. “Excuse me, but could any of you please direct me to a place where I can clean up?”

One of them, a dark green pony, ceased his laughter and looked at her. “Clean up…? I wouldn’t know any places with actual working showers except Tenpony, and that’s about a day or two away from here. Why not stick with us until daylight? The fire’s plenty warm.”

Rarity, not wanting to be rude, gave a nervous smile. No place with a working shower? What kind of place was this? “Well, I suppose I could, and it is rather cold.” As she approached the fire, her nose was assaulted by the stench of burning garbage. “Ugh…”

“Something wrong?” the green stallion asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing, darling,” she said with a forced smile, trying not to offend.

Looking into the garbage can fire, she was then greeted with the most horrific sight known to equine. They were using, of all things, the horror! Oh, the absolute worst of horrors! The worst possible thing!

Cotton/silk blend scarves being used as kindling!

“Wh-What is this?” Rarity asked, trying not to faint, eyes locked onto the poor burning articles of fashion.

“A fire,” replied the green stallion. “You’ve never seen one before?”

“I have, but I’ve never seen this being used in one!” Rarity pointed out, floating a barely intact scarf from the fire, the burning glow still present in some bits.

“Oh, yeah. We cleaned out an old building full of ‘em. No use for ‘em. They don’t really keep ya warm like these ones do,” he said, pointing to his own tattered and thick light-green scarf.

“But this is a crime against fashion!” Rarity objected.

“What’s a crime,” the green stallion said, “is that an overgrown hellhound took what little wood we had.”

Rarity raised a question. “A hellhound? What in Equestria is a hellhound?”

“A hellhound is a nasty beast,” the stallion answered. “Mutated diamond dogs that want nothin’ more than to kill ponies.”

“K-Kill?” Rarity was surprised at this word choice.

The other ponies grinned as the green stallion continued. “Yeah! They’ll kill ya in mere seconds. They’ rip ya to shreds with their massive claws!” he said.

“That sounds awful,” replied Rarity. “Perhaps I may be able to lend some assistance.”

“You?” The green stallion looked surprised. “No offense, lady, but you don’t look like the kind of pony we need to handle this.”

“I beg your pardon? I’ve been on more than a few adventures myself, thank you,” Rarity clarified.

The ponies looked at each other, muttering to one another in quiet conversation. Inevitably, the green one looked to Rarity and said, “Fine. But don’t blame us if ya get killed. I’m not supplyin’ ya with weapons, either.”

“That’s just fine,” Rarity said. “I don’t need weapons. I’ve got style and I’ve got flair!”

The green stallion rolled his eyes. “You’ll probably find him over that mountain of trash right there. He doesn’t come out here when we’re awake, but when we do sleep, he’s stealin’ left and right. It’s a wonder why he doesn’t end our sufferin’.”

Rarity looked to her left to see the large trash pile. “You mean I have to travel across this heap of trash?”

“I mean, you could go around,” said the green stallion, “Ain’t that hard.”

Rarity smiled in a bit of embarrassment. “Oh, right. My mistake. Thank you,” she said before walking towards her next destination.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

The campfire crackled and popped as it ate away the dead wood with intense heat and licking flame. Having taken shelter in a cave, Cozy Glow was deep in thought while Tirek and Chrysalis argued.

“I think it would’ve been easier had we procured minions,” said Chrysalis.

“Nonsense. With our strength alone, we could’ve handled the large crowd. It was that magic those six have,” debated Tirek.

Cozy was stumped. She had the upper hoof and she had still lost. She went over every scenario in her head, trying to figure out where she went wrong. Watching the fire burning brightly, she focused on the days leading up to her defeat. Everything was going perfectly before that final day. What did we do wrong?

“Cozy. What is your take on this?” Tirek asked, distracting Cozy from her train of thought.

Cozy tried to think of an answer, but could only say, “I don’t know.”

Tirek leaned back against the cavern wall, thinking. “Hm… We need to formulate a new plan. To beat their magic, we need a special magic of our own.”

“But we had Grogar’s bell,” said Chrysalis. “Nothing was supposed to be stronger than that.”

“Their friendship must’ve been stronger?” Cozy brought up. Chrysalis gave an angry glare.

“I refuse to hear anything about their friendship!” Chrysalis exclaimed! “I hate their disgusting bond with each other! This is just a temporary setback! Do you hear me?!”

Cozy leaned back with a bit of fear. “Calm down! I don’t like what happened either!”

Chrysalis, forcing herself to swallow her anger, exhaled and closed her eyes. “I remember better times…”

Tirek sighed as well, slumping. “Indeed… We’ve fallen very low.”

Cozy, looking down, kicked the dirt. “There’s gotta be some way we can get back on top.”

Chrysalis’ eyes looked over Tirek’s pitifully weakened form, then looked over to Cozy Glow. “Without Tirek’s strength and my changelings, we can’t hope to win.”

As Cozy Glow leaned pondered, she could hear a faint whispering. Where was it coming from? It certainly wasn’t in her mind. She looked towards the back of the cave, feeling uneasy. “Is there somepony in here with us?” Cozy asked, standing up. She inched closer to the back, then stopped the moment she saw a shadowed silhouette of what appeared to be another pony.

She stepped back, then saw Chrysalis walking forward. “Who dares spy on us?” Chrysalis asked with a hiss.

Finally, the unknown visitor made his voice heard. “Do my eyes deceive me…?”

Chrysalis stepped closer, unafraid. “Who are you?” she asked. As the stranger stepped out from the shadows, a wicked grin spread across Chrysalis’ face.

Tirek watched in curiosity. “Is that what I think it is?”

“But how is that possible?” Cozy asked.

Chrysalis giggled to herself in such a way that it sent a chill down Cozy’s spine. “This,” Chrysalis said, “is the beginning of our ultimate revenge.”

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

“No,” insisted Study Guide. “I don’t need makeup.”

“But the host insisted!” exclaimed her manedresser. She looked over Study Guide’s messy hair. “At least let me help mat it down!”

Study Guide gently pushed her out of the way. “Get away from me. I don’t need anypony helping me.”

Suddenly, a loud voice spoke over the speakers. “And now, for our guest star, Study Guide!”

As she walked out, Study Guide could see the light blue host sitting comfortably in his chair, front hooves on his desk. His name was Filibuster, and he was the number one talk show host in all of Fog City. How he rose to fame so quickly within the span of a week? It was all thanks to Littlepip. With Littlepip the ‘Wasteland Menace’ as a popular topic on his show, he was able to get his ratings to skyrocket.

Study Guide sat down in the guest seat, a small one compared to Light’s. It wasn’t very comfortable, either, but she wasn’t here for comfort. She was here to educate. “Thank you for having me here,” she said.

“Good to have you,” replied Filibuster. “So… Twenty-six teams, huh?”

“That’s right,” confirmed Study. “Scattered all over the wasteland. My team, however, is the best you’ll find out there.”

“And would you mind explaining to the audience what these teams do? How do they contribute to our society?” Filibuster asked.

Study Guide, looking out at the audience of pegasi, sighed and said, “These teams are meant to explore, discover, and then report back to the Enclave. Each team governs its own specific field of research: plants, animals, wastelander psychology, etcetera. My team is different. We’re a combination of most of those fields, but most of the time we focus on what many citizens would like to call ‘The Monsters of the Wasteland.’”

She could see the pegasi murmuring quietly to each other. This was a topic that was on everyone’s mind as of late due to pegasi having been forced to live on the surface in cities made from fog clouds.

Filibuster smirked. He knew just what to say, and Study Guide knew that. “And from what I hear,” he said, “it’s the hellhounds that have been wreaking havoc on Enclave equipment recently, right? Even going so far as to attack our defenses?”

“That is… correct,” Study Guide affirmed. She squirmed a bit in her chair, trying to make herself as comfortable as possible. “There are many types of creatures out in the wasteland, but it is the hellhounds who have been the most aggressive towards us at the moment.” Not surprising, she thought. We literally attempted to control them like they were puppets.

“And what are the chances of a hellhound making it into the city and killing some poor citizen?” Filibuster asked. The audience seemed to be on the edge of their seats, some even leaning forward to get a better listen.

Study Guide stayed silent for a moment before answering coldly, “Within ten years…? Ninety percent.”

The audience gasped collectively, and Filibuster grinned mischievously. “Really? That’s a certainly high number. Why is that?”

Study Guide peered at Filibuster. “I’m not going to lie. We’re running out of resources. We’ve been running out since the bombs dropped. We’ve been recycling the same equipment over and over, and with recent events, we’ve lost much of it.”

“So do we even have a chance?!” Filibuster asked, feigning great and dramatic concern.

“We do,” answered Study Guide. “We can educate ourselves on what to do if and when hellhounds or any other mutants enter our city. There’s a reason you’ve all been seeing certain types of educational material being handed out in schools, such as flyers and booklets. We’re trying to prepare you all for a possible collapse of society.”

“Would you care to give us an example of your sky-famous lessons?” Filibuster asked.

Study Guide blew strands of her mane from her eyes and replied, “Hellhounds are known to have various traits at their disposable. Long claws, heightened intelligence, and preferences in laser weaponry. These beasts can slice through solid concrete with their claws, with rare exceptions allowing them to get through heavily corroded metals.”

“Solid concrete?!” Filibuster exclaimed. “Wow! That sure sounds like quite a threat! How can we protect ourselves from such monstrosities?!”

You’re a monstrosity, Study Guide thought to herself before answering, “High pitched frequencies are capable of driving them away. They don’t like these certain sounds. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a professional singer of sorts.”

“So you’re telling me that if I can sing opera, I can defend myself against these things?” Filibuster asked.

“That, or anything similar to scratching hooves on a chalkboard. Anything at all that can emit these high-pitched frequencies will work, but it’s not guaranteed. It’s just effective, not foolproof.”

Filibuster seemed to be enjoying the crowd’s interest. Obviously the ratings were going to exceed expectations at this point. “Wow! Now tell me, how big can these dastardly abominations get?”

“Your average hellhound can get up to five or six feet tall, perhaps even seven,” Study Guide replied.

“Average?” Filibuster interrupted. “You’re saying there could possibly even be a giant hellhound out there somewhere?”

“There are,” Study Guide answered. “There are very rare cases, cases that I once thought to be impossible.”

“What kind?” asked Filibuster.

Study Guide leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Hm… There have been at least six cases I’ve seen where a hellhound was born in what we like to call an ‘overgrown state’.”

“Overgrown?” Filibuster repeated.

“Yes. Most hellhounds stop growing at a certain point,” Study Guide replied. “Some don’t stop. Mutation is a bitch. Overgrown hellhounds can even be grown in litters, with the majority being up to fifteen feet tall. However, there are some runts who stop at five or six, yet keep the strength of an overgrown. Think of a wall of pure muscle and that’s what you’d get.”

“How do we defend ourselves from those?” Filibuster asked, eyes wide in false shock.

“High-pitched frequencies can still work,” Study Guide answered. “Bullets… are a different story. While they do penetrate the skin, the overgrown won’t even notice if it’s attacking. They’re often fueled by rage at that time, and this is what keeps them from feeling pain. I’ve seen an enraged overgrown take over a hundred bullets before stopping in its tracks.”

“You hear that, folks?!” Filibuster shouted. “A hundred bullets!”

The audience was almost frantic at this, close to panicking. Study Guide, seeing this, then said, “However…” She cleared her throat, looked directly at the audience, then continued. “The ninety percent chance that I’ve predicted is based on a time limit. We have ten years or less, and before then, we’ll be back up in the sky, safe from the creatures of the wasteland.”

The audience collectively sighed in relief, many pegasi looking embarrassed for even worrying. Filibuster grinned. This would reel in plenty of views on the Pegasus Broadcasting Network.

Study Guide, thinking back, was aware of Filibuster’s propaganda. He liked to exaggerate details, and she was surprised he didn’t do much to smudge her facts a bit. Either way, the Enclave wouldn’t be too happy with her sudden appearance on PBN. She’d get in trouble, most definitely, but not fired. She was too important to them.

And she knew it.

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Rarity was most definitely sick of seeing nothing but trash. She’d much rather be back home, working on one of her latest pieces. Instead, she was trudging through garbage just to get to her destination. She was just about ready to give up and turn back to plan another way through when she heard a howl.

Up ahead, standing upon a small pile of trash was the beast she was warned about. It was indeed a hellhound, hunched over, with an upper torso composed of mostly gray-furred muscle. As he stood up slowly, Rarity could see that his hind legs weren’t exactly as full of muscle, but still muscular nonetheless. This was a dog who had obviously never missed a single day at the gym. His fur was a light gray, and his body was covered in old scars, the most gruesome one over his right eye. His lower jaw was a darker shade on its right half, and his tail was rather long, ending in black spikes.

Rarity, not wanting to assume the worst, spoke in a kind manner. “Hello! I was wondering if I could have a word with you? I don’t wish to be rude, but it is rather important.”

The hellhound hopped off the trash pile, landing on the ground with a thud. Each step he took was accompanied by his paws scraping the ground. This canine was more prone to walking like a gorilla rather than a regular diamond dog. Considering his muscular build was much like one’s, it made sense.

As he approached Rarity, she had a sense of worry in her mind, but pushed it down quickly, feeling the need to act professionally. Soon she was face to face with him. The hellhound quickly exhaled from his nostrils, the hot air messing up Rarity’s hair a little, strands now out of place.

“Ahem…” Rarity attempted to stay focused. “From what I’m hearing from a couple of gentlecolts, you’ve been resorting to acts of thievery?”

The dog stared at her, unmoving, silent.

“I think it’s about time that you apologize to them. No good can come from taking other ponies’ things,” said Rarity. “Perhaps if you were to do something nice for them? I was thinking a gift as an apology, or perhaps even a-”

“Pony talk too much,” the dog said, turning around and walking away.

Rarity was offended. Immediately following him, she noticed some more scars on his back. Where did he get them all. Rarity certainly couldn’t live with such blemishes, ruining her own image.

“Darling?” Rarity started. “Where are you going? We should be discussing your apology.”

The dog grunted, speeding up his pace. Rarity speeded up her own, not letting the canine off that easily.

“You listen here,” Rarity said. “I know apologizing might seem a bit unusual to you, but ponies tend to do so if they’ve committed a wrong.”

The canine ran, with Rarity now having to chase him down. How hard was it to say sorry to somepony? As she followed him, he led her through many twists and turns, over and around piles of garbage. The pursuit lasted well over at least ten minutes.

Then she saw it as they finally came to a stop: an old shack made from rotting wood and rusted sheet metal, just barely staying up with the support of some old pipes. The canine, having stopped in front of it, turned around to face Rarity.

“Oh, uh…” Rarity looked at the shack more carefully. “Is this your home, dear?”

The hellhound grunted, then turned, throwing open the heavily decayed door. It slammed against the wall of the shack, causing a gutter to fall loose. The half-pipe structure swung, pointing in Rarity’s direction and allowing mossy water to pour down atop of her.

“Eeewwwww!” Rarity cried out, catching the canine’s attention.

The hellhound, rolling his eyes, said, “Follow,” as he stepped into the shack. “Have fire. Dry off.”

Rarity, pulling bits and pieces of wet trash and moss from her mane and not really knowing what to say to this, obliged. She walked through the entrance and noticed that in the middle, there was a campfire of sorts, and surrounding it were a few foals.

Rarity looked at the hellhound, who had sat down in between two foals and stared at the fire. She chuckled nervously before asking, “Who are these three?”

The hound looked up at her and said, “Orphans.”

Rarity looked back, her eyes wide in disturbance. “You were stealing firewood; for them?”

The hellhound snorted out hot air, messing up Rarity’s hair even further.

“Right,” she said. “I think we, um, may have gotten off on the wrong hoof. Perhaps a proper introduction is in order. My name is Rarity.”

The beast grunted, seeming very annoyed. Rarity gestured to him, hoping he would introduce himself. He merely grunted again before responding with a burp. Rarity was disgusted. How would she ever get this dog to cooperate?

“Darling, I’m trying. Really, I am. Could you please just give me something to work with?” Rarity asked.

“Brute,” said the canine.

“I am not a brute,” said Rarity, offended.

“NO. BRUTE’S NAME IS BRUTE!” the dog shouted loudly, looking very annoyed.

Rarity blinked, realizing her mistake. “Oh! Your name is Brute!”

The hellhound named brute nodded slowly, then went back to staring into the fire. Rarity glanced over to one of the orphans, a filly who looked no older than Sweetie Belle. She was holding a stick in between two hooves, cooking something in the fire. Rarity wasn’t quite able to see what it was as it stayed in the fire. It appeared to be brown, with some of it being blackened.

“So you’ve been stealing firewood to keep these foals warm?” Rarity asked.

“He’s a good guy,” said one of the foals.

“He keeps the raiders away, too,” said the filly who was cooking food. She had a dark gray coat with a rusty brown mane, and she looked as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

Rarity was a bit confused, but tried to ignore it. “Would you mind telling Brute to stop stealing firewood from those stallions on the other side of… whatever this place is?”

“You mean the dump?” asked the filly. “Nope.”

“Nope?” Rarity repeated. “But stealing is wrong, darling.”

“It’s only wrong if you get caught. And even if you do get caught, it’s to stay alive around here,” replied the filly. “You don’t seem very smart. Did you come from that fancy new place over by Ponyville? You sure look like it.”

“Fancy new place? What are you talking about?” Rarity asked.

“Some dumb setup,” replied the filly, pulling out the strange brown piece of food from the fire. “It appeared there around two, maybe three days ago. I heard about it from a traveling merchant.”

As the filly bit into it, Rarity couldn’t help but ask, “Might I inquire as to what you are eating right now? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

As the filly chewed, she replied, “Radgator meat. You want some?”

Rarity’s fur stood on end. “M-Meat? Why in Equestria would you eat meat?!”

“Because we ran out of snack cakes,” replied the filly.

“Snack cakes? Those sound familiar,” said Rarity. She thought back to a very small shop in Canterlot. It never really got off the ground, but they were pretty good. “But why would you depend on nothing but snack cakes?”

The filly took another bite before saying with her mouth full, “They’re one of the few foods that are leftover from the war.”

War? Rarity hadn’t heard of any way. “What war?” she asked.

“Oh, wow. You’re really dumb,” said the filly. Rarity did her best not to take any offense. “The big war between the ponies and the zebras.”

“Now, why would ponies and zebras fight? It just doesn’t make any sense,” said Rarity. She began to wonder… was she in a horrible future of some sort? It would certainly make sense, considering everything was a mess and there was a massive diamond dog of sorts in front of her.

“I dunno,” said the filly. “I don’t dig through old libraries.”

Rarity looked over to Brute and asked, “Well, where are these foals supposed to go? I don’t suppose you know where they could stay? I’m sure any place would be better than this.”

“City unsafe,” Brute replied. “Only place Tenpony Tower, and walk there dangerous.”

Rarity tilted her head a bit. “Tenpony?”

“Yeah, it used to belong to some ponies who’d probably never make it in the wasteland,” said the filly by the fire. “Now it’s kinda like a shelter, but it’s way too far for us to travel.”

“What if I helped?” asked Rarity, smiling confidently. “I’ve been on a few adventures myself.”

Brute grinned smugly, baring his teeth. “Pony not last a day.”

“Excuse me? I’m offended,” said Rarity. “I’ll have you know that I’ve helped save Equestria from many evildoers.”

Brute snickered a little before bursting into laughter. As he let out his bellows, he fell onto his back, holding his stomach as he finished his chuckling fit.

“And just what’s so funny?” Rarity asked, even more offended.

Brute sat back up and said, “Wasteland not saved. Wasteland same as ever.”

Rarity was a little unsettled. “Wasteland? What wasteland?”

“Um… Are you from a stable?” asked the filly.

“What? I’m not from a stable, I’m from Ponyville,” said Rarity.

“Ponyville’s filled with raiders,” said the filly, squinting her eyes, looking confused.

Rarity was even more unsettled now. "Raiders? I wouldn’t really know anything about any ruffians, but what I do know is that I was sent here on a friendship mission with my companions.”

“Hmph… Friendship Mission? Brute smell brahmin shit,” said the hellhound.

“It’s true. I’m here with the Princess of Friendship,” replied Rarity.

Brute looked over to the filly, the filly looking back, both with confused expressions on their faces.

The filly whispered to Brute, “I think she’s on something.”

It was at that moment that Brute started snickering again, as did the filly as well. Then both fell onto their backs in fits of laughter. Rarity, seeing this display, was in quite possibly her most offended state.

“Well, I never!” said Rarity.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

Opening her room door, Study Guide stumbled in, a bottle of alcohol in her hoof. “Fucking idiots,” she muttered under her breath. As she fell into bed, what greeted her eyes was the picture frame on her small dresser. In it, she stood in the middle with two stallions standing behind her and a young colt standing in front, all of them smiling. It was the picture perfect family photo, and it always reminded her of what she had been tirelessly working for these past twenty years.

A knock on the door made her flinch, the drunken researcher not expecting visitors. “Whaddya want?” she slurred. “Lemme just catch a wink. If you’re with with committee, tell them the paperwork’s not done yet.”

“Can I come in?” asked a voice. She recognized who it was.

“Double Blind? What do you want?” she asked.

“I saw you on television today. Were you supposed to do that?” he asked.

Study Guide smiled smugly. “You tell me. I wonder what the committee’s gonna say when they find out I spilled the beans.”

“Why would you do that?” asked Double Blind.

“Because why not? They had a right to know. We’re only making it worse if we don’t prepare them.” Study Guide explained. “Between you and me, I don’t trust those assholes. It’s all about control with the higher-ups. As long as all their little ducklings are perfectly lined up, they’re happy.”

“Shouldn’t you be a little more cautious with what you say?” asked Double Blind.

“There are some topics I won’t touch” Study Guide replied as she swirled the liquid in her bottle. “The only topics I won’t go over are what we’re actually doing behind the scenes.”

Double Blind swallowed. “Behind the scenes? What’s behind the scenes?”

Study Guide stared at him, one eyebrow raised.

Double Blind then realized his mistake. “Oh, right. You can’t talk about it.”

“Can I just go a single day without some nutjob politician trying to use my research for their own gain?” asked Study Guide. “Every day, it’s at least one scientist who leaks my shit, and then the higher-ups use it as a way to stir up fears in the flock. Some of my stuff, I’ll tell them when I need to, but these damn hooligans in suits like to take what I’ve said and use it as ammunition.”

“Then why go on the talk show?” asked Double Show.

Study Guide’s mouth slowly grew into a mischievous smile. “It’s simple. If they want to use my own words against me, I’ll use my own words against them. If ponies are aware that hellhounds will inevitably get in, politicians are going to attempt to say they’ll be able to make big changes in security. What they don’t know, however, is that I just lied to the public.”

Double Blind was taken aback. “Wait, what? You lied?”

Study Guide nodded.

“What’s the actual chance of a hellhound getting in?” asked Double Blind.

Study Guide’s smile vanished, her eyes looking stone cold now. “There’s already one within our barriers.”

“What?!” Double Blind was even more shocked. “Where?!”

“We have a big one, one who’s in custody,” answered Study Guide. “Goes by the name of Ripper.”

“Ripper? Sounds like a villain from a comic book I used to read,” commented Double Blind. “Wait… Do they have comics in the wasteland?”

Study Guide rolled her eyes with a mutter. She wasn’t really used to having somepony to teach. “Keep your mind off the minor things,” she said. “You should be more focused on the bigger picture.”

Double Blind tilted his head. “Which is…?”

“Doing your job while I do mine,” she answered. “I do the teaching, you do the learning, the enclave put out their propaganda and the politicians do their little song and dance.”

Double Blind smiled. “Well, where’s the teaching?”

“Ripper’s going to get out eventually,” said Study Guide. “How he gets out is anypony’s question, but when he does, the first ponies he’ll go after are the soldiers. Hellhounds can have the nasty habit of holding a grudge for years. Most of their encounters can be easily remembered. In fact, we’ve been trying to study their hippocampuses because of their unnaturally long memory.”

Double Blind blinked. “Hippocampi?”

“Hippocampuses,” corrected Study Guide.

“Hippocampi,” Double Blind repeated.

“I’m drunk,” said Study Guide. “Don’t correct me.”

“Alright?” replied Double Blind, a little concerned. “By the way, might I ask what you’re doing this weekend? Because I need help with a project.”

“What project?” Study Guide asked before drinking more from her bottle.

“I want to do a survey of my own,” said Double Blind. “I’ll need somepony’s help with handing out sheets.”

“A survey?” Study Guide swished the liquid around in her bottle. “What kind?”

“Just a general opinion survey of the Enclave,” he answered. To this, Study Guide laughed.

With a snort, she said, “The only opinion you’re gonna get of the Enclave is that they’re great. You know very well that they’re always lying to the populace. Why take a survey now?”

Double Blind rubbed his chin. “Well, considering recent events, I have heard quite a bit of dissatisfaction from my friends who are still in college.”

Study Guide scrunched up her eyebrows, thoughts floating through her head. A grin slowly spread across her face. “Actually, I’ll clear my schedule for this.”

This caught Double Blind by surprise. “Wait, really? I didn’t think you’d say yes.”

“Of course I’d say yes!” she replied. “But uh… If you don’t mind, I’d like to look at the sheets you’re planning on passing out. I’d like to add a few of my own questions in there if you don’t mind.”

Double Blind slowly nodded and hesitantly responded with, “Ooookay?”

“Don’t worry,” said Study Guide. “We’re gonna have some fun with this project.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Standing just outside of the badly-built shack, Rarity gazed upwards at the stars, or at least, tried to. There were small dots, but they weren’t as bright as they were back home. In Equestria, the stars were always shining brilliantly at night. Here, they were dull and lifeless, just barely pinpricks of light that could barely illuminate anything.

From what she was able to gather, the foals were recently orphaned, having escaped from ponies called slavers. Rarity was absolutely appalled when she had heard of such savagery. She had heard of ponies hurting ponies before, but it was normally through words. She had never heard of it being like this before.

Her gaze inevitably fell back down to ground level, where she caught a glimpse of something that piqued her interest. She saw what looked to be a fridge, and it was chained up tight. Whatever was in it, somepony had clearly gone through the trouble of keeping it safe, even out in a dump such as this.

It was then that Rarity’s mind started to drift, small glimpses of images of events that she had never seen before, and yet were somehow still familiar at the same time. Barely audible voices could be heard. She could only hear hints of a single word repeated over and over: ‘book’.

“Book…?” she muttered. “What book?”

Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a small, familiar voice. “Hey.”

Rarity turned her head, seeing one of the foals from earlier next to them. It was the same dark gray filly who was cooking and eating meat. “Ah, Hello,” said Rarity. “What are you doing up this late? It’s well past midnight, I think.”

“Heard you muttering,” said the filly.

“Have I been? I haven’t noticed,” replied Rarity. “By the way, what is your name? I never caught it.”

“I’m Rebar,” said the filly. “Don’t forget it.”

Rarity smiled. “Well, hello, Rebar. I’m Rarity, and might I say, it is a pleasure to meet you.~”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Rebar, waving her hoof dismissively. “Look, lady. You’re not gonna gain my trust right away. I mean, you came into the shack saying you were on a ‘friendship mission’ or whatever. Sounds like a lie.”

“I would never lie about something as important as a friendship mission,” said Rarity, offended.

“Whatever,” muttered Rebar. “Anyways, if you’re wanting to take me to Tenpony Tower, I want to rescue my own friends first. If you can pull that off, I’ll trust you.”

“And just where are your friends exactly?” asked Rarity.

“Just outside this dump,” answered Rebar. “If I’m lucky, the slavers won’t have left yet. Whether you’re helping or not, I’ve still got Brute to help me.”

“And you expect those slavers to just give your friends back?” asked Rarity. “If anything, this reminds me of a situation I was in with a group of diamond dogs. They’re not going to just give them back.” Although, in her mind, Rarity mentally noted that the diamond dogs DID give her back, but only after twenty-four minutes of whining.

“You gonna help or what, lady? I don’t wanna hear you runnin’ your mouth all night,” complained Rebar. “Geez. With a mouth like yours, who’d want you as a slave?”

Certainly not diamond dogs.

“Oh, I think I know who wouldn’t,” said Rarity. “But yes, I’ll help. Just point me in the direction, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Alright, neat,” said Rebar. “Where’s your gun?”

“My what?” asked Rarity.

“You know, the pew pew shooter,” Rebar tried to explain.

“I, uh… don’t have one,” said Rarity.

“You’re useless,” Rebar said bluntly.

“That’s certainly uncalled for,” said Rarity.

“Well, how am I gonna rescue ‘em if I just got a meat shield?” Rebar said.

“Why, I’d never!” exclaimed Rarity. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners?”

“Orphan,” said Rebar.

Rarity frowned, realizing what she’d said. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Uh huh, sure,” Rebar replied. “Bet you grew up with two parents.”

“Well, I--”

Rebar continued, interrupting Rarity. “Bet you lived the fancy life, huh? Got your mane in a nice little curl, like one of those poster ponies. How long have you even been out here? Bet you couldn’t survive a damn minute, now could ya, prissy pants?”

Rarity mulled over her situation. She didn’t really know where she was, but from what she’d seen so far, everything looked like it was in its worst state possible. This filly had probably grown up seeing this throughout her short life, and Rarity was only here for a few minutes, not having really faced any danger so far. How bad was it outside the dump?

Rebar stamped her hoof on the ground. “Hey, lady! I’m talking to you!”

Rarity shook herself out of her own thoughts. She then said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked such a hurtful question.”

“I don’t really care at this point in my life,” Rebar stated. “I just wanna know if you’ve even got a weapon.”

Rarity thought for a second, then replied, “I do know a few spells I’ve learned from a friend.”

“I guess that’s something,” Rebar muttered, rolling her eyes. “Ugh… I’ll get you some grenades.”

“Some what? asked Rarity.

“You know, the boom boom ka-doom,” answered Rebar as she walked inside. Walking back out, she held what looked like a belt with what looked to be…

“Apples?” guessed Rarity.

Rebar looked at the belt, then at Rarity, then asked, “Are you stupid or somethin’?”

“Would you please stop with the insults?” asked Rarity. “It’s very rude.”

“Just pay attention,” said Rebar. “These metal things? They’re grenades. You throw ‘em, and things go kablooey.”

Rarity had a hard time believing that these small objects could do such a thing. “Kablooey?”

“Kablooey!” Rebar repeated. “Ya just pull the pin on em and toss em before they explode.”

“And what do you want to do with these?” asked Rarity.

Rebar grumbled, then said, “I’mma blow up the slavers! What else would I do with ‘em?!”

“They could be useful as a distraction,” said Rarity. “Blowing up ponies isn’t a good thing to do.”

“They’ve enslaved ponies,” countered Rebar. “They do nothing but hurt everypony around them.”

“Yes, but wouldn’t it be best to punish them properly?” Rarity suggested.

Rebar rolled her eyes, saying, “This is proper. It’s the only punishment that fits! I’m not gonna play the role of goody goody four shoes and let a group of adults debate on how to punish somepony when the clear method of punishment is obvious.”

Rarity was conflicted. She didn’t feel that violence was the answer. Yes, these ponies had hurt others, and they did deserve punishment, but this kind of punishment felt a bit too… permanent. It was the kind of punishment that made the punisher stoop to a lower level, and that felt wrong in Rarity’s mind.

“What does your canine friend think of all this?” asked Rarity.

“Oh, Brute? He wants to smash the slavers,” answered Rebar. “But they always have mines set up around their campsite.”

“Mines?” asked Rarity.

Rebar sighed. “They’re like the round things that go kablooey, but they’re flatter.”

Rarity nodded slowly in faux understanding, only to immediately shake her head no.

Rebar simply facehoofed.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

After spending nearly six hours of bumbling around in the sewers, the great and powerful Trixie had had enough. She kicked a small pebble into the rapidly running water to their right. “This is ridiculous!” she complained.

“I don’t like this any more than you do,” said Starlight, her horn still lighting up the path before them.

“At least you didn’t almost become some monster’s lunch!” said Trixie, her mood sour.

“Would you stop, already?” asked Starlight. “You’re lucky I was able to save you!”

Trixie went quiet, grumbling a few words under her breath. Her coat had taken nearly an hour to dry after she had been rescued, but she still smelled like whatever that abomination from earlier was.

Just as Starlight was about to give up hope on finding an exit, they came upon a giant metal door, one that reminded Starlight of a bank vault, its shape very much resembling a gear, and it gave off an ominous tone. Across the door was a big eighty-three in bold, white numbers.

“What is this?” Trixie asked, walking up to it.

Starlight noticed a control panel next to the door. “Looks like the entrance to some kind of underground base, and I think this opens it.”

The panel had a chipped yellow coating. Age must have worn this thing down a bit, and she couldn’t help but notice the numerous scorch marks on some of the buttons. One particular part that was the most damaged was a slot that looked like a keyhole, the area around it being blackened.

She began to fiddle with the panel, her magic investigating every nook and cranny of it. On the right side of it was a small lever, which took some effort to pull all the way down. When she did, however, a loud thud could be heard from behind the door, followed by the sound of metal grinding on metal. Both Starlight and Trixie covered their ears, the noise being a bit too loud, in Starlight’s opinion.

The door was suddenly pulled inward by an unseen force, and rolled out of the way to reveal that it was being opened by large mechanisms from the inside. Starlight had the strangest sense of deja vu, and she couldn’t figure out why.

Trixie took a step behind Starlight. “You first,” said Trixie, to which Starlight rolled her eyes.

Taking the first step in, Starlight felt like she was walking into a hospital. Everything in here looked clean and sterile. Starlight noticed that she was in an artificial trench, the walls being the base for a slighter higher floor. On her right, she could see a stand, and on top of it was what appeared to be the back of a control panel.

There was a ramp that went up to the slightly high floor and led into a small hallway. Stepping into the hallway, Starlight was suddenly struck with some kind of electric force, her body felt as if someone were shaking her like a ragdoll. It was unpleasant and it felt like she couldn’t make any of her limbs move, the mare being stuck in place.

After a few seconds, the shock ended, and Starlight couldn’t help but hold her head in her hooves, a massive headache having occupied her headspace. Trixie immediately rushed to Starlight and asked, “Are you okay?!”

Starlight wobbled a bit. “I feel like a caffeinated Pinkie Pie rubbed balloons on me, and the static built up in me like I was a lightbulb.”

Trixie looked up, pointing. “I think I know what did it.”

Looking at where Trixie was pointing, Starlight could see a burnt gold-colored metal strip built into the ceiling. “What is that?” Starlight wondered.

Trixie “Call me crazy, but I think it’s one of those magic disablers they use in the Equestria Games to prevent cheating,”

“Why do you say that?” asked Starlight.

“I’ve seen it a few times,” answered Trixie. “But it wasn’t built into the ceiling, and it certainly didn’t zap you, neither.”

“Then how do you know what it is?” asked Starlight.

Trixie shrugged. “I’ve been around.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. Still, she couldn’t help but feel curious. Wanting to test if it was true, she attempted to light up her horn. Trixie was right, surprisingly. Starlight couldn’t produce a single spark of magic. “Huh… Whaddya know?”

And then the panic started.

Starlight started to hyperventilate. She had never been without her magic, and to lose it now of all times was even worse. What would she do? How would she defend herself?

Trixie waved a hoof in front of Starlight to get her attention. “Hey! It’s okay! Take a deep breath!” advised Trixie. Starlight took a deep breath. “Now breathe out,” said Trixie. Starlight breathed out, a bit of stress leaving her.

Starlight smiled. “Thanks, Trixie.”

“Trixie knows best!” declared Trixie.

Starlight rolled her eyes with a smile and continued down the hallways with her friend. The walls were white, metal, and looked sterile, and at the end of the hallway was an elevator door. As they walked up to it, Starlight had a bad feeling about this.

Trixie pushed the button, making the doors open, which elicited a scream from both mares once they saw what was inside. Inside was a skeleton, the skeleton of a pony, to be exact.

“Starlight! I wanna go back!” Trixie cried out.

Starlight was unsure whether to go all the way back and face raiders or whether to continue onward from here. It was a difficult decision. She had lost her magic, so if she were to go back right now, she’d never be able to defend herself. Perhaps there was something in here that could help fix her horn if there was already something that could remove magic.

“I’d rather not go back and face hostile ponies, especially without my magic,” reasoned Starlight.

Trixie looked at the skeleton, then looked at Starlight, very hesitant to use this elevator. “Starlight, you’d better know what you’re doing. Trixie doesn’t want to end up like this pony.”

“I’m sure it’ll be… fine,” said Starlight, swallowing her fears. “Besides, I need to see if there’s anything here that can fix my horn.”

“Fine,” said Trixie, still scared, her body trembling. “I’ll trust you.”

Starlight and Trixie stepped into the elevator, then turned around, facing the buttons. Trixie looked at the buttons with suspicion. Something wasn’t right about these numbers.

“Starlight, how deep down can an elevator go?” asked Trixie.

“I don’t know,” Starlight replied, now a little concerned. “Why?”

Trixie pointed to the bottom button. “Because Trixie doesn’t think an elevator should be able to go ten stories below the sewers!”

“I… I’m sure there’s a good explanation,” Starlight tried to reason. She couldn’t quite convince herself that something wasn’t wrong. “Maybe it doesn’t go that far down. Maybe it just came with these extra buttons.”

Trixie didn’t not hesitate to push the bottom button. Immediately the elevator closed and started descending down, with Trixie giving Starlight an annoyed glare. “Yeah, sure, Starlight. These are just extra buttons.”

Starlight chuckled nervously. She didn’t like where this was going. There was a screen above the elevator door, displaying the numbers slowly going all the way to ten. She secretly wished that this was all just a very unsettling dream.

The elevator shook a little as it halted.. When the door slid open, Starlight saw that it was another hallway, but this time, it was with doors on either side. Starlight stepped out of the elevator and walked up to the first door on the left. It slid open automatically, making her jump, as she was half-expecting another pony skeleton on the other side. Thankfully, there wasn’t.

Inside was… a bedroom, with a single bed and a cabinet. Everything was neat and tidy, with nothing left out of place. Starlight was expecting for there to be at least a mess, considering what they had seen in the elevator. By the door, within the room, was a desk, with neatly stacked papers. After failing to lift one of the papers with her magic, she sighed.

“Trixie has this,” Trixie declared, picking up the top sheet and floating it in front of Starlight. She wasn’t sure if Trixie was trying to be helpful, or just gloating that she still had her magic.

Upon reading the paper, Starlight was unnerved, no, more than unnerved. She was horrified. It was a list of ponies, a list of ponies who were to be executed. “Trixie, what is this place?” asked Starlight.

“What?” asked Trixie. She looked at the paper herself and went pale. “Oh…”

Starlight exited the room, then looked in the next room. This one was much messier, with a cabinet having fallen over, books and papers scattered everywhere. Whoever was in here, they obviously struggled. Starlight’s blood ran cold as she checked the next room. Another mess, but with scorch marks on the walls.

Suddenly, Trixie screamed in the next room. Starlight rushed into the hallway. Around the corner end of the hallway in another room was Trixie, standing on the desk, screaming, “Get it! Get it! Get it!”

Starlight saw a large cockroach in the center of the room. “Seriously?” she asked. She sighed and attempted to blast it with a bubble containment spell, but her horn, of course, didn’t work. “Hm…” She then looked at Trixie. “I never thought I’d play teacher today. Hey, Trixie. You want that thing away from you, right?”

“Do you even have to ask?” answered Trixie. “Yes! I want it gone!”

Starlight facehoofed, then said, “I want you to imagine a bubble around that roach while charging your magic. Then fire away.”

Trixie looked at the roach, a disgusted expression on her face. Then, after charging up her horn, she fired, a globular bubble enveloping the roach. It wobbled until it finally burst, releasing the roach, the roach now more active and scurrying around.

“Ew! Ew!” Trixie fired another beam, and this time, it was more of a wobbly pyramid, this one bursting as well.

Starlight gritted her teeth. “Trixie. Stop freaking out. It’s messing with your magic. You need to calm down. Close your eyes and focus.”

Trixie took a deep breath, then released a sigh. Focusing with all her mental might, she fired at the roach.

Starlight tilted her head, the most puzzled of looks on her face. Instead of a bubble around the cockroach, it was a transparent, upside-down teacup on the ground. “How did…? Never mind,” said Starlight. “If it works, it works.”

Trixie hopped off the desk, still wary of the scurrying roach under the teacup. “Ugh… Bugs…”

Sometimes, Starlight wondered how Trixie could handle being on the road.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Rarity fumbled with the sniper rifle, not knowing exactly how it worked. All she knew was that it worked kind of like a telescope, as it allowed her to see far away. She spoke into her walkie-talkie, “What does this thing do again?”

“See the plus in the middle of the scope? That’s your crosshairs,” explained Rebar. “Line ‘em up with the bad guys’ heads, pull the trigger, and boom! Heads explode!”

“Oh, dear. I wouldn’t want that,” she said, looking out at the campsite through her scope. She saw three ponies wearing some atrocious spiked leather and holding chains, one of them hooking a chain up to one of the fillies. “How undesirable,” she said to herself.

“Hurry up,” said Rebar. “Scare ‘em off, and Brute and I’ll come out and break the fillies free.”

“Why couldn’t you do it?” asked Rarity.

“I can’t even hold it with my short legs,” answered Rebar. “Try living like a midget, wisemare.”

Rarity thought to herself as she sat in silence. “Are you sure this is necessary, darling?” she asked. She didn’t want to hurt anypony, even if they had done bad things. She had only hurt somepony once or twice in retaliation, and those were special occasions.

“Look, prissy pants, if you think you have a better idea than this, go for it, otherwise, blow up some heads,” said Rebar.

Rarity looked around for anything that may have looked useful. Upon doing so, she noticed the water tower that the campsite was nearby. The supports for it looked awfully weak and rusted. “Darling? Did you say these bullets made things explode?”

“Yeah, they’re explosive rounds,” answered Rebar. “Perfect for blowing shit up.”

Rarity aimed carefully. “Perfect,” she said to herself. She pulled the trigger, but as she did, she was roughed up a bit, the rifle knocking back into her. “Ow!”

The bullet missed, a small explosion being heard by the slavers. One of them looked towards the direction. She could hear one of them shouting to each other, “What was that?!”

“Oh, satin and silk!” she said, lining up the crosshairs again with the support. “Okay… Lean into it. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.” She reloaded, then aimed a bit higher, taking into approximate wind speed and gravity, based on which direction it missed, having noticed that as she fired, the bullet was a bit off its target. When she had lined up her shot, she said to herself, “Let’s hope this one hits.”

She fired, the bullet zipping through the air and hitting the support, the metal partially blown off, but it didn’t seem to be enough to topple the tower over. By now, the slavers were scurrying. “Grab the cages! Load ‘em up! Hurry!”

Rarity quickly reloaded, then lined up another shot, her eyes taking note of where she had hit. She just needed to hit it once more. “Sorry, darlings, but I’ll have to cut your camping trip short.”

She fired the round, the explosion tearing up enough of the metal that the tower groaned and creaked, slowly tilting until it fell at a greater speed, smashing into the ground, mossy water spilling out and muddying the dry dirt. “Forget the slaves!” the slavers cried out. “Run for your lives!”

As the ponies ran, Rarity couldn’t help but feel a hint of pride, having resolved the conflict without hurting anypony. “Well, darling, we’ve done it. Get your friends out of there.”

As she saw both Rebar and Brute hurrying out to the cages, Rarity couldn’t help but wonder what else was in store for her on this adventure. There was one thing she knew, however. She had to find her friends.

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long for this one to come out. We got busy.

Hindsight

"Seems I possess a magic that gives me quite an important role in Equestria. Maybe they should make me an Alicorn princess." - Discord

Chrysalis stood atop a hill, looking down at a settlement, a smug grin on her face. This would be the chance she needed to regain power. Cozy and Tirek stood just behind her, waiting for her next move. Cozy, looking at Tirek, noticed that he somehow seemed different... She just couldn’t put her hoof on it. What was it?

Chrysalis looked behind her at her new support, pride swelling up within her. This was the day she’d take back what was rightfully hers. “Come,” she said, “we will descend and take back the power we deserve.”

“Do you really think they’re going to listen?” asked Tirek. “From what our new friend told us, they’re more likely to attack you with insults out of hunger.”

“Oh, please,” said Chrysalis. “You’re forgetting that I am the top of the ranks, the supreme ruler. Those who defy me will be crushed under my hooves.”

“If you say so,” retorted Tirek, following Chrysalis as she began walking towards the settlement. Cozy couldn’t help but feel like this world had more to it than just the devastation, as if there was some kind of magic here, one hidden, lurking. She couldn’t quite explain why she suspected it, but the feeling was there. Lingering in the back of her mind.

Upon approaching, Chrysalis immediately saw one of them; a changeling, or rather, what their visitor called a ‘hateling’. She quickly walked up to him and said, “Hello there. I couldn’t help but notice your little…” she looked at the pitiful shack housings before her, “...village. Tell me where your leader is so I can conquer this pitiful gathering.”

“Who the fuck are you?” The hateling asked with a sneer. “You look like a changeling walked into a sewer and came out with a sludge-colored seaweed mane.”

Uh oh. Cozy took a few steps back as Chrysalis charged up her horn with menacing green magic, firing it at the hateling and sending him skidding across the dirt before crashing into one of the shack houses.

This didn’t go unnoticed. Each hateling beginning to gather around Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy. In Cozy’s mind, she wondered if this was actually a good idea. Chrysalis charged her horn up once again, her magical aura flickering, the changeling queen’s eyes overflowing with malicious intent.

“Does anypony else want to question me?!” Chrysalis shouted. “Where is your leader?!”

One of the hatelings took a cautious step forward. “I am,” he said. “Wh-What of it?”

Chrysalis took a braver step forward towards the hateling leader. Looking down at him with judging eyes, she said, “You’re going to give your control over to me, and you’re going to obey my every command. If you don’t, I will ensure that the rest of your days are filled with misery and suffering.”

Cozy looked at the other hatelings, seeing mixed emotions. Some seemed to have expressions of fear while others had expressions of unamusement. The leader, however, was one of those who had been afraid.

He quickly nodded, then ran off, screaming with panic in his voice. Chrysalis smugly looked at the closest hateling she saw and commanded, “I want details on what this place is, and I want to know where I can find ponies, specifically, an alicorn and her annoying friends.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Starlight looked through a file cabinet, her hooves not making her search for information any easier. She was too used to using her magic to do all the work. “Trixie, horn,” she said.

Trixie sighed and lifted out as many folders as she could. “You could say thank you,” said Trixie, clearly annoyed.

“I’m sorry,” said Starlight. “It’s just so annoying to not have my magic.”

“Can’t you use your hooves?” asked Trixie. “I still use my hooves all the time for magic tricks.”

“I don’t know how,” said Starlight. “I’ve used magic my whole life.”

Trixie had a smug expression on her face. “Don’t worry. The Great and Powerful Trixie shall teach you.”

Starlight sighed, blowing a few strands of her mane from her face. Looking at one of the floating documents, she said to Trixie, “This one.”

“Say please,” Trixie said, still smug.

“Please, Trixie,” said Starlight.

“Gladly,” said Trixie, opening the document for Starlight.

Reading, Starlight’s expression became more serious. “Hey, Trixie. Listen to this. ‘Stable Eighty-Three is dedicated to offering the best magic-free lifestyle to its residents. To achieve this paradise, we are well-equipped with… permanent magic disabling technology that will help rid us of the troubles that got us here in the first place. Stable Eighty-Three: We do it because we care.’”

Starlight put a hoof to her chest, her heart racing as she began to panic. “It’s permanent?!” she cried. “No! No no no no no!”

“M-Maybe we can fix it,” said Trixie. “Twilight could help! Or maybe there’s something here that reverses it!”

Starlight gulped, then nodded shakily. “Y-Yeah,” she said. “There’s gotta be a way to give it back. They wouldn’t just make a system like that unless they had a way to remove it, right?”

Trixie grinned. “I’m sure there’s something here that’ll help,” she said, trying to stay positive, even though deep down, she was also panicking.

Exploring most of the stable took hours, with Starlight and Trixie inspecting every room from top to bottom. There was, however, one room that showed promise, and it was what appeared to be a medical bay. The room was completely sterile and well-kept, even though nopony was around. It made Starlight wonder if there was something else here, keeping everything in tiptop shape.

Looking through the cabinets, Starlight found various medical tools, most of them, frighteningly, being scalpels and bone saws. Trixie didn’t have as much luck, either, scrounging through the bottom cabinets, moving aside the clutter within to look for something useful.

“Starlight, I think this place might be a dead end,” said Trixie. “Maybe in another room?”

“No,” said Starlight. “If there’s anything related to giving me my magic back, it should be here.”

“Well, obviously, there isn’t,” said Trixie, her front half-buried in a cabinet as she searched. “Plus, these cabinets are a little stuffy.”

Starlight sighed, opening a drawer on the far side of the room. Looking inside, she screamed.

Trixie jumped, hitting her head inside the cabinet she was searching before pulling herself out. “What is it?!”

Starlight stepped back, and as Trixie looked inside, her face went pale. “S-Sweet Celestia! Who would…?!”

Inside the drawer were small bags, each with a severed horn inside, a patient’s name displayed on each bag. What was even more disturbing were the dried red stains still on the broken ends.

“I’m going to faint!” shouted Trixie. “Starlight! Catch me!” she said, falling onto the ground. “I SAID CATCH ME!”

Starlight bit her lower lip, a little worried. “I really want to go home,” said Starlight.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Wreckage, a pony who had defied the odds in order to exist, walked through the streets of Manehattan, her mind foggy as always.

As she walked on her hind legs, she could hear her guitar’s strings plucking themselves, playing a somber tune. “Yeah, yeah,” she said. “We-- I mean… I know…”

She looked up at the street sign. She was on South Mane Street, so she only needed to walk… two, maybe three miles? She could hardly tell anymore. Voices whispered back and forth in her head, telling her to do horrible acts. She knew who these voices were, and she knew she couldn’t give in, or else it’d be the same incident all over again.

One of these days, she’d buy Lucky Break a drink, but for now, she had to get back home, or else the voices would take over again. This side of her, the true side, was the side nopony would ever see, and although she could deal with that, what she couldn’t deal with was what she did over and over again, day after day, hurting others.

“Wreckage,” the stallion voice in her head whispered. “Why don’t you want us to separate?”

She ignored it, climbing a large pile of rubble in the middle of the road, quickly making it to the other side. Almost there, she thought.

“Wreeeeeckage,” the mare voice whispered. “I wanna play. Let me play. I promise I won’t--”

“Q-Quiet!” shouted Wreckage, holding her hooves to her head. “Let me be me!”

“Wreckage,” the stallion voice whispered. “It’s only us. You know us. It’s me, Tracks.”

“And me, Burnout,” whispered the mare voice.

Wreckage looked around for anything to drown out the voices. Quickly, she wrapped her hooves around a stop sign, pulling with all her strength, concrete ripping from the ground. She slammed the metal sign against a building wall. “Shut up!” she screamed.

She banged the sign against the building over and over, screaming incoherently until they finally stopped whispering to her. After draining her energy, Wreckage slumped against the wall, huddled up. In front of her was a small puddle, and in it, her forever-grinning face was looking back at her, but her eyes conveyed a different emotion, one of extreme distress.

She could remember the day she’d come into being. She wasn’t born naturally, no. She was a side effect of two minds melding together, creating a mare with no memories, with only knowledge of these two other ponies.

Alone, she could be herself. She could experience life as any other pony would, but whenever she saw another pony, her curse would begin. She’d always become one of these two ponies whose minds had created hers, either Burnout or Tracks. That was their time to shine. She had no power over them when it was time to interact with another being.

Peeking around the corner, she saw no ponies. This was good. No bloodshed tonight. She just wanted to eat for a bit and rest before the next day. At least one day without violence, that’s what she wanted. She quickly hurried down the road, hearing voices as she closed in on the corner, but these weren’t the voices in her head. She had to move elsewhere.

“I hear them,” whispered Burnout. “C’mooooooon… Just a little time to myself.”

“Not her. Me. Let me out. I’m not as violent,” whispered Tracks. “I promise to… be gentle?”

Wreckage wasn’t having it. She opened a door to one of the buildings and entered into darkness, her eyes slowly adjusting. She could see the sunset light creeping through the cracks in the boarded-up windows. Somepony must’ve used this place as a temporary place of rest. Maybe she could--

“Hey! What are you doing here?!” a voice rang from the darkness, a lantern flickering. “Git! Git! This is my place!”

Oh no…

She saw his face. It was too late.

Time passed, and it wasn’t long until she was back in control, a red mess everywhere, part of the support beams going up in flames from the broken lantern. Wreckage put her hooves to her stomach. It was a little funny… One minute, you’re just walking down the street, trying to get home, and the next, you’re in a building with a dismembered pony.

She couldn’t help but let out a giggle, one of hysteria. She just wanted to exist, to coexist with others, but no… She was too weak. She was at the mercy of the voices. All she could do was laugh, laugh because she could never cry properly. She could only laugh at her inability to stop them.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Celestia and Luna, along with a few new alicorn friends, landed atop a building on the edge of Manehattan. Celestia had been talking to these alicorns for a while, and even though they were capable enough to act on their own, they weren’t decent conversationalists. She looked over to her sister, Luna, who had been acting cold the entire flight. Ever since they had escaped from that strange alicorn hunter, Luna had not said a single word to her sister.

“Where did you say we were heading?” asked Celestia to her new alicorn friend, Rusty Caravan.

“Tenpony Tower,” she replied. “We need to meet a friend, one who had promised to help all of our kind.”

“Tenpony Tower, you said?” asked Celestia, pointing to a large tower near the center of the city. “Would that be it?”

“Yes,” Rusty answered. Suddenly, one of the other alicorns, a purple one, spoke up.

“Is it true that you are the real Celestia?” she asked.

“Yes?” answered Celestia. “Why do you ask?”

“Have you come to lead us to glory?” asked the alicorn.

Celestia paused, looked at Luna, who didn’t seem to be listening, then looked back at the questioning alicorn. “I’m sorry. You may have been mistaken. I’m trying to find my old student and her friends.”

“So… to glory?” the alicorn asked again.

Celestia was beginning to doubt the sanity of these other princesses, if they even were princesses. She could only assume at this point. She didn’t want to be rude, of course. It was unbefitting of somepony like herself, and every pony was special, even if they were different. This was what Celestia believed. Looking to her sister, Celestia was reminded of her painful mistake a thousand years ago. She should have treated her sister better.

“Luna, why have you been so cold towards me lately?” asked Celestia.

“That is a matter we believe to be none of your business,” answered Luna. “You should focus more on the current task at hoof.”

While Luna was right, Celestia didn’t want to drop this. “Luna, please, talk to me. I am your sister.”

“That is true,” said Luna. “But we don’t feel like talking.”

Luna was so mad that she had resorted to using the royal ‘we’. Celestia breathed a heavy sigh. “Just one moment of your time?”

Luna looked at the alicorns, then at Celestia. “This would not be the ideal time.”

Looking at the alicorns, Celestia knew that Luna was right, especially if this was a matter that needed to be dealt with in private. “Let us be on our way then, I suppose,” said Celestia.

Once they landed on top of Tenpony Tower, Celestia was greeted with an unpleasant sight. In front of her and her new alicorn friends were a group of pegasi in strange uniforms, wielding unusual-looking weapons.

Behind these ponies was a single blonde-maned white-coated pegasus mare in what looked to be a white lab coat. With bags under her eyes, she tiredly asked, “What’s your business?”

“Hello,” greeted Celestia. “My, uh, friends here said there was somepony here who could help us?”

“You’re going to have to be specific,” said the mare. “We have a lot of ponies to take care of here, and we don’t have time for a bunch of random alicorns rambling on about some savior. As if I didn’t get enough of those during my research.”

“I’m sorry about that,” said Celestia. She turned to Rusty and motioned with her wing. “You had the details, I believe?”

Rusty stepped forward, her eyes darting between each pony. She seemed to be very wary of their metal devices. “We are looking for the one they call Velvet Remedy,” she announced.

“Oh, her,” said the mare, looking annoyed. “Follow me, please. Excuse me for not introducing myself before. I am Professor Study Guide. I am the head researcher at Tenpony Tower. Please, do not do anything risky, or I won’t hesitate to have my friends deal with unwanted behavior.”

Celestia was a bit put off by this passive-aggressive threat. She had never seen a pony so uptight except for Starswirl when he was still teaching her and her sister. “Very well,” she said. She looked to her friends, hoping they’d be on their best behavior.

As they went inside, Celestia couldn’t help but notice the letters MOA on all the outfits of these ponies. “Might I ask what these letters represent?” she asked.

“The Ministry of Awesome,” answered Study Guide, sounding even more annoyed than before. She sounded like she didn’t want to be here at all. Celestia could understand being frustrated with a job at times, but to actively show it to other ponies was unprofessional in her opinion.

Celestia opened her mouth to ask a question. “And what does this ministry d--”

“I suggest you read a textbook because I am obviously not one,” interrupted Study. “I’m just here to help guide ponies around the place and to do my research.”

Celestia was a little offended. This mare was just plain rude. Hopefully, the situation would pass, and Celestia would be elsewhere besides here.

Stepping into an elevator, it was apparent that not all the alicorns could fit into one elevator. Celestia could hear Study mutter something about ‘eating too much cake’.

“Don’t worry. We’ll send the elevator back up,” said Study Guide. “For now, you, sunbutt imposter. Get in here.”

Celestia stamped her hoof before stepping in. “Be wary of who you’re speaking to,” she said. “I’ll have you know I’m a princess.”

“That’s what they all say,” said Study as she pressed the third button.

As the elevator doors closed and started going down, both mares stood in silence, elevator music playing, a mare singing over the speaker. She sounded very familiar to Celestia, but she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it.

As they passed the fifth floor, the elevator suddenly jerked, a dent being made in the door, followed by screaming. Study Guide sighed and pushed the third button again, the elevator starting its descent again.

“What was that?” asked Celestia.

“Stalker,” said Study Guide. “Fifth floor is where we’ve been doing our research. Rest assured, it can’t reach the third floor… yet.”

“You have a stalker? My sister’s had quite a few,” said Celestia, not really wanting to think about what might’ve been behind the doors. “However, I’m not going to question it.”

As they stopped at the third floor, the door opened, the two entering a large room. It was about as big as the average room in Celestia’s abode, wide enough for hundreds of ponies to reside in. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, dimly lighting up the area and allowing them to see.

As Celestia stepped out, she felt plush carpet beneath her, which reminded her a lot like decor that a noble would have gone for. However, it looked very old, like something you’d find at an antique store. “Hm… Red rose. A nice color,” she commented. As they walked, Celestia could see other ponies.

The sight of them saddened her, as they were all wearing some form of tattered rags or jackets. Dirt and grime covered many, even the younger ones who were kept by their parents’ sides. “What exactly is this place for?” asked Celestia.

Study Guide looked at Celestia, still walking. “Currently, this is a shelter. At least, until the Enclave says otherwise.”

“I see,” said Celestia. “They’re homeless, then?” she asked, the word sounding bitter in her mouth.

“Most everyone is homeless in the wasteland,” answered Study Guide. “Hard to have a proper sanctum when all you have are broken buildings and shattered furniture.”

“I can see where that would be a problem,” Celestia replied. “Is there a plan to help them?”

Study Guide remained quiet, leading Celestia to the other end of the room, where a door was marked with the number seven. Study knocked on the door, prompting a surprised shout from behind.

The door opened, revealing a charcoal-gray unicorn mare with a white mane that was accented with red and gold streaks. Her light blue eyes looked up at Celestia, the mare smiling. “Oh, hello.”

“Hello,” said Celestia, smiling back. This one seemed to at least have some manners. Study Guide yawned and looked at the watch on her right hoof.

Celestia then heard Luna’s voice from behind herself. “Greetings.”

Celestia looked back at Luna. “Ah, sister. Where are the others?”

“One at a time,” said Study Guide. “The elevator is old. It can’t take too much stress, let alone size.”

“Can’t your friends fix the cable?” asked the charcoal-gray mare.

“With what?” asked Study Guide. “We only have so many resources. Besides, that’s not our job. We’re not repairponies, we’re researchers. Go ask Commander Airspeed.”

“No, thank you,” replied the charcoal-gray mare. “When I asked him for help with the recent shipment, he scoffed and told me it wasn’t his job, either.”

“That’s the Enclave, sweetheart,” Study Guide replied. “Get used to it or leave. Your choice.”

Celestia wanted to break this conversation so badly at this point. “I’m sorry, but we were apparently looking for a Velvet Remedy?”

“That’s me,” said the charcoal-gray mare, raising a hoof. She then extended it, smiling sincerely. “Nice to meet you!”

Celestia quite enjoyed this pony’s politeness. “Why, it’s nice to meet you as well,” Celestia replied, shaking Velvet’s hoof. “I’m glad that you were kind enough to introduce yourself properly.”

“These Enclave types can be a little mean sometimes, huh?” she asked.

“I’ve never heard of them until today, I’m afraid,” said Celestia.

“I’m sorry about that,” said Velvet. “It must be hard, being an alicorn and all.”

Celestia was very confused by the statement. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t worry,” replied Velvet. “The other ones were the same way. It’s not just you.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” said Celestia.

“Hm…” Velvet walked in a circle around Celestia, looking around her from all sides. “Come to think of it, you’re different from the others,” she said, a very concerned look on her face the moment she saw Celestia’s cutie mark.

“I am,” said Celestia. “I’m not from around here.”

“I can tell,” replied Velvet. Velvet looked up at Celestia with some hint of an emotion in her eye that Celestia couldn’t register properly.

“Is something wrong?” asked Celestia.

“Would your name happen to be… Celestia?” asked Velvet.

So, a Celestia did exist here, but what kind? What kind of Celestia would allow the world to have fallen to such a horrible state? “Yes,” replied Celestia. “It is.”

Study Guide rolled her eyes, then said, “Tell that to the other copycats.”

Velvet looked at Study Guide and said, “I don’t know. This is a really convincing copycat.”

“Anyone can dye their fur. It’s not exactly common, but it’s not rare, either,” replied Study. “There’ve been plenty of convincing Rainbow Dash impersonators, so why should this be any different?”

Velvet looked away for a minute, the subject obviously bothering her. Celestia smiled and said, “You don’t need to believe me, Velvet Remedy. I’m merely helping these other alicorns, and will be on my way elsewhere once I find out where my student and her friends are.”

Velvet took a single step back, then said, “I know it’s probably too good to be true, but… I can’t help but know you’re her.”

“And why is that?” asked Celestia.

“I’ve seen you,” answered Velvet, “in my stable! Posters, history books, all that!”

“Your stable?” asked Celestia.

“The stables underground?” explained Velvet, or at least, tried to explain. This only confused Celestia even further.

Celestia was a little concerned with the fact ponies might be living underground. It sounded to her like an old comic book that Luna read with mole ponies in it. She tried to think of an appropriate answer, but nothing could really come to mind. She simply said, “I see.”

“Are you the real Celestia?” asked Velvet.

Another question Celestia may have had to explain. “I’m a Celestia,” she replied.

“What does that mean?” asked Velvet.

This was going to be difficult.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Thorax was very unsettled. Everywhere he went, he saw ruins, and it worried him. What happened to this place, and how did it get this way? All he had to go off of were strange posters with his friends on them.

As he explored one of the buildings on the edge of the city, he saw many posters of Pinkie Pie, but something was wrong. Her mane didn’t have its usual luster, looking a little gray and worn out. At the bottom of every poster, it would say something very odd and creepy, like, ‘Remember to smile! Pinkie’s watching!’

Thorax did his best to ignore the creepy details as he walked up the stairs, but as he did, he’d hear laughing every now and then, and it sounded like Pinkie. Whenever he turned around the corner, he’d catch a glimpse of something flying out of sight, followed by her laughter.

“Pinkie?” he called out. “If that’s you, this isn’t funny.”

Walking up a few more flights, he could get the obvious feeling that somepony had been watching him the entire time. He occasionally looked behind himself, his heart racing. A clutter was then suddenly heard coming from up another flight of stairs.

He hesitated, looking up before taking the first step. Then he took another. With each step, he felt as if he was getting nearer and nearer to danger, but his own determination kept him pushing through. He’d faced Chrysalis before, hadn’t he? This was nothing.

Looking out one of the shattered windows, he could tell he was pretty high up. Of course, this wasn’t a problem for him, as he had wings. Though, he did wonder if anypony would get a fear of heights from seeing this.

“Don’t forget to smile!” he heard Pinkie say from behind. Turning around, he was met with the strangest sight. It was a floating sphere of sorts, its wings flapping furiously to keep it in the air. In front was a large speaker, and coming from it, in Pinkie’s voice, was, “Intruder alert! Oh no! Looks like you took a wrong turn!”

“What?” Thorax asked, stepping back. Suddenly, a beam of magic shot out from it, catching the carpeted floor in front of him on fire. “What the?!”

He jumped to the side as it fired again, then he fired back with his own burst of magic, knocking it back, but it appeared to be slightly resistant. As it fired again, Thorax quickly transformed himself, his size growing as he morphed into a large bear. He swiped at the bot, knocking it into the wall, the device breaking and falling onto the ground.

Thorax changed back into his normal form, still a little disturbed by what had just happened. He cautiously walked forward, poking the machine with his hoof. He jumped a little when the machine shouted in Pinkie’s voice, “P-P-Pinkie’s watching! Don’t forget to sm-sm-smile!”

Thorax shuddered and walked away into the nearest room, unexpecting the next surprise. In what appeared to be an office, there was a charred skeleton on the ground. Thorax stared with wide eyes, taking a step back. He wasn’t expecting to actually find a dead pony out here.

In his mind, Thorax couldn’t help but think back to the days before he became ruler. In the hive, there were some chances of one of them passing, but only during times of battle. He himself had never seen it happen, having been born in a slightly more peaceful era, but he had heard of some passing in battle during attacks on other kingdoms.

He wondered if this may have been the case. Seeing a body burned like this, he could only think of a dragon having been a possible foe. If it was a dragon, then this pony may have suffered a cruel death.

Looking out the shattered window in the room, he could see a tower from here, a building that was slightly taller than all the others. Perhaps, if anything there’d be ponies there. It seemed like a good place to start looking. This place was obviously abandoned, a relic of a war long passed.

As he flew out the window and made his way over, he looked down at the rubble below him. Everything was just destroyed, leaving him wondering how the world could have come to such a state.

While he was thinking, he didn’t notice someone was attacking him until something whizzed right past his ear. Looking down, he saw a few unicorns with floating metal objects. There was a loud bang, followed by another small object whizzing by him.

Thorax wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but if this world had strange machines that could shoot magical lasers, he didn’t want to stick around to find out what this was. Thorax quickly flew away, narrowly dodging the whizzing objects.

Ember walked down a city street, curious of the ruins surrounding her. Only dragons could cause this kind of smoldering damage in her opinion. It made her wonder if the dragon from earlier was part of the original attack.

But, then again, the more she looked at the posters and street signs, the more she began to suspect that a lot of the damage was also because of age. Rust everywhere on the metal fences, the street sign poles, and the wrecked carts made her almost certain of it now. Now she wasn’t sure what had happened.

Walking into an old shop full of records after accidentally ripping the door off its rusty hinges, Ember looked around her, seeing the names of many musicians she had never heard up. Picking up a record, she read aloud to herself, “Sweetie Belle’s Holiday Hits. Huh… These ponies sure love their music.”

Whoever this Sweetie Belle was, there were tons of records with her name on it. “Sweetie’s Blues. Sweetie’s Greatest Hits. Sweetie’s Show Tunes?” What was with all the Sweetie Belle? Were there even any other singers?

As if to answer her own question, Ember found one that caught her eye. On the record label was a picture of a yellow pony wearing a hat and playing the fiddle. “Fiddlesticks’ Homage to the Oldies.”

Ember rolled her eyes in a bit of disgust. She couldn’t really understand most pony things. She was learning, sure, but she didn’t have the full grasp of their culture just yet. Spike had been helping her, mostly.

She put the record label back and went into the back room of the shop, seeing a skeleton of a pony. This only somewhat phased her. It was unsettling to see one here, but as a dragon, she had learned to shrug off most things she saw that would normally horrify a pony.

She noticed the book on the pony’s desk, picking it up. It was just a record of deliveries, with a big red oval circling the bottom, saying, ‘MISSING SHIPMENT!’

She tossed the book back onto the desk and walked back into the main room, seeing nothing else of interest. Along the floor was a lot of rubble and broken glass, and that didn’t really seem out of the ordinary in this city. There weren’t any clues she was able to find that could tell her what had exactly happened to this place.

Behind her, she could hear a fast-paced flapping noise. Turning around, she saw what looked like a floating metal sphere with wings. Approaching it with caution, she knocked on it, a clanging coming from it.

“You don’t see me knocking on you, now do you?” it asked in an electronic voice.

Ember took a step back. “Oh, you talk.”

“Don’t see many dragons around here,” it said. “Kinda nice to see.”

“What are you?” she asked, walking around the sphere, inspecting every detail.

“Just a bystander,” it said. “This is pretty much all I’m doing these days.”

Ember kept inspecting, asking, “Well, do you have a name?”

“Watcher,” it replied. “Funny. Never thought a dragon would be polite enough to ask someone’s name.”

“I can be nice,” said Ember, a little offended. “But that doesn’t matter now.”

“What does matter?” asked Watcher.

“I’m looking for a few friends of mine,” she answered. “Have you seen a group of ponies? There’s a baby dragon with them, too. Ah, and a changeling.”

Watcher replied, “First off, I’ve never heard of a dragon besides me who’d hang out with ponies, and second, I don’t know what a changeling is.”

“You’re a dragon?” asked Ember, looking skeptical. She knocked on the metal surface. “Don’t look like one.”

“Hey, hey! Watch the hardware!” said Watcher. “These things are old. I’m somewhere else. This is just how I talk to others from my cave.”

“A cave?” asked Ember. “Where?”

“As if I’d tell you, miss nosey scales,” replied the robotic sphere.

“Don’t gotta be rude,” said Ember, folding her arms. “Can you at least tell me if you’ve seen them?”

“Ugh… I could check,” answered Watcher. “There are still some working cameras in the city, but I doubt I’ll find who you’re looking for.”

The machine made a few beeping noises before switching to playing an odd fanfare. It slowly floated off a bit, with Ember following it. “Hey, come back!” she shouted, but Watcher didn’t respond “Where are you going?” Ember followed for well over ten minutes before the machine ceased its music. Ember tilted her head, then asked, “You in there?”

“Yeah,” said Watcher. “I, uh… We need to talk.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

A white pegasus with a green mane stared at his monitors, a blindfold gripped tightly in his hooves. “I see. Prophecy is already fulfilling itself,” he said to himself, looking at the screen that showed Twilight Sparkle walking with an abyssinian cat named Tricks. “Not as majestic as I had imagined her,” said the pegasus, putting a hoof on the screen zooming in on Twilight’s face.

He took a sip of his green tea, a rare commodity in the wasteland, only produced in Fog City these days. He pushed a red button and spoke into a microphone sticking out from the massive terminal. “Ginger,” he called.

“Yes, Priest Hindsight?” replied a female voice.

“How long until our production is done?” asked the pegasus.

“Estimation is six months,” replied Ginger, making Hindsight swallow his green tea with slightly greater force than usual.

“Not good enough,” he said. “We need to cut it down to three. Ramp it up. I need it done before the promised time.”

The speaker was silent for a good ten seconds before Ginger replied with, “As you wish, Priest Hindsight.”

Hindsight leaned back in his leather seat, His front hooves tapping against each other as he looked at his monitors. One monitor had gone out, the terminal suggesting that a possible hacker was looking through the same camera. It was no trouble, however, as Hindsight already knew what would happen.

He put on his blindfold, then hopped out of his chair, walking out of the room, his steps helping his ears determine where he was. He couldn’t look at anypony outside. As he went down a long hallway, he could hear the whispers of ponies he passed by.

“Hey, look. It’s Priest Hindsight. Act natural.”

“Mom, look. It’s the blind pegasus.”

“Don’t stare, it’s rude.”

“Incompetent piece of shi--”

Hindsight focused immediately on that one sentence, turning his head to ‘look’ at the pony who had said that. “What was that?” asked Hindsight.

“Nothing, sir,” a voice replied. Hindsight lifted his blindfold partly, one eye looking at a balding pegasus pony in a white lab coat.

“Are you perhaps projecting onto me for your failures in the lab?” asked Hindsight. “I’m not the one who is building the machine. I merely give you the instructions.”

“I was… talking about somepony else,” replied the pegasus.

“See to it that you keep your thoughts inward,” said Hindsight. “It’d be a shame if the wrong person heard. I’m much more forgiving, as you would know.”

The pegasus continued walking, saying, “Yes, Priest.”

Hindsight resumed walking, straightening his blindfold. Eventually, he made his way into a large room, the sound of automatic doors whooshing open. He immediately asked, “Are the uplinks ready? This test will make or break our plans.”

A voice from a mare responded, “The D.Y.L. tag has been inputted. We should be able to lock on. If not, we can try another. We have at least six more tags.”

Hindsight had been waiting for this. He had recently been granted access to the most secret of Enclave projects, a desperate attempt by them to defeat Littlepip sometime in the future. “Keep it clear, make sure nothing is cluttering the spot.”

“We’re at eighty percent already,” said the mare. “He’s coming in.”

Hindsight lifted off his blindfold, seeing a glass dome. Within were four odd-looking antennae, sparking as they charged up. “Bring him over,” said Hindsight.

The mare pulled the lever down, the machine quickly whirring into life, the antennae sparks connecting with each other. A strange distortion of reality within the dome occurring. Hindsight eagerly awaited, almost losing his calm when he saw the figure of a pony appearing, a sandy blonde mane being its most notable feature.

The small earth pony looked at all of them, his eyes widening with surprise as he had just been transported to an unknown location. Hindsight had the most genuine sense of satisfaction within him, knowing that this machine actually worked.

“Open the dome,” said Hindsight.

“We can’t,” said the mare. “We’re losing connection.”

“What?!” Hindsight exclaimed.

The pony underneath the dome slowly faded into nothing, his mouth making the words, “Who are you?” He then vanished completely, making Hindsight growl.

“Why wasn’t the connection stable?” asked Hindsight.

“The innocence levels weren’t stable,” replied the mare. “It seems this one recently lost his.”

Hindsight knew that the machine couldn’t find ponies with even the smallest hint of corruption. This corruption would interfere with the machine’s sensors, keeping them from fully bringing anyone through.

This wasn’t good enough. “What’s the next tag?” asked Hindsight.

“The P.U.P. tag is next,” replied the mare. “It’s someone from a dimension similar to ours.”

From what Hindsight knew, this machine could access other worlds, able to pull ponies through it. The Enclave, in the desperate hope of defeating Littlepip, wanted to find either a version of her that was on their side, or find someone more capable than her to guarantee the Enclave’s success.

The dome was merely a prototype at the moment. They would need another power source that was near-infinite in supply. Hindsight sighed and said, “Alright. We’ll do another test next week. I want improvements on this.”

“We don’t know if there’s a possibility for improvement,” countered the mare. “For all we know, this is the best our technology can do.”

“I don’t want to hear excuses!” exclaimed Hindsight, his voice growing more stern and angry. “I want results!”

The mare pushed up her glasses, feeling uncomfortable. “We’ll throw away the D.Y.L. tag for now. Maybe we can repurpose it later. Most tags can’t be revisited or else we risk the chance of clashing realities entirely.”

“The Enclave sure does love making risky moves,” said Hindsight as he put his blindfold back on. “Soon, we will put this machine to better use and bring over some help. You’d better fix it, or I’ll find someone more capable.”

“Yes, sir,” replied the mare, going back to inputting information.

“I’ll be back at a later date,” said Hindsight as he left the room. He wasn’t sure how professional the Enclave were. When he had risen to power, he thought they’d be more competent, but there were many mistakes made by them.

This would only set back Hindsight slightly, as he had a higher power on his side, one that guided him through all his actions, notifying him of any possible obstacles to help him avoid catastrophe. Because of this higher power, he could no longer look at more than one pony at a time. It was an acceptable trade for certain victory.

He heard a pony run up to him, saying, “Hindsight! Hindsight! I found the documents!”

Hindsight stopped walking, replying, “Hello, sister. How’s Mother?”

“She’s fine for now,” answered the mare. “Right now, though, I need to tell you that I found the documents needed.”

“That’s good,” said Hindsight. “Perhaps we can get our work done faster now, for mother’s sake.”

“Yeah,” replied his sister quietly. “Hindsight, could you come visit mom today…?”

“T-Today?” asked Hindsight. “I could, yes. What’s wrong with her?”

“She just misses you,” his sister replied. “All cooped up in that one room, she can’t talk to anyone outside it.”

Hindsight swallowed hard. His mother had balefire poisoning, a side effect from doing her job, and had been kept bound to a hospital bed for two years. Her health, according to the doctors, was only getting worse, even with the treatment Hindsight was able to give her when he finally rose to power.

At a younger age, Hindsight had grown up in a stable with her, a special one where balefire experimentation was often done, the subject having been researched for two hundred years straight. This stable was originally meant to test how society would fare using zebra alchemy, to see if there could be anything of interest in it that could be beneficial to pony society.

Naturally, they had eventually come to the topic of balefire eggs, studying them and recreating them with different properties, making multiple versions that could produce strange and bizarre effects.

The overmare and the scientists beneath her saw the balefire eggs as a promising energy source, finding that they could power most any magical artifact, creating charges that could possibly last centuries.

Hindsight had worked with his father, studying under him as a small colt. It was on the day of their careful dissection session, performed on an experimental balefire egg, that Enclave officials had broken into the stable by an unknown means. Whether it was an inside job, or some external force used, the stable dwellers would never know.

As Enclave officials had rushed into the lab, Hindsight was startled, scared for his life, bumping into the table and causing the balefire egg to roll off, shattering onto the floor in a flammable, gaseous explosion.

His father had not survived the explosion, having quickly jumped in front of Hindsight to shield him from the blast. However, Hindsight was still harmed by the heavy radiation, his sight replaced with a new magical vision.

Whenever he looked at a pony, he could see everything they felt guilty of. This eventually led to him gaining a cult following in his teen years. With some careful planning, he was even able to gain status within the Enclave itself, earning their favor with very specific promises.

Hindsight lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I’ll go visit her. I’ve just been so busy lately. The Enclave won’t let me be.”

“They won’t let any of us be, Hindsight,” said his sister.

Hindsight rubbed the back of his neck. “Lord Bale will guide us out of this mess… eventually,” he muttered.

“Lord Bale is a voice in your head,” she replied. “I don’t want to trust a voice. I want to trust you. Gotta stop with that stuff.”

Hindsight was guided by a voice, one that had been there since the accident, one that told him the secrets of balefire. With its guidance, he was indeed able to use his gift more efficiently, able to climb the ladder of social status.

With an entire stable and an even bigger cult, he was ready to put his plans into action.

But this was more important. “Yes, sister,” he said, then walked away, heading down yet another hallway to the medical wing. His mother had supported him through the toughest times, including this one. He refused to leave her helpless, not when she had helped him throughout most of his life.

As he entered her room, he could hear the hissing of a few medical talismans as they worked their magic on his mother, but what he couldn’t ignore was the raspiness of her breath. The balefire radiation had severely affected her lungs, but soon, Lord Bale would lift the curse of this poison as promised.

Hindsight just needed to wait a little longer. He quietly prayed to himself that she would survive a little longer. “M-Mother,” he said. “You wished to see me?”

“Hindsight,” his mother replied, her voice strained. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Hindsight replied. “Mother, I am fine. Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

As he walked up to the side of his mother’s bed, she replied, “Yes, Hindsight… I’m okay. I’m just worried for you and your sister. Are those nasty Enclave mistreating you?”

“Mother, they fear me,” he replied. “I have what they want, and they know that if they ever interfere with my own plans, they’ll never get to enact theirs. We’ll have the wasteland to ourselves. They’ll have the skies. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

“I just hope we’ll have peace in the end,” she replied. “There are many ways this could go wrong, and I don’t want you hurt.”

Hindsight laid his hoof on the bed, gripping his mother’s. “I’ll be careful,” he promised. “Just try to stay alive. Please…?”

There was silence, making Hindsight tense up. Just as he was about to lift his blindfold, he heard her say, “I’ll do everything I can.”

He quietly exhaled in relief, then smiled. “I love you, mom,” he said.

“I love you, too,” she answered. “Make me proud.”

“I will,” he promised once again. “We’ll live freely.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Cozy watched as Chrysalis readied the army of changelings. No, not changelings, hatelings. There was a difference, and Cozy Glow could see it. They were much more aggressive than their more docile counterparts. She wondered if Chrysalis’ changelings were like this before Thorax came along, or if the hatelings were worse.

Tirek looked down at Cozy, then looked at Chrysalis. From his point of view, things seemed to be working too well, as if it were all being set up in their favor. He couldn’t help but think that there was some grand plan at work.

Chrysalis was pleased with the organization she was able to bring to this group of misfits. Soon, she’d be ready to launch an attack on the nearest city. If this truly was a post-apocalypse, then she’d be at an advantage, able to use her advanced knowledge of tactics,

“We attack tonight,” she said, a sinister grin on her face. “If Manehattan is in ruins, then I want it seized!”

“My queen,” a small drone timidly said. “I don’t think we can take over so easily. There’s Enclave there.”

“This Enclave shall be facing me,” replied Chrysalis. “You may be weak now, but if you follow my instruction, they shall easily crumble. I want to know everything about them.”

As Chrysalis was led to a few changelings that knew more about the Enclave, Cozy looked at the other ones. They seemed to be arguing with each other constantly, something that would probably lead to their own defeat if not educated.

Putting the thought of war aside, Cozy thought about other things, like her old home.

She remembered the day before she had signed up for the School of Friendship. It had been a very long road, one that led to chaos within her life. She hardly ever talked about her parents, or what her life was like, having stayed quiet and looking to Tirek for guidance instead.

When she had first written to him, she had been hesitant about her own actions, but had quickly brushed it off, charging into the subject of wickedness. From there on, she would learn of her unique talent in manipulation, gaining her cutie mark. No longer would she go back to her old life.

Looking at Tirek, she noticed that his frail figure was slightly bigger and taller, but she hadn’t seen him feed from anyone. “Tirek, are you okay?” she asked.

Tirek raised a brow as he looked back at Cozy. “What do you mean?” he replied.

“You look a little… buffer,” she said. “Did you take any magic from anypony?”

“No, not yet,” he answered. “But I do feel something in the air… Something powerful happened here, and there’s still residual magic.”

Cozy wasn’t sure if she liked the sound of that. If there was residual magic, would Tirek continue to soak it up? How big would he even get? Cozy flipped the channel of her mind to another topic. “So, is Chrysalis gonna take over Manehattan? Where do we fit in?” she asked.

Chrysalis, having just come back, answered, “You’ll get your reward. Don’t fret. After all, you did help me launch an attack on Equestria, and brought me closer to victory than I ever could have on my own.”

From Cozy’s point of view, Chrysalis sounded bitter about that last part. She wasn’t too sure with Chrysalis’ tone. “If you say so,” said Cozy, averting her gaze.

Chrysalis looked over Tirek’s form. “You seem a bit… sturdier,” she commented. “Have you been secretly feeding from my changelings?”

“No,” replied Tirek. “There’s an unknown magic here, one that seems to be naturally drawn towards me. Whatever happened here, it’s caused much pain, and that emotion is still present as magic, so I passively feed.”

“Well, keep it under control,” said Chrysalis. “I don’t want to have an ally who thinks he has a chance of overthrowing me.”

“What happened to teamwork?” asked Tirek, looking smug.

“That is still present,” replied Chrysalis. “We shall see where it goes. I’m willing to let you grow for now, but if I see any hint of a planned coup, I’ll show no mercy.”

“Don’t worry,” replied Tirek. “I’m planning on taking my own share, that’s all. You can keep your pathetic changelings and your expanding hive, but I shall have my own land as well. Do not forget, we both have goals that don’t need to conflict.”

Cozy idly kicked her hind legs as she sat on a rotten tree stump. Their teamwork seemed to be fading, and she needed to think of a way to keep it together. Soon. Soon, she’ll think of something. She just needed to think.

Just needed to think, that’s all…

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

Personal Terminal Name: Studious Guide

Status: Online

Enter Password: *************

File Accessed: Temporal Anomaly

Priority Six Enclave file detected in citizen terminal. Standby. Attempting to contact authorities…

Server connection interrupted.

Signal interruption found. Deleting file in 3… 2… 1…

Secondary Password: ********

Secondary Password Accepted.

Authorized. Welcome, Ms. President.

----------------------------------------

Study Guide was a simple mare. If anything was hidden from her, she wanted to know what it was. The Enclave was no exception. With a signal blocker from her brother, she was able to finally get her hooves on a single, elusive file. Her eyes scanned the document, looking over every detail.

Momentarily looking out one of the top floor windows of Tenpony Tower, Study Guide thought to herself. She was tired of being stationed here. They had assigned her here, simply because they knew she’d get in the way.

Even worse, Double Blind had to be brought along, as part of the program. And even worse than that, she had to deal with a group of alicorns today, one of which was convinced they were Celestia.

What Study Guide needed more than anything right now was alcohol, but she had gone through the last bottle earlier today, and her request for more supplies was denied, so she couldn’t make her own.

All she had to cope for today’s angst was this small victory.

As she looked through the document, she became more intrigued as she read some of the more crucial details. Everything within it detailed temporal anomalies that had happened within the past two hundred years, including several years before the war had even happened.

Megaspells, when handled correctly, might actually be capable of altering the very fabric of spacetime. When brought up in conversation, most ponies think of the megaspell as a weapon, used for pure destruction, when, in fact, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Originally, megaspells were meant to enhance healing spells, as explained by Ministry Mare Fluttershy during the war. However, the good intention was quickly forgotten once the balefire megaspell was launched.

Although we have very little evidence for it, one of our researchers, Decennium, keeps insisting that the first megaspell had changed something. He often referred to memory orbs he had collected from ghouls in order to back up his claim, but we know that any memories, especially after two hundred years, can be very faulty.

With the help from Arcane Vast of the Twilight Society, we were eventually able to detect an alternate timeline where changelings never existed. The process of clairvoyance itself, due to it being a rarely-researched art, took months of planning, with four days of consistently channeling magic every three hours to keep the unicorn from being significantly harmed.

Decennium continues to insist that his hypothesis is a fact because of this discovery, but many of us are still skeptical, as the zebras merely used balefire eggs and pink cloud with the megaspells. There was nothing within the megaspell that was related to time travel whatsoever.

We are still, as of yet, unable to interact with the other timeline. With some machinery, we hope to have some degree of success, but it is agreed upon by arcane researchers that we will not get far with technological science alone.

To use a megaspell to go through time would be, by Arcane Vast’s words, “suicide”, due to being unable to create our own custom megaspell. Using a megaspell that had been created by the ministries would be difficult, as we wouldn’t know how much it would strengthen the spell.

It would most likely result in jumping too far back or not back enough.

Study Guide needed a drink, and badly. “What in the fuck is this bullshit?” she asked herself. “This is nothing but a bad hypothesis.”

Her door swung wide open, startling Study Guide. She tapped the delete button, the file erasing itself. Had they found out what she did? She looked at the door and…

Double Blind stood in the doorway. “I brought food!”

Study Guide needed a drink. She had just deleted a top-secret file in the fear that the Enclave higher-ups had found out, only to find out that it was this bumbling idiot. “That’s two years gone,” she muttered.

Of course, the file was indeed two years old. It was unknown whether or not the Enclave had actually made any progress since then. She doubted it, due to Littlepip having wrecked the Enclave’s shit. Science would have been halted, and there would have probably been a cancellation of the study.

Much of what she had read was simply bad science in her opinion. A megaspell wouldn’t be capable of altering time if it wasn’t enhancing such a spell. Why did this fool, Decennium, believe the initial impact of the megaspell caused a break? And if there really was a timeline where changelings didn’t exist, then why?

“Something’s not right,” she muttered, looking up at the ceiling, thinking deeply. “I need to find this Decennium.”

“What?” asked Double Blind.

“Nothing,” replied Study Guide. “What do we have this time?”

“Not much,” he said. “It’s, uh… canned stuff.”

“It’s always canned stuff,” said Study Guide. “In fact, most canned stuff is generic. They just put different labels on it to make it seem like it’s another flavor when it’s all just the same shit.”

“Littlepip destroyed the sky crops,” muttered Double Blind.

“It was tasteless, anyway,” said Study Guide. “I don’t see why you’re upset over it.”

Double Blind opened up the can with an opener in his wing, popping off the lid to reveal a mass of goop. “Uh… It’s purple in this one.”

Study Guide poked at it with her pencil. Pulling the pencil back out, the gooey substance stretched as if trying to cling to the wooden surface of the writing utensil. “Yep,” she said. “Different color, same shit. Same flavor, too.”

“What is it?” he asked.

“Dunno,” she replied. “From my guess, it’s completely processed, completely artificial.”

“Makes you wish for something more tasteful,” said Double Blind, shaking the can a little, the goop wobbling inside and making… squelching noises. He made a disgusted expression as the sounds greeted his ears.

Study Guide settled into her chair, leaning back. “I hear that, uh, Private Pettyfeather has snack cakes hidden in her locker.”

Double Blind raised his gaze up to meet Study’s. “We doin’ a raid?”

Study Guide nodded with a smirk, judging his sudden eagerness to turn on a fellow Enclave member. “I’m slowly beginning to like you.”

“Thanks,” said Double Blind.

“Slowly,” repeated Study Guide, her smirk vanishing.

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Discord wasn’t liking this. There was chaos, sure, but this wasn’t the chaos he was used to. The chaos he was used to had whimsy to it. It had some degree of fun.

This wasn’t fun.

And the worst part of it all was that he couldn’t do a thing about it, but that would change soon, as he knew Fluttershy was near. He just needed to get to her before anything bad happened. Luckily, he knew where she’d be. He just had to get there, whether he was powerless or not. It didn’t matter what form he was in. He’d travel far through the wasteland to get to her.

He needed her help, and fast.

No Longer Worlds Apart

"Isn't my cutie mark swell? I've always loved making my own favorite sweets, but it took me some time to discover that it was my super-special talent. Pretty sweet, huh?" - Twist

Twilight found it difficult to keep up with Tricks. The eager cat was always in some dumpster or an abandoned building, digging up old junk that had been left untouched by ponies for years. Because of his frequent antics, she had decided to put a tracking spell on him.

“Tricks, get out of there,” said Twilight, standing in front of yet another dumpster.

Tricks whined back, “But there’s neat stuff in here!”

Twilight scrunched up her muzzle, unable to understand his curiosity for trash. He pulled up what looked to be an old comic book. Spike, recognizing the comic, said, “Hey! That’s a limited edition Power Ponies comic!”

“I know!” replied Tricks with enthusiasm. “I’m pretty good at scavenging. Not to braaaag, but I’ve been known to find some pretty neat stuff.~”

Twilight looked at Spike, killing his smile with a disappointed look. “Don’t encourage him, please,” she said to Spike.

“What? It’s not like it’s hurting anypony,” Spike reasoned. “The way I see it, maybe he can find more useful stuff.”

Twilight shook her head and said, “So far, he’s found a bag of marbles, a broken clock, and mint bubblegum.”

Spike blew a bubble that popped loudly. “Still fresh!”

“Alright, Tricks, let’s keep moving,” said Twilight, resuming her walk. Tricks jumped out from the dumpster with an old broomstick, minus the hay end. Twilight looked at him and said, “No.”

“It’s not like it’s gonna slow us down,” he said.

“You’ve already got a backpack full of junk!” she reasoned.

Tricks looked over his shoulder, seeing the old, rotting backpack. It was fairly wet, and was filled with all sorts of things that, quite frankly, Tricks wasn’t even sure what he’d do with. “I do this every day, though.”

Twilight sighed. “Why?” she asked.

“Well, I dunno what else to do,” Tricks answered, gently kicking the dirt, looking a little bored. “I’m already stocked up on snack cakes and canned food back home, so… why not bring back stuff to decorate the place?”

Twilight had never heard of such behavior before. The closest thing she could compare him to was Capper, an abyssinian who she had met on one of her adventures, and he was kinda... odd. “Fine,” she sighed with stressed defeat.

She didn’t have to act like his mother, she reasoned to herself. But she didn’t seem to know what else to do, seeing as he didn’t even have any parents. If anything, she’d try to treat the situation in the same way she acted with Spike, simply watching out for him.

As they resumed walking, Twilight thought about her own situation. She was quite possibly in either an alternate reality or in some horrible future where she had somehow messed up royally. Oh, sweet Celestia, the coronation. Maybe she really did mess up royally.

Ministry Mare or not, maybe this was Twilight’s fault. After Tricks had filled her in on things like the megaspells, she was shocked, in a state of pure disbelief, where she almost tried to deny it. She wasn’t against the idea of it being a reality, but she didn’t want it to be her reality.

“Tricks? How long is it until the next settlement?” she asked, trying to take her mind off of the stress.

Tricks stared blankly as he walked, focusing on nothing in particular as he thought about it. “Ummmmmmmm, uhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

Twilight waited for his answer. Spike, however, asked, “An hour? Two? Three?”

“I can’t tell time,” answered Tricks. “Before nightfall, I think?”

Twilight didn’t like that response. He didn’t know how to tell time? Well, now that she thought about it, education didn’t seem to be commonplace, considering this whole area was desolate and without civilization.

Climbing up onto a lamppost, Tricks stood up, balancing perfectly atop it. Twilight wondered how he could keep from falling off so effortlessly. Spike shouted, “Cool!”

Tricks gave a thumbs-up to Twilight and said, “Yeah, definitely before nightfall,” before sliding back down the post. “We just gotta watch out for the ferals.”

“Ferals?” asked Spike. “Are those monsters?”

Tricks smirked and raised his hands, claw coming out. “Deadly monsters!” he teased. “They’ll eat your braaaaaiiiins! Pretty much zombies.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Twilight, I don’t want to get my brain eaten!”

“Knock it off,” Twilight said to Tricks. “You’ll give him nightmares.”

“It’s true,” said Tricks. “They’re very nasty, and can get you if you’re not careful. I usually sneak around them, cuz I’m not exactly that confident when it comes to fighting these kinds of monsters.”

Twilight looked at Spike and asked, “Maybe we could fly over them, and Tricks could do what he normally does?”

“Won’t he be in danger?” asked Spike.

Twilight looked at Tricks for some kind of response. He simply shrugged and said, “I’ve done it for years, so…”

“I mean, he did take out those ponies pretty easily,” said Twilight.

“Oh, that?” he asked. “That was a fluke. I was just goin’ in blind.”

Twilight was immensely disturbed by this feline’s state of mind. So he’ll hide one minute, but rescue someone from danger the next? Something told her she needed to keep an eye on him. “I think I’ll just stick with you for now,” she said. “Just show me what path you usually take.”

Tricks grinned, his fangs gleaming a bit in the sunlight. “Okay!”

As he walked up ahead and Twilight followed him, Spike climbed up onto her back. “You really think he knows what he’s doing?” Spike whispered.

“I don’t think even he knows,” she whispered back.

After what felt to be about ten minutes of walking, Twilight noticed four shuffling ponies up ahead. While she couldn’t pick out the details, she began to wonder if these were the ferals Tricks had warned them about. She looked at him, wondering what path he’d take. Oddly enough, he kept going.

Oh, Celestia, she thought to herself. This cat is crazy.

However, just as he was about to get within their sight, he crouched, getting behind an old abandoned wagon on the side of the road. “Closer than usual,” he whispered. “Normally they don’t stray too far from the old theater.”

Twilight went behind the wagon and looked over the top before quickly lowering her head again. From her short glimpse, she could see that their coats were long gone, with some chunks of their flesh missing. She would probably need therapy after this, let alone Spike.

Tricks looked around himself, then pointed to an alleyway. “Want to go down there?” he asked. Twilight nodded. Tricks then whispered, “Stay low and quick.”

Tricks was the first to lean up against the wall of the building, keeping himself crouched and going as fast as he could, inevitably reaching safety in the alleyway. He peeked around the corner back at Twilight, who followed his action. She knew she couldn’t just teleport, as it’d make noise with the burst of magic.

Walking, staying low, she quickly made her way forward, but didn’t look down, as she was too focused on the alleyway. Her hoof bumped against a loose chunk of the sidewalk, cement noticeably scraping against cement.

A feral shrieked, taking notice and running full-speed at her. Twilight immediately flew up, not wanting to draw attention to Tricks. Unfortunately, that plan wasn’t going to work, as Tricks had run out in front of the ghoul that had almost rammed into her before she flew upwards.

Tricks slammed the broom handle he had been carrying into the side of the ghoul, the wooden pole snapping in two. “Oh, shoot!” muttered Tricks, quickly running away when he saw that it had no effect. “I took a risk! Life is risk!” he shouted, all four ghouls now chasing after him.

Twilight facehoofed. She didn’t think he’d actually come out of hiding. Spike, flying just behind her, shouted, “We gotta go help him!”

“I know,” said Twilight, speeding ahead. Looking down the alleyway from above. Tricks was already trying to jump onto a dumpster, stumbling a little as he jumped again and grabbed onto an external metal stairway that didn’t exactly look safe.

Twilight was definitely right, as the rusted metal couldn’t support his weight, tumbling down. Twilight flew down, her hooves getting under both of Tricks’ arms, then flew back up, struggling a little with his weight. Sure, she could’ve grabbed him in her magical grip, but in the moment? She wasn’t thinking properly at the time.

She flew a few blocks down. “We should've done this instead,” she muttered to herself. “Would’ve saved time. What was I thinking?”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” said Spike. “Remember, you haven’t exactly had wings your entire life.”

“I should’ve been able to have learned by now,” said Twilight. “But for some reason, they feel really… out of place right now, and I don’t know why.”

Twilight didn’t know why she felt like this. In fact, she felt the same way she did back when she had first become an alicorn, as if her wings were completely foreign to her all over again. She shook her head clear of the distracting thoughts, focusing on a small clearing up ahead. It looked like another cul-de-sac, but this one had ponies in it. She landed in the center, carefully putting Tricks down.

“Tricks, can you not jump into danger next time?” she asked.

“I saw that they noticed you,” he replied, scratching behind his ear. “I wasn’t about to let them make a meal out of you.”

“I have wings, Tricks,” she said. “You know I’d fly away.”

Would she have? Then again, when faced with the ghoul, her conscious thought process did tell her to fly. Why didn’t she have trouble at that moment, but didn’t think to fly Tricks across in the first place?

It really bugged her, but she couldn’t focus on that now. She looked for the nearest pony, then walked up to her, a yellow mare with a light-blue mane. She was wearing some sort of barding, with the same metal weapons as the first ponies Twilight had encountered before.

“Excuse me,” said Twilight. “I was wondering where I might find my friends. Have you seen anypony who might not have been too familiar with this area?”

“Only ponies who don’t know shit are stable-dwellers,” the yellow mare replied. “If you’re looking fer ponies who got lost, try Tenpony Tower. It’d be the easiest place to find shelter.”

“Do you know where that is?” asked Twilight.

The mare pointed at a large building off in the distance. “Right there, dumbass. It’s got ‘tower’ in the name for a reason.”

Twilight felt that this pony was a little too aggressive, but she didn’t want to say anything, especially since there were more ponies around here who’d probably back this stranger. There was no point in starting a fight.

Twilight looked at Tricks, who was already looking through another dumpster. “Tricks, get out of there,” scolded Twilight.

Tricks, hopping out, tried to look innocent, hands behind his back, whistling. He said, “I wasn’t doin’ anything,” and walked over to her.

“I could see you in there,” she replied.

“I don’t see why it’s a problem,” Tricks said. “I do it all the time. It’s not stealing, so no one’s getting hurt over it.”

Twilight didn’t want to damper the mood, but it felt like this was a bad habit that could potentially lead to trouble. How that would occur, she didn’t exactly know, but it was just this feeling that nagged her in the back of her mind.

She looked at Spike, asking, “You want to explain why it’s bad?”

Spike looked at her with a confused expression. “Why me?”

Twilight couldn’t think of a reason why he shouldn’t especially when everything was already in ruins. There wasn’t any sort of proper law in place, or even a proper civilization for that matter. Tricks was basically just scavenging, but to her, back home, it would have just felt odd. “I… just don’t want him to get some kind of disease,” she replied, trying to find a better reason than just that.

“I don’t get sick all that often,” said Tricks. “Even if I do, I’m still pretty nimble. No aches are gonna slow me down!”

Tricks raised a leg, both his arms in the air, making noises like he was some kung-fu ninja of sorts. “I could take on ten, no, twenty ponies on my own, even with the flu!” he said, making mock punches in the air. “HOOWAAAAAAAAH!”

Spike covered his mouth, snickering at Tricks’ antics. Twilight could see that there was a potential friendship bond waiting to happen between these two. With Spike’s boyish attitude matching up with Tricks’, there was no questioning that they’d get along great during this adventure.

“Hey, you think you could teach me how to balance like you did on that lamppost?” asked Spike.

“Sure!” Tricks replied.

“Not now, Spike,” said Twilight. “We need to get to Tenpony Tower tonight.”

Spike groaned. “Okay,” he said.

“Is this an adventure?” asked Tricks. “Adventure’s my middle name!”

“Is it?” asked Spike.

“Not really.” answered Tricks. “But if I knew my real name, I bet it would be.”

Twilight, starting her walk, motioning for them to follow, asked, “You don’t know your real name?”

Tricks shook his head. “Nuh-uh. I was raised by, uh, merchants who found me as a toddler, so I never knew my real name. I just kinda earned the name I have now.”

“So it’s like a cutie mark,” remarked Spike. “How’d you earn it?”

“I was just really good with cards,” answered Tricks. “The pack of cards I carry with me has been in my possession ever since I was found. They never knew where I got the cards. They just knew I was good with ‘em.”

“Where are the merchants who raised you?” asked Twilight. “Shouldn’t they be watching you?”

“Raiders got ‘em,” answered Tricks, a little quieter. “Never saw ‘em again.”

Twilight’s ears drooped a little, the ruler-to-be unable to respond properly to this. “I’m sorry,” was all she could say. Death wasn’t really something she had dealt with before. Sure, there was the threat, but death itself was something she had never encountered in conversations before today.

“It’s okay,” said Tricks, seeming really calm about it. He looked in the direction of the tower and said, “So, uh… Tenpony Tower, you said?”

Twilight didn’t know how Tricks was able to shrug it off so quickly like this. It was a conversation she’d need to have later with Tricks. For now, however, she needed to find her friends, and Tenpony Tower did seem to be a place where those who had no place to stay would go.

“Yes,” she said, not really comfortable with shrugging off the most recent topic. “Let’s get started.”

Tricks grinned, some kind of cheerfulness infecting him. Twilight was put off by the fangs of this cat, but she’d probably get used to it. A smile was a smile after all. They continued on their way, with Twilight wondering what they’d come across next on the way there.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

Study Guide had been starting at the terminal screen for over an hour, waiting for an update from Fog City. Being cooped up in Tenpony Tower had made her restless, the blonde mare unable to cope with having to deal with Velvet Remedy of all ponies.

“She’s too naive. Stable dwellers are never good news,” she said.

Double Blind, taking off his headphones and twirling in his swivel chair on the opposite end of the room, asked, “What was that?”

“Velvet Remedy is a liability to us,” said Study. “Too naive, too eager to believe that some alicorn princess has arisen from the dead.”

“Are you talking about the Celestia lookalike?” asked Double Blind, leaning back. “She looks pretty convincing.”

“Don’t tell me you’re just as gullible,” said Study. “Sure, it’s possible, considering there’s magic that can potentially bring ponies back, but it’s highly unlikely, as that’s a field we’re unfamiliar with. Even an alicorn can’t be immortal.”

Double Blind popped a snack cake into his mouth, a reward from their recent raid of Private Pettywing’s locker. He muffledly said, “Mhaybeh she’s a gool?”

“A ghoul would be decaying. It’s a perfectly pristine alicorn,” replied Study. “Also, stop talking with your mouth full. Your mother should’ve taught you better.”

Double Blind swallowed the snack cake a little too hard, nearly choking. He quickly grabbed a sparkle cola and downed the treat. After coughing a few times, he said, “Y-Yeah, sorry.”

Study gazed out the window of the room, spying a group of ponies in the street. “Double Blind, stay alert. Some ponies are headed this way. Go alert the commander.”

Double Blind, standing up, asked, “Why? Are they hostile?”

Study Guide shook her head. “There’s a few zebras with them…”

“Uh-oh,” said Double Blind. “Enclave has a bad stance on that.”

Study Guide didn’t really care much if there were zebras staying here. What she did care about were zebras staying here while the commander didn’t know. Orders from above were to shoot all zebras on-sight, and Study Guide didn’t feel like having a bloodbath today. The commander would just turn them around, and they’d pretend they never saw any zebras.

It was easier than filing paperwork.

In essence, the lower ranks of the Enclave were lazy, and Study Guide somewhat appreciated this. She remained hopeful that one day the Enclave would wisen up and start helping the wastelanders return to a state of proper civilization, but for now, it was all about the pegasi’s needs.

After Double Blind had left, Study Guide turned back to her computer. In the top right of her screen was a blinking letter icon. Clicking it, she was given a status update on Fog City. Everything was functioning normally, and there were no complications with setting up a second set of barriers. Ever since her appearance on the talk show, the Enclave were forced to deal with the many complaints from pegasi citizens for better security.

This was good, as Study’s plan was working. This would help to thin out their resources, hopefully weaken the Enclave a bit, but she knew it wasn’t enough. She just had to weaken it enough for something to get through, as there was actually no possible way to create a second barrier. What they did was simply spread out the defenses they already had to make it seem like the city was secure.

Study Guide just needed one more stunt to help some mutant freaks get through, more specifically, hellhounds, and she knew just the canine to talk to.

“Fucking idiots,~” she muttered with a smile.

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Twilight could deal with changelings, a centaur, and a psychopathic filly, but what she couldn’t deal with was the game that Tricks and Spike were playing.

“Okay, okay, it’s uhh… It’s a cart! No, wait, it’s some kind of bird?” Spike guessed.

Tricks kept wiggling his fingers on the sides of his head. “No, no. It’s something more monstrous.”

C h a r a d e s

“Uhhhhh, horns, horns, horns, A BULL!” shouted Spike.

“You got it!” said Tricks as he walked backwards. “Your turn!”

Twilight wanted to focus, but it was hard to do that when these two were playing games. It was even harder to do when Spike kept trying to invite her into it. “C’mon, Twilight!” pleaded Spike. “Just one round! It’ll be fun! You’ll loosen up and feel better!”

“Spike, this is serious,” said Twilight. “We’re in some horrible wasteland with who-knows-what! We’ve already seen pony slavers and even zombies!”

Tricks grinned, then replied, “They’re not gonna get us down! We’ve got an alicorn, a dragon, and me!”

“We’ve got an alicorn, a baby dragon, and a hoarding cat,” retorted Twilight.

“Geez, Twi, don’t gotta be so harsh,” said Spike.

Twilight took a deep breath, exhaled, then said, “I’m sorry. Just… worried. I’ve never been in a place like this before. It’s completely new, and it’s really making me question my ability to handle it. My wings were injured the moment I talked to the first pony I saw.”

Tricks’s grin was gone, his eyes glancing over Twilight’s alicorn form. “Hey, c’mon… I mean, I mess up all the time, and I’m okay.”

Twilight looked up at him. This was just a kid who had somehow survived out here on his own. She wasn’t able to perceive the danger until she was shot at. The fact that he had survived longer than her made her question her own chances of survival.

“Just really want to go home with my friends,” she said. “I miss them already, and I don’t think I could last out here. These ponies have weapons I’ve never seen before. I’ve already seen a dead body. I don’t think I can…”

Spike walked up to Twilight and hugged her, the alicorn smiling softly. “Cheer up, Twi,” said Spike. “We’ll get through this.”

“Thanks, Spike,” she replied. “I’m glad I still have you here with me.”

Looking at Tricks, she noticed that he was looking the other way, his cheerful smile gone, replaced with a contemplating expression. He had no one out here, and Twilight had Spike.

“Tricks, come here,” said Twilight.

Tricks turned his head to face her. “What? What’s up?” he asked.

Twilight motioned him over with her hoof. “Come. Here.”

Tricks walked over slowly, looking confused. Twilight smiled and hugged him tight, the cat almost stumbling in surprise. He pulled away a bit, giving her an odd look. “Are you okay?” he asked, still trying to tug himself away.

Twilight let him go. “It’s called a hug, Tricks.”

“I-I know,” he stammered. “Just dunno why you’d hug me.”

“Thought you’d need one,” she said, her smile gone. “I’m just sorry for getting on your case today.”

Tricks rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah… It’s fine.”

Twilight looked at them both, then said in a faux cheerful manner. “So… mind if I join your game…?”

Tricks suddenly grinned as an answer, and two hours later, they were already well into the game as they walked.

Twilight waved her hooves about as she stopped, her wings spread out. Tricks and Spike looked at each other, with Spike saying, “I don’t get it.”

“Yeah, me neither,” agreed Tricks.

“Oh, c’mon,” said Twilight. “I don’t have digits on these hooves! Um…”

She put her hooves in an X pattern.

“X marks the spot?” guessed Spike. Twilight shook her head.

“Xylophone!” shouted Tricks. Twilight shook her head again.

“Uhh the chicken crossed the road!” yelled Spike.

“Crossed the river?” asked Tricks.

Twilight sighed, falling back onto her back, crossing her arms, peeved. “I’m no good at this.”

“I mean, you don’t have fingers,” said Tricks. “I can see how that’d make it difficult.

“Maybe we can glue sticks on?” suggested Spike.

Twilight gave Spike a glare. “I’ll look silly like that,” she complained.

“I’ve got popsicle sticks,” said Tricks, pulling a few from his bag.

“Why in Equestria would you collect popsicle sticks?” asked Twilight. “How do they help you?”

Tricks shrugged. “I dunno. I just think they’re neat.”

Twilight stood up, then asked, “Alright, how far have we gotten?”

Tricks looked up. “We’re already here,” he said.

“Wait, what?” asked Twilight. She could see the building jutting out from behind the row of ancient structures they stood next to. “Oh, whaddya know?”

“I know,” said Tricks, grinning. “My place is near here.”

“What’s it look like?” asked Spike.

Tricks’ smile went away, the cat replying, “It’s, uh… a place.”

Twilight suspected that Tricks was probably living in some abandoned building, or worse, a box. “You don’t want us to see it, do you?” she asked.

Tricks stayed quiet, walking in the direction of the tower, trying to keep his walk peppy. Why was he just avoiding her question? Was his living situation really that bad? “Onward, to Tenpony!” he shouted.

As they made their way to the tower, they saw a tall bridge-like structure that led up to it, looking like some kind of road. “What is that?” asked Twilight.

“The monorail,” replied Tricks. “They called it the Celestia Line. I call it the fancy road.”

Twilight tilted her head to get a better look at it. “Is that the only way in?”

“Not anymore,” said Tricks. “The Enclave busted open their own entrance somewhere around the back. They said it was to ‘make the structure more secure and to provide easier access to creatures in need’, but I think it was because they didn’t like the fact that there’s only one entrance.”

“Easier entrance it is, I guess,” said Twilight.

As they went around the back, Twilight could hear arguing.

“You’re taking what made this place a haven! Now it’s just some homeless shelter for bums!” a stallion shouted.

“Sir, dressing up in a dead pony’s fancy clothing from two hundred years ago doesn’t give you the status that you think it does. Leave the area or I’ll have my team execute you.”

Execute…?!

Twilight rushed on ahead, seeing a large hole in the wall, covered with metal plating and some kind of sliding metal door. Standing in the doorway was a white-coated pegasus mare with a blonde mane. In front of her was a dark red-coated stallion in a tuxedo. He had no mane, looking like he was in his later years. His black tail was the only reminder of what his mane color used to be.

“You horrid bitch,” he said. “I’ll be back. I’ll bring my own forces.”

“Really?” asked the pegasus mare. “Then perhaps I’ll have my stallions cut you down where you stand. You’re a wastelander, no matter how well you dress. I don’t care how many caps you’ve scrounged up to earn a fancy living here. You will either comply with the Enclave and live here without your little indulgences, or you’ll stay out here in the wastes, where you’ll most likely die of a violent cause. The choice is yours.”

The stallion walked away after considering her words. Twilight was very much worried, but she had to stay and find her friends. She hesitantly walked up to the mare and asked, “Is there any room for more creatures here?”

The white pegasus mare looked at her, blinking several times, as if she were trying to process what she was looking at. “I…”

Twilight smiled softly. “Is there?” she asked.

The pegasus mare slowly nodded and said, “We do.”

Twilight looked at Tricks, who seemed to be looking about for something. “Tricks? Are you okay?” asked Twilight.

“Uh-huh,” he said, staring down the road. “Let’s get inside.”

The pegasus looked at Twilight and asked, “May I ask your name?”

Twilight looked back at the pegasus and unsuredly said, “Twilight Sparkle?”

“I am Study Guide,” the pegasus replied. “I suppose you’re with the lookalikes who just arrived not too long ago…?”

“Lookalikes?” asked Twilight. Were her friends here?

“Mhm,” replied Study. “Some alicorns.”

“Celestia and Luna are here?!” exclaimed Twilight, her feathers ruffling a bit. “C-Can you take me to them?!”

Study Guide stepped back out of the doorway. “Come in.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Hindsight stood in front of the dome of the machine. Another tag was being brought through, and sooner than expected, too. He had expected the machine to take longer to charge up. From his knowledge, he knew that the machine operated on very strange principles. The device that primarily charged the reality-warping rods was, in itself, an anomaly, an Out-of-Place object.

This object was named the “Linkage Stone” by their scientists. As befitting the name, it linked pretty much everything within this universe to an odd magic, a magic that seemed to be able to warp reality, with the help of a unicorn named Arcane Vast, a member of the Twilight Society, they were able to get the stone to work.

Only a unicorn or an alicorn could interact with the stone, which was very troublesome to the Enclave, as their contact with unicorns was scarce. Arcane Vast was the only one who would agree to helping them after some hefty payment in books from two hundred years ago.

Hindsight held his breath in anticipation as the rods sparked. The tan-colored unicorn with a black mane and bags under his eyes, Arcane Vast, stood next to him, asking, “Have you done as I requested?”

“I don’t see how such minor tasks were necessary,” said Hindsight.

“The Linkage Stone is much like a telephone,” replied Vast. “I speak to whatever is on the other side and it tells me what needs to be done. That’s all there is to it.”

Hindsight paused for a second before saying, “All I did was place a teddy bear on a counter in an abandoned store.”

“Welcome to the world of magic, where mostly nothing makes sense,” remarked Vast.

Hindsight looked over to the mare at the computer, this one different from the last, with a yellow coat and light blue mane. “We’re waiting, Tech Wiz,” he stated.

“Hold on,” she replied. “This tag is confusing. There’s multiple names attached to it, and I’m not sure which one is the correct one.”

“What are they?” asked Hindsight.

“T.W.I., R.A.M., P.E.P., S.H.U., O.C.T., R.A.Z., C.A.N., they’re all just radically different, with confusing signatures that make it unclear whether they’re innocent or not,” explained Tech.

Hindsight listened for the voice of Lord Bale. After hearing several whispers in his mind, Hindsight said, “Put in R.A.M.”

“Got it,” she replied. “R.A.M. has been inserted. Uplinks are running now.”

Arcane Vast smirked, watching as the metal rods sparked. The white electrical sparks were a promising sign.

Until they started turning red.

The machine gave out an electrical buzzing, accompanied by a high-pitched whine, as if it were struggling. Tech Wiz pushed a few buttons, looking distressed. “Uh, P-Priest? It’s overloading!”

Hindsight raised his blindfold. “Lord Bale said this would pull through someone we need.”

“Lord Bale just fucked up the machine,” she retorted. “It’s overheating and it’s trying to pull on a tag that just doesn’t want to be taken!”

“What are we bringing through…?” Hindsight asked himself.

A cream-coated mare with a messy red mane could be seen under the glass dome, but what was odd were the red stripes all over her, as if she were some hybrid. Hindsight stepped forward, regardless of the sparking rods. “Can you hear us?” he asked.

The mare’s eyes opened, a pink glow looking back at him, a feeling of pure terror striking Hindsight. He stepped back. What did we pull through? This isn’t innocence! he thought to himself. He saw small glimpses of what she felt guilty of, his stomach tightening as he viewed brief instances of blood.

Arcane Vast lit up his horn, putting up a magical dome around him, Hindsight, and Tech Wiz. As soon as he did, an explosion broke out from one of the electrical rods in the dome. Glass shattered, bits bouncing off the magical shielding. The strange mare fell to the ground, her left foreleg missing, blood pooling underneath.

When the smoke cleared, and as Hindsight tried to get a better look, inching a little closer and pressing up against Arcane’s shield, he saw her face much more clearly than the first time. As he looked upon her face for more than just a mere second, he was hit with it all.

All her guilt.

All her sins.

Hindsight shook, his body taking in the memories. There were too many memories. This mare had been living for a long time, and there was so much sin inside of her. Image after image bombarded him, showing gory slideshows of ponies, all mangled, all crushed, destroyed, beaten to bloody pulps and left on the ground to die.

Hindsight was frozen, unable to keep from experiencing over a hundred years of carnage. Time had stood still for him, and when he had finally recovered, the machine had stopped producing explosions.

The machine, groaning as the metal inside expanded from the heat, was done expelling the excess energy, but it was still going, the programming inside it going haywire and trying to tug whatever bit of the tag it could.

“I-I can breathe,” muttered the pony-zebra hybrid, coughing, blood coming up, strange white dust falling off of her body. “Is this some kind of cruel joke…?”

Hindsight stood up, shaking a little, putting on his blindfold, the pegasus traumatized from what he had just experienced. “S-So much sin…”

Arcane Vast walked up cautiously to the shattered glass dome, his horn lighting up, preparing to cast a protection spell over the hybrid. “We need to get her out of here. This machine is too dangerous, and she’s already lost a---”

Pink energy crackled from the stump of her blown-off leg, strands of muscle growing over shattered bone, the strange mare just barely twitching from the slight pain. “Why am I down here?” she asked, looking groggy from transporting, standing up as her leg finished its unexpected regeneration.

“What?!” Arcane stepped back, wide-eyed. “What kind of magic…?!”

“Why am I here…?” the mare asked again, her eyes looking tired. “Wasn’t I just on---”

Before she could finish her question, the machine unleashed a loud crackling noise, losing its grip of the tag. The computer latched onto whatever it could, and suddenly, the hybrid stretched out, looking like an odd slew of spaghetti before phasing through the laboratory walls at the speed of a bullet. The machine shut down, and Hindsight cautiously raised his blindfold back up.

“Sh-She’s gone,” he muttered. He looked over to Tech Wiz, who had suffered a bit of a concussion from the blast. The dome had protected her, but the force of the explosion still shook her more than she wanted it to.

The computer beeped in a low tone, signaling an anomaly. As the computer mare stumbled over, she groaned, her body aching. She looked at the screen, barely able to read through the cracked glass. “Oh, fuck…”

“What is it?” asked Vast.

“Whoever she was, she’s still here. At least, a part of her,” replied the mare. “The machine and the alternate universe basically had a tug-of-war match, and the result was the ripping of a soul. She’s been displaced, but not very far. Based on the direction she slingshotted, we can find her.”

“W-We now have a regenerating monster out in the wasteland we have to deal with?!” Vast exclaimed. He took a deep breath, then exhaled, trying to calm down and reason with himself. “Alright… stay calm, Arcane. I have my books. I have my knowledge. I have no business in this. I’m leaving.”

Hindsight casually walked over to Arcane Vast and whispered to him in a menacing tone. “You did this.”

“Me?!” exclaimed Vast. “How dare you?!”

“You communicated with the stone,” said Hindsight. “You have just as much a part of this as any of us, and if you want to keep from being charged with crimes against equinity, you’ll do what we ask. I can pull strings. I can make you suffer. We need you, and you know very damn well that you need us now, or else you’ll be labeled some criminal who is fit for the death penalty.”

The art of blackmail was something that Hindsight was all too familiar with, especially with his ability to see what a pony was guilty of. This was one of the few ways he had been able to climb his way up the ladder of social status.

This situation may have been unexpected, but it was useful. As usual, Lord Bale had delivered. Whoever that mare was, she was indeed needed to keep Arcane Vast under Hindsight’s hoof. It was the perfect blackmail. Some strange mare that could potentially be immortal and dangerous? Sounds like something the Enclave wouldn’t want running around.

As the stumped Arcane Vast stared ahead, lost in thought, Hindsight walked up to the shattered glass dome. He wiped off some of the dust with his hoof, inspecting it closely. “There’s something odd about this material,” he said to Tech Wiz. “Take samples. I want to see if it’s useful.”

“The laboratory literally just suffered a shit ton of damage,” she objected. “You expect me to--”

“I expect,” said Hindsight softly, “for you to do your job.”

The mare stayed silent, staring at him in annoyance. “Yes, Priest Hindsight,” she said with a hint of frustration.

“As for you,” Hindsight said to Arcane. “I want you to use the stone again. We’re pulling through another one soon.”

“Y-You’re insane,” uttered Arcane. “This machine nearly killed us all!”

Hindsight smiled softly, then said, “Lord Bale’s work is often dangerous. I’ve taken many risks to get where I am today. Sure, I’ve experienced many close calls, such as our most recent event, but he has always guided me to victory. If you listen to me, I can get you more than just books. You’ll have entire research labs, willing to look into whatever twisted magic you wish.”

Arcane’s posture straightened a little. He was very afraid of this madness. However, he was even more afraid of being executed. There were many ways this could go, and right now, although he was under threat, Hindsight did just promise him more than what he had originally asked for. Arcane Vast wondered if it would even be worth it.

“You’re the strangest pegasus I’ve ever had to interact with,” said Arcane. “I won’t like it, but if you’re really going to keep your word, then I suppose I have no choice.”

Hindsight’s smile grew a little wider, lips parting into a grin, his teeth bared. “I want the machine fixed by tomorrow,” he said to Tech Wiz. “If it can’t be done, then next week, but no later than that. I want the entirety of your crew working on it.”

Tech Wiz stared at the computer, sweating. “Priest,” she said, a nervous tone in her voice. “We, uhh… we did something wrong.”

Hindsight turned his head towards her. “What?”

“There are two tags in the machine,” said Tech Wiz.

Hindsight’s blood ran cold. Was that why the machine went haywire? Did something else come through as well? “What does that mean?” he asked. “How could you have put two tags in?”

Tech Wiz softly bit her lower lip and said, “The mare before me, uh, put in a tag titled P.U.P. and I, uh, I may have forgotten to remove it from the system before putting in R.A.M.”

Hindsight looked around, lifting his blindfold. He didn’t see anyone else here. Who else could have gotten through? “Where does it say they are?”

“They were either slung across the entire wasteland, or they’re still here,” replied Tech Wiz.

A pony stepped through the doorway. “Priest Hindsight, there’s a problem in the lunch roo--, sweet Celestia, what happened in here?!” he stammered near the end, looking at the mangled machinery.

Hindsight put his blindfold back on and asked, “Where did you say the problem was?”

“There’s a filly in the lunchroom,” said the pony. "She just appeared out of nowhere.

Hindsight raised a brow, proceeding out of the lab and down the hallway, with Tech Wiz running after him. “I have to see this for myself,” she remarked.

As they walked into the lunchroom, Hindsight could hear worried whimpers, followed by a gasp from Tech Wiz. Curious to see, he raised his blindfold, and for the first time in years, he could see nothing from this creature. There were no flashbacks, there were no memories to sift through at all. This being was completely free of sin.

The filly in question was pink-coated, with a sunshine-yellow mane, and she wore a yellow hazmat suit that covered her entire body, a clear glass dome surrounding her head. Hindsight was surprised, as he had never seen another pony that didn’t give him a glimpse into whatever sins they had committed.

Hindsight, unsure of what to really say, simply said the first thing that came to his mind. “Hello,” he greeted.

Tech Wiz looked on in concern, stepping back a little. It was understandable this being was from another universe. There was no telling what creature, no matter now innocent-looking, could have come through. They’d be uncertain whether or not it would be dangerous.

“Hello!” the filly greeted back.

“May I ask your name?” asked Hindsight.

“I’m Puppysmiles!” she replied. “What’s your name?”

“I am Pri-- I mean… I am Hindsight,” he answered. “Do you know where you are?”

Puppysmiles looked all around her, seeing some of the confused pegasi who had just seen this filly come out of nowhere earlier. “Ummmm… Nuh-uh,” she said.

Hindsight looked at Tech Wiz and asked, “Would you be so kind as to escort our guest to the medbay? We’ll need to make sure there’s no damage from the trip here. I want a full report.”

Tech Wiz seemed a little cautious. “Um, sure thing, I guess…” she mumbled.

Hindsight looked back to the filly known as Puppysmiles. The machine had pulled one being through who was full of sin, and one who was pure innocence. Was this a loophole they could abuse for now? He doubted it, as it was probably some freak accident.

But then again, Lord Bale didn’t perform miracles by accident.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Twilight stood within Study Guide’s office. She kept an eye on Tricks, who stood in the corner of the small room, looking out the window, his tail slightly twitching. He’d been doing that for the past half hour while they waited for Study Guide to find Celestia.

She walked up to him, asking, “What’s going on? You’ve been acting a little odd since we got here.

Tricks’ ear flicked as he simply replied, “Uh-huh…”

Twilight looked out the window with him, seeing nothing of particular interest. Something was up with this cat, and she wanted to know what. “Tricks, c’mon. Tell me.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “Just, uh, paranoid is all.”

Twilight didn’t believe that for a second. She lifted him up with her magic and set him down in Study Guide’s swivel chair. He looked at her with the same look Spike would give her when she found out he’d been eating from the ice cream tub at night. He had been caught in his lie.

“What’s out there?” she asked. “You’re obviously worried about something, and I want to know what, right now.”

She stamped her hoof for extra effect, hoping it would get Tricks to confess. He shrank back in the swivel chair, the seat creaking slightly as he leaned into it. His whiskers seemed to droop as he said, “I-I’m avoiding someone.”

“Who?” she asked. “The stalkers?”

“No,” he replied. “I just… get bullied a lot by another abyssinian. His name’s Rocket. We used to be friends, but it didn’t work out…”

Twilight looked at Tricks’ eyes, seeing that hint of regret. “Tricks,” she said. “Would you say this is a problem that needs to be solved?”

Twilight, deep down, wondered if this was the friendship problem that needed to be solved, but somewhere else in her mind, she took note of the rest of the wasteland, hearing from Tricks how nopony really did friendship anymore. What if this entire wasteland was the friendship problem? She was hoping it wasn’t, but logically, she knew that it most likely was.

“I’d rather not,” Tricks said quietly. “It’s just something that shouldn’t be fixed. It’s already bad enough, so I don’t wanna make it worse. Though, I don’t see how it can get worse. He hounds me constantly, just kinda picking on me and sometimes just taking my things.”

“That’s awful,” said Twilight, feeling sympathetic. “And nopony else helps you?”

“Who’d wanna help?” asked Tricks. “Out here, it’s everyone for themselves.”

This was a mindset that Twilight needed to correct. “That’s not true,” she said. “You’ve helped me. Why would you do that if it’s everyone for themselves?”

Tricks’s eyes unfocused, the feline thinking as hard as he could. “I dunno,” he said. “Cuz you were getting hurt?”

She smiled and said, “You have feelings. I have feelings. Do you consider others when you’re trying to survive?”

“Well, I…” Tricks was unsure of what to say. “I, uh, don’t normally like to steal from others. I scavenge instead.”

“So you’re aware of how they’d feel,” she explained.

Tricks wasn’t liking these mind games. She could tell, too. He was having some kind of debate with himself, and it was self-evident. “Yeah,” he replied. “I don’t want them to struggle if I take their things. I know I’d struggle if I lost all the rations I’d saved up.”

“Then is it really everyone for themselves out here?” she asked. “It doesn’t have to be. You choose how to treat others.”

Tricks seemed to be flabbergasted, his whiskers twitching a little. “Y-Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “It’s just hard out here.”

“Well, we’ll make it better,” Twilight promised, walking up to him and putting a hoof on his shoulder. “We’ll do it with the power of friendship, or my name isn’t Twilight Sparkle.”

Tricks stared at her, his eyes still holding hints of suspicion. “I shouldn’t really believe it right off the bat. It’s hard to think that a ministry mare just came back from the dead.”

“I’m not the Twilight you know,” she said. “From what you’ve told me, I think I can be certain that this might be another reality. Where I come from, there’s no war, and everyone is happy.”

“I get it,” said Tricks. “It’s just hard to believe, ya know?”

“You don’t have to believe me,” she replied. “I’m just here to help.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” he said, finally calling her by her actual name. “I’ll call you that for now. I might even believe you for now. It’s just that I’ve never really seen this kind of thing happen outside of a comic book.”

Suddenly, Spike poked his head into the room. “Like in issue thirty-six of Power Ponies where they ended up in a parallel universe and they were the villains?”

Tricks grinned. “Yeah, the one where the Mane-iac was the hero.”

“I love that issue!” replied Spike. “You have it?”

“I have most of ‘em!” bragged Tricks, his thumb pointed towards himself. “I’ve dug through every comic book building here in Manehattan!”

“Lucky!” exclaimed Spike.

Twilight rolled her eyes, unable to contain her smile, but at least able to contain a giggle. Boys will be boys, and these two were definitely boys. “Alright, you two. Enough of that. Wait until we finish our adventure.”

“Why is it that an adventure never feels as cool as you’d expect it to be?” asked Spike. “Like, when I read a comic, I get that rush, but when we have to save Equestria from doom, it’s a lot of pressure.”

“That’s because it’s not you doing the saving in the comics,” Twilight replied. “It’s fun to watch someone else do acts of heroism, but when you’ve gotta do something yourself, there can be a lot of risk, and that’s never fun.”

“That’s true,” said Tricks, feeling a little awkward from when he met Twilight earlier. “It was fun when I won, but if I didn’t, then I’d probably, uh, feel dead.”

Twilight cringed at that word. Dead. It was a reality, yes, but it was never discussed as often back home. The concept of death was most certainly real. She even remembered when her own grandpa had been brought up at the dinner table by her dad. He’d speak fondly of him, talked about what he was like.

To hear the news of a death was still unsettling. When she saw the dead body of the poor pony from earlier, she was shook. It was a reminder that it was all too real, and that her friends could face the same fate.

The tired mare, Study Guide, stepped into the room. “They’re down the hall in the room on the left,” she groaned. “Just don’t stay in there for too long. I need it for something.”

Twilight immediately ran out of Study Guide’s office and down the hallway, with Spike and Tricks following after her. Her mind was very hopeful at this time. Was it really them? Were Celestia and Luna really here?

When she rushed into the room, she saw them, accompanied by a charcoal-colored mare with a white mane adorning white and red streaks. Twilight didn’t pay much attention to the mare, running directly up to Celestia and hugging her.

Celestia took a sudden breath, not expecting Twilight to come in so suddenly, but she eventually smiled and draped a hoof over Twilight’s back to return the hug. “It feels like it’s been a while,” said Celestia.

“Oh, don’t I know it,” said Twilight, looking up at her. “You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen.”

“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea,” Celestia replied, smiling nervously. She looked at Luna, who simply looked away.

Twilight then properly noticed the charcoal mare staring at her, jaw dropped, mouth agape. Twilight inched away from the strange pony, a little uncomfortable by the attention she was getting.

“C-Can I help you?” asked Twilight.

“Y-You’re… Twilight Sparkle,” stated the mare.

“Um, yes,” replied Twilight. “I am. Is something wrong?” she asked.

“But… you have wings,” said the mare.

Twilight remembered what Tricks had told her about the Ministry Mare version of her. From his knowledge, that version of Twilight was still a unicorn. “I guess it must be a shock to you,” said Twilight.

“Are you really her?” asked the mare. “I’ve been talking to Celestia, but… she never mentioned that you were an alicorn.”

“I’m sorry if this is confusing you,” said Twilight, smiling awkwardly. “Maybe I should properly introduce myself. I’m Twilight Sparkle, and I think I’m from another universe. Not sure yet…”

The charcoal mare replied, “I’m Velvet. Velvet Remedy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Velvet,” said Twilight, holding out her hoof. Velvet took it reluctantly and shook it.

“I never thought I’d be in this situation. Not too long ago, I was more worried about my coronation,” Twilight admitted.

“Coronation…?” asked Velvet. “A-Are you going to be a princess?”

“Oh, I’ve been princess for a while,” answered Twilight.

“Then… what’s the coronation for…?” asked Velvet.

“She’s taking my place,” answered Celestia. “She’s going to become the sole ruler of Equestria.”

“So... she’s going to be a queen?” asked Velvet, her brow raised in confusion.

“Nay,” answered Luna.

“It’s hard to explain,” said Twilight. “I wouldn’t know how to describe my current history, because I’m not sure how different the history here is, so I can’t make comparisons.”

“But why have a second coronation if you’re already a princess?” asked Velvet, looking as if she was trying to figure it out in her head.

Twilight sighed and replied, “To be honest, now that I think about it, I’m not too sure how it works, either.”

“Why is there somepony outside with fireworks?” asked Spike, looking out the window.

Twilight groaned. “Now now, Spike, we’re trying to figure this ou-- wait, what?”

“There’s somepony outside with a lot of fireworks,” said Spike, pointing out the window.

Twilight walked up to it, looking out to see what he was talking about. Outside, there was a hooded figure, who was most likely an abyssinian, considering that he stood on two legs and had a long tail that stuck out from behind him.

Twilight’s mind put the puzzle pieces together, then she said, “Tricks, is this Rocket?”

Tricks hesitantly walked up to the window, slightly moving his head to look out the window. He would have moved his head back inward, but it was too late.

“Hey! Where’s my caps, Tricks! You didn’t pay rent today!” the abysinnian outside shouted. “I’ll give ya two minutes to come out! If ya don’t, I’m blowing this whole place sky-high!”

Twilight, looking at the wooden crate of fireworks next to Rocket, said, “That’s not even close to enough to blow up a tower this big!”

The hooded abyssinian looked at the crate, then pulled his hoodie back, revealing an orange-furred face. She couldn’t really pick out the details of it from this high up, but she was sure she’d be able to spot him next time she saw him due to the hoodie.

“Are you saying I’m too stupid to know how much I need to take down this building?!” he asked. “I’m Rocket! I don’t need a stupid pony like you telling me how to blow up shit!”

He took out what Twilight assumed to be a packet of matches, then lit one up. “I’m giving you until the count of three!” he shouted. “One… two… three!!!”

“Those fireworks aren’t even aimed this way!” shouted Twilight. “The moment you light those up, they’ll all explode at once! You’d be burnt to a crisp!”

Rocket pulled a paper from his hoodie pocket, looking at it. Were those… instructions? Twilight wasn’t able to tell from this high up. Rocket then looked up at her and said, “Uh… I’m feeling generous today. I’ll let you off with a warning! I’ll be back, though!”

Rocket put his hoodie back up and picked up the crate, looking like he was struggling with it. He stumbled, dropping a few fireworks. “Shit,” he muttered, ignoring the dropped ones and continuing on, leaving Twilight very confused.

She turned to Tricks and asked, “You pay rent???”

“No,” answered Tricks. “Well, kinda. I mean, if I wanna live where I live, he wants me to pay him.”

“With bits?” she asked. It didn’t sound like the economy was exactly booming these days.

“No, of course not. That’s worthless,” he answered. “With caps, of course.”

“Caps?” she repeated in question.

“Mhm. Bottle caps. That’s the currency of the wasteland,” replied Tricks.

Twilight was a little confused. Bottle caps as currency? What kind of backwards world was this? It sounded like fiction to her.

“Either way, he’d never actually hurt me like that,” continued Tricks. “He’ll make the threat, but I guess he still likes me enough to where he just sticks to punching.”

Twilight didn’t like that at all. “Why would you let him do that? Can’t you go elsewhere?”

“Don’t wanna,” he answered. “I’d rather live near the tower than anywhere else in Manehattan. It’s dangerous out there, but closer to the tower, there aren’t as many raiders, so I stay here. Rocket’s just a minor inconvenience compared to a raider killing me.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” said Velvet, “but I’d like to talk to you a little more, if that’s okay.”

Looking at Velvet, Twilight put on an expression of concern, saying, “I suppose, but after this, I want to help figure out Tricks’ friendship problem.”

“It’s just really important,” said Velvet. “There’s a lot you can do to help everyone.”

“How?” asked Twilight.

Velvet Remedy smiled eagerly. Because of this smile, something told Twilight there was more to this than she had realized.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

“You want to bring over more ponies?” a stallion’s voice from Hindsight’s terminal speaker asked. “Denied.”

“Excuse me?” asked Hindsight, sitting back in his plush seat. His heart nearly skipped a beat when he heard that response. “But we have Arcane Vast’s full cooperation. It’ll cost nothing.”

“Cost isn’t an issue,” replied the stallion. “The issue is containment, which you obviously can’t handle. We put you in charge for a reason and you fucked it up.”

“I have it handled,” said Hindsight, steeling his nerves. “I will not let one mistake take everything I’ve worked for.”

“This isn’t up for discussion,” stated the voice. “We’re shutting down the project. We’ve already made the mistakes. We can’t afford any more of them. You’re lucky the President doesn’t know. She’d have all our heads.”

“How’s that wife of yours?” asked Hindsight. The stallion didn’t respond. Hindsight continued. “Has she found out about your little one-time mistress yet?”

“Y-You… you bastard,” the stallion replied, his voice choking up.

“Lies weave a tangled web,” said Hindsight. “It’s not my fault you decided to cheat.”

Hindsight had used to feel guilty when blackmailing a pony. However, given how the Enclave had treated his fellow stable dwellers, he eventually found it acceptable, as his people were treated as less than ponies. “I know you still love her,” he said, sounding sympathetic. “You simply got lost in the passion of lust and strayed from her warmth. How tragic…”

Choked sobs emitted from the speaker, the stallion trying to hold in the noises, but failing. “Y-You… I’ll…”

Hindsight shushed him, then said, “There’s a way out of it. With this project, there’s a possibility I could one day change reality. I could make it so you’ll have never cheated on her. You’ll never remember, and you’ll be pure once more. I can save you from your sin, erase the bad feelings of guilt. A happy ending.”

A full two minutes of silence had passed. Hindsight was almost about to speak again when the speaker suddenly spouted, “A-Approved… Do what you want.”

Hindsight knew the pony personally. When they had first met, the stallion had been hostile towards him, but when Hindsight had revealed the stallion’s own past to him, he had instantly gained an advantage. “Don’t worry,” said Hindsight. “I’ll save you from your sin.”

Hindsight wasn’t lying when he said he’d save the stallion from sin. He felt that, with Lord Bale guiding him, he could do anything. After all, it was Lord Bale who had taught him how to use the gift of second sight.

Soon, Hindsight would bring over more ponies. He didn’t know who’d successfully come through. It’d be difficult to say who was innocent enough for the machine to pull through, as they had no way of checking the tags and their levels of purity.

What befuddled him was the mare who had come through. There was so much sin in her, yet she was able to pass through. Sure, there was some difficulty, but it did pull her through. So many questions, so many complications, so many--

“Mister! Did you find my mom yet?!” a filly’s voice shouted through the door.

It was Puppysmiles. Hindsight had nearly forgotten about her. “Not yet,” he said, loud enough for her to hear. “I’m certain we’ll find her.”

It was apparent that this filly wasn’t truly alive. From her visit to the medbay, it was learned that the suit she wore which was meant to keep her alive, had failed, and she had been turned into a ghoul. Sadly, she was still looking for her mother, who Hindsight believed was dead. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell her that.

Overall, however, she was still considered pure and innocent, and was now crucial to his plan.

Everything was working out fine, just as Lord Bale had promised. Soon, Hindsight would control the wasteland, as his stable depended on him. He’d free them from the Enclave’s grip, and he’d save his mother from death itself.

He just needed the six ponies who had somehow crossed over into this universe. They were the ones Lord Bale had told him about in his dreams. They weren’t needed for Hindsight’s plan, but it was preferable, as having them on his side would make things even better.

Soon, his goals would be reality.

Author's Note

Surprise, readers!

I went out of my way one year ago to ask not only Kkat for permission to make the noncanon sequel, but also every single author of the rest of the big five we all know and love for their permission to use their characters.

Fallout Equestria: Heroes, by No One.

Fallout Equestria: Pink Eyes, by Mimezinga.

Fallout: Equestria - Murky Number Seven, by FuzzyVeeVee

Fallout: Equestria - Project Horizons, by Somber

After this, there is a second mini-chapter of around a thousand words, one that will introduce the spookiest of enemies that Twilight and her friends may have to face later on.

Happy Halloween, little ponies.

Patience [Extra Halloween Mini-Chapter]

She ran because she wanted to get away from everything. The world was cruel. The world was unfair. The world was bleak. In order to escape, she’d have to kill, kill the ones who had created this wasteland. Although she had no soul, she could take the souls of others, and she had justification in her eyes.

The settlement, under the cover of night, was her target. One by one, she killed all the ponies within. Those with weapons, she took out first, leaving the unarmed helpless and without hope. This was her only escape. This was her only entertainment, and she couldn’t find anything else. The ponies had souls. Why didn’t she? It wasn’t fair!

Holding a limp corpse, the pony unrecognizable in the dark, she consumed until she was interrupted. It was only natural, of course. She was in the middle of the town, out in the open. She could have done anything else. She could have stayed away, but she couldn’t help herself.

Aiming a cold gun at her was the sheriff of the settlement. “Hoov-- er… claws up, mutant!” His horn gave little illumination to his face, but she could see his fear, and it gave her satisfaction. She dropped the corpse and rose to her feet, her hind legs easily making her taller than the quadruped.

“Hey! I said to put your claws up!” The sheriff repeated. He sounded serious, sure, but she knew. Like all the rest, he was just a little pony, playing a role that had no real meaning in a lawless world. He had false hope, and she’d fix that.

She lashed forward, her body closing the distance with a sound much like a cracking whip, her claws outstretched and taking ahold of the sheriff’s face. In surprise, he released a muffled cry in fear. For him, it was too soon to die. For her, he was already dead from the start. She released an unnatural scream and clenched her hand, claws digging into his head and making him twitch.

He was done for, he knew it. He shouldn’t have taken this job. It was only a matter of time until some raider or mutant killed him. He shouted frantically as the claws dug deeper, and it was scary to him, to know that this stalker would be his downfall, the worst of all creatures to ever encounter in the wasteland other than a hellhound.

As she was about to crush his skull, a buzzing noise rang out and she screamed, pain pulsing through her right leg. She dropped him, and he took his chance, running off, never to encounter her again. She looked down at her leg, the familiar red ooze dripping down it. It was funny to her. She loved seeing blood, but never her own.

“Patience, you really need to stop,” said a calm, familiar male’s voice.

The stalker looked up and saw… another stalker. His furless skin was blotched with red, a reminder that he had gone through more than she ever could. The female named Patience flicked out her tongue momentarily before withdrawing it back in. “Never… I want them gone! They did this to us! It’s not fair! I want a soul! I have no purpose!”

“Shut the fuck up,” the male replied. “It doesn’t work like that. Consuming souls doesn’t give you one. You have to find your own. Only then can you move on.”

“How can I find what doesn’t exist?” Patience asked. “It’s hopeless… They laugh at us, I know they do! They fucked up the world, and they get to keep their souls?! We did nothing to deserve this! It’s their fault!”

“Your name certainly doesn’t fit your personality,” the male remarked. This enraged her. Her anger was overwhelming, and even he could feel it. She rushed at him in a flash, stabbing her claws into his chest. She began ripping into him without any hesitation. As she did this, she laughed. She laughed at the joys of cutting into flesh, the joys of killing, and ending a pitiful life.

Then, without a trace, he just vanished, Patience’s claws swiping the air. Where was he? She needed to justify her wants! Come back! And there he was, behind her. Her tongue could briefly detect his presence, his heat signature just barely there. She turned around, swiping in his direction, missing him. It was as if he were a ghost, her claws passing through the heat she had sensed.

“Where are you?! Let me kill you! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!” Patience screamed, now scraping at the ground and pounding onto it as if she were an angry gorilla. She then… broke down, crying. Tears leaked from her empty eye sockets, shedding for the life that had once been.

He had been in her mind, because she had killed him decades ago, and he haunted her. A ghost, or a memory, she didn’t know. All she knew was that it was all her fault. She’d never find love again. A mere argument was all it took for her to snap and throw away everything, and she could never get it back.

But then… a noise lightly touched her eardrum. There was still life here, and it was outside of the settlement. She extended her tongue, the organ feeling for heat. It was getting closer. She hid inside of an abandoned shack, staring out the window, her body completely motionless. She could see someone, and he was with two others. She became focused only on him.

In order to get over her past love, she would have to embrace the other. This was a sign to her. This person would be hers. She would have him, and he would love her, hold her, tell her she had purpose.

As she was just starting to move, she stiffened again, feeling something beneath her feet. It was… an old tape recorder. Yes, that’s it. She’d make it a diary. She’d keep a record of this momentous event. She would record down her efforts to make him all hers.

“Dear diary, today I found my new flame…”

Author's Note

Be sure to read the chapter before this if you haven't already for a big surprise.~

Happy Halloween, little ponies.

Morality

"Somepony is really gonna have to catch us up on what we missed." - Rainbow Dash

“So, remind me where we’re going again?” asked Dash. After they had left the movie theater, Dusk was determined to get them moving as quickly as possible. Dash’s wing was in no condition to fly after all the strain she had put on it before, that much was certain.

“It’s a little suicidal,” replied Dusk Feather. “I need to meet up with someone in Tenpony Tower. The only problem is that there’s Enclave stationed there.”

“Then why go there?” berated Dash. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Dusk shot Rainbow an annoyed look and said, “There’s a rebel sympathizer in the tower named Study Guide, and from what I remember, she was pretty generous when we first met. She may have insulted me once or twice, but at least she didn’t have her ponies kill me.”

“And this Study Guide can help me find my friends?” asked Dash.

As they walked, Rainbow Dash’s ears flicked, hearing groaning and rasping from afar, followed by “I took a risk! Life is risk!”

“Do you hear that?” asked Dash.

“Ignore it,” replied Dusk. “We need to keep moving.”

They came across a convenience store with shattered windows. Inside, Rainbow Dash could see posters of ponies enjoying various products, products such as “Sparkle Cola”, which made Rainbow Dash wonder if there was any relation to Twilight.

While Dusk seemed to be continuing past it, Rainbow Dash felt a pull towards it, her mind telling her there was something important inside, something she needed, but she couldn’t remember what it was. “Hey, uh, I’m gonna go in here for a minute. I’ll be right out.”

Dusk looked at her with a confused expression. “Why? We need to go right now. I don’t want it to get dark before we reach the tower.”

“Just feels weird here,” muttered Dash, heading through the doorway, the metal frame of the shattered glass door having fallen off its hinges years ago. “It’s like… I’ve been here.”

Dusk sighed and walked up to the entrance of the store. “You’re gonna get us killed. This is probably some raider’s place.”

Dash stared at the corner, seeing something gleaming from under a piece of rotting paper. She walked over and moved it out of the way, revealing a strange, pink-glowing marble-like object underneath. Picking it up, she felt some kind of familiarity with it. It looked just like one of the spheres from the warehouse Dash was in earlier. “Dusk, what is this?” she asked.

Dusk took one look at it and said, “It’s a memory orb. Not much to look at if you’re a pegasus. Only unicorns can use them, so it’s best to leave it behind.”

“I think I’m gonna keep it for now,” said Dash, holding it in her wing. “Maybe Twilight will be able to see what’s in it. I’m guessing these hold memories, right? It’s called a memory orb, so…”

“If you really wanna keep it, put it in my bag,” said Dusk. “We need to move.”

Dash nodded, then placed the orb in the saddlebag on Dusk’s back. Seatrow, not wanting them to leave empty-hoofed, had given Dusk a saddlebag to carry around anything they might need to keep on their person.

Upon leaving the convenience store, Dash followed Dusk closely. She wasn’t too familiar with this version of Manehattan. Some buildings here were different, and didn’t exist in her world. How she wished she were back home.

She wasn’t quite certain, but from what Dusk had said back at the theatre, Dash was somewhat able to figure out that this world was probably an alternate universe. At least, that’s what Dash was hoping, as she desperately didn’t want this to be the actual future of Equestria.

“I don’t get it,” said Dash. “How could everything here have gone so wrong?”

“Well, when you get two incompetent leaders going against each other, this is what you get,” said Dusk. “Ponies were stupid, and the zebras were stupid, but you know who was even dumber?”

“Who?” asked Dash.

“Their leaders,” answered Dusk. “Luna definitely wasn’t going to back down, and neither would the opponent.”

“Luna was in charge?” asked Dash. “And wait a minute… How do you know Luna was being stupid? You weren’t there, right?”

“Loyal to the sisters, I see,” remarked Dusk. “That’s even dumber. Always question authority. Don’t need to speak up about it, but you should always have your own priorities, too. We don’t need to blindly follow someone to our deaths.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you need to learn a thing or two about loyalty,” Dash spouted back. “I may not know them as much as Twilight does, but Celestia and Luna are still our friends, and I’d never leave a friend fighting on their own.”

“And boom goes the megaspell,” Dusk barked back, a serious expression on her face. “Look, there’s no offense, Dash. I know you care for your friends, but maybe you try to look out for yourself a bit more. Who knows? Maybe in trying to help someone, you end up getting them killed.”

Dash thought back to Dusk’s story from earlier. “Is that how you think about yourself?”

Dusk scoffed. “What?”

“You think your loyalty to your friend got him killed?” asked Dash. “That didn’t get him killed. Ponies got him killed, bad ponies.”

“The bad pony was me,” replied Dusk. “I shouldn’t have been down there. They were looking for me, and they found me, and he…”

Dash had never wanted to headbutt a pony so badly. “You’ve got the wrong idea, Dusk!” she retorted. “You’re blaming yourself when it’s the Enclave’s fault! You didn’t mean to get him killed, but the Enclave certainly had no issue with it! You might not have been able to do anything about it before, but you can do something about it now, and my friends will help!”

Dusk reared her head back, having second thoughts about Dash’s words. “What are your friends going to do about it?”

Dash grinned and said, “We’ll take the fight to the Enclave! We’ll make sure they’ll learn their lesson!”

“That’s the craziest bullshit I’ve ever heard,” stated Dusk. “I doubt you could kill enough of them to get them to listen.”

“Kill?” asked Dash. “Why kill? They won’t learn that way.”

Dusk suddenly had a disgusted expression on her face. “What the fuck…?! They killed a colt! If you can’t be mare enough to kill, how are you gonna change anything?! Where’s the justice in letting them live?!”

Dash stopped talking, her ears flattening as Dusk yelled. She had always been the fighter of the group, but she’d never killed anypony before. She didn’t even know if her own mind could handle it.

Dusk then said, “Don’t know what fucked-up universe you’re from, but here, killing is second nature. Coast is gone because of it, and you have the nerve to insult him by saying you wouldn’t kill to avenge him? Fuck you!”

Dash was conflicted, really conflicted. Dusk was right in a way, but from what Rainbow Dash had learned over the years, it was never really necessary to kill. The only exception to it was Sombra, but wasn’t he pure evil? Then again, was it necessary?

Dusk continued walking without a word, with Rainbow Dash following closely behind.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

With a can of heated two-hundred-year-old soup, Wreckage took small sips, shivering next to the still-burning building. Although it was impossible to cut her skin, break her bones, or even outright kill her, she could still feel the heat from behind her and the cold from the cement.

Temperature was one of the few things she could feel. Pain was nonexistent to her most of the time. Sometimes, there’d be rare moments, such as an aching back from sitting still for a long time, but that was pretty much it. It wasn’t real pain. It was mere inconvenience.

“We should do that again sometime,~” whispered Burnout.

“Remember when he tried to crawl away? I love those moments,” replied Tracks.

Wreckage ignored the voices as best she could. If she saw another pony, the killing would start all over again. This was something she could never avoid. There were even long moments where she wouldn’t be in control for months. One time, it was a whole year.

Burnout and Tracks were recently able to start up a gang, just to surround themselves with ponies. This was a loophole they could use to keep in control, running entire slaver and trading operations, ensuring they were never alone so that they could kill whoever they wanted in the name of business.

But that pink pony had freed her from their control. By simply firing her out from a cannon into the middle of nowhere, she had finally been able to take full reign of her own body. Something about the pink pony was very familiar, but right now, Wreckage wasn’t focused on that. She simply wanted to eat for now.

As she sipped her soup, the voices stirred. They weren’t the usual anymore. There were more of the voices now. Something was wrong, and she didn’t know what. Who were they…? These weren’t anyone she knew. They began to grow louder and louder until--

A large force slammed into the upper part of the building, sending rubble raining down upon her, chunks of brick hitting her, with one chunk even landing in her can. She shakily stood up and ran away from the building before looking back at it. What she saw didn’t make sense at all.

It was a mangled corpse, twitching and sparking pink static, its muscles visibly moving and trying to pull together, skin attempting to grow back. Wreckage had never seen anything like it before, and she was getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that this wasn’t going to end well.

“More of us, more of us, more of us,” whispered Burnout.

“Oh, wowee,~” said Tracks. “What a rare treat!”

“What is that…?” Wreckage whispered to herself.

The mangled body jerked, forcing itself from out of the brick and falling onto the ground with a PLAP, blood splattering on the ground, bits of meat scattering. The body’s legs forced themselves back into place, sickening noises of bones trying to piece themselves together underneath the mass of wet, bloody muscle.

Skin grew over the bloodied being, a cream coat with red stripes now discernable. The body, now recognizable as a zebra mare of sorts, stood up, skin and fur growing back all over completely to eventually finish its long regeneration.

Wreckage stared with wide eyes, fearful. This wasn’t a normal pony. This was some grotesque monster. Her vision grew blurry, her stomach feeling queasy. “N-No, not again,” she begged.

The mare looked at her with an expression of indifference. “...What’s up with you?”

Wreckage was no longer herself. Standing up on her hind legs, she was now controlled by Burnout, who exclaimed, “I honestly can’t believe it! You’re like us!”

The mare’s lips grimaced a little. “Go somewhere else. I need to think for a minute.”

Burnout grabbed the guitar from behind her back, the strings plucking themselves in a loud power chord. She jumped forward, then landed, swinging down and smashing the mare’s head in with the body of the guitar. Energy crackled, the head slowly growing back as soon as Burnout had removed her weapon.

As soon as the mare’s head finished reforming, her face turned into one of anger. She lunged, wrapping her hooves around Burnout’s neck and slamming her into the ground. “Fuck off!” she shouted.

The mare then noticed that Burnout’s head was completely unharmed. That was odd… it should’ve been crushed. Burnout looked up at her, the eternal smile on her face as she shouted, “OH, YOU’RE GONNA BE FUN!”

The mare quickly jumped back as soon as Burnout swung her guitar, dodging it and asking, “What the hell? You’re immortal, too?”

Burnout replied, “And then some.”

The mare got into a fighting stance, looking intrigued. “That’s pretty rare,” the mare replied. “Hm… I could use a fight...”

“Wow, really?!” Burnout asked with a smirk, running forward on her hind legs, her guitar ready to strike. “Alright then! Come at me! What’s your name?! I wanna put it on your gravestone!”

The mare lunged forward, delivering several blows to very specific points in Burnout’s chest, knocking the wind out of her, tears running down her cheeks as the mare replied, “Name’s Rampage!” she shouted, smirking

Rampage then grabbed Burnout by the waist and pulled her back, slamming her head into the concrete and shattering part of the sidewalk. Burnout quickly recovered, pulling free and punching Rampage in the face with a front hoof, dislocating her jaw.

It didn’t even phase her, energy already sparking to put it back in place while she delivered more hits to Burnout’s stomach and chest, seeming to knock her insides around with precise blows. There was pain, and Burnout loved it.

Burnout suddenly thrust her head forward, knocking her forehead against Rampage’s and creating a crack, sending the striped mare stumbled back. Burnout rushed, pummeling Rampage with heavy hits from the screeching guitar. These blows were sloppy, unrefined, but with raw force. There was a supernatural strength to them. Rampage could sorta understand. Why use fancy techniques when you could take down a pony in two hits?

There was something off, though… This pony was a little too wild. There was an insane look in her eye that told Rampage that this mare might be a bit more murderous than previously thought. As Rampage took the hits, she asked, “Uhh, you okay in the head there?”

“I’m better than okay! Now I’ve got someone I can kill over and over again!” replied Burnout, her grin still present, which quite frankly made Rampage a little more concerned. This mare just didn’t stop smiling. That wasn’t normal, especially in the wasteland, not unless she was some kind of raider.

Rampage quickly recovered, ducking under a swinging hoof. “Stop! Right! Now!” she exclaimed, sending three punches from her front hooves to Burnout’s stomach, chest, and neck.

Burnout felt the pain yet again, making her fall flat on her back. She twitched, her body unable to even figure out how to respond to this. It was completely new to her, and it was exciting to her. To find someone who could fight like this was like finding a needle in a haystack. How was this mare able to hurt her?

“Do you kill others?” asked Rampage. “At least answer tha--”

She didn’t get to finish, but she did get to dodge as Burnout suddenly jumped up, trying to land a hit and missing. Rampage knew now that this wasn’t someone who listened to reason. She knew they were probably going to hurt someone else, as it seemed like they were pretty murder-happy.

Alright, this wasn’t fun anymore. Now it was serious.

Rampage thought as she ducked and weaved, avoiding the swings She couldn’t penetrate Burnout’s skin. She could hurt them, but that wouldn’t do anything significant. “Alright, Rampage, think for a second,” she voiced in her head. “How would Blackjack beat ME?”

Rampage looked around, seeing the four-story wood-and-brick building behind her, her blood still spattered onto the front from where she’d ‘landed’. The faded wooden sign on it read, Power Drill’s Tool Shop.

Perfect.

She ran inside and, oddly enough, the building was already burning. A little strange, but Rampage didn’t really care right now. She looked behind her, seeing the psycho already running in, her guitar pulling its own strings and sounding out a loud rock tune.

“One last chance,” Rampage warned. “Doesn’t gotta be like this. I used to be like you, but… I met someone who told me to do better. No one needs to be hurt.”

“You think I would care about other ponies?” Burnout laughed out. “That’s so fucking dumb!” she said, walking closer on her hind legs. “The way my brother and I see it, ponies are just something to crush! They don’t deserve to live after what they did!”

Rampage thought back to what she had learned during her adventures, then looked into the forever-grinning pony’s eyes. “I can’t help you,” said Rampage, slowly shaking her head. She looked in the corner of the room, spying the shopkeeper's counter, and behind it hung chains on a hook.

The building groaned, threatening to collapse, so Rampage wasted no time running to grab the chains. Turning around, she already saw Burnout getting way too close, swinging her guitar and slamming into Rampage’s side.

Rampage’s body sent out pink sparks of static as it healed the internal damage. Burnout simply swung again, but Rampage grabbed the instrument, clinging tightly pulling Burnout close. Rampage threw the chains over Burnout, the two struggling for control over the violent situation.

“Let go!” shouted Burnout. “I’ll kill you!”

Rampage tightened the chains around Burnout’s legs, binding them as tightly as she could. “You’re not killing anyone,” Rampage muttered. She threw Burnout to the ground, watching her struggle. Rampage then warned, “I’d better not see you again.”

Burnout stared with her grin, exclaiming, “O-Oh, c’mon! You wouldn’t just leave me here, right? We’re like siblings! Immortal buddies! We could rule the wasteland!”

Rampage stepped back, making Burnout’s eyes widen.

“You can’t do this! We’ll find you! We’ll kill you!” she screamed.

“Thanks for the offer,” Rampage replied. “But... this time, I think I’ll pass for now. You probably couldn’t do it anyway...”

As the building already started to crumble, Rampage ran outside, looking back in time to see the structure caving in, Burnout’s enraged screams becoming more muffled until they slowly went silent.

Rampage watched for a while, the flames still barely eating away at what little wood there was left. This was an extremely bizarre set of circumstances, and it seemed very convenient that the building had already been burning, but what was more important to Rampage was that she pulled herself together.

She didn’t know how she ended up back down here, but to her, it almost felt like it was a chance that was given to her. There was someone in her life a long time ago who wanted her to be a happy life. Rampage, deep down, wanted to at least see if she could live up to that.

Looking up and recognizing the nearby tower as Tenpony, she now knew she was in Manehattan. Not the best place to be, but also not the worst. She’d been elsewhere much worse before. Looking at the silent pile of rubble, she sighed, then walked in the direction of Tenpony Tower.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Rainbow Dash and Dusk had been walking for about an hour before Dash eventually spoke up. While she had been contemplative throughout that hour, she still couldn’t find a reason to kill, as it didn’t seem right.

“Look, Dusk… I’m sorry I came across like that,” apologized Dash. “This isn’t my world, and I can definitely tell that from hearing how you explain it.”

Dusk stayed quiet, walking. Dash wasn’t even completely sure whether Dusk heard her or not, or if Dusk was even ignoring her. Dash felt like she was getting the silent treatment, and it didn’t look like it was going to end any time soon.

“I didn’t mean to disrespect his memory by not wanting to… you know,” said Dash. “I was trying to go by my own reasoning, but I guess that’s not good enough here.”

“I know you didn’t,” Dusk said quietly, still walking, not even looking back at Dash.

Dash felt some sort of sting from that, but she didn’t exactly know why. “I have someone close who’s kinda like how Coast was close to you. I know that if I lost her, I’d probably be very upset, so I guess I could understand how you’d feel the way you feel…”

Dusk stopped, finally looking back, a neutral expression on her face. There didn’t seem to be any emotion at all. It was like she was drained of it all. “I know you’re trying to sympathize, but I don’t think it’s going to work right now,” she said. “I know you’re trying to mean well, too, but I’m not in the mood. Sorry.”

Dusk then turned to face the road, continuing her walking with Dash following behind. Dash couldn’t understand it at all. This pony was a secret wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an igneous. At first, she was sad, then she was angry, and now she looked like she just wanted to avoid it.

Rainbow Dash was at a loss for words here. She didn’t know what to say to a mare who had lost what was Dash’s equivalent to Scootaloo. It was something she never wanted to experience herself, so she really wanted to understand Dusk’s feelings on it.

She walked up beside her, keeping a steady pace with her. “U-Um… I’m here for you,” said Dash. “I know I can’t say much, but… I’m really trying to help you, and I hope you know that. We might not have known each other for very long, but nopony should have to go through what you’re going through alone.”

Dusk looked over to Dash, then asked, “You’re not gonna stop, are you?”

“I guess that’s kinda what loyalty is,” replied Dash. “Loyal to my friends and loyal to other ponies. I won’t leave you in this emotional pit alone.”

Dusk raised a brow, and Dash could understand her confusion. Dash was, after all, some stranger who had just arrived in this world, with her own different set of morals and her own concept of loyalty, a concept that was probably still leaving Dusk befuddled.

Dusk finally gave a small hint of a smile, or rather, more of a smirk. “You act like a stable-pony,” she said.

“Is that an insult or a compliment?” asked Dash.

“I guess you could say it’s a little of both,” answered Dusk. “I do appreciate the effort, Dash. I really do. Just need some time to myself.”

“I getcha,” replied Dash. “Just talk to me when you feel up to it, okay?”

Dusk nodded, looking ahead. “That’s odd,” she said.

“What’s odd?” asked Dash, looking at where Dusk’s gaze laid.

In front of them were two creatures standing on two legs, staying still, looking shriveled and weak. The more Dash looked, the more details she caught. Both of them didn’t have a lower jaw, tongue wriggling around out of their mouths.

“Stalkers,” whispered Dusk. “We need to go around.”

“Why?” asked Dash. “They look… um…”

“Doesn’t matter,” said Dusk. “I’m not in the mood to fight death itself today.”

Dash followed her down another road to their right, keeping quiet, watching the stalkers carefully and making sure they didn’t move. Once the stalkers were out of sight, Dash looked on ahead, seeing Dusk make quick glances to the side buildings every now and then.

“It’s very hard to tell whether a stalker has seen you or not,” said Dusk. “They don’t move to indicate that you have seen them, but when they feel you’ve gotten too close, they’ll definitely either attack you immediately or follow you when you’re not looking.”

“What are stalkers, anyway?” asked Dash. “Are they more dangerous than the Enclave?”

“Stalkers are a mystery, really,” answered Dusk. “They were never a serious threat until the Goddess, which was a paranormal force, was gone. Some ponies say she was an actual goddess, keeping these evil creatures at bay.”

“What do you think?” asked Dash.

“I think it’s horseshit,” replied Dusk. “It’s a coincidence in my book.”

Dash heard a whisper, turning back to see nopony behind her. She walked faster until she was side-by-side with Dusk. “I think they’re following us,” Dash whispered.

“We’ve just gotta move out of this area,” Dusk whispered back. “Pretend you don’t see or hear them. They won’t keep following us if we stray too far from their grounds.”

Dash wasn’t too sure about that, seeing glimpses of stalkers every now and then as she looked around. They would be there one second, then be gone the next, making her fur stand on end. “Not liking this,” she whispered.

“Just need to get past this intersection,” said Dusk, pointing to one that was just up ahead. “They should leave after. I’ve never seen a stalker follow someone too far from their original standing spot.”

As they reached the intersection, Dash felt uneasiness in her gut. There were still stalkers, and she could hear their whispering. They whispered awful things, things of torturing, killing, devouring. These whispers seemed to be in Dash’s head, but she knew they weren’t her thoughts. She’d never think of such things.

Suddenly, a shrill cry pierced the silent streets. Dusk’s eyes widened as she spread her wings out, getting ready to take off, but then realized that Dash was unable to fly due to her injured wing. “Shit,” Dusk muttered.

Two stalkers, the ones from earlier, walked out slowly from nearby buildings, their tongues flailing about as they approached. Dusk pulled a weapon of sorts from her bag, the same kind that the Enclave had used on Dash’s wing.

There was no time to simply grab Dash and fly off, the stalkers rushing at insane speeds. Dash could barely register how close they had gotten until Dusk fired her weapon, the laserbeam hitting it directly, turning it to dust.

Dash stepped back, looking down. These things were as fast as her on a good flying day, the creature having traveled across the street near-instantly. How Dusk was able to catch this thing with her weapon in time astounded Dash.

The second stalker stayed still, screeching a high-pitched noise, and before Dash knew it, there were more of them, some climbing out from the windows of the buildings in front of her while others simply walked out from the alleyways. There were at least six more of them now.

They were all waiting for another stalker to call for backup. Dash flapped her wings once, intense pain surging through them. If she had to fly, she would. She didn’t want to end up as some freak’s lunch.

Dusk looked over and said, “You’re crazy. You’re gonna break it if you keep putting strain. That’s energy damage.”

“Did it before,” said Dash. “I can do it again.”

Though, Dash wasn’t so sure of her own statement.

Dusk sighed, then said, “Alright, fine. If you wanna be stubborn, we can play that game.”

Dash wouldn’t be able to fly very high. She was sure her own weight would be too much for herself. She’d need to do what she did best, and dash at fast as she could, low on the ground, probably needing to run every once in a while.

As soon as the first stalker ran forth, Dash kicked off the ground with her legs flying overhead as she flapped twice, landing on the ground in front of another stalker.

Shoot!

She forced another flap, dashing to the side as the stalker in front of her lunged its head at her, tongue ready to pierce her skull. She swiftly dodged him successfully before running on all fours again and flapping her wings again, heading down the street, with Dusk flying high overhead.

Dash wasn’t exactly sure what her own plan was. She just needed to get away from the--

A stalker suddenly scratched at her flanks, red oozing blood dripping out. Dash, looking back, felt the sting of the wind on her rear half, her blood clinging to her coat and getting it messy. Dash took another three flaps, soaring up high, but she couldn’t stay up there for long.

Plummeting back down, she saw yet another stalker, ready to cut off her path, screeching in its own assumed victory, but Dash wasn’t going to give it the satisfaction. As soon as her hooves touched the ground, she kicked off again and landed her hind hooves on the stalker’s face before jumping off into the air.

“I’d love to stay and chat, but I gotta dash!” she shouted, leaving the stalker behind to recover from the pain of having been kicked square in the face.

Dash flapped again, increasing her speed a little right before she landed, resuming her run and hoping these things didn’t catch up. Looking behind her, her own hopes quickly sunk. There were three more of them, running after her, quickly catching up. Her wings were already burning with pain, and she didn’t think she could flap them again.

She was almost caught when two hooves reached under her forelegs and lifted her high up into the air, with the stalkers slashing at the space where she had been. Looking up, she saw that it was Dusk who had rescued her.

“What took you so long?!” asked Dash.

“Hey, shut up!” Dusk shouted back. “You try catching a mare who won’t hold still! I had to wait until you were running in a single direction!”

Dash exhaled, blowing a bit of her rainbow mane from her face as they quickly approached Tenpony tower, the mare glad to have gotten away with her life.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Hindsight sat in a metal chair, staring at a hooded figure from across the table, only their large gray eyes visible. This creature had been recently brought over from another universe through the usage of two tags. Bringing over a pure tag and a corrupted tag, they simply put the pure creature back in its original universe. This put a heavy load on the machine, but the technique still worked.

They were extremely lucky that the creature was capable of surviving high-impact slingshotting against the wall.

“Dr. Scalpel, is it?” asked Hindsight. “You’ve come quite a long way just to get here.”

“You brought me here,” replied the hooded creature. “Don’t act as if I just came here of my own volition. I’m insulted.”

“Forgive me,” said Hindsight. “It’s just that we’ve been looking for creatures like you, creatures with intelligent minds.”

“I outdo most of my colleagues, yes,” replied Dr. Scalpel. “What is your intent?”

“I’ve been looking at Steel Ranger technology, and I am hoping that if I can bring over someone smart enough, I can make something better,” answered Hindsight. “Lord Bale is very specific with his instructions. He tells me when to bring someone over, and even how to find them in the first place.”

Scalpel stared at Hindsight, making the white pegasus smile. Hindsight could see the sins of creatures from other universes as well… It was intriguing to him. This being had stolen technology from an enemy force, and could reverse-engineer it with ease. He was guilty of sacrificing the lives of his own workers to get what he wanted as well.”

“I do dabble in suit technology,” said Scalpel. Special gear is what I primarily work on, but I’m not sure your universe is like ours. Seeing as how this is a bunker, I’m assuming you’ve done something wrong… A nuke, perhaps? Something went kaboom?”

“Wow… You can tell?” asked Hindsight, smirking. “You are indeed correct. We are in what you would probably recognize as a post-apocalypse.”

“Why would I help a species that has so carelessly nearly destroyed themselves?” asked Scalpel. “Why in the world would I waste my time to help you further your destruction?”

“Because I can supply you with a technology powered by magic, something your world doesn’t have,” replied Hindsight with a smug smile. “We both have enemies. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

“Magic being brought over into another world such as mine is impossible,” replied Scalpel.

This sudden statement surprised Hindsight. “Excuse me?”

Scalpel sighed, then said, “Dimensional anomalies. Physics varies from universe to universe. You’re not the only one who can create an interdimensional machine.”

“You’re telling me there are laws that some universes must follow?” guessed Hindsight.

“Correct,” replied Scalpel. “I could bring over some artifact of yours that supplies magic here, but once it crosses over into my world, it would simply become a useless trinket. Magic is different, not known to my universe, and most certainly not known to our own laws of physics.”

Hindsight didn’t like how this sounded. “Perhaps… another offer?”

Scalpel’s large eyes stared, looking annoyed. “Perhaps,” he repeated. “There is another way you could pay me, but I doubt you could do so with post-apocalyptic technology. Your resources must be dwindling by now, correct?”

“It hasn’t been long enough,” Hindsight lied. “We can certainly help you with your own problems.”

Scalpel’s hooded form leaned back in his seat. To Hindsight, Scalpel was almost like an abyssinian, being able to stand on two legs. Whatever universe Scalpel was from, the creatures there were also able to survive being thrown against the walls at high speeds.

“Alright then,” said Scalpel, sighing. “I will help with your suit technology. I will not tolerate any lack of resources. If you want me at my best, I demand you to be at yours.”

“That is acceptable,” replied Hindsight. “I’ll supply you with both Enclave and Steel Ranger suits so that you may study them. I’ll even give you the weapons that you’ll be testing on them. These aren’t the weapons you’re used to. They’re much more powerful, capable of turning you to ashes.”

“I’ve seen worse,” replied Scalpel. “Much worse.”

Hindsight was a little confused at this statement. According to Scalpel, his species utilized horrendous high-pressure pneumatic and hydraulic weapons capable of cutting through the toughest of stone and metal with ease, but they were nothing like magical beam technology.

“Just begin your work tonight,” said Hindsight. “Afterwards, I’ll return you home… if the suits are satisfactory enough.”

“That’s fine,” said Scalpel. “Just keep the materials coming when I ask. I’ll give you a product that’s better than both suits put together.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Landing by the tower, Dusk gently settled Rainbow Dash onto the ground. “Alright… I’m gonna have to go first,” said Dusk, beginning her approach to the tower. As they did, Dash could see the two armored ponies by the entrance bring out their weapons.

“ID, now,” said one of the guards, her tail lifted, guns at the ready on her sides.

Dusk Feather stood her ground, asking, “Who put a lobster in your panties this morning?”

Oh, no.

The mare charged up her weapon, and before she could fire, she heard, “Stand by.”

A white-coated mare with a messy blonde mane walked out the door, looking tired. “Who are you? A citizen?”

“It’s me,” said Dusk. “The pony who… took your whisky stash and gave it to my teammates…?”

“Kill her,” said the white mare.

“Wait!” shouted Dusk. “I brought a gift!”

The white mare sighed, then tapped her front hoof, waiting. “It’d better be good.”

Dusk pulled what appeared to be… a wine bottle from her bag. “It’s aged quite a bit, as you can guess,” she said after setting it down.

The mare walked over, picking it up. Pulling out the cork, she took a quick whiff of it. “Hm… You’re a lucky bitch today, aren’t ya?” she asked. “Managed to dance with the devils twice so far.”

“So, can I come in?” asked Dusk.

“Maybe,” replied the mare. “Not so sure about her.”

Dusk looked over to Dash, who was very confused. “What? What’s wrong with me?” asked Dash. “You got something against me?”

“Don’t forget,” said Dusk. “I’ve told you how they feel about you.”

“Just wash the dye from your mane when you get inside,” said the mare. “I don’t want any complaints from my crew.”

“Uh, this is my natural mane,” replied Dash.

“Then I’ll make arrangements for your funeral,” stated the white mare. “Come on in. Just don’t expect me to protect you every step of the way, so you’d better stay away from the workers.”

As Dusk and Dash walked inside, following the white mare, Dash asked Dusk, “Is this Study Guide?”

“A real bitch, huh?” Dusk answered.

“A bitch who’s still smarter than you,” replied Study Guide. “How’s your rebel life?”

“Wow, touchy,” said Dusk.

“Not my fault I graduated college early,” said Study. “I’m not a fan of the Enclave, but I’m not sympathetic towards rebels, either. Both sides seem to fuck up the battlefield.”

“”At least the rebels are trying to help,” replied Dusk.

“No, they’re not,” Study Guide snapped back as she continued walking. “I’m gonna lay it out for you. Enclave are the parents and the rebels are the offspring. Sure, the parents are bad in the child’s eyes, but so far, it’s been the Enclave that’s been protecting all their little ducklings in Fog City.

“Rebels are basically the kids who’ve grown into snarky teenagers, doing whatever they want and wreaking chaos without any rhyme or reason, just to spite mommy and daddy because the teenagers couldn’t get what they want through the legal process.”

Dusk Feather looked like she was trying to stare holes into the back of Study’s head, and Dash could kinda sympathize. This Study Guide wasn’t doing herself any favors by being so rude. “Why didn’t the legal system work?” asked Dash.

“Because Enclave like to cheat,” answered Dusk.

“They do,” agreed Study Guide. “But, if you’re like me, you can fight back with legality, too.”

“Not everyone can,” argued Dusk. “We’re not all educated enough. Most lawyers are on the Enclave’s side.”

“That’s also true,” said Study. “This is why I like blackmailing. It’s a good hobby of mine.”

This mare blackmails ponies? Dash thought. She didn’t like the sound of that. It sounded dirty and it was against her morals. “Isn’t that like cheating?” asked Dash.

Study Guide turned her head to look at Rainbow Dash, saying, “Cheating is a virtue if it’s in the wasteland. Gotta do what you can to stay above the rest or else you’ll die.”

“I can understand trying to survive the wasteland,” said Dash. “It’s another thing to lie to whatever civilization is left.”

“Someone really believes they’re Rainbow Dash, I see,” commented Study Guide. “Those old morals will get you killed.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe I’d rather do that than cheat,” retorted Dash. “I don’t like how you’re treating ponies.”

“And I don’t like how I still gotta pay taxes in a post-apocalypse, but life is life,” Study Guide quickly responded.

As they walked past soldiers, Dash could see the looks they were giving her. Some looked confused, others looked angry. She didn’t like her current predicament, feeling like she was being judged. Who were they to judge her?

They stepped into an elevator, where Study Guide quickly slammed her hoof against the fifth button. “We’re heading to the research lab,” she said. “Just keep on your hooves and you’ll be fine… maybe.”

Dash and Dusk exchange confused glances at each other, with Dusk asking, “Why do we need to--”

The elevator suddenly rocked back and forth, making Dash and Dusk topple over. Study Guide blinked slowly, looking bored as she pressed the fifth button again. “I don’t think I need to tell you anymore.”

Pulling what appeared to be a small communication device from her coat pocket, she calmly asked, “Can you get that thing off the fourth floor? It’s not supposed to be down there.”

“We’re, uh, having trouble at the moment,” replied a voice from the device. “Pettywing just lost a wing… and a leg… and most of her mane.”

“She can get over it. We have Hydra Plus,” replied Study. “Get it under control now or I’m coming out there myself.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the voice replied. Study put the device back into her pocket, waiting for the elevator to stop.

When the doors opened, Dash and Dusk were met with a bloodied tile floor. Study Guide casually walked out of the elevator and looked back at them, asking, “Well?”

Dash, upon stepping out slowly, saw that most of the room had been repurposed recently, with current construction still going on. There were many cloud bricks in piles, with some of the worker pegasi standing by them and sorting them.

Other pegasi were placing the cloud bricks in place, covering over the older walls of the building. This made it seem to her like Study Guide and her Enclave friends had just recently set up shop here, probably kicking somepony else out in the process.

“Any reason why you’re using cloud bricks?” asked Dusk as she followed Dash.

“Extra layers are nice,” said Study Guide. “It’s useful if we want to keep subjects from escaping by smashing into the walls. This building is old, so we need to improve the rooms we need. Can’t have a stalker busting out. Then again, it already has, but we’ll get it back. We always do.”

“You have a stalker in here?!” shouted Dash. “Are you crazy?! I just went up against several of those things!”

Study Guide slowly rolled her eyes and sarcastically replied, “Bravo. You want a medal?”

Dusk held Rainbow back a bit, saying, “I think what she’s saying is that it’s probably not the best idea to keep something so dangerous in a place where there’s so many innocent ponies.”

“What we do is Enclave business,” said Study Guide. “It’s not something I’d expect a couple of dashites to understand.”

“This is literally ponies’ lives we’re talking about,” Dash objected. “You can’t just keep something like that in here!”

“I can, and I have been for several days,” said Study. “I’ve done this countless times, with the utmost caution. If you have questions on how I run things, then maybe you should report to the authorities. Then again, I don’t think that’s in your best interest, considering your current rogue status.”

Dusk nodded, saying, “We’ll just keep quiet for now.”

Dash didn’t like Study Guide one bit. This pony was endangering the lives of others and treated it like it was nothing. But Dash also knew that they couldn’t really do anything about it at the moment, as they were surrounded by Enclave forces. This professor was the only pony keeping them all from firing off their guns.

As Study Guide led them down the hallway, she looked back, saying, “I hope you don’t mind. I’ll be performing some tests before I can find you a room to stay in.”

“What kind of tests?” asked Dusk.

Opening the door at the end of the hallway, they entered a large room with a single glass wall in the middle, splitting the room into two halves. On the other side of the glass wall were several stalkers, roaming around, their tongue flailing as they tried to find prey to hunt down.

Dash tensed up, realizing that this professor was quite possibly insane. “Why are there so many?!” she asked.

“It’s helpful,” replied Study Guide, walking up to the wall. She knocked on the glass, startling the stalkiers. “Hey, idiots. Over here.”

The stalkers immediately all pounced at the glass, with Study Guide remaining still and calm. Dash noticed a small smirk on her face. Was this pony actually enjoying this?

Study Guide went over to a small table in the corner of the room, picking up a clipboard and pen. “Stalkers are unaware of ponies on the other side, as expected. They certainly reacted to the noise.”

Dash could see the stalkers scrambling over each other, trying to get back up. When they were able to get themselves upright, they merely started roaming as they were doing earlier. “These things aren’t natural,” muttered Dash.

“Of course not,” said Study. “This is what you get when you play with too much magic.”

“How did one of them escape?” asked Dusk.

“Don’t know. There are no holes in here that we know of,” replied Study. “My guess is that a pony decided to play stupid and raised the glass. That would explain why one of our own is missing.”

Study Guide took out her device, asking, “Can we bring the alicorn in?”

“Alicorn?” asked Dash. “Twilight and the princesses are here?!”

“Don’t tell me you’re one of ‘em,” said Study. “Yes, there’s some lookalikes here, but none of them are who I’m asking for.”

A door on the other side of the room opened up, a tall, green alicorn stepping through. She walked by the stalkers cautiously, and, one by one, the stalkers scrambled, two of them getting onto their knees, hand clasped together, while the other three ran into whatever corner they could.

Study Guide wrote down the results in her clipboard. “Just one alicorn is enough to scare five stalkers. You’d think they’d be brave enough to gang up on it.”

Dash had never seen an alicorn other than the ones she normally knew. Then again, this was another universe. At least, she hoped it was just another universe. “Can we go yet?” she asked.

“Mhm,” replied Study, tossing the clipboard back onto the table. “Weird… They can detect alicorns through glass walls, but not ponies. In a previous test, we did something similar, and the stalker reacted in the same way.”

Dusk raised a brow and said, “We’re not your scientists.”

Dash nodded, adding, “Yeah, can we hurry?”

Study Guide sighed, then motioned with her wing for them to follow. “You’re lucky I even let you in the building.”

As they went back up the hall and into the elevator, Study Guide pressed the third button. Her coat suddenly beeped, a voice from her communication device stating, “We’ve recaptured the stalker.”

Study Guide replied, “Kill it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied the voice, followed by the sound of an energy rifle going off.

Rainbow Dash was very unsettled. These weren’t her morals and this wasn’t her world. This was straight out of a horror novel. She steeled her nerves as best she could, trying to keep her cool.

As the elevator opened up, Study Guide led them into a large room with plush carpet. “Your room will be this way,” said Study Guide. “You’ll need to share it, because we don’t have enough. This will be considered a temporary stay. If you wish to apply for a permanent residence, then you will have to speak with Miss Pettyfeather Pettywing. She’s in charge of the rent services. However, you’ll have to wait, as she’s currently missing a limb… and her wing… and most of her mane. We’ll fix her later.”

As they walked to the other side of the room, Study Guide opened a door that led into yet another hallway, one with doors on either side, and another door on the opposite end. As they walked down that hallway, Rainbow Dash could hear a familiar voice.

“Spike, where did you get that?” the voice asked.

Spike replied, “Found it on that mare’s desk.”

Study Guide walked into the room, calming saying, “Put down the snack cake or I’ll have you arrested.”

There was Twilight and Spike, standing with the two princesses and an abyssinian. Rainbow Dash wasted no time in running up to Twilight.

“Where were you?!” asked Dash.

“Trying to find you guys,” replied Twilight. “Look, this may sound weird, but I think we’re in another--”

“Universe?!” Dash finished.

“Yeah!” confirmed Twilight. “How’d you…?”

“Took me a while, but I figured it out on my own,” Dash replied. “Also, this is kinda like one of Daring Do’s books, the one where she entered the darker version of our world.”

“Wasn’t that a fanfiction?” asked Twilight.

“Oh, yeah,” confirmed Dash. “It was.”

“I’m gonna take a guess here,” said the abyssinian. “This is… Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah,” answered Dash. “What’s up?”

“Hey there,” he replied. “I’m Tricks! I helped Twilight get here!”

“Well, anyone who’s a friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine,” stated Dash, holding out her hoof, shaking Tricks’ hand.

“And this is Dusk, she--” Rainbow Dash was about to introduce Dusk, but looking at her, she saw her mouth agape, her rebel friend in shock.

“Uh, Dusk? Are you okay?” asked Dash, waving a hoof in Dusk’s face.

Dusk shook her head, eyeing Tricks with what looked to be suspicion. “Uh, y-yeah… Just… had a thought was all. It was nothing.”

“What’s wrong?” Tricks asked, with Dusk flinching at his question.

“You just… sound like someone I knew,” replied Dusk. “I-It’s dumb, let’s ignore it.”

“You sure?” asked Dash. “You seem out of it.”

“Yeah,” replied Dusk. “I’ll be fine.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Scalpel was no stranger to science, that much was certain. As Hindsight watched the two-legged robed creature work, he began to wonder if this was even a good idea in the first place. He had brought over someone with an intellect possibly greater than his. Although he wasn’t sure if that was the case, he was still fearful of the possibility.

Then again, who was he to question Lord Bale’s commands? He had to keep faith, that’s all. Surely, this “Doctor Scalpel” would help to improve the armor and create something for Hindsight’s own usage.

“I know you’re watching,” said Scalpel.

“I am aware,” replied Hindsight.

“You know, it’s interesting,” said Scalpel. “When I first came through, I couldn’t understand your language at all, but when that unicorn used his magic, it was like a sudden clarity. Is all magic like this here, being a tool of enlightenment? Or do you use it for your own gain?”

“I don’t think that’s for you or I to decide,” replied Hindsight.

“I think,” replied Scalpel, “that it should be put to greater use. It’s a waste, being used for weaponry. Imagine all the things your society could have done had they focused on things other than war.”

“You don’t know the circumstances that led up to it all,” debated Hindsight, walking up to Scalpel from behind. “You’re asking too many questions. Do I need to remind you that we hold your only way home?”

“You’re not my only way home, however,” replied Scalpel.

Hindsight was surprised. Scalpel was able to get back home? “How?” asked Hindsight.

“It’s not much, but I’m tied to a device already,” stated Scalpel. “Whenever I want, I can go back home, whether I’m in my own universe or another. I do this work right now because I find it fascinating. You do indeed hold technology I could use.”

Hindsight raised a brow, then asked, “What is your world like?”

Scalpel chuckled. “Do you really wish to know?”

Hindsight nodded. “I do.”

“Very well,” said Scalpel. “My species is highly advanced. Although most of us are still very much primitives, there are those of us who decided to take on scientific research. We have a very aggressive hierarchy.”

“What kind of hierarchy?” asked Hindsight.

“It’s simple, really,” said Scalpel. “The more skilled you are, the better you are. The more tenacity you have, the more likely you are to achieve your goals. No mercy for the weak. Kill them before they kill you. We still practice that mindset, but in a much more complex and somewhat ethical way.”

“And yet you’re not at war?” assumed Hindsight.

“We were at some point,” replied Scalpel. “It’s complicated now. Always has been, always will be.”

“It’s odd,” said Hindsight. “No matter what universe we pull from, there’s always struggle.”

“Did you really just assume there’d be one peaceful universe?” asked Scalpel.

“Is that not a possibility, among the infinite number of them out there?” queried Hindsight. “Surely, there must be at least one if not a few.”

Scalpel shuffled a bit under his robes and said, “Hand me that screwdriver, if you would.”

Hindsight nudged the tool over with a wing, still waiting for his answer.

As Scalpel took the screwdriver into his bandage-covered hands, he replied, “There’s no such thing as peace, even in a supposed perfect universe.”

“Why?” asked Hindsight.

“There’s an odd force out there,” answered Scalpel. “It’s there, and it is aware of us. It does everything it can to create a conflict. I assume it’s what caused your war, and what also caused ours.”

“Is this force malevolent?” asked Hindsight. “Can we stop it?”

“If there was a way to stop it, then I would have done so long ago,” whispered Scalpel, sounding a bit disappointed. “Bear in mind, I will leave this universe and never come back. You’d best make good use of my tech.”

Hindsight was very worried now. If there was really something out there that lived to cause pain to others through devastating conflicts such as war, did that mean that Hindsight’s goals were meaningless? Regardless...

“We just need you to do one more thing,” said Hindsight.

“And that would be?” asked Scalpel.

Hindsight then answered, “We want you to help with fixing up a factory for us. It’s old, it’s abandoned. We can power it, but we need the expertise in putting it back in working order. Are you able to do such a thing?”

Scalpel twirled the screwdriver in between his fingers. “Perhaps… Just provide me the tools and the metals I ask for.”

“By Lord Bale’s will, it will be done,” replied Hindsight.

Author's Note

This chapter was quick work, and with Somber's approval, too. Be aware that this chapter may be subject to change due to any author's request. We wish to respect their characters and we only wish to entertain the fandom with quality pieces of literature and other media.

Unlikely Friendships

“I've learned that sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives… Even when they don't always seem to make sense.” - Twilight Sparkle

"Why stop me, Zebra?" Taipan hissed as a badly-injured hateling flew away. "Food for week gone."

Fluttershy didn’t know what she’d be in for when she agreed to travelling with her new companions. At most, she thought there’d be a few pleasant conversations. This wasn’t pleasant at all.

“We cannot simply stop in the middle of the wasteland for a kill every time you see a bug,” retorted Zone. From what Fluttershy had gathered, Taipan’s species was known for hunting down hatelings and various other things, but it was mostly hatelings.

Taipan’s natural instinct to attack a hateling at first glance often drew comments from Zone, who would say that it was nearly barbaric, which would make the scorpony call Zone a hypocrite, as Zone also lived in similar condition

“There always needs to be a strategy,” said Zone. “You cannot simply attack at first glance. What makes you think you’ll get them every time?”

"Would have that time, but you saved food," Taipan growled as she slammed her tail on the ground, kicking up dust.

“Hmph… It is foolish,” replied Zone. “We zebra have a long history of hunting. There is also no sport in it, as it does not feel to be equal ground for both participants.”

“Did your tribe hunt animals, too?” asked Fluttershy as she walked.

“We have hunted animals, and we have hunted more than animals. The animals are for food, while the others are merely in defense.”

“But why would a zebra eat meat?” asked Fluttershy.

Zone gave an incredulous expression, surprised by such a question. “Look around you!” she exclaimed, her hoof outstretched, moving in a circular motion. “Do you not see that all plant life is gone? The land is barren, and we have nothing else!”

Fluttershy looked over to Taipan and asked, “Is this true? The entire land here is barren?”

"Kinda, might find weed or a dead tree," Taipan replied as she pointed to an example of a said tree about five hundred yards out from them.

“It is because of this that we hunt for meat,” added Zone. “Ponies would certainly understand in some sense, but ponies still have access to the occasional snack cake or canned food.”

Fluttershy rubbed the back of her neck, a little uncomfortable. “Zecora’s never told me about any of this.”

Zone raised a brow. “You do not come from this world, do you?”

“I am from Equestria,” answered Fluttershy.

“I believe you,” replied Zone. “It is just that I do not think you are from here here.”

“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy.

“I think you are from an Equestria that is elsewhere,” answered Zone. “Such tales have been told by my tribe, of heroes who come from a realm that is elsewhere.”

"Big whoop. No one want to hear you chanting stories all night." Taipan complained the group resumed its journey.

Zone glared at Taipan with an annoyed expression. “Brutish and disrespectful. Not a good combination of traits.”

"No. Me just haven't eaten since we left,” replied Taipan. As if to provide proof, her stomach growled loudly enough to make Fluttershy flinch.

As they made their way into Manehattan, heading into the city limit, Zone replied, “Well, we’ll have to find something else then. If you wish to eat, I am certain that Tenpony Tower will have something. Just don’t attack anyone else.”

“Oh, I don’t think she’d do that,” said Fluttershy. “I’m sure this will all blow over, we’ll find my friends, and we’ll figure everything out.”

“You put a lot of faith in these friends of yours,” Zone remarked.

“We’ve been through everything together,” said Fluttershy.

Taipan looked at Fluttershy with a caring conveyance and asked, ”Your friends are your pack?"

Fluttershy nodded and said, “You could say that.”

Zone looked away, contemplation on her face. Fluttershy could see some hint of… sadness? Zone simply commented, “I see.”

“Do you think we’ll get to the tower soon?” she asked.

“Just a few hours,” said Zone. “It is a big city, and Tenpony Tower is near the center. We will get there before nightfall.”

Fluttershy was hopeful that she’d find her friends. She simply had the feeling they’d all be at Tenpony Tower. And if they weren’t she might still be able to find some other leads. After all, she had been through everything with the others, so she should be able to handle this situation as well.

Zone looked over to Taipan and asked, “Why do you want to start your own pack? It is a big decision, and certainly holds many responsibilities.”

"Because me want prove to self that I can do it. Spread my kind to new places," Taipan explained, jumping on a long-abandoned cart, her weight causing it to creak under the strain.

“Hm… You will need to be able to defend your pack,” replied Zone, a small smirk on her face. “You would need to be able to fight anything that comes to threaten you. Do you really think you have what it takes?”

"Only way to find out is to do."

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Starlight and Trixie were horrified. Stable Eighty-Three was a place of torture, a place where unicorns were forced to live without their magic, and if they had ever resisted, they’d have their horns forcibly removed.

Starlight and Trixie had found the office of the “Overmare.” Inside, there was a skeleton laying back in the desk chair. On the desk was what looked like one of the weapons those stallions had been chasing Starlight and Trixie with earlier.

Starlight could only assume something had gone horribly wrong, and that the Overmare might have taken her own life. Even further evidence was provided on the terminal. The terminal, still on, displayed a message.

After sixteen years and twenty-nine days, it has become apparent that this stable can no longer function the way it was originally intended. I’ve been in charge for more than a decade and I can safely say that we’ve lost all control of the unicorns.

They have escaped the stable, and the residents, upon hearing this, have decided to leave, considering it is no longer safe. The stable door is now beyond repair, allowing everyone in and out as they please, due to a unicorn messing with the internal controls. We’ve even tried to destroy the controls outside the vault, but it was built just as sturdy as the doors.

As for the orchards on the bottom level, they have been completely destroyed by rebels, leaving us without a steady supply of food. Many of the residents are gone now, and I am the only one left. I will not be leaving. This is my last message. I am a failure, and I was only the first Overmare.

Starlight looked at the skeleton. Seeing the horn on it, she couldn’t help but feel there was a bit of irony. In fact, it reminded Starlight of her village, and she shivered at that thought, comparing herself to the Overmare.

Trixie, looking through the Overmare’s file cabinet, pulled out a folder, saying, “I found something.”

Starlight looked up at Trixie, sighing, a little saddened. “What’s up?” Starlight asked.

“Turns out your magic isn’t gone forever,” said Trixie. “It just takes months to return, up to a year or even more. They did bi-monthly checkups on the unicorns, and would use some suppression device whenever a unicorn’s magic returned.”

“A year?!” Starlight exclaimed. “I can’t be without magic for a year!”

“At least it’s not forever, right?” reasoned Trixie.

“No, Trixie!” said Starlight. “We need to find Twilight and the others and fix this!”

“Well, there isn’t really a way out of here other than from where we came in,” Trixie pointed out.

Starlight didn’t feel like going back out there, but considering that point, it was difficult to ignore. How long had they been down here? To her, it felt like several hours. Would those ponies be gone if they went back? She doubted that anypony would just wait around in the same place looking for two random mares.

With this in mind, Starlight sighed and said, “Fine, but if they’re still out there, I’m blaming you.”

“I’m fine with that,” replied Trixie.

Starlight looked at the skeleton one final time before heading out, unable to keep from comparing herself to this Overmare.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Ember stood in front of the entrance to a massive cave. This “Watcher” had given her directions to Dragon Mountain, where she was to supposedly meet him. Surrounding her, there was nothing but the wide open skies and the rocky mountain surface she stood on.

“Hello?” she called out, her voice echoing from the cave. “Uh, I’m here.”

There was no response, and Ember was beginning to wonder if she had been led astray. Suddenly, she heard thudding, rhythmic and loud. What came out of the darkness was a gargantuan beast of a dragon.

He looked down at her, exuding a serious aura, with his expression looking very stern and no-nonsensical. His scales, from what she could see as the light hit them, were a very familiar shade of purple, with a very familiar light-green underbelly. On his back, he adorned green spines.

Looking at her with one green eye, the right one having been utterly destroyed, he asked in a booming voice, “You mind telling me why there are literal corpses from my past walking around Manehattan?”

“Uh, I… don’t know what you’re talking about…?” replied Ember, looking up at him with the most puzzled of looks. “You’re… very familiar,” she said. “You wouldn’t happen to be related to a certain… baby dragon I know, would you?”

Watcher released a puff of smoke from his nostrils. He turned around, walking inside. “Come on. I need to show you something.”

Ember, walking after him, was surprised at how big this cave was, as it was much larger than she thought it’d be. Near the back, there were a variety of strange machines, with screens showing different locations in the wasteland.

On each screen were some of her friends, and Watcher, motioning to the set of screens with his claws, said, “You know, when I woke up today, I didn’t think I’d be seeing ghosts.”

Ember tried to put two and two together, from what he was saying to what was on the screen, along with his own colors. “Spike? Is that you…?”

“Who are you?” he asked. “And what in the Wasteland is going on?”

Ember wasn’t sure how to reply. This was possibly a future spike, but… that would mean that they actually did travel through time. Ponies, she thought. I blame the ponies. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “All I know was that I had a meeting at Princess Twilight’s castle, went into the badlands, then got sucked in through a portal. Frankly, I blame pony magic.”

Watcher’s left eye twitched as he tried to collect his thoughts. “Princess Twilight? Castle? Portal?”

“Yeah, yeah, and yeah, in any order you’d like,” answered Ember.

Watcher slumped a bit, unleashing a large cloud a smoke from his mouth as he sighed. “Never thought I’d see this happening. It’s like a big slap in the face. I don’t know if I’m dreaming or if I’m being tricked, and if it’s either of the two, it’s sickening, haunting me and torturing me with what used to be.”

Ember walked up to the screens, then said, “I… don’t think you’re dreaming.”

Watcher, or… Spike, looked at her, saying, “Then what’s going on? I need to know, now.”

Ember replied with an unsure expression, “It’s a long story. Do you really wanna know?”

The older Spike nodded slowly, expectant to hear everything.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Zone was in her fighting stance, standing a few feet away from Taipan. Zone was prepared to show off her skills and to put this scorpion in its place. Fluttershy, sitting on a rotting bench, wasn’t sure how to calm the situation. They had just arrived at Tenpony Tower, but Zone and Taipan wanted to settle a score before attempting to go inside.

“So, Miss Taipan. You wish to show me what you can really do?” asked Zone, looking serious.

Taipan’s pincers glowed as she channeled her magic. "Sick of you talking down to me," she growled, preparing to strike.

“Do you expect respect when you haven’t earned it from me?” Zone smugly asked. “We are from two different cultures. In my tribe, I was forced to earn respect, and even then, I did not always get it. Come at me, bug.”

That did it. Taipan unleashed the furious barrage of magical stingers from before. Without thinking, Zone quickly dodged to the side and closed in quickly, jumping and getting ready to slam the entire weight of her tail down onto the scorpony.

Taipan instinctively moved out of the way, firing more of her stingers. Zone jumped back up, her tail taking at least one of two of the stingers. Zone, wasting no time, ran around Taipan, trying to confuse her with false movements. When it looked like she was turning one way, she’d actually go in the opposite direction, attempting to throw off Taipan’s aim.

Taipan, studying the movements, fired her pins, directly hitting Zone in the side. Zone’s own body slowed down, but she didn’t stop, her own willpower keeping her going. If she was going to go down, she at least wanted to take her opponent down to the same level.

Zone rushed forward, taking on the full force of Taipan’s pin-missiles, the stingers embedded deep in Zone’s own body. As she got in close, she turned, slamming her tail against Taipan before they both dropped, with Zone slumping down in her spot, and with Taipan skidding across the road.

Fluttershy, hooves to her mouth, gasped. Suddenly, she heard a crunching noise next to her. Confused, she turned, seeing an earth pony with a long, black mane and red eyes, holding a large red and white bucket of popcorn.

“You really know how to pick your friends, Fluttershy,” he said.

Fluttershy was puzzled. “Um, Who might you be?”

“Really? You don’t recognize me?” he asked. “I’m quite frankly offended. I thought we were friends!”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” replied Fluttershy. “I… really don’t know who you are!”

“I guess that’s understandable,” he replied. “I mean, if Rainbow Dash suddenly decided to get rid of that gaudy mane of hers and go with a normal fashion, I suppose no one would recognize her either.”

“So, who are you?” asked Fluttershy.

“Why, it’s me! Discord!” he replied.

“Oohhh,” she replied, nodding her head in understanding. “Um… I’m sorry, but I need to go see if they’re okay. Could you help?”

“I’m sorry, but I can no longer do that. Plot armor and all,” he replied.

Fluttershy tilted her head. “What?”

“It’s nothing,” said Discord. “I can only say that I’ve been temporarily nerfed like a videogame character would be a week after being released.”

Fluttershy didn’t know why Discord was in such a predicament, but at the moment, Zone was… getting back up??? Zone stumbled over to Taipan, looking down at her with what looked to be respect as she held out her hoof.

“You’re very formidable,” said Zone. “I would help you up with both my hooves, but one seems to be unresponsive.”

Taipan takes the hoof and with a smile says. "Underestimating foe will be your biggest fail."

“Perhaps,” replied Zone. “I will be warrier in the future.”

Fluttershy walked up to the two and asked, “Shall we head into the tower?”

“I am ready,” Zone answered.

"How you not dead" Taipan asked Zone as she followed lamely.

Zone looked back at Taipan. “Hm… Perhaps it is because I have such strange genes. This is not the first time I have grown resistant to a poison.”

“Oh, my,” uttered Fluttershy.

“Can we get going?” Discord commented. “I don’t have all millennia. I’d rather we get to a place where I can safely explain the horrific sidequest we have to do.”

As they made their way to the tower, there was already a white mare with a blonde mane waiting by the door. She took one look at Zone and said, “You, stripe, get going. I don’t want to do paperwork if they decide to disintegrate you.”

Zone looked over to Taipan and said, “You want me to leave, but the scorpion stays?”

The mare looked over to the scorpony and said, “We have an antidote for poison, but not for racism from Enclave troops.”

"What racism?" Taipan curiously thought out loud.

The mare replied, “I can understand you’re primitive, but do you ever pass down stories vocally? There has been racism going on between ponies and zebras for over two hundred years.”

“Oh, that’s no good,” said Fluttershy.

The mare took one look at Fluttershy, blinking multiple times in what seemed to confusion. She looked down at the wine bottle in her hoof and cautiously sniffed at the lid. “This must either be a bad batch, or I’m having one of those days.”

“What days?” asked Fluttershy.

The mare shook her head and sighed, saying, “I am Professor Study Guide. I assume you’re here to ‘find your friends’, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Oh! You’ve seen them?!” she asked with hope in her voice. Study Guide’s upper lip partially raised in disgust and annoyance.

“Yes,” Study answered. “The zebra must stay outside, though.”

"Oh, me remember you. You brought food to us for something," Taipan mused. "Me was little when it happened, so me not remember much."

Study Guide squinted her eyes at the creature, then asked, “Aren’t you the brat that kept getting into the food storage?”

Taipan nodded excitedly. "Me was very full after that."

Study Guide looked down at her bottle. “Alright, Study. Just gotta make it through today…” she said to herself.

“Is something wrong?” asked Fluttershy.

“It’s nothing,” Study replied. “Follow me.”

As the group followed, she looked back at Zone, then asked, “What did I say?”

Zone grumbled to herself, staying outside by the door.

Study Guide proceeded to lead the group into the elevator, saying, “Be aware, we’ve been experiencing breakouts of monsters in the building. Don’t go to the fifth floor.

“Doing a little mad science, doc?” asked Discord, looking smug.

“Enclave loves their pets,” Study answered.

While the elevator rose, Fluttershy could hear a very familiar tune playing from the elevator. Even without the lyrics, she could recognize it as the song Pinkie sang for Dash at her birthday party. She swayed her head to the song, smiling and imagining a happier place.

The elevator suddenly jerked to a halt, the lights dimming, screams emanating from above, making Study Guide sigh. “Damn it… I thought I could avoid paperwork today, but apparently fate wants to screw me over.”

Blood dripped into the elevator from the top of the door, Fluttershy’s eyes widening as she watched it slowly ooze down. She stepped back, pressing against the back wall. “I-Is that, is that, is that…?!”

“Really?” asked Study. “You commit to the part well…”

Discord covered Fluttershy’s eyes with his hoof, pressing the third floor button. With a grinding screech, the elevator proceeded onward. Study Guide pulled a device from her pocket and asked into it, “Can anyone tell me how a stalker managed to get to the second floor? If the entire third floor was massacred on the way down, I refuse to do any more paperwork.”

The door opened up, revealing that the ponies in the third floor waiting room were completely unharmed. Study Guide raised a brow, then said, “It must’ve gone through the vents and went past this floor entirely. But, after thinking about it, it makes sense. Stalkers won’t take on an entire crowd of ponies. It normally hunts for duos or singles.”

Fluttershy trembled as she walked out of the elevator, her face pale.

Taipan hugged Fluttershy. "It’s okay, cloudwalker. They were probably only injured… probably."

Fluttershy wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse.

Discord then said to Taipan, “Well, you gave a shot. I give it an eight out of ten.”

Study Guide guided them into a narrow hallway with doors on either side, saying, “If you need anything, I will not be available. If you are dying, I will not be held responsible. Upon entering your room, you hereby agree that should anything happen to you, it is not on me.”

Opening one of the doors, she stepped aside. “After you, Ministry Mare.”

Fluttershy didn’t quite understand what a ministry mare was, or if it was a compliment or an insult. She went into the room, her eyes catching Twilight and Rainbow Dash in her vision. A smile spread across her face and she hugged both of them at once. “Oh, my gosh! You have no idea what I’ve been through earlier!”

Twilight and Dash looked at each other with a look of unease. Twilight responded, “I’m pretty sure we do.”

“This place is crazy!” exclaimed Dash. “I can’t turn around a corner without running into some monster!”

“Oh, my,” said Fluttershy.

Study Guide took a deep breath, then sighed, saying, “I think I’m going to have to ask you three to stay in this tower until further notice. I’m usually a skeptic, but…”

She looked at Rainbow Dash, saying, “It’s hard to find mirror-perfect copycats in the wasteland.”

A red-maned mare behind Rainbow Dash spoke up, saying, “Hold on, you’re not gonna…?”

“I can,” Study Guide replied. “I might.”

"I'm gonna find some food." Taipan said to no one in particular before attempting to wander off”

“Hold up,” said Study Guide, stepping in front of her.. “Let me fill you in on your situation here. There’s a scheduled time for rations. You can’t just go looking for food in the tower, and, considering your species’ habit of hunting, I can’t just let you wander.

Taipan snorted. "Bah, your rules too much of pain in flank. Hungry now,” she said, then continued on her way sniffing the air as she moved.

Study Guide stepped in front of her yet again. “Then go outside and hunt with your zebra friend.”

"Must you be annoying?" Taipan asked. She walked into the room, then looked at Zone down below from the window before leaving the room once again. "Fine, but be back soon."

Twilight then asked Study Guide, “What is she, exactly?”

“That, Miss Copycat, is a scorpony. They’re normally found in remote areas of the wasteland, but it’s not uncommon to see them settle in places near Manehattan.”

“You treat her as if she’s a subject of study,” Twilight objected.

She received a glare from Study Guide, who replied, “I’m sorry, are you the researcher here? Have you been through what I have? You may be a citizen of the wasteland, but I’ve been assigned to go directly into the heart of the most dangerous areas. I’m pretty sure I can classify a scorpony as a subject of study, because at some point in my life, they were.”

Twilight seemed to be caught off guard by the rant. She timidly replied, “Well, could you at least try to be friendly towards them?”

Study Guide rubbed her chin, saying to herself, “Hmm… be friendly to a creature whose sole purpose is to kill and devour?”

Twilight was, to say the least, a bit surprised. “Kill and devour?”

Study Guide nodded, saying, “Yes, and if they sting you before you can escape, you have a slight chance of dying. Ponies are naturally resistant, but there are some whose bodies cannot handle the toxin.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Just because she can hurt a pony doesn’t mean she will.”

“That may be so,” said Study Guide, “but the very fact that they were raised to hunt would normally put any wastelander in a cautionary state. I don’t take the risks.”

Finally, it was Fluttershy who chimed in, “But I’ve met the scorpony tribe outside of Manehattan. They were fairly reasonable.”

Study Guide rubbed her forehead, trying to get rid of her headache. “I wouldn’t call them fair. Nothing is fair when it comes to death and destruction. They are, in their entirety, hunters, and they will not give you the chance to escape should they decide that you look like brahmin steak.”

“I really think you’re assuming too much,” said Spike. “I mean, I’m a dragon, and I’m not going around eating anypony.”

Study Guide looked down at him and said, “You’re a baby dragon. Besides, they’re not capable of caring for anyone else unless they can get something out of it. It’s literally how their tribes work.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Zone peered at the hateling from afar. She wanted to approach with some caution, perhaps a bit of a struggle, but with an eventual takedown. Thinking to herself, she planned out her attack, guesstimating whether or not she should go with her zebra arts or just use her tail.

Then again, her tail wasn’t doing so well after her fight with Taipan. She could attempt to approach from behind, then silently take down the foe. She nodded to herself, now certain of what her plan would be.

As she was about to approach, Taipan simply rushed as fast as she could, stingers already being fired from her tail. The hateling hissed, not expecting a surprise attack. He quickly flew up, narrowly dodging. Taipan quickly aimed up, and just as she was about to fire, Zone quickly knocked her aside with a few hits from the side. The stingers fired, missing the hateling, who stuck their tongue out before flying away.

Zone growled, “Why do you do this?! Do you not realize I had a plan of attack?! Or are you so hungry that your stomach thinks instead of your brain?!”

"This second time you stop attack, and you ruin hunt." Taipan growled " I had that! Then you hit me!"

“Oh, so you think you can do better?!” Zone shouted. “There is more to hunting than just rushing! It takes skill! It takes technique! It takes strategy! I’ve had enough of this! I’m going to hunt on my own!”

"Fine, me get more food than you." Taipan shouted back before going after the hateling that was more than likely nearby feeding on the sudden flow of hate.

Zone furiously turned away, her back to Taipan as she walked off, wandering down the streets. Anger ran through her system, the zebra-dragon hybrid having been fed up with her scorpion acquaintance.

It was only after she had gone three roads away did she calm down, her mind a little more focused this time. She took a deep breath, then exhaled, smoke coming from her mouth. She looked around herself, trying to determine where some lesser creature would hide.

It was then that she heard a familiar humming, a tune that made her fur stand up. Turning around, she saw him. It was another zebra, one with their hair in braids, a scar across their neck and eyes that radiated a blue that would remind one of the ocean.

On his flank, there was a zebra glyph, a special character that most zebras would paint to signify their names or what they stood for. This zebra name, however, was the symbol of death in her culture. He took one look at Zone and said, “It’s odd to see you out here. Did you decide to live among the trash where you belong?”

Zone’s tail slammed against the ground in warning, the zebragon not liking his presence. “Zion,” she replied. “Why, out of all zebras, did I run into you today? It could not be a mere coincidence.”

“You’re right,” he replied, walking forward. “Father was very explicit in his instructions. You may not recognize his authority, but that’s only natural. You were never one of us in the first place. You should’ve been put down the moment you were born.”

“Tell him I want nothing to do with you! You are not my tribe any longer!” she replied, teeth bared, smoke pluming outwards from her nostrils.

“Sorry,” Zion replied. “Even if you’ve left, I can’t let you live any longer.”

Before Zone could recognize his style of walking, it was already too late. He suddenly sprinted, closing in and slamming a hoof into her chest, knocking her back. She quickly recovered, stumbling a little as she stepped back, standing up on her hind hooves in a fighting stance.

“Don’t resist!” he shouted, sending a hit that was quickly blocked by one of her front hooves. She turned, slamming her tail into him, sending him skidding. She felt confidence from that, but it soon turned into hopelessness as he sprinted back at her, a quick jab to her stomach knocking the wind out of her. She attempted to slam her tail into him, but he quickly jumped back, avoiding the swing, then simply continued to pummel into her.

Zone was facing a foe above her league at this point, her injuries from fighting Taipan only making things worse. He had a stone-cold expression as he jabbed at her chest and stomach with quick precision, not giving her any chance to recover. He then finished with a kick that sent her flying into the wall of the building behind her.

Zone was disoriented, unable to properly get up. Every time she tried, the pain only worsened, making her collapse. Zion slowly approached her, looking down on her with an expression of disgust.

“Filthy hybrid,” he said. “Should’ve died in the womb.”

Zone looked up at him, her vision blurring. “At least I didn’t kill my own mate like you did.”

Zion’s eyes were suddenly alight with an anger within. He raised his front half, then slammed his hooves down on her side, making her groan with pain. “You want to know where yours is?”

Zone didn’t answer, her body still aching.

“Let’s just say he decided to try and play hero last week,” continued Zion. “The game didn’t end well.”

Zone felt anger brewing in the pit of her soul, but her body just wouldn’t respond to it. She merely slammed her tail against the ground in futility.

“But don’t worry,” assured Zion. “You’ll see him very soon.”

Zone’s eyes fixated on him as he raised his front half once again, this time ready to slam them down on her head. She silently cursed him in her mind, hoping that he would suffer for the rest of his days.

Then, the zebra stallion stopped, frozen in place as he felt a pain in his back. He forced his head to slowly turn, with pain shooting up his neck. Confused, Zone attempted to move her head a bit to get a better look. It was Taipan, already running at Zion with her tail raised in offense.

"Stay away from pack member!" Taipan screamed as she slammed into Zion's side, throwing him to the ground and pointing her stinger at him.

Zion scrambled to get back up, fighting against the pain. He stared at Taipan with anger as he took several steps back. “How fitting,” he murmured. “Only a freak would help a freak.”

Snorting, Taipan started to channel her magic, the end of her tail lighting up in preparation to fire. "Run." she ordered.

Zion looked at Zone one last time, an expression of pure hatred on his face before he turned around, running with somewhat of a limp, eventually leaving their sight.

Taipan then helped Zone up to her hooves, simply saying, “Alpha protects her pack."

Zone chuckled weakly, unable to keep in any amusement at the irony of her situation. “F-Fine… I will admit, some strategies have their place.”

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

“This is Study Guide’s second report on the topic of scorponies. Anyone who attempts to distribute this information for monetary gain will be arrested, as it is to be public knowledge. Please be aware that this information can and will be updated in the following months as more reports come in from other researchers.

“Scorponies, although normally barbaric, have evolved to ambush, as food may have been scarce during the initial radiation spread. Of course, we have no evidence whether or not these scorponies were around shortly after the bombings or if they emerged more recently. All we do know is that most traits and behaviors are learned from generations of usage.

“Surprisingly enough, scorpony tactics are similar to that of small militia groups, which has been stated in our previous report. It is still unknown whether or not it is a learned trait or if it’s an inherent instinct. Compared to the Enclave military, these scorponies would be equivalent to a capture squad, utilizing nearly the exact same tactics.

“Against a single scorpony, the tactics are simple, but as the pack grows, the tactics become more complex and organized, each scorpony having a place in the ambush. For a single scorpony to attack on their own, it would be suicide. This is why they tend to travel in packs.

“It is unknown what would happen if a scorpony doesn’t find a pack. It is also unknown how a single scorpony would adapt, or if they would even refine their tactics if there are no other fellow pack members around. We are assuming at this point that scorponies could never survive on their own, hence the large tribes.

“Scorponies are also known to never associate with another species, let alone allow them into the pack. Most scorponies tend to stick with their own kind. I have yet to see a single scorpony work together with another species.

“This has been my second report. Study Guide, signing off.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Hindsight was wary of the new armor. Implementing balefire into a Steel Ranger/Enclave mishmash seemed very unorthodox, but it was very effective at getting ponies to do what he wanted. He looked at it through a plexiglass window, watching rifles fire magical beams into it.

He grew more and more fascinated as the green flames of balefire would emerge from within the suit itself to dissipate the beams. Any bullets from the most common wastelander weapons were simply disintegrated before they could even reach the suit.

“How is it that you’re unfamiliar with magic, yet are able to craft such a masterpiece?” asked Hindsight to Scalpel, who stood next to him.

Scalpel, also seeming intrigued, replied, “I’ve always been a fast learner. When I was only six, I constructed a nuclear fusion reactor for the school science fair. At ten, I was already building advanced A.I. capable of predicting even the smallest of movements. At fourteen, I graduated from a university for the intellectually-gifted and joined up with the enemy, simply to learn more.”

“You betrayed your own people, just for knowledge?” asked Hindsight.

“What are morals but an opinion?” asked Scalpel. “Besides, they never found out, and they don’t need to.”

“Morals keep us from corruption,” Hindsight countered.

“Let’s say your entire species went extinct,” said Scalpel. “And let’s say another species arose in your place. Your morals no longer exist. There would be a new set of rules.”

“Well, the world I’ll end up making is one where everything is corrected,” said Hindsight. “I’ll be justified in it, as I am being guided by a powerful deity.”

“This deity of yours seems to be a byproduct from your lack of a father,” analyzed Scalpel.

Hindsight was a bit offended. “You’re stepping out of line,” he warned. “Don’t bring my father into this.”

“I merely make observations,” defended Scalpel. “I have no offense towards you. In fact, my own father has been absent most of my life.”

Hindsight turned to face the plexiglass, focusing more on the armor. “I truly do believe in Lord Bale. If he were just a voice, I would not have come so far.”

“It could just be your inner thoughts making themselves more present,” suggested Scalpel.

“It doesn’t explain how Lord Bale knew when to use the transporter,” Hindsight reasoned. “There are times where it works and times where it won’t.”

“We’re always smarter than we think we are,” said Scalpel. “You give a false deity more credit than you give yourself.”

Hindsight stayed quiet, no longer wishing to argue with someone who couldn’t understand. He was able to get this far through the voice of Lord Bale. Lord Bale knew things that Hindsight didn’t, and so he was certain that his deity was indeed real.

“I may stick around,” said Scalpel. “There’s a lot of potential technology here I can take back with me. If you want better tech than what your pitiful Enclave can produce, you’ll listen to my advice, and you’ll give me a high position.”

“If you can get that factory running, then yes, I’ll give you what you need,” agreed Hindsight.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Watcher leaned back against the cave wall, his claws tapping on the ground as he sighed. Ember stood in front of him, her arms folded, having just told him everything. It was difficult to explain everything to him, but he was able to understand it rather well.

“I fear there may have been a botched spell involved,” Watcher theorized. “I’ve never heard of a Dragon Lord, and I’ve certainly never heard of Twilight being a princess.”

“Is this news heavy for you?” she asked.

Watcher nodded. “I think I can understand what’s going on, but…”

He pressed a claw against the screen showing Twilight, his eyes showing sadness. Ember wasn’t used to emotion as much as Spike was, but during her time with him, she was able to learn how to be a little considerate, if at all.

“What happened to you…?” she asked.

“I stayed isolated,” he said. “I was going through some changes, and… I was sleeping when my whole world was taken from me. I was torn to pieces inside. Twilight was gone, and I was left guarding a powerful secret.”

“A secret?” asked Ember.

“It’s a long story,” he said. “One I don’t want to talk about. I just want to see Twilight again. If this is truly her, then… I can…”

Ember watched Spike’s remaining eye. Tears gathered, pooling enough to drip down his face. She walked up to him, asking, “You can… what?”

Spike clenched his fist, the mighty dragon letting out a roar, not of anger, but of sorrow. Although most ponies wouldn’t understand the meaning of it, Ember could decipher it easily. She flew up to him, placing a clawed hand on the side of his face.

Spike’s remaining eye looked at her, and she couldn’t help but feel pity. This was a dragon without parents, whose only real mother was a pony that had been ripped away from him, the poor beast having been orphaned twice. The pain must have been unbearable, she reasoned.

Upon beginning to choke up, Ember stowed away her feelings and said, “I just need you to take me to her. You know where she is now, and now we can fix all this.”

Spike felt a renewal within, the dragon rising up. “Tenpony Tower,” he said. “We go now.”

Ember smirked. “Then let’s head out.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Celestia sat outside on the top of the tower, the Enclave ponies behind her. Although she wanted to be alone, the ponies insisted on guarding the roof, as it was their job. Looking out over the wasteland, Celestia kept feeling this responsibility, one that she shouldn’t be feeling but did anyway.

It was all so familiar, and she came to a conclusion as to why. Based on her own adventure before becoming a proper princess, she could only reason that her emotions were mixing with her alternate self.

Whenever a pony from one universe stayed in another for a long period of time, both universes gained a gravitational pull, the two large bubbles of reality inching closer towards each other until they both merged into one.

But because there was much more than just one pony, Celestia could only guess as to what carnage would be wrought with these pulls. If they didn’t get back in time, there would be drastic consequences.

This wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. She’d need to wait until the rest of Twilight’s friends arrived. Only then could she explain the situation to them all. They’d need a way back home or risk losing it.

“I see you’ve come to the same conclusion,” said a familiar voice from behind.

Celestia turned her head, a small smile on her face. “Discord. I knew you’d be here, but in such a form?”

“Oh, this?” he asked, looking down at himself. “I’m merely trying it out for a while,” he bluffed.

Celestia could see right through him, as she had known him for far too long for his lies to work on her. She simply giggled and patted the spot next to her. “Come. Tell what you know of this place.”

Discord walked forward, sitting down next to her. “Oh, the tragedy. I could see all the events!” he emotionally feigned, a hoof to his forehead. “Such horrid visions!”

“Cut to the point, Discord,” urged Celestia, losing a bit of her patience.

“Can I just have this?” he asked. “I’ve lost my body already. At least let me be a little silly.”

“This isn’t the time,” said Celestia.

“Oh, it’s always the time,” he said, holding up his hoof, a watch with his old body pointing to the numbers. “It appears I have lost my major powers, but when it comes to comedic effect, it seems that’s still a thing. As long as it’s funny, I suppose…”

Celestia wondered who this would be funny to other than Discord. She shook her head and asked, “What happened here?”

“Ponies and zebras had a quarrel,” explained Discord. “Powerful spells were made, with both sides flinging everything at each other. Laws of magic were broken with such ease, and morals were smudged. War… never changes.”

“A simple war caused this destruction?” asked Celestia. “With what magic?”

“They call them megaspells,” replied Discord. “Capable of increasing a spell’s power beyond its original potential. I haven’t told Fluttershy what part she played, but I can tell you that you played an equal part in it as well.”

“I caused all this?” asked Celestia in shock.

“Yes and no,” said Discord. “You couldn’t handle the stresses of war, and so you passed the responsibilities down to your own dear sister. How’s that for family bonding?~”

“I would never!” cried out Celestia. “This other me might have, but the real me? I couldn’t!”

“Probably not,” said Discord. “I’m just telling you what happened here.”

Celestia then asked, “Do you know a way back?”

“In this world? Not yet,” he replied.

“Yet?” asked Celestia.

“Allow me to break it down for you,” said Discord. “Right now, the two realms are already colliding, having already introduced changelings to this realm.”

“Changelings didn’t exist here before?” asked Celestia.

“No,” said Discord. “And apparently, nothing major that had happened after my return has either.”

“No Crystal Empire, no Sombra’s return?” asked Celestia. “No Tirek, No Storm King?”

“None of those events after my return happened,” said Discord. “But they soon will. In the order that things have happened back home, they will be mixed here, changing the timeline here drastically.”

“This isn’t going to end well,” said Celestia. “We need a way back.”

Author's Note

And now, question time! Do you have anything to ask Study Guide about the wasteland? Put your questions in the comments below and she'll answer!~

Laughter and Lost Love

“It's true some days are dark and lonely, and maybe you feel sad, but Pinkie will be there to show you that it isn't that bad.” - Pinkie Pie

Lucky Break, having only been on the road for half an hour, was already regretting it. Pinkie Pie was nearly impossible to keep up with. She’d get into every little nook and cranny of every single building.

It was like foalsitting, but instead of it being a foal, it was a grown mare hopped up on what Lucky Break could only assume was a mixture of caffeine, sugar, dash, and quite possibly the essence of hyperactivity itself.

“Lucky! I found another one!” Pinkie shouted from a nearby building. How did she keep getting ahead of Lucky?

“Pinkie, get back here!” Lucky called out, seeing the pink mare walking back out of the building and going into another one.

Lucky, although she was usually the hyperactive one in a group, was never like this. This was randomness. This was chaos. At least Lucky had a plan. Pinkie didn’t seem too focused on it, though. As Lucky Break broke into a sprint, she thought about how easy it would have been to have just given Pinkie a map and a general direction and just let her go solo.

However, if Lucky did that, she herself would still be back at her casino, at risk of being visited by Wreckage once again. She needed to lay low for a bit, as Wreckage’s gang was one that was ruthless. No doubt, the psychotic mare would’ve sent some ponies after her.

Lucky just couldn’t count on her luck forever.

Finally catching up with the mare in a broken-down grocery store, she panted as she stepped through a glass door that had been shattered. “You are gonna be the death of me, you know that?” she asked.

Pinkie was rummaging through the drawers behind the cashier counter, tossing a few things while inspecting a few select objects. “If I’m in the future, there must be some kind of magical gadgetry doohickeys!”

“Ponk, it don’t work like that,” replied Lucky. “Nothing’s advanced since the megaspells. I told you earlier.”

“Aww, so no robots? No laser beams?” complained Pinke, resting her chin on the counter, lower lip quivering.

“Well, we do got robots and laser beams, but those were here before the megaspells,” explained Lucky.

“Well, where are they?” asked Pinkie, climbing up onto the counter itself before hopping off and landing next to Lucky. “I haven’t seen a single one here.”

“They’re pretty scarce,” answered Lucky. “Most machines are either restricted to buildings and factories while lasers… well, we call those magical beam rifles, but you know what they say. They say potato, I say I don’t give a fuck.”

Walking back out into the street, Lucky could hear Pinkie humming to herself. Why the pink pony was always so cheerful, especially in a depressing place like this, Lucky would probably never know. She wasn’t sure how Pinkie’s mind worked, and she wasn’t even certain if she wanted to know. All she could do was roll with it and pretend this was Pinkie’s version of normal.

“Soooo, how’d the world get like this exactly?” asked Pinkie. “Someone must’ve thrown a really big party.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Lucky. “A big party… with loads of fireworks.”

“Sounds fun!” replied Pinkie.

Lucky smiled sadly and muttered, “Not as fun as you’d think, Ponk.”

Lucky Break had tried to explain the megaspells to Pinkie multiple times, but it didn’t seem to leave an imprint on Pinkie’s brain. In fact, her attention span seemed to shift constantly from one topic to another. The very idea of being able to block out all the depressing shit was unheard of.

Pinkie, skipping merrily, reminded Lucky of her mother’s stories. Her mother would tell her all about what Equestria was like way back then as told to her by her own mother. It was a time when ponies were carefree and didn’t have to worry about the bigger things.

Pinkie Pie, known for her party-planning business in her early days, was one of the few ponies who could bring a smile to literally everyone’s face, or so Lucky was told. Thinking back to what her mother had said, she did have some doubts about her own ancestry, but she did indeed have what was known as the Sense, a special trait very few possessed, mostly seen within the Pie family.

Her grandmother also had the Sense, but it wasn’t luck or disasters. Her grandmother’s sense was able to let her tell when someone was lying. Lucky didn’t dare lie to her, because whenever she did, her grandmother would immediately know, then Lucky would get scolded.

Lucky was so deep in thought, she didn’t realize that she and Pinkie were nearing a group of travelers. Lucky wasn’t sure if they were friendly, so she attempted to keep her distance as they passed by each other. Pinkie, however, had other plans.

Pinkie, seeing an old wagon of junk being hauled by one of them, immediately asked, “Are you merchants?!”

Lucky took deep breathes, kicking herself for not expecting it. “They probably are, Ponk, but we’re not here to buy. Let’s keep moving.”

One of the stallions looked at Lucky and said, “Now, hold on a minute. It would appear that the fine mare has an eye for merchandise.~”

“No,” said Lucky. “She doesn’t. She’s not from around here.”

Pinkie, her front half-buried in the junk-filled wagon, giggled before pulling out what looked to be a very old saxophone. “Oh my gosh! I’ve been looking for one of these!”

Lucky, confused, asked, “Why?”

“We’re gonna need it later!” said Pinkie. “It’s really important!”

“The saxophone is important?” repeated Lucky. “Hogwash.”

“Two hundred caps,” said the merchant.

“Does she look like she’s got the currency?” asked Lucky. “C’mon, Ponk.”

Pinkie turned to Lucky and whined, “Pleeeeaaase? We really need this if we wanna help my friends!”

Lucky had a look of both confusion and disgust mixed into one. Confusion from the mare’s strange insistence, and disgust at the very fact that Pinkie was using the same face that Lucky would give to her mother when asking for something.

“Didn’t ya hear her?” said the merchant. “It’s really important,” he mocked.

Lucky groaned as she looked through her saddlebag. “Ponk, if we’re gonna get this, we’re using your bottle cap collection. I would’ve given it to Wreckage, but you fired her out of a fucking cannon. I doubt she’ll want them now.”

“Okay!” agreed Pinkie.

Lucky hoofed over the box to the merchant and he shook it a bit, the sound of metal caps hitting each other. With a false grin, he tipped his hat and went on his way. Pinkie was overjoyed, prancing around with the saxophone in her hooves.

“I wouldn’t play that yet if I were you, Ponk. It’s most likely used,” warned Lucky. “Wait until we get to Tenpony.”

As they continued along their way, Pinkie asked, “Why are we going there?”

Lucky replied, “Well, I’d rather not be in the casino when Wreckage comes looking for me, and Tenpony’s got some tight security these days since the Enclave made it into a shelter.”

“Maybe they know where my friends are!” exclaimed Pinkie.

Lucky ignored the claim. She wasn’t very sure of that statement. The chances of Pinkie’s friends being there would have been low if what Pinkie said was true. That portal whosimawhatsit apparently separated them. But, then again… Lucky was with Pinkie, so luck would probably be on their side.

“Maybe,” said Lucky. “We’ll have to see eventually.”

As they kept walking, Lucky couldn’t help but feel an itch on her back. She ducked, a bullet whizzing overhead and shattering a window. “Just my luck,” she muttered. She looked at where the bullet had come from, seeing a raider.

Pinkie, to Lucky’s surprise, walked over with a smile and introduced herself, saying, “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your na--?!”

Lucky pulled Pinkie back, the pink mare just barely avoiding getting shot at. “What are you doing?!” Lucky scolded.

“Just greeting another pony!” exclaimed Pinkie with a grin. Her fur suddenly stood straight up, the pink pony ducking, a bullet whizzing overhead.

Lucky, her back itching, moved Pinkie a little bit to the left, another bullet whizzing by as she said, “You can’t just go around greeting every single pony you meet! That’s a raider!”

Pinkie’s fur repeated its sensation again, and she ducked once more, saying, “But you never know who needs a smile to come their way!”

As another bullet flew over Pinkie, Lucky rolled her eyes and shouted, “This isn’t the time!”

The raider fired her gun once again, the bullet luckily missing Lucky Break and ricocheting off the street and shattering a window.

Pinkie gently pushed aside Lucky, saying, “Relax! I got this!”

As the raider aimed her gun directly at the pink pony, whose knees went wobbly. Her tail twitched at the same time. She quickly jumped, and the bullet went whizzing past underneath.

The raider’s face showed a great deal of confusion as she pulled the trigger again, the gun clicking as Lucky Break stepped in the path of where the bullet should’ve fired at. It appeared the gun was empty.

Swearing, the raider opened up the gun to reload. Lucky then grabbed Pinkie’s hoof and pulled her down an alleyway and took cover behind a dumpster. She heard a bullet firing, the projectile hitting the dumpster. Reaching into her saddleback, she pulled out a revolver and poked her head out from cover, firing back two shots, one of which hit a building wall while the other hit an old fire hydrant.

The hydrant shook, the bolts that were once holding it down popping out and allowing the hydrant to propel up with the help of extreme water pressure. The green, sludgy water spewed everywhere. The raider tried to run for cover to avoid the substance, but as she ran, the hydrant fell down, crashing against her head.

Lucky winced, holding her hoof up to cover Pinkie’s eyes. “Where is she?!” Pinkie asked.

“She’s fine. Just took a nap. Let’s go,” said Lucky, guiding Pinkie as far away from the bleeding raider as possible.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

As Thorax neared the tower up ahead, he saw a group of ponies standing on top of the roof. This seemed a bit more promising, as they were wearing what appeared to be matching uniforms. An army of Celestia’s perhaps? He didn’t know much about her forces, but if they were organized, then they were probably more lenient to talk.

Landing in front of them, he said, “Hello, there. I am Thorax. Do you know where Celestia is?”

One of the ponies walked up to Thorax, aiming what appeared to be a weapon of some kind. “Back, mutant freak!”

Thorax was unsettled, saying, “There’s no need for aggressive behavior.”

“I said to get back!” shouted the pony once more. “Final warning!”

Thorax didn’t like the disrespect coming from these ponies at all, but as he thought more about it, an idea popped into his head. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll leave.”

Thorax made sure to fly out of their eyesight, eventually going behind a building. A green flash quickly enveloped him and in a matter of a split-second, he looked just like one of the armored ponies. He flew back over, landing on the roof, and a few looked at him with confused expressions.

He walked as casually as he could, eventually making it to the door, but as he was about to turn the handle, he heard somepony shout, “HEY!”

He froze, but eventually looked back, seeing one of the soldiers walking up to him. Looking down at his chest, he realized he had forgotten to replicate the odd emblem that was on their armor. He couldn’t change now, he’d make a noticeable flash of magic.

The soldier reached him and suddenly asked, “Do you know if Study Guide’s looking for an intern? My cousin’s been asking me about it for a while, and I’ve asked the other guys, but they’re not normally on the up-and-up with details.”

Thorax was both relieved and even more stressed at the same damn time, and he wasn’t sure how that was even possible. He had to think of an answer, and fast. He instantly said the first thing that popped into his head.

“Uh… Have you talked to equine resources?” he asked, hoping they still had one in this horrific future.

The stallion rubbed the back of his neck, looking unsure and replying, “Well, I would, but the higher-ups aren’t exactly chatty unless you’re willing to send in paperwork. Do you know where I’d send a form first?”

Shit.

The door opened up, and a white mare with a blonde mane stepped out, holding what appeared to be a cider bottle of some sorts. Thorax looked over to the soldier and quickly said, “Uh, no. Maybe ask her?”

“Not my problem,” the mare immediately replied. Her blue eyes looked at Thorax’s armor, the pupils fixating on his own a split-second later. “Who are you?”

Thorax, absolutely hating this game of Twenty Questions, simply replied, “J-Just another, uh, soldier?”

The mare opened her mouth, but closed it soon after, looking like she didn’t even want to bother. After a bit of thinking, she said, “Follow me. I need you in the lab.”

Thorax felt that he should’ve stayed at home. As he followed her into the building, they inevitably entered an elevator. The mare pushed the fifth-floor button, and the elevator began to descend once the doors closed.

As the number lowered, Thorax could hear a strange screeching growing louder and louder. “What is that?” he asked.

The mare quickly pushed the red button at the bottom, just below elevator number buttons, stopping the elevator and causing both the mare and Thorax to stumble. Thorax could hear something scraping against the door, tapping rapidly.

The mare held completely still, putting a hoof up to Thorax’s mouth and keeping him quiet. She pulled a walkie-talkie device out from her coat pocket and squeezed the button on it three times. After a while of silence, she did it again, making Thorax wonder if she was trying to signal somepony without talking. Whatever was on the other side of the elevator door, it was clear that saying anything right now would make the situation worse.

After several minutes, the sound of magical blasts could be heard from the other side, making whatever creature was there screech in pain. The mare sighed in relief and pushed the fifth floor button, making the door descend a little lower before opening up to reveal the corpse of a horrific creature on the ground, a pegasus in armor standing over it with an odd fuming weapon.

“I came as soon as I got your signal, ma’am,” said the soldier.

“Get this mess cleaned up. Have the body delivered to the table and I’ll see if we can learn anything new tonight,” the mare responded.

The mare stepped over the corpse, as did Thorax with a look of disgust and horror on his face. Following her to the end of a corridor, she opened the door at the end. “Sorry about the stalker,” she said briefly. “We’ve been recently seeing some of them escape containment as of recently, and we’re not sure why.”

Thorax wasn’t exactly sure what a stalker was, nor was he sure if he even wanted to know. “That’s alright,” he said. “I’ve seen a few odd things today already. This is probably just the icing on the cake.”

As soon as they entered the room, The mare closed the door and suddenly slammed her cider bottle against the wall, creating a sharpened end. She pointed it at Thorax and quickly said, “Alright, hateling. Stop playing nice. I’m very busy today, and I don’t want any more bullshit. I’ve had enough with the lookalikes, and I don’t need another coming in.”

Thorax stepped back, surprised that she had found out so quickly. After a moment of hesitation, he revealed his true form, only making the mare confused. “Look, I’m just trying to find Celestia.”

Her eyebrow raised, she circled him, her cider bottle still pointed at him. Inspecting him, she said, “I’m not sure if you’re just in another disguise or if you’re a hateling who mutated to look as gay as fucking possible.”

“Is that an insult?” asked Thorax, unsure. The concept of that word being an insult was unheard of back home.

“I mean, I’m not picky myself, but words can still have double meanings,” stated the mare. “Normally, I can tell who’s a hateling and who isn’t, based on their behavior, but you… you were found out through a different method. That armor was fucking tacky.”

“Forgive me if I don’t keep up on pony trends,” Thorax apologized falsely. “I’m just here to find Celestia and the rest of my friends. I don’t mean any harm.”

The mare slowly lowered her bottle. “Let me guess… Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.”

“Yes!” Thorax replied. “Have you seen them? Are they here?”

“Yeah,” she answered. “They’re here. Don’t tell me they’re hatelings.”

“Hatelings? You mean changelings?” asked Thorax. “No, they’re not, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t use such insults like that.”

“What, hateling?” assumed Study. “It’s what you are. The original specimen of changeling hasn’t been seen in two hundred years. Now, I don’t know what you exactly are, but if you’re a shapeshifter, I can only classify you as what I currently know at the moment: a hateling.”

“Two hundred years?” Thorax queried. His face had an expression of concern. “So, my suspicions were correct. I’m definitely in the future.”

“Excuse me?” questioned Study Guide.

Thorax cleared his throat, then answered, “I’m from the past. I was sent here through a portal due to an accident.”

“I haven’t exactly heard this from the others,” stated Study Guide, her eyes squinting. “I’m not usually likely to believe in time travel, but if more of these lookalikes keep showing up, I’m seriously going to need to do research of my own, because this is fucking ridiculous.”

Her walkie-talkie suddenly emitted a short burst of static before a stallion’s voice from it said, “Professor Study Guide? We’ve got a problem. There’s a mare here at the entrance, and she’s been bothering the guards with ceaseless questions.”

Study pulled out her walkie-talkie from her pocket and replied, “I’ll be out there in a minute.”

“Please, hurry,” the stallion urged. “I don’t know how much the guards will take until they start shooting.”

Study looked at her broken cider bottle. “Well, at least I haven’t lost the wine.”

Thorax rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncomfortable. He’d never dealt with a mare who was so unpleasant.

“You, bug, change your appearance. Just a normal earth pony,” commanded Study.

Thorax wanted to question it, but just wanted to get everything over with even more. He did as she asked, changing into a green earth pony with a tulip for a cutie mark.

“Too happy,” critiqued Study. “Add a bit of dirt, change the cutie mark to a rusty nail and you’ll be fine.”

Thorax groaned, tapping his front hoof impatiently as he changed accordingly. Study looked over his form, then nodded, motioning for him to follow her, and as he did, he couldn’t help but wonder how Chrysalis would have fared out here. Although a place as broken-apart as this wasn’t to his liking, maybe Chrysalis appreciated places like this more.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Chrysalis wore a face of disgust when she had heard how her changelings had been living for the past two hundred years. According to one of her new advisors, the changelings had been forced to live off of hate for all this time, as love in this world was extremely scarce, almost nonexistent. The changelings, now having become the hatelings, resorted to tactics that pitted ponies against each other to increase the amount of hatred they could consume.

“This is unacceptable!” shouted Chrysalis. “My own hive has fallen into a most pathetic state!”

Cozy, standing next to Chrysalis, asked, “Do you think it’s because they didn’t have somepony to lead them for all this time?”

Chrysalis thought for a moment, then said, “Perhaps. And even so, I believe Thorax’s reign may have made it worse.”

“Who?” asked one hateling.

“The traitor who took my throne?” answered Chrysalis.

“Never heard of him,” replied the hateling.

Chrysalis’ mouth opened slightly, the queen in a bit of shock and wonder. “Really? Don’t you pass down stories of the past?”

Another hateling walked up to Chrysalis, saying, “We do, but we’ve never heard of anyone named Thorax.”

Tirek chimed in with a thought. “Perhaps we may be in an alternate timeline where you kept your throne somehow, or Thorax never existed.”

Chrysalis grinned with the most mischievous quality. “Oh, this is rich. No Thorax?~”

Cozy had a sudden realization. “Wait, if we’re in an alternate timeline, what happened to the Chrysalis here?”

Chrysalis looked down at the two hatelings for an answer.

“From what we recall, you had abandoned us,” replied one hateling, bracing himself for sudden backlash.

Chrysalis’ muzzle twitched, a hint of enragement in her eyes. She remained calm, however. “I refuse to believe that any version of me would abandon my hive.”

“Well, since we’re talking about the hive right now,” said Cozy, “what do we plan to do with it tonight, exactly?”

“Tonight, we will attack Manehattan. According to my changelings, there’s an organized group in the city called the Enclave. There is no doubt in my mind that they are what is leftover of Celestia’s pitiful kingdom, and if they truly are a mere remnant, then that means they’re weaker than what I’m used to facing.”

“Didn’t they say something about lasers?” asked Cozy.

“You forget that I have mastered the art of deception,” replied Chrysalis. “We’ll infiltrate their inner circles and take over before they can even fire a single magical blast.”

“Not to mention that I can absorb their magic,” added Tirek. “It will be easy.”

“Especially if there’s no Twilight or her pathetic friends,” said Chrysalis with a smirk.

An injured hateling, his wing missing, ran up to Chrysalis, shouting, “Th-There are scorponies in the city!”

Chrysalis simply stared at him with annoyed confusion. “Scorponies?”

“Y-You know, the enemy of hatelings?!”

“Another hive, I assume,” said Chrysalis. “Go get patched up. With my guidance, you’ll never have to worry about these scorponies ever again.”

Cozy seemed to have an unsure look about her, but Chrysalis didn’t let the lack of morale phase herself. Tonight would be the night her reign over the pitiful wasteland begins.

Tirek looked down at Cozy, saying, “You seem to be quiet recently.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” said Cozy. “I’ve just been thinking a lot about our recent…”

“Defeat?” Tirek finished.

“Yeah,” said Cozy.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of giving up,” said Tirek, his eyes focusing.

Cozy suddenly waved her front hooves and shook her head. “Oh, no, no!” she said. “I’m just trying to figure out where we went wrong. Our plan was perfect.”

Tirek looked over to Chrysalis, and Chrysalis said, “The only reason we lost was because we were too confident. We weren’t fully prepared. Even with Grogar’s magic at our disposal, we didn’t have an army on our side. They did. Obviously, it was numbers that saved their pitiful lives.”

“And what about their supposed friendship magic?” asked Tirek.

“Friendship is nothing more than an alliance with sugar on top,” stated Chrysalis. “It’s unnecessary. I refuse to believe that their friendship had anything to do with it!”

Chrysalis pointed to a random hateling, shouting, “Get the others ready! I want this army in order!”

The hateling quickly scrambled, running off to find the other ones.

Chrysalis looked at a map that had been laid out in front of her earlier. Manehattan was indeed a place she’d need to secure for her new hive. The rest of the wasteland seemed to be too broken-down for her tastes. Next, after securing Manehattan, she’d go to war with the rest of them, taking over this forsaken continent. No longer would she suffer defeat.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Lucky did what she could to keep Pinkie from bothering the guards until this “Study Guide” could come out and show them around. Unfortunately, there was nothing to keep the pink pony silent. She asked ceaseless questions about the future, wanting to know all about the magical gadgetry at work in the world today.

“So, you’re some kind of cyborg, right? I mean, you’ve got all that fancy metal stuff all over you,” said Pinkie, referring to the Enclave guard’s power armor. The guard simply stared ahead, staying quiet. Lucky could tell that he was trying not to lose his patience and sanity.

Pinkie simply ranted with her questions. “Can you shoot lasers from your eyes? Do you need to charge overnight? Is there a playlist in there? If so, is it techno? I prefer polka, myself.”

“OH, MY CELESTIA, SHUT THE FUCK UP!” the guard shouted.

Pinkie flinched, reeling back a bit. “Wow. Who put a fish in your toaster compartment?” she sarcastically commented. “Someone needs to call a toaster repair pony.”

A white mare with a blonde mane stepped outside, grumbling, “Alright, who’s out here bothering the-- aww, shit.”

Lucky walked up to the mare, asking, “Are you Study Guide? They said you’d help us out.”

Study Guide seemed to have tired eyes as she watched the pink pony jumping up and down. She sighed and said, “Alright… You know what…? C’mon, follow me. I’m done questioning this shit.”

After a quick elevator ride and a short walk, Lucky found herself face-to-face with ponies she thought were dead two hundred years ago. Study Guide, on her way into the room, asked, “Does this thing belong to you?”

Twilight smiled. “Pinkie!” she exclaimed. “Where’d you end up?”

“My casino,” answered Lucky. “She, uh, saved me from certain death.”

“Pinkie saved you?” asked Dash. “Hm… Sounds about right, but I’m expecting it was in the most ridiculous way.”

“According to her story? Yeah,” said Lucky. She smirked, then saying, “She’s pretty good at cards.”

“Quick hint. You should never challenge Pinkie to a game,” stated Twilight.

“Gee, that certainly helps me now,” said Lucky.

“You challenged Pinkie?!” Rainbow Dash blurted out.

“Oh my,” said Fluttershy.

Lucky nodded, and Dash laughed. To Lucky, she wasn’t sure if she was being teased or not. Either way, Pinkie was with her friends, and Lucky was in a safe place that was far away from wherever Wreckage was.

Study Guide looked at Rainbow Dash and suddenly commanded, “You, I need a strand of your mane. That goes for the rest of you as well. If you’re really who you claim to be, then perhaps I can keep it a secret for now. If you’re fakes, none of us would have any problem in doing this, either, because then I can stop thinking about it and go back to drinking.”

“Why is this necessary?” Twilight asked.

Study sighed and said, “Look… If you’re really the ministry mares, the Enclave would have no problem throwing you all into a prison and experimenting on you. There are a lot of weapons that could easily be unlocked using your own spectral signatures. I’d rather that the Enclave didn’t do so.”

Lucky noticed a red-maned, white-coated mare walk up to Study Guide. The mare pushed Study Guide a bit away. “You’re not taking anything from them,” said the mare.

“Your name is Dusk Feather, isn’t it?” asked Study Guide. “Based on your records, you have killed not one, not two, not even three, but around four or five or your own fellow Enclave. If you haven’t noticed, you’re still alive right now. I could easily turn you in, but I haven’t, because I actually believe in having some standards, some amount of dignity.”

Dusk Feather stepped back, looking unsettled.

Study Guide then continued. “You’re in quite the situation here. Either hand over the DNA for investigation, or I forcefully take it. I’m certain that some of you like to have your personal space.”

Twilight plucked a strand of her mane out and floated it over. “Here. Just take mine, but leave the others alone. Mine alone should be proof enough.”

“I assure you, Miss Sparkle, your cooperation won’t be forgotten,” said Study. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go analyze this.”

As soon as Study Guide left, Rainbow Dash shouted, “What was all that?! Who does she think she is?!”

“THE BITCH KEEPING YOU ALIVE!” Study’s voice echoed back down the hall.

Dusk Feather walked up to Lucky and said, “Sorry about that. You must be confused. A lot of us are.”

“I’m not gonna question it. I’m just here to hide,” said Lucky.

“Hey, we’re kinda in the same boat,~” said Dusk with a grin. “Only, you know, you’re safe from whoever you’re hiding from and I’m surrounded by potential enemies.”

Lucky chuckled nervously. “You’ve made quite a few, I bet.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” replied Dusk, looking tired.

A young abyssinian approached, asking, “Hey, what’s with the, uhhhh…”

Seeing where the kid was pointing, Lucky looked at her leg. “I get that question a lot. I’d rather not say.”

“Well, alright then,” the kid replied. “So, what’s your name? I’m Tricks!”

“Lucky Break,” replied Lucky. “I assume you can guess my talent. Though, I wouldn’t call it a talent. More of a… benefit with a side of curse.”

“I don’t get it,” said Tricks, scratching his head.

“I’ll explain later,” said Lucky. She walked over to Pinkie and smirked. “So, Ponk… Whatcha gonna do now?”

Twilight answered for Pinkie, saying, “Our first order of business is to find out exactly what happened. We don’t know why we ended up here. I suspect something already, but I’m still not completely sure.”

“In the meanwhile, it’ll be like an interdimensional sleepover, but with lasers and robots and MP3-player cyborgs!” exclaimed Pinkie, jumping up and down excitedly.

Lucky smiled and chuckled with uncertainty in her tone. “Uh, yeah, that’s… that’s great.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Zone and Taipan walked side by side down the street. They were heading back, and Zone, still suffering from a limp, couldn’t stop thinking about Taipan’s willingness to save her. Hardly anyone had ever stuck their neck out for her, especially a complete stranger, one that was another creature entirely.

In Zone’s mind, she had many conflicts. From her past, she had learned to stay solo. From all the abuse, she had learned to be stern, and to keep from being too kind. To show kindness was a weakness, and the only reason she had ever helped Fluttershy was because that very pony was an idol to her when she was younger.

She had found a book when she was a foal, detailing the life of the ministry mare and her acts of kindness towards others, no matter who it was, or even what they were. Wanting to be like Fluttershy, Zone had tried to be kinder towards those outside her tribe.

But, when she did, she had lost a shortly-known friend that day, her book being burned by the chieftain. Since then, Zone had hardened, steeling up her heart to the rest of the world, at least, until she had met the ministry mare herself. Now, she didn’t know what to believe in, whether it was kindness or if it was indifference.

“Taipan,” said Zone. “When you were saving me, what was going through your mind?”

“Hmm,” Taipan thought. "Not much. See you in danger and helped. I consider you pack member, even if in name."

“I am not even your own kind,” said Zone. “Surely, your own leaders have something against outsiders?”

"Some do, some don't, but any creature can challenge alpha for alpha, "Taipan informed. “It rare, but not uncommon.”

“That is not at all how my own tribe works.” said Zone. “If you were not a zebra, you weren’t welcome. Those who could easily kill a zebra, like… my father, they used the threat of death just to stay within the tribe and to keep me from being executed.”

Taipan shrugs "Life harsh. Only strong tough out long enough to change things for them, better or worse."

Zone wanted to be able to call Taipan her friend, but she was still afraid to consider her as one. Having lost a friend so quickly the first time was bad enough. To lose another one would crush her. She continued her walking, staying quiet for the next few minutes.

After a while, she finally asked, “Do you think it is possible to have an entire tribe of different creatures?”

Without hesitation Taipan replied. "If alpha strong enough to do so. Strong enough alpha can do anything."

Zone softly smiled at the thought. Perhaps one day, if she became a leader, she could lead her own tribe, but for now, she still had a lot to learn about leadership.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

A lone figure stood underneath an ancient balcony, shielded from the rain. Looking out at the streets with purple eyes, she whispered under her breath, “They’re gathering… I can see it…”

Two-legged, she walked out into the torrent of droplets falling from the sky, the cold of the water not really bothering her, for she had lost most of her senses long ago. She couldn’t feel the cold, nor could she feel the warmth. Could not taste, could not smell. She was blind in all but sight and sound.

Pulling back her cloak, she revealed her face, a young adult abyssinian female with one half of her lower muzzle missing on her right side. Around her neck were the pawprints of the one who had betrayed her two hundred years ago, a brutal reminder of how love could just suddenly lose its innocence.

Gray-furred, she blended in perfectly with any shadowy area she went into, always silent as she walked. But now, it was daytime, her figure fully visible for any possible attacker to see, but she didn’t care at this point in her long life span. To die was a blessing.

Behind her spoke a small, raspy voice. “Lady Scarlet? Are you alright?”

She turned around, seeing a smaller orange-furred abyssinian girl, covered in rags. She had the look of concern on her face. Scarlet had known her for a long time, having become like family. She walked back underneath the balcony and patted the small child’s head.

“Yes,” said Scarlet. “I’ve just had a vision. They’ve come to free us.”

“Free us?” the younger one repeated. “But that’s impossible. As long as he lives, we’re--”

Scarlet shushed her. “It’s not impossible anymore. Everything changes with enough time.”

Scarlet thought back to when it had all happened. Disgusted by the thought, she merely thought back even further, to when things were better in her life. Surrounded by family, she had always felt loved, especially on the eve of Hearth’s Warming.

She’d exchange gifts with those who were close to her, and had even donated to the local orphanage so that they could buy proper gifts for the younger ones. She had loved life, and she had loved the people. She had been so naive, but because of her position, it was only natural. She herself had nothing to worry about. She had no quarrels, as everyone had loved her. She had no enemies. And her father had been even more beloved, ruling over the kingdom of her people.

Scarlet sighed with a smile. “It would be hard to explain,” she said to the smaller one. “While it feels like it has been so long, it has really only been a short time.”

“I don’t understand,” said the child. “It’s been two hundred years.”

“It has been, and it hasn’t been,” said Scarlet. “You will most likely never understand, but that is okay. We’ll regain freedom, and then you won’t have to worry about being trapped within this accursed town ever again.”

Scarlet had known about them for only a while now, these rescuers, saviors who would deliver everyone from a life of pain and suffering. But there was also another who appeared in her visions, a figure who would do everything to stop the six heroes.

She had foreseen the end, and while it was satisfying, it was also frightening. She could not see how it would happen, but she did see the result. She entrusted her long life in the hands of fate to free her and reunite her with the one she loved. They’d be together again, and nothing would rip him away from her.

She’d make sure of that.

Scarlet looked at the child and smiled. “I think I know why you’ve come to find me again.”

The child nodded slowly and said, “I just wanted to hear it one more time before night falls.”

Scarlet took the child’s hand and led her back inside the building. It was a small home, one that they all had a part in repairing. They all did their best to keep the town in as decent condition as possible, but they could only do so much. Rain leaked through the roof often in various different spots, but they at least had some buckets to keep the floor from getting wet.

Leading her upstairs, Scarlet opened the door to a dark room. She muttered strange and exotic words under her breath, a candle in the room suddenly lighting up with a purple flame. A simple spell she had learned from her love long ago. He was always so gifted in magic, especially since…

Scarlet walked over to the bedside table and slid open the drawer, taking out an old, crimson-colored box. She let go of the child’s hand to turn a metal key underneath the box, winding it up. When she finished, she set it down on the bedside table and listened to it play.

/zab-paradox/scarlets-lullaby

[If clicking it doesn't work, use this link. https://soundcloud.com/zab-paradox/scarlets-lullaby ]

As the notes filled her ears, she softly sang under her breath.

Hush now, dear. There's no need for you to fret.

There’s no need to worry about life yet.

And as long as I'm here, you're safe.

I'll be there within your dreams.

The box eventually slowed down, the music stopping. Scarlet smiled and asked, “Is that all?”

The child nodded, the smallest hint of a smile on her face. “Thank you, Lady Scarlet.”

Scarlet patted the child on the head and sent her out of the room. Scarlet then wound up the music box once more to listen to by herself. She had always carried it everywhere in her bag, a reminder of her late mother. The song was a melody that was passed down by her mother’s side of the family tree.

Once the music ended again, Scarlet held out her hands, her claws extending slightly as she muttered more of the foreign language under her breath. A magical sphere slowly faded into existence, showing a tall tower in a city called Manehattan.

She had never been there while she was alive. Perhaps she’d go there one day when she’d leave her prison. She chanted a bit more, the scene zooming in through the window and showing four of the six ponies who were fated to save them all.

Scarlet watched in fascination, longing to call out to them somehow, but she knew she couldn’t. They’d arrive eventually, but for now, they had other places to go to, people to save. Scarlet would be saved for last, and then she’d finally be free. She’d finally get to go home and reunite with him. She wondered how time had treated him, her smile slowly vanishing.

As long as he lived, she was trapped. As long as he lived, she would remain here.

Looking at the scene, she took notice of an abyssinian boy, the same fur color as her. Intrigued, she zoomed a bit on his face. Impossible… There was no way he could be--

Someone knocked on the door, startling her. Having lost her focus, the sphere flickered away, vanishing from sight. Regaining her calm, she stood up and walked over to the door, opening it. It was another one of the children who remained here with her. It was a young, yellow-furred abyssinian boy wearing a blank, white mask with the mold of a feline face.

“What is wrong?” asked Scarlet.

The boy said, “There are some more intruders, Lady Scarlet. Shall I kill them?”

“Find out if they’re hostile first,” instructed Scarlet. “If they are, you may do what you wish.”

The boy chuckled, then silently ran off, his footsteps not making a sound. A few minutes later, Scarlet heard the screams of two people, followed by the sound of gunshots. Soon after, it went silent. She heard knocking on her door again, and upon opening it, she saw the boy with a knife, his fur drenched in blood.

“Could you not have done it cleanly?” asked Scarlet. “Your fur is messy again.”

“I’ll just stand in the rain,” said the boy cheerfully, having enjoyed his twisted version of playtime. Scarlet slowly nodded and simply closed the door, hearing the boy’s footsteps slowly fade away as he left to do so.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Starlight and Trixie had made their way back to the surface, with Starlight being none too happy about her situation. Unlike Trixie, however, Starlight stayed quiet about it.

“Ugh, I can’t wait to get back home and clean up,” Trixie complained. “The sewers are not Trixie’s natural habitat.”

“We just need to find the others,” said Starlight. “The sooner we find Twilight, the sooner I can get my magic back and the sooner we can get back home.”

“Why’s it always Twilight, huh?” asked Trixie as they walked down the sidewalk. “I thought you were supposed to be smarter.”

“I’m sorry,” said Starlight sarcastically. “I didn’t see you pursuing me across time and space to stop me from ruining the timeline.”

Trixie leered in Starlight’s direction, but said nothing. As they continued, Starlight read some of the signs on the abandoned stores they passed. Many of them were faded, and some were just so worn down that they weren’t even visible anymore.

“I wonder how all this came to be,” said Starlight.

“I bet it had something to do with Twilight,” Trixie commented.

Soon, they came across an old wagon, and sitting next to it was a pony. He wore an old hat and was tan-coated. His brown eyes noticed Starlight and he asked, “Do I know you? You seem a little familiar.”

“I doubt it,” said Starlight. “I’ve never been here before, and I’m suspecting that I’ve just crossed timelines again.”

“Again?” the pony muttered.

“It’s nothing,” assured Starlight. “Do you know where my friend and I might find proper shelter?”

The pony chewed on something in his mouth, then spit out some kind of black gunk onto the ground, making Trixie reel back in disgust.

“Eww!!!” whined Trixie.

“Last I ‘member, Tenpony Tower was takin’ in the homeless,” said the pony. “I recommend goin’ there if’n yer lookin’ fer shelter.”

“Do you know where it is?” asked Starlight.

“It’s the tallest building near the center of the city,” said the pony. “Ya can’t miss it. You can even see it not too far from here.”

Starlight looked up, seeing one jutting out above the rest. “Hm… Thank you,” she said. “We’ll just be on our way.”

“Watch out fer raiders,” said the pony. “There aren’t that many near the tower, but out here, it’s fair game.”

“That explains those creeps from earlier,” remembered Trixie.

Starlight nodded and the two continued on their way, keeping on their guard. It wasn’t known who would get in their path, or if they’d encounter any more monsters along the way, but one thing was for certain: this place was the stuff of nightmares.

Author's Note

Late Christmas chapter, yay, lol.

Are you a Background Pony or Not?

“I could’ve sworn we forgot somethin’,” said Nana, scratching her head.

“Nana, you’d forget your dentures if you even had dentures,” Dusty Bass bluntly commented. “I remember you losing an entire damn drumset a few months back.”

“It ain’t muh fault,” said Nana. “I blame raiders.”

“We were out in the middle of the patch between Ponyville and Manehattan,” mentioned Dusty. “Hardly anyone is out in between those two places.”

Applejack wasn’t too keen on the arguments. They’d start up every so often, with much of it ending with Nana being confused and forgetting what the argument was about. Because of her memory, they didn’t last very long, so there was at least some relief to it.

Along the way, Applejack would catch a few details of how things were in the past, as Nana would sometimes even start rambling about her adventures with “an old flame” of hers. There were some details that Applejack would have preferred not to hear about.

Applejack would never look at a rope the same way ever again.

Fiddler and the others were simply fine with it. It didn’t seem to bother them, not even a bit. It reminded Applejack of her own family’s tolerance with Granny Smith. Sure, Granny would ramble on about some things, but it didn’t really bother any of them.

“I can tell you’re a little disturbed by Nana’s stories,” observed Fiddler. “I hope she’s not sharin’ too much?”

“Ah think we’ve gone past that,” Applejack replied with a nervous smile. “Ain’t gonna bother me much if Ah get used to it.”

“Well, that’s good, I think,” said Fiddler. “Hey, real quick question, how good are you with a gun?”

Applejack hiked an eyebrow. “Ain’t those the doohickeys you guys were talkin’ about when we went past that crumbled buildin’ near the start of our walk?”

“Smooth Rhythm’s piece isn’t exactly the best,” said Dusty. “I’ve been tryin’ to get her to swap out for something a little more reliable, but she keeps hangin’ onto it cuz it was her ma’s.”

“Ah don’t know nothin’ about them, really,'' claimed Applejack. “Ah just started hearin’ about ‘em a few hours ago.”

“Well, they’re pretty useful around these here parts,” Fiddler pointed out. “We ain’t some fancy steel ranger group, but we can hold our own pretty well.”

“That’s another lie,” said Smooth Rhythm. “We’ve been backed into a lot of corners before. Sure, we can get out, but we definitely can’t take on anymore than a few raiders.”

Applejack leered at Fiddler with a hint of annoyance. “Why do you gotta keep fibbin’ all the time?” she asked him.

“It’s just a habit,” he replied. “It’s helped me out many times.”

“Just ‘cuz it helped ya once, don’t mean it’ll help all the time,” said Applejack. “We’re gonna have to work on your honesty.”

“I can be honest if I wanted to,” fibbed Fiddler. Applejack could definitely tell that this habit would be a pain in the neck to deal with.

As they walked through the many streets, Applejack could see a lot of posters with ponies in fancy-looking armor, the equines covered from head to hoof in metal. What made her feel uncomfortable was the very fact that she was on some of these posters, an older version of herself looking much more serious than Applejack would have liked to be.

Applejack looked to Fiddler and asked, “So, uh, this war y’all have been talkin’ about… How’d it go down?”

“I don’t really know all that much about it,” said Fiddler. “I know it started with some terrorist attack, then things went downhill when Princess Luna took over. Other than that, you could say I’ve lost the memory for it.”

“Princess Luna took over?” Applejack asked, a bit bewildered at the claim. “That don’t seem right. What about Celestia? Didn’t she try anything?”

“I remember something about Celestia being a huge pussy and handing down the throne to her sister,” said Dusty. “In my opinion, it’s Celestia’s fault that we lost. If she’d have just stayed, we could’ve fared better.”

“Ain’t her fault,” interjected Nana. “Littlehorn wasn’t exactly a cakewalk for her.”

Applejack wasn’t too keen on hearing any badmouthing of either of the princesses. Though, she didn’t really say anything about it. Since Applejack was probably in the future, a lot of things must’ve happened. If she could find her friends, maybe they could all figure out exactly what happened here.

On the way there, they came across an old, abandoned record shop. As Fiddler went inside, Applejack stayed close behind him, not really familiar with the place. Fiddler seemed to know his way around here.

“So, how many times have ya been here?” asked Applejack.

“Been coming here for the past four years, at least once a month,” he answered. “For some odd reason, there’s always somethin’ new here to find, and I don’t think I can explain why.”

Applejack was curious. “New?”

Fiddler reached into a pile of old records, pulling out something from beneath. Upon second glance, it was a record with one of her relatives, Fiddlesticks. Fiddler grinned the moment he picked it up, saying, “I’ve always wanted to play like her, ya know?”

“Who, Fiddlesticks?” asked Applejack.

“Yeah,” Fiddler replied. “Ever since I was youngin’, I’d listen to an old record that’d have her playin’ her best tunes. It’s actually what made me wanna pursue a career in music-makin’.”

Applejack could see a bit of Fiddlesticks’ own ambition in Fiddler, making her wonder… Was he---

“Hey, Fibber! Hurry up!” shouted Smooth. “We don’t got all day!”

Fiddler hurried out with the record in his mouth, putting it in the saddlebag on Dusty’s side. Dusty looked in the bag, then at Fiddler, and asked, “Really?”

“What?” asked Fiddler.

“This is the third time you’ve brought one of these out. We can’t keep clingin’ to ‘em all,” argued Dusty.

“Dusty, c’mon,” pleaded Fiddler. “It’s what keeps me goin’.”

“You said that about mares three months ago,” Dusty pointed out.

Fiddler put a hoof up in front of Dusty’s mouth, looking back at Applejack. He gave a nervous smile, he looked to Dusty and said, “Look, I’ll make it worth your while. I could easily pick up some of the tunes from this one, and we could be the talk of the town if we play these!”

Dusty took a deep breath, then said with a sigh, “I’m tired of your bull, but we’re also going to be late. Let’s keep movin’.”

“Thanks, bud,” said Fiddler as he ran back towards the front of the group.

Applejack sped up her pace a little and caught up to him, asking, “What was that all about?”

“Oh, Dusty just doesn’t like it when my records take up space in his saddlebag,” explained Fiddler. “I’m a bit prone to collectin’ my fair share of music.”

“Y’all certainly argue like a family,” Applejack commented. “It’s almost like how Ah used to be with Big Mac.”

"Yeah, well, it’s just how we interact,” said Fiddler. “Ya get used to it.”

“Well, Ah sure hope so. Even though me and Big Mac used to fight, we eventually settled things,” Applejack responded. “Ah feel like maybe this is just a rough patch for y’all.”

“Got doubts about that, but I’ll take yer word for it,” he said.

“Ah think we’re comin’ up on Tenpony,” stated Applejack. “You said it was the big tower, right?”

“Yep,” said Fiddler as he eyed the building up ahead. “About five more minutes. Good thing, too. This is usually around the time when Nana starts ranting abou--”

Suddenly, Nana started up again. “Have I ever told you about the time I attended the senior prom back in my school days? We knew how to party. I even met a stallion who--”

Fiddler rolled his eyes. “She’ll be goin’ on for the rest of these five minutes.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Trixie wasn’t liking her time here one bit. Shot at, almost eaten, and now being forced to trudge through rubble in an abandoned city. There had been a huge pile of concrete in their way, and the only way around at the moment was to climb it.

“Starlight, can’t you hover us over?” whined Trixie.

Starlight gave Trixie a deadpan stare. “No magic, remember? It’s gone.”

Trixie groaned, eventually making it to the top of the rubble. Looking ahead, she could see the tower nearby. "It looks like we’re pretty close,” she said.

Starlight slid down the other side, doing her best not to topple over. Trixie did the same, but didn’t do it as gracefully, tumbling down. Landing on her side, she groaned in pain. As she got back up, she could already see Starlight holding out a hoof.

Trixie, however, rejected it, getting up on her own. She wasn’t sure what was going on in her own mind, but the constant feeling of judgement kept raining down on her mental state. She felt the same way she did back before she met Starlight, and she didn’t know why.

Regardless of taking the hoof or not, Trixie said, “Thanks…”

Starlight looked at Trixie with puzzlement in her expression. “Are you okay?”

“Just a weird feeling,” said Trixie. “Like… I haven’t gotten over my first defeat by Twilight.”

“That’s… odd,” stated Starlight. “You know you’ve redeemed yourself, right?”

“I do,” said Trixie, “but… I dunno. The feeling keeps coming back, and it’s like I never did any of the things that helped me redeem myself.”

“That’s really strange,” said Starlight. “Maybe you hit your head back when we went down the sewers?”

“Maybe,” muttered Trixie. At that moment, images flashed in Trixie’s mind, the blue unicorn holding her head in her hooves as she felt brief moments of pain. She could hear voices, thoughts, thoughts that weren’t her own.

Starlight reached out and touched Trixie’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Trixie shook her head, saying, “I feel like there’s someone else in my head…”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

“The Goddess has returned!” Rusty Caravan shouted, causing Celestia to look behind herself at her.

“Excuse me?” asked Celestia.

“The Goddess!” repeated Rusty. “I felt her! She’s here! She’s here!”

“Who is this Goddess?” asked Celestia.

Standing on the rooftops, Celestia didn’t expect Rusty to act so strange and so suddenly. The green alicorn’s mane seemed frazzled, her eyes were wide with excitement. From what Celestia could tell, this alicorn wasn’t all there right now, well, even less so than usual.

“She’s the Goddess!” replied Rusty, her wings spreading out. “She’s… she…”

Celestia leaned back a bit. “I think you should go and sit down.”

“No! We must find her!” Rusty said. “She’s here in the---... I… can’t feel her anymore.”

Rusty’s wings ruffled, twitching as they slowly folded back into place, the frazzled alicorn looking disappointed. Celestia felt a twinge of pity, because although she couldn’t understand what this alicorn was talking about, she understood faces. It was part of her job as princess to be able to sympathize with her ponies.

...Was.

“How would you like to sit next to me?” asked Celestia. “We could look out for the others should they arrive.”

“I, yes,” said Rusty, no longer seeming concrete in her thoughts. “I suppose…”

After awkwardly walking over, Rusty sat next to Celestia and looked at the city before them. Celestia wanted to help ease Rusty’s pain, but wasn’t sure what was going on in the crazed mare’s mind. All she could do right now was to try and keep Rusty calm.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

As Applejack and the rest of her group approached the back of Tenpony Tower, she saw a white-coated mare with a blonde mane standing there, looking at her expectantly. Holding what looked to be a cider bottle on one hoof, the mare slowly blinked. She then stepped aside, then motioned her head to the door.

As Applejack walked up to the door, she asked the mare, “Are you okay? Ya seem… out of sorts.”

“Just questioning life decisions,” replied the mare, staring ahead into the distance.

“Hope ya get things straightened out,” said Applejack.

“I won’t,” said the mare. “Alright, Miss Yeehaw. Follow me.”

With befuddlement, Applejack followed the blonde mare with the rest of her group. Heading into the building, Applejack noticed a lot of pegasi. They were mostly all in groups or in pairs, walking around the building in an orderly fashion, all dressed in fancy armor.

“Never did like Enclave,” whispered Fiddler to Applejack.

“No one does,” said the mare, having somehow heard him. “I don’t like us, either.”

“Well, then--”

“Why do I work here?” The mare finished for Fiddler. “Gee, I don’t know. I was born up in the clouds. There aren’t many jobs that pay enough in the city itself. Government work is usually the kind of labor that guarantees a living, and I do indeed like to live.”

Applejack looked between the two, asking, “Ah don’t understand. What are y’all talkin’ ‘bout?”

“Obviously, according to your friend, he doesn’t like the Enclave,” said the mare. “According to me, no one likes the Enclave. It’s pretty clear if you piece things together like someone with a brain.”

“Ah’m pretty new ‘round these here parts,” said Applejack. “Ain’t never really been in a place like this.”

The mare shrugged. “Well, lucky you have me,” she said with a huge hint of sarcasm. “Good evening, I’m Study Guide, and I’m your guide to the Wasteland.”

Applejack got the feeling she was being made fun of, but she wasn’t sure if that was really the case or not. “Could Ah just ask if you’ve seen another group of ponies who--”

“Are seemingly back from the dead?” finished Study. “Yes, I have.”

Applejack was confused. “Are you referring to--”

“Miss Sparkle and the rest of her band of misfits? Yes,” replied Study. “They’ve been driving me up the wall lately.”

As they stepped into the elevator, only Applejack and Fiddler could step in, as there seemed to be a weight limit. Study Guide pushed the third floor button and they began going up. Applejack could hear a familiar voice over the radio of the elevator, but she couldn’t fully recognize who it was.

Fiddler seemed to recognize the tune, humming along with the song. It was pretty catchy, as Applejack could seemingly discern a pattern in it. She tried to hum along, but to no real success, as she couldn’t seem to catch on completely.

As the elevator doors opened, Applejack was surprised to see the amount of dirt-covered ponies in the room. They all wore tattered rags, with some having notable injuries, makeshift casts wrapped around a leg or two.

“What happened to these folk?” she asked.

“This is what happens when you live in the wasteland,” said Study. “Ponies have a tendency to fight each other for survival. These are just some of the lucky ones who decided to reside with us in the meantime. We act as a shelter at the moment until Enclave officials say otherwise.”

“Well, at least yer helpin’ ‘em out,” said Applejack. “Ah’m pretty sure they can appreciate it.”

“Doubt that,” said Fiddler with a smirk. “Ain’t no one gonna just thank the Enclave after what it’s done before. Trust me. It’s a loooong list.”

As Study guided them down the room, they came across what looked to be a pony with a strange-looking tail, one that looked rather dangerous with its pointed end. Applejack hiked an eyebrow in curiosity as she asked, “Uh, what is that?”

“That’s Taipan, a scorpony,” said Study. “Pay it no mind.”

"I don't care what you think about friend. Friend isn't Zebra,” the scorpony argued with a guard. "Zebras don't have tails like that, nor do they listen to ponies."

The guard, a bored-looking male pegasus, simply replied, “If it’s got stripes, it’s a yikes. No entry.”

Looking around, the scorpony pulled what Applejack thought looked to be some dirt from a small bag on the itswaist and proceeded to paint stripes on the guard. "Now you have stripes."

The guard, not expecting this sudden assault, stumbled back. “Hey, hey, hey! Stop that! I’m warning you, bug! I’ll squash you!”

Applejack walked over, unable to simply ignore the situation. “What in the hey is goin’ on here?”

"He won't let friend in," Taipan huffed, slamming her tail on the ground.

Applejack looked over to the guard and asked, “Why can’t her friend come in?”

“‘Cuz it’s a filthy stripe, that’s why,” said the guard. “Our policy on zebras is concrete, and we ain’t about to bend to the will of some small filly.”

“That’s a fully-grown mare,” Study Guide pointed out. “Female scorponies don’t typically grow any bigger than the average pony filly.”

Applejack was a bit surprised to learn that this small creature was a fully-grown adult, but what was more surprising was the opinion on zebras displayed here. “Why in Equestria wouldn’t you let a zebra of all creatures in?”

“It’s simply Enclave policy,” said Study. “I don’t like it, but I gotta listen. The guy above me here is pretty racist, too, so if I gave the word that the zebra could come in, the guy above me could easily order a kill on her just as effectively.”

"I challenge alpha!" the scorpony shouted, slamming her tail once again.

“Challenge denied,” stated Study. “Go talk to Fluttershy.”

Taipan seemed reluctant to follow the order, but did as she was told. There was no point in starting a fight in here where lasers were the common weapon.

“Hard to believe ponies are really actin’ like this over a zebra,” said Applejack. “You’re really startin’ to make me question yer ‘good intentions’, cuz this ain’t right.”

“I’m sorry,” said Study in the most sarcastic way possible. “Did I offend you? Do you want that apology in a thirty-two document paperwork format or should I just start kissing your ass?”

“You’re not very nice,” stated Applejack.

“Last name, Sherlock. First name, No Shit,” said Study Guide. “Don’t get me wrong. Normally I’d be willing to let her in, but because of circumstances outside of my control, I can’t.”

Applejack had never heard of such hogwash before. “Well, fine,” she said. “But Ah just wanna let ya know this ain’t exactly makin’ ya look any decent.”

Study continued leading Applejack and Fiddler without any problem with what Applejack had said, the pegasus mare obviously not wanting to deal with any of it. As they went down the call, Applejack could hear a familiar bubbly voice.

“Maybe if we’re lucky, we could find some kind of giant robot! We’d call it Harmony Prime, and we’d go on a mission to save the Wasteland!”

Another voice responded, “Ponk, did you take your meds today?”

Pinkie replied, “Why do I need meds?”

Applejack entered the room, eyeing Pinkie and her friends with a smile on her face. “Well, howdy! Good to see y’all are okay!”

“Applejack!” Pinkie shouted, tackling the orange mare. “Did you see any giant robots on your way here?!”

Applejack got back up. “Nuh-uh,” she said. “There ain’t much o’ anything out there.”

Study Guide looked at Taipan, who was standing by Fluttershy. “You,” said Study. “One more outburst like earlier and you’re out of here. Commander’s gonna blow a fucking gasket if he hears about this.”

Fluttershy looked over to the Taipan and asked, “Oh, my. What did you do?”

"Defending friend.” the scorpony huffed as her chest swelled with pride.

“Oh,” said Fluttershy. “Okay.”

Study gave Fluttershy a bit of a glare. “At least discourage it.”

Fluttershy looked at the scorpony and then said, “Um, maybe try doing it in… another way?”

"Oh, like what?" Taipan asked, her frustration evident.

“Maybe try appealing to the commander,” said Study Guide. “Without attempting to challenge or attack him.”

Taipan scratched her chin as she asked, "Appeal, how? Have his kit?"

Study Guide attempted to refrain from throwing the creature out the window. “No,” she said. “Strike up a conversation. Not everything is ritualistic.”

"That seems hard," Taipan sighed. "If no other way, then blaaaa, I don't wanna."

“You’ll do it if you want your friend inside,” said Study. “Do it for her.”

"Never said I wasn't. Just don't wanna," Taipan said as she left the room.

Study looked to the rest of the ponies. “I feel like this is going to be a real hassle, possibly more than it’s actually worth.”

“We really mean no trouble,” assured Twilight. “We’re only trying to get back home. Of course, we might stick around and try to help out, but I don’t know what we can do for a place like this.”

“Understandable,” said Study. “We’ve been attempting to ‘fix’ the Wasteland for nearly two centuries. Science and magic can only get us so far.”

“Any idea how it all really went down?” asked Dash. “I feel like there’s more to the story that we’re not getting here.”

“I think I’d rather wait for your final friend to arrive before explaining,” said Study. “Don’t want to repeat myself.”

“Well, what about a search party?” asked Applejack, “We could send out ponies to look for her. No offense to her, but Ah’m not sure she could handle it out here.”

“I have no authority on assembling Enclave forces,” replied Study Guide. “I only have my own personal lab team, and most of them don’t even know how to fire a weapon.”

“Well, what do we do?” asked Fluttershy.

“I suggest waiting for now until your friend finds her way over here,” said Study.

After saying that, a beep came from her coat pocket, followed by a voice. “We’ve got a situation by the main door. Alicorns are going crazy out here, and I don’t know how long we can keep them from attacking anyone.”

Study blinked slowly before simply leaving the room. It was always something in this hellish place. As she made her way to the back entrance, she saw two unicorn mares, both surrounded by a dozen or so alicorns.

Noting that one of the two unicorns looked like the infamous Trixie, Study Guide took a small flask from her lab coat, then proceeded to chug, a tear leaving her eye as the alcoholic liquid burned on the way down. She wasn’t paid enough for this.

After downing the entire flask, she tossed it aside, the bottle landing next to a pile of other discarded alcoholic potables. “Step away from the unicorns,” Study commanded.

“It’s the Goddess!” one alicorn claimed.

“She lives in flesh!” another shouted. “Flesh and blood like the rest of us!”

Trixie was very uncomfortable, seeing all these alicorns surrounding her and calling her a literal goddess. “Uh, Starlight? Do we know these ponies?”

Starlight rubbed the back of her neck with a nervous chuckle. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

Study Guide motioned for the two unicorn mares to come into the building, and as Trixie and Starlight walked in, Study Guide stepped in front of the alicorns who tried to follow.

“Don’t,” said Study. “I swear, if you cause any trouble, I will have you all thrown off the premises.”

The alicorns all gave Study Guide the same ominous glare, staying in place as Study slowly closed the door. Muttering to herself, Study led the two unicorn mares up to the third floor via the elevator, then led them back to the room where Twilight and the gang were.

“Starlight! Trixie!” shouted Twilight.

“Twilight!” exclaimed Starlight. Trixie merely huffed and walked up to Twilight. “I’m tempted to say this is your fault, since you dragged me into this.”

“Trixie,” scolded Starlight. “Now isn’t the time.”

“I think it’s the perfect time!” Trixie shouted back. “Whatever the case was, if we hadn’t followed Twilight, we wouldn’t have ended up here!”

“Trixie, I didn’t know any of this would happen,” said Twilight.

“I almost became lunch!” said Trixie. “We’ve been attacked by very rude ponies, we saw sk-skeletons, and we found a horror factory where unicorns’ horns were cut off!”

Twilight stared in a bit of horror and disbelief. “I had no idea you went through that!”

“Well, now you do,” said Trixie.

Starlight chuckled nervously. “It hasn’t been a good day,” she said. Her fake smile then went away as she rubbed her horn. “My magic’s been suppressed, and now I can’t use it.”

Twilight was surprised. “What?! How?!”

“Some stupid magical negator gate or something,” answered Trixie. “Honestly, that whole place was a nightmare.”

“Where were you?” asked Twilight.

“Some underground bunker called a stable,” replied Starlight. “Ponies were living underground!”

Twilight looked at her friends, seeing puzzled expressions across all their faces. “There’s something really freaky going on here.”

“Speaking of freaky,” said Dash, “did you guys see any zombie ponies? Those were freaky.”

“You, too?!” shouted Twilight.

Applejack was a little confused. “Zombies? Ah ain’t seen no zombies on muh way over here.”

“I think she’s referring to the ghouls, like Nana,” explained Fiddler.

“Oh, right!” confirmed Applejack. “Ah almost forgot!”

“HOW DO YOU FORGET ABOUT ZOMBIE PONIES?!” asked Dash, getting up in Applejack’s face.

Applejack, pushing Dash away, said, “Now, hold on! It ain’t like she was ravenous or nuthin’! She still acted pretty normal to me!”

“So it wasn’t a feral,” said a red-maned, oyster-colored mare. “Most ghouls you’ll see these days are feral. You were lucky, I guess. Oh, I’m Dusk Feather, by the way.”

“I’ve met a few tame ones,” said a young abyssinian with a grin. “They’re not all bad. Also, I’m Tricks!”

“I beg to differ,” said Study Guide. “Ghouls aren’t a subject I like to stray into, but I need to give you my word that most will eventually turn feral. Even if they don’t mean to, there’s almost a hundred percent chance that if they live long enough, they’ll lose what they keep their sanity for.”

“Their sanity?” queried Twilight.

“Ghouls can only remain sane if they have something they feel they can live for,” explained Study. “I’ve seen ghouls lose their minds after losing the things most precious to them. Once they hit that line, there’s no more reasoning with them. They simply cease to be sentient.”

“That’s… horrible,” said Fluttershy. “Ghouls must have such a hard life.”

“I’m not a big fan,” said Study. “I only work with them when I have to.”

“How often do you work with ghouls?” asked Tricks.

“Once, maybe twice a year,” said Study. “It depends on whether or not command wants to be stupid.”

“Ah feel there oughta be some kinda protection with ya if’n yer actually gonna be dealin’ with undead ponies, right?” assumed Applejack.

“It’s true, they don’t let me go out there alone,” answered Study Guide. “There’s a protocol to everything, and in the case of ghouls, extra soldiers are indeed a requirement.”

Applejack turned to see another equine walking in. At first, it appeared to be a zebra, but when her latter half entered the room, Applejack was surprised to see a dragon’s tail attached to the zebra. Next to the zebra hybrid stood the scorpony from earlier.

“Oh, Zone! Hello!” greeted Fluttershy.

“Hello, Miss Shy,” said the zebra named Zone, smiling. “It would appear that Taipan was able to convince the commander to let me in.”

"Yes, me was able to convince Alpha to let friend in," Taipan happily proclaimed.

Applejack wasn’t quite sure how it was possible, because from what Study Guide said, it seemed like the commander would’ve almost certainly never let Zone in, given her status as a zebra. “How’d ya do that?” she asked.

“Probably because the commander has more sympathy towards hybrids than purebloods,” answered Study. “Skewed perspectives are everywhere.”

“I’m surprised you went ahead with simple talking,” said Dash. “You don’t act like the type to just talk out your problems.”

Taipan looked up at Rainbow Dash. "Hey, you not wrong, but also me want to live to see tomorrow." she said, then noticed the wings on the cyan mare. "You cloud walker, too?"

Dash grinned. “Uh, yeah. One of the best,” she bragged, a hoof to her puffed-out chest in pride.

Dusk gave Rainbow Dash a bit of a sour look. “Why are you bragging?”

“Why not?” asked Dash.

“I… never mind,” said Dusk, looking the other way.

Something then suddenly came to Applejack. “Hey, where are the others?” she asked Fiddler. “Weren’t they supposed to join up with us?”

“Elevator may have broken down again,” said Study. “It’s been doing that, so they may have to take the stairs.”

"Moving box stuck after me got done with chat with alpha," Taipan infomed Study Guide as she inspected Rainbow dash.

Twilight’s brow raised in offense. “I don’t mean to be rude,” said Twilight, “but is your Ponish okay?”

“Her what?” asked Tricks.

“Ponish. The language,” clarified Twilight. “I’m sorry to point it out, but… it’s kinda bothering me a little… a lot…”

"Me still learning,” said Taipan. “Not as good as alpha, but getting their."

The Scorpony poked Rainbow with her tail. "Not best,” said Taipan.

“What do you mean, ‘not best?’” quizzically asked Dash, narrowing her gaze.

Slamming her tail, Taipan announced, “I challenge you."

Twilight’s eye twitched. “Oh, now she speaks proper Ponish.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Tech Wiz looked over the data on her clipboard while the scientists worked to repair the machine. With the data she had gathered up after the initial explosion, she was surprised to find that the machine shouldn’t have been able to handle the stress for as long as it did. It was as if there was another magical force at play that kept it from blowing apart in the first minute.

Looking over to the machine, her eyes wandered over the monitors, the text changing every once in a while to indicate a new feed of data, mostly passive electromagnetic readings that would allow them to determine when and where the machine would be able to pull someone in from another universe.

That was especially odd to her, because from her studies, electromagnetism had nothing to do with interdimensional travel. It was like the feature was only added to make it fit some child’s fantasy, or simply some bad science-fiction novel.

She had many questions to ask Hindsight, because she was, quite frankly, offended by his lack of respect for her field of expertise, choosing to put his faith in a being no one could see or hear. Tech Wiz was usually a pegasus mare of pure science, even favoring it over magic at times.

Suddenly, the machine beeped, gaining her attention. “You boys fix it?” she asked.

One scientist looked back to her, saying, “We haven’t even removed all the heat damage to replace the wiring.”

“That’s… not right. It shouldn’t be attempting any operations,” she said, walking over to the monitors. The text appeared to be scrolling by faster and faster, multiple P.R.O. tags displaying themselves across the screen as they went up.

Looking up to where the shattered glass dome was, she asked, “Could we get Hindsight in here?”

“I believe he’s out with his new scientist friend,” said Arcane Vast, walking into the room. “The two together are beginning to annoy me, and so is this brat.”

Puppysmiles quickly ran into the room, staying close behind Arcane. “He’s not very nice,” she said to Tech Wiz. “He doesn’t like hopscotch, either.”

“Well, maybe I can bring my daughter over later and you two could play some games?” suggested Tech. “Do you like board games?”

“Sometimes, yeah!” replied Puppysmiles, her grin spreading across her face, the filly much more excited now. After getting to know Puppysmiles, Tech Wiz had lightened up around her, seeing her as a mere child who was simply looking for her mother. Tech Wiz pitied her, hoping Hindsight could return Puppysmiles to her universe so she could find her parents.

Tech Wiz looked up at Arcane Vast, asking him, “Did you guys input any tags while I was away…?”

“I don’t mess with the machine-half of this stupid project,” said Arcane. “My job is to be a negotiator with the magical artifact.”

“That’s a little disturbing,” said Tech Wiz. “There’s multiple tags on the monitor, and I don’t remember inputting any of them.”

“I know absolutely nothing about ‘tags’, nor do I care,” replied Arcane with a bored look. “I’m just in here to dump this brat onto your hooves.”

“But, that’s not my job,” argued Tech Wiz.

“It’s not my job, either,” said Arcane. “I’m sure you can see the predicament we’re in.”

Tech looked at Puppysmiles, who appeared to be bothering one of the scientists. The filly was asking him unending questions about his lab coat and what he was doing. Tech Wiz, with a tired sigh, said, “Come here, sweetie. Don’t bother him, please.”

“He looks like a doctor from a hospital!” exclaimed Puppysmiles.

“I’m sure he does,” replied Tech with fake enthusiasm. As a mother, she knew how to speak to children, to keep their interests off the more fragile and important things. “Tell me, do you have a game you like to play when your mother wants you to give her a bit of alone time?”

Puppysmiles looked up at the ceiling, the filly thinking hard. “Uhhh, I don’t think so.”

This wouldn’t be easy. Regardless, as Tech Wiz looked back to the monitor, she took note of several of the tags.

S.I.L.
P.S.A.
M.U.R.
H.E.N.
W.A.N.

Tech Wiz could see other tags whizzing by, but she didn’t really care to read the rest anymore. She’d need to talk to Hindsight when he came back. She looked down at Puppysmiles and put on the most convincing grin she could. “Hey, would you like to play a game?” she asked. If she had to foalsit this filly, she might as well bring out some old board games from her own childhood.

“Yeah!” replied Puppysmiles as she jumped up and down. “I like games!”

Tech Wiz’s grin faded a small bit, then she led Puppysmiles to her assigned room, where they would remain for the next few hours, keeping the filly busy.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Dusty Bass walked up the stairs, carrying a tied-together drum set on his back, the sturdy pony not too keen on climbing heights today. But, since the elevator didn’t seem to be working, he had to do what he could to keep the schedule moving smoothly.

Speaking of Smooth… Smooth Rhythm didn’t seem to have a care in the world, marvelling at the architecture and decorations of the building. She stayed surprisingly quiet, taking in the scenery and relaxing.

Nana had a bit of trouble with the guards. Luckily, Dusty was able to convince them to let her keep her head, the stallion having a bit of a knack for talking his way out of tricky situations at times, especially when it came to convincing someone that Nana was completely harmless.

After all, a ghoul like her was weak and frail, having already been old by the time she had turned. In fact, Dusty was still surprised to see that Nana could still stand on her own after two whole centuries. She certainly had some leg strength from someone her age.

“Darn Enclave,” Nana muttered. “Can’t they just leave an old lady alone? I’ve got more manners than any o’ these ‘gentlecolts’ combined.”

“It’s Enclave, Nana,” said Dusty. “We both know their feelings towards anyone from the Wasteland.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t shoot Fiddler to death all those years ago,” Smooth commented. “Remember when he tried to talk up that pegasus?”

Dusty snorted, nearly bursting into laughter. “Fuckin’ idiot’s always tryin’ to get in between some mare’s legs. We literally had to speak on his behalf to save his lyin’ ass.”

Nana smiled. “Oh, he’s just got a lot to learn,” she said. “One day, he’ll find someone, and maybe it’ll be that special someone, too.”

“Doubt it,” said Smooth. “Guy’s got no respect for any kind of female.”

After they finally made it to the third floor, they set down their equipment, taking a rest. Dusty looked at all the ponies who were waiting patiently to be assigned a room, a guard coming along every once in a while to give one of the ponies a keycard.

“Looks like Enclave’s got their hooves full here,” observed Dusty. “Seems like everyone’s flockin’ here for shelter these days.”

“Well, hey, it’s free,” said Smooth. “Why not come here?”

“Just don’t feel right,” said Nana, squinting her eyes. “Feels like somethin’ troublin’s ahoof here, but I can’t figure out what. Ain’t no way the Enclave is gonna just set up a shelter for ponies like us.”

“You might be right, Nana,” said Dusty. “Just keep quiet about it for now, though. We don’t wanna be attractin’ too much attention. It’s already bad enough since yer a ghoul.”

Nana grumbled to herself until they heard a loud clattering noise coming from the opposite end of the large waiting room.

“Are you fucking insane?!” shouted Study Guide.

Dusty gritted his teeth the moment he saw some random scorpony attacking an innocent pegasus. Well, maybe innocent. “Damn it. How’d that thing get in here?” he asked himself.

Study Guide simply stood back, looking at the nearby guards and motioning her wing for them to hold their fire. She didn’t want a sudden firefight in here. She then turned to Dash and said, “You two had better not fucking injure anyone in here!”

“I don’t understand why she’s just suddenly like this!” shouted Dash.

“It’s instinct,” stated Study Guide. “She sees you as a potential threat to her goal. “She’s not trying to hurt you. She’s just trying to assert dominance. Unfortunately, that involves a shit ton of stinging.”

"Stop running coward!" Taipan screamed as she fired her pin-missile attack.

Meanwhile, Discord sat on one side of the room, chewing on yet some more popcorn. “Wasn’t this bit supposed to be about Applejack?” he muttered to himself. “Once a background pony, always a background pony, I suppose.”

Dash was immediately hit in the flank, the pony yelping in pain as she felt the sting radiate a throbbing pain through her body. “Ow!” she shouted. “Could you not do that?!”

Applejack, watching from the sidelines, said, “Ya know, you shouldn’t have bragged about bein’ the best. Now look where it gotcha.”

“Can’t you just use your country pony skills to lasso this thing away from me?!” asked Dash as Taipan jumped on her, screaming like a madmare.

Applejack gave Dash a deadpan stare. “Are you serious right now? Ah can take a lot of insults, but that one, although unintentional, was probably the worst. Also, I don’t wanna think about rope right now.”

Nana couldn’t help but cackle, the old mare remembering the story she had told Applejack on their way to Tenpony. “Y’all are such wusses these days. Back in my day--”

“Ah was back in your day!” Applejack clarified.

Study Guide walked up to the two tumbling ponies. “Alright, I think it’s obvious now that the scorpony wins. Could you please get off the pegasus?”

Taipan huffed from exhaustion got up, leaving the now-black-and-blue mare alone. "Beta," she called Dash.

Dash stood up weakly, groaning, her gaze on Taipan. “Jeez…”

“Now that we’re done with that, can we please go back to what we were doing?” asked Study Guide.

“Which was?” asked Applejack.

“Me going back to my office to drink and you guys staying in the guest room,” answered Study. “I’m not a foalsitter. I’m a researcher.”

Dash walked back to the room with the others while Applejack stayed in the lobby, walking over to Dusty, Smooth, and Nana.

“How y’all holdin’ up?” asked Applejack.

“I’m doin’ fine,” said Dusty. “Nana’s feelin’ a bit cranky, but that’s normal when we’re on these trips.”

Smooth looked over at Study Guide, then said to Applejack, “Not gonna lie, but she looks like she’s about done with life.”

Applejack, not looking back, said in a quiet manner, “Yeah, Ah don’t really like her all that much, but Ah’ll tolerate her at least.”

“More than what I’ll do,” said Smooth.

“Your friends are here?” asked Dusty.

Applejack smiled. “Yeah. They’re here. Though, one is missin’, and Ah dunno if she’s gonna make it here. Ah might have to ask Twilight if we could go out lookin’ fer her.”

There was a brief pause. Applejack was a little worried. Fluttershy was one thing, but Rarity was another. Rarity wasn’t the kind who liked to get dirty, and Applejack also wasn’t sure if Rarity could figure out that the others were over here.

Dusty pulled himself up with a groan. “Any place we can place these instruments?”

“Ah think we could just set ‘em in the room we were assigned,” said Applejack, leading Dusty and the others to where Twilight and the rest of the gang was.

“This room looks… crowded,” said Dusty, noting all the ponies inside. “You sure we ca--”

“Of course, Ah’m sure,” replied Applejack.

Dusty attempted to scoot in, eventually reaching the corner and carefully setting down everything, the occasional sound of cymbals ringing out. He then sat down next to the pile, looking at the strangers around him. “So, these guys are your friends?” he asked.

“Yep,” replied Applejack. “Well, half of ‘em are. The others are those who helped them get here, apparently.”

Dusty blinked. “Alright,” he said.

Dusty was approached by a drover-yellow mare with conifer-green, poofy hair, and one green eye, her other eye covered by an eyepatch. “‘Didn’t you play at my casino one time?”

“Yeah,” said Dusty. “Fiddler was the one who secured the deal.”

And, speak of the devil, there Fiddler was, walking into the room. “So, I was walkin’ around the hallways, and I couldn’t help but notice there’s some stairs leading to the upper levels that are blocked off.”

The drover-yellow mare looked over to Fiddler, her face turning sour. “Oh… him.”

Applejack looked to Fiddler and asked, “You know her?”

“That’s Lucky Break,” Fiddler replied. “We played at her casino one time, but I got so drunk, I got a little too into the music.”

“He almost broke my late ma’s piano,” said Lucky Break, looking very unamused, her gaze boring through Fiddler’s head.

“I get pretty clumsy,” admitted Fiddler.

“Idiot doesn’t even know where he’s going when he’s drunk,” said Dusty. “Sometimes he’ll just stumble forward with such force, he’ll knock me onto the ground, and I’m about the same weight as that piano.”

“Well, you’re not playing at the casino ever again,” stated Lucky. “In fact, you can’t even drink in the casino ever again. Actually, don’t even look at the casino again.”

“Ain’t that a little harsh?” asked Dusty. “Ain’t our faults he’s such a drunkard.”

“Oh, you can play in the casino,” stated Lucky. “He, however, can’t.”

“Oh, okay,” said Dusty, completely fine with that.

Fiddler rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, at least I ain’t throwin’ dirt at your employees,” he said, referring to Taipan.

“What employee mean?” Taipan asked.

Fluttershy leaned in, whispering, “It’s someone who works for the manager of a business.”

“He means the guard you threw dirt at,” stated Study. “He’s saying at least he doesn’t throw dirt at Lucky’s employees.”

“Dirt help keep pest away very well,” Taipan said sagely while nodding her head.

Lucky Break simply disregarded it, going back to her key argument. “You need to straighten up,” she said to Fiddler.

“Don’t you owe caps to someone?” asked Pinkie.

“Quiet, Ponk,” said Lucky. “I’m busy bein’ a hypocrite right now.”

Applejack silently stepped away from the argument, not really wanting to get in between the two. She had had a long day, and didn’t want to deal with any more of the bickering. First with Nana, then with Taipan and Dash, and now with Fiddler and Lucky Break.

As she stepped out into the lobby, she looked out one of the big windows, wondering where Rarity could possibly be out in that urban mess. She was likely to hate it, probably.

Author's Note

Here you go, guys. Dylan's story is getting updated next after this.

Tenacious Ambitions

“Have you ever heard the old saying ‘The portal to hell is opened with the incantation of good intentions’? If there was a moral to their story, I guess that would be it.” - Watcher

Rarity did her best not to be appalled at her traveling companion’s mannerisms. It had been decided that Brute, the overgrown hellhound, would accompany her, but with his behavior towards other ponies they had come across, Rarity was beginning to wonder if she shouldn’t have asked Rebar to go with her instead.

Rebar had assured Rarity that the small filly would be fine with her friend, and to even prove it, Rebar had even demonstrated several… explosive traps, leaving Rarity to question the filly’s sanity. Of course, Rarity didn’t want to argue at a time like this. She needed to find her friends first.

The city was rather empty, but Rarity would occasionally feel like somepony was watching her. Looking back at Brute, she asked, “You ever feel like there’s a pair of eyes on you?”

The hellhound grunted in response as they both walked down the street. Rarity was beginning to wonder if Brute was ever going to warm up to her. Though, from what Rebar had told her, it wasn’t likely, as most hellhounds hated ponies, much like diamond dogs.

From what Rarity could see, Brute was noticing, though. She’d see his ear flick every so often, slightly turning as it detected noise. Rarity, although she didn’t have hearing as good as Brute’s, would see glimpses of a strange figure. Whenever she’d turn her head, she’d see something move around the corner to hide.

Brute suddenly stopped at an intersection, puzzling Rarity. She waited for him to say something, but the beast remained quiet as if he were waiting for something himself. Rarity was about to speak when Brute said, “Stalker.”

“Excuse me?” queried Rarity.

“Stalker watching. We keep moving now,” answered Brute.

As he began walking once again, Rarity followed, asking, “Who is it? Do you know? Is it just one pony?”

Brute was a little confused by Rarity’s wording. “Not pony. Stalker,” he corrected.

“Wait, so you’re saying that they’re called Stalkers. Is that something that’s not a pony?”

Brute grunted, continuing on.

As they kept going, they would eventually stop again, the beast halting in his tracks. Rarity was about to speak up when she saw it, the strange creature walking out on two legs, with no lower jaw, its eternally-open mouth allowing a tongue to flicker out every so often. With empty eye sockets, it didn’t seem to pose any threat, but the look of the creature alone was enough to seem menacing.

Rarity hid behind Brute, not familiar with this creature. Since Brute knew about these things, maybe he knew more on how to fight them properly?

Suddenly, the stalker hissed out in a female’s voice, “Hhhhh… hhh… hhhello.”

Rarity was a little astonished. “How did it speak without its---?”

“Move,” Brute demanded.

The stalker fidgeted, her clawed fingers twitching, fingers curled and pressed to her chest. “Wh-... What’sss your naa-aa-aa-aame?” she asked.

“Brute said MOVE,” repeated the hellhound.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve… seen someone like you,” she said. “How is… y-your day?”

Rarity tilted her head a little. “Is it trying to strike up a conversation?”

“Brute doesn’t care,” said the hellhound. “Stalker is stalker. Only good stalker is dead stalker.”

The creature began to slowly step forward, stumbling a little, her tongue occasionally darting out like a snake’s as she sensed the heat of the individuals in front of it. Brute suddenly slammed his spiked tail on the ground.

The hellhound raised up onto his two legs, his claws primed for battle. Rarity lit up her horn, ready to fight if she needed to. She wasn’t against fighting, but she would have much rather preferred to simply talk it out.

“...So, that’s it, then?” the stalker hissed out. Her claws clicked against each other, making an odd noise similar to teacups hitting teacups. “You don’t even want to talk to me,” she said. “You… y-you want to play games with my mind?!”

Brute ran at her, using his hefty arms to help propel him forward, moving much like a gorilla. The stalker bent her legs, then leapt over Brute as he swung a massive arm in an attempt to hit her.

Rarity cast a spell as the stalker was about to dig her claws into his back, a protective bubble encasing Brute. The claws of the stalker did nothing to get through, and quickly figuring out she couldn’t get through, she sped after Rarity, catching the unicorn off guard.

Rarity put up a magical manifestation of a diamond-shaped shield in front of herself, the bubble around Brute vanishing. The force at which the stalker hit the shield made it knock into Rarity, sending her tumbling across the road, the unicorn now with bits of asphalt in her mane and coat.

She was covered in filth. It was unacceptable. she wasn’t going to let some horror show get away with it. Shakily getting up, she said, “Now, you listen here! I’ve woken up in garbage, seen fine articles of clothing burned, and have suffered through the indignity of gutter sludge in my coat! But now… I’m done.”

The stalker screeched, stepping forward. “What are you, some stable pony? I’ve been through much worse than tha--!!!”

A large chunk of the road itself struck the stalker in the back, sending her skidding past Rarity and into a streetlamp, an audible metal clang ringing out as the stalker made contact with the structure. Rarity, shocked, saw Brute’s claws covered in asphalt and dirt, the canine looking indifferent. He grunted, then hit the ground once with his fists in victory.

“Short fight,” said Brute. “Dumb cat. Brute crush all the same!”

“Do you think she’s alri--?” asked Rarity, turning her head to look back at the streetlamp, the stalker missing. Rarity’s fur stood on end. “Wh-Where did she go?”

Brute’s eyes shifted from side to side, looking for the stalker.

They heard cluttering noises from around the corner. Brute slowly walked over, ready to attack if need be. Rarity’s breath held, the mare expecting something bad to happen. There was something about the atmosphere that screamed trouble.

Brute’s eyes met no creature, the hellhound stumped. There was nothing there but a few trash cans, toppled over and emptied. But as he began to think the stalker had gone, a sudden blur whizzed by, his arm cut with claws that may have well been knives.

The hellhound swung his bloodied arm, his own claws attempting to swipe the spot where the stalker had just been. Another blur went by, this time slashing into his back. This monster was toying with him, keeping him alive. With that kind of speed, Rarity knew it could’ve ended Brute’s life at any moment it wanted.

“Does it hurt?!” screamed the stalker. “You don’t like it when I toy with you! So why are you toying with me?!”

Brute’s fur was soaking in his own blood, but he kept standing strong. Instead of replying, he began swinging his arms and slamming the meaty appendages into whatever he could. Most casualties were made up of trash cans, lampposts and the walls of buildings, everything either bending, cracking, or outright breaking. He was furious, but even so, the stalker would come back, to slash him again with razor-sharp claws.

Rarity could only do one thing, and that was to put a bubble dome over him, but the moment she did, she heard the terrifying screech as the stalker immediately changed targets. She wasn’t used to putting up more than one shield, but she focused as hard as she could, putting up a second dome over herself, the stalker slamming into it and cutting partially through.

With its claws stuck inside, the stalker screamed, “Let me go! You wench! I’ll kill you!”

“Wench?!” replied Rarity. “Well, I never!”

The stalker repeatedly used her free hand to slice into Rarity’s shield as best she could, but it was to no avail. What was the deal with this thing? Was it running on nothing but insanity and rage? It just wouldn’t quit! Rarity definitely wasn’t Twilight, but now she had to think like her.

She’d remembered how Twilight handled her own spells. With help, Rarity was able to understand some of the concepts, but most of her magic was centered around usefulness, and she had never truly seen fighting as useful. She was above it.

But now, with this creature about to kill both her and Brute, she was forced to remember what Twilight had shown her only a couple of times before. She focused as best she could, picturing the tower in the distance. If she could get them there, even if it were a few blocks closer to the destination, that would be enough to put distance between them and this psychotic monster.

With a flicker of her horn, Brute vanished first in a fizzle of light, an afterimage of him remaining for a few short seconds before fading away completely. Upon detecting the absence of Brute’s presence, the stalker began immediately tugging harder, her claw eventually breaking free from the bubble around Rarity.

Rarity focused again as claws bashed against her protective force. The mare almost panicked, but she kept her mind clear until she could concentrate on the location ahead. The moment she did, she cast the spell, the mare vanishing, the same afterimages occurring shortly after her disappearance.

The stalker, seeing that they were now both gone, threw her head back, an unnatural sound emanating from her windpipes, multiple voices, more than just two or three, a thousand screamed out as she had lost her target.

. . . M e a n w h i l e. . .

Hindsight watched as Doctor Scalpel worked on an odd-looking weapon. Weaponry like this wasn’t normal. It was just a plain old speaker that Scalpel had hooked up to a balefire egg. The very thought of hooking up a near-unlimited supply of energy to such a mediocre device was unheard of in Hindsight’s opinion.

“What is that?” he asked, his blindfold partially raised. He wasn’t used to seeing someone doing something beyond him. It was a bit refreshing to see that there was someone on a somewhat equal level.

Scalpel’s gray eyes focused on the wiring and he replied, “It’s a device based off of weaponry made by my own species. Not only did we use hydraulics, but we also dabbled in phonetic technology.”

“And why the balefire egg?” asked Hindsight.

“You’d be surprised at how powerful our technology is without a near-limitless energy source,” replied Scalpel. “I want to know what it’s like with it.”

“How powerful is it without the source?” asked Hindsight.

Scalpel stopped for a moment, then said, “Imagine taking mere energy from the light of the sun. I don’t know if you’ve worked on solar technology, but it can be fairly weak compared to other energy sources. With solar power alone, a speaker of this size could fire soundwaves capable of killing in a limited range.”

Hindsight was surprised. He’d heard of killer radios in Canterlot emitting sounds that could kill within a limited distance, and that was probably without infinite energy. He began to wonder if this technology was similar to dark magic such as what was going on in Canterlot.

“Sounds familiar,” he said.

Scalpel went on to say, “I’ve seen speakers much larger than this, using only solar energy. Those speakers were capable of wiping out entire cities. If there was something like this in my realm, I could have used it to gain the upper hand. No one would dare oppose me, and I could rid my pathetic society of the barbaric games it cherishes.”

“But you can’t bring magic back with you,” stated Hindsight. “You said so yourself.”

“You are correct,” said Scalpel. “But I can bring technology from there to here. Everything in my world can be achieved in yours. You just have the power source I need.”

“I’ve been wondering,” said Hindsight. “How long do you plan to stick around?”

“I’m tempted to stay until the end,” answered Scalpel. “It’d be very interesting to see how it all turns out. Whether or not you fail, I can take notes back to my universe.”

“So, I’m a trial run,” assumed Hindsight. “You’re seeing what I do to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes.”

“You may see that as insulting,” said Scalpel. “I see that as… a teaching moment. You could consider it an honor that I see enough of myself in you to stay and see how you do.”

“You think of us as alike?” questioned Hindsight. “But I’ve seen all your sins. You’ve committed many acts of atrocity.”

Scalpel stood up from the device and turned to face Hindsight. “It’s not as though we’re the same. It’s more that we both want something. I want to bring order to a world where war is considered a sport, and you want to bring order to the surface.”

“I… suppose,” muttered Hindsight. “I still don’t appreciate being a test subject.”

“Don’t think of it as being a test subject,” said Scalpel. “Think of it as being a teacher. You’re teaching me how to do things right.”

Hindsight was not liking how this conversation was going so far. “Tell me more about the device you’re working on,” he said.

Scalpel picked up the speaker, holding the hefty device in his arms. “My kind first invented them during a crucial war as a way to get the upper hand on our enemies,” he said, turning the speaker around and showing the back of it, its internal components showing various talismans inside.

Scalpel then pointed out, “While you do not use the same technology my kind does, you do have magic, which gives me a workaround for limits that I’ve had to face in the past when working on my own machines.”

“And this will kill other ponies?” asked Hindsight. “With ease?”

Scalpel put the speaker back down, then replied, “No. It will make their deaths very slow and painful. While you and I are alike in intelligence, we are definitely not the same when it comes to our internal structures.”

“You have the standard organs, correct?” questioned Hindsight.

“You only have one heart,” said Scalpel. “I have three. You have thicker skin as well, while mine would most likely tear in the wake of this audio terror. You have bones, I do not. My kind would die easily to this particular weapon if I made only slight adjustments to it, but as for your kind, I’m afraid to say that the deaths caused by it would be agonizingly slow, to the point where parts of their bodies could possibly burst one at a time depending on the organ’s structure.”

“Could we use something a little… faster?” asked Hindsight. “I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with using something so…”

“Fear-inducing? Savage? Tenacious?” guessed Scalpel. “In most cases, violence is unnecessary, but based on what you’ve told me of the surface, there are individuals whose only language is violence.”

Hindsight didn’t like this. “I…”

Scalpel approached Hindsight, the two minds connecting gazes. “If you want to set an example, you need something that makes others fear you,” said Scalpel. “If you can’t do that, then you’re not fit to take over. They will crush you, step on your corpse like you were an insect. Are there others you care about, Hindsight?”

“There are,” replied Hindsight. “My mother and my sister. They’re the only ones I have left.”

Scalpel then said with an intense seriousness in his tone. “You wouldn’t want them to be taken advantage of by the very system you’ve told me about. You’d want to save them. Don’t be weak. Be tenacious. If you can’t use this weapon on the few to make an example, then you can expect the many to trample all over you and your forces.”

Hindsight definitely knew how the ponies of the wasteland were. Scalpel was probably right. If Hindsight couldn’t sacrifice the few for the good of the many, then he might not be able to take over at all. What if there was a mass uprising? Using this weapon could prove useful. If it was for the greater good, it was forgivable, right? ...Right???

Hindsight nearly bit his tongue. He replied, “Fine. We’ll use it once, but only as a demonstration of power.”

“You’ll need more than that, eventually,” said Scalpel. “There will be a point in time where some may attempt to rise up again. There’s always a stray. Fear is like medicine. It must always be administered as prescribed…”

“We’ll talk about this later,” promised Hindsight.

“Fine,” replied Scalpel, sounding impatient. “We’ll discuss your future strategies later.”

Hindsight wasn’t one for torture. Most of the things he had planned were supposed to be quick and merciful, not slow and torturous. He hoped that Scalpel would eventually forget the whole talk and be done with the topic.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

On a street near Tenpony tower, sparks burst into existence, emitting a high-pitched screech before reality had decided to spit out Rarity, sending her tumbling across the road. She shakily stood up, her purple mane smoldering briefly before cooling down and leaving only a small bit of damage.

She looked around her, trying to find her friend. “Brute? Brute! Where are you?!”

A grunt could be heard from a nearby dumpster, making Rarity smile nervously. “Oh, dear. I’m so sorry about that.”

Brute lifted himself out of the large, metal container, trash in his fur. Rarity was very disgusted, but she didn’t say a word. She was simply glad that she and her friend were able to get away from that crazed creature.

“Next time pony use magic, pony ask first!” said Brute, shaking the bits of filth off him. “Pony magic always go wrong.”

“Pardon me, but I just saved your life, I believe,” said Rarity.

Brute grunted, then slowly moved towards Tenpony Tower. Rarity knew how diamond dogs normally felt about ponies, but she wasn’t sure how far the hatred extended, especially out here. With everything here being so different, she wouldn’t have been surprised if relations between ponies and diamond dogs here were even worse.

As they approached the tower, Rarity saw a blonde-maned mare with a white coat. She smiled as she walked up to the mare, greeting her. “Hello,” said Rarity. “I was hoping you could help me and my friend here? We’re looking for my friends.”

The mare stared off into the distance, a green glass bottle in her hoof. “Why are we here? Just to suffer?” she muttered.

“U-Um, excuse me, dear?” questioned Rarity.

“Yeah, yeah, I got what yer lookin’ for,” said the mare. “They’re inside. Dog stays outside, however.”

“What? Brute can’t come in?” Rarity challenged. “Why not?”

The mare took a drink from her bottle, then said, “I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, ya damn prissy marshmallow. That dog right there, he’s likely to slaughter every last soldier inside this building the moment he sees ‘em. We don’t have a good history with diamond dogs.”

“Who, him?” asked Rarity, gesturing to the easily-over-five-foot-tall overgrown hellhound. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly, I assure you.”

Rarity turned around, wincing as she saw the dog squishing a strange, mutated abomination of a parasprite in two heavy hands before letting it drop to the floor.

The mare looked at the scene and replied, “Wouldn’t hurt a fly, huh?”

Rarity nervously laughed. “Uh, I’m sorry about that. Perhaps you’re right? I wouldn’t want him getting lonely out here, though. Brute, do you want somepony to keep you compa--”

“No,” replied the hound.

“S-Sorry,” said Rarity, really unsure of everything now. “Well, I’ll meet you back out here in a little bit. I just need to check on my friends, see if they’re really here.”

Brute simply grunted in response, then sat down by the doorway. The blonde mare guided Rarity in, and after they entered the elevator, Rarity couldn’t help but feel that sense of familiarity with the mare singing over the elevator speaker.

“A very beautiful voice, if I do say so myself,” said Rarity.

“Sweetie Belle is a classic, I suppose,” said the blonde mare.

“I beg your pardon?” questioned Rarity.

“Sweetie Belle. She’s a classic,” repeated the blonde mare.

Rarity was shook, unable to associate the voice with her sister. “Are you certain that’s Sweetie Belle?” she asked.

“Well, it’s not Octavia or Velvet Remedy,” replied the mare. “Sweetie’s got the iconic voice everyone can more certainly recognize.”

Rarity stayed quiet, trying to keep herself calm. She had no idea her sister had the potential to become a singer, and considered to be a classic. As the door opened and she stepped out, she was still rather astounded.

“Your friends will be up ahead,” said the mare. “I also need to warn you. I’m not certain how long the floor in that room will keep supporting all that weight, because every time a pony walks in, I hear the creaking screams of the fucking building coming from the floorboards.”

“Um, alright?” replied Rarity. The language from this mare was really uncalled for in Rarity’s opinion.

As they entered the hallway and went into the room on the right, Rarity was greeted with a tackle from none other than Pinkie Pie. “OH, MY GOSH!” shouted Pinkie. “We were getting really really really worried!”

Pushing Pinkie off, Rarity stood up. “Yes, well, I can handle myself, thank you,” said Rarity. “I was worried about you all as well, however the case is.”

Twilight walked up to Rarity with a smile and said, “Good to see you again! Now we’re all together again!”

“Does anyone know how we got here?” asked Rarity. “I remember portals, but I don’t know what caused them.”

“To tell you the truth, I’m trying my hardest to figure that out,” replied Twilight. “Spontaneous magical bursts aren’t normal, and even when they do occur, they don’t typically open portals to another parallel universe.”

“I’m still trying to get over the fact that there’s posters of us in the city,” said Applejack.

“Wait, you too?” asked Dash. “I thought I was the only one who saw that!”

“Um, you guys are pretty much all involved with the events leading up to the megaspells,” said a young abyssinian.

“Oh, my,” said Fluttershy. “I hope we didn’t mean it.”

“I am certain you did not mean it, but since you are you, I cannot be certain if the other Fluttershy is you,” said a zebra with an odd dragon’s tail.

“I am uncertain of what you are talking about,” a tiny, brown earth pony with a scorpion tail added as she scratched her ear much like a dog would.

“And with that kind of paradox taking place, I don’t know if I wanna interact with it any further,” said a red-maned, white-coated pegasus mare.

“Think we’ll ever meet our alternate selves?” asked Pinkie. “We could throw the biggest party ever!”

“I doubt that, Ponk,” said a green-maned, pale-yellow mare. “Most of the population thinks yer dead.”

A dark gray, red-maned stallion then said, “I’ll be honest with y’all, cuz if I were to just been seein’ y’all right now with no explanation, I’d be thinkin’ that we’re goin’ through a zombie apocalypse that was occurrin’ after the initial apocalypse.”

Rarity had no idea who all these new ponies were. Then again, she had tagged along with a giant diamond dog, so it was probably likely that all her friends had someone to guide them through this crazy world. “I’m beginning to think this is far from over,” said Rarity.

“Welp, let’s get moving. The longer we stay, the more likely we are to nab wrong looks.” the brown pony spoke up again, clearly growing anxious.

Twilight glared at the pony, asking, “Did you just form a near-perfect sentence? Last I heard you talking, you were really bad with your grammar.”

“I fluctuate with stress.” the brown scorpion pony said as she snorted at Twilight.

Twilight’s eyelid twitched at the very ridiculousness of this claim. “That… doesn’t make sense. You get better at speaking when you’re under stress?”

“Don’t some ponies usually operate better under stress?” pointed out Dash. “I perform better.”

“Yes, but this is, well it’s, I mean, ah, never mind,” said Twilight, a little annoyed.

“Can anypony clue me in as to why we’re here?” asked Rarity. “I know the how, but I don’t see why portals would just pop up on their own.”

“That’s what has me puzzled,” replied Twilight. “The magic required to open a portal to anywhere is complex enough. I don’t see why magical nature would have anything to do with it. The probability of it happening without someone who understands the magic is nil.”

Rarity nodded in understanding, then said, “It looks like we’re going to have to figure that out later. Right now, we need to figure out how to get back.”

“Not so fast,” said Twilight. “I think we’re here for a reason.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you think the Friendship Map has anything to do with it,” said Rarity.

“It’s never been wrong before,” said Twilight. “I’m willing to bet that all of this, this destroyed society of mean ponies and utter chaos, is the friendship problem we have to solve.”

Dash chimed in. “Twilight, if you’re right about that, then how are we supposed to fix all this?”

Twilight looked around at all the extra characters of the group. “Let’s see… From what I’m understanding after speaking with all of you, there’s a divide between all species. We need to fix the relationships between everyone and help get them on track to fixing this broken world.”

“Twi, that’s a tall order I reckon nopony could possibly fix,” Applejack said in doubt. “I’ve even seen ponies fighting ponies on the way over here. Can’t really get two kinds gettin’ along when they can’t even get along with themselves.”

“She’s probably right, Twilight,” said Dash.

“I don’t know,” said Fluttershy. “I think we could do it if we tried hard enough…”

Rarity rubbed her chin with thoughtful intent. “Well, one way we could do it is by teaching them the elements.”

“Kindness, Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic!” said Twilight in agreement.

“Hold on, now,” said Applejack. “Y’all wanna do the whole Friendship School over again, but in the wasteland?”

The small scorpion pony hybrid laughed hard, and when she was done, she said, “Wasteland need strong alpha to show them de way.”

“We haven’t had anyone take charge in this wasteland since the megaspells,” said the dark gray pony.

“Perhaps it is time that someone did take charge,” said the zebra.

“Maybe,” replied the white-coated pegasus. “It’s just that we’ve already got Enclave trying to take over, and even though Littlepip cleared the skies, there’s still a strong enemy presence left.”

“At least it’s not hatelings,” said the yellow earth mare. “A few of them are pretty annoying. They’ve walked into my casino before and have caused a bit of trouble. I couldn’t imagine an entire hive.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Chrysalis was right on one thing. Without her, her changelings had grown weak. Their tactics were bare, with no real coordination. The changeling queen was forced to put them to work on their listening skills, because for some reason, some of them were still defiant while others simply didn’t know what she meant when she gave a command.

“Alright,” she said. “Which one of you is smarter than the others. Surely, there must have been at least one changeling who stood out.”

“The smart one?” questioned a hateling. “We bullied them out of the group.”

“How are you still alive?” asked Chrysalis.

“Uhh, we feed on hate?” responded the hateling.

Chrysalis gritted her teeth. “That’s it. I’ve had enough. You’re all worthless! I’m going to train you into the ground!”

Cozy Glow watched the scene from afar, sitting next to Tirek. She was certain that if the hatelings didn’t shape up soon, Chrysalis would probably lose it and start hurting a few. “Do you think we’ll actually win the upcoming battle?” Cozy asked Tirek.

“That depends,” said Tirek. “You’re either strong or you’re not. With how these changelings are shaping up, I’d say we’d be lucky if we got through the defenses of this Enclave force we’ll be dealing with.

Cozy knew that hatelings most definitely didn’t like working together, but from her experiences with Chrysalis and Tirek, she had figured out that working together was what had gotten them the farthest with their goals. Chrysalis didn’t seem to remember this lesson at all, so Cozy thought it would be best if she stepped in this time.

She approached Chrysalis and asked her, “Have you tried telling them the benefits of working together?”

Chrysalis looked down upon the filly. “Excuse me? Are you questioning my leadership.”

“Um, Yes,” said Cozy, gaining confidence. “Don’t you remember what we did before? Working together, a new way to be bad?”

“Not this little song and dance again,” Chrysalis muttered. “It failed earlier.”

“Only because everypony came to help Twilight and her friends. There were only three of us, but now we have a whole hive. Let me teach them. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.”

Chrysalis was a little intrigued. Cozy was right. At the last moment, everypony had come to Twilight’s rescue during the final battle. She felt more certain this time with Cozy’s explanation. “Alright,” said Chrysalis. “You can teach them, but I want the army in shape for tonight. No longer will I go without the taste of victory.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Ember looked down upon the ruins of Manehattan as she soared through the sky, her mind imagining what Spike had told her. Magic powerful enough to destroy an entire civilization? It wasn’t easy to imagine. She had never thought that ponies of all creatures could cause such destruction.

“These megaspells, they’re stronger than the usual magic?” she questioned.

Spike’s one good eye focused on her. “Megaspells were used to greatly enhance normal spells. Let’s say you wanted to heal just a small wound, like a scratch. The megaspell would take that and turn it into something much more effective, not only able to heal small cuts, but able to heal all injuries.”

“How did that lead to this?” Ember questioned, gesturing to the ruins below them.

Spike stared ahead as he answered, “Because someone thought to use the megaspells to enhance your average kaboom into an even bigger kaboom, one that was so powerful it caused the end of civilization.”

“Well, can it be fixed?” asked Ember.

“It’s going to be, as long as nothing messes up the current plan,” he replied.

“What plan?” asked Ember.

“That’s not something you need to know right now,” replied Spike. “Maybe later when I can trust you enough. I need to focus right now. It’s been literal centuries since I last saw Twilight, so I need to mentally prepare.”

Ember didn’t have much experience with emotional situations. Knowing that Spike had been living with ponies, she figured that this had a lot of strain on his mental state, especially since Twilight was a mother figure in his life. This version of Spike had been going through a lot of pain, his heart aching for over two hundred years.

“How’d you keep going?” asked Ember.

“A promise I made,” answered Spike. “I had to guard a secret so closely that much of my life revolved around it. I hardly ever left the cave, lest the Enclave get ahold of it. I’m only leaving now of all times because this is an opportunity I may never see again in my life. Do you know what it’s like to lose someone and feel regret for not being there?”

Ember couldn’t relate. She’d never really lost anyone before. Spike was pretty important to her, but what she would’ve felt had he vanished, she wouldn’t know unless she’d truly gone through it. “I’m sorry,” she replied. “I don’t know.”

“Had a feeling,” said Spike. “Dragons weren’t very empathetic back then. Back in their prime, they just stayed in their land, dominating, never feeling regret for those they hurt as long as it was for the sake of themselves.”

“We’re not all like that,” said Ember. “You and I are an example of that.”

“Sorry,” said Spike. “I still don’t know much about you yet. I can only assume unless we have more time to talk. I guess I’m still holding a bitterness I can’t let go of. I knew a few bullies from back then, so it’s not like I had the most pleasant experience with other dragons.”

“You remember all that, but you don’t remember me?” questioned Ember. Then she remembered. “Right, right… Different world, or so you’re saying.”

“I don’t think I would’ve forgotten you,” said Spike. “You’re one of the few who at least seem accepting enough to the idea of helping others. That’s a trait that would’ve made you stand out had we ever met before.”

Ember couldn’t help but smirk at that statement. There was some odd sense of pride in her, and not her usual sense. It was a pride of knowing that she could be more than just what a dragon usually is. Of course, she was the Dragon Lord after all. That was in the job description, wasn’t it?

“So, tell me,” said Ember, “how strong have you gotten over the years?”

Spike didn’t seem too surprised by that question. “I’ve defended my cave for two hundred years from raiders, Steel Rangers, and Enclave. How strong do you think I am?”

“Well, since you’ve said these ponies have magic that’s stronger than usual, I’d say you’re probably very strong,” remarked Ember.

Spike looked as though he was holding in a laugh, his teeth flashing as he slightly grinned. “Yep, that’s me. The big, strong dragon.”

“With a heart of gold,” added Ember.

Spike just looked ahead as they flew. “Yeah…”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Dealing with two evil masterminds was one thing. Dealing with drones who had next to no intelligence was another thing entirely.

“So, we work together,” said a drone.

“Yes,” Cozy affirmed.

“To set the tower on fire,” the drone said.

Cozy shook her head. “No, you’re supposed to infiltrate them. You need to act friendly, pretend you’re one of them.”

“And then we set the tower on fire,” said another drone.

“Nopony said anything about setting the tower on fire,” said Cozy, a bit worried.

Chrysalis walked up to Cozy Glow, seeing the verbal trouble. “What is going on here?” asked Chrysalis. “Did you teach them to learn how to work together or not?”

“Kinda?” Cozy answered unsurely. “They keep saying the plan was to set the tower on fire.”

“I said nothing of the sort,” said Chrysalis. She turned to the group of drones and shouted, “Which one of you idiots thought I said to set the tower on fire?”

No one raised their hoof. Chrysalis then asked, “Which one of you suggested doing so?!”

Everyone immediately raised their hoof, receiving a look of disapproval from Chrysalis. She wasn’t happy one bit. “Can any of you tell me the reasoning behind your stupid idea?”

“We hate ponies,” said a drone.

“We don’t do acting,” said another.

Chrysalis tried her best not to lose her cool. “Keep calm, Chrysalis,” she said to herself. “Think of imprisoned princesses and devastated villages.”

Cozy spoke up. “Maybe if we told them more about why it works, they’ll listen?”

“Explaining why acting works? It’s obvious,” said Chrysalis. “It shouldn’t take a lesson on pretending to be nice just to get these buffoons to cooperate. What, are you going to do another one of your pathetic pony songs and dances?”

Cozy didn’t appreciate the attitude towards her. She did a lot to try and impress the other two, but they almost never seemed to appreciate it. Cozy looked at the group and asked, “How much do you hate ponies?”

“A lot!” said a drone.

“Enough to hurt ‘em!” shouted another.

“And set their towers on fi--”

“ENOUGH WITH THE FIRE,” yelled Chrysalis.

“You want to really hurt these ponies, don’t you?” questioned Cozy. “You call yourself hatelings, but you’re not willing to work together and listen to your queen so you can inflict the most damage possible?”

“How does imitating them cause damage?” asked a drone in the front.

Chrysalis couldn’t help but smirk. “Imagine a loved one suddenly betraying you when you needed them worse. Imagine kings and princesses suddenly declaring war for no real reason. Imagine an entire community turning on itself because rumors were spread. This is what changelings do.”

“How?” asked a drone.

“Lies spread if the right pony is talking. Don the form of somepony others trust, and they’ll believe every word you say. If you work under me, I can make sure that so much hatred is spread through lies that you will no longer have to work for your food. The ponies will already be fighting. Imagine all that hatred you could harvest. You want to come out on top…? Then listen to me, and I promise you that no changeling here will ever go hungry again! We will feast on the very seeds of hateful lies that grow like crops!”

The hatelings looked at each other, muttering quiet words of mixed reactions, but as the muttering continued, it turned into approval, the hatelings beginning to nod in agreement. Chrysalis was winning them over. She was just about to laugh when another drone spoke up.

“I got it! So we get them to burn their own tower!”

Chrysalis simply stared, complete disappointment hitting her as the crowd of changelings cheered. This... was going to take a while.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

“So, we have Tricks, Dusk Feather, Zone and Taipan, Lucky Break, Fiddler, and… Brute,” said Rarity, looking out the window, seeing Brute standing by the entrance to the tower. “We’ve got a lot to work with if we’re going to teach them the magic of friendship.”

“When you say magic, do you mean real magic or something else?” questioned Zone. “I’ve never seen friendship casting spells.”

“It’s complicated,” Twilight tried to explain. “It gets you through pretty much everything.”

“Tell that to the millions of dead ponies after the megaspells dropped,” berated Lucky. “I don’t think any of their friendships did them any good.”

Rarity wanted to speak out against that, but she didn’t want to make the deaths of all the ponies from before seem like they could’ve been avoided easily. Even with friendship, there were some things you couldn’t avoid. “It’s not really something that always helps during a catastrophe, but it does help to mend after,” she tried to explain.

“From what Ah’ve been hearin’, ponies began burnin’ bridges after the megaspells,” added Applejack. “Friendship just kinda vanished.”

“It’s not easy when you’ve got a government who’s hellbent on being the dominant tribe,” said Dusk. “Pegasi were mostly solitary for two whole centuries until Littlepip brought them down to earth.”

“May I ask who Littlepip is?” queried Fluttershy. “I’ve been hearing about her alot around the tower. The soldiers keep talking about her like she’s a criminal.”

“Enclave propaganda,” Dusk answered. “Littlepip is currently considered a hero by the wasteland for defeating forces like the Goddess, Red Eye, and the Enclave, but if you ask me… the Enclave are still very much alive. We’ve just been split apart. There’s a rebelling group of Enclave and the loyal group of Enclave.”

“Do not forget that the zebra are also a major factor in all of this,” reminded Zone. “They still are hateful towards ponies, even after two hundred years.”

“Let’s not forget the hellhounds,” said Rarity.

“The what?” questioned Twilight.

Rarity smiled nervously. “The hellhounds. I had a bit of a talk with Brute on the way here. It seems the hellhounds, who evolved from diamond dogs, have been staying within their own small groups, attacking any pony who comes near them.”

“And then we’ve got the abyssinians,” said Tricks. “I… don’t know much about them even though I am one, I’ll admit, but I do know that they’ve walled off their own city and don’t ever let anyone in, but it’s not like they’re harassing anyone as far as I know.”

“What about dragons?” asked Spike.

“They have fled far from here,” explained Zone, sadness in her eyes. “They live in solitude, keeping to themselves. There are very few of them left. No one knows where they truly live, but we have heard of migrations, so they obviously do not stay in one place for too long.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed. She looked stressed. “Then we have a lot to do. We may even have to find them ourselves if we want to teach them to work together and rebuild.”

Zone looked over to Taipan and asked her, “What of the scorponies? Surely, they must also need help to connect with other kinds?”

“Depends on alpha” Taipan replied. “Some like old alpha don’t mind others, but others not so nice.”

“Maybe if they see how we’re uniting others, they’ll want to join up as well!” said Rarity in a hopeful tone.

“Scorpony only trust strength. Prove that, and they will follow you,” Taipan again replied.

“Well, this should be easy. We just need a plan,” said Rarity. She looked at Twilight and asked, “You do have a plan, right?”

“Well, I think we should deal with the zebras first, since the war was between them and ponies,” suggested Twilight. “With that out of the way, we could try to help out the hellhounds, then the pegasi, followed by the abyssinians, and then we can hopefully get home after with some help from our combined efforts.”

“Who would be alpha of all of them?” Taipan asked.

Zone jokingly replied, “Perhaps you.”

Twilight’s ear twitched, the mare asking, “Do you hear something?”

Rarity listened as best she could, the faint sound of heavy wings getting louder and louder. “Is… that what I think it is?”

Twilight looked out the window. The moment she saw what it was, her jaw dropped. “Girls? I think you need to see this.”

Rarity and the rest of the group walked up to the window. What Rarity saw was a sight that was all too familiar. She had a flashback to the time Spike had once gotten a little too greedy, his form having changed to a much larger version of himself.

This was that very same form.

The dragon landed, the building rumbling from the very act of the dragon landing next to it. Looking through the window with a single eye, a low voice rang out,

"Twilight…?"

Author's Note

Yo, what's up?

Prophecy Fulfilling

A lot had been explained. Twilight didn’t know how to initially react. After a brief display of chaos, Enclave soldiers surrounding the massive dragon, Study Guide was forced to threaten the commander to stand down or risk a photo being leaked to the missus.

The emotion that was there between both her and the dragon was unmistakable. There was some odd mixture of regret that Twilight couldn’t explain, something deep in her mind telling her that this dragon… was Spike.

She had several images in her mind that she wasn’t able to interpret the origin from. She remembered… an organization, a war, and the feeling of abandoning her own. Standing outside on the ground and facing him, she muttered in disbelief, “This doesn’t make sense.”

“A lot doesn’t make sense right now,” said the older Spike. “I… never thought I would see this day.”

Twilight could see that the dragon, although he was big and strong now, was trying to hold back tears, heavy breathing coming from him. “Did I really do this…?” she asked. “Did I really leave you behind?”

“No,” said Watcher. “It wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have… I mean, I... It’s hard to explain when you don’t remember a thing about the past.”

Twilight felt the tug of the original Spike on her wing. “Twilight? Is that really…?”

Twilight was at a loss for words. She looked down at the small baby dragon with hesitance. “I don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “I keep remembering events that I’ve never been through.”

“There was no war in your world, was there?” asked the older Spike. “Things turned out better, didn’t they? I see those wings on you, and it makes me think that you did a lot of things right.”

Twilight wanted to scream. There was some kind of strange burst of emotion within her chest, one of intense sadness that she couldn’t get rid of. It was like she was going through an entirely different set of events. “I… I couldn’t have--- I… I need answers! What’s going on?!”

Study Guide approached, a look of skepticism on her face. “Forgive me if I’m interrupting, but I don’t think this is really the time. The Enclave are eager to pull the trigger right now.”

“Can’t you just get ‘em to stand down?” asked Dash.

“I would, but blackmail can only get me so far,” replied Study. “The commander is very upset right now and I don’t think a dragon standing in front of the tower is good for business.”

“Hold on now,” said Applejack. “This guy ain’t hurtin’ nobody. Why so hostile?”

“It’s a literal dragon,” answered Study Guide, annoyance in her voice. “What the fuck do you expect me to do about it? Of course the Enclave are gonna want to shoot it.”

“Maybe I should talk to him elsewhere for a bit,” said Twilight. “I need to gather up these feelings anyway, so a short fly should help me.”

“So you’ll take him elsewhere?” questioned Study. “Fine by me. It’s one less headache I’ve gotta worry about. Actually, make that two since you’ll be gone for a bit as well.”

Twilight flew up and hovered in front of the older Spike. “Let’s take this somewhere else, okay?”

“That’s fine,” said Spike. “We can catch up without interruptions. There’s just a lot I have to say.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Chrysalis stood atop a nearby building, her changelings having been forced into line by Tirek. It was odd, as Tirek had absorbed some sort of ambient magic from the surrounding area, and he was getting bigger and bigger every few hours. While this gave Chrysalis some concern, she brushed it off and hoped there would be a limit to how much Tirek could hold.

“This will be the day I start my conquest,” said Chrysalis. “After I take this tower, I will take every settlement, one at a time, cementing my hold in this pitiful realm.”

“I feel like we should start off with taking out the bigger forces in the tower,” said Tirek. “Leaves the weak enemies to clean up later once we get rid of the real threat. Those teams on top are probably one of the less-prepared, seeing as they’d expect almost nopony to fly up there. It’d be suicide to do that.”

“We’ll take out the soldiers inside first,” said Chrysalis. “Get some rumors to spread of betrayal. These stupid ponies will be at each other’s throats, allowing us to take out only a few to start the real fight.”

“They’ll all think the pony closest to them is the enemy, right?” asked Cozy. “You’d have to be quite the manipulator to get them to become that paranoid.”

“I’m a changeling queen,” said Chrysalis. “I’ve had centuries of experience…”

“Then what are we waiting for?” asked Tirek. “Standing around isn’t going to do anything, unless… you already have your forces inside?”

Chrysalis’ lips slowly turned upward, parting into a sinister grin, her sharp teeth bared. “They’re already spreading the word as we speak.”

“And the changelings behind us?” asked Tirek, looking back at the group.

“These will be the forces to come in and take over once the enemy has taken enough of themselves out,” explained Chrysalis.

“Why didn’t you do this in Canterlot?” asked Cozy.

Chrysalis’ grin vanished, the annoyed queen looking down upon the small filly. “Clearly, it seemed as though my plan was certain years ago.”

Tirek smirked. “For a queen with ‘hundreds of years of experience’, you sure are messy with tactics.”

“Don’t talk down to me,” warned Chrysalis. “I’m the one in charge of these changelings. I could be rid of either of you if I wanted.”

“Oh, is that so?” questioned Tirek, folding his now-muscular arms. “Then why haven’t you done so?”

“Maybe it’s because… she considers us her friends,” Cozy pointed out with a smug smile on her face.

“I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!” shouted Chrysalis, straining her voice from yelling. “I am Queen Chrysalis, the mistress of deception, the ruler of all changelings! I need no friends!”

“Golly, that makes me wonder why we’re still here,” Cozy queried.

“Maybe we should go elsewhere,” suggested Tirek. “Cozy and I can get a lot done on our own.”

“If we want to get back home, I am likely your best bet with my experience in magic,” reasoned Chrysalis. “I can get us the information we need.”

Cozy glared, wanting a way to get to Chrysalis’ nerves, but she was out of funny comments and rude remarks at the moment. Tirek stayed silent as well until he noticed something on the ground by the tower.

“Now that the dragon has left, I’m still wondering what that thing is down there,” he said.

“What thing?” asked Cozy, trying to see what he was referring to.

“It looks like a diamond dog that’s been beefed up by spells,” said Tirek. “I’ve only seen muscles like that on either minotaurs or magically-enhanced creatures.”

“I doubt he’ll be a problem,” said Chrysalis. “It’s just one diamond dog.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

“It’s just one hellhound,” said Double Blind. “Right?”

“Overgrown hellhounds are always growing,” said Study, looking out the window at Brute. “Each one grows at a different rate. What I want to know is how fast this one is growing.”

Double Blind, looking down at his can of… jiggly food stuff, said, “Well, that clearly depends on how old it is, right? We can compare that, right?”

“Only if we knew what size he was born at,” said Study. “Every hellhound grows at a different rate, and just because of his age, I still can’t compare because we’d also need to take puberty into consideration. They grow faster during these periods, but it’s not known whether or not they keep that increased growing speed or lose traction.”

“Why do you know so much about them?” asked Double.

“Do you know who you’re talking to?” Study asked back. “I’m out in the field every day, doing research on any subject the Enclave asks of me. I’m one of the reasons they were able to make those damned mind control devices. Fucking took my research and used it to attempt a takeover on their minds.”

“We what?” questioned Double. “Sorry, I don’t have access to every document yet.”

Study leaned back in her chair, rolling it away from the window and back to her terminal, her eyes glancing over the green text. “You just need to know that the Enclave is full of corruption.”

“Why join?” asked Double.

Study Guide blinked. She didn’t expect that question. “Uh… That’s complicated. Grew up a prodigy, fell in love, shit happened.”

Double Blind jabbed a fork into the food stuff, only to find that he couldn’t pull it back out. His eyes narrowing in concern, he asked, “Did something happen, if I may ask? I’ve never heard you mentioning a partner.”

“Nope,” Study said quietly, her wings pressing buttons on the terminal. “Jeez, you ask a lot of questions, almost dangerously so.”

“Isn’t that your job, though?” Double Blind responded. “Asking questions and such?”

Study Guide continued to type, not even answering. It made the silence awkward. Double Blind stood up, looking down at the can in his wing.

“I think I need another can,” he said. “This one might have a life of its own. It won’t give my fork back.”

“Uh-huh,” muttered Study. “You go do that.”

As Double Blind left the room, Study’s wings relaxed, the pegasus letting out a sigh. Looking at a framed picture on her desk, she pulled it closer, seeing her children in the picture. She thought back to that day, the day she received the news.

“I’m sorry to inform you, ma’am, but… your husband won’t be coming back.”

It was supposed to be a harmless mission. He was just supposed to guard an abandoned building until the team inside was done. No one knew where the swarm had come from. It was just so sudden, a group of ghouls running out of nowhere.

The investigation team had ruled out any foul play. It was a check gone wrong. They were supposed to have looked everywhere for hazards that they should’ve been aware of, but even then, they had somehow missed an open cellar. Celestia only knew why.

She knew that when she had married him, there’d be the risk of losing him, but with his confidence, it had spread to her, making her think nothing bad could happen. She was wrong and he was gone, just like that. Since then, she had isolated herself from her coworkers, doing most of her work alone unless she had to go out into the field.

Drinking helped, but not by much. She could only drown so much of the sorrow. Suffering from alcohol addiction, she just couldn’t stop. It only took one bottle out of desperation. She was about to put on a bit of music when Double Blind came back in.

“They wouldn’t let me grab another,” he said. “We’re low on rations right now.”

Study Guide simply nodded slowly. “Mhm…”

“Are you okay?” asked Double Blind. “I’m studying to be a therapist, so maybe I could help you out a little?”

“Shut the fuck up,” she replied, grabbing a bottle off her desk. “I don’t need therapy. I need a drink.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Twilight and Spike had talked about quite a bit. The details of Twilight’s involvement in the war had astounded her, but what was more shocking to her was what had happened to Spike for the last two hundred years.

Twilight sat upon the top of an old pile of concrete rubble, looking at the larger Spike with mixed feelings. “I can’t explain why,” said Twilight, “but I feel like all of this is my fault.”

“Your fault, no,” said Spike. “It was a domino that fell way before you had ever been put in charge of a ministry. Dominos kept falling until the last one was reached. I don’t think it was possible to stop it.”

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” said Twilight, choking back feelings that weren’t her own.

Spike closed his one eye, a solitary tear dripping down his scaly face. “I… I’ve missed you so much. I don’t ever want to go another century without you, but I know you have to go back home…”

Twilight didn’t know what to do. There didn’t seem to be a way she could comfort him. She could tell him it was okay now, but when looking at all the desolation around her, it was impossible to even consider it that way. She flew up to his face, hugging his muzzle as best she could, resting her cheek on it. “I’m sorry!” she tried to say, only for her words to mess up from the overwhelming emotion.

Spike sniffled, then pulled away. He looked down at the pile of rubble, seeing the smaller version of himself. He smiled and said, “I’m sorry you have to see yourself like this. Bet you were hoping to be the big strong dragon who doesn’t cry.”

The smaller, younger Spike shook his head. “After spending time with both ponies and dragons like Ember, I’ve learned it’s okay to cry. It’s okay to have feelings.”

“You’ve learned a lot, then,” said the older Spike. “Don’t ever take Twilight for granted. You’re lucky you still have her. I’ll never see my Twilight ever again…”

Young Spike scratched the back of his neck. “While we’re on the topic of there being two of me, how do we distinguish our names? Young Spike and Old Spike just kinda seems repetitive.”

“Just… call me Watcher for now,” said the older Spike. “That’ll help us avoid confusion…”

Twilight looked at both of them, concern in her eyes. “I didn’t think I’d ever be having this kind of moment. It’s very confusing and emotional and I don’t think I can handle much more of it without breaking down. I keep getting these flashbacks of memories that aren’t mine.”

Watcher looked on with a squinted eye. “Memories that aren’t yours…?”

Twilight landed back onto the pile of rubble, facing him. “Like, they’re my memories, but they’re not my memories.”

“I think I see what’s going on,” said Watcher. “It may be because you’re stuck here where you shouldn’t be. Now I’m wondering what would happen if you stay here for too long.”

“If that’s the case, the girls and I will have to hurry it up with our friendship lessons,” Twilight concluded. “We’ll need help to teach everyone in the wasteland the importance of friendship. But after that, and when we leave, what… will you do?”

Watcher stayed silent. From Twilight’s perspective, it was obvious that he didn’t know what he would do after she’d leave. He eventually just said, “I’ll figure it out… Right now, let’s focus on you and the others. If you leave, I think I can finally feel some remnant of peace now that I’ve spoken with you. It won’t be easy, but I’ll do what I can, at least for you.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Taipan’s nose twitched. It was a familiar scent she knew all too well. Walking around the tower, she could tell that there were hatelings in the area. Sensing them was something her species had evolved to do long ago, and right now, her nose just kept picking them up.

Zone, who had been wandering beside her, could see that the scorpony was very focused. “Is something the matter?” Zone asked. “You seem very uneasy.”

“I smell prey close by in the building,” Taipan explained as she put her nose in the air, sniffing for a solid trail.

“But aren’t your natural prey hatelings?” Zone questioned. “If that is the case, why would they be here?”

“I dunno, but find out I will. Sniff them out I shall,” said Taipan.

“Your way of speaking sounds familiar,” said Zone. “I just cannot place where I have heard it from. Do you think you can lead on?”

“Let’s go then,” said Taipan, beginning to follow the scent. “Something different about this one,” she commented.

The trail was hot, and it led Taipan and Zone to the stairs, where they were taped off. Zone and Taipan looked at each other, and without hesitation, Zone simply slammed her tail down on the tape, clearing the way. She looked at her tail, however, in frustration, tape now stuck to it.

“It is not easy having a tail I can hardly reach myself,” complained Zone. “Later on, I will remove it. For now, we go.”

As they continued on to the upper levels and down a hallway, Taipan’s senses had led them up to a door at the end. Zone looked at Taipan, her hoof on the handle, slowly turning it before bashing open the door, hoping to have the element of surprise on their side.

In the room was… a very strange sight. While Taipan could most certainly identify the smell of a hateling, it didn’t look like a hateling in the slightest. The male creature stared at both of them, obviously startled. “Uh, can I help you?” he asked.

Taipan, without hesitation, lunged at the creature with the fury of a thousand suns plus three cats. “Become food, prey!”

The multicolored creature jumped out of the way, eyes wide with surprise. “Hey! What are you doing?! I’m not food!”

Zone rushed in, her hooves ready to strike. The creature, upon seeing her, flew up to the ceiling to avoid being pummeled by an angry zebra and a half-mutated bug. Zone, looking up, was not appreciative of his ability to fly. How she wished she had dragon wings as well.

“Get down,” Taipan warned Zone as she charged her tail. She then fired her pin missile attack indoors at the ceiling.

The creature was hit in various places, but his chitin was rather resistant, just barely saving him from certain doom. “Could you stop that?!” he asked.

“Not until you get in my belly,” Taipan hissed. “It’s been long time since I eat good food.”

Study Guide walked into the room, staring at the odd scene. She took a swig from her bottle, then asked, “Could you refrain from making a bloody mess in my fucking workspace?”

“Could you get me some real bloody food,” Taipan barked back.

“If I give you a literal map of hateling settlements, will you back the fuck down and cease your primitive behavior?” offered Study. “This hateling in particular is important and needs to be kept alive.”

“I’m not a hateling,” said the multicolored bug. “I’m Thorax, a changeling.”

“I don’t give a fuck what you’re called,” said Study. “Be thankful I’m saving your ass.”

“You expect me to not have food right here?” Taipan asked as she stomped her hoof in frustration. “It's like asking you to not drink.”

“I expect you to behave the way any of you would act when you’re on another pony’s territory,” responded Study Guide. “You expect me to just let you have your way? I could literally order the entire damn building to shoot you until you’re turned to dust. Now, if you do not accept my terms, then feel free to leave. Otherwise, I will literally take you down with a broken glass bottle myself.”

Taipan readied her stinger and got into a combat position. “You welcome to try.”

Study had gone through more shit than she needed to. The mare smashed her bottle against the cloud brick wall, holding the top half by the neck as she stared down the scorpony with the same look as any angry mother. “One. Last. Chance,” she warned. “Walk away, or I will have you detained.”

Zone, noticing that the situation was getting a little too tense, stepped in between the two. “I think it may be agreeable to take the map,” suggested Zone to Taipan. “If you really think about it, you will have knowledge of where more ‘food’ would be, yes? To turn it down is like turning down a feast, is it not?”

Taipan snorted, but said nothing as she visibly lowered her tail. Her stomach echoed throughout the room with a low growl. Study Guide tossed aside the bottle. “Made me waste a good brand,” she muttered under her breath. “Go wait with your friends and I’ll get you the map. For now, I need to speak with the walking-talking pride parade.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Twilight and Watcher had both decided on returning to the tower so that Twilight could discuss the plan with her friends. He had given her crucial information on something that would change the wasteland and fix a lot of the damage done from the war. Although it wouldn’t teach ponies the magic of friendship, Twilight felt that she and her friends would help with that with what they had all already discussed.

The tower, standing out amongst the other buildings, seemed different. Twilight couldn’t place her hoof on it. Then she noticed as she approached the roof. The guards were gone. As she landed, she looked back at Watcher and asked, “Maybe it’s best you stay back a bit. I don’t want them coming back out here and threatening you.”

Watcher noted the absence of guards as well. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

Twilight felt like something was wrong, but she also didn’t want to come back outside to find that the Enclave had decided to fire their weapons at him. “Uh… just in case,” she said. “If something’s wrong, I’ll come get you.”

Watcher didn’t seem to like the idea, but he didn’t ask any further questions. “Be careful,” he said. “I’ll be where we just were earlier.”

Twilight flashed him a nervous smile, a bad feeling in her stomach. As he flew away with heavy wing flaps, she went inside, using the elevator. Upon descending down to the floor where her friends were, she heard incoherent arguing getting louder, multiple ponies talking over each other aggressively. When the elevator finally stopped and the doors opened, she was met with chaos.

Ponies were fighting each other, many going after certain individuals while other groups had tried to hold back the rabble. On the ground, there were already ponies with red dripping from their wings and their backs, scorch marks on their hides and their armor as they laid lifeless.

“What in Equestria is going on here?!” shouted Twilight.

Applejack ran up to her, jumping past a pegasus who was flailing to land a kick to another pony. “Uh, you might wanna come back with us to the room. We don’t know what’s goin’ on right now! Study Guide can’t calm ‘em down and Ah’m not sure what they might do next!”

“What’s this fight even about?!” questioned Twilight. “What’s the cause of all this?!”

A soldier walking into the elevator seemed to have overheard Twilight, replying, “Well, Commander Airspeed informed us that Private Pettyfeather Pettywing had been stealing rations and storing them away.”

“And that called for y’all shootin’ ponies with magic?” questioned Applejack.

“Well, it wasn’t just that,” said the soldier. “I, uh, just personally like those snack cakes that were part of the rations and was a little upset about it. Don’t know what the others are fightin’ over, but a lot of stuff’s been revealed about a lot of the stallions that just ain’t makin’ ‘em look too good, so I’m guessin’ that’s why there’s some fightin’ goin’ on.”

“Sounds like somepony might be spreadin’ some lies,” assumed Applejack. “It’s too much of a coincidence for everypony to just suddenly start lookin’ like the bad guy.”

Twilight looked at the floor, a lot of the ponies already downed by friendly fire. “In all my years as a princess, I’ve never had to look at something like this.”

Applejack waved a hoof in Twilight’s field of vision. “Now, hold on there. Don’t start payin’ attention to any of that. We’ve gotta get to the others so we can figure out how to stop all this.”

Twilight nodded and began running back to the others alongside Applejack. “You’re right,” said Twilight. “We need to put our heads together and solve this.”

As Twilight ran into the room where her friends had gathered, she asked, “Can anypony tell me why these rumors are spreading?”

“I have no idea,” Dash replied. “Study Guide had to go and talk to the commander and the next thing we knew, there was fighting between all the soldiers!”

“You don’t think Study did this, do you?” questioned Fluttershy.

“She ain’t exactly the most pleasant pony around,” muttered Applejack, rolling her eyes.

Twilight didn’t want to think that Study Guide did this, but that pony didn’t exactly make a good case for herself when Twilight had met her. “Look, we’ll figure this out later. We need a way to calm them all down!”

Pinkie jumped up and down in excitement. “Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!”

Twilight raised a hoof, “Yes, Pinkie?”

As she bounced across the floor, Pinkie shouted, “Let’s sing them a song! That always works!”

Twilight thought back to the carnage, an unsettled expression on her face. “Uh, I don’t think music is going to help us. There are dead ponies out there.”

Pinkie frowned. “Well, how are we gonna stop it?!”

Tricks, looking out the window, asked, “Hey, Twilight? I know we’ve already got enough problems on our paws, but, uh, there’s a bunch of hatelings coming this way.”

Twilight walked over to where Tricks stood. “I’m sorry, did you just say hatelings?” she questioned. Tricks pointed out the window and when Twilight focused her vision with a squint of her eyes, she shouted in warning, “Those are changelings!”

“Same damn thing,” said Study, walking into the room. “We’ve been sabotaged from the inside and now we can’t get the soldiers to calm down. I don’t know where the real Commander Airspeed is, but there’s a hateling disguised as him and is spreading rumors of spies in the building, accusing ponies left and right. After I figured that out, I went to speak with a… confidant, so I could learn how to tell a pony from a hateling.”

Twilight felt a little suspicious. “Confidant? Who?”

“He claims to know you,” answered Study. “He says his name is Thorax.”

Twilight couldn’t help but feel relieved. “Oh, good, he survived!”

“Big fucking whoop,” said Study. “Doesn’t mean this problem is solved.”

“Well, if Thorax is here, then maybe he can help you while we try to fend off the changelings outside,” suggested Twilight.

“How the fuck am I supposed to stop this with just one gay bug?” asked Study.

Dash had a look of bewilderment on her face. “Uh, duh, have him turn into Commander Airspeed and stop the rumors!”

Study blinked in surprise at this suggestion. She hadn’t thought about it before. It was such a simple concept that she hadn’t even thought of it. She pulled herself together and said, “Well, go hold them off already!”

Twilight raced outside with the others, exiting through the back entrance of the tower. Fiddler poked his head out the door, asking, “Mind if I sit this one out?”

“Get your ass out here,” said Dusk. “You’ve got a weapon, right?”

“Just a measly little shooter,” said Fiddler. “I doubt it’d even fire off a single bullet! It’s just that damn old!”

Brute, seeing this sudden crowd of ponies come out, was rather tempted to tear them to pieces until he spotted Rarity. He groaned in annoyance as he stood up and he walked over to her. “What all these ponies doing out here?”

“Oh, hello, Brute!” greeted Rarity. “Uhh, there’s a group of changelings heading this way, and it looks like we’ll have to fend them off.”

Brute snorted as he looked up at the large flock of bugs. “Hatelings? Hatelings just pests,” he commented.

“Well, yes, but it seems they’ve become a bit of a threat,” said Rarity. “Do you think you could help us?”

“Why Brute help a bunch of ponies?” he questioned. “Why not let hatelings wreak havoc? Ponies never do anything for Brute.”

“Well, I did save your life from that stalker,” said Rarity. “Don’t you think you could repay this one small favor? Surely, someone with your strength could easily deter a few bugs, don’t you believe so, darling?”

Brute didn’t like the logic in this pony’s words. She was right. He did owe her. In fact, he owed her twice, not just for the stalker event, but for helping that filly a while back. He let out an annoyed grunt and said, “Fine. Brute help. But only until Brute pay back.”

Dusk Feather pulled out her weapon, examining it. “So, Dash, maybe we can make a little game out of this,” she said. “Let’s see who takes down more hatelings. Loser buys a drink for the winner.”

Dash, not one to turn down a challenge, replied, “You’re on! I’ve taken down a bunch of changelings during my adventures with my friends!”

“Where are Zone and Taipan?” asked Fluttershy.

“Hell if I know,” said Fiddler. “Anywhere’s better than here right now.”

The swarm split off into two, with one half going towards the roof and the other half flying down to where Twilight and her friends were. Dash and Dusk Feather both charged into the swarm, already getting into the fray before the others.

Twilight lit up her horn, firing nonfatal, but still powerful blasts of magic while Rarity kicked away any changeling who got near the entrance. Tricks, having grabbed a broom on the way out, had taken off the hay end of it, using it to knock out as many changelings as he could, spinning it with ease.

Dash, although her wing was injured, was still able to put up a good fight, delivering kicks to the heads of many changelings. Dusk Feather used flight to her advantage, firing at changelings as she flew before they could reach the entrance.

Fiddler didn’t seem to engage unless a changeling got close to the door, firing off his old gun and swearing to himself each time. Applejack, seeing this, rolled her eyes and sent a changeling flying backwards with a powerful hind kick. “Ain’tcha afraid of yer family gettin’ hurt? Ya gotta get mean sometimes!” she said.

After firing off another round, Fiddler replied, “I’m fine where I am, thank you very much, missy! I’d rather not off myself before I can get my big break!”

“Well, fine!” said Applejack. “Suit yerself! Me and the rest of us will handle this just fine!”

Brute was rather savage in his attacks, literally jumping and grabbing changelings out of the air, dragging them back down and slamming them into the ground with a crunch, making Rarity flinch.

Rarity, concerned, said, “B-Brute,darling, I said to deter them, not to--”

Brute interrupted her with an angry bark before swinging his heavy arm into a changeling that had been flying right at him, knocking it away with no problem whatsoever. “Brute not need lesson on how to take out bugs!”

Rarity didn’t know how to get the hellhound to ease up on his attacks, so she simply stayed quiet, doing what she could to just knock out the changelings with her kicks. She looked in Twilight’s direction, seeing the lavender mare fire off multiple shots of magic and taking out changelings with expert precision.

The swarm didn’t seem to end, worrying Twilight. She was getting tired, her energy draining from all her magical output. “I don’t know how long I can keep going!” she shouted.

Dash, kicking away another changeling, said, “They’re everywhere! There’s way too many of them to fight on our own!”

Twilight saw an enemy closing in fast, and although she was willing to use her hooves to fight, a sound similar to the crash of thunder rang out, the changeling’s head busting open, blood splattering out one side, traumatizing the lavender mare.

Another noise rang out, a second changing’s head spewing blood as it went down. Dusk Feather, looking at the sudden drops, said, “Looks like we’ve got a sniper on our side!”

Dash felt a rush of wind whiz past her wing as a third shot rang out. “Could someone tell him not to shoot us?!”

Twilight needed to get Watcher. “Do you girls think you can hold them off while I get help?!” she asked.

“You kidding?!” replied Rainbow Dash. “I could do this all day!”

“Don’t worry, Twi!” assured Applejack. “We’ll do what we have to to keep this tower safe! Just don’t take too long!”

Twilight flew away from the fight, towards where she had last spoken with Watcher. Looking back, she saw Zone and Taipan fighting changelings on the roof, giving her some relief from the stress of worrying about the ponies inside the tower.

Meanwhile, inside the tower, Study Guide had been collaborating with Thorax to convince the soldiers to stop, having Thorax disguise himself as Commander Airspeed. Surprisingly enough, it seemed to work.

Standing in front of the group of soldiers in the lobby, Study Guide said, “We have a hateling infestation on our hooves at this very moment. While you idiots were squabbling over lies told by a fake commander, the hatelings have been trying to get into the tower. There’s already a few inside, but I have a foolproof way of exposing them.”

Thorax, still disguised, looked at her with confusion. “And that is?” he asked.

“I’m just going to shoot each and every one of you in the leg,” said Study. “If you don’t want to get shot, you will tell me the truth. If I go through each and every soldier here and don’t find the hatelings who have already infiltrated our ranks, I’ll have you all healed, then shoot you again and again.”

“That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?” asked Thorax, having seen what these weapons could do during the lobby brawl.

“This is an extreme problem,” countered Study. “Plus, I don’t like any of these ingrates, so it’s good for me and it’s good for the Enclave at the same time. Solves a problem and lets me relieve stress.”

The soldiers all looked at each other with obvious nervousness. Study Guide pointed to one soldier, motioning for him to walk over. His eyes widened in fear. When he refused to come forward, another soldier pushed him towards her.

Study Guide looked over the soldier with cold eyes and asked, “Are you a hateling?”

“N-No, ma’am!” he said.

She pointed her revolver at his leg. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, ma’am!” answered the soldier.

She didn’t hesitate, shooting him and leaving a bloody wound in his front leg. He screamed in agony. She simply said, “Go wait by the wall and the nurses will get to patching you up.”

The soldier screamed, “You’re a fucking psychopath!”

“Did I stutter?” she replied. “Get moving! You trained for this shit! If you can’t handle pain for the good of your fellow soldiers, then you should’ve stayed at home!”

With a few pained grunts, he limped over to the wall where two nurses were sitting on the benches with health potions in a wooden box. Study Guide then shouted, “NEXT!”

The second pony walked forward, his eyes darting between her and the other soldiers. Study Guide asked him, “Are you a hateling?”

“No,” he quickly responded.

She aimed her revolver at his leg. “Are you sure?”

The soldier seemed to be hyperventilating. Before she could shoot, he screamed with fear, “Yes, I’m a hateling!”

Study Guide motioned towards one of the soldiers behind her. “Take this piece of shit to the lab and keep him contained.”

As the soldier approached, the pony broke his disguise, his appearance reverting back to the bug creature he was before. He hissed and lunged at Study Guide, who promptly struck his face with a front hoof and pinned him to the floor, her revolver against the side of his head.

He made heavy breaths, the hateling fearing for his life. “Please don’t!” he begged.

Study Guide rolled her eyes as the soldier approached and put him in bindings. She took her revolver from her mouth and uttered, “Fucking degenerate filth. NEXT!”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

It had taken her hours, but after struggling with all her might, Wreckage had dug her way out of the rubble of the collapsed building. She wheezed, coughing up small chunks of cement and brick. She shivered as her mind backtracked to the pony named Rampage.

“She was like us,” Burnout said in her mind.

“I thought we were alone,” said Tracks.

“Just shut up, already,” whimpered Wreckage. She needed help, and this Rampage was a pony who couldn’t be killed. Any other pony would just be slaughtered, leaving Wreckage with no one to help her. “Maybe she can help me,” she whispered. “I don’t wanna live like this anymore.”

The only question was: how could she do that?

Did Rampage go through the same thing she did? “Maybe she did,” reasoned Wreckage. “Maybe I can say sorry and maybe I can--”

“Forget her,” said Burnout. “You’re fine with us. Besides, you’ve already pissed her off.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Wreckage shouted, hooves to her head. “I want to be normal! You’re both just… temporary!”

“You’re here because of us,” said Tracks. “If we’re gone, you’re gone. You don’t have a soul. We do.”

Wreckage didn’t want to stop existing. Although she was the product of two ponies’ fucked up minds, she wanted to be something more. She wanted to live in peace and solitude. She wanted to stop killing.

She would seek out Rampage and she would do what she could to talk to her. She just needed a way to do it without looking at her. She stumbled off of the hill of building debris and felt a sudden tug on herself. Something behind the scenes of life was trying to compel her to walk in a single, particular direction.

This wasn’t the other two in her mind, no. She’d know if it was them. This was an urge to walk in this direction, and so she listened in desperation, willing to do anything to actually be happy for once in her life. The smile on her face was forced, a byproduct of these two conflicting souls. It had always ached, the muscle forever wanting to frown but unable to, a constant pain.

It didn’t reflect her.

“I’ll find her,” she muttered. “I’ll get her help. She’s like me, right?”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

It was prophecy. It was all prophecy. Hindsight had foreseen it, all thanks to Lord Bale. As he approached the tower with his own personal forces, he could only think that this was too easy. A hateling invasion wasn’t too difficult to deal with, especially with help from the Enclave’s secret files at his disposal.

Finding the files wasn’t too difficult. In fact, not even the Enclave had known they existed. At least, not this generation of Enclave. The files had long been abandoned for fear that they may have been impractical, but Hindsight saw potential in them. With weeks of prepping, he was able to put together a force with weapons the Enclave could have only dreamed of in their early stages of being assembled after the megaspells had dropped.

Behind Hindsight was a small squadron of pegasi wearing the standard Enclave armor, but there was something a bit extra in their armor’s tails. With some advanced knowledge from the otherrealmly visitor and Hindsight’s own understanding of balefire, they were able to create something that was much more effective than the standard equipment.

Hindsight approached the group of ponies who had been defending the tower. He recognized them, obviously, as he had been monitoring their progress. It was Lord Bale who had brought them here. There was one in particular who had caught his eye, however.

The infamous Rainbow Dash, fighting off hatelings with simple kicks and her own brand of punches. Fighting with an injured wing was most definitely something befitting this daring pegasus. Hindsight could admire that. If only the Enclave had seen her ‘betrayal’ as something other than that.

Hindsight turned around, looking at his army and saying, “Wipe them out. Make it quick and clean. No hateling survivors. Protect the prophesized six at all costs.”

In less than a second after he gave his orders, the squadron took off, making Hindsight smirk with smug satisfaction. He was going to show the Enclave what he was capable of. They’d listen to him after this. They’d be stupid not to. The commander of his own rogue squadron swooping in with the intent to save the nonbelievers? It would be seen as a noble act.

Hindsight then calmly walked past the fighting ponies, approaching the door and heading inside. They wouldn’t dare try to hurt him. He was a fellow pony, after all. As the door slid closed behind him, he made his way to where the crowd was on the upper floor. He could see a blonde-maned, white-coated mare with a displeased look on her face.

“Next!” she shouted, and Hindsight could see a soldier approaching.

“What, may I ask, is going on?” asked Hindsight.

The mare’s cold, blue eyes steered in his direction. “Who are you?” she asked. “You don’t look like you’re one of ours.”

Hindsight’s eyes glanced over most of the crowd of soldiers, an almost-overwhelming barrage of sins hitting his mind as he witnessed their own crimes. “I believe I’m the one who’s going to benefit your team greatly,” he said, his eyes already picking out a few hidden hatelings. He needed to make this quick. He couldn’t take in so many sins at once for so long. It was something he had been training for for a while, having groups of his own forces appear before him as practice to see how much his mind could take living through multiple sinful lives at once.

“Are you toying with us?” asked the mare. “We’re in the middle of an investigation. This is no time to make jokes when lives are at stake.”

Hindsight approached one of the soldiers, barely keeping his own cool as he said, “This one is a hateling, as are the other two behind him. There’s another in the back and a fourth in front.”

“Excuse me?” she questioned. “Mind me asking how the fuck it is you can tell them apart?”

“Training,” Hindsight partially lied. “If you don’t believe me, you can interrogate the ones I just pointed out.”

The blonde mare thought for a bit, her eyes swaying over to the crowd. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll humor you. Bring them forward.”

Hindsight instructed the ponies he had picked out, the whole selected lot sweating as they approached the blonde mare. “I believe these are the ponies, or rather, hatelings, you’re looking for,” said Hindsight.

Without a second too soon, the blonde mare asked them, “Are you hatelings? Speak now or I shoot.”

Hindsight could hear the whispers.

“H-How the hell?!”

“I don’t know!”

Hindsight approached the one who was sweating the most, his eyes seeing every single sin the creature had committed. It seemed that even hatelings were capable of feeling guilt, especially if it was towards their own kind. “I see you’ve dealt quite some damage in your life,” said Hindsight.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” replied the disguised soldier.

“Don’t lie to me. I can see all the atrocities you’ve committed,” said Hindsight in a calm voice. “You feel so much guilt for hurting that fellow hateling of yours. A bookworm, he was, very intelligent. You couldn’t stand know-it-alls, could you…?”

“M-Miss?” said the soldier, trying to direct attention away from himself. “He’s interrupting the investigation.”

The blonde mare simply replied, “Shut up. I want to see where this goes.”

“Lured him to the edge of your camp,” said Hindsight. “Took an old pipe… and beat him with it. He was near death and you simply didn’t care until you heard what happened to him later.”

“Back off, dude,” said the soldier, shaking visibly.

“What’s wrong, dude?” asked Hindsight. “Don’t like facing your own actions? You don’t want consequences, do you? No one does, but it seems like karma’s caught up to you, her claws at your neck, ready to make you suffer for the things you’ve done.”

Several tears began roaming down the soldier’s face. “St-St...Stop…”

“I can make it stop,” said Hindsight. “I can give you redemption. I can make the pain go away and I can keep you safe, but… you have to confess…”

“You’re lying,” the soldier muttered quietly. “Y-You’re lying.”

“I guess I’ll leave your fate to the Enclave, then,” said Hindsight, a pitying look on his face. “You know what they do to anyone who isn’t a pegasus. You’ve seen how they torture and murder those outside their faction. I guess karma’s caught up after all. She’s ready to feast and revel in your screams.”

“I-I’m a hateling!” shouted the soldier in desperation, changing back into his buglike form. “Th-They’re hatelings, too! Let me live! I wanna live!”

The blonde mare just stared at Hindsight, biting her lower lip as she made silent judgements. After a few more seconds, she said, “Interesting.”

Hindsight stepped back from the hatelings. “It’s my pleasure,” he said. “I’ll fill you in on more details once this is all over.”

The mare then instructed for the hatelings to be taken back to her lab. As the hatelings were dragged off, the one who Hindsight had spoken to said, “W-Wait! You said I’d be safe! I wanna go home!”

Hindsight put on his blindfold, not answering. His job was done here. His forces outside were taking out the invading forces with probable ease. Everything was as it should be and he was content with his actions. He was justified in it all.

“Y-You lied!” the hateling shouted, his voice becoming more distant. “You fucking liar!!!”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

“What’s going on?!”

“Everypony, get inside, quick!”

“Cheerilee, what are those?!”

“Just get inside!”

“Scootaloo? What’s going on?”

“These weird portals keep showing up in Ponyville and nopony can figure out why!”

“Have any of you seen muh sister?”

“Rarity’s missing, too!”

“I haven’t seen Dash all day!”

“Wait, what’s that noise…?”

“THE ROOF!”

“Scootaloo! HANG ON!”

“I CAN’T GET A GOOD GRIP ON THIS THING!”

“SWEETIE!!!”

“IT GOT HER! I’VE GOTTA GET HER BACK!”

“SCOOTALOO, DON’T!”

“...I can’t… I can’t let her go alone. H-Here I go… I’m coming, girls!”

The sky over the wasteland warped, clouds twisting, trees sizzling nearby with glowing embers. Lightning struck various points without any source as to where they had come from. Reality was tearing apart, but only for this one instance.

The emptiness in the sky gave way to reveal a black void beneath the curtain of reality, pouring out three fillies into a world that was no longer their own. Just when impact with the ground seemed certain, their descent was slowed by a hidden force, allowing them to gently land with the light touch of a feather.

The yellow earth filly with a red mane and bow, Apple Bloom, eyes wide open, was fraught with panic. “Scootaloo?! Sweetie Belle?!” she called out.

The cream-colored unicorn filly with a purple and pink mane, Sweetie Belle, ran up to her friend. “I’m here, but where’s Scoota--”

Before the sentence could even be finished, an orange pegasus filly, Scootaloo, landed atop of her, sending the two tumbling just a small ways away from Apple Bloom. Scootaloo rolled off of Sweetie, then stood up, questioning, “Where are we?!”

Apple Bloom turned a full three-sixty, seeing nothing but desolated lands with a very sparse amount of dead trees. “Ah know one thing… we ain’t in Equestria no more.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

By the time Twilight had returned to the tower with Watcher, the scene was vastly different than from when she had left it. The rest of the gang were standing by the entrance of the tower next to a group of armored ponies who Twilight could only recognize as Enclave. Their armor was similar to the gear the ponies inside wore, but the tails of their suits were slightly different, tinged green with a red tip on the end.

Hearth’s Warming colors much?

As she landed, she asked Applejack, “What happened? Where are the changelings?”

Applejack shuddered. “Ah don’t know how to describe it. These fellas just happened to come along and, uh, they took out the changelings. It was just… in a way Ah don’t think anyone would want to do.”

“I’m confused. What are you talking about?” questioned Twilight.

“They just kinda… exploded into dust?” said Dash.

“Every single hit,” said Dusk Feather. “That’s not usually possible unless it’s a really good shot. These ponies were able to turn them all to dust every single time.”

“Sounds like the Enclave got an upgrade since their defeat,” Fiddler commented.

Twilight noticed Fluttershy by the door, eyes wide and looking at the ground. She looked… traumatized. Twilight approached her with concern. “Fluttershy? Are you okay?”

“I didn’t know this would happen,” Fluttershy whispered. “They’re all gone. I thought we were just going to push them back, not… t-t-turn them all into ashes.”

Twilight tried to think of a way to distract the poor pegasus. “You wanna go inside?” she asked. “We could get you something to drink.”

“She ain’t touching my booze,” said Study from a distance. She walked out from the tower, looking at everyone.

“I’m not talking about whatever that stuff you’re hogging is,” said Twilight. “She needs some water.”

“We might be a bit low,” said Study. “Water talisman we brought along fizzed out a few days ago. We’ve been running on extra bottles and it’ll be a while before we get another delivery, but enough of that fuckery. I need to talk to you. Alone.”

Twilight looked behind her. Watcher had just landed, prompting some of the new Enclave pegasi to aim. Before Twilight could say anything, Study tapped the ground. “Hey, knuckleheads. Not without my say. I have authority here.”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry to say this, but you’re below the clearance needed to boss us around,” said a stallion pegasus.

“I’m literally up there with Commander Airspeed,” Study stated. “He’s only slightly above me. We appreciate your enthusiasm, but your itchy trigger hooves aren’t very appreciated here. We’re professional.”

The stallion seemed to back down after that. “A commander? Sorry, ma’am. I wasn’t aware that you were--”

“High in status?” Study finished. “Most don’t realize it. I don’t fucking dress for it. Get inside. The dragon will leave in a bit.”

The odd-looking soldiers went inside the tower while Study directed Twilight to the side, a small ways away from the others. Study had an aura of exhaustion about her. This pegasus had been through a lot today, and Twilight wasn’t sure the booze was helping her with that.

Study placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, leaned in and asked, “You mind telling me why there’s a pegasus in my tower claiming to be responsible for your arrival…?”

“Wait, what’s going on?” questioned Twilight.

“There is a pony inside Tenpony Tower who is claiming to be both Enclave and the one responsible for bringing you lot here,” Study repeated. “I don’t know what twisted experiments your ministries got involved in and I don’t want to fucking know. I just want you to leave. I’m taking this hateling invasion as a sign that you freaks are bad luck.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Twilight. She didn’t know a single pony was responsible for bringing them here, especially a pegasus. “My friends and I aren’t here by choice. If what you’re telling me is true, then I want to meet this pegasus.”

Study rubbed at her forehead and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll direct you to him. I want this done and over with so I can go back to doing what I do best.”

“What would that be?” asked Twilight.

“Swearing, drinking and sleeping, with a hint of procrastination,” answered Study.

Twilight followed Study into the tower, with Twilight’s friends and company behind her. She wasn’t expecting any of this today. She just wanted to go home, but with the state this world was in, she had to stay and help these ponies get back on the track to friendship.

When they had exited the elevator onto the upper floor, Twilight was met with an odd sight. It was a blindfolded, white-coated, green-maned pegasus wearing a skintight, black and green suit. The suit itself seemed to have been professionally made, consisting of a soft-looking fabric. On the collar of the suit were the initials M.O.A., confusing Twilight even further.

“Rainbow Dash told me those initials meant Ministry of Awesome?” Twilight mentioned to Study. “She said Dusk Feather had told her a lot about the ministry itself.”

“I don’t give a fuck, even if he’s wearing royal garbs,” said Study. “I don’t recognize him or his name.”

“What is his name?” questioned Twilight.

The pegasus walked up to Twilight, taking off his blindfold. “My name is Hindsight,” he said. “I’ve been working with the Enclave for a very long time. I presume you must be Twilight… You’re the spitting image.”

Twilight already felt creepy vibes coming from this pony. “That’s correct,” she responded. “Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Odd,” said Hindsight, his green eyes looking her over repeatedly. “Not as many as I thought...”

“Not as many what?” Twilight asked, confused.

“It’s nothing,” he replied. “I was simply observing something. Have you been in Tenpony Tower long?”

“I’ve only been in this world for about a day,” said Twilight.

“And you’ve already encountered hatelings? My, my, Twilight. That’s some awfully bad luck,” said Hindsight.”

“Look at waste of food.” Taipan grumbled as she and Zone came back from the roof. “Can’t eat dust.”

Zone smiled nervously. “We’re sorry we could not join your fight on the ground, Twilight. Taipan had caught the scent of hatelings and it seemed to have led us up to the roof, and there they were, swarming like locusts.”

Twilight gave a quick smile. “I’m glad you two were up there when it happened. Otherwise those changelings may have been able to get inside.”

“Quite a few had gotten in already,” said Hindsight. “But we’ve taken care of that situation.”

Taipan stomped up to the stallion and practically screamed “You waste food! Could have fed whole tribe for long time with them. You wasteful bastard.” She breathed heavily after she finished, an expression of raw anger on her face.

Hindsight replied calmly, “If you are referring to the hatelings that were captured, you should direct those complaints to our researcher friend here. She’s the one in charge… for now.”

Study stated, “The hatelings have been detained and are still alive. They’re going to be dealt with when this is all over.”

“Not them,” Taipan huffed as she gestured to the dust cloud that was forming in the wind. “Those.”

Twilight rolled her eyes at the scorpony’s constant complaints over ‘food’. She turned to Hindsight and asked him, “Who are you exactly, and why are you here? Study Guide seems to be--”

“In question of your authority,” Study forcefully intervened. “I see no badge, no proper Enclave uniform, and all you have to back you up are a few stallions and mares that I’ve never even seen throughout my time here at this tower.”

“I believe Commander Airspeed can vouch for me,” Hindsight responded.

“You’re telling me that if I talk to the real Commander Airspeed right now, he will vouch for a pony in a common stable-dweller suit and say you’re allowed here?” questioned Study.

Hindsight nodded and held up his right hoof, upon which was a device Twilight had never seen before. It was bulky and gray, and its black monitor showed green text, along with a depiction of a pony in the center.

Hindsight fiddled with the knobs with the tip of his wing, the device switching in between different visual interfaces. After finding the display he was looking for, he pressed down a button on the device and said, “This is Hindsight, requesting Commander Airspeed on an open channel. Repeat, this is Hindsight requesting Commander Airspeed on an open channel.

Study Guide shook her head as she heard static. “Is this a joke?” she asked. “This must be.”

“One moment,” said Hindsight.

From out of the static came a gruff voice, saying, “Commander Airspeed present. Why are you contacting me on an unencrypted frequency?”

“May I ask your location?” asked Hindsight.

“...Uhh, that’s classified,” responded Airspeed.

Study raised a brow. “Are… Are you at her place again?” she questioned.

“Who’s place?” asked Twilight.

“N-No! Study Guide, what are you doing on this channel?! I thought you used your own channel!”

“Celestia, help me with this one,” said Study quietly. She then said a little louder, “Is it true that this ‘Hindsight’ is allowed here in the tower?”

“He’s a Class Buzzard,” responded Airspeed.

Study Guide blinked in what looked to be surprise on her face. “That rank hasn’t been given to anyone since--”

“Class. Buzzard,” repeated Airspeed.

Study Guide looked up at Hindsight and then asked Airspeed, “Well, he’s here with some kind of squadron.”

“I’ll have you know that my squadron helped to turn the tide of an invasion,” said Hindsight. “An entire settlement’s worth of hatelings.”

There was silence on the airwaves for a few seconds before Airspeed replied, “I don’t like how that sounds. That sounds like paperwork.”

Study Guide then asked, “What do I do with this pegasus?”

“Uh, I don’t fuckin’ know,” said Airspeed. “We’ve got rooms, right?”

“We’re pretty much packed right now,” said Study.

“Uhh, make room, I’m pretty busy,” said Airspeed.

“Busy cheating on your wife?” guessed Study.

“Ngghh… Uh… No, I, uh, I’m doing patrol. Yeah, that’s it. Patrol,” he excused.

Twilight was disturbed the moment she heard a mare in the background utter a very discomforting noise. “I… think I should go,” said Twilight, no longer wanting to hear this awkward conversation.

Study groaned in frustration and reached over, flipping off the airwave transmission and silencing the disturbing noise. “Fuckin’ hell,” she muttered. “Fine. You, Hindsight, are to stay with one of our soldiers for a while until Airspeed comes back from… business.”

Hindsight softly smiled. “I’m glad we could sort this out,” he calmly said. “And Twilight, I’d like to speak with you sometime later tonight. There’s a lot you need to know.”

Twilight wasn’t liking any of this. Hindsight just seemed to show up out of nowhere with his own squadron. If Study Guide wasn’t liking it, it hinted to Twilight how she should be feeling about it as well.

“I’m going to go check on my friends,” said Twilight, a bit desperate to leave.

“Very well,” said Hindsight. “I’ll be getting myself settled in.”

“I know I said I wanted you to leave, but I sadly was in a moment of stress at that time,” said Study. “You and your friends are still required to stay here until I get the results.”

Twilight nodded. “I just need to check on them for now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Study as she dismissively waved her hoof.

Without hesitation, Twilight went back outside to find her friends seeming a bit worried. There was an obvious expression of concern on all of their faces. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Couldn’t help but notice Pinkie’s gone missin’,” Applejack answered. “Her new friend, too.”

That was cause for alarm in Twilight’s mind. “Wasn’t she with us during the fight?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I wasn’t really paying attention. Kinda hard to focus when you’re taking on a changeling army.”

“I hope she’s okay,” said Fluttershy with worry.

Fiddler and Dusk exchanged glances, the pair looking puzzled. “Who’s Pinkie?” asked Fiddler.

Dash approached Fiddler, looking appalled, her face inches away from his. “What?! You know who she is! Pink coat, poofy mane, always acts like she’s hopped up on sugar most of the time?!”

Fiddler stumbled back, replying, “Woah! Woah! Hold on now! Ain’t no need to get upset!”

“We’ve never seen, nor heard of, anyone named Pinkie,” said Dusk.

“You guys said we were all ministry mares,” said Twilight. “If I recall correctly, you said she was in charge of the Ministry of Morale?”

“Now I know y’all are makin’ things up,” said Fiddler.

What happened? Did Pinkie Pie literally just stop existing? What was Twilight going to do? She just couldn’t go home without finding her. As these thoughts ran through her mind, a pony stepped in. It was Discord, from what Fluttershy had explained to Twilight earlier.

The stallion seemed to be confused. “Now, that’s peculiar,” he said. “Very peculiar indeed.”

“Discord, have you seen Pinkie Pie?” asked Twilight with worry.

The draconequs-turned-stallion tapped one of his front hooves on the ground. “That’s just it,” he said. “Something has gone awry with the universe.”

This was now a big concern to Twilight. “What happened to her?!”

Discord scratched his cheek with a hoof as he stared blankly. Twilight was about to ask if he was okay when he blurted out, “Oh! Now I know! Don’t worry. It’s only temporary. Pinkie should be back in about… five seconds, I believe?”

As Twilight was just about to ask Discord what in Equestria he was talking about, she heard, “Hi, Twilight!”

Turning around, she saw both Pinkie Pie and Lucky Break. Pinkie looked just fine while Lucky Break was shivering, looking like she’d seen a ghost. Twilight was puzzled. “Where were you two?”

“It was like an endless street in the city,” said Lucky. “It was so foggy, I couldn’t see my own hooves. Ponk and I were tryin’ to find our way out.”

“You were in another realm,” said Discord. “It’s common when realities are clashing. Some things are forgotten by the universe either temporarily or permanently. You just saw where those forgotten things go.”

“How do you know this?” asked Twilight.

“Twilight, puh-lease, I’m the Spirit of Chaos,” answered Discord, looking offended. “I’ve been in plenty of situations like this.”

“Well, how long do we have until things really unravel?” asked Twilight.

“Hm… I’d say six months, maybe a year if we’re lucky,” answered Discord. “Think of our two universes like bubbles. One bubble bumps into another and sometimes they merge, but one bubble has to give. They can be separated in time but we need to hurry.”

As if Twilight had enough problems to deal with. Things were happening way too quickly, and she wanted to slow it all down. Annoyingly, it seemed that the only way to figure out why they were really here was to talk to that odd pegasus, Hindsight.

. . . -Checkpoint Passed- . . .

“St-St-Stars and moons and air balloons… f-fluffy clouds to the horizon… I-I’ll wrap you… in ra-rainbows… and… a-and… and r-rock you to s-s-sleep again…”

Author's Note

Introduction Arc complete.

Kindness Arc is now up next.

The Kindness Arc: Beginning

"Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of kindness!" - Twilight Sparkle

The Mane Six were undoubtedly unsettled, their entire parallel lives being retold to them through Discord and his ability to see beyond the scope of reality. What they were told of their alternate selves, they were not happy about.

“Hang on now,” said Applejack. “Me? Ministry of Wartime technology?”

“I’m more concerned about the whole Ministry of Arcane Science and the unethical experiments,” said Twilight. “That is not me!”

“Tell me again why Pinkie Pie was in charge of spying on everypony?” questioned Rarity, looking at the pink mare with suspicion. Pinkie waved at Rarity with a smile on her face, looking excited.

“Does that mean that everypony knows who I am now?!” asked Pinkie with a big grin. “I mean, I guess it’s not too much of a stretch considering I know literally everypony’s birthday wishes, favorite food, preferred guests, social security num--”

“Yeah, yeah, we all know about your party cave,” said Dash. “What I wanna know is why the pegasi decided to just abandon the rest of pony society when the megaspells dropped?”

“Apparently they don’t like loyalty,” said Applejack. “At least that’s what Ah’m gettin’ from this whole story.”

Fluttershy had been quiet since hearing her part of the story, how she had been responsible for not only the megaspells, but that she had given them over to the zebras, thus indirectly causing this entire wasteland to exist. She just kept staring down at the floor while the others discussed their ministries. She was supposed to be the Ministry of Peace, right? What she had done had led to something that was much less than peaceful.

Zone and Taipan stood behind her, the two creatures exchanging glances with each other. Zone tapped Fluttershy on the shoulder, asking her, “Is something wrong, Miss Shy?”

“I feel like all of this is my fault,” said Fluttershy. “It probably is. It was me who gave the megaspells over to the zebras. I know I had good intentions in it, but... now Equestria is nothing but a wasteland.”

Taipan walked up to Fluttershy and smacked her across the face. “Not you who did that. A you did, sure, but not you,” she said with a lot more confidence than what was really needed.

Zone glared sternly at Taipan, her mouth in a disapproving frown. Zone patted Fluttershy on the back and said, “What my… bug friend said, but without the physical contact with your face.”

Fluttershy rubbed her cheek, a bit red from the sudden slap. “I know it was another version of me, but it was me regardless, my personality and feelings. I don’t know if I can handle what I just heard…”

“If you wish to talk about it, we may,” said Zone. “I’m sure your friends wouldn’t mind if we stepped away from this scene. It feels rather noisy here, does it not?”

Taipan snorted, and if one were to hear it, they would be inclined to think that she would agree about the noise. Fluttershy smiled in confirmation and left with them, leaving Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six to talk about their alternate selves.

Fluttershy walked into a room with a long table, where she saw a charcoal-black pony with white mane that had yellow and red line accents. In that moment, the pony shrieked, startling Fluttershy and making her shriek in return, the two mares now just screaming.

Zone and Taipan stared at the scene, not sure whether to go get help or to let this settle down on its own, but just as they were about to decide, the two ponies stopped, both panting heavily.

“Oh, my,” said Fluttershy. “What was that all about?”

“Y-You’re Fluttershy! And you’re… a-a-alive!” replied the charcoal-black pony.

“Uh, yes, I am,” confirmed Fluttershy. “Did you know the other me?”

“Other you?!” repeated the stranger. “There’s two of you?!”

Fluttershy blinked, afraid of answering the question in fear of the pony screaming. Zone looked at Taipan and said, “I didn’t think we’d be dealing with this. But then again, it makes sense, as most no one would expect the six ministry mares to be alive in this day and age.”

Taipan shrugged before replying, “Should me take her out?”

Zone glanced over at the pony, answering to Taipan, “I think we should wait and see what happens first. Perhaps we might not need to use any force.”

Taipan shrugged once more before suggesting, “Should make plan in case something happens.”

As Zone and Taipan not-so-silently formulated their plan, Fluttershy and the pony continued their talk.

“Okay, I have so many questions to ask you!” exclaimed the pony.

“H-Hold on,” said Fluttershy. “May I at least get a name first?”

“Oh! Of course, how silly of me!” replied the pony. “I-I’m Velvet Remedy! I’m your biggest fan!”

“I’m… flattered,” Fluttershy said meekly. “I don’t suppose you know that I used to be a model?”

Velvet nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen the billboards.”

“There are billboards of me?!” asked Fluttershy in horror.

“Um, under your approval, I think?” stated Velvet.

“Why would I approve that?!” asked Fluttershy.

“Um… I don’t know?” answered Velvet. “I thought you’d know why? Then again, you said there was… another you…”

Fluttershy couldn’t seem to find the words to confirm that, not sure if she even should. “I…”

“Are you a… a clone, maybe?” questioned Velvet. “Or did someone change you back from your tree self?”

Fluttershy’s brain almost broke at this point. “T-Tree?! I’m a tree?!”

Velvet tilted her head, a nervous smile on her face. “Did you not remember? If that’s true, you’re probably a clone… That’s a little disappointing, but… I probably shouldn’t really complain about this moment.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I’m not a clone. I’m me! I’m just… from somewhere else?”

“She comes from another world,” clarified Zone.

“Let me make clear for you” Taipan pointed her tail at the new pony. “You hurt her you die.”

Velvet didn’t seem to know where to begin to ask questions. Fluttershy felt a little bad for causing the mare such confusion. To change the subject, Fluttershy asked, “Um, How was your week?”

Velvet, caught off guard by the question, answered, “A little rough, I’d say. We just began recovering from the most recent battle and I feel like it’s going to take a long time for me to get over what happened.”

“Oh, my,” said Fluttershy. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?”

Velvet’s ear twitched as she collected her thoughts. “I’m guessing you don’t keep up with the news these days. Not too unusual. A certain friend of ours went missing and that’s pretty much why there aren’t any news broadcasts lately.”

“Ah, you must be referring to DJ PON3,” Zone assumed. “I will sometimes hear her on the radios during my time in different settlements.”

Fluttershy couldn’t believe her ears. “Vinyl Scratch is still here? After two hundred years?”

Velvet immediately caught Fluttershy’s confusion. “Oh! No, no! It’s someone else. The title of DJ PON3 was only passed down from pony to pony.”

Fluttershy thought that was a little neat, hearing that Vinyl’s DJ name was still used long after she was gone. “Oh, wow. It must be really important to some ponies, right?”

“To a lot, actually,” said Velvet. “She’s known as the wasteland’s primary source of news. If something happens, she probably knows about it, and even if she doesn’t, I’m sure she’d probably find out sooner than most.”

“Yes, she has been glorified as someone who is dedicated to, what was it she said… ‘the truth, no matter how bad it hurts?’” said Zone.

“Hmm, Name familiar but not know where from,” Taipan mused as she scratched her ear with one of her back legs, much like a dog.

“Do you not have radios near your tribe?” asked Zone. “Even my own home had a radio our leader would listen to.”

“Think so but me don’t know if worked.” Taipan clarified.

“What happened to the current DJ PON3?” asked Fluttershy.

“Enclave tried to get ahold of her,” answered Velvet, looking nervous. “She had to relocate elsewhere.”

“It possible but also possible she dead.” Taipan said, “Only way to know is find body of her.”

“Uh, no,” corrected Velvet “We’re sure she’s alive. I helped her with the relocation.”

“So now she’s considered wanted by the Enclave?” assumed Zone. “Why are you here then if you’re an accomplice?”

“Because they don’t know,” she said. “I’ve been keeping quiet about it and Study Guide doesn’t really care enough to do anything about me. I was planning on leaving later anyway.”

“Well, at least you’re safe enough,” said Fluttershy. “My friends and I have been in a lot of danger lately.”

“Your… friends?” repeated Velvet. “Y-You mean… you can’t mean…”

“The six who everyone in the wasteland knows?” Zone assumed for Velvet.

“They’re here?!” shouted Velvet.

“Only for about a day,” said Fluttershy.

“A day?” questioned Zone. “That’s funny. It feels like it’s been months.”

“Been day and half,” Taipan pointed out.”Almost two. Lot happened.”

Fluttershy could tell that Velvet was about to have a panic attack. “Oh dear. Maybe we should get you something to eat? You look unsettled.”

“S-Sorry,” said Velvet. “You don’t really hear about the dead coming back from the grave after two hundred years. You’re not even a ghoul! ...Wait, are you a ghoul?”

“No, smells totally different,” Taipan answered for Fluttershy.

“I don’t know very much about ghouls,” said Fluttershy. “I’m still trying to figure out why we went to war in the first place.”

“But… you’re Fluttershy,” Velvet pointed out.

Fluttershy really didn’t want to have to explain this. If this was how most interactions were going to be, then she’d need to practice a quick response that would answer properly and make the topic end faster. “I’m not the Fluttershy you know,” she said. “I’m from another universe.”

“If that’s true, that’s some seriously strong magic,” said Velvet.

“I would not say it’s impossible,” said Zone. “After all, there can be magic that we still don’t know about. I doubt the megaspells would have been the peak of it all.”

Fluttershy seemed to have a kneejerk reaction, flinching at that word: megaspell. Discord had told her what her alternate self had done, and Fluttershy felt guilty about it. She knew it wasn’t the real her, but… it was her in a sense? She couldn’t quite figure out how to explain it to herself.

“Are you alright?” asked Zone, noticing the slight flinch.

Taipan nuzzled fluttershy to try and calm her down. “It okay, mostly.”

Fluttershy appreciated the gesture. “Could we move on to another topic?”

“Perhaps we should introduce Velvet to your friends?” suggested Zone.

“I think that would be… a good idea,” said Fluttershy. It would probably help Velvet understand what was going on. She couldn’t explain it properly here, but Twilight probably could.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Ember didn’t know where she was. The first thing she could remember was flying beside Watcher. After that, it was a blur. She remembered consciousness returning as she walked down a cold, foggy street. She could hardly see a thing and the road itself seemed to go on forever, no matter how far she walked or flew. Every time she tried to fly directly up, she’d get an instinctive feeling, a grip of fear on her heart.

“What is this place?” she whispered as she walked.

“The forgotten realm,” said a female’s voice from behind her. She jumped in surprise and turned around to see another dragon.

Ember smiled nervously as she backed up. “W-Woah, hold on. Forgotten realm? That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

The dragon was pink and had dazzling blue eyes. Her form was much like Ember’s but seemingly much thinner, as if she hadn’t eaten in a long time. “It’s not,” she said. “But don’t worry, I can keep you company until then.”

Ember threw up her claws in confusion. “Until what? What’s going on?”

“Until the universe either remembers you or decides to purge you,” answered the pink dragon with sad eyes. “It’s okay, though. It doesn’t hurt.”

“You’re not making any sense here,” said Ember, getting a little aggressive, stepping towards the pink dragon. “I want to go back!”

The pink dragon had a look of fear on her face as Ember approached her. She stepped back, her claws close to her chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I even took this form to make sure you wouldn’t freak out. You dragons always seem more comfortable around your own kind than with any other species…”

Ember tried to piece the clues together, puzzlement on her face. “Are you a changeling?”

“Hm… no,” she said. “Think of me as someone who watches the gates. A guardian, I guess. I can’t do much to help your fate, really… That’s not in my hands. I only follow the will of those above me.”

“Is this pony magic?” asked Ember as she folded her arms.

“It’s magic and it’s not magic,” said the pink dragon. “I can’t say anything more than that. It would ruin things and no one would like that.”

Ember was getting impatient with this one. “Well, is there a way to get out of here?”

The pink dragon froze in place, her eyes glowing brightly before dimming again. “Ah… You may go back now…”

“Already? Alright, could you point me to an exit or...” and before she could finish her thought, Ember was yeeted back into reality.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Velvet smiled nervously as she held her centuries-old sparkle cola that she had packed. She had stood in front of the Mane Six for at least ten minutes, frozen and unable to speak. Although they had not noticed her just yet, she still seemed to feel like she was being judged, or at least, that’s how Fluttershy interpreted it.

Zone looked down at Taipan. “I feel she needs a little push.”

Taipan pondered Zone’s words for a moment before running up and literally pushing velvet into Rarity. “Confident,” said Taipan as both she and Zone glared at her.

Rarity stumbled back. “Uh, excuse me, I’m terribly sorry. Was I in the way?”

“N-No, not at all!” spouted Velvet. “I was just, uh, walking, then, uh, uh, uh,”

“Rarity, this is Velvet Remedy,” Fluttershy introduced for the half-minded mare. “She wanted to meet you all.”

Rarity gave Velvet a quick once-over glance before saying, “Well, the colors of her mane look rather bold. I can respect a gal who likes to try out new manestyle dye.”

Velvet’s mouth went agape a little before she collected her thoughts and said, “N-No, this is my natural mane color. I’m pretty proud of it.”

Rarity gave a warm smile. “Well, that’s good. A bit of color in a bleak world will always make everything look at least ten times better. I think ponies need that around here.”

Velvet blushed at the comment. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I’ve always thought it was nice, but hearing that from you is…”

Rarity tilted her head. “Hm?”

“P-Pardon me,” said Velvet. “I’m at a loss for words right now. It’s not every day you see figures from the past still living in the present.”

Twilight seemed to notice the conversation, as she walked over to Velvet. “Hello! How are you?”

Velvet stepped back. “Oh, uh, hello there!” she said. “I’m Velvet, and uh, I thought it’d be nice to… meet you all.”

“From my conversation with her, she seems to be a fan,” said Fluttershy. “I thought I’d introduce her to you all.”

As Velvet continued speaking with Twilight, Fluttershy backed away from the conversation a little. “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” asked Fluttershy to Zone and Taipan. “I keep feeling odd, like I’ve been in this world before. I’m trying to distract myself, but it’s not working.”

“Didn’t we assure you that it’s not really you that did this?” questioned Zone. “Were our words of comfort not enough?”

“Oh, believe me, your words were very helpful,” said Fluttershy. “It just… the feeling is stronger than I thought.”

“Go, with it,” Taipan said as she tried to find a spot to look the others in the eye. Being so small was not always helpful when trying to communicate. “See where takes you.”

Zone looked down at the short midget scorpion horse. “Do you need a chair?” she asked. “Eye contact may not always be important, but you seem intent on doing so.”

“Tribe thing outsider wouldn’t get it,” Taipan commented before realizing the question. “Yes, me want tall maker.”

“When we’re traveling, I’ll be sure to find you something that should help,” said Zone.

“You two seem to be getting along pretty well,” said Fluttershy. “If only other creatures in the wasteland would do that.”

“If I may be fair,” said Zone, “it took me a while to get used to her. We did not always see eye to eye on our way over here. It was only when she helped me during a bad situation did I fully appreciate her.”

“Only did what needed to do. No more no less,” Taipan said looking away with a small blush. “Sides, be waste if you died.”

Fluttershy had a spark of an idea. “Maybe if we got the zebras to help ponies and get the ponies to help zebras, we could help get things back on track.”

“Do you know how stubborn my kind is?” asked Zone. “My own tribe believed in pure isolation from all other creatures. I can only assume all the other zebra tribes are the same.”

“Scorponies follow strength, food, and sex. Easy to get on side if tried hard enough.”

“Oh my,” said Fluttershy.

“It is pretty much almost the same with my tribe, but it typically has to be a zebra from within that tribe,” said Zone.

Fluttershy looked at Zone for a few seconds, something formulating in her brain. “Maybe you could help me?”

“If you think my tribe will accept anything I say, you are out of luck,” said Zone. “To them, I am a freak of nature.”

“You’re still part zebra,” said Fluttershy. “It’s better than being a pony while talking to them if what you’re saying is true.”

Zone had a look of uncertainty on her face. From Fluttershy’s perspective, she could tell that because of Zone’s feelings about her hybrid form, she was hesitant to try anything with the zebras. Zone didn’t fit in, and Fluttershy did have some experience with not fitting in. Fluttershy was a pegasus who rarely flew at all. Which is stranger still considering she grew up in Cloudsdale, a city in the sky.

She knew she could connect with Zone and help her get through her situation. “I promise, I will be right behind you,” said Fluttershy. “I won’t blame you if it doesn’t go well. You just have to understand that this could help everypony. It’s a chance to make things better!”

Zone looked at Taipan, noting that even though the two were as different as day and night, Taipan still came to help Zone in a time of need. Zone looked back at Fluttershy and nodded, that expression of uncertainty still on her face. “I will… do what I can.”

“Let’s get going,” Taipan ordered, more or less. “Others waiting.”

Fluttershy smiled at the two. She had a feeling things were going to go well as long as they all stuck together. As the three returned to the main group, Fluttershy could hear arguing…

“I’m sorry, I’m not liking how this sounds,” said Twilight.

Fluttershy then heard the blindfolded pegasus from earlier. “Miss Sparkle, surely, you must understand the situation. This will help the wasteland return to the former glory that was Equestria.”

“That is not Equestria,” countered Twilight.

As Fluttershy pushed a little past a few members of the group, she could see Twilight’s unsettled expression. “What’s going on?” asked Fluttershy.

Twilight blinked in surprise before turning to Fluttershy. “Oh! Uh… It’s nothing. Hindsight and I just… have our differences. Don’t worry. This isn’t affecting our mission,” she assured. She turned to Hindsight, squinting her eyes a little. “If you’ll excuse us,” she said to him. “We have a world to help.”

It was hard for Fluttershy to tell what the expression on Hindsight’s face was, as she only saw one-half of it due to the blindfold. Was he angry? Calm? Maybe sad? Fluttershy was never good with faces, and it was harder to tell with his mouth’s neutral position.

“Um, okay,” said Fluttershy. “Twilight, if I may talk to you for a moment?”

“Sure, Fluttershy!” Twilight said with a smile, seeming to instantly forget all about the odd argument. “What’s up?~”

Fluttershy turned to Zone and Taipan. “I was wondering if we could help the zebras first. I couldn’t remember if that was part of the plan or not.”

“Of course!” said Twilight. “After all, the zebras were literally one-half of the war.”

“I’d like to start with Zone’s tribe,” said Fluttershy. She smiled and gave Zone another look of assurance. “Right, Zone?”

Zone took a deep breath and let out a quick sigh. “Yes, Miss Shy. That would be a better place to start than any.”

“And maybe, if we can, I’d like to help out Taipan’s species as well,” Fluttershy added, looking towards the scorpony. “Is that alright?”

Taipan nodded. “Won’t be hard if you are strong.” She then poked Twilight a little with her hoof “May need work on that.”

Twilight gave a look of confusion. “Work on what, exactly?”

“Belly fat,” Taipan bluntly answered.

A look of offense overtook Twilight’s face. “D-Did you just…?!”

Fluttershy nervously smiled. “I’m… sure she doesn’t mean it in a rude way?”

Taipan looked at Zone with a tilt of her head. “What is rude?”

Zone rubbed the back of her neck. “It is when something is taken in an offensive way, such as if I were to insult a tribal leader and question his ability to rule, or if I am insulting someone’s physique.”

“Ahh, thank you,” Taipan said as she nodded in appreciation before looking back at Twilight. “Alicorn, you need to look like legends, big strong, not short pudgy.”

Twilight was dumbfounded at the words being thrown at her. “I… what?!”

“I am fairly certain… somewhat certain that Taipan does not mean any harm in the words she is saying,” said Zone. “It might be because her tribe still often has views of the noble warrior instead of just six ponies. After all, a hero is hard to come by and I think the scorponies may be cemented in their way of thinking due to how the wasteland has hardened most individuals.”

Twilight tried to piece together the information given to her just now. “Let’s… just get everypony ready to head out.”

“There’s no offense?” asked Fluttershy.

“I’m not going to answer that,” said Twilight, prodding her hoof at her own belly in self-doubt.

“Miss Sparkle, if you could just reconsider my offer,” pushed Hindsight.

Twilight didn’t seem to be in any mood to talk to him. “Would you go away?!”

Hindsight stepped back, gritting his teeth. After just a second, he switched his display of emotion to that of a calmer nature. “Fine… I’ll approach you later on, perhaps with better terms.”

Fluttershy knew that curiosity wasn’t always a good thing, but this seemed to bother Twilight. “Are you okay?” asked Fluttershy.

Twilight took a deep breath before telling her, “This pegasus, Hindsight, keeps talking about some crazy, something I’d never consider back in our world.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “Oh? I’m sure it can’t be too ba--”

“He wants to hurt ponies, Fluttershy. The earth ponies and unicorns specifically,” said Twilight. “He told me we were brought here for that, but that’s ridiculous. The map would never send us somewhere just to have us do that. We’re supposed to solve friendship problems.”

Fluttershy looked over to where Hindsight was standing. He was on the other side of the room, watching or… not watching…? It was hard to tell with that blindfold on him. Fluttershy looked back at Twilight and asked, “Should we tell the others?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. They shouldn’t need to worry about it. He’s obviously out of his mind. If he tries asking me again, I might just ask Celestia how to deal with this because she’s always been good with negotiation.”

A sudden laugh from Discord rang out as he approached Twilight in his pony form. “Celestia? A negotiator? That’s really funny, Twilight,” he said.

Twilight stared back at him. “What are you talking about?”

Discord’s eyes darted up as if he were contemplating. “Well, if you were to see how the Celestia from this universe acted, you’d probably have second thoughts.”

“But our Celestia isn’t the same as the one from this universe,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Twilight, haven’t you experienced the memory merging yet?” asked Discord.

“Memory what?” Twilight replied.

Discord sighed with a smirk. “It’s a condition one gets when they’ve crossed over into a dimension where there’s another version of them. Staying too long can change your memories, replacing them slowly over time with that of your own copy.”

“What?!” exclaimed Twilight. “Does that mean I won’t remember anything from my world?!”

“Not until the merge between worlds is completed,” explained Discord. “You’ll slowly gain more of your other self’s personality because of the newly-acquired memories. The same… would go for Celestia and Luna as well.”

Fluttershy wasn’t liking any of this. “S-So, does that mean it could really be my fault the world is like this?”

Discord saw the terror in Fluttershy’s eyes, his own expression softening. “Oh… uh, I wouldn’t put it like that…”

“Great, you’ve given us another thing to worry about,” said Twilight. “Why not tell me in private instead of blabbing that around who is supposed to be your best friend?”

“Wow, Twilight, that’s really harsh, even for you,” said Discord.

Taipan bapped both Discord and Twilight “Enough words, won’t do action will. Sooner get done, sooner go home.”

Zone looked at Taipan for a moment before nodding her head and looking towards Twilight and Discord. “The scorpony is right. The longer we sit here arguing, the more likely the undesired scenario will be.”

Twilight rubbed her head as she gave Discord an annoyed glare. “You’re right, Taipan. Let’s get started.”

Discord walked up to Fluttershy, obvious guilt on his face. “You know I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings like that, right?”

Fluttershy wasn’t the type to hold a grudge. Discord was just trying to let them know the dangers of not finishing their mission, right? “I… I know,” she said with a soft smile. “I am a little worried, but we can get through this!”

Discord seemed relieved. “Now there’s a little problem I need help with if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Sure!” replied Fluttershy, smiling a little wider.

“I need you to help me regain my normal form,” he said.

Fluttershy was a little confused by this. “How would I be able to help?”

“You know how I was a mishmash of different creatures, basically a face only a mother could love?” he asked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Uh-huh?”

“All of my pieces have taken on a life of their own in the form of terrible beasts all across the wasteland in six different forms,” he explained.

“Oh my, and you want us to collect them all,” assumed Fluttershy.

“Precisely!” confirmed Discord. “I’ll be back to normal in no time… Well, my brand of normal.”

“Sure!” agreed Fluttershy. “Let me go tell Twilight and we’ll get started on our mission. We’ll look for your other pieces along the way!”

As Fluttershy walked up to Twilight, she told her all about Discord’s situation. Twilight seemed to be on the fence about it. “I don’t know, Fluttershy. He was pretty rude earlier.”

“Well, I’m sure he was only trying to warn us,” said Fluttershy. “You know he’s not good with being serious.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Twilight unsuredly. She turned to the rest of the mane six, smiling. “Alright, everypony. Are we ready to embark on an epic adve--”

“Not so fast,” said a familiar voice. Fluttershy turned her head to see… Study Guide, holding another one of those odd glass bottles. “DNA analysis was just completed. We need to talk.”

Study Guide scared Fluttershy, the older mare seeming immune to the horrors of the world. “Do we really have to do this?” asked Fluttershy.

“I’m sorry, are you in charge?” asked Study. “Maybe two hundred years ago you would outrank me, but right now, I’m calling the shots here. Twilight’s coming with me for a bit. We’re going to have a long talk. If any of you go missing before I come back, I will hunt you down.”

Zone rubbed the back of her neck. “This is an unfortunate string of events indeed. First the hellhounds, then the hatelings, and now her. I suppose it cannot be helped. We’re neck-deep in Enclave territory.”

“We shouldn’t expect too much trouble,” said Dusk Feather, walking up to the group. “She hates everyone equally, so I doubt she’d rat us out right now.”

“Are you sure about that?” asked Zone. “She looked like the type to kill you for booze.”

“I… maybe,” replied Dusk Feather, now sounding unsure. “Sure, she’s an alcoholic, and an asshole, and an unethical researcher, and possibly a murderer, but…”

“Ah think we’ve heard enough,” Applejack interjected. “The odds don’t look too good.”

“Yes, orange one right,” Taipan agreed.

Fluttershy sighed. This was going to take a while. She thought it’d be as easy as walking through the door, but they couldn’t leave without Twilight. They needed some form of direction, and Twilight was the smartest of the bunch.

As she pondered what to do, she heard a small cough, followed by, “Uh, hello, Fluttershy.”

She turned around, surprised to see that it was none other than Thorax. “Oh! You’ve caught up with us!” she exclaimed with a smile.

“I’ve been trying to find you guys for about a day,” he said. “This place is dangerous. I was attacked by some scorpion pony creature.”

“You mean Taipan?” guessed Fluttershy.

“If they had a name, I didn’t bother to catch it,” said Thorax. “Study Guide gave me some kind of repellent, so I’m a little grateful.”

“IF YOU DIDN’T REEK, YOU WOULD BE FOOD!” Taipan shouted from across the room.

“Reek?” questioned Fluttershy. “I don’t smell anything.”

“It’s supposedly undetectable to us,” he said. “Though I do keep smelling small hints of cheddar cheese and it’s been bothering me a little.”

“Well, I’m glad you could meet us here,” said Fluttershy. “I was a little worried. I hope you weren’t hurt from the changeling attack?”

Thorax had a look of annoyance on his face. “I was informed of it, but I never saw anything outside the lab. Study Guide refused to let me leave for a while until I gave her information on who I was and why I was here.”

“I wonder…” muttered Fluttershy. “If there are changelings here in the wasteland, then what happened to the Chrysalis of this universe?”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

“This is a disgrace!” shouted Chrysalis to the small remainder of the hateling group. There were only a few dozen or so left, but from what Chrysalis had learned, it wasn’t the only group of hatelings in the wasteland. She could go from settlement to settlement, gathering up her army.

Right now, though, she was furious. Her army had failed in their attempt to take over the tower, all because of some random pegasus and a hidden sniper. What was even worse was the fact that Twilight herself and her friends had been at the scene, helping to fight off the invasion.

“You are all worthless and weak!” shouted Chrysalis. “I gave you a simple job and you couldn’t do that right!”

“Did it ever occur to you that Cozy and I could have helped?” questioned Tirek, a bit more muscular than he had been before. Chrysalis was getting a little wary of this since she had first noticed.

“Oh, please,” she said. “Are you the master of espionage here?”

“Wouldn’t Cozy have been a better fit for the job?” asked Tirek. “She’s turned ponies against their own kind before.”

Chrysalis quickly closed the distance between her and Tirek, her face inches away from his as she stared angrily. “Is this a suggestion or an insult?!”

“I wouldn’t have minded,” said Cozy with a smile. “After all, we still have to stick together.”

“Enough of your friendship talk! Even when it’s weaponized, it still makes me sick!” Chrysalis exclaimed.

“Do we need to have a little talk?” Cozy glow asked.

“I am fine,” Chrysalis responded with a hiss. “I’m perfectly capable of keeping myself levelheaded!”

“Oh, right,” said Tirek in a sarcastic manner. “I’ve certainly noticed…”

“I just need to get more drones,” Chrysalis reasoned. “They’re scattered across the wasteland, so this could take a while. I don’t need your criticism, especially when you’ve fallen just as low as me!”

“I’m sorry, who was able to take on Equestria on their own without an army?” asked Tirek. “Was that you, or was it me?”

“You told me Discord helped you,” countered Chrysalis.

“I was using him,” corrected Tirek. “I’m a skilled manipulator, unlike you, who so clearly couldn’t get the enemy force to turn on itself.”

Cozy kept looking back and forth between the two as they argued. This was starting to get worse than the time they had first been forced to work together. “Could we just settle down for just a moment?” she asked.

Both Chrysalis and Tirek turned to Cozy with a resounding, “NO!”

“But this isn’t getting anypony anywhere!” she stated. “If we don’t work together, we might never take over this place, let alone find a way to get back home!”

“Well, maybe if somepony wasn’t criticizing my every move, I could think clearly!” argued Chrysalis, her angry gaze in Tirek’s direction.

“I’m not the one charging in and getting cocky because I think I know my opponent,” Tirek responded, glaring back at Chrysalis. “This is obviously not the average pony army we’re used to dealing with.”

“Okay, so, we made mistakes,” said Cozy as she tried to sound positive. “We can learn from them! We don’t have to keep fighting like this! Let’s keep our heads together!”

Chrysalis took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her own forehead. “This is getting… annoying, but I will keep calm for now. I just need to gather up some more drones and we can plan another attack, this time with more reconnaissance.”

Cozy smiled brightly. “That’s good! And Tirek, maybe we can help you get stronger so you can help us out!”

“It feels like Chrysalis may not want my help,” observed Tirek as he crossed his arms and looked down at Cozy.

“Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t mean to come off that way!” assured Cozy, looking at Chrysalis. “Right?”

“Huh?” responded Chrysalis. “Oh, uh, right, yeah, sure,” she said, waving her hoof dismissively. She was more focused on figuring out where her other drones might be.

“If you say so,” said Tirek, sounding very unsure. “Let’s hope she doesn’t mess up this time and turn me away. I’ve taken on more than my fair share of armies.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

As Twilight returned from Study Guide’s lab, Fluttershy looked at her with concern. “What happened?” asked Fluttershy.

Study Guide came up from behind and past Twilight, looking at the entirety of the group, seeming disgruntled. “I’ve decided… I’m going to help you freaks.”

“Weren’t you pretty much against having us stay here?” asked Dash. “That’s a weird turnaround.”

“Oh, trust me, this is for my own benefit as well,” assured the tired mare. “Twilight will be staying with me for a bit. She has caught not only my attention, but the attention of someone else.”

“Woah, hold on there, partner,” Applejack objected as she stepped forward. “You can’t do that.”

“I can assure you that this is for the greater good,” said Study. “She won’t be harmed and she’ll be returned to you within a week.”

“We can’t just stay here,” said Dash. “We need to help the wasteland!”

Twilight shook her head and looked Dash in the eyes. “I’m letting you girls go on ahead. I trust you all to get things done with the zebras.”

“You want us to go out there without you?” questioned Fluttershy.

Twilight sadly smiled. “Fluttershy, I believe you’re all capable of handling this until I can join up with you again. I promise, you can do this.”

Fluttershy was having feelings of doubt. Although they had gone on adventures without Twilight before, this was a big mission, one that affected everypony. They’d need all the help they could get. Then again, as she looked back at the group of strangers she and the others had collected on the way here, perhaps the mission wouldn’t be so hard after all. They’d just need to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“Oh, alright,” said Fluttershy, a little worried. “We’ll do what we can.”

Twilight gave Fluttershy another reassuring smile. “You all go on ahead. I’ve already left you girls a map. I found it while looking through some of Study Guide’s books.”

“Excuse me?” Study Guide interrupted.

“N-Nothing,” said Twilight with a nervous smile.

As Fluttershy and the others got together, Rainbow Dash walked up with the map in her wings, the crinkly paper spread out in front of her. “So, if we’re going to the zebras’ homeland, won’t that mean we’d be hearing a lot of rhyming, like Zecora?”

Zone seemed shocked. “I’ll have you know that Zecora was very much the only zebra I know of who rhymed. The rest of us speak like you can.”

“I’m sure Dash didn’t mean to offend,” assured Fluttershy.

Zone looked at the map, her eyes scanning every inch before she pointed to a spot near the very center of the zebra homeland. “Right there is where my tribe would be, meaning we’d have to pass by others, and I’m sure you know what zebras do to trespassing ponies…”

“Ah’m pretty certain we can handle ourselves just fine,” said Applejack.

“I’m with orange, but numbers can be a hassle,” Taipan spoke up, oddly sounding exceptionally astute, “Another thing to consider is the potential threats of said enemies. The likelihood of us encountering an enemy we can’t take down on our own is great, as we have no way of knowing how well-trained zebras may be in hoof-to-hoof combat or in magic.”

Everyone stared at Taipan as if she’d just performed a miracle, and in a sense, she did, her grammar improving for just one moment. “How did you suddenly get so smart?”

“Not know what you talking about,” said Taipan, back to her old grammar.

Zone leaned in and whispered to Fluttershy, “I believe she may have been possessed, but I am no expert in magic.” but that would contradict her previous actions of constantly attacking enemies without provocation or without any form of planned approach.

Fluttershy didn’t seem to think so. Some creatures had the potential to just have their shining moments. It wasn’t always constant, but it still happened, even on a rare occasion.

“Won’t Celestia and Luna want to come with us?” asked Applejack.

“We’re already prepared to accompany you on this journey,” said Celestia as she walked over to them. “With Equestria being in its current state, I cannot sit idly by any longer.”

“Wait, so you’re not willing to help us when there’s danger around every corner back in our timeline, but you’re willing to go with us now?” interrogated Dash.

“Twilight was sent to Ponyville for a reason,” said Celestia. “If I were to step in on every single occasion, she’d never learn. I’ve attempted to help a number of times, such as with Tirek and against Chrysalis during Princess Cadance’s wedding, but most of the time I must stay back and let Twilight mature.”

“Uh-huh,” said Dash, not really believing her. “Well, whatever. We need to get going. Is everyone here?”

Fluttershy counted every member of the group, her brain suddenly clicking as she realized, “We never did find Ember, did we?”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Ember wasn’t expecting her trip back to the wasteland to be so rough. After being tugged this way and that through a portal and almost losing her lunch, if she had eaten, she finally dropped face-down into the dirt.

Pushing herself up, the first thing she saw was Tenpony Tower itself. “Ugh… where’s Spike?” she muttered. Finally, as she turned to her right, it was impossible to miss him. There he was, standing quite the distance away from the Tower. She could only reason that the ponies here didn’t want to deal with him, as she could see several pegasi outside in full-body armor.

She flew over to him, hoping to get some clarification. “Uh, hey! Did you talk to Twilight?”

Watcher looked down at her. “Ah… I knew I forgot something for a minute there…”

“Uh, long story,” replied Ember. “How did it go?”

Watcher seemed to be in a bit of a slump. “It went… fine, I think. There were a lot of things I couldn’t explain. I never told her, but I think I’m experiencing memories that are not my own. I’m beginning to think there’s more going on here than I’d like to see.”

“That’s pretty weird,” agreed Ember. “What about younger Spike?”

“That’s another can of worms I’d rather not open,” he said. “There’s a lot I want to tell him, but I don’t think he’d be capable of understanding. He’s very lucky to still have his Twilight around.”

“So, what’s next on your to-do list?” she asked him.

Watcher scratched the back of his head. “I… don’t know. I’ve finally gotten to speak with her, but… something doesn’t feel right. It’s still not my Twilight… It’s entirely possible I might never truly get over it.”

“I’m sorry,” Ember said. “Maybe it’ll just take time?”

“Two hundred years, Ember,” Watcher pointed out. “I have been in regret for two hundred years. Even with this ‘fix’, it will take me a while. Yes, I’d said what I needed to say to her, but…”

Watcher clenched his fists, a roar of frustration emanating from him. Ember may be a Dragon Lord, but she was certainly no therapist. She couldn’t do anything to help him, not unless she could go back in time and tell him what was going to happen. Sadly enough, that was an impossibility.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Fluttershy and the others were just about ready to go. With them being in a large group, she felt more confident that they could tackle just about anything. The only thing that unsettled her was the fact that Twilight wouldn’t accompany them on this particular trip.

Zone and Taipan strolled up to her, with Zone being the first to ask, “Forgive me if I get right to the point, but have you ever been in a fight before? The wasteland can be brutal. Our trip here was fairly mild compared to everything else in this desolate place.”

Taipan nodded. “Lots of danger out there, big bugs, big guns, gotta watch your back, and big groups attract lots of attention but are also safer from smaller threats.”

“Oh, I usually try to stay away from violence,” said Fluttershy. “I like to think words can solve any situation, but that doesn’t always work out. Even so, I still stick to my own beliefs.”

“That… is problematic,” said Zone. “There are many who do not respond to kind words. Most will try to simply kill you.”

Flutterahy had a worried look on her face. “I don’t know if I could lay a single hoof on another creature.”

“If that is the case, then I would like to advise you to stay close to us,” said Zone.

“Maybe we teach you to fight,” Taipan suggested as she got up on her hind hooves and threw a couple of mach punches. “If only to defend yourself.”

“Perhaps we can do so during our stops,” said Zone in agreement.

Fluttershy still had uncertainty, but she replied, “I wouldn’t mind learning how to defend myself, if it doesn’t hurt the other creature.”

Zone rubbed her forehead. “This will… be a little troublesome, but I think we can make due.”

Fluttershy, in truth, didn’t want to learn anything related to physical violence, but this was a situation that was forcing her to do so. She could only hope that she’d never have to do anything that would hurt another pony.

Even during some of their worst battles, Fluttershy had done her best to remain peaceful. While Zone and Taipan were used to violence, Fluttershy couldn’t hurt a fly. She nodded and said, “I’ll do what I need to, but if there’s a choice, I’ll go a more peaceful route.”

Taipan shrugged. “If you sure, can’t force you to fight if you don’t wanna.”

As they finally set out, Fluttershy had the strangest feeling they were being watched. She could only hope it wasn’t anyone hostile.

Author's Note

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WE ARE BACK ON TRAAAAAAAAACK.

Somewhat.

And yes, we said "yeeted."

The Dead are Plenty

The outside of Manehattan was desolate, with nothing but barren dirt in almost all directions, the only direction where civilization was being behind them. Fluttershy, along with her friends and their new companions, had pushed forward for about a day now, and it was getting dark.

They all seemed to get along just okay. Tricks, Brute, Fiddler, Lucky Break, Dusk Feather, and Zone were all seemingly quiet, not knowing each other too well. Fluttershy stayed closer to Zone than the other strangers, as she knew Zone a little bit more.

“We will eventually come across a village,” warned Zone. “They won’t exactly be welcoming.”

“I trust you to help us,” said Fluttershy.

“You are playing a dangerous game, Miss Shy,” Zone stated. “A freak of nature like me is sure to get us killed sooner than you can say zebragon.”

“Zebragon?” repeated Fluttershy.

“A name my tribe made up for my own hybrid kind,” she said. “A zebra and a dragon make a zebragon.”

“Weird name.” Taipan said as something caught her attention in the air. “I smell fresh food.”

Zone sighed. “You’re not going hunting again, are you?”

“...Maybe,” Taipan replied.

“Stop running off,” said Zone. “You’ve gotten us in enough trouble. I don’t want to find out a zebra village is after us because you went in looking for some hateling.”

“Land is filled with them, good place to put down territory when done,” Taipan said, mostly ignoring Zone as the scorpony kept sniffing and following her nose. “Might be hive near. be on guard.”

Zone raised a brow. “What am I going to do with you?”

Taipan gave a cheeky smile and replied, “Dunno,” before she turned to the others in the group. “Hmm, you tall one,” she said as she pointed to brute “Tired?”

The large hellhound looked her way with a grunt, his eyes glaring. “Brute not tired. Don’t bother Brute with dumb questions.”

Rarity chuckled nervously. “Oh, I’m sure she’s just concerned with your health.”

“Brute not need help from ponies, not even half ponies,” he said.

“Good, Get ready fight coming,” Taipan cut in. “I think Zebra are following us, using hateling scent to throw off my nose.”

Zone looked around herself. “It’s not uncommon to mask our scent with another creature’s. It’s a tactic we use in hunting.”

“It’s annoying,” Taipan complained as she slammed her tail on the ground.

Fiddler rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah never thought I’d die because of a zebra. Ah always thought it’d be from pissin’ off the wrong mare.”

“Smart to fear mares,” said Dusk.

“Get ready,” said Zone, pointing ahead. “There’s a few coming our way.”

As Fluttershy squinted her eyes to focus her vision, she could see three zebras, two of them following one with extra markings on her face. As they approached, the marked zebra took one look at Zone and spat on the ground in her direction. “You are dangerously close to our village.”

“We are merely passing through,” Zone replied.

“That’s not our concern,” the marked zebra replied. “What matters is that you are in a land whose people do not want you here.”

Zone’s gaze strayed from eye contact “I am zebr--”

“You are not zebra,” the marked one replied.

Taipan stepped up, looking a little upset with her tail raised in an aggressive manner. “Who you to tell her what she isn’t.”

“A real zebra warrior,” the marked zebra proclaimed. “She’s a filthy hybrid.”

Taipan snorted. “Warriors judge skill, not race.”

“Who asked you, creature?” the zebra replied. “A scorpony with an attitude too big for her. I’ve hunted your kind down before.”

Taipan did not like this zebra, she did not like this zebra at all. She did not say anything. The zebra looked to her two companions and waved a hoof dismissively, the two stepping back. She looked at Taipan, then at Zone. “How about… you and the freak against only me?” suggested the zebra. “I’ll have you know that I’ve trained with my village leader’s daughter, who is one of the best warriors in all the zebra lands.”

“Deal,” Taipan accepted.

Fluttershy whispered to her, “Are you sure you and Zone want to do this? We came here to make peace with the zebras.”

Zone, overhearing, said, “There are some zebra worth negotiating with, but in my opinion, most will do everything in their power to kill you if you are not their own. Killing one wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “K-Kill? Oh, no no! You can’t just kill somepony!”

“We do what we need to in order to progress,” said Zone. “That is simply how we do things in the wasteland.”

The zebra stepped a little ways away, wanting a clear space to fight in. “I won’t wait all day, foreigners. You will be dealt with swiftly.”

Taipan nudged Zone. “You first. Me wanna learn her style.”

Zone, looked back at her friend, growled in a bit of annoyance. “Hmph… fine. I’ll make sure to take her down before then,” she said in pride.

As Zone approached the zebra, she remained silent, an aura of professionalism about her. The zebra stood up on her two hind legs, her body in a fighting stance. Fluttershy had never seen Zecora do anything like this. Whether or not this was part of Zecora’s culture back home was a mystery, as it was clear that a lot of things in this universe were different.

Zone didn’t stand up, however, her large draconic tail slamming against the ground multiple times. Was this her own form of fighting style? The stranger quickly dashed in, hooves poised for a deadly strike. Zone twirled in a near-instant, her heavy tail taking the hits before knocking the enemy back.

“How is she able to lug that heavy tail around so easily?” asked Dash.

“Zebras are already incredibly strong on their own,” said Dusk. “It might not seem like the case, but Zone has had it her whole life. It’s not a surprise she’d be able to pull off this kind of feat.”

Zone jumped into the air, spinning before slamming her tail downwards, which the enemy evaded through a quick jump out of the way. The ground where the zebra had once stood cracked from the weight of Zone’s mutant addition.

“Hmph. You don’t even move with grace!” said the stranger. “You move clumsily!”

Zone didn’t reply, only continuing to pour on her attempts to attack. She had gotten a few strikes in with her hooves, but what she really needed was that one death blow with her tail to end the fight. Because of this, she didn’t seem to be focused on incapacitating in a non-lethal way as Fluttershy had hoped.

The stranger quickly cleared the distance between them both with a punch to Zone’s gut and a quick take-down onto the ground, pinning the hybrid. “Say uncle and I might spare you, freak,” whispered the zebra.

“Don’t make me hurt you,” said Zone. “I just want to end you quickly.”

“Look at your position!” shouted the stranger.

That was when Fluttershy noticed an anomaly. Zone’s stripes were green instead of their usual gray. “Um… Zone?”

The stranger suddenly let go, the fur on her legs falling off. “What the hell?!”

Zone’s stripes quickly faded back into their regular gray. “I don’t want to make this slow,” she said. “I’ve told you before and you didn’t liste--”

Before Zone could even react, the stranger had come at her with startling, scary speeds, delivering a kick to the hybrid’s face and sending her skidding across the ground. “That burned! What the hell was that?!” shouted the zebra. “You’re worse than I thought! You need to be put down!”

Zone slowly rose back onto her hooves, her face dripping with a small bit of red from her nostrils. She thudded her tail against the ground three times. “Forfeit,” she demanded.

The zebra simply smirked and rushed forward, her hooves making an easy impact against Zone’s body and beating her senseless. Fluttershy was in shock, watching the senseless violence. “Stop it!”

“They’re not going to,” said Dusk Feather. “Zebra will fight to the death. It’s their sense of honor that makes them like this.”

“Cover Fluttershy’s eyes or bring her away, she no need be here,” Taipan ordered, a cold anger clear in her voice.

“None o’ this is right,” said Applejack. “Yer tellin’ us that this is how zebras are with each other? Ah don’t see any honor in that.”

“Is Zone going to be okay?” asked Starlight. “She definitely doesn’t look like she’s doing very well. I’d step in, but I don’t have my magic.”

“I’d go in, but I don’t want to chip a hoof,” said Trixie. “Besides, it’s not like the whole ‘to the death’ thing is real, right?”

Dusk turned her head, looking in Trixie’s direction with a serious glare.

Trixie’s brain took a moment to register the gesture. “Wait, what?!”

Tricks, the abyssinian who had accompanied them all on the journey as well, stayed quiet in the back, his glance casting downward. Brute seemed to notice this, but he stayed silent as well, watching the fight continue on.

Fluttershy had to do something. Zone was in danger. “Taipan, can’t you step in?” she asked. “You understand their reasoning, right?”

Taipan didn’t reply right away as she watched Zone land a decent hit, only to get immediately knocked onto her back. “Yes, and I will, but not right time,” was her reply, her voice still in that cold anger.

Zone stood up, her breathing heavy. “I… forfeit,” she said. “We will leave.”

The other zebra looked at her in sudden disgust. “What?! You don’t get to forfeit! You know how a true warrior’s fight plays out!”

The zebra quickly rushed Zone, carefully-placed hits sending Zone’s body into paralysis. The hybrid fell over, unable to move further. As she tried to move, she caught the zebra’s gaze as the enemy towered over her.

“You may have lived as a disgraceful freak, but do not worry. I will make sure you die honorably,” said the zebra, raising herself up on her hind legs, hooves ready to slam down.

Taipan quickly fired a few of her pins near the two, startling the zebra and causing her to go off-balance. ”My turn,” Taipan stated as she walked towards the zebra, her tail poised and ready for action.

The zebra stared at this creature who dared to interrupt her certain victory. “Oh, you’re approaching me?” she asked, approaching the scorpony. “Instead of running away, you’re facing me?”

“I can’t hit you unless I get closer,” Taipan said as she readied herself for a fight.

“Then, by all means, fight me with everything you have!” replied the enemy. Without prior warning, she closed in, hooves moving fast.

Taipan was quick with her reactions and jumped to the left and quickly fired off some pin missiles, all of which the zebra gracefully dodged before moving in again with another hoof. Fluttershy ran over to Zone as the two fought, helping the hybrid up and helping her get back to the group, but as it seemed like she was about to make it, the other two zebra stepped out in front of her.

A male zebra looked down at her. “Leave your friend to die or you’ll suffer the same, pony. We shed enough blood during the war.”

That was when Applejack and Rainbow Dash ran up to him. “Hey, leave her alone!” shouted Dash.

“We won’t ask ya twice,” said Applejack.

The zebra male looked at them in a stare. He then looked at the group behind them. After careful consideration, he seemed to back down, stepping out of Fluttershy’s way. “Hmph… You are lucky there are more of you.”

Fluttershy smiled at Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “Thank you,” she said. “Please, help me get Zone to safety so we can help her.”

Meanwhile Taipan was in a heated fight, being forced to maneuver a lot in order to keep from being hit. It was intense, even when neither had hit each other just yet.

Taipan jumped back, trying to keep as much distance as she could. She needed the zebra to make one misstep, a single stumble, a trip, anything for this fight to swing in her favor. If that happened, she could end it in one blow, but for now, she had to play it safe and try to take as little damage as possible, but she was running out of steam fast.

“Are you tired yet?” asked the zebra as she moved. “I’ve hunted your kind before. I know all your tricks! You’re nothing but a nuisance to me!”

“I’m good. How's leg? Friend did number on it,” said Taipan with a smirk, as she had noticed the zebra had been keeping her weight off of her right hind leg throughout the entire fight.

The zebra continued fighting without a word, her speed increasing as the battle carried on. Taipan just needed one shot. She needed to be patient. As a few hooves whizzed past her.

Whilst she dodged, she began to see a pattern in their movement. There was a careful balance between attack and defense, one that was familiar in older scorpony tactics. While the moves were primarily zebra, the transitions between attack and defense were clearly consistent in scorpony understanding.

Taipan came up with a quick idea after seeing this pattern, though it was risky. “So slow, so weak,” she taunted. The zebra struck quickly, with Taipan deflecting with her tail, but in Taipan’s mind, she found that it didn’t seem to be worth it, as it did a serious number on her.

The zebra, however, was now pissed, annoyed with this bug. “I will finish you quickly and you will find your tail as a trophy in my home!”

“You can try,” Taipan said as she plunged her tail into the ground. From the tail itself, roundish purple goop seeped out from beneath, glowing as it spread out beneath the zebra. The zebra jumped back and out of its radius, but her two hind legs had taken some damage.

She shivered, stepping back. “Hhggghh… Fine. You may pass! I need to get my potions…”

Taipan was not having this level of hypocrisy. She ran up and stung the shivering zebra with full intent to kill. “Honorable death, isn’t that right?” she whispered in the fallen zebra’s ear.

“That move you u-used… is not a normal tactic,” the zebra forced out.

“My pack dealt with hellhounds, got creative.” She answered as the others rushed over. “Rest, and may the pack guide you,” Taipan whispered quietly to herself. She turned to her friends. “Let's go.”

“I just need to finish helping Zone,” said Fluttershy.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Hindsight wasn’t pleased with the recent turn of events. He was certain Twilight would’ve taken him up on his offer, but he was rejected, humiliated almost. During his flight on the way back to his stable, he’d been thinking about how to proceed with his plans.

When Lord Bale had shown him the visions, it had shown him Equestria in all its previous glory with the six guardians of friendship there. What had he done wrong? Perhaps he’d misinterpreted? Perhaps there was a step in his plan he was missing?

The visions had also shown him taking over the wasteland through force, so there was no doubt that he needed to continue with his current goals. He gritted his teeth as he entered the stable, a headache getting to him. “I need to talk to Tech Wiz,” he muttered.

Walking into the hallway towards Tech’s assigned quarters, he could already hear the filly they had recently brought over from another universe. Puppysmiles had been pestering Tech Wiz with countless questions recently, and it seemed as though she was still doing so.

“Why is this glowing?” Puppysmiles asked.

“Don’t touch that,” said Tech Wiz.

“Can I push this button?” the filly wondered again.

“Don’t touch that,” the unicorn growled.

“Is this food?” Puppysmiles’ eyes widened.

“Don’t. Touch. That,” warned Tech.

Hindsight walked in, seeing Puppysmiles standing next to Tech Wiz as the science mare mixed together two vials. She also seemed to be inputting data from the results into a small terminal next to her on the desk to her right.

“Tech Wiz, we need to talk,” said Hindsight, putting his blindfold back on. He’d seen Tech’s sins before, and he’d rather not do it again. The details were unpleasant to him. Still, it was odd to him that Puppysmiles had nothing to regret, not a single sin within her.

“May I ask what the problem is?” asked Tech, still focused on her terminal.

“A step in my plan has gone wrong,” he said. “I can’t seem to get Twilight to agree to my offer.”

“And this involves me… how, exactly?” questioned Tech Wiz.

“I need you to do some research for me,” he said. “Look into everything you can on the Ministry Mares and their past. I feel there’s something I may have missed that involves events prior to the megaspells.”

“I can hardly do chemistry, am only good with technology, and yet you want me to research history,” said Tech. “Isn’t there anyone else in this damned stable who’s more qualified than I am?”

“You’re one of the only few experts I was able to acquire for my projects,” said Hindsight. “The others are off elsewhere, collecting things I’ll need for the upcoming takeover.”

Tech Wiz typed into her terminal as she replied, “I don’t see how you’re able to do all this with so little expertise in this place. If I may ask, how are you able to get all of these resources? You’re just a stable dweller.”

“I’ve had my chances and I took them,” said Hindsight. “All given to me by Lord Bale.”

“Is this the religious shit I was informed of before I came here?” she muttered.

“Call it what you may,” said Hindsight. “If our goals come to fruition, then you’ll see that I am not a nutcase.”

“Uh-huh…” said Tech. “I’ll do that research as soon as I’m done with logging these samples. That visitor we brought over… the one that was literally splattered across the wasteland, I was able to scrape some of her, uhh, material off the wall. These cells look like they’ve been worn ragged, like they’ve been put back together over and over.”

“Is that… normal?” asked Hindsight. “We literally brought a creature across space and time. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were side effects.”

“Maybe,” said Tech. “I’m still not going to let this research opportunity pass me by, however…”

“I’ll… leave you to that,” said Hindsight.

He could hear a bit more of Tech’s mutterings as he left the room, but now he was focused on finding his other new “friend” who’d been helping him with the new armor he required. Making his way into his personal quarters, he went over to a speaker on the wall and pressed a button next to it.

“Scalpel,” he said. “Are you available?”

A few seconds later, he received a reply. “What do you need?”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Everypony was unsettled by the death of the zebra who Zone and Taipan had faced. Much of the trip was quiet and a little depressing. As they continued walking, they came across what appeared to be an abandoned village, the homes looking more pony than zebra.

Fluttershy, her eyes glancing over each building, was the first to speak up about it. “Isn’t this zebra territory?”

“It is,” answered Zone. “These are simply remnants from before the war. When relations between pony and zebra became strained, what little ponies were left were forced out of here. Now it is only a ghost town. And some say… it is a ghost town.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy dared to ask.

“We could say the ponies were simply forced out,” said Zone. “That’s the official story that was given to the citizens, but… there’s still stories where there was bloodshed involved.”

Fluttershy shivered. “That’s awful…”

Taipan just snorted, not that she said much since the fight. “Going this way stay safe,” she muttered as she pointed to a rather normal looking set of abandoned homes from an age long past.

“Y’all thinkin’ we should stop here fer the night?” asked Applejack. “This is as good a place as any in this ruined world.”

“I guess so,” said Dash. She then had a look of mischief on her face. “Oh! We could tell ghost stories!”

Fluttershy’s ears perked up at the suggestion. “U-Um…”

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!” said Dash.

“I used to tell pretty good ghost stories back when I was little,” said Fiddler.

“If what your strange family told me is true about you, I’ll believe it,” said Dusk.

Fiddler looked Dusk’s way with a hint of annoyance. “And just what does that mean?”

“I dunno, Fibber. We only met about, what, a small while back?” explained Dusk.

“I suppose it’s better than roughing it out in this horrid wasteland. These homes are sure to have some kind of fireplace or furnace we can use, yes?” said Rarity.

Fluttershy sighed. “Alright, we’ll stop here for the night,” she said. “I just hope we don’t actually see--”

“Ghosts? Nonsense,” said Zone. “Of course, it’s… not entirely out of the realm of possibility.”

Although she didn’t feel any better about it, they stuck with the plan anyway. Everypony else seemed to be okay with taking shelter here for the night, so they settled down in a decent-sized two-story home for the night.

Upon stepping in, the home still had furniture inside, but it was obvious that the power was no longer working. With Rarity’s horn helping to light up the way, they were at least able to see. As they walked into the empty living room, Fluttershy could see pictures of the family that had used to live here. Taking the frame into her wing, she examined it.

It was the classic picture-perfect family. A father, a mother, two foals. She wondered what relations with zebras were like before the war had started. Did they simply just tolerate these ponies, or did they actually enjoy each other’s company? Many thoughts of this were floating around in her head.

“It is a sad thing, no?” asked Zone from behind. “I expect nothing less than concern from the Ministry Mare of Peace.”

Fluttershy looked at the picture a little more before turning to Zone. “Do you think the ponies here were really--”

“I’d rather not think about things like that,” said Zone. “It is not good for the state of mind if dwelled upon too much. Sure, the occasional questions pop up, but I do not let it get to me. I like to think that some escaped the conflicts just fine.”

“I’m sorry for dragging you out here,” said Fluttershy. “I appreciate that you came with us.”

“I suppose there’s a small part of me that likes to think I could help improve the relationship between ponies and zebras,” said Zone.

Fluttershy then remembered the fight between Zone and the other zebra. “If I may ask… why were you glowing during the fight?”

Zone had a look of discomfort on her face, gaze tilted down a bit. Before Fluttershy could apologize, Zone replied, “Being a freak of nature has its benefits. I seem to have this odd knack for absorbing magical radiation over time. It builds up and I sometimes need to vent it out before I collect too much.”

“What happens if you collect too much…?” asked Fluttershy.

“Well, I can still hold it, but if I try to vent it out, it’ll all come out at once, becoming no different than that of a balefire bomb,” Zone explained. “I learned that the hard way.”

“Do you know why you’re able to do this?” asked Fluttershy.

“I am not sure,” said Zone. She chuckled before saying, “There used to be rumors that went around my village that I had eaten a balefire phoenix and that it was somehow still alive inside my stomach. A silly tale, I think. We zebras have always been superstitious.”

“Well, no matter how different you are, we’ll always be friends,” said Fluttershy.

Zone smiled softly, but from what Fluttershy could see, there was still sadness in the hybrid’s eyes. “I appreciate that. Let us go see how the others are doing.”

Fluttershy and Zone could see that a few members were missing from the party, but it was only because some of them were looking around in the other parts of the house. Tricks and Brute were both in the kitchen, looking through the cabinets.

“We brought some rations with us,” Fluttershy reminded.

“Yeah, but it’s canned stuff,” said Tricks, his head in one of the lower cabinets. “Hey, cool! I found a frying pan!”

Fluttershy didn’t know too much about Tricks or Brute. They were both different from the majority of the group, seeing as how they were different species. She had hoped to improve her understanding of everyone in the party, but these two seemed to be off in their own little worlds.

“Brute smells food in here, but Brute can’t find it,” said the hellhound.

“Maybe it’s hidden,” said Tricks. “It’s something I’d do.”

Fluttershy sighed. “I’ll let you two continue your search. Just don’t stay here for too long. We’re going to distribute some of the rations soon.”

Fluttershy went back into the living room, hearing Rainbow Dash telling one of her scary ghost stories again, making Fluttershy a little stiff with worry and fear. As Fluttershy sat down next to Rarity, Dash continued her tale.

“To this day, nopony knows what happened to the ghostly mare. It’s said that after the travelers escaped, she still roamed her usual haunting grounds. She walks slowly down the hallways of the mansion, her hoofsteps echoing through the entire building. Up and down the stairs she goes, and nopony ever sees her until it’s too late.”

“If she is a ghost out for revenge, then why does she wait before attacking her victims?” asked Zone.

“What?” questioned Dash.

“From what you’ve told in her story, she was able to make her victims simply vanish,” said Zone. “So why wait?”

“I mean, I dunno, it’s just part of the story,” Dash replied, looking a little annoyed at the overanalysis. “If you’ve got a story that’s better, then you tell it.”

Zone smiled softly. “Oh, really? You wish for me to tell a tale?”

“If you think you can do it, yeah!” said Dash.

Zone sat down, her tail curling up around her a little. “Sure. I can, but be warned, little pony. It is not a tale for the faint of heart.”

Fluttershy was a little nervous now. She didn’t expect that she’d hear a scary story from Zone. Perhaps it was from Zone’s own culture as well? She went over by Rainbow Dash and sat down, her ear flicking a little as it picked up the faintest noise of a possible bug scurrying around the house somewhere. That only made her even more nervous.

“It is indeed a tale that has been spoken of through both the mouths of ponies and zebras,” said Zone with her eyes closed. “A tale of one who wanders the wasteland endlessly in search of those who do wrong.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “A little cliche, but keep goin’.”

Zone continued on. “It has been said that there is a twist in judgement within this being, a need to deliver harsh punishments to even the slightest of misdeeds. You may not even think you have done something wrong.”

“So, what does he do?” asked Dash. “Let me guess, horrible, unspeakable things?”

Zone opened an eye. “May I continue without interruption?”

Dash nodded. “Hm, alright.”

“When I was just a little filly, I had heard many a tale regarding this creature, but none had hit closer to home than the night when our local trader was found utterly mangled.”

Fluttershy’s ears flattened down against her head. “Mangled…?”

“Indeed,” Zone replied. “Her chest was found cut wide open, her ribcage spread apart! Her cold, lifeless eyes only showed hints of what was once extreme fear before she had died.”

Dash went a little pale. “A little heavy on the detail, huh…?”

Zone smiled. “Is something wrong? I thought you could handle it.”

“Uh, y-yeah, I can! I was just speaking up for Fluttershy’s sake. Sh-She can get pretty squeamish!” replied Dash.

Zone chuckled. “Of course, of course. I shall tone it down a little. The local trader was rumored to have swindled ponies before. She would sell them fake potions and even pickpocket from time to time, taking much-needed food from traveling ponies’ bags.”

“Still, that’s a little harsh for swindling ponies,” said Dash.

“The creature has done much worse to those who have done much less. Even telling small fibs could land you in your grave,~” said Zone.

Dash scooted closer to Fluttershy, peeking behind herself for a short second, paranoia growing on her.

The zebra smirked, eyeing everypony around her. “It’s been said that the creature has wandered for as long as the wasteland has existed. I would not doubt this, given that our home has also been one to many ghouls. The nicknames this creature has collected is near-endless. The Lunar Punisher, The Night’s Ally, The Sinner’s End. All who do wrong, even in the slightest degree, will find the monster’s hooves at their necks.”

Dash and Fluttershy jumped the moment they heard a sudden thud elsewhere in the house. The moment the noise sounded, Dash screamed, “IT’S HERE!”

Another thud sounded, making the pegasus’ wings spread out in preparation for escape. Fluttershy stood still, fear overtaking her as yet another thud resonated. With each thud growing louder, the two could only come to the conclusion that the creature was getting closer and closer.

And then… walked in Taipan, coated in white, making Dash scream, “IT GOT TAIPAN AND NOW SHE’S A GHOST!”

Taipan, not in the mood, just shook much like a wet dog, covering the area in white dust. “Shut up, weakling,” she mumbled as she tapped the wall with her tail to get her bearings. Shortly after, she took a seat in the corner.

Fluttershy, upon closer inspection of the white dust, said, “Flour? Were you in the kitchen, Taipan?”

“Yeah, thought food would help. Didn’t find any,” she muttered as she turned away from Fluttershy.

Fluttershy looked at Dash, who was looking a little pale. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, of course I am!” said Dash, trying to play off what had just happened. “I knew it wasn’t real!”

Twilight probably would've loved hearing these stories from Zone. Fluttershy could only imagine how the alicorn would act if given the chance to learn of folklore from zebra culture.

"I miss Twilight," Fluttershy muttered.

"I am sure she is doing fine," said Zone as she stood up, stretching. "Is that not a fair assumption, Taipan?"

“Sure, fine, alicorn's strong enough.” Taipan muttered from her corner, some sniffles coming soon after.

"Is that flour affecting your nose?" asked Zone.

Taipan quickly rubbed her nose and swiftly replied “Yes, the flow.”

"Ah, I see. Blocked airways. Here. Allow me to help you find something to drink. Certainly, there must be something leftover in these old buildings," said Zone. "Perhaps a Sparkle Cola."

"Sparkle Cola?" questioned Fluttershy.

Zone's face lit up into a smile. "Why, yes. Admittedly, I have a bit of an addiction to it. Although they are very old, they are still somewhat sweet to drink."

"Don't tell me that Twilight was responsible for those. It seems a little too obvious to be her doing," said Fluttershy. "After all, Sparkle is in the name."

"Ministry Mares were rather popular," said Zone. "Their likenesses were used all over merchandise. However, I’m not sure if Twilight’s name usage was a result of those circumstances."

"Did I get my own drink?" asked Dash, grinning.

"No," answered Zone bluntly, making Dash's grin vanish. Zone chuckled. “There is a drug named after you.”

"Well, that's fine, I guess. Go ahead and help the scorpony out. Fluttershy and I will stay here. I wanted to talk to her anyway," said Dash.

"Hm… Alright," said Zone. "Come, Taipan. Let us go search for something to clear your nose."

“Alright” Taipan sniffed as she stood up to follow Zone. “Thanks.”

As the two left, Dash waited for a few minutes, making sure they were gone before she asked, "So, don't take this the wrong way, but what's with that tail of hers? Is she, like, part dragon or something"

Fluttershy rubbed the back of her neck, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Um, she's not one to talk much about herself," said Fluttershy. "I don't think I have a right to share her personal information, even if she did tell everything."

"I'm not trying to be rude about it," said Dash. "I just wanna know what's up. You just don't see many creatures like that unless it's in a comic book or something crazy like somepony's fanfiction."

Fluttershy's ear twitched as she thought deeply about it. "Well, she may be different but that doesn't exactly make her bad. I'm sure she'd rather be the one to tell you instead of me blabbing about anything."

Dash rolled her eyes. "Ugh… I'm just a little confused about whose side she's on. She didn't look like she wanted to fight that zebra back there, even though zebras were supposedly mean to her all the time. You'd think she'd want payback for all that kinda bullying."

"I wouldn't want to fight anypony either," said Fluttershy. "No matter what they did to me, I'd never think about hurting anypony."

"Yeah, but, you're you," Dash pointed out. "You're the literal bearer of kindness and stuff."

Fluttershy's gaze cast downwards as she thought more and more about it. "I guess she's the same way. At least, I'm going to think that for now. I don't know enough about her to tell what she's really thinking."

"Well, I'm keepin' an eye on her," said Dash. "No offense, but we're goin' deep into territory that can get us hurt, or even worse."

Fluttershy seemed perplexed at Dash's sudden behavior change. It seemed that, after all the lessons Dash had learned, she didn't seem to have changed at all. Hadn't Dash learned by now not to judge a book by its cover before? Was the memory merge taking effect…? Fluttershy couldn't tell just yet. She had yet to experience much of the strange phenomenon.

“Have you been okay lately, Dash?” asked Fluttershy out of curiosity and concern.

“Uh, yeah?” replied Dash. “Why?”

“Well, I couldn’t help but wonder what Discord said,” Fluttershy stated as she brushed her mane from her face. “He said we’d experience the memories of our other selves, right? Have you had anything like that happen to you?”

Dash tapped her chin as she thought about that question. After a small moment of silence, she replied, “Yeah, I did. When I came out the other end of the portal, I was confronted by Enclave ponies. Looking at their weapons, I had this weird feeling that I knew what they did, and it kinda allowed me to take the chance to get out of the way before I could get zapped.”

“Oh my,” said Fluttershy. “So soon out of the portal? That doesn’t sound good!”

“Eh, I’ll be fine,” said Dash. “It’s not like it’s changing me or anything, right?”

Fluttershy went silent, not answering. She simply nodded in false agreement. A small lie, but she didn’t want to confront Dash about it too soon. Fluttershy didn’t know what she’d say, so maybe Twilight would know how to explain it better, or better yet, Discord.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Zone and Taipan were wandering outside, going through multiple homes in search of something to clear Taipan’s nose with. The zebra hybrid seemed to be quiet most of the time, not really wanting to ruin the silence as they searched. In Zone’s mind, the silence was good. It meant there was peace.

But, sometimes, it also meant something was wrong.

As they went into another home, Zone’s stripes began to glow green, illuminating the room, the zebra a little surprised. “There’s radiation here,” she said. “I seem to have picked some up.”

A quick sneeze happened before Taipan replied, “How much?”

Zone slowly dispelled the radiation as best she could, her stripes dimming again. “I’m not sure, but it seems it was enough to make me glow a little. That would mean this particular house might not be safe. But, I wonder, why is this particular house not safe?”

Taipan walked up next to Zone and sniffed the air as best she could. “I smell nothing. Not saying much, though.”

“Perhaps we should leave this one be,” said Zone. “I might come back later to investigate myself, given the radiation won’t hurt me. Perhaps there is some kind of object, maybe… an undetonated device?”

“Agreed,” Taipan replied. “I wonder what in there, though.”

They quickly exited the strange home and went elsewhere, and as they entered a different house, Zone had a question pop up that she didn’t expect to have running through her own mind. “Might I ask you something? Why did you not let that zebra go?”

“She be trouble for us if still alive.” Taipan answered. “She get more zebra and hunt us down.”

“I suppose that is true,” said Zone. “I find something odd though... Before we met, my life was rather brutal. I killed when optional, the same way you did. But I am not sure why I suddenly didn’t want to kill my opponent. It went against everything I usually believed in. Have I grown soft in such a short time?”

Taipan shook her head and said, “Don’t think so. Think merge is affecting you. Think since others showed up, things changing, getting both peaceful and dangerous at same time.”

Zone hadn’t considered this before. The merge, changing creatures native to the wasteland as well? If two worlds are colliding, could that mean Zone would be experiencing memories of an alternate self? She had yet to have different memories, but the possibility wasn’t off the table. She’d need to wait and see.

“If that is true, I’ll need to just charge through,” said Zone. “Have you experienced any memory merge yet?”

“No, but have been feeling weaker.” Taipan replied. She then saw something move “Did you see that?”

Zone looked in the direction Taipan was facing. “This is supposed to be a ghost town… If something is here, it could be a radroach, unless there’s something else.”

“Let’s head back. Not safe to fight unknown enemy,” Taipan advised.

Zone chuckled. “Ah, I see. You do play the wise game,” she said. “I would have investigated. You are right. Let us return to the others for now.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Fluttershy’s mind had wandered for a bit since her conversation with Rainbow Dash. She didn’t like this place, this wasteland. It was grim, dark, gloomy, all of the above. There were no little creatures she could talk to, no green grass, no blue sky. With how everything was going, with how there was so much on the topic of death, she found it very hard to keep up her spirits. Even the occasional word from Zone and Taipan weren’t enough to keep her uplifted.

After a while of thinking, she was taken out of her trance by a noise. When her gaze navigated about her surroundings, she noticed that the others weren’t here. She couldn’t even hear them in the other rooms. With this in mind, a chill went down her spine, the pegasus not used to being alone.

She stood up, then stretched before walking into the kitchen area where Tricks and Brute had been earlier, but she found nopony there. It was empty, with only the ambient sound of wind flowing through the boarded-up window on the far end of the room by the sink.

As Fluttershy approached it, she heard it dripping, the faucet somehow seeming operable again. She didn’t know this place had running water…

When she reached the sink, her eyes found it hard to focus on the droplets. It was like she didn’t want to look at it, something in the back of her mind screaming at her not to pay attention to the details, and as she forced herself to look at the droplets, she figured out why her mind was telling her not to look directly at the faucet.

It was dripping dark red.

She stepped back, gasping in shock, but as she was about to scream, she noticed that the faucet was no longer dripping. She cautiously stepped closer, finding that the sink was bone dry. Turning the handle, she saw no water coming out whatsoever. Was her mind playing tricks on her? It had to be.

She breathed out a sigh of relief before leaving the kitchen and navigating through the living room, into the hallway. “Girls?” she called out, trying to get one of her friends to answer. Just a simple reply would’ve eased her, but there was no response. “Girls?” she said a little louder... Nothing, the only reply was her own echo.

She reached a door on the left of the hallway. There were drawings and posters on the front, something a little colt or filly would have on their bedroom door. With slight hesitancy, she opened the door, seeing the room in the condition in which it was left long ago. No furniture had been taken, no toys had been stolen. It looked like what it would’ve seemed two hundred years ago, untouched by time.

She brushed her mane out of her face as she walked over to the bed. It was tidy, neatly made, with a single doll resting on the pillow. Upon taking a closer look, taking it into her hooves, she noticed a similarity to her in this toy. Pink yarn for its mane, a dull, yellow fabric, and a single butterfly stitched into its flank.

Thinking about it, was she really so well-known that there’d be toys in her likeness? It didn’t seem likely, right? She was from the Ministry of Peace. If anything, wouldn’t Rainbow Dash be the kind of pony to have toys made in her image?

Still, the fact that there was a toy at all resembling Fluttershy made the mare smile softly. She set the doll back down, then turned to look at a bookshelf next to the bed. It seemed that this foal was an avid reader, as there were many books lined up neatly on the shelves.

But… as she kept looking, she noticed one book in particular.

She gripped onto it, pulling it out and leaving an empty gap. The book read, “The Problem with War, by Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy had written a book? She didn’t see herself as a writer, but the title of the book seemed like something she’d come up with. She carefully opened it up, cautiously flipping through two-hundred-year-old pages. There was a lot in here on zebra culture, showing comparisons to pony culture and why the two should be allowed to co-exist.

She seemed to get into it, reading it casually until she turned the page to a bloody stain on one of the pages. She let out a scream, dropping it, her heart pounding, eyes widening, pupils dilating. As she tried to regain her composure, she saw that the stain was gone. A trick of the mind again? What was up with her today…? Was she this stressed?

And then… as she turned to look at the bed, the doll was missing…

A giggle came from down the hall made her mane stand up straight. What was going on here? This place couldn’t really be haunted, could it? It had to be just a rumor. There was no such thing as ghosts, right?

Right?

“It’s in my head,” she whispered. “It’s in my head, it’s in my head, it’s in my head.”

She put the book back on the shelf, then walked out of the room, looking down the dark hallway. “I sure wish Rarity was here right now,” she said, missing the illumination the unicorn would’ve provided with magic.

She walked down the hall, her ears flicking as they picked up the sounds of foals giggling, many of them, their voices faint, but still audible enough to know they might have been real. The feeling that someone was watching her was growing bigger, the mare almost certain that there was a presence here that was not her own or her friends’.

“Mama, where are we going?” she heard a foal ask.

“Somewhere safe. Hurry up and grab your scarf. It’s cold,” replied a mare.

“You hear that?” asked a stallion. “We’ve gotta hurry!”

Fluttershy had this strange feeling, a sense of dread, a sense of sadness as well. She felt like she was supposed to be hiding. Reaching the living room once again, she saw a mare, a stallion, and a filly. They seemed to be in a hurry, slinging bags over their backs.

“Mama, I don’t wanna leave!” said the filly. “My friends won’t know where I went!”

“Now’s not the time!” said the mare. “If we stay here, you might never see your friends again.”

“I hear the mob,” said the stallion. “Look out the window, you can see them!”

Fluttershy then heard a pounding on the door, startling her. The apparitions vanished, leaving Fluttershy in a state of bewilderment. Were they ghosts? Was she seeing the past? What was going on? While she wondered, she noticed the doll in her likeness on the floor with one of its button eyes missing.

She gently picked it up, fear slowly building up in her to the point where she was close to having a panic attack. “What happened here?” she whispered to herself, her eyes darting across the room, the mare on her guard.

Her friends were missing, she was seeing things, and now she was close to bolting out the door to safety. Upon inching towards the front door, she could hear voices outside. They seemed to be speaking in a language that was unfamiliar to her.

Next to her, the stallion appeared, pushing on a large shelf and moving it in front of the door. Looking back, he said to the now-visible stranger mare, “I don’t think this will hold them off for long.”

“Is there no other way out?” asked the mare.

“We could try the back windows, but if they’ve got the house surrounded, we might not have much luck,” said the stallion as he walked over to her. “Damn this war… We were doing just fine before that incident! They tolerated us, but now they act like we’re a blight.”

“Mother did always tell me not to come here,” said the mare. “I thought she was just… paranoid.”

As Fluttershy listened to the ghostly conversation, she noticed that the filly had been staring at her. Fluttershy didn’t know what to assume. Was this filly really seeing her or was she just looking at the door behind her? Fluttershy reluctantly raised up her hoof, waving, and what happened next made her heart pound even faster.

The ghostly filly waved back before all three of the spectres vanished.

Was the filly trying to show Fluttershy what had happened? Was she stuck here? Was there even a way to help her move on? There were many thoughts roaming through Fluttershy’s mind, the yellow pegasus trying to make sense of things.

“H-Hello?” Fluttershy called out. “Are… Are you a f-friendly ghost?”

In response, she heard a thud from the ceiling, making her jump. There was then another thud, then another, and another, each sound following each other like hoofsteps. Wasn’t there a second floor?

Fluttershy went up the stairs slowly, and when she reached the top, she entered into a hallway where there was quite a mess…

Every door was open, the handles broken off, and in each room, furniture had been knocked over. Fluttershy felt her blood running cold at the realization that the zebras had eventually broken into the home. There was one door at the very end of the hallway that was closed, seemingly untouched.

Fluttershy cautiously crept forward towards it. She kept telling herself in her mind to stop, but her body kept going. She didn’t want to know, but she needed to know. As she reached the door and grabbed the handle, she froze, staring at the wood of the door for what felt like the longest time.

Finally, she opened it.

Sadness and fear hit hard into her heart.

Three skeletons were huddled together in the corner of the room, the smaller one with its hooves around one of the two bigger ones. Silence was all that was left. Fluttershy couldn’t even hear her own breathing. Her eyes watered up, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks and hitting the floor.

On the ground next to one of the adult skeletons was a weapon, a gun. Fluttershy could only assume that they had ended their lives on their own terms. The pegasus felt weak, her legs shaking slightly as she kept her gaze on the smaller skeleton.

“Don’t cry,” said the ghostly filly from behind. Fluttershy, with wet eyes, turned around, seeing her there, holding the doll.

“How can I not…?” asked Fluttershy, her voice breaking.

With a guilty face, the filly said, “I’m sorry… I just wanted to tell somepony at least. I never got to tell my friends where I went…”

“Where are your parents?” asked Fluttershy.

“They’re waiting for me…” said the filly. “Been waiting for a long, long time. I couldn’t go yet… Not until somepony knew. Will you tell my friends what happened?”

Fluttershy’s heart sank beneath the waves upon waves of sadness. “Do you know how long you’ve been waiting?”

The filly shook her head…

Fluttershy couldn’t break the filly’s heart. “I’ll… I’ll tell them,” she said.

The filly smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m gonna go see my parents now. My friends’ names are Zenadi and Etch. Don’t forget!”

Fluttershy hesitated before slowly nodding, and the filly vanished, finally moving on. Fluttershy dried her tears, then heard another voice.

“Fluttershy? Fluttershy! Wake up!”

The mare suddenly bolted awake, gasping. Rainbow Dash was beside her, giving her a confused look. “You okay? You were crying in your sleep. You just kinda dozed off…”

Fluttershy didn’t answer. She stood up and, without any hesitation, ran upstairs. It was the same as in her dream. All doors opened, with the final door at the end closed. As she ran up to it and put her hoof on the handle, she tried turning it, but it was locked.

“Hey, wait up!” shouted Dash as she approached from behind. “What is up with you?!”

Fluttershy had confirmation. The filly in her dream was real. “N-Nothing,” she answered.

“Nothing at all.”

Author's Note

Hello. I'm not dead. Things are going a little slow for our project It'll pick up eventually, but for now, just expect chapter updates. An audiobook is being arranged, but that may take a while before we can sort everything out.

If we're lucky, it'll happen. If we're not, it won't. Pretty simple to explain.

The Goddess

Trixie wasn’t one for theatrics.

...Okay, that was a lie. She was always one for theatrics, and what wasn’t very theatrical to her right now was the current situation. With her, Starlight, and everypony but Twilight in the same abandoned house for the night.

She sat by the dusty window, peering out through the cracks between the boards that covered it up. She could tell that it was getting really dark. In fact, she could see a glimpse of the moon shining through.

“You know, we couldn’t always see the sky like this,” said a voice, startling Trixie. She turned, seeing the strange pegasus from before. What was this what’s-her-name’s name again…? Oh, right, Dust Weather.

“Aren’t you Dash’s little friend?” asked Trixie, a little… unexcited to be communicating with this newer mare.

“‘Friend’ is a bit of an overstatement,” Dust replied. “I’m just helping her survive, and, if we’re lucky, help her get back home.”

“I’m not usually one for friendship, either,” said Trixie. “The only friend I really have is Starlight.”

“She didn’t seem to say much during that fight earlier,” Dust pointed out. “She’s that one lilac unicorn, right?”

“Uh-huh,” said Trixie, a bit bored. “What’s your name again…? Dust Weather, right?”

“Dusk Feather,” the other mare corrected.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Oh. Yeah, I’m not really focused on learning new names right now. I just really wanna go home.”

“I can really tell,” said Dusk, looking amused. “I’m kinda the same way.”

“Oh, really?” Trixie replied.

Dusk smiled softly and said, “I mean, yeah, we’ve got a lot in common. You don’t wanna be here, I don’t wanna be here. We both wanna go home and do our own business.”

“I guess we have that in common, but not much else,” Trixie reasoned. “I’m just hoping I can go home and eat peanut butter crackers. I don’t have a lot of business these days because my tour went on a hiatus.”

Dusk seemed perplexed. “Tour?”

Oh?~ A reason to brag?~ “Uh, YEAH!” Trixie replied. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! I am a magician, so it’s pretty natural that anypony would want to see my shows. Some can’t travel to me, so I humbly go to them, traveling the world and putting on the performance of a lifetime!~”

Dusk Feather looked like she wasn’t very impressed. “Huh… neat.”

Trixie sighed, then said, “Look, it’s something I like to do and that’s pretty much all I can say about it.”

“I haven’t really heard all that much of you before,” said Dusk.

“Well, that’s a little offensive,” said Trixie. “I was certain everypony would know who I am by now, but I guess not everypony can take into appreciation what true greatness is.”

“Soooooo… What’s your home like?” asked Dusk. “I remember Dash saying everything was, uh, still in one piece?”

“Definitely,” said Trixie, looking at the dusty room she was in. “Much cleaner and nicer than… whatever this is.”

“Well, this is what you get when you’re at war, soooo, yeah,” Dusk responded. “You’re gonna be seeing a lot of dust around the place.”

Trixie pondered over the conditions both versions of Equestria were in. This particular version was the result of… war with the zebras? Meanwhile, in the other Equestria, they had faced off against tons of terrifying, potentially world-destroying enemies, yet everything seemed fine in the end, but that was because of… ugh… Twilight.

“I’m guessing Twilight didn’t do much here, huh?” assumed Trixie. “Is that why you all went to war?”

Dusk shook her head. “Nope. Relations between ponies and zebras were a lot more complicated than what many will probably tell you,” she said. “I don’t think Twilight could’ve really done anything about it if you ask me.”

“And… how long ago was this?” asked Trixie.

“Two hundred years?” answered Dusk.

Something seemed odd. “Now, hold on a minute,” said Trixie. “You’re telling me that, in the span of two hundred years, you guys weren’t able to rally back together and fix anything after the megaspells dropped?”

“I don’t think you could really understand unless you were there,” said Dusk. “Friendship wasn’t exactly on anyone’s mind during the war, and I doubt they would’ve changed their minds after. Some people are just… stubborn. You can’t reason with an idiot, let alone a mob of ponies and zebras who’ve been fed propaganda throughout the entirety of the war.”

“That’s so stupid,” said Trixie. “You’d think somepony would try to take charge and fix everything!”

Dusk seemed a little uncomfortable as she answered, “Well, there was, but…”

“But what?” pushed Trixie.

“He wasn’t exactly the leader you or I would find ideal?” explained Dusk. “He attempted to enslave everypony in order to rebuild society. He went by the name of Red Eye, and everypony pretty much feared him until Littlepip took him down.”

“That’s… ugh,” Trixie responded.

“That’s just how it happened,” said Dusk. “I know you guys are trying to help everyone, but that’s a tall order. It’s like trying to squeeze water out of a rock.”

Trixie rolled her eyes and stretched her legs as she said, “Well, we’re gonna do it anyway,” she said with confidence. “I’ve literally faced an entire hive of changelings.”

“From what Dash tells me, you guys don’t even have guns,” Dusk pointed out. “So, yeah, I can give you respect for facing an entire hive, but most enemies you’ll face out here are holding instruments of death.”

Trixie didn’t want to hear about any of it. Yeah, yeah, instruments of death and ponies with red eyes, yada yada yada. “Look, I’m just gonna go talk to Starlight. I’m confident we’ll get all of this done, with or without your support. I can understand criticism, but all your negative talk is gonna put us off track.”

As Trixie walked off, she could see a peeved look on Dusk’s face, making the blue pony smirk with conviction. As she went upstairs, she could see Starlight in one of the many open rooms, looking through some of the dusty books on a shelf.

“Well, I can say that whoever lived here was well-educated,” said Starlight. “A lot of the books here are on zebra culture and magic.”

“Any idea when we’re heading out?” asked Trixie. “It’s almost morning.”

“I mentioned to you earlier about it, but you weren’t really paying attention,” said Starlight as she tried to flip through a book with her hoof. She seemed to be having a lot of trouble.

Trixie groaned as she lit up her horn, turning the page for her friend. “You know, even if you did find a spell to fix your horn, I don’t think you’d be able to cast it, ‘cuz, you know, broken horn?”

“I’m gonna either get Twilight to cast it or I’m gonna teach you how to cast more complex spells,” Starlight replied.

“Ew, learning,” Trixie commented.

“C’mon,” said Starlight. “You’ve gotta admit you were pretty happy about transformation spells.”

Trixie remembered that day. She couldn’t stop turning things into teacups. “Well, you are right, but I don’t know. It feels like it’d be a lot more complicated than turning things into fine china.”

“I’ve got confidence in you!” assured Starlight with a smile. “You’ve got this! C’mon, aren’t you the great and powerful Trixie?”

Trixie couldn’t keep herself from smiling back. “Uh, yeah, I am!”

“And the great and powerful Trixie can do pretty much anything, right?” asked Starlight.

“Definitely!” said Trixie with a smirk on her face. “And maybe you can teach me how to teleport?”

“One step at a time,” said Starlight. “That’s, like, among the highest levels of spells just below time travel.”

“Is that a joke?” asked Trixie out of pure curiosity.

“Yes,” said Starlight. “And no. It’s still up there, but time travel is beyond pretty much almost everypony. If Starswirl were here…”

“If he were here, couldn’t we have just gone back in time to prevent this freaky wasteland from becoming a thing?” asked Trixie.

“I mean, yeah,” said Starlight. “But he’s not, so…”

Trixie sighed. If she had that kind of power, she’d fix everything in a jiffy. Then, as she was thinking, something suddenly hit her, a vision. She could see the entire wasteland at once. There was something wrong here, horribly wrong. She could see nothing but those crazy alicorns everywhere.

“We could have changed everything…” she heard a voice say.

Starlight poked her side. “Trixie?”

As Trixie came out of her strange vision with a slight daze, she shook her head. “Huh? What?”

“You okay?” asked Starlight.

“Uh… yeah,” said Trixie. “Just… daydreaming, I think.”

“Probably wishing you knew that time travel spell, huh?” Starlight guessed.

Trixie hesitantly nodded, then said, “Nothing we can do about that now. Let’s go see what else we can do right now. I wanna take my mind off some things.”

Something about that voice in her head seemed incredibly familiar. It sounded exactly like her, but… it definitely wasn’t her. There was malice in that voice. She followed Starlight downstairs, and as they reached the bottom, they both saw Zone and Taipan.

“Greetings,” said Zone. “We’ve found something rather interesting. A house full of radiation.”

“Felt dangerous to move ahead without pack,” said Taipan, quickly following up with, “Saw movement there as well.”

Trixie and Starlight exchange brief glances, then Starlight said, “I’m sure it’s probably something dangerous.”

Trixie nodded in agreement, but as Starlight said, “Let’s go investigate,” the blue mare switched from nodding to shaking her head.

“Nope,” said Trixie. “I don’t feel like becoming a mutant today.”

“It’ll be fine,” said Starlight. “With my magic, we’ll be– oh…”

“Uh-huh…” said Trixie. “If you had your magic.”

Zone looked at Starlight with some sympathy. “It is a conundrum, not having what makes a unicorn unique. Have you been looking into other talents in the meanwhile?”

Starlight and Trixie exchanged glances yet again, and Starlight replied, “Uh, not really, no. It’s kinda hard to use my hooves for anything.”

“I see,” said Zone. “Maybe you will learn sooner than later. Just keep trying.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” said Starlight. “My hooves are already pretty difficult to work with.”

“The Great Trixie uses her hooves all the time,” said Trixie. “I’ve used them to help open plenty of jars.”

Taipan rolled her eyes. “Go get cloud walkers. May need them to send message to others, oh, powerful jar opener.” She went the extra step and bowed as best she could anyway.

Trixie rolled her eyes back, the two creatures having a sarcasm-off. “Uh, sure. I’ll go get the pegasi. As if they’re gonna be any extra help without magic. This is radiation, so I’m pretty sure that stuff travels in the air.”

“More help is better than none,” said Zone. “And I believe anyone can be of some use, regardless of whether or not they wield the arcane arts.”

Trixie looked at Zone for a brief moment, shooting her a look before walking off to find Rainbow Dash. There was no way she could turn to Fluttershy of all ponies for a task like this. And then there was Rarity, a unicorn who probably wouldn’t be much help either. Then again… some magic could be considered better than none.

As Trixie walked into the living room, she saw Rarity looking at pictures on the walls. “What are you doing?” asked Trixie.

“I can’t help but notice… that these are misaligned,” said Rarity, her magic straightening out the frames.

“Why would you care?” Trixie questioned. “Nopony’s around to appreciate it anymore.”

“It’s no excuse for a house to be mistreated and messy,” said Rarity. “Besides, maybe somepony will move in one day and be thankful for the straightening out.”

Trixie raised a brow, then shook her head with a roll of her eyes. “Hey, could you come help us out? We’re apparently going to go investigate a dangerous place. I know your magic isn’t the best, but I suppose you could be of some use.”

Rarity didn’t seem very appreciative of Trixie’s tone towards her. “I don’t know, darling,” she said. “Are you certain you want my help? You don’t seem to want it.”

Trixie grumbled a little under her breath before saying audibly, “Yes, I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, need your help.”

“I don’t suppose you could add a little word to that sentence, dear?” Rarity suggested with a small smile.

Trixie was not enjoying this at all. It was a blow to her pride. “Please.”

“There we are,” said Rarity, sounding pleased, her smile looking a little more genuine. “Manners will bring you far, darling.”

Manners didn’t exactly give Trixie the attention she deserved way back then, she thought. “Where’s Dash?” she asked.

“Oh, I believe she was upstairs with Fluttershy,” said Rarity. “You must’ve just missed her.”

“Not anymore,” said Dash as she walked into the room with Fluttershy. “Was checking out some of the rooms. Found a few Wonderbolts posters in one.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Trixie. “We need your help. We’re gonna investigate some other spooky place.”

Dash smirked. “Oh, really? Well, I’m always up for something spooky, and dangerous.”

“Oh, my,” said Fluttershy. “Someplace spooky? Are you sure, Dash?”

“Of course!” Dash replied with pride. “You forget, I’m always heading into danger!”

Trixie couldn’t help but feel something inside of her brewing, some kind of… anger. Seeing these friends of Twilight being their usual selves was messing with her head somehow. “I… need a moment,” said Trixie “I’ll be right back.”

“Sure, we can wait,” said Dash. “Don’t take too long. I wanna see this place you’re talking about!”

Trixie walked into the hall, stumbling a little halfway, her head feeling… dizzy. “Trixie isn’t liking this…” she quietly spoke. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come along…”

I’m a little nervous. Maybe I shouldn’t have accepted this opportunity?

Where’d that thought come from…?

Trixie felt it harder to breathe. The air felt warmer, the temperature around her seeming to rise. It was almost to a boiling point, like she had been submerged in hot water. “Starli–!!!” Trixie tried to call out, only to be hit with visions.

She was in some kind of cold, metal room. Large, with platforms hanging over vats of ooze. She could see ponies walking around in lab coats. A few flash-forwards later, she could feel the ground beneath her rumbling, making her lose her balance.

That was when it happened. She had fallen into something searing hot, something that changed her. She could hear foreign, but familiar thoughts floating through her head. I just wanted to be something more…

“Are you okay?” asked Starlight, poking at Trixie’s shoulder and pulling her out of her trance.

Trixie took a moment to recollect her thoughts and said, “I keep having these visions…”

“Didn’t Discord talk about something called a memory merge?” recalled Starlight.

“The what?” Trixie questioned, not really remembering much from the conversation.

“Memory merge,” said Starlight. “When two timelines begin to merge, the residents of both timelines begin to slowly start sharing memories with their alternate doubles.”

“I remembered being in some kind of big building,” said Trixie. “I fell into a vat of this… goop.”

“Didn’t Discord also say you were some kind of Goddess here?” asked Starlight.

Trixie was a little out of it, her mind wandering. “I… need peanut butter crackers,” she stated.

“I didn’t pack any, sorry,” said Starlight.

Trixie, although she was crackerless, shook off the strange feelings as best she could before returning to Zone and Taipan with Dash and Rarity. Zone seemed to notice Trixie’s tired expression, asking, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Trixie said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “Can we get on with this mysterious investigation or whatever?”

Zone looked at Taipan, then back at Trixie, nodding in confirmation. “Let us go. Fluttershy should be safe with the others here while we’re away.”

As the small band of self-designated detectives walked through the neighborhood and approached the home in question, Trixie looked at Zone and Taipan, asking, “So, this house has, what, radiation?”

Taipan looked at Trixie and nodded before looking back at the house “Yes, I smell something here. Not sure what though.”

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Starlight.

Zone pointed her hoof to the door. “I will go in first, soaking up what radiation I can to keep you all safe while you investigate. I cannot say that I will be able to absorb all of it, however.”

Trixie and Starlight exchanged glances, then Rarity walked up to Zone, asking, “Do you mind if I ask a little more about radiation, Darling? There’s just so many new terms in this world that I can’t keep up with it all.”

Zone smiled. “I would be pleased to inform you, Miss Rarity,” she said. “Radiation is a strange magic that’s present in almost everything, but only in very small amounts. If there is a large amount of radiation in an area, a pony can become affected and made ill, but being ill is only the most minor of problems from it.”

“Like the monster we found in the sewers,” said Starlight. “I’ve been keeping up with the terms. Not too hard. I memorize things all the time.”

“You are correct,” said Zone. “Some ponies can be changed through mutation while others would simply just… die.”

“Like Taipan, right?” asked Starlight.

“Zone better example in opinion,” Taipan contributed. “She absorbs like addict on drugs.”

Zone shot Taipan a look of disbelief, but simply shook her head. “That is… somewhat correct. I’m not exactly a mutant, I believe. I’m not sure when, or how I gained my strange ability, but I do know I haven’t always had it. My tail is a result of my parents.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard anything about crossbreeds back home. The three pony tribes will often mix, but it doesn’t seem to give any extra or any less traits,” Starlight stated. “That’s as far as it goes, as far as I’ve seen.”

Zone gave a sad smile. “It is a rare occurrence in this world as well,” she said. “I would not be surprised if it was nonexistent in your own world.”

“We going in or what?” asked Dash, seeming a little impatient. “My legs are sore from just standing here.”

“I suppose we should start now,” said Zone as she opened the door. As she stepped in, her stripes slowly turned a hint of green. “Miss Rarity, if you would stay right behind me? If we are attacked, we may need to rely on your magic.”

Rarity, looking at the stripes on Zone, slowly and cautiously stepped into the house. “If you’re certain it’s safe, dear.”

As they went deeper into the house, Zone’s stripes turned more and more green, even beginning to glow. “When we are finished, I’ll need to expel the radiation far away from here. If I did it here, it would probably kill all my friends. It’d be much like a megaspell detonation.”

“Oh, that’s comforting,” said Trixie. “As if the glowing stripes weren’t concerning enough.”

Taipan smacked Trixie with her tail. “She only form of protection from radiation. Take or leave.”

Trixie rubbed her afflicted cheek, a little peeved at the nerve of this small creature. “Hmph. Fine,” she said. “So, where is the source of all this radiation? Can you feel it or something?” she asked Zone.

“I would suppose my stripes would be an indicator,” said Zone. “I am certain they would be glowing very brightly. Eventually, even I would get sick, but it would only be a mild nausea.”

“So, if you’re like a battery, you’d be able to put some of that to use, right?” asked Starlight. “Like in some appliances? Can radiation even be used that way?”

“I would not know,” said Zone. “I have never attempted to channel it into anything. It simply just exits like a shockwave.”

“Never hurts to try,” Taipan said before looking at her glow-in-the-dark friend. “Just not with this one. Too big of risk.”

Zone smiled as she led them down some stairs, where Trixie could only assume was leading to the basement. As they walked, Trixie noticed Zone’s stripes getting brighter and brighter until they no longer had to worry about being in the dark. She was like a radioactive lantern.

“Huh… I guess it is pretty handy in other cases besides avoiding death,” said Trixie.

Zone’s eyes didn’t look her way. The zebra hybrid seemed more focused on what was in the center of the basement as they reached the bottom of the stairs, and soon, even Trixie’s eyes were fixated on what appeared to be a blue alicorn.

The alicorn herself seemed to be sitting there, her head looking down, wings curled around her. Her eyes were glowing with energy as she just silently sat there. Trixie could feel the dizziness hitting her yet again, stumbling back a little against Starlight, who looked at her in concern.

“You okay?” asked Starlight.

“I feel weird,” Trixie forcibly replied through her increasing nausea.

“I haven’t felt her presence in… how long?” uttered the alicorn. “The Goddess. She lives? I feel her.”

“Oh, not this stuff again,” said Trixie, remembering back to the tower. A lot of alicorns had gathered around her once before, and she wasn’t too appreciative of that. Sure, she liked attention, but they kept squawking about some goddess.

Zone took a step back as the alicorn stood up, the glowing eyes looking directly at Trixie. “She lives?” the alicorn questioned.

“Can we not do this?” asked Trixie. “I’m not the pony you think I am.”

Zone stepped in front of Trixie, facing the blue alicorn, stripes glowing brighter and brighter. “Please, step back,” she said to the alicorn. “This is not who you think she is.”

“There is no mistaking her,” said the alicorn as she approached. “She’s alive!”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “If I had my magic, I’d have teleported us somewhere else by now.”

Zone looked down to Taipan and asked, “Do you think you can… uh… detain this problem?”

Taipan nodded before lunging at the strange alicorn in a flash. “Sleep now,” she said as her stinger connected to the alicorn’s leg, making her stumble back in surprise.

“But, the Goddess!” shouted the alicorn. As she said this, her legs seemed to grow weak, the creature having been forced to sit down.

Zone seemed surprised. “Hm… Slowed down, but not knocked out? How much radiation has she absorbed?”

“Does that matter?” asked Trixie. “She’s down.”

“Well, you see, Trixie,” said Zone, “An alicorn like her is able to soak up as much radiation as they desire. This can actually make them stronger, and can even increase their durability. From what I am guessing, she must have been accumulating radiation since the fall of the Goddess.”

Starlight rubbed her chin as she asked, “Can she still pose a threat while she’s down?”

“I would not doubt it,” answered Zone. “Alicorns were feared in the wasteland for a reason. She does not seem to want to harm us, however, as she believes Trixie is the Goddess.”

“Have we failed you?” asked the alicorn. “Do you blame your children?”

Trixie was a little disturbed by all of this. She liked attention, yeah, but this was a little crazier than she’d imagined it. “Uh… No, I don’t,” she played along. “You’re fine.”

“You forgive me…?” asked the alicorn.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” said Trixie with a dismissive wave.

The alicorn surprisingly stood back up, smiling. “This is… joyous news! The Goddess does not blame us!”

Trixie gave Starlight a look, who looked back with the same unsure expression. Starlight asked, “How long have you been here?”

“How long…?” repeated the alicorn, seeming to be at a loss for words. “I… cannot remember. It has felt like an eternity since the fall. How long has it been since…???”

“I would roughly put it at a week,” said Zone. “Not very long.”

“My mind had been wandering since then,” said the alicorn. “I… found my name, but I hesitate to use it.”

“Why?” asked Dash, stepping forward.

The alicorn looked at Dash in surprise. “I… You are familiar.”

Dash sighed. “Uh oh. First Trixie, now me?”

“I remember… the days leading up to the disaster,” said the alicorn. “Shortly before, I read something… what did you call it… a newspaper?”

“And it… had me orrr what?” Dash questioned.

“Doesn’t matter. Need to get going. Look at Zone,” Taipan said as she pointed at her zebra friend, who was starting to hurt the scorpony’s eyes from the brightness alone. “Too much time here.”

Starlight nodded in agreement. “We can recollect later. Do you think you can behave around Trixie?”

The alicorn went silent, yet gave a slight nod. Zone smiled and looked around her as she said, “I think we can safely say we’ve figured out the source. I will need to get as far away from here as possible.”

Rarity stepped up. “Now, I may not look it, but I believe I can help with that. I’ve teleported once or twice. Plus, I’d rather at least be of some use after having not been put into action here.”

Zone went up to Rarity, who closed her eyes, her horn lighting up. Zone turned to everyone and said, “Quickly, leave this building. Stay a safe distance away from our new alicorn friend for now until I can help to safely rid her of radiation.”

In agreement, everyone went back up the stairs and left the abandoned home. Trixie could hear Rarity’s teleportation spell going off, meaning they were likely now elsewhere. As they gathered around outside, Rarity popped back into existence in front of them.

“So, how far away is Zone right now?” asked Starlight.

As if to answer their question, the ground rumbled slightly for a brief period, a small mushroom cloud appearing in the distance. As Rarity lit up her horn yet again, Dash suddenly stopped her. “Wait! Don’t go back! The radiation!”

Rarity’s horn dimmed, the unicorn a little embarrassed. “Oh, I almost forgot about that! I’m sorry, darling. I must’ve been too focused on bringing our friend back to remember the dangers.”

“So we’ll have to wait for Zone to return before heading out,” said Trixie, sounding annoyed. “Great.”

The alicorn attempted to approach. “Is the Goddess displeased?”

Trixie, quickly stepping back with the rest of the group, shouted, “Hey! No, no! Bad alicorn! You’re still full of radiation!”

The alicorn halted, then stepped back, her ears drooping. “Forgive me, my Goddess.”

“It’s fine,” said Trixie. “Just stay there until the zebra comes back.”

“I stay as well,” Taipan spoke up. “Won’t leave pack member behind.”

“You know what’s kinda scary?” said Dash. “Zone could literally use herself as a weapon if she wanted. I don’t know why these other zebra would want to keep going after her if she’s got something like that.”

“Obviously because she knows it’s wrong, dear,” said Rarity. “What she has is dangerous, and so I think she tries to refrain from using it, regardless of who she’s near.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Dash. “But you can’t really rule out that she still can.”

“Dash? Are you okay?” asked Starlight. “You sound a little different.”

Dash tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“How do I say this…” said Starlight. “You sound… almost biased against her?”

Dash’s cheeks turned red from that statement. “E-Excuse me? I’m am not biased!”

“Weakling, you let other’s memories take root,” Taipan said as she smacked Rainbow’s ribs. “Remember what purple said. Merging.”

“H-Hey!” shouted Dash, stepping back.

Starlight shook her head. “Hm… I think what Taipan is saying is that your personality is mixing with the other Dash’s, but we don’t know if that other Dash was biased or not. Your change in behavior is a concern, though.”

“I can handle myself just fine,” said Dash. “I’m probably just a little irritated. I haven’t slept much since we started this adventure, you know!”

“I suppose,” said Starlight, still looking concerned. “But just be careful."

Dash grumbled a bit to herself. Meanwhile, Trixie was still trying to get over her own memory merge issues. She had these odd twinges of guilt that would nag at her every so often. She looked back towards the house they had been staying in. Fluttershy and the others should still be in there.

“So, what, the zebra’s gonna meet us back at the house we’re staying in?” she queried.

“Yep,” replied Starlight. “Maybe… the alicorn should stay outside while we go back in?”

“That’s a no-brainer,” said Trixie as she began walking back towards the house. Going inside, she felt a sense of relief, almost like coming back home to her trailer, but she knew they wouldn’t be staying here for long, either.

She could hear Fluttershy in the living room, talking to one of the newer ponies they’d come across. Some were okay, others were… most unpleasant. As Trixie entered the living room, she could see Fluttershy talking to what’s-her-face, Dust Weather.

“I never thought pegasi would react like that,” said Fluttershy.

“Yeah, well, when war happens, ponies can do some pretty extreme shit,” said Dust.

“What are you two going on about?” asked Trixie.

“The Enclave,” said Fluttershy.

“The what?” Trixie questioned.

“Enclave,” repeated Dust. “The government that currently runs pegasus society. I’m going to assume you didn’t pay much attention back at the tower.”

“I just want to go home,” said Trixie. “I couldn’t care less.

“Well, get over it,” Dust said with a bit of an annoyed tone. “You’re stuck here for now.”

Trixie was a little offended by Dust’s attitude. “Hey, it’s not my fault you all messed up and made this… whatever this place is.”

“We didn’t. Ponies from before did,” Dust countered. “I don’t really like your behavior.”

“Well, I’m trying to make sense of my own head!” shouted Trixie. “You know what? I’m just going to blame Twilight for this. She brought me here. She’s responsible for my suffering!”

“But Twilight didn’t bring us here,” said Fluttershy. “The Cutie Map did.”

“Well, if Twilight didn’t listen to an inanimate object, we’d be all at home!” Trixie yelled.

“Trixie, are you okay?” asked Starlight in concern as she approached from behind. “Listen to yourself! You’re making a fuss when it’s not going to help with anything!”

Trixie was having trouble organizing her thoughts and emotions. “I think I need to be alone for a bit,” she said.

“I think you need therapy right now,” said Starlight, grabbing Trixie’s hoof in hers. “Let me help you. We can talk this out and we can help you calm down, okay?”

Starlight always had the best intentions for Trixie when it came to their friendship. With that as a heavy reminder, Trixie hesitantly nodded, fighting her instinct to yell at everypony. “Y-Yeah…”

“Okay, just follow me and we’ll go upstairs, alright?” said Starlight, leading Trixie away from the rest of the group. As they walked to the stairs, Zone and Taipan walked in through the door.

Zone looked up at Starlight and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” said Starlight. “I’ve just gotta help Trixie calm down. Glad to see you’re back.”

“I see,” said Zone. “Do what you need to. Come on, Taipan. Let’s go speak with Miss Shy.”

Taipan nodded, taking the lead of the two. ”Cloud walker, we speak with you for moment?”

After leading Trixie up the stairs and sitting down at the top, Starlight asked her, “Are you okay? And I don’t just mean emotions. I mean your state of mind. Are you losing your grip right now?”

Trixie rubbed her forehead, the blue unicorn feeling like dirt. “I keep thinking about how ungrateful and rude everyone sounds.”

“Ungrateful?” questioned Starlight. “Trixie… You’re sounding like your old self, don’t you think? I remember Twilight telling me that you used to have a much bigger ego than you do now.”

“I… don’t know,” said Trixie. “How am I supposed to sound?”

“Like Trixie,” said Starlight. “The Trixie I know is a lot more earnest and can at least try to understand things from another pony’s point of view.”

Trixie was having trouble believing that. “But… how do I know that’s actually how I am?”

“Trixie, you admitted that you’ve made mistakes. Takes an earnest pony to do that, right?” reasoned Starlight.

Trixie nodded. She couldn’t help but look at Starlight and feel like she was… looking at her for the first time. It brought back memories of when they had first met. They were both talking about their past mistakes. They bonded over that, grew a friendship over that.

“What I’d give to go back to that spa right now,” said Trixie with a strained smile.

Starlight smiled back. “See? You remember. Everypony here is trying their best to get through this. You’ve gotta remember this. You may be The Great and Powerful Trixie, but even you have your faults. We all do.”

Trixie nodded in agreement, calming down a little, breathing deeply. “I just need to think about when we met.”

Starlight patted Trixie on the back. “We’ve got a long way to go. This is just the first step to getting home.”

With Starlight as Trixie’s mental anchor, Trixie felt a little more at ease. She just needed to rely on her friend. When all was done and morning had come, Trixie set back out on the trail with the group, the blue mare feeling a little more confident.

As they left the abandoned town, the wasteland just seemed empty again. In between pockets of scarce civilization, it always felt empty. It kind of reminded Trixie of her touring. In between towns, she’d be travelling through plains, forests, or dirt paths, but there was as least some sense of life, with trees, clear blue water, and the occasional animal.

Out here…?

Nothing.

Empty space.

No life.

Cold and barren with dry winds.

It uneased her a little, this alternate universe. Trixie’s mind would wander as they marched on, the mare constantly thinking back to when she had met Starlight. It kept Trixie sane, yes, but there were newer questions. What would’ve happened to her if she hadn’t met Starlight. Trixie didn’t want to know, but her brain was quite happy to dream up the scenarios.

Maybe her constant touring would’ve been fine, just a little lonely, or maybe she’d stop one day and go through internal debate. Maybe she’d run into trouble due to her unchecked behavior, and that trouble would lead to something much worse.

Was that possible in her world? This wasteland was something else, full of dangers. Trixie had literally almost become lunch when she had entered the sewers. There wasn’t anything like that in her world. But then she remembered the manticore.

On a day when she had needed Starlight the most, Starlight had shown up to both save her show and her life. So… this was twice that Starlight had saved her from certain death. As long as Starlight was nearby, Trixie lived, thrived even.

And then… came the self-doubt. With Starlight here, did that mean that Trixie could have never held her own against anything the world had to throw at her? Starlight had lost her magic, and so there was no way for her to effectively help Trixie.

So, this was a big test for Trixie, a test to see if she could survive on her own. Could she manage here? She… doubted it. It gave her a mix of negative feelings, ranging from self-pity to potential envy.

After some time passed, the group spotted a zebra settlement in the distance. Zone led the group in order to make it seem less hostile. A zebra seeing another zebra was one thing. It was familiar and safe. A zebra seeing a group of ponies, a scorpony, an abyssinian, and a hellhound? That was major trouble.

Many eyes looked their way. Those who had been doing work would move elsewhere. Others, who were simply sitting around, would cast serious glares. Trixie felt like this was quite possibly the worst scenario for a pony to be in, considering the messed up history between the two cultures in this world.

Zone walked calmly. Looking to Taipan, she said, “Be on your best behavior. This is not my settlement, and I would prefer we not make any move to harm in any way. Do you understand, my friend?”

“Will defend self if must,” Taipan replied, looking around the area, not feeling entirely safe.

“What you may consider defense, they may consider an excuse,” said Zone, her eyes glancing over at a few zebras. “Even if they hurt your pride, we must take it and not retaliate, or we will be in trouble. I’ve dealt with many settlements, and barely any are forgiving.”

Taipan scoffed, but said nothing more.

Zone softly smiled, a sweatdrop dripping down the side of her face. “Thank you, my friend. I assure you, I do not doubt your abilities. But our new friends…? We would never be able to protect them all at once.”

“Brute not enough for defense?” asked the hellhound in the group. “Brute takes offense.”

“Zebras and hellhounds have never mixed well,” Zone answered. “I’d rather we not have trouble. Besides… even if we could take them all on at once, that would not look good on us when we arrive at my old home village. We are trying to fix relations.”

Trixie walked a little closer to both the scorpony and the hellhound. These two were probably the major firepower in the group, considering she had recently seen the scorpony take out a zebra a day ago. As for the hellhound? His muscles were already a big indicator of strength. She felt a little safer near these two.

As they had passed the midway point, Trixie noticed a few zebras gathering together, a few with their eyes on her group. She gently tapped on Starlight’s side to get her attention, then pointed to the gathering bunch.

“Stay calm,” said Starlight. “I’m sure if we just ignore it, they’ll leave us be.”

“Starlight, do you remember what kind of twisted world we’re in?” Trixie replied.

Starlight’s demeanor stayed the same, but with a strained voice, she said, “I said to ignore it.”

They were slowly coming up to the end of the line, reaching the other side of the settlement. They were just about to exit the disgruntled territory when an older zebra stepped out in front of Zone, looking at her with a single eye, his other covered by bandaging that was wrapped tightly.

Zone looked down, avoiding eye contact with the elderly zebra. He said slowly, “Do you know where you are going, stranger?”

“We are simply passing through,” Zone calmly answered. “We mean no trouble and this group is merely trying to find their way back home.”

The old zebra seemed to notice Trixie, his pale, gray eye staring for a short while before he turned back to Zone and said, “You are… carrying quite the weight with you.”

Zone briefly glanced up at him before looking back down. “Indeed,” she agreed.

“Perhaps settle down for a minute or two,” said the old zebra. “Unlike my family, I am someone who is a little more understanding of the troubles that follow everyone.”

“We couldn’t,” Zone refused as politely as she could. “We just need to–”

“Sit down,” said the old zebra.

Without a second thought, Zone did as told. Sitting down and looking towards the rest of her group. The group, trying not to cause any trouble, sat down, minus Taipan. Taipan wasn’t really one to listen to anyone.

“I see a lot of trouble here,” said the zebra. “And not the purposeful kind. Many mistakes have been made here.”

Zone couldn’t help but look up at him. “What…?”

The old zebra warmly smiled. “I see many things, hybrid. I’ve lived through a lot of mistakes myself. Right now, I see one who has trouble with herself, one who has trouble with her own, and one who has trouble with identity.”

Zone looked back at her group, watching Trixie carefully for a moment before turning back to the old one and asking, “How can you see this?”

“It may not seem like it, but I’ve gone through the same exact thing,” said the elderly zebra. “I am merely sympathizing with you and your… friends.”

“Why have us sit here?” asked Zone.

“I could be trying to pass the time for myself,” the old zebra replied. “I could be curious. I could also be guided by the stars above to ask these questions, but for the moment, I cannot tell you why I am doing this.”

Zone stared at the old zebra in confusion. She seemed to be having trouble trying to figure out whether this was a joke or if he was serious. Trixie couldn’t really tell either.

The old zebra then looked at Taipan, chuckling to himself. “Such pride, I see.”

“What of it?” Taipan replied as she puffed up her chest to make herself look bigger than she really was.

“It might not be my place,” said the elderly one, “but I can see that it could lead to something terrible if left unchecked. This is no threat, no promise, but merely a guessed foretelling. Your kind is known for its pride, and although that has led it well, I cannot help but feel that you… may be an exception. You seem to be the type to learn from time to time. Do you see yourself as a pack leader…?”

“Yes, point?” Taipan replied, still uneasy about this whole situation.

“If I may take up more of your time,” he said, “I’d like to tell a tale of my youth…”

Taipan rolled her eyes and huffed, relaxing a little, but still keeping her tail ready just in case. “Sure.”

The old zebra chuckled at her behavior, then went on to speak. “When I was a young stallion, I was next in line to take leadership. My brothers and I fought over the matter constantly, and while blinded with my own pride, I continued on through life with arrogance.”

Trixie looked at the old zebra, his face slowly turning to one of sadness as he continued telling his story. She couldn’t help but immediately tell there was a bad ending to this.

“One day, that very day, in fact, when I took my title as leader, we were attacked by a group of raiders, quite possibly the largest group we’d ever encountered,” said the old zebra. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “I was someone who was too prideful, thinking I could take them all on. I went out ahead of the rest of my family, and that was when I had made a terrible mistake.”

Zone wasn’t able to keep herself from asking, “What happened?”

The old zebra gave her a sad smile. His smile soon vanished, however, as he turned to look at Taipan. “My brothers were all slaughtered without my protection, and I was held down and tormented. They took an eye from me, but that pain wasn’t as great as when I had found out that my siblings were gone. I thought I was invincible, but that’s what youth does to someone. It makes you think you can fight the greatest of demons, only to cut you down to size.”

Taipan looked at the older zebra with caution. “I see,” she answered after a moment to gather her thoughts. “Scorponies different. Scorponies work together, follow alpha who strongest amongst pack.”

The old zebra chuckled. “Then… it’s a good thing that story wasn’t just meant for you alone,” he said, looking at Trixie. Trixie stared back, a chill going down her spine. The old zebra said in her direction, “Don’t forget what you’ve learned, or you will go right back to the old path you were once on. Do I make myself clear…?”

Trixie quickly nodded, trying to make the conversation end as soon as possible. Luckily for her, it seemed to work. The zebra turned back to Zone and said to her, “Thank you for letting an old zebra ramble, even if it might have been nonsense.”

Zone stared at the old one in confusion, but simply nodded her head in agreement. “You have strange ways,” she admittedly said.

“As an older generation should,” he said, stepping aside.

And so, the group continued on, their adventure continuing. According to Zone, they were getting close to her village. In fact, it was the next one they would run into. Trixie wasn’t quite able to figure out what the deal was with that old zebra. His words and actions scared her a little, his sanity most definitely in question.

However, that was no longer a matter worth worrying about to her. The moment had passed, and she was able to relax for now.

…

For now.

Author's Note

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A New Direction?

Twilight sat uncomfortably in a rickety chair in Study Guide’s office. The drunk mare had questioned Twilight ever since her friends went to go speak with the zebras. The room was a bit barebones. No motivational posters, no decoration whatsoever to brighten up the room.

Study Guide had left the room to grab some documents, leaving Twilight to wait here. In the middle of the room was an old rug that would spit out dust whenever somepony stepped on it, making it obvious that Twilight was indeed still in the post-apocalypse. On the side of the room, across from Twilight, was a small desk with another of those fancy terminals.

Talking with Study Guide had helped Twilight learn a lot about these things. They were used for information storage and even communication. Twilight was impressed by this, remembering her world’s method of communicating with far-away friends. It would’ve been useful if they had made one of these.

Of course, the invention of the terminal was only a result of the war, the need for communication becoming greater than ever before, so, naturally, the terminal was brought into production. Twilight stared at the boxy machine, her curiosity nagging at her. It wouldn’t hurt to take a small look at it, right? It wasn’t like she was hurting anything.

She slowly got out of her chair, slowly walking across the dusty rug and over to the desk, her eyes on the terminal the entire time. Her ear twitched as she held in her excitement. This was a device from a universe that wasn’t hers. It was only natural to be curious as to how exactly it operated.

Study Guide’s chair looked a lot more comfortable than the one Twilight had been given to sit on earlier. It had a black, leathery surface, with what looked like a fair amount of cushioning. It was one of the rolling chairs one would see in a fancy cubicle at an office of a large corporation.

Twilight’s eyes looked left, then right, the mare making sure there was nopony else in the room with her. Slowly climbing into the seat, the chair make a creaking, squeaking noise, making her feathers stand on end. She looked at the doorway of the office, and after a few seconds of silence, she settled into the seat, looking at the screen of the terminal in front of her.

She stared, more like it, trying to figure out how to turn it on. She noticed a knob in the corner of the terminal screen, and instinctively, she turned it, the screen flickering to life in a sickly-green color before the majority of that color vanished, leaving behind green text instead.

Booting Up…

Bootup Complete.

User: Study Guide

Password:

Uh-oh… What was the password?

Twilight thought deeply about this, going over what she and Study Guide had often talked about. It was mostly questions about Twilight herself, but… Study Guide obviously didn’t use ‘Twilight’ as her password. Let’s see… she… was often drinking that strange liquid.

What was it she kept calling it…?

Password: Booz

Password Incorrect.

Password: Boose.

Password Incorrect.

Password: Booze

Password Accepted. Welcome, Study Guide.

Twilight’s face lit up with a pleased smile, the mare a little surprised at her own thinking. But, then again, she was top of her class back in Canterlot. The screen flickered a little more before showing up a menu of options to choose from. There was a lot to choose from, like files, videos, and… music? Who knew Study Guide was into that?

Twilight selected the files, the monitor taking her to an entire list of numbered documents. There was little-to-no indication as to what any of these documents were about, all of them only having a mix of numbers and letters in their titles.

Geez…

Twilight scrolled down the list for a while, the mare looking for well over five minutes until she reached the bottom of the list. Ugh… it didn’t seem very efficient, unless…

Were they going by date?

She clicked the bottom file, and immediately, the computer made a buzzing noise as it brought up a slew of text that almost instantly rearranged itself into a more comprehensible visual. Twilight looked over the entire file, her eyes glued to the screen.

File Created: 2 Hours ago.

Subject: Twilight Sporkface

Twilight wrinkled her nose and muttered, “Sporkface?” before reading on.

Day two, no progress with Twilight Sparkle. Although she claims to be Twilight Sparkle, she lacks the knowledge of anything involving the ministries. It is currently assumed that she is either from a parallel universe where the ministries never existed, or she’s a really clever cosplayer. As of now, there is no real evidence of her claim other than the presence of a certain infamous draconequus.

Her group of friends are currently off to the zebras’ homelands, where they are attempting (and most likely failing) to fix the relationship between ponies and zebras. Their optimism can be described as ‘sickeningly sweet.’

The supposed draconequus is currently in the form of the average earth pony, and while his looks may be deceiving, he still seems capable of spawning random objects for the sake of comedy. I found my booze replaced with tea this morning, and I hadn’t even turned away from it when it had happened. Either the earth pony is secretly a unicorn, Twilight is casting the spell, or I’m battier than I had initially thought. Otherwise, I can currently assume that this, along with the other random events occurring, are the work of chaos magic.

Questioning Twilight about her realm seems to get me nowhere, as she only states events that seem to be completely different from what we’ve seen, so this universe is likely one that has changed so drastically that the war had never actually happened.

Most of her knowledge of magic seems to work on a slightly different set of rules. She had stated that time travel was actually a thing, and that she’d gone through various alternate timelines to stop a random psychotic unicorn with seemingly no history of proper training. A gifted unicorn is one thing, but a unicorn to just suddenly understand such a complex spell that not even the most skilled can begin to grasp is beyond my personal belief. I’m no bull but I do smell its shit.

The differences in magical mechanics is getting astoundingly wider and wider, and I’m beginning to question whether or not I’m being lied to. I had attempted to recreate several magical experiments alongside Ms. Sparkle, using unicorn “volunteers”. Both our results were, surprisingly, different, despite their same set circumstances. There appear to be different laws of magic operating around Twilight specifically, and because of this, I can say it’s safe to assume that in the event of things going wrong, Twilight Sparkle could indeed be assumed to be a threat.

“...A threat?” questioned Twilight to herself. “Sh-She’s calling me a threat? Of all the–, really?”

In the event that she ever decides to take action on her own, I may find it necessary to utilize everything I can to contain her and keep her from causing damage.

“Havin’ a good read there, cuntnugget?” Study guide asked in Twilight's ear causing Twilight to jump up and have a small heart attack.

“GAH! What’s this you’re saying about me being a threat?!” asked Twilight as she tried to regain control of her heart’s beating.

“What’s this about you accessing classified documents?” asked Study in return.

“I-I was just curious,” Twilight responded.

“Curiosity doesn’t justify illegal activity,” said Study.

Twilight stood up from the chair, walking back to her own. “This whole place is crazy… Everything’s revolving around secrets here.”

“It literally has to, or else enemies could get the upper hoof,” said Study. “I’m sorry to say, Miss Sparkle, that this is not your pretty, perfect world. This is Hell, and you will find that out in all of its molten glory if you touch my shit again.”

“This is… just ridiculous,” said Twilight. “Whatever happened to friendship? It’s what’s kept my world together! It’s like you all just decided to throw it out the window the moment relations went bad!

Study Guide stared at her for a long moment, then said, “That’s exactly what happened.”

“Who was in charge of making that call?!” asked Twilight.

Study then proceeded to respond in a highland horse accent, “The princess upstairs, ya fockin’ cunt.”

“C-Celestia?” stuttered Twilight.

“Yes, Twilight. Your precious princess made the call.” answered Study. “She made the decision to simply leave when Equestria needed her most.”

“The Celestia I know would never drop friendship at any moment,” said Twilight.

“Hard reminder: This isn’t your world,” said Study.

“I know and it’s so frustrating that your world is so aggressively stupid.” Twilight groaned with a face hoof.

“And it's not even the tip of the iceberg,” Study replied. “Sit the fuck down, please, or I’m bringing in security.

Twilight blew a bit of her mane out her face, rolling her eyes as she walked back over to her chair, sitting down. Study Guide grumbled as she returned to her computer, muttering something about the lack of alcohol.

“So, Miss Sparkle…” said Study. “I have a few more questions for you, and this time, they will revolve around something that is likely going to get me killed. While I did not originally have access to this information, I decided to say ‘fuck it’ and peek around Enclave databases anyway… I literally have nothing to live for except my own satisfaction.”

“Can we get on with it, then?” asked Twilight, growing impatient.

Study turned to her computer, the tips of her wings typing into the keyboard with heavy clacking. When she finished, she simply said three words: “Gardens of Equestria.”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Excuse me?”

“It’s not exactly encouraged to talk about the project,” said Study. “Only a few ponies knew about the project back when the war was in full swing. Hell, hardly anyone knows about it now. It’s still classified as a ‘rumor’ according to Enclave top secret records.”

“Um, could you explain?” asked Twilight.

“Gardens of Equestria is a rumored megaspell made to restore the wasteland to a more pristine state, a state where plants can grow, water is pure again, and the land can flourish with life,” explained Study, seeming to go into a sort of teacher mode. “It requires the six Elements of Harmony to activate, or at least, that’s what the files say.”

“Why are you bringing this up?” asked Twilight. “I had nothing to do with it. This isn’t my universe.”

“While it may not be your universe, you are still an Element of Harmony,” said Study. “When your friends come back, I want to coordinate an attempt to locate and activate the Gardens of Equestria.”

“And you’re asking this… or…?” said Twilight.

“I initially said I’d ask,” said Study Guide. “But now I’m out of booze, so fuck it. I’m no longer asking. I’m in a very moody state today. You will be helping, if you are who you say you are.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fine… Are we done?”

“No,” Study bluntly replied.

“Ugh…”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

The village was just now within view and Zone looked absolutely nervous from Fluttershy’s perspective. The zebra dragon hybrid, finally returning home, looked as though she were returning to the scene of a grizzly murder.

Fluttershy picked up her pace, walking side-by-side and asking Zone, “Will you be okay?”

Zone put on what Fluttershy could only see as a fake smile and said, “Yes, Miss Shy! I am… right as rain. I am just nervous. The last time I was here, there was merely a… disagreement.”

Fluttershy’s concern only grew more from there. Zone was obviously not looking forward to any of this, and knowing about her story, Fluttershy was now a little nervous as well, especially if these zebras were going to treat Zone with malice.

Fluttershy slowed her pace, eventually keeping a consistent pace with Taipan. She whispered to her, “I don’t think Zone’s ready to do this. Do you think she’ll be okay?”

“Yes, Zone strong,” Taipan replied out loud, not even trying to keep her voice quiet. “Zone has pack to back her up should something go wrong, skywalker.”

Zone looked back and said, “Really, Miss Shy, I am fine. You have nothing to worry about.”

Fluttershy stayed quiet until they reached the village. She didn’t want to show doubt to her friend any further, at least… for now. This was indeed a most delicate scenario. As they crossed the outside boundary of the village, zebras began to stare, not at the group as expected, but at Zone.

Fluttershy could hear the whispers of some of the zebras as they walked by.

“It’s returned.”

“Monster.”

“Doesn’t belong here.”

All of these comments unsettled her, but obviously not as much as they unsettled Zone, who was gritting her teeth as they walked towards the hut in the center of the village. There was tension in the air, especially even more so as an older zebra walked out of the hut, long, unkempt mane trailing down onto his back. His eyes were grayed out, having seemingly no pupils.

Applejack leaned over to Fluttershy, whispering, “This certainly don't look like a reasonable fella.”

“Oh, I’m sure he can be reasonable,” Fluttershy whispered back.

“He looks pretty serious,” said Dash, not even whispering.

The old zebra looked at Zone and told her, “Leave, now.”

Taipan snorted at the old Zebra. ”Why should she?”

Fluttershy immediately turned towards Taipan, her mind going, “Taipan, noooo!”

Almost everypony else also began looking at Taipan in the same manner.

The zebra stated, “I wouldn’t expect an outsider to understand a matter like this. In fact, you of all species are definitely not welcome in my village, small one…”

Taipan took a deep breath, something Fluttershy had taught her on their journey to help with her temper. “One. One chance to take that comment back.”

“Fine,” he said. “You are rather big… for a rat.”

Fluttershy, seeing Taipan about to lose her temper completely, pulled her close into a hug. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s not true, I promise.”

Zone squinted at the village leader. “I have come to negotiate terms of peace on behalf of ponies.”

The zebra stared at her as if she’d just told him the sky was falling. “Ridiculous. First it was dragons, and now you want to represent a mortal enemy?”

“You used to tolerate my father,” she said. “Why can you not tolerate my friends here?”

“Because we used to work together,” said the leader. “Yes, we’ve hired dragon mercenaries during the war, but the reason I will tolerate your father and not you is because you are simply an abomination. Zebra and dragons knew well enough not to interbreed. Your father made a mistake. When he died, I sought to rid the village of that mistake. You shouldn’t have come back, and you will leave now.”

Taipan had enough, sprinting past everyone and tackling the elderly Zebra and stung the leader multiple times until Zone pulled her off. “Stop, Taipan! Stop!” shouted Zone, doing her best to push Taipan away from the elder.

The elder, surprisingly, stood up just fine, the wounds on his side and his back bleeding slightly, but from what Fluttershy could see, Taipan’s venom had done nothing to keep this ancient zebra down.

“How is that possible?” asked Dash. “Didn’t Taipan one-shot that one zebra way back with her poison?”

“Venom,” corrected Fluttershy, well-versed in the way of how animals work.

“I have fought and killed many a scorpony,” said the leader. “They fight bravely, yes, and their venom leaves you with the crippling paralysis, sometimes even the touch of death, but I have been stung so many times, it is nothing more than a bee’s sting to me.”

“So, wait, you’re immune?” asked Applejack.

“He’s resistant,” said Fluttershy. “But not immune. Enough could hurt him, but it would have to be more than two or three scorponies at once, I’m guessing.”

The elder walked over to Zone as the hybrid was trying to keep Taipan back. Without a warning, he spun around and Zone was suddenly hit from behind with a precision kick which left her reeling on the ground.

The elder looked down at the scorpony and said with a serious tone. “If you want to stay alive long enough to become an alpha, I suggest you stay out of zebra business. This is between her and I. You have no place here, and the only place the abomination belongs is six feet under.”

Dash seemed to be a little riled up as well. “Hold on! We came here to discuss peace!” she shouted, running up beside Taipan, looking the elder in the eye. “You can’t just start beating up ponies like that!”

“Do you think war has room for peace?” asked the elder. “Especially if it is still ongoing?”

“It’s over, though!” shouted Dusk Feather from behind Dash.

“Far from it,” said the elder. “We’re merely dormant for now.”

Fluttershy ran over to Zone as the others tried to talk sense into the elder, putting a hoof under Zone’s head and raising her slightly. “Zone! Are you okay?!”

Zone couldn’t even put on a fake smile. She tried, but it appeared that shame had hit her harder than before. “I do not know why I tried,” she said. “This is a foolish endeavor. I should have tried harder to convince you all that he would not listen. Instead, I decided to trust you. I thought, that because the Ministry Mare of Peace had returned, we might have actually had a chance, but I was wrong. Look at this scene! Ponies, zebras, even scorponies are about to have an all-out brawl to the death in this village! Once a fight breaks out, it’s over. There is no convincing. We will have only left with other zebra villages joining forces against us.”

Fluttershy could see that both the village elder and Taipan were most definitely about to fight. She knew how the scorpony was. Pride was everything to the culture, it seemed, and stubbornness to the zebra culture as well. With such chaotic forces joining up, it almost seemed impossible to get either side to see reason. She had to do something, anything to keep negotiations peaceful.

Taipan’s pincers glowed, and the elder got up on his hind legs, both in an offensive position. With the sheer tenacity of a scorpony and the calculating cold mind of an experienced zebra warrior both now put into play, Fluttershy was sure this whole situation was about to go up a creek without a paddle.

Fluttershy quickly stepped in between the two, shouting, “Stop! This isn’t going to help anything! We’re here to discuss peace!”

The elder looked at Fluttershy with a disgusted expression on his face. “Peace? With who? Scorponies?”

“Ponies!” corrected Fluttershy.

The elder had an amused expression now. “Peace…? With ponies?!”

“Yes!” said Fluttershy with a quick nod.

The elder stepped back. “Leave now. This isn’t a matter that will be resolved anytime soon,” he said. He glanced over at Zone, his gaze narrowing. “Especially not with this one here with you.”

Zone stood quietly behind Fluttershy, nudging her hoof at Fluttershy’s shoulder, but Fluttershy wasn’t listening. “You can’t just leave this for future generations!” Fluttershy argued. “Think of everycreature’s future!”

“The only future I need to think about is the future of zebrakind,” the elder replied. “Unless you can somehow repair the damages that have already been done, I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

“Miss Shy, please…” said Zone. “This is hopeless.”

“I thought you wanted to fix things,” said Fluttershy, looking to the hybrid with a concerned expression. “You said you wanted to help!”

“I do wish to help, Miss Shy,” Zone responded. “But… this was something I overlooked. I was more confident knowing you were with us. You are the Ministry Mare of Peace, the Element of Kindness.”

Taipan went over and put a hoof on Zone’s leg. “Kindness only goes so far Zone for this. Alphas must talk, or fight things out.”

Fluttershy was, frankly, getting sick of this talk. This talk of alphas and fighting. “That’s enough!” she finally said. “Kindness can get you anywhere! We just have to keep talking! No offense to you, Taipan! I’m sure you have your reason for seeing things the way you do, but I think fighting will continue to make things worse! Zone, please… Don’t give up hope just yet.”

Zone and Taipan exchanged glances, both with uncertainty. Zone then looked at Fluttershy and muttered, “Alright, Miss Shy… Then, by all means, please talk to him.”

Fluttershy looked at the elder as he was walking away, quickly running over to him and saying, “W-Wait! Please! What is your name?”

“I am Elder Zander,” replied the zebra. “And you are…?”

“F-Fluttershy,” the timid pegasus answered.

“Is… is this a joke?” asked Zander, turning around to face her. “I was led to believe the Ministry Mares were long dead.”

“We’re… not, kind of…?” said Fluttershy with uncertainty. She wasn’t sure how to explain the whole ‘we’re from an alternate reality’ bit. “Please, speak with me on this matter. I only want to see peace between both ponies and zebras.”

“Miss Shy,” said Zander. “You are looking for that which cannot possibly exist. I have heard of your efforts in the war to try and bring peace between both nations, but after all the damage done…? Now? It is almost futile. You would have to do a lot to get my full attention, to prove that you really wish for peace.”

“We’re willing to do anything to end this rivalry,” said Fluttershy with determination on her face.

“Anything, hm…?” muttered Zander, his eyes glancing to the right as he thought to himself. “Well… if you truly do wish to bring peace, then I have a favor to ask of you, one that none of my warriors have ever been able to accomplish.”

Fluttershy nodded, listening intently to his words.

Zander’s lips slowly upturned, a grin appearing on his tired face. “I need you to speak with the last remaining dragons in the dragon lands. I wish to have a question answered.”

Fluttershy nodded again. “And that question is…?”

“A dragon I’m looking for… He’s been gone for a while, but I know he is still alive,” said Zander. “He goes by the name of Ashes. I feel these dragons may know his whereabouts, but no matter how many warriors I send, these dragons refuse to talk. Some warriors do not even come back alive.”

“Why do you want to find this dragon?” asked Fluttershy.

“There is no need to worry about it,” said the elder. “There is… no ill intent. I have to know his location so that I may give him a message in person, as requested by… his late brother.”

Fluttershy thought about this for but a single moment. The dragon lands? She’d helped out dragons before back in her world. How hard could it be in this one? Perhaps if she helped these dragons out, they’d give her answers.

Fluttershy nodded and said, “I will do this for you. And my friends will come along with me.”

“Even the outcast…?” asked Zander. “She is more trouble than she is worth… I do not think she belongs to either zebra or dragon… She belongs to something more insidious.”

“I’m sorry, but my friend deserves more respect than that,” said Fluttershy. “I’m willing to help her out, no matter what she looks like!”

“Hmph… Fine by me… Just keep her away from me,” said Zander, turning around. “Feel free to come back when you’ve accomplished the mission…”

Fluttershy stood there as the elder walked away, a lot of thoughts running through her head. What was the state of the dragon lands? How many were remaining? More importantly, how would Zone handle it? Perhaps things would be smoother while they were there?

Fluttershy turned around to face her friends. “Okay, so… we’re going to the Dragon Lands.

Taipan glared at Fluttershy, but said nothing as she marched past the group.

“Going to the Dragons Lands?” questioned Rainbow Dash. “Imagine how it must look in a world like this!”

“Ah reckon’ it’s probably still the same,” Applejack stated.

After some thought, Dash replied, “Yeah, you’re probably right. I mean, it was mostly rock and lava.”

“We should probably go back to the tower before heading out to the Dragon Lands,” said Rarity. “Twilight would probably want to come along, considering she’s stuck back there with Miss Study Guide.”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

“No, Twilight. I don’t care what your intentions are or how justified you think it is. You can’t just take our guards' weapons just so you can study them,” Study Guide said as she scolded the purple alicorn for what seemed like the dozenth time.

“I have not seen your guards even pay attention to these weapons when on duty. They never even have them out,” countered Twilight, the weapon before her disassembling itself.

“They’re not spears,” said Study. “They’re weapons that can be put away at any time. You’re disrupting the peace in this building.”

“Like you did when you took it over?” double-countered Twilight. “I’m tired of doing nothing but answer your questions. The least I can do is answer my own questions, like how these devices work.”

“They go bang. The enemy is dead,” said Study. “Plain and simple enough for you to understand, right?”

“But what makes it go bang?” asked Twilight. “Why is there a need for a weapon like this when pegasi can manipulate the weather to their own advantage?”

“Pegasi have resorted to using technology for the past two centuries,” said Study. “We don’t always have use for the weather when we can make something to do it for us.”

“Sounds like you’ve gotten pretty lazy, don’t you think?” asked Twilight with a raised brow. She looked at the many floating components of the weapon, examining each piece from different angles. “I think you should go back to manipulating weather, because Rainbow Dash could do so much more with those abilities than with these little devices.”

Study Guide watched as the alicorn took apart the precious equipment, responding, “War was what spurred these inventions. The conventional pony methods wouldn’t have been enough against the zebras.”

“Are you sure?” asked Twilight. “Our ‘conventional methods’ were fine against every other villain we’ve faced.”

“What is one so-called villain versus a well-armed army?” Study guide shot back. “Even if you weren’t the ‘chosen ones’, some hero would have come along and beaten them at one point or another.”

“One villain, namely Tirek, was able to absorb the magic of all living creatures and add that power to his own!” said Twilight. “No army was able to defeat him, and I doubt anything other than the magic of friendship could have beaten him!”

Study Guide was skeptical, of course. She couldn’t imagine a creature capable of absorbing magic and using it against them all, but then again, megaspells were a thing, so it wasn’t too unbelievable. “Just stop taking apart weapons,” she said. “That’s all I’m asking.”

“I only need this one,” said Twilight, going back to inspecting the pieces.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Chrysalis was beyond pissed at this point. “Can anypony tell me why my lifelong rivals still persist to bug me across dimensions?!”

Cozy Glow rubbed her chin in thought. Ever since their defeat at Tenpony Tower, they were forced to recede back to the hateling village to recover. “I feel like Discord could be behind this. Even Twilight, with all her knowledge, couldn’t possibly know about where we ended up unless someone told her.”

“Even Discord can’t see everything,” said Tirek, crossing his now-beefy arms. Cozy had noticed that his physical stature had gone back to what it had been before at the three villains’ final battle. He was in fit shape to go on a rampage once more.

“I mean, it has to be, right?” said Cozy. “Only Discord could know where we are, right?”

“Twilight’s magic can be rather effective,” said Tirek. “That new crystal castle of hers could no doubt be holding some magical clairvoyant artifact we don’t know about. The magic of the Tree of Harmony has always been crafty… But, if it is Discord, then I have a few choice words for him…”

“To think, Discord had us all fooled when he was pretending to be Grogar,” Chrysalis muttered. “It really gets on my nerves whenever I think about it! He has to be behind this!”

Cozy noticed something wrong. “Chrysalis, are you… bigger than usual?”

Chrysalis gave the pink filly a glare. “Are you making some kind of fat joke?!”

Cozy rubbed the back of her neck as she replied, “No, that’s not it. You seem… taller, I guess? Like, there’s something different about you, and I can’t quite put my hoof on it.”

“There is nothing wrong with me,” said Chrysalis with a hiss. “If anything, I’d be more worried about how Tirek was able to regain full strength so quickly!”

“I have not been feeding off of anypony,” said Tirek. “I think it’s residual magic I’m passively absorbing.”

“Suuuure, suuure,” said Chrysalis. “And I’m Princess Celestia.”

“Your sarcasm isn’t appreciated here,” said Tirek.

“And your lying isn’t appreciated either!” said Chrysalis. “I bet you were feeding off of the magic from my changelings! It’s no wonder they lost!”

“Are you implying I was the cause of our loss?” asked Tirek, not looking pleased with these accusations.

“I’m not implying it,” said Chrysalis. “I’m saying it outright!”

“Do not test me,” said Tirek. “I won’t hesitate to take your magic from you. You are falsely accusing me, but if you want to make me out as the antagonist here, I’ll be that antagonist!”

Cozy quickly stepped in between the two. “M-Maybe we need a break from all of this!” she said. “Don’t you think things are escalating too quickly?!”

“Things are escalating just fine!” shouted Chrysalis, her eyes, to Cozy’s surprise, briefly flashing red before going back to their usual green coloring.

“Alright, alright, sheesh! No need to lose your cool!” Cozy said, waving her hooves around defensively.

Chrysalis’ bared her sharp teeth, making Cozy step back. The changeling queen looked like she’d had enough nonsense. “You’re lucky you’re on my side…”

Cozy glanced over at Tirek, who simply stared with an annoyed expression on his face. It was only a matter of time until there was an all-out fight. How long it would be until then, Cozy didn’t know, but it was a scary thought. The image of these two battling it out in the wasteland was unnerving to Cozy.

“I will go elsewhere for a while,” said Tirek suddenly. “I think you need some alone time with yourself. Cozy, come on. Let us not waste the precious queen’s time…”

“Fine!” shouted Chrysalis. “Go do that! And when you return, you’d better have a better attitude!”

Cozy hesitantly went along with Tirek, not saying a word, the two wandering away from the hateling village quite a ways. When they were far enough away, Tirek said, “I’m thinking of knocking her down a few ladders…”

Cozy’s eyes widened. “What?! But she’s essential to our plans to get back at Twilight!”

Tirek’s face donned a smug smirk. “From what I’ve seen, she’s becoming more and more of a liability than an ally. Plus, my strength has returned in full! I could easily go to any derelict village and take as much magic as I want.”

“Tirek, listen to yourself!” said Cozy. “You’re casting aside something that could save you later down the line! We need to be smart about this!”

“I am being smart about this,” said Tirek. “I have noticed that this wasteland has magical signatures passively floating around, and I’m soaking it all up like a sponge. This is the opportunity I need to become all-powerful. It’s either sooner or later, Cozy, and I’d like for you to keep it a secret. Stay on my side, like you always have from the beginning. After all, we are pen pals, aren’t we…?”

Cozy wasn’t liking this. The plan was falling apart and fast. Tirek may be strong, but with the Mane Six here in the wasteland, who knew what they could be capable of? They had surprised them during the battle for Equestria, so what if they pulled the same trick?

She had to put a stop to this, somehow. “Tirek, hear me out, okay? A-As a pen pal?”

Tirek stopped walking, then turned to face Cozy Glow, looking down at her with a skeptical look. “Well?”

“Let’s say… you did gain ultimate power?” said Cozy. “They still have Discord, right? And even without him, Twilight and her stupid friends were able to defeat us using the Magic of Friendship! You were at full strength, weren’t you?!”

“I don’t know,” said Tirek. “I can only hold so much magic, but I’ve slowly noticed that I’m past my usual limit in this world. It’s like it’s forcefeeding me magic. I’ve seen no ill effects so far, but if and when I ever do spot one, I want to be able to take it out on somepony. If I don’t, I’m not sure what will happen to me.”

“Th-Then let’s stick with Chrysalis for now,” said Cozy. “She’ll be sure to take over pony villages, and you can be useful in place of her army if you go into overdrive, right? You’re more powerful than her changelings!”

Tirek chuckled. “You flatter me, Cozy. Yes, yes… I could strike fear into the hearts of ponies as a one-centaur army. Hm… I’ll tell you what. If I stick around, and if Chrysalis gives me the respect I deserve, I won’t go rogue, but if she keeps giving me flak… I’ll take her spot and rule over both her army and the rest of the wasteland.”

Cozy shivered at this. “Tirek… I don’t understand. I thought we could beat those ponies with our own brand of friendship!”

“And what friends don’t fight?” questioned Tirek. “It was always inevitable that fights would occur. Friends come and go, Cozy. You of all ponies should know that. I remember what you wrote in your letters.”

He had to bring that up…? That stung her, but she kept her cool. “Fine,” she said. “Come back with us and we can keep working together! Hopefully, we can even work on splitting up rulership evenly! You can have your own land, Chrysalis can have hers, and I can have mine!”

Tirek slowly nodded, and they went back to the hateling village, where Chrysalis seemed to have red eyes as she watched two hatelings argue.

“You a bitch,” said a hateling to the other.

“No, you a bitch!” said the other hateling.

“No, you!”

“I’m more handsome!”

“You ugly as shit, whatchu talkin’ about?!”

“At least I don’t have half my ear missing!”

As Cozy approached Chrysalis, Chrysalis giggled to herself as she watched the fight. Chrysalis then said to Cozy, “You know, feeding on hate isn’t too bad. It’s keeping me sustained, for now.”

“I thought you were in favor on feeding off of love?” questioned Cozy.

“Yes, but… when there’s no love to go around, I tend to starve,” said Chrysalis. “I craved something, anything, so I decided hate was a… somewhat acceptable flavor.”

“What happened to your eyes?” asked Cozy. “Th-They’re red.”

“Are you judging my looks?” asked Chrysalis, glaring.

“N-No, I’m not!” said Cozy. “I’m not, I’m not!”

“Chrysalis,” Tirek interrupted. “I’d like to propose an idea.”

“And why should I listen to you?!” shouted Chrysalis.

“Because we still have the same goal: to destroy Twilight Sparkle and her pitiful friends,” reasoned Tirek.

Chrysalis stared at the hateling fight a bit more before asking, “Fine, what is it?”

“We went far too big with our target,” said Tirek. “Obviously, we bit off more than we could chew.”

“Don’t rub it in,” said Chrysalis.

“I propose going after solo villages, settlements, one at a time,” said Tirek. “Enslave the ponies, make our own army.”

“Use ponies in place of my changelings?” said Chrysalis. “Preposterous!”

“Chrysalis, listen to me,” said Tirek. “This isn’t the same army you used to have! They’re shells of their former selves! You need ponies, at least until you can find more changelings!”

Chrysalis dragged her hoof around the dirt, slowly drawing a heart with a crack in the middle as she kept watching the fight. “You… may be right…” she said. “I have been a little… stubborn.”

“So, it’s agreed…?” said Tirek. “We’ll go after settlements and villages for now?”

“For now,” said Chrysalis. “But I’m still going to keep actively searching for changelings in the meanwhile.”

“Fine,” said Tirek. “We will keep on, then. This is one small step towards greatness.”

Okay, whew… Things were going well. Cozy couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened had Tirek gone off on his own. Of course, Cozy could have gone with him, but… she was beginning to doubt herself and her own friends. Twilight had really one-upped them, and it was a mindshaking defeat, making her question how she went about things.

Maybe they didn’t do friendship right?

Or maybe… they didn’t try hard enough.

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter. I was going through a few things that hindered me, but now I have a lot of free time. Bear with me.

A Tricky Beginning

Fallout Equestria: Redemption is Magic

Existence is a concept that mankind has struggled to make sense of since its inception. What does it mean to be “real” or “living”? Is an existence subjective? Can we justify an existence? Questions like these often come up, and they often confuse mankind.

But this isn’t a story about mankind. It’s a story of a fandom, of a family, and of ponies. And more importantly, of Fallout: Equestria.

Two-hundred long years have passed since that fateful day, the day when the megaspells dropped unleashing their unprecedented devastation. It was in this flash that the sky itself danced yellow and green, the beauty in destruction allowing the shadows to lengthen and in that innocence was well and truly lost. In a moment the old world died, and from it was birthed a new one, a cruel one where the thirsty soil was only quenched by the coppery rain of crimson. In this desiccated desolation Littlepip arose from the solitary safety of her stable and set out across the wasteland, bringing peace wherever she went. She faced the unspeakable horrors that the wasteland spawned in its foul womb; raiders, hellhounds, Enclave, and even the omnipotent power of the Goddess. The plucky mare overcoming each hurdle so that now, after a long journey, the stable dweller could finally find the reprieve of rest. The unicorn not dead, but not exactly living a life.

Now that her tale has taken a backseat, it is time for a new tale.

Twilight sat in her seat in front of the glowing cutie map, the crystalline board pulsating with rhythmic magical energies as it ticked over like a harmonic metronome. The enchanted tabletop had been sending out a massive calling for the better part of a week, one that required the help of many creatures. Gathered around the map were several notable figures; The rest of the mane six, Spike, Starlight, Trixie, Thorax, Ember, Celestia, and Luna, creating a mighty menagerie as they milled around the table for once looking rather lost. This uncertainty alien to the charismatic creatures, as a lingering loiter was not the natural state for any people present.

“What kind of friendship problem could possibly need solving right before the coronation?” asked Celestia, a bit impatient but her words as ever refined and elegant from several lifetimes in the Canterlot Court. Luna’s eyes darted over in her sister’s direction, not exactly as eager to leave the seat of state, as she had only recently carved out an arsegroove upon her throne with the regal royal posterior after her long tenure as the Mare in the Moon.

“Maybe it’s something to do with the coronation?” Implied Starlight, hoping to break the tension with a suggestion.

“If that were true, don’t you think it’d send us to Canterlot and not the badlands?” Countered Thorax, a bit wary of that location as it was a known breeding ground for Maulwurfs.

“So, is everycreature here?” Asked Twilight. It was then that the cutie map emitted a high-pitched chaotic whine, static and the gibbering white noise of multiple voices filling the room in a slurred flurry of sound. Everyone covered their ears to escape the high pitched onslaught of auditory clamour coming from the now accursed table.

After about a full minute, a sigh rang through their heads. “Really? It’s my turn? And it’s not even an episode.” The doors to the room burst open, smoke flooding through and blinding its occupants. As the smoke cleared, it was obvious to everypony who it was: Discord, the troublemaker of chaos.

“What could the spirit of chaos possibly want at a time like this?” Celestia stared at the misshapen draconequus. Although he was reformed, she could never fully trust him, even in the most recent battle. She had had too much experience with his shenanigans in the ancient past.

“What could I want…?” Discord tapped his chin. “No, it’s not what I want. It’s what your little abomination of a piece of furniture wants.”

“Is that what that sound was?” Twilight uncovered her ears and readjusted her focus. “I thought it was broken for a minute.”

Spike scratched behind one of his ears. “I guess when ya wanna call the lord of chaos, you make a chaotic noise?”

Already, Discord was getting on Ember’s nerves, and she could probably guess why. While the two had never really gotten to know each other, she could get the sense of an impending eternity of annoyance. It was the kind of annoyance that one would get from a sibling; something she knew all too well, having grown close enough to some for long enough to consider them as such.

Discord feigned a smile. “Oh? It looks like nopony wants me here. I guess that’s my cue to leave. Maybe I can go find Big Mac and we can play a round of--”

The screeching sound of gibbering voices flooded the room once again, causing everypony to drop to their knees as the noise intensified.

“Okay! Okay! You win!” Discord grumbled as he stood back up, brushing off his kneecaps. The noise finally died down the moment he admitted defeat. “I guess some tables just can’t be reasoned with!”

“The badlands is a dangerous place to be in at this time of year,” warned Luna. “It’s not known why, but there have been rumors of portals opening up and sucking wanderers in.” She couldn’t help but tense up at her own words. The thought of ending up on the moon again by mistake… She didn’t want to experience that again.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I’m sure we can avoid them if we just, you know, move?”

“They’re sucking in ponies,” repeated Luna. “As if they’re grabbing you.”

“If that’s true,” countered Rainbow, “then how do you get the rumors? If the portals are grabbing ponies, would there really be anypony left to tell the rumors?”

Luna stayed silent in response, not because she couldn’t win an argument, but because she didn’t want to waste time arguing. She looked to Twilight and gave a sincere smile. “Shall we go now? I’d personally like to get this over with.”

Twilight smiled back. “Sure, Princess Luna. I’d have to agree. Everypony, let’s go!”

With her words, they were off to the badlands…

After a long trip by train and an hour-long walk, the group had arrived at their destination, but where the problem was, nopony really knew. All seemed fine, due to the fact that there was nopony other than them, them and the massive desert region, with sand as far as the eye could see. It seemed endless, with no hope of an oasis in sight.

Spike raised a question that seemed to be lingering on his mind since they had left the train. “Anypony know where Discord went? He didn’t even bother to poof us here. He just kinda went off on his own.”

“He said he wanted to get some things gathered for ‘the big event’ or something,” answered Trixie. “I don’t really get him sometimes, but I also really don’t care. As long as Trixie isn’t bothered, I’m happy.”

Starlight stifled her laughter, always having found Trixie a bit humorous at times. It was interesting to her, how Trixie was always able to keep herself a bit serious while also still referring to herself in the third person.

A groan of disgust filled the air. It was Rarity, trying to get the sand off the bottoms of her hooves. “It’s getting stuck like last time!”

Pinkie giggled to herself. “I also remember the last time we were here! It was really hot, and I think I made friends with a really nice buffalo named Steve!”

“Pinkie, I think ya were hallucinatin’,” said Applejack.

Pinkie snorted in laughter. “He was a nice hallucination, though!”

As the others walked and talked, Twilight stayed up in front, thinking to herself. The final battle was… interesting, to say the least. They had won, but was that really the end of it? Something didn’t feel right to her about it at all, the same feeling from when she was in one of Starlight’s alternate timelines filled her being. It also didn’t help that she was nervous about the coronation. What would happen after it was over? Would she and her friends slowly drift apart? It was a constant fear lingering in her mind, even inhabiting her dreams, turning them into nightmares. She couldn’t go through that.

“I absolutely loathe this heat. It’s messing with my mane,” complained Rarity. Applejack, walking within the center of the group, fanned herself with her hat.

“Ya know, patrollin’ the Equestrian Badlands almost makes ya wish fer a windigo winter.” As soon as Applejack made the comment, she received brief worried glances from Fluttershy.

“I don’t think we should be here. I’ve had this itching in my mane since the map called us,” said Fluttershy.

Twilight felt a sudden surge of magic flowing through her body as they passed through a small crevice. Cliffs stood proudly on both opposite sides of each other, giving only one straight path through. “You may be right, Fluttershy…”

With a blinding flash of light, Discord popped out of thin air, sitting in a floating chair and carrying a large survival backpack on his back.. “The event is about to begin. Brace yourselves, everypony!”

“Look who decided to join,” muttered Spike. “Where were you?”

“Oh, just some preparations for our trip,” Discord replied as he dug through his bag and pulled out a map.

“Wait,” said Twilight, eyeing the chaos lord. “You said an event was about to happen? What’s going on?”

“Just my inner voice telling me to prep up,” he answered. “I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen. Where would the fun be if I did?”

Twilight just rolled her eyes and pressed onward, but after taking a few steps, a sudden pain assaulted her head. Strange images flickered in front of her, showing depictions of dead lands and green fire, sending the mare into an illness that threatened to make her vomit. It wasn’t the fact that these images were horrifying enough to make her queasy, it was that fact that she could smell rotting corpses.

Fluttershy stepped forward in concern to place a hoof on Twilight, but as she passed a certain point, her mind was bombarded with the same images. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she was forced to witness horrible events, events that didn’t make sense to her, yet somehow still filled her with grief, as if she had lived through them before.

Applejack, seeing her friends in pain, rushed over. “Twilight?! Fluttershy?! Snap out of it!” She held onto Twilight, shaking the distressed unicorn. “Twilight, c’mon!”

“Uh, AJ?! We’ve got bigger problems!” Dash shouted. She pointed to the end of the canyon, where the empty space seemed to be distorting. “I think Luna’s rumor might be real!” Rainbow Dash quickly wrapped her forelegs around Twilight and attempted to pull her away from the warped area. Applejack followed, picking up Fluttershy to get her to safety.

Rarity, seeing an opportunity to try out her shield magic, lit up her horn, enveloping it in an aura. The aura lengthened into a beam which shot into the sky before spreading out into the form of a light blue dome magically materializing around everypony. “That should protect us from any misfit gateways!” Rarity said proudly, but she had spoken too soon.

Pinkie’s entire body twitched and jerked this way and that, the pink pony no longer so peppy. “Something’s REALLY wrong here! I can feel it!”

“No duh, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash answered.

“No! I mean--” Before Pinkie could finish, the entire field within the dome warped in on itself. Celestia and Luna both cast their own magic at the center of the corrupted space, but their beams were simply sucked in. Thorax and Ember took careful steps back to the edge of the dome, not finding the idea of ending up in an unknown location very appealing.

Starlight had even tried to close the portal on her own, but this wasn’t a typical magic. “It’s too complex!” Instead of trying again, she cast a shield around herself and Trixie.

Trixie pointed at Discord and snarled, “I blame you!” Discord simply waved away her comment.

“Really? The blame game?” He rolled his eyes. He was about to make a witty comment when, from behind him, space melted in on itself, opening into yet another portal. The being's eyes widened in surprise as he was forcibly pulled in by some unnatural force.

There was no time to even react to his disappearance, as everypony was dragged into the surreal gateways by unknown means. It was as if it was fate. To Twilight, it almost felt planned, like this was meant to happen, as if it were a long time coming. She couldn't explain her feelings on the subject.

Twilight's physical world was gone, replaced by white, but in that white were screens of events in her life that had occurred in the past and, most frighteningly, in the future. She saw herself, grown into the same physical stature as Celestia. It seemed pretty amazing at first, until she saw what had become of her best friends.

They were aging while she remained frozen in time. The screens progressed through the ages, the five mares growing older and more frail. She feared to see the end. Then she did… She saw their skin drying and decaying, revealing shriveled muscles underneath. Even those muscles decayed as well, being stripped away to lay bare the bones to Twilight's eyes.

She screamed and, to her surprise, her voice echoed and grew louder with each bounce back. It became too much for her ears, and so she covered them, eyes shut as well so that she did not have to see the horrible truth laid before her. As the screams grew, so did the brightness of the white, shrouding the screens of the future.

Twilight felt the impact of the ground, hitting her with enough force to knock the breath out of her. Very slowly, she opened her eyes, half-expecting to see those horrifying images again. Instead she was met with something almost as equally terrifying. She brought herself up to her hooves, looking around her, taking in the grim scenery.

Although she was no longer in the Badlands, the surroundings were just as dead. She was in the middle of a road, surrounded on both sides by tall, worn-down buildings. "What is this…?" Twilight asked herself, alarms ringing in her head. "Girls? Spike?"

"Don't talk so loud," complained the voice of Spike. "I have a big headache."

Twilight rushed over to a rusty stop sign, where Spike lay. "Spike! Are you okay? I don't think we're in the Badlands anymore."

Spike gave her a deadpan stare. "Gee, ya think?" He got up, holding his head. "I feel like I got hit by one of AJ's kicks."

Twilight rubbed the top of Spike's head. "I'll get you something for the pain later. Right now, we have to figure out where we are and, hopefully, find everypony."

Spike, still getting over his headache, put his claws to his head. “Where do you think they are?”

Twilight looked at the empty buildings around her and Spike. “They couldn’t have gone far. We’ve only been here a few minutes.” She paused, considering their situation. “What happened here…? All these buildings are broken down.”

"This is freaky. It's like a ghost town," said Spike as he observed the surroundings. "Maybe everypony decided to move out at the same time?"

Twilight, not really believing that answer, began walking, Spike trailing close behind. Spike didn't really believe his own answer either. As they trotted forward, Twilight would make mental notes in her head. This place reeked of something sinister, but she couldn't quite place her hoof on what it was.

"You don't think something bad happened, do you?" Spike bit his bottom lip, nervous and growing a little paranoid. "What if something came by and ate everypony?!"

Twilight, wanting to calm Spike down, decided to deliver her regular comforting words. "Spike, don't be ridiculous. Usually there's a better explanation than that. I'm sure whoever lived here is fine."

A sound similar to thunder roared through the air, making both pony and dragon go still. A voice from behind them growled playfully, "Ooh.~ An alicorn! And look! Even better, a baby dragon!"

Twilight and Spike turned around to see a strange sight: a bunch of ponies in scrap armor, each holding oddly shaped pieces of metal, some held in magic, others held in mouths. Twilight, not wanting to be rude, stepped forward. “Uhh, hello!” She looked over who appeared to be the group’s leader. The mare was a light blue, a much brighter shade than Rainbow Dash’s coat. Her hair was a neon green, making her look a bit off to Twilight, as most ponies’ coats stuck to a particular shade and hue. It was almost as if it were a foal’s drawing coming to life.

The misfit mare’s mouth grew wide into a grin, crazy in her eyes. “What’s a powerful alicorn doing out here all alone?” This caused Twilight to take a step back.

“Oh! Uh, I don’t mean to be rude, but do you know where we are?” Twilight was hopeful this stranger would help her.

Several of the ponies behind the ruffian mare chuckled to themselves. The mare stepped forward and told Twilight, “We’re near Tenpony Tower, missy, and you look well-groomed enough to have just come from there. Hand over the caps with the dragon and nopony gets hurt!”

Twilight shook her head in confusion, baffled by this sudden robbery attempt. “Um… Firstly, I don’t know what caps are. Second, you can’t have my baby dragon. Third, I don’t think you’d want to steal from me. I’m one of the princesses.”

All the ponies behind the thief roared in laughter. After the laughter died down, the mare then spoke. "Looks like she's got chems, too! Pretty good ones, I'm guessin'." She pointed one end of the metallic device at Twilight. "Hand 'em all over or we fill ya full of lead."

"Lead…?" Twilight and Spike both looked at each other with quizzical looks on their faces. "I don't think the body can digest lead."

The mare blinked a few times, smirking, confused. Then the smirk returned to a neutral position. "What?"

Twilight attempted to explain as best she could. "The body couldn't possibly digest lead. If you're threatening to make us eat it, it would most likely kill us."

The thief looked to her crew. They had the same confused expression. She then turned back to Twilight, who was looking at her with her own stumped expression.

"Fuck it." The mare simply pulled the trigger. Pain instantly shot through Twilight's left-wing, accompanied by the same thunderous roar from earlier. The feeling made Twilight scream in agony. Spike placed his hands on Twilight's foreleg as she slumped over a little.

"Twilight! What's wrong?!" Spike asked. He then saw it, a clear hole through Twilight's left-wing. It oozed a red liquid, making a chill run up Spike's spine. He directed his gaze to the thief mare. "Why'd you do that to her?!"

"Shut up," she responded. She aimed her grim piece of metal at him. "A slave only talks when they're told to."

Suddenly, a saving grace… a shrouded figure fell from above, landing on two feet, the being wrapped in a rag cloak. This definitely got the stranger mare's attention.

From within the cloak emerged two arms, with pawed hands holding twin batons. In a flash, the savior dashed forward, closing the distance in a mere half of a second, delivering precise blows to the mare and knocking her out with a careful hit to her neck, disrupting the blood flow to her head long enough not to kill her, but to make her fall unconscious.

Before the rest of the pony gang could open fire, the figure quickly filled the gap in between them, delivering the same blows to each bandit, knocking them out successfully one by one. They all fell, not dead, but merely unconscious.

The hero then rushed over to Twilight and pulled a flask from within his cloak. He pressed the opening to Twilight's mouth, and she drank, hoping it was something to help with her pain. It did something much better. Her wound quickly closed up, making her wing like new again.

Spike, having just witnessed something that could only happen in a comic book, smiles wide, eyes full of sparkles. "Woah! How'd you do that?! You're like some vigilante!"

Twilight, her focus coming back, got a better look at her rescuer as he pulled back his cloak to reveal a black-furred, almost fluffy face with green cat-like eyes. It was an Abyssinian, much like Capper. More concerning though, was that it was a mere kid.

He smiled, looking excited. "Didn't think I'd ever save an alicorn!"

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Forever… that's how long they'd be frozen. Discord himself had said so. Where did they go wrong? Their plan was perfect.

Cozy Glow stared at the tree, unable to move her eyes. It would continue to thrive and change through the seasons while Cozy Glow remained still as a statue forever. Being unable to move could drive a filly mad. Cozy Glow was already losing it even though she had been frozen for such a short time.

Beside her were Chrysalis in an angry, outreaching pose, and Tirek in a more surprising position. Cozy was in an expression of despair, having no idea such an extreme punishment would be given to her. Tartarus was a luxury hotel compared to this. If she knew this would happen, would she have even done it?

Looking back on what she had done… she’d admit, it was a bit extreme, but it was necessary. If she was going to take over, she had to break a few eggs. Why did their plan go south? They had harnessed the power of friendship, the power of working together.

If only she could move…

And she did. Cozy felt a force tugging on the statue, pulling it backward. She couldn’t see where she was going, and this made her panic on the inside. It must have been Celestia, or Luna, or worse, Discord! But she was wrong. The statue was dragged into a warped space, being tucked away between dimensions and sent off to who-knew-where.

A white light blinded Cozy. No, wait… it wasn’t a light. Everything was white, and she could see screens, showing her past actions. More horrifically, they showed her future as well. There she was, a statue, forever frozen. The sun and moon ran across the sky in an endless chase, going faster and faster until it became a solid band of light, the days, months, seasons, years, decades, centuries, milleniums, all passing by. Everyone she had ever known was long gone, dead, their graves were forgotten as the planet reclaimed everything, turning it to soil.

But there was Cozy, Chrysalis, and Tirek, all frozen, unaffected by age. Even the “immortal” Celestia had long passed. There was no deity. No Twilight to take the sun alicorn’s place. It was all temporary in the grand span that was eternity. The planet… Yes, even the planet withered away, the planet eventually becoming cold and absent of light after Celestia’s beautiful sun had pathetically flickered out. It was a world of eternal darkness for the three villains.

There was no sanctuary, no refuge, no redemption. Friendship and harmony was a lie, only temporary comforts to distract them from the truth.

Cozy screamed in her mind, unable to move her mouth. She wanted to be free. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be alive. Being a statue was worse than death. It was like being undead and still, completely aware of it all.

Just then, something had happened. Her nose twitched, the stone cracking. Was she breaking?! She began to panic. What if she fell apart? Who knew what that would be like? Before she could worry about it any further, she heard a familiar voice.

”Never!”

She knew that voice. That was Chrysalis. Was Chrysalis free? Would Cozy be free? Was there a chance to escape?

Then the bug queen shouted, “I refuse to be frozen like some cheap lawn ornament!”

Cozy felt a warmth in her body. There was a magic in this place, and it was breaking the spell. She was sure of it. She tried her hardest to move, feeling her little wings stretch out. Chips of stone chipped away, revealing her feathers. She could just barely move her head, turning it to see Chrysalis, halfway free from her prison. Tirek was more than halfway liberated from his prison.

Chrysalis, with all her strength, broke free completely, making the chips of inorganic material fly away from her. “That is NOT my future! Those wretched fools will pay!”

“Yes,” said Tirek. “I agree. You can’t expect me to stay trapped forever.” He looked at his surroundings. “I recognize this magic, and I don’t like it. We’re in a portal of sorts, but to where it leads, I have no idea.”

Cozy finally broke her head free, speaking. “You don’t think we’ll end up somewhere bad, do you?”

“Like I said,” replied Tirek, “I don’t know. We could end up anywhere, and in any time period, too, judging from those images.”

Chrysalis gave Tirek a look of skepticism. “We could end up in the past?”

Cozy then added, “Or the future?”

“Yes, but it would be too soon to say. Usually portal trips only last a few seconds. This one has lasted minutes. If this is the case, we might even end up in another universe,” Tirek explained.

Chrysalis was flabbergasted. “What?! But what about my old hive?! I must reclaim it! And what of Starlight Glimmer?! I want my revenge!”

Tirek growled. “We’ll have to make use of whatever magic there is to bring us back home.”

Cozy felt a bit odd after she removed the last of her stone coating. “Anyone else getting an odd sense of deja vu?”

“I doubt this could have happened before,” said Chrysalis.

It was then and there that they heard a familiar… scream? It echoed, becoming louder and louder.

“Twilight…?” Cozy squinted her eyes a little, confused, then realized how loud the scream was getting. The trio covered their ears to keep the noise out.

“It’s almost as annoying as Pinkie’s laughter!” Chrysalis complained.

“Look! The screens!” Cozy pointed out. Sure enough, the white shrouded up the images of past and future. Then, without warning, the white vanished, being replaced with black as all three villains hit solid ground.

Cozy slowly opened her eyes, seeing that she was on the edge of a dirt cliff. She quickly scrambled away from the edge, despite the pain. Then she realized she still had wings if she had ever fallen off, feeling a bit silly. Hearing the groans of her teammates, she turned around, noting a few odd features in the background, such as the worn-down road leading to a possibly abandoned city. It seemed they were outside it, the outside being nothing but dirt, dirt, and most importantly, more dirt, with a side of dirt.

Getting up, Chrysalis seemed to be smirking as she noticed the same features. “Well, this is a scene I could get used to. No ponies, their cities being the only thing left? A literal wasteland. For once, I feel at peace.”

Cozy walked towards the city a bit, feeling a little cautious. “What is this place?”

“I’m guessing it’s either the far future or another universe,” said Tirek.

Chrysalis lifted her head, feeling a bit interrogative. “How do you know all this stuff, Tirek?”

Tirek’s face straightened. He didn’t like talking about his past that much. “My father was very strict on education, and so Scorpan and I were taught all kinds of forbidden magic that wasn’t normally available to my kind.”

Chrysalis scoffed. “So, a father, is that it? What’s so great about a parent?”

Tirek shook his head a bit. “It gets annoying after living with them until you’re an adult. But I can’t really hate him. Because of him, I wanted to take Equestria, to prove my worth as a king.”

“Wait…” Cozy Glow scrunched up her face in confusion. “Your father is a king?”

“Yes,” answered Tirek. “He’s not well known in Equestria.”

Cozy shrugs. “I guess I’ll buy that.” For now, at least.

Tirek winced, having felt something unusual in the magical field around him. This magic wasn’t composed of positive emotions like happiness. It felt much too different. It wasn’t typical pony magic. Something malevolent was here, something that made even his beard hair stand on end. He turned to look a Chrysalis. She seemed a bit distracted as well. Perhaps she felt it, too? Then he looked at Cozy.

The young filly couldn’t sense magic like he and Chrysalis could, yet she could still hold her own. It was often a wonder that crossed his mind. He could hardly wrap his head around the idea that a small child such as Cozy Glow could have such potential for evil acts. Although they had started out as pen pals, they quickly became partners of sorts later on. He felt a small bit of pride in his influence on her, but he also felt… proud of Cozy herself? No. No more thoughts.

“I think we should find some shelter,” he quickly spat out. “Who knows how long days last in this universe, if it even is a different one?”

“Are you afraid of the dark, Tirek?” Cozy Glow asked. “If you are, I know how to deal with the fear.”

Chrysalis snickered to herself. “Lord Tirek, afraid of the dark? How delicious.”

Tirek rolled his eyes. Petty insults were nothing to him. He had taken enough of them to grow a thicker skin. “Come on. Let’s go. I think I see a cave over there.”

And so they followed, ready to face whatever danger may lurk ahead in their journey.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Spike walked down the street with both Twilight and the new supposed hero. It had been a good thirty minutes getting Twilight back on her hooves after drinking that strange healing potion, even though the abyssinian child insisted she was fully healed. “So… your name is Tricks?”

The abyssinian child grinned. “Yeah! Cuz, well, I like magic tricks, but my favorite form of magic trick is the classic card trick!”

Twilight had a concerned look during their entire conversation as they walked. Even though he was bigger than a pony, he was still a child, and it was dangerous for him to have swooped in earlier to play the hero. She finally spoke up. “Um… Tricks? Where are your parents, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Hm?” He looked over to Twilight and, with a casual tone, said to her, “I don’t have any.”

This shocked Twilight to her core. She had only known of one incident where a friend was an orphan, and that was Applejack. “Who takes care of you?”

Tricks raised a brow, “No one. Why?”

Twilight couldn’t let this continue. “I think it’d be best if you stuck with Spike and I.”

“Nah,” Tricks answered. “You’ll slow me down. I gotta get to the settlement before dark or I’ll run into stalkers.”

He had ponies stalking him? “Why are ponies stalking you?”

“Not ponies,” he replied. “Stalkers. If you haven’t heard of a stalker around these parts, then you’re probably not from this area."

“I’m not,” Twilight stated matter-of-factly.

Tricks blinked. “Oh!” His lips then turned upward into a smile. “I’m sorry!” His green eyes scanned the road ahead. “You can tag along, but… you gotta keep up, or you might get hurt.” Twilight and Spike gave each other glances of both concern and confusion.

Twilight sighed and looked into the feline's eyes. "Alright, but I'll be the one protecting you."

Tricks had the biggest smile on his face after she'd said that. Something told Twilight that this kid would be trouble.

About an hour into their journey and already they had faced at least two ponies, one who Twilight used her sleeping spell on, and the other was quickly knocked unconscious by one of Tricks's batons. Halfway into the second hour, the tall buildings seemed to get smaller in design, becoming more like a small town instead of a massive city. Perhaps they were leaving the core of the city?

Twilight couldn't help but feel like they were being watched as they made their way to the outer edges. Whenever she saw something in the corner of her eyes, she'd turn, only to see a figure quickly vanishing into the shadows.

She finally spoke up, looking behind her for a brief second before returning her gaze to the road ahead of her. "I think somepony is here…"

"Stalker," replied Tricks, not seeming very concerned. "Don't worry. They wait years before attacking. Best thing to do is to go to another town. They won't stray too far from their nests."

Spike was rather confused. "What kind of creature waits years?"

"Stalkers. I just said so," answered Tricks, trying to be as cheery as possible. Twilight could see something behind that smile, however. There was… fear.

Twilight patted Tricks’ back with a wing. "Are you okay?"

Tricks ignored her, running ahead. When Twilight looked to see where he was going, she saw what looked to be a small cul-de-sac of sorts. Putting on her brave face, she steeled herself, walking forward. She had to be on her guard. Who knew what kind of ponies dwelled here, and whether they were hostile or not?

As she walked within the circular patch of road, she looked at each house surrounding her. They looked to be in better condition than the buildings she had seen earlier. "There are definitely ponies living here…"

"I don't really get it," said Spike. "Why does everything look so old here? How long has it been? Were we out for a few centuries or something?"

"Please don't joke like that." Twilight didn't need jokes at times like these.

Spike rolled his eyes. "I wasn't joking, Twilight. I'm serious. I think we've been gone for a long time. There's no way we wouldn't know about this place if it existed." He then whispered, "Especially with that big brain of yours."

Tricks suddenly ran out of one of the houses to Twilight's left; he seemed to be a panic, and she could see why. Coming out of the house was an older mare with a frazzled mane and some sort of wooden and metal stick. The mare's magic pulled the trigger, making rounds of metal fire out the front. Luckily, it didn't seem to be a long-range weapon.

Twilight used her magic to materialize a purple shield of energy that followed behind Tricks as he ran, deflecting the metal rounds that did make it to him. "Tricks, what did you do?!"

"I blame the economy!" Tricks shouted back as he dove behind the side of the porch of another home. "What do we do?! I can't get close!"

Twilight ran, a magical shield in front of her, until she reached Tricks, taking cover behind the porch side. "Didn't you take out an entire group with those baton weapons?"

"I had the element of surprise, though!" Tricks briefly stuck his head out from behind the side of the porch. "Uh…"

Twilight raised a brow. "What?"

The end of Trick's long tail twitched, the abyssinian now cautious. "She's gone."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Spike climbed onto the porch and looked around. There was nopony in sight, and this worried Twilight most of all. She pulled Spike back with her magic and wrapped a wing around him.

Tricks, however, leaped onto the front lawn and began sprinting towards the house. Twilight called out to him, telling him to come back, but he kept going. He didn’t know why he was sprinting, nor did he know why he felt so curious. Something was drawing him towards the house. Whether it was curiosity or fate, it didn’t matter, because as he made it through the front door…

There it was…

Clutching the half-dead mare in bony claws was a stooped over emaciated figure. The shadows caressing it like a cloak, but even so the silhouette was unmistakable. It was one that was near-skeletal in nature, standing on two clawed feet, more akin to bird talons than anything else. A long, furless tail draped down behind it, waving back and forth wildly, as if warning other creatures to stay away as the whole organism made the stomach turn by how deeply unnatural it looked.

The monster hunched over, the bottom jaw of its mouth split wide in a jagged crevasse of inky black where the chin should have been, a long purple tongue emerging from the depths betwixt the two pointed jaw halves digging into the bloody eye socket of the squirming pony with a sucking squelch as it extracted the jelly-like oculus. Her mouth was gaping open in horror and pain as her brain was sliced through by the creature’s oral instrument with almost surgical precision, lobotomising her screaming into nothing but sucking gasps for breath. The fiend seemed to know exactly where to cut without killing the mare, the creature almost toying with the mare's broken body as it tested her limits before she failed and the lights faded out.

The more one inspected the abomination, the more was apparently warped about it. The creature's lower limbs were calloused and mangy, as a white bone-like exoskeleton seemed to mesh at the joints as it seemed almost grafted to diseased gray skin. The creature devoid of hair as the sickly skin seemed raw and inflamed as some debilitating condition rendered the organism completely hairless. The most worrying feature though was unnerving fact that the beast seemed to completely lack eyes, empty eye sockets taking the place of the windows of the soul as if it had seen something so horrible it had blinded itself to remove the image burned on the back of its eyes, the almost demonic sight detracting from the frail catlike ears that hung limp on the sides of the creatures head like a necrotic accessory.

Tricks was frozen with fear. He had shown such bravery when talking about the infamous stalker, but now that he was looming right in front of it, it was like facing the spectre of death himself, and no one wanted to face their end. The mare’s one good green eye darted to look at Tricks as if some part of her was still cognizant as the beast butchered her body like a swine. She released barely audible sobs, tears flowing down her bloodied cheeks. This pitiful sight was understandable, No one wanted to die; not even a heartless pony like her. Tricks stepped forward, ignoring the thumping of his heart as if bumped against his sternum, as he swallowed his fears. Maybe if he tried to help…?

THUD!

The stalker slammed its rat-like tail on the wooden floor. Although it had no eyes, it seemed to know Tricks was there, as if like the old legends the monster could smell his fear. With a quick jerk of its tongue, it pulled a chunk of the helpless mare’s brain out through her socket, its tongue retreating into its throat to deposit the portion quickly as if it was licking an ice cream cone, before flinging back out and into her head once again, repeating the process over and over as it cannibalized the gaping cranium. As each chunk was removed with ease, the mare’s body twitched and spasmed as her body received confusing signals from her rapidly weathering control center as it picked away the areas containing the self leaving the brainstem til last.

Tricks couldn’t move. He was paralyzed by the horrifying sight, his fear returning as he was unable to talk himself up as his belly turned yellow. How could a creature be so cold and uncaring, to slowly kill someone without a second thought? More importantly, how could such a monster exist?

As it scooped out the last of the brain matter, it simply dropped the lifeless pony, discarding her like a spent candy wrapper as it had gained what it wanted from her cooling cadaver. The creature ignored the twitching corpse, as it left it for worms and stepping over her shattered shape, it approached Tricks menacingly slowly. Its tongue writhed and flailed as it slowly got closer as if it was already savoring the second course that was his fresh grey matter.

Tricks just could not move. How could he? After witnessing such a horrific feeding, he was frozen with trepidation. Move… move!!!

The stalker lunged with a blood-curdling shriek, and as it was about to slice with its razor-sharp claws, a purple aura enveloped Tricks, a force pulling him out through the front door, making him land on his back in the dead grass. As the light from outside filled Tricks’ vision, he saw Twilight, looking down at him with an expression of annoyance and concern.

Twilight released a small growl, her wings outstretched in anger. "Why in Equestria would you run off like that?!"

"We've gotta run!" Tricks shouted as he scrambled to his feet, be as he looked towards the front door, there was no stalker to be found. The only trace left behind was the dead mare.

Twilight's eyes widened as she stepped into the home, unable to tear her gaze away from the victim. "Sweet Celestia… What happened?!"

Tricks was very hesitant to step inside. Instead, he took a step away from the house. "It was a stalker!"

"These things sound… horrible," whispered Twilight. She couldn't look away. The one thing that stood out to her was the one lifeless eye on the dead mare, forever open with fear. Although she and her friends had had multiple close brushes with death, it was an entirely different thing to actually see a dead body.

After about a half-hour of staring, Twilight came to her senses, reluctantly leaving the body. She'd send the Royal Guard to retrieve the poor thing when she got home. Hopefully they could give her the proper burial she deserved. Stepping outside, she found Tricks and Spike, sitting together. Spike couldn't dare to look, and so he had waited outside.

"Everypony ready to move on…?" Even Twilight could feel the hesitancy in her voice. Tricks stood up, not as shaken as before, but he was definitely on his guard now, eyes darting back and forth, scanning his surroundings. He nodded, and they headed on their way along another road to find the settlement.

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

"Ahem… This is Professor Study Guide's first audio report on the stalker. I will be making more observations as time goes on. In the event that I die, my papers will be given over to the Tenpony Research Team.

"The stalker is an anomaly at first glance. However, upon further inspection, one startling thing that can be noticed is its tongue. After dissecting the subject, we can conclude that its tongue is used to detect heat in order to make up for its lack of eyes.

"When feeding, it is temporarily blind, so to compensate for that, it slams its tail while eating to create a noise which acts as a form of echolocation. I find it fascinating that a simple artificial mutation of the abyssinian could be just as perfectly implemented as a naturally occurring one.

"As we continued our research, we discovered several startling facts. The stalkers lack a stomach, and there is nowhere for the food to go, nor is there any trace of the meal. We have several theories, but as of now, none of them are solid enough to propose.

"If there is no purpose for sustenance, then… we may have to face the possibility that it's merely out of enjoyment. Never before have we seen a creature with this mindset. This would be a major step forward in mutant psychology if this were true.

"Before dissection, we have also discovered that they have a natural fear of alicorns. This would explain their sudden surge in population growth after the fall of the Goddess. With the alicorns becoming more civilized, the stalker may not see them as much of a threat anymore.

"But that doesn't mean stalkers don't react when near an alicorn. Using a volunteer, we placed an alicorn in a room. In the middle of the room is magically enhanced plexiglass to prevent the stalker on the other side from breaking through.

"When introduced to the alicorn, it quite literally fell onto its knees, screaming, and clasped its hands together, almost as if it were begging to be spared, or praying. It's now recommended that all scouting teams be assigned one alicorn volunteer if possible to ward off stalkers.

"This is Professor Study Guide, signing off."

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Twilight had been walking for over two hours. She knew that, too… because she counted the seconds. There wasn't much to do except to walk and count. Tricks, however, seemed perfectly content with just walking. He looked over to Twilight, noticing her little conundrum.

Tricks pulled out a deck of cards within his cloak. “Would you like to see a magic trick?”

“Being an alicorn, I can already do magic,” Twilight stated bluntly.

Tricks scoffed. “C’mon! Just lemme show you at least one.” He stepped in front of Twilight, halting her in her tracks. “Pleeeeaase?”

Twilight’s gaze drifted to the deck of cards in Tricks’ hand, then focused on his expression. He was only a kid, and really, what could it hurt? “Alright. Maybe one trick.”

Tricks nearly squee’d in excitement as he began to shuffle the cards with the expertise of a poker player. “Alright! Get ready, Twilight! I’m about to shock and amaze you!”

Twilight nearly snorted in laughter as she fixed her vision solely on the cards.

Tricks spread out the cards into a fan and showed them to her. “Pick a card, any card!”

Twilight already knew this trick. It was one of the most basic illusory card tricks out there. Tricks had the cards facing towards him, where he could clearly see. Although it was obvious, it was a trick the mind couldn’t really wrap itself around unless explained. When presented to the participant, it’s the back of the cards that are facing them, and the front of the cards that are facing the illusionist.. However, the participant doesn’t pay attention to that detail. They pay more attention to what the illusionist said, which is “pick a card”. And so, the participant goes through the entire trick without seeing that they’re being fooled.

Twilight decided to play a trick of her own. She picked a card at random and turn it to face her.

Tricks grinned wide like a Cheshire cat, which probably was appropriate for his species. “One pay close attention to that card. Make sure you have it in your mind.”

Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile. She looked at the card, which was a three of hearts, then looked past Tricks. “Is that an Ursa Minor?”

Tricks looked behind himself, and Twilight cast a timed spell on the card. It would be very subtle, an illusion of her own. Tricks turned back, then took Twilight’s card, not giving anything a second thought. He shuffled, then spread them out before picking a card. He showed it to her. It was… a four of spades. “Is this your card?!”

“Nope.” Twilight had the smuggest grin on her face.

Tricks was confused. He looked at the card he had chosen. It wasn’t the three of hearts. “Wait… I didn’t pick this card.”

Twilight kept up her antics. ”Are you sure?” This made Tricks second-guess himself. Maybe he had picked the wrong card?

Twilight couldn’t stifle her laughter any longer. She laughed long and hard, which made Tricks raise an eyebrow.

Twilight had finally finished after a few good minutes of guffawing. “Oh… I’m sorry. You did pick the right card. I merely cast an illusion spell on it to change it after you had pulled it out.

“That’s not very fair,” Tricks protested. “You’re using real magic.”

Twilight flashed him a smile. “And you’re using illusions, which I find to be a little dishonest.”

Tricks went on the defensive. “But it’s for fun. What do you have again illusionists?”

Twilight, with a giggle, shook her head. “I’m just playing with you. I’m sorry. I’m just not into those. Maybe when we find Trixie? She’s an illusionist, just like you.”

Rolling his eyes, Tricks smiled and laughed. “You know, you’re really cool for someone who impersonates Twilight Sparkle. You’re really dedicated to the whole ministry mare impersonation.”

Twilight scoffed. “I assure you, I’m not impersonating anypony. I’m completely original.”

Tricks had his own little smug look now. “Sure, Ministry Mare Twilight Sparkle.”

“Ministry Mare? I think you may have hit your head when I pulled you out of that house a while back. I’m a princess.” Twilight was beginning to wonder if Tricks was okay. She had never even heard of a Ministry Mare.

Tricks immediately corrected her. “Twilight, a princess? I think you’re the one who may have hit your head. Firstly, we haven’t had a princess in over two-hundred years. Second, she never became a princess. Only ponies who were alicorns could be qualified to be princesses, last I checked.”

Was Spike right earlier? Were they really gone for two centuries? That didn’t explain why Tricks was calling her a ministry mare. She looked at her purple dragon companion. “I don’t think we’re in our Equestria anymore…

[End of Chapter]

Author's Note

We'd like to thank Dusk Feather for this chapter's chapter art. We're hoping this project takes off, honestly. We'll be here for years to come.

The Pony and The Fiddle

“Turns out that when you're with folks you care about, you don't have to do much to make that time memorable. Even the simplest of activities can take on a whole lotta meanin'!” - Applejack

Applejack awoke to the sound of trickling water, muffled music, and the feeling of cold wet cement beneath her. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by her own face. Startled, she scrambled to back away and suddenly hit a concrete wall. Getting a better look at her surroundings, she could tell that she was in an alleyway.

As she looked closer, she could see that what she saw that was her own face was actually a poster on the ground, dirty and ragged. On it were the words, “Ministry of Wartime Technology is here for YOU!”

As Applejack looked closer, she saw that her opposite image was wearing a brown overcoat, and her hair didn’t look as lively as it should. Behind her in the image were other ponies wearing strange armor, nothing like Equestria’s Royal Guard. Somethin’ smelled rotten to her, and it weren’t no bad apples.

As she warily exited the alleyway, she saw the bare bones of what used to be society, abandoned buildings as far as she could see. However, she noticed that the building she was next to seemed to be the only active one out of all the deserted ones she could see at the moment. Suspicious, she only peeked her head in, seeing a surprising sight.

The room inside was mostly intact, and filled with plenty of ponies as well. Whatever kind of establishment it was, it looked pretty friendly to her. She could tell that a lot of hard work went into keeping it running, as she could notice the floor was neatly swept, the counters still looked pretty shiny and the lights were still working, albeit a solo one dangling from the ceiling. On the counter, there sat an old radio, playing music. The voice sounded a little familiar to Applejack, but she couldn’t tell who it was..

Stepping in the rest of the way through the entryway, she could see a few eyes darting to look at her direction, making her feel nervous, but that was probably just some ponies being a bit curious. She had helped save Equestria a few times, and no doubt some would recognize her. At least, that was her reasoning.

She made her way over to the bar counter, sitting upon one of the stools. She then spoke up, trying to act casual. “Uh, hey, Ah couldn’t help but notice the destruction outside? Any idea what happened?”

“It rained,” a gray unicorn said, turning off the radio. He then proceeded to clean out a glass with magic and a cloth.

“Really hard,” a large tan-colored hellhound said, coming out of the closet in the back.

Applejack, stunned at the sight of the large beast, said, “What the hay is that?”

The unicorn, looking to Applejack with his green eyes, then looking to the hellhound, smiled and replied, “Oh, didn’t ya hear about that new species runnin’ amock? That right there’s the rare hairless monkey.”

The hellhound rolled his eyes. “Ha ha ha, pony very funny.”

Applejack shook her head, then smiled nervously. “Pardon me. Ah wasn’t thinkin’ fer a minute. Ah’ve just never seen a big feller like you before, except maybe a diamond dog. Y’all wouldn’t happen to be cousins, would ya?”

The hound looked to the unicorn, who looked back, both looking a little confused. The hellhound simply ignored the question and grabbed the broom he had brought out of the closet with him, proceeding to sweep the floor.

“You at least gonna tell me yer name?” Applejack asked, watching the hellhound walk further away. Obviously he didn’t want to be near her.

The silver-maned unicorn cleaning his glass walked up to the bar counter. “That’s just the help. Doesn’t ever really talk much, but when he does, it’s an insult, just like me. I’m Wisecrack, by the way.”

Applejack smiled. “Well, I’m Applejack. Hey, uh, you wouldn’t happen to have a map, would ya, or at least know where I am?”

“Well, yer on the sunny beaches of Horseshoe Bay,” he replied sarcastically.

Applejack was certain this pony was going to give her a bit of trouble “Can you be serious fer a moment?”

“Sure, sure, when Discord returns,” Wisecrack replied.

Now this was annoying. Applejack didn’t want to stick around longer than she had to. “Ah’m serious. Ah really don’t know where this is.”

“Fine, fine, fine.” Wisecrack’s grin spread wide across his face. “We’re on the moon. You’ve been banished. Been eating all of Luna’s cookies, naughty mare, you.”

Applejack, noticing all the empty chairs and tables in the establishment, replied, “Oh, gee, these are some funny jokes. No wonder this place is boomin’.”

Wisecrack’s smile vanished, looking quite surprised. “Alright. I see what you’re getting at. We’re in Manehattan.”

Applejack, sighing, was nearly fed up. “Yer still lyin’.”

Wisecrack, raising a brow, replied, “No, I’m not. This really is Manehattan. Not sure if you just came out of a stable and they didn’t teach you anything, but the bombs dropped two-hundred years ago.”

Applejack, realizing the change in this pony’s attitude, could tell that he was telling the truth, or at least, he thought he was. She looked back at the entryway, remembering all the abandoned buildings. “So… yer sayin’ that this is still Equestria?”

“Unless ya want me to say we’re in the zebra lands, then yes,” Wisecrack answered, a bit concerned about this mare’s level of education.

Applejack’s blood ran a little cold. “Ah, uh, Ah need some cider…”

Very quickly, the unicorn used his magic to grab a small green glass bottle, then slid it across the bar to Applejack, the bottle stopping just short of the edge.

Upon seeing this, Applejack said, “Uh, you didn’t need to do that. Ah don’t even have any bits on me right now.”

“It’s on the house. You look like you’ve seen a ghoul,” Wisecrack replied.

Applejack smiled a bit. “Uh, thanks,” she replied, and tipped back her head a little, drinking some of the cider. Something seemed a little off with it. There was a bit more taste to it, but she wasn’t sure what it was. It was also familiar as well. “Hey, uh, where’d you get this?”

“I get my shipments from the eastern traders. They’re pretty well-guarded, but they’re pretty expensive. I normally charge a little higher for this cider, too. It’s a Sweet Apple Acres brand.”

“That’s funny. Ah don’t remember it bein’ this strong,” said Applejack.

“Whaddya mean? It’s apple cider. It’s always been this strong,” replied Wisecrack, putting his finally-cleaned glass under the counter. Applejack was about to object, but was then interrupted by the sound of a pony clearing their throat.

“Hey! Guess who’s heeeere!~” A pony shouted behind her. Applejack turned her head to see a gray earth pony stallion with a pony-tailed brownish red mane and red rose-colored eyes. Upon seeing his rear end, it was obvious that his cutie mark was a diagonal violin. With only one look at Applejack, the gray pony flashed a small grin, his pearly whites dully reflecting the dim light in the room. “My, my… who’s this lovely mare?” He said in a country accent.

Applejack didn’t like the tone in this stallion’s voice one bit. “Lovely mare?”

“Pardon my manners,” said the gray stallion. “I forgot to introduce myself. Name’s Fiddler, and I’m the greatest musician in all of the badlands.”

Applejack immediately doubted this claim. “Greatest musician, huh?”

“That’s right! I’ve travelled all over, from Ponyville, to Manehattan, and even to Cloudsdale!” Fiddler claimed.

Suddenly, another country voice rang out, this time a mare’s “Fibber! You lyin’ again?!”

Almost instantly after, Fiddler was smacked in the back of the head with a hoof. “Gah! Fuck! I was just braggin’!”

The mare, a partially-yellow-furred and leathery pegasus with cracked glasses who looked way too old to even be alive, squinted her eyes at him. “You ninny! Cloudsdale doesn’t even exist anymore! I thought I raised you better!”

Applejack looked over the mare’s features, noticing that her mane was mostly gone, with only bits of light blue remaining. Her tail, however, was completely gone, with only the nub left.

“Y-Yes, Nana,” he whimpered.

“What was that?!” she asked loudly in a shrill tone.

“I SAID YES, NANA!” Fiddler yelled. He then looked at Applejack. “Sorry, she’s hard o’ hearin’.”

“The lards are gearin?!” The mare named Nana cried out.

Applejack raised a hoof. “Uhh... Cloudsdale doesn’t exist anymore?”

Nana laughed. “That’s a dumb question! Of course not! It’s been gone since the megaspells dropped! I should know, I was there!”

“Not this story again,” Fiddler whispered.

“I’mma tell my story, don’t you fuckin’ interrupt!” Nana shouted. She wrapped a wrinkly foreleg around Applejack and pulled her close. “I was right there! Right in Cloudsdale when the Megaspells darn dropped. My glasses dropped off the edge, and wouldn’t ya know it? It was fate! I flew far enough down to get ‘em that I barely avoided the blast! My wings were singed, and I fell alllll the way down the ground, luckily landin’ on a hay bale! Ya shoulda seen it! Green mushroom clouds going FWOOSH!!! Buncha pegasi fallin’ from the skies and hittin’ the ground, splattin’ like watermelons!”

The very thought made Applejack shudder. “How long ago was this?”

“A MILLION BILLION TRILLION YEARS!” Nana replied. “Give or take a few weeks… Or was it yesterday…? No, wait, I bought new sticks fer muh drum set yesterday from Beat Beat…”

“Nana, the megaspells happened two-hundred years ago,” Fiddler corrected.

“Really?!” Nana asked. “I coulda sworn… But then again, it was so long ago. Bein’ a ghoul don’t help, either. Is a wonder I’m still sane... I never did find muh glasses.”

“Nana, they’re on yer face,” said Fiddler.

“OH MAH CELESTIA, HOW’D YA FIND ‘EM?!” Nana shouted, eyes wide.

“Forgive Nana,” said Fiddler to Applejack. “She’s raised me ever since she found me on the streets and her mind just kinda deteriorated o’er the years.”

“How’s she even still… you know, alive?” Applejack asked, a bit shocked. Granny was old, but not this old… or was she?

“She’s a ghoul. You must be from a stable if you don’t know what that is,” Fiddler remarked.

“I’m not from around here. I don’t even think I’m in the right time,” Applejack replied. “What’s a ghoul, anyhow?”

“Um… Think of it like a zombie in those old black and white movies,” said Fiddler. “Nana here’s one of ‘em, and there’s different types, but uh… I don’t think you need to worry about her too much. She ain’t gonna eat ya anytime soon. Enough about that, though. Got a name?”

“Applejack,” Applejack answered. Fiddler tilted his head, a bit confused, but then just nodded.

“Alright then,” He said as he turned to Nana. “The others need help?”

“They should be fine,” assured Nana. “Smooth Rhythm’s just arguin’ with Dusty Bass again. Those two can never get along.”

“You were the one who was off beat,” shouted a white unicorn mare with green eyes walking in. In her magic, which was the same color as her auburn hair, was an old keyboard with at least two keys missing, having been replaced with rotten wood that had been carved to fit into the empty spots. “My playing is perfect, and I refuse to be told otherwise. I’ve been with this keyboard for ten years, and I have improved ceaselessly.”

She turned to look at Fiddler. “Ready for the show?”

Fiddler nodded. “All set, Smooth,” he said, flashing a smile, which then turned into a frown when he heard the deep voice that Dusty Bass possessed.

“It’s either you or Nana,” said a midnight-black earth pony stallion as he walked in. His black coat was complemented by his silvery mane and yellow eyes. “I don’t mess up, and Fiddler was playing in the same rhythm as me.”

“Y’all sayin’ muh beat’s off?!” Nana yelled. She looked very offended, and it reminded Applejack a lot of Granny Smith whenever something went wrong with a shipment of apple cider.

Fiddler released a sigh and looked at Applejack. “Sorry about that. Okay, look, here’s the truth. I don’t have a cap to my name. I’m just yer average fiddle player who likes to uhh… mingle. Alot,” he said. His eyes’ gaze suddenly fixated on something behind her. “Mmph… If you’ll excuse me.~”

“What the hey? What are ya doin’?” Applejack asked as he walked away.

She then saw him grinning as he approached a black-maned mare from behind. Then, he casually said, “Hey there, missy.~ I ain’t never seen a beautiful mane such as yers.~ I bet there ain’t nopony whose mane can compare.”

The mare turned around, smirked, then spoke in a stallion’s voice. “Thanks. Sorry I’m a stallion, but maybe we can get a drink sometime.”

Fiddler was immediately spooked. “What in the--?! You’re a stallion!”

The black-maned stallion seemed a little offended. “Got a problem with that?”

“Uhh… No, but I’m not really into sta--” Fiddler was about to say, but…

“Not into stallions. I get that alot. Maybe you shouldn’t always begin your conversations with the obvious intent to get somepony into bed with you. Or maybe that’s just your game,” replied the stranger.

Applejack couldn’t hold in her laughter. “Ah’m sorry, Fiddler, but he’s got a point. Keep doing that and you’ll make the same mistake twice.”

Fiddler blushed an intense red. “I… I knew he was a stallion. I was just complimenting. Can’t I compliment someone?”

“So ya like stallions?” Applejack asked.

“I do not,” Fiddler replied. “No offense,” he said to the stranger. “I’ve just never seen the appeal.”

The stranger stallion gave a smirk, “Well, if you change your mind…”

Fiddler seemed very uncomfortable. Applejack could see it in his eyes. “Hm… Ah really don’t think he’s tryin’ to offend,” she said to the stranger.

“That’s fine. I’m not even looking. I was just here for a drink,” replied the black-maned stallion.

Applejack motioned with a hoof for Fiddler to follow her back to the others. “Hey, c’mon, now. Don’t need to cause a scene.”

“Sorry, I was just a little surprised. Third time it’s happened,” Fiddler said as they both walked.

“Do you try to pick up mares all the time?” Applejack asked.

“No,” he scoffed. “Just when we’re stoppin’ fer our performances.”

Applejack tried her best to figure out what was fib and what was truth with this pony. “So, that’s a yes?”

Fiddler bit his lower lip, then confessed. “Fine. Yes, I do. But ya wouldn’t understand.”

“No, not really,” Applejack replied. “Ah don’t typically try to ask out stallions, cuz Ah’m often busy, and Ah’m just not ready yet for commitment. Muh brother’s a different story. Ah reckon’ it’s just cuz they’re both kinda stayin’ busy.”

“Commitment? I don’t go for that. It’s usually a one-and-run with me,” Fiddler said. Applejack was a little concerned with the type of language these ponies were speaking. They were all so open about this stuff. Is this really how ponies here spoke?

“So… how many have you uhh…” Applejack was afraid to hear the answer.

“Uhh… Dozens,” Fiddler answered.

“So it’s none,” Applejack deciphered.

“Shh. Don’t need nopony here knowin’ I’m a virgin,” Fiddler whispered.

Applejack shook her head a little. “Oh, c’mon. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. Just means ya haven’t found the right pony. Ah think you’ve just been goin’ about it all wrong.”

“And who are you? You some kinda love guru?” Fiddler asked, looking skeptical.

“Ah’m just a pony with common sense,” she answered. “Most stallions know ya can’t just waltz up to a mare with pickup lines and actin’ like yer so gosh-dang important. Ya gotta get to know ‘em first. What yer doin’ is just plain… counterproductive.”

Fiddler squinted his eyes a little. “You were about to say stupid, weren’t you?”

“Ah’d rather not say that,” Applejack replied. “No sense in bein’ mean to ponies, either.”

“Huh… Yer really not like other ponies around here, are ya?” Fiddler asked.

“Ah don’t think so.” Applejack wasn’t really offended by this. She wasn’t like most ponies here. They seemed so… rude to her, and a little more open with words than what she was used to.

“Fibber! I need my drums! Where’d ya put ‘em?!” Nana shouted.

“Ain’t they outside?” Fiddler asked, walking over to her.

Nana poked her head outside and, sure enough, there were her drums. “Can ya help me roll ‘em inside?”

“I already got it,” said Dusty Bass, going outside. It was only a few seconds later that he rolled them in.

“Careful with those. Those are the fourth ones we went through this year,” Nana warned. “I don’t wanna have to pay any more caps than I gotta.”

“Nana, these are pre-war drums. Of course they’re gonna break. It’s just a matter of when. I doubt they’ll last ‘til next month,” Dusty commented as he began setting them up.

Fiddle went outside and brought in a violin, carrying it by the neck in his teeth. He went over to the drums, which were now set up by the bar counter, and sat down, placing himself properly with the chin rest.

He started plucking the strings, checking for any wry notes that sounded off key to him. Of course, he found at least one, then he turned the pegs that were in the neck of the violin. He finally held up his bow, then moved it across the strings, the tool gliding gently across with no imperfections, making the instrument release a few satisfactory notes of music.

“Whoo!” Fiddler suddenly shouted, then started playing a fast-paced solo, complemented by Nana, who thudded her hoof against one of the bigger drums as she got into place. Then, picking up her sticks, she played a beat with them, in rhythm with the solo.

A few patrons in the bar turned their heads to see the show, with one even tapping her hoof on her table. Applejack, admittedly, couldn’t help but do the same. It reminded her of the songs Fiddlesticks used to play at every family reunion.

The other two members of the band simply sat back, looking a little bored as they listened. Smooth levitated her keyboard over to where Fiddler and Nana were playing, her magic pressing down on a few notes in a pattern to add to the beat that was already going.

Dusty Bass stood up. “Unicorns are always showin’ off…”

Smooth Rhythm looked over to him with a smug look on her face. “You jealous you don’t have a horn?”

“Fuck that. Watch this,” he said, walking over to the other two, holding his bass across his back. Once he reached them, he slid the straps, putting the bass guitar in his hooves. He plucked at the strings on his instrument with the tips of his hoof, doing what he could to add to the impromptu musical number. The deep sound of his instrument thudded against Applejack’s eardrums, and overall helped with the mishmash of notes that cascaded across the bar.

Even the hellhound was swaying a little back and forth with his broom, treating it as if one might treat a dance partner. He even leaned forward in a bow, dipping it far down before pulling it back up, leaving Wisecrack to snicker at the actions of his canine companion.

“Slow your beat,” Smooth called out.

“Get good,” replied Dusty.

Fiddler wasn’t even paying attention. He was too enamoured with his own playing to really care. Applejack could feel the vibrations of the music through the very floorboards, which made her question how safe the establishment was if the floor was this loose.

The keyboard’s notes sped up to keep in check with Dusty’s playing. Both Fiddler and Nana also noticed this, playing a little faster. Fiddler didn’t seem to mind, but Nana’s face showed signs of discomfort. From what Applejack could see, it seemed like Nana wasn’t used to this increasing pace. Weren’t drummers supposed to establish the rhythm? Why was Dusty leading it?

Applejack then realized something. This was a classic case of sibling rivalry. Although she wasn’t completely sure if they were siblings, she could still feel the same kind of energy in between Dusty Bass and Smooth Rhythm. Back when Applejack was younger, she and her brother would squabble at times over the pettiest things. This was no different.

“Slow down!” Smooth shouted.

“Get on my level!” Dusty shouted back with a smirk. “That’s what ya said last week to me!”

The beat just kept going faster, up to the point where the notes began to become unintelligible. Inevitably, Fiddler’s bow string snapped, two-hundred years of use having taken a toll, silencing his music, the disturbed look on his face making it obvious he wasn’t expecting this.

Fiddler looked at his poor bow. “Aw, shit,” he said in disbelief. He glared at both Dusty and Smooth, looking angry. “Why y’all always fightin’ all the time?” Fiddler asked, his accent getting a little thicker.

Dusty turned his head up, trying to remain prideful. “I’m just provin’ a point.”

“You’re an ass,” said Smooth to Dusty.

“You did the same thing last week,” Dusty argued.

“And you did it the week before that!” Smooth countered.

“And you did it the week before that!” Dusty deflected.

“QUIET, YA FUCKIN’ NINNIES! YER GIVIN’ ME A HEADACHE!” Nana screeched. “Can’t go one day without hearin’ yer yappin…”

“Sorry, Nana,” said both Smooth and Dusty, both of them looking down.

“Raised ya all fer most o’ yer lives and this is how ya turn out?” Nana muttered. She stepped away from her drum set and settled down on a barstool. “Hmph… What was I angry about again…?”

Applejack walked up to Fiddler. She was a little hesitant to ask, but she still needed answers. “Ah um… Ah don’t want to interrupt yer family quarrels, but by any chance, have you seen any of mah friends?”

“What do they look like?” asked Fiddler.

Applejack tapped her chin a few times. “Well, uhh… Let me think. We’ve got ten ponies, with three of ‘em bein’ alicorns. We also got a dragon, a changeling, and a draconequus.”

Fiddler stared for only a brief moment before saying, “Wow, that sounds like quite the party!”

Applejack smiled as she asked, “You wouldn’t happen to know where Ah might be able to find ‘em, would ya? Ah’m not very familiar with this place.”

Fiddler focused his gaze on a very crudely drawn map on the wall by the bar counter. “Well, if yer wantin’ to find a place to wait for ‘em in, I recommend Tenpony tower. They’ve recently become a kind o’ sanctuary fer ponies who can’t find noplace else to go.”

Applejack looked at the map, inspecting the details. “Where on this map are we, and where is Tenpony Tower?”

Fiddler pointed to the southeast part of the city on the map. “We’re right here, and Tenpony Tower is just a little bit to the northwest, near the center of the city. What’s odd is I remember it bein’ elsewhere, but… maybe that’s just faulty memory.”

“So Ah just gotta walk over there,” Applejack deduced.

Fiddler chuckled. “One does not simply walk through Manehattan.”

“What? Why?” Applejack asked.

“Well, considerin’ y’all got radroaches, ghouls, raiders, and allll sorts of other nasty critters, you’d need at least three things: a partner, a gun, and a steady supply o’ health potions,” Fiddler explained.

“Ah don’t know what a gun is,” Applejack said, raising a brow.

“Really? Were ya livin’ under a rock?” Fiddler questioned.

“Naw. I was raised on a farm,” Applejack clarified. Fiddler blinked several times, but accepted her answer.

“A gun,” Fiddler explained, “is a metal device that goes ‘bang bang’ while makin’ things dead.”

Applejack gave a look of confusion. “Dead?”

“Yeah, dead. How else are ya gonna get those no-good critters off yer back?” Fiddler asked.

“Ah could just uh… run away? Or ask ‘em to leave? Maybe buck ‘em? I’m pretty sure a good kick would be enough to teach ‘em.” Applejack answered.

“Stables don’t have the best education, do they?” Fiddler asked.

“Ah’ve no idea what yer talkin’ about,” Applejack replied.

Fiddler’s eyes darted to the side, his muzzle scrunching up. He looked as if he were thinking something over. “Well… I don’t think I can just let you go out there. I doubt you’d survive on yer own. Hell, I don’t know how you survived so far.”

“Now listen here,” said Applejack. “Ah’ve never been to this place before now, but that don’t mean Ah can’t handle mahself. Ah just kinda woke up in some alley after bein’ sucked through some portal is all. This was just a mistake.”

“Uh huh,” Fiddler replied slowly. He then looked at Nana. “Hey, Nana? Weren’t we headed to Tenpony Tower after tonight?”

“I think we was supposed to go to The Lucky Mare, first, and then Tenpony Tower,” answered Nana.

“Nana, The Lucky Mare was last month,” clarified Fiddler.

Nana rubbed the back of her head, her mind drawing a big blank as she tried to think about it. “Was it? I could’ve sworn otherwise…”

“It’s okay, Nana. Sometimes I forget what I had for breakfast,” Dusty said, trying to reassure her it wasn’t just her sometimes.

“Well, we can head out tomorrow, but tonight, we need to entertain,” reminded Nana. “We still need the caps. Don’t forget that we still gots to buy some more supplies!”

Wisecrack raised a brow. “Mhm… Oh, don’t worry, just slack off. I’ll pay ya anyways,” he said.

“Really?” Smooth asked.

“No,” Wisecrack replied, a smile on his face.

Applejack put a hoof to her chin. “Maybe Ah can help?”

“And what do you know about music, missy?” Nana asked, eyeing Applejack with suspicion. “I ain’t seein’ a trombone, nor a guitar, nor any drum set on ya!”

“Well, naw, but Ah’ve organized a few family reunions, includin’ the music setup,” assured Applejack. “If yer havin’ trouble keepin’ in sync, Ah can help with it.”

“You think you can really get these two to get along?” Nana pointed to both Dusty Bass and Smooth Rhythm.

Applejack smiled as she waltzed over to the two. “Aw, ain’t nothin’ but an old case o’ siblin’ rivalry.”

She wrapped a foreleg around both Dusty and Smooth. “Don’t worry! We can get you two to play together as if y’all were identical twins!”

“If you can get them to get along, I’ll eat a radroach,” commented Fiddler. “How do you plan to do that?”

“By gettin’ them to be honest with each other,” Applejack replied.

“How’s honesty going to help them?” Nana asked.

“You’ll see,” said Applejack. She looked at Dusty and then asked, “When you were playin’ music, why did you speed up?”

“It was my way to get back at Smooth for doing the same thing last week,” Dusty answered, his eyes darting in Smooth Rhythm’s directions. “You know, eye for an eye?”

“And why’d you do it last week?” Applejack asked Smooth Rhythm.

“Because he did it the week before,” Smooth answered.

“Now, hold on a minute. Somepony had to have started it first. Does anypony have anything to say?” Applejack asked.

Smooth Rhythm seemed to be looking away while Dusty just shifted his gaze between Nana and Fiddler.

Applejack pressed a little more. “Dusty. Do you have something to say?”

Dusty clenched his jaw. The stallion looked back at Applejack.

“Dusty,” Applejack said. “C’mon, now.”

“Fine! It was me!” Dusty confessed. “But it was unintentional. I was just… I was playin’ the music, gotta a little too into it, and the next thing I know, Smooth’s gettin’ on my back about it playin’ too fast.”

“You couldn’t just slow down?” Applejack asked.

“I did, but I was prideful. I’ve been playin’ that bass for years. I don’t take criticism well.”

“Hey. I’ll bet Smooth Rhythm’s had her fair share of mistakes. Ain’t nopony perfect. Am I right?” Applejack asked Smooth.

Smooth Rhythm turned up her muzzle. “I don’t make mistakes.”

Applejack gave her a more serious glare, which made Smooth look a little uncomfortable.

“Oh, fine! Yes! I make mistakes!” Smooth admitted.

“Like what?” Applejack asked.

Smooth Rhythm rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I skip notes to catch up with the others…”

“Wait, so I wasn’t going too fast?!” Dusty asked, looking surprised.

Applejack, smiling, patted Dusty on the back and turned to face Smooth Rhythm. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with it. As long as yer tryin’ yer hardest, I think they can stand to have a few notes skipped. Practice makes perfect.”

Smooth took a deep breath, then released a sigh. “Yeah… Alright.”

Applejack patted Smooth on the back this time. “Ya feelin’ better now that ya got that off yer chest?”

“You know… I kinda am,” answered Smooth with a small smile.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

A stream of flames shot past Ember as she swiftly moved to the side. For the past two hours, she had been locked in combat with another dragon, his appearance being similar to Garble’s, but with broader shoulders and bigger, but slightly tattered wings. She was on the outskirts of what appeared to be Manehattan, but she couldn’t really tell. All things pony looked the same to her. The bipedal blue beast in front of her lunged, mouth wide open, full of sharp teeth. Ember just jumped out of the way, her wings propelling her backwards, the enemy’s long muzzle snapping shut, catching nothing but the air.

“What is your problem?! I am the Dragon Lord! You should be listening to me!” Ember shouted with anger.

The dragon snorted. Smoke spewed out from his nostrils as he inched closer. “I don’t care if you’re Princess Celestia herself. You’re in my territory!”

Ember wasn’t going to let this beast push her around. She’d been through too much in the past to let some bozo win. She flapped her wings, sending her up onto the air. She then unleashed her fiery breath, the flames flying against her opponent’s scales. It was no good, though, as he looked unphased. Her flames weren’t hot enough for him to show any respect or fear.

He flapped his own wings, soaring up, the top of his head directly impacting into Ember’s gut and throwing her off guard. The dull pain stuck with her as she scrambled to fly back from this punk. Ember held her claws to her stomach, growling, her sharp teeth bared.

“Pfft! You’re fucking weak!” the opponent shouted. “What kind of dragon are you?!”

Oh, that was the last straw. Ember flew forth, tackling the dragon and dragging him down with her, his body skidding across the rough road’s surface. They both tumbled, with Ember unable to keep flying, the friction of the road slowing her down and causing her to tangle up with him.

They both wrestled, with Ember inevitably on top. “You’re weak!” she shouted before bashing her head against his, her thick skull knocking him out. Panting, she stayed on top of him for a while, slowly regaining her strength before standing back up. “But at least you put up a good fight.”

Dusting off her scales, she looked around her. “Geez… And I thought dragons made a mess. Where are all the ponies?”

The city seemed barren, with no hints of life save for a few giant roaches and this dragon. Ember walked over to what appeared to be an abandoned wagon of sorts on the side of the road. Inside, she could see the bones of a pony. Seeing this made her body tense up a little, but she quickly regained her composure. Something devastating happened here, but what?

She could hear groaning from behind her, her opponent slowly regaining consciousness. This was her cue to leave. She didn’t have any time to waste. She needed to find the others. With a powerful flap of her wings, she took off, looking back to see the dragon sitting up and holding his head, her headbutt having obviously left behind some lasting pain.

She looked on ahead as she flew, and although she had won the battle, she couldn’t help but wonder… “What happened here?”

. . . S t u d y G u i d e . . .

Welcome.

Please enter password.

[*************]

Password Accepted.

Level 6 Personnel Has Accessed File #109235-D9.

“Dragons, balefire, and megaspells are three of the worst things to have ever happened to Equestria in my opinion. The Enclave have been experimenting with balefire bombs since the bombings, altering them and going so far as to utilize unethical measures in order to get accurate data, using paid citizens and soldiers as test subjects.

Through these experiments, we’ve been able to deduce many things, the most important being how balefire radiation affects ponies and how it can corrupt their minds. So far, we have only had one case of possible “possession”, and even then, we can still chalk up the incident to brain damage, although it doesn’t explain other things that happened during the incident.

“Other members of the science committee disagree with my hypothesis, and have even gone so far as to mock me, but they fail to realize that, as a scientist, one needs to question everything, and I mean everything.

“During the incident, we were using a regular citizen to test the effects of balefire, as we have done with dozens of previous subjects. Upon exposing them to balefire radiation, we detected unusually high concentrations of necromantic magic, more than the usual amount when releasing balefire radiation.

“At the time, the subject was outfitted with sensors, and we were immediately made aware of their heart failure. Seeing the subject still moving, we were originally going to list the event under ghoulification, but were caught off guard by extra traits, such as the emission of balefire from their eyes.

“What was more interesting to me was that the subject began to speak in an unknown language. From what we could tell, the dialect was partially zebra. Field Study and I had a debate over whether we should dissect the subject or to let it live, but unfortunately, the possession was only present for an hour before leaving, the subject finally dying. All the recorded dialogue was stored away under a higher-up’s authority, out of my own reach. I’m still a bit pissed…

“Although balefire is an enigma at times, we do believe we’ve figured out how we can enhance its devastating effects through [BEEP]. I find it humorous that we can figure out how to create weapons of mass destruction, but we can’t figure out how to fix a coffee machine.”

. . . S t u d y E n d . . .

Applejack tapped her hoof in rhythm with the music as the band played. Fiddler was into it, as well as Nana, Dusty Base, and Smooth Rhythm, all working together in perfect harmony to create a country beat that was hard to defeat.

A few of the customers were dancing with each other, forgetting the troubles of the wasteland for just this one night, moving in tandem with the melody that flowed throughout the room. This was something that made Applejack smile, seeing ponies dancing, having a good time and just letting go of their worries. Applejack felt a twinge of satisfaction knowing she was able to help resolve the problem and allowing the show to go on as planned.

A grunt was sounded besides Applejack. She looked to her left to see the hellhound from earlier, sitting on the barstool next to her. He was nodding his head in cue with the beat, looking at the band. Applejack was a bit unsettled by the sheer size of the creature, but she wouldn’t let that stop her from trying to make conversation.

“So uh, you sure do like music, don’tcha?” Applejack smiled awkwardly. The hound’s eyes gazed upon her, the beast furrowing his brows and tapping his fingers together. He simply grunted once again. Applejack then asked, “You got a name?”

“Rufus,” the large canine sighed, looking annoyed.

“So what’s yer story?” Applejack asked. The hellhound grunted. Applejack then gently nudged his shoulder. “C’mon! No need to be shy!”

Rufus hesitated. “Was separated from my pack. Found this place. Worked here for two months. Knew pony here from before.”

Applejack shifted her position a little on her barstool to get comfortable. “How’d you two meet?”

“Not pony’s business,” Rufus answered.

“Alright, alright,” said Applejack. “Ah won’t press too much. So you and Wisecrack are friends?”

Rufus simply grunted again and got up, walking away, leaving Applejack in her curiosity.

Wisecrack, leaning over the counter, whispered, “I used to know him back when we were both young. He was a pup. I was a foal. Two worlds, but for some reason, same sense of humor.”

“Huh… That’s pretty neat,” Applejack commented.

“Yeah. The really neat thing is, though, was his parents were a buncha walruses,” Wisecrack added.

Applejack raised a brow. “Was that another lie?”

“Not a lie. Just uh… an exaggerated truth,” Wisecrack answered. Then, seeing Applejack’s look of annoyance, added, “Okay, fine. It was just one walrus… and a baboon.”

“Look, if yer not gonna tell me, that’s fine and dandy, but just quit messin’ with muh head?”

“Fiiiine. We were both raised by hellhounds,” Wisecrack said.

“Now Ah know that’s a lie,” said Applejack. However, when she saw Wisecrack’s neutral expression… “Oh, wait… yer tellin’ the truth this time, aren’t ya?” Applejack asked.

“Mhm. After a while, we got separated, mostly cuz a lot of hellhounds don’t like the idea of raisin’ ponies,” replied Wisecrack. “The mum and dad took Rufus while the uncle looked after me. Needless to say I was a bit lonely after that, but I got by. Eventually Rufus and I found each other again just a little over two months ago. I’m hopin’ to catch up, but he seems to have gotten a bit of that stubbornness from his folks.”

“How often do you two talk?” Applejack asked.

Wisecrack turned his head, looking at the shelves on the wall. “Hm… He doesn’t really seem to be interested in talking all that much. I remember when we were smaller, we’d talk all the time. Now he acts just like his folks.”

“Well, that’s a darn shame,” Applejack replied. “Maybe there’s somethin’ we can do about it?”

Wisecrack cracked a smile. “Maybe, but fer now, it’s best to leave him alone. It’s gettin’ late in the night, and he gets grumpier with each passing hour until he falls asleep… One time I caught him at well-past midnight throwin’ toasters at ponies.”

“Was that part a lie?” Applejack asked.

“Hmm… You tell me,” Wisecrack smirked

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Celestia woke up to the sound of hoofsteps on concrete. Damp air surrounded her, chilling her body. Upon opening her eyes, she was greeted to the horrific sight of jail cells, each holding an alicorn. It was then, to her surprise, that she found herself within her own cell.

“What’s happening…? Where am I?” Celestia asked as she came to stand. She was surrounded by three concrete walls and in front of her, one of rusted iron bars. She tried to remember what happened, and then it came to her like a sharp knife embedding itself in her mind, something that made her wonder how she could have forgotten, even for a moment. She and Luna were fighting a very strange pony who was a little too stab-happy.

Upon her neck was a collar, strapped a little too tightly for her liking. Why was this on her? As she took a step, she felt a dull pain in her left hind leg, taking her mind off the collar. Looking behind her, she could see that it had been bandaged up, splotches of red dotting the white cloth. She remembered having been wounded in her fight earlier.

“She is awake,” said a mare’s voice. Celestia looked ahead of her to see the other alicorn in their cell. The alicorn in question was a dark green, with eyes that seemed to give off a sense of judgement. “You must have been very careless to let some common pony bring you here.”

“Hold on a moment. You’re in the same position as I,” Celestia replied, offending the other alicorn.

“We could have easily escaped had it not been for a minor mishap,” the green alicorn replied.

“Sure,” Celestia replied, feigning sincerity. She looked at the other cells, noting their occupants’ similar appearances. “You’re all alicorns?” Celestia asked.

“Yes,” replied the green one across from her, “but we do not recognize you as one of us.”

“That sounds a little high and mighty, don’t you think?” Celestia noted.

The green one shook her head. “Not that. We mean we do not recognize you at all. Who are you?”

To which Celestia replied with, “You don’t recognize me?”

“We do not,” replied the green alicorn.

“Well, I am Princess Celestia,” replied the solar princess, smiling serenely and unfurling a wing as she gave a small curtsy.

The green alicorn backed up a bit in her own cell, her expression giving off an aura of both confusion and pain.

Upon seeing this, Celestia asked, “Are you alright?”

The green alicorn shook her head. “Yes. We are fine. Just something coming back to us. It is… good to see you again?”

Celestia was a little confused. “You’ve met me before?”

The green alicorn rubbed her temple. “We don’t… I mean, I don’t know?”

A rather violent cough interrupted the conversation as a familiar face opened a door previously unseen and entered, bright light flooding the dark, enclosed space in between the jail cells.

“Wait… You’re the one who attacked my sister and I!” Celestia shouted.

Upon closer inspection, Celestia took note of his dark green coat, not having really paid attention to it during the fight from before. His greasy charcoal-colored mane reflected the light that filtered into the room. He looked at her and gave a rotten grin, his teeth yellowed and chipped in several spots. “Eeeheheheheh! Didn’t think I’d catch ya, didja?!

As Celestia lit up her horn, the unicorn pony chuckled and held up a remote. “Not so fast, missy! One wrong move and I’ll push this button! Then that collar of yours goes kaboom! You’ll be in pieces all over the room!”

Celestia calmed herself, spell fading from her horn as she put a hoof up to her collar. “Tell me where my sister is!” Celestia demanded, more focused on Luna than anything.

“Sister…?” The unicorn seemed confused, then his eyes widened in realization. “Oh! The blue one! She’s in another room. If you wanna see her again, you’ll do whatever I say!”

“What do you want?” Celestia asked, her stern line of sight refusing to move off the unicorn.

“That depends on what the customer wants,” replied the unicorn. “You see, I sell to very unique clientele, stupid ponies who I trick into thinking that alicorn parts can be used to make special potions. Sure, I could sell them other things, but hunting alicorns is too much fun! Gives me that rush of superiority! ‘If you love doing something, never do it for free,’ my ma always told me.”

Celestia stepped back. “Monstrous. You should be ashamed!”

The unicorn cackled. “Shame? In the wasteland? Out here, we do what needs to be done!”

“Best be careful,” said the green alicorn from within her cell. “You’re talking to Princess Celestia.”

“That’s stupid,” said the unicorn, turning to berate the green alicorn. This was when Celestia took her chance. She grabbed the remote in her magic and hovered it over to herself. Turning back and seeing the remote in Celestia’s possession, the unicorn shouted, “Hey! Give that back!”

“I’m sorry,” said Celestia. “Is this yours?” She smiled, then lit up her horn, casting a golden aura around her collar. It suddenly vanished, and a thudding boom was heard coming from outside the room.

The unicorn stared in bewilderment. “What in the…? None of the other alicorns could do that!”

“I think you’ve been misinformed on what alicorns can do,” Celestia said, her golden aura encasing the metal bars, heating them red hot and bending them, metallic screeching filling the room as the bars easily moved at her command. Tossing them aside, she said, “I move the sun, a very large celestial body. Bars are not that hard.” Celestia wore a serious expression as she walked forward, her judging eyes looking down on the unsettled unicorn. “What is your name?” Celestia suddenly asked.

The unicorn stammered, “What? M-My name? Uh… Cash Grab?”

Celestia tsked at him. “Cash Grab, you should be ashamed of your actions. I’m not mad, no. I’m just disappointed. I will have no choice but to give proper punishment.”

Cash Grab walked backwards towards the door leading out of the room. “Stay back! I have a uh,” he suddenly grabbed a metal pipe laying on a wooden crate next to the door in his magic, “I have a weapon!”

Celestia merely grabbed the pipe in her own golden glow, the metal turning bright red before melting into a puddle on the floor. “Tell me where my sister is, and I might go easy on you.”

Cash Grab cowared “Other room! Last cell down the hall!” he frantically shouted.

Celestia turned her gaze towards the cell holding her new green alicorn acquaintance, ripping the bars out of place and dropping all but one with her magic. Celestia then bound the sleasy unicorn within it, wrapping the metal around him and entrapping him. Celestia smirked and said, “I think you need to take a few minutes to think about your actions.”

The green alicorn walked out, a little cautious. Her eyes locked onto Celestia’s and, after a few seconds, the alicorn said, “Thank you.”

Celestia nodded with a smile. “And what is your name?” Celestia asked.

The alicorn hesitantly answered with “Rusty Caravan, I think?”

Celestia tilted her head to the side a little ways. “You think?” she asked. The alicorn nodded, looking like she wasn’t really sure. Celestia, simply wishing to find her sister, disregarded it for now. She’d press into it later. “Come on. I need to find my sister.”

Cash Grab seemed to be very disgruntled. “You’re just going to leave me here?!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Celestia said. “I’ll be back to decide your punishment after I find my sister.” Celestia then started toward the next room while calling back to Rusty, “Are you coming?”

Rusty nodded, then followed Celestia. Upon entering the next room, it was noticed to be almost identical to the prior one, with cells on both sides, and one door on the other end opposite from Celestia. Walking past the cells, Celestia inevitably arrived at the final one, where she found Luna, bouncing an old ball against the wall with her magic, looking bored. From what Celestia could see, Luna’s collar had also been removed.

Noticing Celestia, Luna said, “It took you long enough.”

Celestia was puzzled. “Why didn’t you escape? I see your collar is gone, too.”

“We felt no need to,” said Luna, bouncing the ball repeatedly against the wall. “There was an alicorn across from us, and we decided to have a chat. Also, I must admit, I’ve been feeling lazy today, and knew you’d come for me.”

From behind Celestia, Rusty said, “If this is your sister, then I believe we’ve accomplished our short-lived mission. If this is the case, I’d like to free my imprisoned companions.”

Celestia turned back to Rusty and smiled. “Of course. We may start in a moment once my sister breaks herself out of her cell.”

“So you have come all this way here to not open my cell. I suppose that is fine,” said Luna, turning her muzzle upward. Celestia couldn’t quite understand why her sister was acting this way.

“Fine,” said Celestia, not wanting to push this further, “but I want you to help me with the others.” She then ripped the bars from the cell, the metal having most certainly grown weak and weary over a long period of time.

Once the bars were cleared, Luna stepped out with a mock smile. “I knew you would rescue me.”

Celestia facehoofed, this was going to be a long day.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

It was morning, and Applejack was ready to head out with Fiddler and his unique family. Walking over to Fiddler, Applejack couldn’t help but ask, “So how long is it gonna be ‘til we can reach this tower?”

Fiddler, looking down the street, as if checking for danger, replied, “I reckon it’ll be a day or two. From here, we gotta walk over to an old abandoned record shop, then spend the night there. We often stop there when travelling in between somewhere here and Tenpony.”

“Well, we’d better get started then,” said Applejack, smiling.

On his back, Dusty Bass carried a large sack made up of random pieces of mismatched cloth, holding all of the instruments. The raw strength reminded her a lot of her brother, Big Macintosh, who could perform quite a few feats of strength as he worked along the farm. “Let’s get to it. I don’t wanna run into any raiders when it gets dark.”

“Raiders?” Applejack asked.

“Ponies who’ll ambush and steal from ya,” replied Nana. “Most of the time they’ll try to kill ya, too.”

“Sounds gosh-dang awful,” Applejack commented.

Smooth Rhythm smirked. “Wait’ll you see what they eat. They’ll catch ya, skin ya alive, and roast ya over an open fire!”

Applejack shuddered. “Um… Then I guess we should start walkin’ before it gets too dark, huh?”

“Then let’s get to it!” Nana cried out, taking the first few steps.

And so, agreeing on leaving now, they started on their journey to Tenpony Tower. What was next in store for Applejack was anypony’s guess, but she wouldn’t let uncertainty phase her. All that mattered to her was getting to her friends.

Author's Note

Here you guys are. I'm sorry this one took longer than expected. Starting work on the next chapter now.

This one might be a personal favorite of mine, mostly because of the bartender and the jokes we got from some of the people on the team. I'm a sucker for sarcasm.

Up next is Rarity, y'all! Get ready!

Dungeons and Dragons

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had been walking for several days now. It was fortunate for them that they had been transported here with a few school lunches that had also been flung into the portals with them. At first, Apple Bloom had panicked, wondering how they were going to get back home. Luckily, Scootaloo had assured her they would if they stuck together, reminding her that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had never given up before.

But now, they had run out of food, and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep going, especially with these strange creatures they’d been encountering. While these creatures hadn’t attacked yet, they had been staying in the shadows, hiding behind dead trees and boulders, their faces devoid of eyes and lower jaws, a freaky, slithering tongue often hanging out from the bottoms of their faces.

As the sun was rising, Apple Bloom looked in her bag. There wasn’t a single speck of food left, and she was afraid of starving. Looking back at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, she asked, “Do either of you know why this happened?”

“I thought we talked about this earlier,” said Scootaloo. “Spooky portals just… opened up and swallowed us whole! And now we’re here!”

“No, no, I know that,” said Apple Bloom. “I’m talking about why, though. Did we come into contact with some kind of freaky artifact and didn’t even know it?”

“I don’t think so,” said Sweetie Belle. “If I remember right, portals have been appearing around Ponyville lately, but they only vanished as soon as they appeared.”

“Didn’t it start happening the moment Twillight and her friends went missing?” questioned Scootaloo.

“Yeah…” said Apple Bloom. “That is a weird coincidence. Maybe… Maybe it’s some supervillain who’s taking advantage now that Twilight and the others are gone!”

“That doesn’t sound good…” said Sweetie Belle, a look of concern on her face.

Continuing their walk, Apple Bloom’s eyes caught sight of something in the distance. “Hey, it’s a city!”

“Finally, we can get some help!” Scootaloo shouted to the sky.

Sweetie Belle’s mind seemed to be elsewhere, as she didn’t say anything. Noticing this, Apple Bloom asked her, “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t think we were the only ones pulled into those portals,” said Sweetie Belle. “I remember somepony else being pulled in with us.”

“Wait, you do?” asked Scootaloo. “Who?”

“Button Mash?” answered Sweetie. “But he didn’t appear out the other end with us.”

“Who is Button Mash again?” questioned Apple Bloom.

“He’s that one pony,” said Scootaloo. “With… uh… the cutie mark… and the… uh… I don’t know.”

“Gee, that really narrows it down,” said Sweetie Belle with heavy sarcasm, an unamused expression on her face. She then looked up at the sunrise, then said, “I don’t know why I know who Button Mash is. All I know is it feels like I’ve hung out with him before.”

“Soooo, you’re making up ponies now, is that it?” questioned Scootaloo.

“No, I’m not!” shouted Sweetie. “I’m serious! There’s a pony named Button Mash!”

“Uh, girls, can we focus on getting to the city?” said Apple Bloom, trying to keep the group together. “We can’t keep arguing.”

“Oh, alright,” said Scootaloo, looking at Sweetie Belle with a small hint of suspicion.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Button Mash was an average pony. A gamer at heart, he always felt he could take on any adventure, simply because he’d gone through a multitude of them… in his videogames. But this wasn’t some videogame. This was a nightmare, and he didn’t know how to respawn should something go wrong.

Walking along the outskirts of some city he’d never seen before, he was feeling paranoid. His fur stood up each time he heard some bump or clatter from a far distance. As he walked along one of the outer alleyways, he came across a half-shattered mirror, seeing himself.

Looking back at him were his two light-vermillion eyes. He had a brown coat of fur and moderately scarlet hair, with a stripe of a light shade of brown through it. Atop his head was his beloved hat: a propeller beanie, a gift from his older brother. It had red, yellow, and orange stripes, and the tiny fanblades were a grassy green.

Looking at himself a little more, he realized that he probably wouldn’t survive here. He wasn’t some valiant knight, nor some soldier, nothing like in his favorite games. He was still himself. However, he kept his chin up as best he could.

“I-I’m not afraid,” he said to himself. “This is just a bad dream. And if it’s not, I’ll just find my way back home!”

Still walking, he exited out of one alleyway and came across a large warehouse. All across the metal door as he approached it was green spray paint, spelling, “Keep Out!!!”

Button Mash took one look at one of the doors, looked around him, then jumped as he heard another noise, the sound of a trash can falling over. He quickly opened the door and went inside, slamming it behind him and heavily panting.

“I’m not scared, I’m just retreating! It’s a valid tactic!” he shouted to himself.

Oh, yeah. Epic gamer moment™.

The inside of the warehouse was pitch black. Button Mash quickly moved his hoof along the wall, looking for the light switch. When he finally found one, he flipped the switch to reveal he was in a hallway, one with doors on either side that all led to smaller offices.

Looking through each office, he found they were mostly empty of furniture, with only old scraps of metal piled up in them. It looked like somepony was just throwing things in them. He wasn’t feeling too confident, as this whole warehouse had a creep factor of eleven.

It was only when he opened the door at the very end of the hallway did the creep factor drop down from eleven to zero, and quickly escalated the awesomeness factor.

It was a large storage room filled with all kinds of arcade machines and large computers. Vastly colorful RGB lights were strung along most of these machines, giving them a professional gaming setup look. Was Button Mash in videogame heaven?

“Woah…! This is everything I’ve ever dreamed of!” he said to himself as he walked around the room. Each arcade machine had games both familiar and foreign to him, impressing him more and more. Whoever was running this setup must’ve been the coolest pony in all of Equestria.

Walking up to an arcade machine, he read the title. There was no possible way it was running on this machine. It was one of his favorite portable games, on a professional setup, no less: Humgonia, a game where he played the role of a knight, assigned by the king to defeat evil wizards known as the Alixes.

Every single neuron in his brain was sparking in excitement as he hit the start button, the familiar theme of the game playing. One little game wouldn’t hurt, right? It wasn’t like anypony was here right now.

He spawned in normally, going through the usual cutscenes. He hadn’t played this game in a while, but he was still very familiar with its mechanics. It was a sidescrolling beat-em-up centered around swordplay and magic. His goal was to get to the next village and save it from an incoming army.

He played for a few hours, exploring each level, the monsters getting slightly tougher each time he advanced. It was a fairly simple game, with seemingly only one direction to go, and that was to the right, but with some special inputs, Button was able to unlock hidden rooms where he could get special power ups and weapons.

Upon his third hour into the game, he had already collected all the weapons he had needed to fight the final boss. Yet, the moment he entered the boss’ room, he heard an angry voice behind him.

“Hey! What are you doing on my games?!”

He quickly paused the game and whirled around, seeing a filly with a charcoal-colored fur coat and pitch-black mane with fluorescent green stripes. She had a rather short tail, and she was wearing a dark green hoodie. Her cutie mark was a white game controller with colorful buttons on it.

“Wait, this is your game?” said Button Mash. “You’ve got the coolest setup in all of Equestria!”

The filly blinked in surprise and confusion, a smirk on her face as she grew smug. “Did you just compliment my setup?”

“Yeah?” Button replied. “I don’t know anypony back home who has something as cool as this!”

The filly squinted her eyes and walked over, looking at the screen. “You know you’re not supposed to be in here, though, right? Hey, wait, is that the Sword of Heavens?!”

Button looked at the screen, seeing his character with a blue and white blade in their mouth. “Yeah! Pretty cool, right?!”

“How did you get that?! I’ve been looking everywhere for it!” the filly asked.

“I could teach you!” said Button Mash. “The room it’s in needs a very special combo to unlock! It’s hidden, too! I used to spend hours looking for it!”

“You only took hours?! I spent DAYS!” said the filly. “Who are you?”

“I’m Button Mash!” said the gamer colt proudly. “What’s your name?!”

“I’m Gamepad!” replied the filly. “Weird coincidence you have that name. It’s the same as… never mind, it’s not important. Anyways, teach me how to get that weapon?”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Fluttershy was nervous. Considering how long it had been since the megaspells, dragon culture could have changed entirely for all she knew. So, how was she going to connect with them in a meaningful way without knowing how they did things nowadays?

Zone took notice of the look on Fluttershy’s face. “Miss Shy? Is something wrong?”

The mare turned to look at the zebra. “If you were to come face to face with a dragon today, what gift would you present to them?” asked Fluttershy.

“I would not give them a gift,” said Zone. “I would stand my ground and try not to die.”

Fluttershy then turned to Taipan. “What would you give to a dragon for a gift?”

Taipan snapped her pincers and proudly said, "My venom!"

Fluttershy winced, then looked to her other friends, specifically the wastelanders. Seeing the big hellhound walking beside Rarity, she asked Brute, “What would you give a dragon as a gift?”

“Brute? Gift dragon?” responded the overgrown hellhound. “No, Brute punch dragon!”

Fluttershy sighed and turned to Fiddler, who walked beside Applejack. “Do… do you know what dragons like these days?”

Fiddler and Applejack exchanged glances for a brief moment before Fiddler replied, “Look, Fluttershy, I know you’re doin’ your best to be the Element of Kindness, but dragons just aren’t kind. You’re better off staying away from them.”

There had to be someone who knew what dragons liked. Fluttershy looked behind her, seeing Pinkie and Lucky Break in the back of the group. “Maybe Lucky knows?” said Fluttershy, with a hopeful smile.

Lucky chuckled nervously. “Uh, Flutbutt, this is pretty much a no-brainer. No one here knows what dragons like other than eating ponies, because, well, hardly anyone ever sees a dragon out here in the wasteland.”

“Hey, why don’t we ask Spike?!” suggested Pinkie.

“Spike?” muttered Fluttershy to herself.

“I think Pinkie might be referring to the, uh, other Spike,” said Dusk Feather. “You know, the big, mean, and scary one?”

“Aw, he doesn’t look so mean,” said Tricks in the back. The abyssinian seemed to be focused on his playing cards, shuffling them as he walked to pass the time. “Wish I could ride a dragon. Imagine flying on the back of one and looking cool!”

“Heh, for a land creature, that would be pretty awesome,” said Rainbow Dash with a smirk. “Hey, maybe we could charge ponies for a ride on Watcher’s back!”

“Please tell me that’s a joke,” said Dusk.

“Of course it is,” said Dash. “It would be pretty funny, though.”

“Watcher…?” said Fluttershy to herself. “Where would he be again?”

“Last I remember, he was at the tower, but he may have gone back up to his mountain,” said Rarity. “It wouldn’t hurt to go to the tower, would it? He could even fly us to the Dragon Lands if he wanted to.”

“You’re right!” said Fluttershy. “We need to get back to the tower and fast!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the group changed directions. Instead of walking to the Dragon Lands without a clue as to how to greet them, they preferred to begin their long way back to the tower in pursuit of Watcher’s advice.

Thus, a day went by without any incident that would hinder the return journey.

The coming day, however, which began as a bright and promising morning, quickly turned into a cloudy and gloomy afternoon, foreshadowing a strong storm that was about to descend upon the group.

Light droplets were falling on the sandy surface already as the faint, gentle flow of air that once was capable of caressing a pony's coat morphed into a noticeable breeze that trailed peculiar scents and aromas; blood, putrefaction, the pungent smell of gunpowder and the terrifyingly exaggerated aroma of laser-scorched flesh - traces of what had become of this world.

“Curse my nose,” Fluttershy heard Lucky Break mutter. They were still on the trail, and while the wasteland seemed to be devoid of any life, Taipan seemed to act up, having a suspicion they weren’t alone.

“The wind doesn’t smell right,” she remarked as the wind picked up from the west.

“What are you on about, exactly?” asked Applejack, turning her head in both directions while trying her best to ignore the stench. “Kinda hard to tell what yer talkin’ about with some of the stench.”

“Of course not, weak nose.” Taipan said as she reached up and poked Applejack’s snoot. “Predator smell and It smells close-ish.”

Dusk’s nose wrinkled up. “Now that you mention it… I think I do smell something… rotting?”

Before any conclusion could be drawn, a shrill shriek sounded from the west, a four-legged figure running at them at breakneck speed, snarling. As all eyes laid on it, the creature jumped towards Fluttershy, a loud crack came from what seemed to be all around them before a bullet whizzed right through the snarling figure’s head, their cranium splattering open and the monster falling to the ground.

Fluttershy blinked, eyes wide in horror as bits of the creature’s skull landed in her mane. Looking down and hyperventilating, she stammered, “Gh-Gh-Gh-Ghoul!” as she stumbled back from the fallen corpse.

Lucky Break walked over, examining the body. “Well, it’s definitely dead dead now.”

Looking down at the deceased ghoul, Dusk Feather rubbed her chin. “This was the work of a professional sniper…”

Dash’s eyes widened. “Are you saying somepony’s watching us?!”

The mare didn’t say a word, glancing at all directions with her eyes as she scanned their surroundings before looking at the pegasus.

“It would only make sense,” said Dusk as she approached the body. “Enclave, maybe…? Steel Rangers, perhaps even an ordinary pony. There’s only one problem,” said Dusk. “Can we trust them?”

Fiddler rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, if he hasn’t shot us, then I don’t see a problem with it.” He walked by the ghoul’s lifeless body, keeping a cautious pace. Fluttershy didn’t blame him. Ghouls were pretty much the undead in a sense. “Remember that battle at Tenpony Tower? Sniper colt literally took out hatelings without any problem.”

Dusk turned to him. “I’m just a bit wary. I could never trust anyone who was militaristic. It usually always ended in a hunger for power.”

Taipan snorted, “Alpha is most desirable spot. Not surprising.”

“Can we keep moving?” interrupted Lucky. “I don’t wanna keep standin’ around here in sniper lines.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Lucky is right. We need to get back to Twilight and Spike.”

A few more days passed and they were soon at Tenpony. On the way there, a few more instances happened with this mysterious sniper, the aforementioned taking out stray raiders and ghouls who would dare try to pounce on the group. The shots never came from the same place twice, Dusk noticed, a useful tactic to cover up his whereabouts.

Fluttershy was beginning to think of this pony as a possible guardian if it even was a pony.

Approaching the tower’s entrance. One of the guards, a pegasus in Enclave armor, halted them. “What’s your business?”

“We were here earlier,” said Applejack. “Study Guide can vouch for us.”

“Study Guide isn't here right now,” the guard replied. “She went on a booze run.”

“Booze run? Where the hell would she be gettin’ booze from in the wasteland?” questioned Dusk Feather.

The guard shrugged, “No clue but she always finds it”.

A sigh came from Fiddler, “Ya know, one thing that unsettles my mind is the fact that this pony is leaving the safety of the tower for alcohol of all things,” he said.

“I mean, I’d do it,” said Lucky Break. “But, then again, I get lucky from time to time.”

“Well, if booze is anything like cider, I can understand why,” said Rainbow Dash. “I mean, wasn’t she questioning Twilight? And we’ve been gone for how long?”

“A week,” answered Rarity. "Oh, dear. The poor pony."

“Jeez…” muttered a familiar pony as she walked out. “Am I really that hard to deal with?”

“Twilight!”

Twilight Sparkle raised a brow, a bit of annoyance in her groan. “Seriously? Well, moving on from that, I thought it would take a while to make peace with the zebras. You’re back pretty early!”

“Well, we need to go to the Dragon Lands, and we thought Watcher could help us out with communicating with the dragons of today,” said Fluttershy.

“Watcher should be here soon,” said the purple unicorn. “He’s been visiting daily, but he tries to keep a fair distance away from the tower so he doesn’t spook the Enclave.”

“How have you been holding up?” wondered Fluttershy.

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. “Study Guide isn’t the easiest pony to get along with. She’s pretty cold sometimes and she’ll throw insults like they’re nothing.”

Fluttershy’s eyes wandered over to Applejack, who was looking at Twilight with some concern, seeming to note the tiredness in Twi’s eyes. “Sounds like it’s you who’s gettin’ the harsher end of things and not her,” said Applejack.

“Oh, it’s fine,” assured Twilight. “She’s bearable… kinda.”

Fluttershy noticed something off in the distance, high in the sky. The sound of heavy wings flapping hit her eardrums and she smiled in response to it. “Looks like Watcher’s here!”

“By the way, where’s our Spike?” wondered Rarity.

“Oh, he’s inside. He’s been looking through some really old comics he found,” Twilight replied.

“Comics?” chuckled Dusk. “Kind of nerdish, don’tcha think?”

“Hey, I read at least three books a day,” said Twilight. “There’s nothing wrong with reading.”

“I learned that a long time ago,” said Dash with a smirk.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the ministry mare clones?” muttered a familiar drunken pony.

The group looked in the direction of Study Guide, who was holding in her hoof a bottle on unbranded alcohol. Dusk looked at the bottle and immediately assumed, “You made that yourself?”

“We're in the wasteland, honey. If you can't find it, you make it yourself,” said Study. “There’s more than enough ingredients out in the city. You just gotta know what’s important. Most ponies aren’t too bright, so they leave that shit alone.”

“Miss Guide, can you vouch for these ponies?” asked the Enclave guard.

“Eh…?” muttered Study, half-lidded eyes staring at him. “Uh, yeah, whatever… Mark ‘em as guests… for now.”

“Uh, yes, Miss Guide,” said the guard. “You lot can go in.”

Just as the majority of the group had entered the building, Fluttershy suddenly heard Study shout, “Not the hellhound!” followed by a groan from their friend, Brute.

Twilight led them to the upper floors of the building, entering a mostly-bare room with boxes in the corner. In the box were a stack of old comic books and a familiar baby dragon sitting on top of it.

“Spike, our friends are back!” said Twilight.

“Oh hey!” He eyed the cyan blue pegasus and pointed with a finger to a comic on his claws. “Dash! They have some really neat comics about this group called the Shadowbolts!”

“Shadowbolts?” Dash raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah!” confirmed Spike. “The greatest aerial team in Equestria, fighting together! Seems like they were under your ministry!”

“You mean alternate Dash’s ministry,” said Dash.

“Right, right…” said Spike. “You’ve gotta admit, it is cool!”

Dash smirked, looking flattered. “I guess it is pretty awesome that another version of me had all this under her wing.~”

“Hey, Twilight?” Fluttershy spoke up. “Could we talk in private for a minute?”

Twilight smiled. “Huh? Sure, Fluttershy!”

The purple unicorn took lead as her pegasus friend followed closely into what looked like an office. It wasn’t too big, with a single table in the corner with some strange, boxy devices on top of them. Fluttershy also couldn’t help but notice a dusty fur carpet. She ignored the bit of dust as they both stepped onto it, instead turning her attention to Twilight as she asked, “Have you noticed anything strange lately?”

“Like what?” asked Twilight.

“Well,” said Fluttershy. “On our way here, we were attacked by ghouls, but somepony was shooting them down, almost like a guardian. The crazy thing is that we couldn’t even see this pony! They were very well hidden!”

Twilight nodded in understanding, a smile on her face. “Well, while you were gone, whenever I had time, I’ve gotten myself up in some interesting reading about the history here. It sounds like a sniper! They were very common soldiers during the war, and from what I’ve gathered, it’d be odd for snipers to be out in the wasteland due to the lack of working parts and supplies. Many would hide in pretty much any environment, from bushes to buildings to-”

“Do you think it’s the same pony from the battle here at Tenpony?” interrupted Fluttershy.

“Most likely,” said Twilight. “Maybe they followed you all to make sure you were safe!”

“Well, I do like the sound of that,” said Fluttershy. “An added layer of protection. I just wish things didn’t have to end in… violence and bloodshed and… other gruesome things…”

“Yeah, I’m still not used to this place…” the unicorn agreed.

Then, the flapping of giant wings broke off the conversation. Fluttershy and Twilight quickly ran out of the office and looked out the window with the rest of the group. Watcher slowly descended to the ground and landed with a rumbling thud, his one good eye looking at the group with curiosity through the window. “So, you’ve returned from zebra territory.”

Fluttershy, looking up at him, said, “Spike! It’s so good to see you! We need your help to communicate with the other dragons!”

Watcher did not respond, a low grumbling coming from his throat. Ember would respond for him, coming up from behind him and looking at Fluttershy, wings flapping to keep the Dragon Lord afloat. “That might not be a good idea,” said Ember.

“Why not?” asked Fluttershy.

“Well, according to him, dragons are some of the most vicious predators to ever walk the wasteland,” replied Ember. “Their culture and the culture of my dragons are similar, but when it comes to negotiations with wasteland dragons, there’s none.”

“What’s the difference between the two?” asked Fluttershy.

“Dragons here have a bitter history with ponies and zebras,” Ember explained. “While dragons and zebras did work together during the war, they quickly went their separate ways after the megaspells dropped. Nowadays, most dragons are just as bitter, if not more than how it was before I became Dragon Lord.”

“Well, since you’re the almighty Dragon Lord,” said Spike as he hopped up onto the windowsill, “maybe you can rule over them!”

“I don’t even have my staff,” said Ember. “I’d need that in order to have authority over them.”

“What staff?” asked Watcher.

Ember turned her head, looking at Watcher. “Oh, uh… Well, back in our universe, there was a staff that could control dragons and keep them in line. It was pretty much the reason why dragons didn’t go rampant. I earned the staff through trial and tribulation after my father retired and I established a good relationship with ponies. At least, as good as it can get.”

“This staff… sounds very powerful,” said Watcher. “I don’t think we have anything like that in this universe.”

“That’s concerning…” said Ember. “How have dragons not taken over?”

“Because ponies are resilient,” said Watcher. “Advancement in technology is what keeps them afloat. At least, that’s how it was during the war. Nowadays, the only technologically advanced ponies are either the Enclave or the Steel Rangers.”

“This isn’t good at all,” said Ember. “I don’t think I’d be able to help much on this trip.”

“That’s nonsense, Ember!” said Spike, pointing at her. “You’re the fierce and almighty Dragon Lord! You even took on Garble! You’re amazing and I’m sure you could knock some sense into these dragons if you wanted to!”

Ember raised a brow, smirking in obvious amusement. “Well, I am pretty tough.”

“Yeah, you’re one of the toughest dragons I know!” said Spike.

“Do you two realize what you are saying?” questioned Watcher. “It’s not the same Dragon Lands you two are used to. With hardly any procreation, we’re left with the big, adult dragons who wouldn’t hesitate to kill.”

“I’d like to offer this counter,” said Spike. “We’ve faced Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, Tirek, and Starlight, all of them being magical powerhouses, each one worse than the last!”

“And don’t forget the psychotic filly,” said Applejack.

“Yeah, but she used mass manipulation, not magic,” Spike replied.

“This is ridiculous,” muttered Watcher. “You’re in over your heads.”

“If we are, then come with us,” said Ember. “Think about it. You’re a big, strong dragon. Don’t you think you’re more than capable of taking on other dragons?”

Watcher seemed very hesitant, his eye looking downwards as he went deep into thought. Fluttershy looked on with pity, wondering exactly how much trauma this dragon had gone through during both the war and the wasteland’s existence.

Watcher eventually let out a hot gust of air from his nostrils in a sigh. “Fine, but only for your safety.”

Spike grinned. “And maybe Twilight can come along! I bet she’s done with being interviewed by Study Guide by now!”

“Not Twilight,” said Watcher. “I couldn’t live with myself if she were to get hurt because of this.”

Twilight looked up sternly at him. “Hey, you can’t order me around! I’m more than capable of handling a dangerous task!”

“Twi, you don’t seem to understand,” countered Watcher. “These dragons won’t show any tolerance.”

“How long has it been since you’ve spoken with one?” asked Twilight. Watcher went silent and Twilight shook her head. “Exactly! How long have you stayed isolated from everypony?! Who knows what they’re like now?!”

“I do,” said Watcher. “I have spritebots all over the wasteland at my command. I’ve seen what they can do.”

“But you’ve never spoken to them, have you? You haven’t even engaged with them,” said Twilight.

Watcher and Twilight stared at each other and Fluttershy could definitely feel the tense energy of the argument. She wished they were all on the same page, but some individuals just had different viewpoints. That’s how things were. What amazed her, however, was the stark difference between Spike and Watcher. Spike didn’t go through what Watcher did, but was Spike better because of that? Watcher had experience, but did it justify his viewpoints?

Spike then suddenly said, “Hey, quit arguing! It’s not fair to either of you! Yeah, Twilight could get hurt, and yeah, future me would blame himself… myself? Ourselves??? Ugh… time travel. Anyways, that’s not the point! The point is that in all our adventures, I’ve learned to trust Twilight! She’s always pulled us through the worst of times and we came out better for it, tougher, stronger! A more powerful friendship!”

“Friendship is dead,” Watcher stated.

“You let it die!” shouted Spike, sending a silence across the room. Spike looked around at everypony, then said a little more softly, “Look… I know you miss her. I understand how you feel. If I ever lost Twilight, I’d probably blame myself, too… But I know she wouldn’t want me to give up on friendship. You don’t have to stay cooped up in that cave of yours… We can all make a difference. Friendship only dies when we let it, when we do nothing, and the only way to make it alive again is to at the very least try.”

Watcher and Twilight were taken aback by all this, and Twilight seemed proud, a tear dripping down her cheek. There was even something in Watcher’s eye that told Fluttershy he had come to a revelation.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” said Watcher. “You’re right… My Twilight wouldn’t have wanted me to let what she valued the most die out. Her friends, the bonds we all shared, I… took it for granted. I guess I needed to talk some sense into myself.”

“So, do we understand each other?” asked Twilight.

Watcher silently nodded. “I’m trusting you from now on. I might get a little defensive, but I’ll trust you more often than not.”

“Cool, we got a motivational speech in!” said Spike with a grin, looking proud of himself.

“Not gonna help us out all the time,” said Applejack. “If we could solve everythin’ through speeches, Big Mac would talk more often.”

“You gotta admit, it was tear-inducing,” Spike said, puffing out his chest.

“Hey, wait a minute…” muttered Starlight, looking around herself in worry. “I haven’t seen Trixie in a while.”

“Or that alicorn who was with us,” said Fiddler. “Who is… Trixie again?”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Trixie wasn’t liking this. She wasn’t liking this at all.

She’d been wandering this foggy, desolated city for hours now with the alicorn she’d met on the way to Zone’s old village. Unfortunately, having a powerhouse at her side couldn’t do much in this situation. The city was like a maze, and she wasn’t sure how she’d even gotten there. The alicorn, she’d find only an hour after waking up in this place.

“Goddess, I can’t seem to pinpoint where we are,” said the alicorn behind her.

“Could you not call me that?” asked Trixie, getting fed up with this whole goddess thing. “I don’t want to be called Goddess. Call me Trixie! TRIXIE!”

“...Yes, Goddess Trixie Trixie,” said the alicorn.

Seriously…? “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

“Goddess… Ahhh?” questioned the alicorn.

“Just call me Trixie!” shouted the angry blue unicorn.

“Godd–”

“No Goddess!” snapped Trixie. “There is not a Goddess in my title! It is just Trixie! …Or, the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“Yes, Great and Powerful Trixie,” said the alicorn.

With a small nod of approval, Trixie continued walking, looking at the foggy street ahead of her with worry. “Alright, so… how to get back to Starlight…”

“I’m afraid you may not be able to go back to your friend,” responded a soft voice. Just then, a pink pony with blue eyes came out from the fog in front of Trixie, looking sad. She looked emaciated as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Her mane was white, with red on the edges, and her tail was striped like a candy cane. “I’m sorry to tell you that you may have been forgotten.”

“What do you mean forgotten?!” questioned Trixie. “How could anypony forget the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

The stranger looked down at the ground, sighing. “This is probably most well-known as the Forgotten Realm. Some call it the Inbetween... I call it home. I’m a guardian here and I watch over the inhabitants of this place until…”

“Until what?” Trixie asked with concern.

“Until the universe either remembers you… or decides to throw you away,” explained the strange pony.

“I doubt anypony is going to forget me,” said Trixie. “Starlight wouldn’t forget me!”

“Starlight doesn’t have to forget you,” said the stranger. “The universe does. If it forgets you, you end up here. I’ve seen entire worlds end up here. It can be a very depressing place…”

“This is ridiculous!” said Trixie. “I demand to speak with your manager! This universe!”

“The universe is not someone you can reason with,” said the pony. “Please, stay calm.”

“I AM PERFECTLY CALM!” shouted Trixie.

“Great and Powerful Trixie? Are you alright?” asked the alicorn behind her.

“I’m fine! I’m dandy! I’m faaaaaantastic!” Trixie replied with great sarcasm, slamming a hoof to the ground.

The pink pony looked off into the foggy distance, saying, “There have been signs of a way out before, but they’ve always been rare. If you really do wish to try and leave, it would be–”

As the pink pony turned back to face the angry Trixie, she saw that both of the individuals were gone. Sighing, the pony looked around herself, muttering, “There go another set of friends…”

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Hindsight was a little disgruntled today. It seemed that his machine had been malfunctioning as of late, being unable to pull through any individuals. Arcane Vast had assured him the machine would be fixed in time for the next phase of his plan. Yet with Twilight refusing to join Hindsight, it was even more frustrating, making him question the words of his deity.

There was a knock on Hindsight’s door, the pegasus looking up from his book. “Who is it? I’m very busy.”

“The weapon is finished and it’s prepped,” said a familiar voice, it was Dr. Scalpel.

Hindsight walked over to the door opening it up to see Scalpel’s cloaked figure standing over him. “It’s been tested?”

Scalpel seemed slightly offended by the question. “Do you take me for someone who doesn’t perform proper testing procedures?” he asked. “I thought you had a bit more faith in me than that.”

“I’m just making sure,” Hindsight replied. “The past few days have been stressful.”

“May I come in?” asked Scalpel.

Hindsight stepped aside, allowing Dr. Scalpel to walk in, the creature’s eyes looking around the simple, almost-bare room. There were only simple necessities here, along with the occasional luxury. A small bed, a dresser, and a book cabinet with literature filling it halfway.

“I see…” said Scalpel, standing over by the book cabinet. “You seem to do a lot of research into the occult.”

Hindsight’s eyes kept from making contact with Scalpel’s as he answered, “I like to dabble…”

“In my world, we had no need for magic. Magic didn’t even exist,” bragged Scalpel. “It’s a shame you won’t get to see it.”

“You seem to have both a pride and a hatred for your world,” observed Hindsight. “You’ve spoken of how barbaric your species is, yet you praise it?”

“It is a complicated thing, it is…” Scalpel said quietly. “I know it can do better. I’ve done better than all of them. Of course… they won’t ever see that. At least, not anymore…”

“You’ll be returned,” assured Hindsight.

“That’s not what I speak of,” said Scalpel. “I’ve done things that are considered a crime against nature. In fact, should they know where I’ve gone, I’d say it’s only a matter of time until more of my kind come after me.”

This was concerning. More of his kind? Coming here? “What exactly have you done?” wondered Hindsight.

“Have you ever lost someone, Hindsight…?” questioned Scalpel.

“I’m… potentially close to losing someone,” Hindsight replied.

“What would you do… to bring them back?” Scalpel asked.

Hindsight’s mouth went slightly agape. “You… didn’t.”

“I did,” Scalpel replied, a subtle smile plastered on his mouth. “At a cost. I lost my daughter a long time ago, but with the power of glorious science, I brought her back, against the forces of nature itself. But… she wasn’t the same. She… ran almost solely on instinct. Had the urge to harm, the urge to kill. She and my son would get along for a while, but… he warned me of what she’d been doing. She would stand in the hallway, looking into his room every night. She’d stare at him, keeping him up.”

“That’s… a monstrosity,” admitted Hindsight.

“...It wasn’t a monstrosity,” said Scalpel. “It was the consequences of my mistake. She wasn’t the only one I brought back. There were hundreds. Potentially thousands. I thought I was doing a service.”

“You unknowingly delivered a plague onto your people,” stated Hindsight. “You can’t just… run from it.”

“I can,” stated Scalpel. “And I will. Until I can perfect my research and fix it.”

There was silence in the room after that. Hindsight looked directly at Scalpel for an instant before directing his gaze away, his eyes saw the mad scientist in a different light. Scalpel was someone who had cracked, had crossed the boundaries of life and death in a desperate attempt to bring back someone he loved.

Hindsight knew that if he were to have ever attempted such a thing, it would likely go horribly wrong, and Scalpel’s mistakes proved that. Therefore, Hindsight needed to keep his mother alive as long as possible, so he wouldn’t crack as well.

Scalpel eventually looked over at Hindsight, saying, “The weapon will be in the hidden armory. Don’t forget it.”

Hindsight nodded, then left the room, leaving the scientist to his own thoughts.

. . . M e a n w h i l e . . .

Following the events of Trixie returning with the alicorn, the group had the usual questions. “Where had Trixie gone? Why was she gone? Why did it happen again?”

Fluttershy had an aura of stress about her, noting that not only had Lucky Break and Pinkie been in the same realm, but Trixie and her alicorn friend as well. If it happened twice, it could very well happen again, and to possibly anypony here.

“You said this pony told you about the universe forgetting things and all that jazz,” commented Lucky. “What the hell is so forgetful about me?”

“Well, obviously, you’re a wastelander,” said Trixie without any hesitation whatsoever. “But I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie! It’d be pretty hard to forget me!”

Applejack gave an angry glare at Trixie. “Don’t toot yer own horn like that. It’s rude.”

“I’m in my right to be upset!” Trixie replied, giving back a glare of her own.

“I’m a little more worried about this now…” said Starlight. “If ponies are going to be popping out of existence at random moments like that, then who’s to say it won’t do it to a much larger group?”

“Like a city…” said Twilight. “That’s not good…”

“The scary part is that I had trouble remembering Trixie,” admitted Fluttershy, looking down in a bit of guilt.

“So, if the universe forgets, then we forget,” Starlight concluded.

“All the more reason to fix everything and go back home as soon as possible,” said Twilight, trying to put everypony back on track. “We need to head to the Dragon Lands!”

Fluttershy was unnerved. It was a little hard to focus on the mission when something like this was happening. Twilight was right, though. They needed to keep going. Fluttershy could only hope that the problems didn’t worsen over time.

Climbing upon Watcher’s back, it didn’t take long for the group to finally set off for their destination, the Dragon Lands. The mere fact of being transported through the sky made the trip much more bearable, with the wind caressing the fur of all the riders. Fluttershy looked down at the wasteland, curious to see her home, quickly regretting it as it proved to be a bad idea while her eyes witnessed in horror and shock the panorama below them.

The landscape before her sight consisted of dull, non-vivid colors, capable of sinking the most cheerful and happy soul on the face of Equestria into darkness and hollow. “How far did the war reach?” thought the pegasus - her gaze fixed on the now distant city of Manehattan, fully realizing the true scope of this war. It hadn’t just affected two nations. Seeing this, Fluttershy had come to the conclusion that the war had likely affected the entire world.

Subconsciously, she gulped at the view, stunned by the fact that such a promising land as Equestria had ended up in such a mess, broken and abandoned.

It only made things sadder for her, giving her more of that painful pang of homesickness.

By walking, it could have possibly taken them days, weeks even, to reach the Dragon Lands. With Watcher’s help, the trip only took them about half a day. Spike scooted next to Fluttershy, eyes wide as he looked upon what was once Equestria’s original Dragon Lands. “Woah… That’s… hot. I can feel it all the way from up here!”

Fluttershy was horrified. The ground was mostly red from the extreme heat, with cracks in the ground letting bright rays of red shine through. On occasion, lava would erupt from these cracks, scorching the earth surrounding these openings. The pools of lava were brighter, seemingly more powerfully hot than what she was used to seeing here.

Scattered across the lands were several dragons, some of them staying away from the pools of lava while very few were actually swimming around in these, their scales seeming to glow from the heat. “It’s… so much more intense than what I remember,” said Fluttershy.

“The Megaspells’ reach knew no bounds,” Watcher explained, looking down upon the land. “The Dragon Lands was greatly affected, changing the way of life for many of its inhabitants. The scorched earth might even be a bit too much for you all to stand on. Do you really want me to land here?”

Twilight, looking around, replied, “I could probably cast a spell that should temporarily protect us from the heat.”

“I hope you all know what you’re doing,” said Watcher, slowly descending to the coolest spot out of the scorching land he could find.

Twilight turned to face everypony, her horn lighting up and firing a beam at them all, a cool, blue wave of color slightly tinting their coats to a bluish hue. “There we go… This should keep us at a normal temperature throughout our entire visit. If you start to feel a little, uh, warmer, tell me and I’ll reinforce the spell. Hopefully, this won’t take too long.”

“Darling, are you sure you want to exert yourself like this? There’s at least a dozen of us, give or take a few ponies,” Rarity pointed out.

“Trust me, I’ll be fine,” Twilight replied. “I just need to make sure we don’t stay here for too long.”

“Um, Okay, dear, just don’t stretch yourself too thin,” said Rarity, seeming unsure.

“It won’t take too long,” assured Fluttershy. “We just need to ask around for Ashes’ whereabouts.”

Ember nodded in agreement. “That shouldn’t be too bad. Just… let me and Spike do the talking. Better yet, we could let our bigger friend here have a chance at socializing.”

Watcher, squinting his eyes, simply replied, “I will not.”

Ember turned around to face Watcher. “Hey, are you a dragon or not?”

“Can I even consider myself a dragon if I was raised by ponies?” Watcher countered. “Besides, I wouldn’t even know how to greet another dragon.”

“I’ll show you how it’s done, and then you can try,” Ember offered.

Fluttershy looked over at one of the lava pools where a dragon lazily laid about. “We could ask him.”

Ember smirked, walking over, looking onward with no fear whatsoever, but Fluttershy had to assume that if Ember was a dragon, she probably wouldn’t have to fear anything from another one, right?

“Hey, you!” shouted Ember, catching the dragon's attention. He lifted his head, yellow eyes with black slit pupils staring back at her with a mixture of anger and confusion. Ember walked up to him, looking up as she asked, “Do you know where we can find a dragon named Ashes?”

“You’ll be ashes if you don’t go away,” the dragon replied.

Fluttershy was already feeling like this was going to be hopeless, but Ember seemed to stand her ground. “Hey, look,” said Ember. “I don’t like your tone! I’m asking you as nicely as I possibly can. If you just answer the question, I’ll leave you alone. I think that’s a pretty fair trade.”

Fluttershy suddenly heard Watcher mumble from behind her, “What do these dragons know about ‘fair’?”

“If you want information, I suggest you go bother Smaragdus,” replied the dragon. “Now leave before I decide to roast all of you.”

“Where can we find them?” asked Ember.

“They’re typically somewhere in the lava pools north of here. You literally can’t miss them,” the dragon answered.

Ember looked over at Twilight. “Cool, and, uh… what’s that word you say to others?”

“Thanks?” Twilight replied.

“Yeah, that thing,” Ember replied, walking away and back to the safety of her group.

Fluttershy rubbed the back of her neck. “I was almost certain he’d be more hostile than that.”

“Dragons respond to assertive and dominant behavior,” Ember explained. “Try to be nice to one and you’re likely to get nowhere with them.”

“So it’s brawn versus brawn,” Rarity supposed.

Ember nodded. “Exactly.”

“So, we’ve gotta find this Smaragdus,” Spike assumed. “Let’s go!”

Moving north, they came upon various lava pools, but none were occupied. However, after a few had passed, they found who they were looking for. In front of them was a massive magma pool that could potentially even fit Watcher inside, and in the middle of this lava pool was a big, green lump.

“Welp, he drowned,” said Fiddler. “Let’s go home.”

“No, he’s not,” said Ember. “Someone gimme a rock.”

Spike quickly flew over, plopping a stone into her hand. She then wound up the pitch before throwing it, the rock bouncing off the green lump and landing into the lava. For a small while, nothing happened, but then the green lump began to rise up out of the lava, a similar shape to any normal adult dragon coming into view. Bright green eyes locked onto Watcher, and as all the lava slid off the green dragon, it was revealed to be… a girl.

“Who fucking threw that?” she asked. “You think you’re tough, big guy? I will fucking wreck your shit.”

Watcher’s eyes darted back and forth as he replied, “It was not me...”

“Uh-huh, sure. You’re the only one big enough to have the nerve,” she replied. “I doubt any of these ants would have the courage to do it.”

“Look, we don’t want troubl–”

The green dragon quickly splashed lava towards him, causing the smaller group to quickly run out of the way of falling droplets. “Damn it!” shouted Dusk, narrowly avoiding a large portion of raining lava.

“I don’t want to become pony steak, thank you!” screamed Fiddler.

“Everypony move away!” shouted Twilight.

Watcher’s face was hit by the splash, and as it slid off of him, he did not seem amused. “You’re testing my patience.”

The green dragon smirked. “Aw, can’t take what you dish out?~”

“Hey, down here!” shouted Ember.

The green dragon looked down upon Ember with a confused expression. “What do you want, pipsqueak?”

“Are you Smaragdus?” Ember asked.

“Yeah?” the green dragon replied. “What of it?”

Ember flew up to Smaragdus to face her, saying, “We’re looking for a dragon named Ashes. Have you seen him?”

Smaragdus put a claw to her scalp, scratching as she thought long and hard. She eventually answered, “Yeah, he’s… kinda just bein’ a hermit.”

“Where is he?” asked Spike flying up as well.

“I ain’t just gonna tell you where he is,” said Smaragdus. “Info ain’t free.”

“You could,” said Watcher. “You’re just being a prick.”

“Shut it, cupcake,” Smaragdus responded. “Now, let’s see… what do I want…? Oh! I want gems.”

“You… want gems?” questioned Spike. “Nothing else? Just gems?”

“Yeah,” Smaragdus replied. “Gems. Get me some, and I might tell you where Ashes is holding up.”

“Gems are a bit scarce these days…” said Watcher. “We’d have to go scavenging.”

“Ooorrrrrr, you could go to one of those… abandoned mines at the edge of the Dragon Lands,” Smaragdus suggested, looking smug. “If you can handle the monsters.”

“What monsters would I even fear there?” questioned Watcher.

“Dunno,” Smaragdus answered. “It’s just that… whoever goes into those mines don’t always come back out. I’ve even heard of dragons vanishing around there.”

“Uhh, How big is this mine?” questioned Ember. “It’d have to have a pretty big entrance for our friend to get through.”

“Pretty damn big, I’d say,” Smaragdus replied. “There are two entrances. One’s basically a big ol’ hole in the ground that extends miles below the surface and the other is a smaller entrance where the ponies would go through.”

Watcher stared with a bit of skepticism. “Uh-huh…”

Smaragdus stared back with what Fluttershy could only interpret as the fakest smile possible. “Soooooo, yeah, if you could get me some of those gems, I might tell you.”

“Fine,” said Twilight. “We’ll head there, do a quick look around and grab the gems when we see them.”

While Fluttershy was a little worried about wandering in a dark cavern, she was still certain that she and her friends could fend off any creature that may be lurking in the dark. Still, though, there was that small hint of doubt in her mind.

Finding the cave entrance was pretty easy. With Watcher flying overhead, the large hole in the ground was easy to spot, and the main cavern entrance was found soon after. When they landed, Watcher looked at the large hole in the ground and said, “I’m not sure if I’ll be going down there with you.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Spike as he landed onto the ground.

Watcher’s eyes looked over the hole and he grumbled a little towards himself. “I feel there may be some trickery at hoof.”

“It definitely looks big enough for you to squeeze into,” said Ember. As she peered down the hole, her eyes widened a little. “Uhh, I can’t see the bottom. How long had ponies been working on this thing?”

“I recall reading about mining operations in class years ago,” Dusk replied, looking down towards the pitch-black darkness of the pit. “Ponies were getting desperate for gems, so they dug as much as they could. Now that I look at it… I can kinda see how bad it was getting for Equestria’s resources near the end of the war.”

Fluttershy looked at the pit with fear in her heart. She couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. “I think maybe we should go through the normal entrance…”

“That’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Twilight, calming Fluttershy’s fears. “Watcher can stay out here and guard it. I don’t trust this place either.”

After some walking, they reached the cave entrance, which was settled in a tall, stony cliffside. Walking inside, Twilight was about to light up her horn, but Rarity stopped her. “Pardon me, darling, but I feel I should do this. We need you to recast the heat-repellant spell. Wouldn’t want you to waste you energy, would we?”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, Rarity!”

Rarity smiled back. “It’s no trouble at all! Plus, with my knack for finding gems, I should be well-suited to this situation. We’ll be out of here in no time!”

Rarity’s horn then lit up the cave, a brilliant bright blue glow bathing their surroundings, revealing the path up ahead. Fluttershy was thankful that she could see now. Walking forward on the path, Fluttershy could see Rarity looking about, but she noticed some hint of worry on the unicorn’s face.

They continued walking for an hour, wandering the many pathways, but no gems. This began to worry Fluttershy, and she knew it worried Rarity as well.

“So much for your knack for finding gems,” said Ember, looking unimpressed.

“Lay off her,” Dusk defended. “I wouldn’t be surprised. The war took up so much of the resources that I wouldn’t doubt for a moment that this entire place was cleared out.”

“Th-Then, wouldn’t that mean we’d have to go deeper down?” questioned Fluttershy with quivering fear.

“We’ve got this,” said Dash with her usual cocky attitude, a smirk on her face. “I don’t think anything down there could be worse than what we’ve faced before!”

“Be wary,” Zone warned Dash. “Remember that the wasteland has many dangers lurking in the dark.”

“Hey, I can handle myself!” Dash replied.

“Enough!” Twilight shouted. “Come on, we need to hurry! I can’t keep the heat-repellant spell up for too long.”

The group continued deeper in, finding slopes and stairs that would lead them down further into the mines. The deeper they went, the creepier it was. Every so often, Fluttershy would catch a glimpse of something on the edge of the darkness, just out of reach of Rarity’s light spell.

“Wait, something smell off,” Taipan announced as she readied her tail for combat. “It smells like ghouls.”

“Ghouls?!” shouted Fiddler. “Nope! Get me out of here! Nope nope nope!”

Dusk put a wing in front of him as he tried to leave. “Leaving the group would just put you more at risk. Don’t be stupid.”

Fluttershy could see the glimpses of creatures slowly come more into view after Taipan’s announcement, glowing eyes watching them. She stood behind Twilight, eyes widening as she shivered. “O-Oh no!”

Zone sighed and gave a smile to Taipan. “We never fail to attract trouble, do we?~”

“Nope,” Taipan said as she fired her pin missile attack in the ghouls’ direction, taking out a few.”

“If I’m correct…” muttered Lucky Break. “These mining operations had hundreds, maybe a few thousand ponies in them during the war. If that’s the case…

“Then we’re looking at an army.”

“Dagnabbit,” Applejack said as she tipped her hat for combat.

Author's Note

Yo. We're not dead yet.