"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.