Fallout: Equestria - Equilibrium

"Y'all got fire in ya kid, ah like that!"

"So remember to point an' bite the bit to shoot," Summer Wind said following beside me. We spent at least five hours or so training and now my hooves feel so damn tired. But my big brain thought it would be ideal to start moving out later on the same day. Now here we are with the town of Sunnyspring behind us, both now searching for this Stable Six.

Even though the sun is concealed by the clouds I can still feel its flaring heat beating down on my back. Celestia knows why I haven't brought a water canteen with me, plus lugging around what feels like a ton of bricks on my back wasn't helping my feeling of slight exhaustion either. What I called a 'metal frame' is actually called a Battle Saddle and that along with two long rifles attached to the sides of me through it is what is also killing me right now. At least it didn't cover my wings, so it doesn't sacrifice the ability to fly and shoot at the same time. I had to eye up Summer's weapons that she had on her battle-saddle though. Looked to be the same guns I had. That saddle looks a little big on her, but I didn't want to say that in case I stepped on a social mine. Oh, and another plus is she gave me saddlebags too. Yay, more weight... Now I feel like a fat pegasus.

Turns out, Summer knows more than what I thought she would about guns, the ammo, the recoil. Which my guns, kick like a mule when you shoot them. She knew about a PipBuck too and gave it a look over earlier and it turns out I hadn't properly booted it up yet, she started it up for me, which I thought she wouldn't be able to do. Seems this cute little country girl is full of surprises. Thanks to her, all I could now see was something she called an Eyes Forward Sparkle in my vision. It tells me of anything in the surrounding area. Well, anything that's 'living' apparently. Though I find it very curious to know how she knows about this. Unless she came from a stable, perhaps? According to her, this thing also shows locations too, that are somewhat within eyesight range. Though really there was just nothing around, no buildings or ruins. Literally. Completely. Nothing.

"You know, I'm still wondering why you chose to follow me on this. All I needed was the training then I could do this on my own."

"Ah thought tat ya might need the help after what y'all had been through," Summer said rather, exuberantly. With that cute level of pitch in her voice. "Besides, keeps Ingot from wantin' to do stuff with me in the back o' the saloon."

"Wait. Have you two? You know?" She looked at me but quickly dismissed what I was implying. "Oh, done that? Nah. Boys are kinda not ma type o' drinkin' buddy. If ya catch ma meanin'."

Oh, so if stallions are not her type then… Well… Okay…

"He's cute an' all but most stallions these days have a tendency to fuck everythin' in sight. Especially raiders, they'll fuck anythin', cacti, pegasi and maybe even ghouls."

For a moment I just stopped. "What is a ghoul?" I asked her. Summer just looked at me as if I had been living under a rock my whole life. But then a smile came to that confused little face.

"It's usually easier to understand if ya find out the hard way…" Now I feel that where we are going is probably going to be a trap or something, call it a hunch... But apparently, Summer has heard of Stable Six from somewhere before. Knew what direction to go in but didn't know how far away from town it is. What she also said earlier today was that the Colonel's missing train parts have actually been missing for a very long time. So they may or may not actually be here. If that's the case, then fuck using my nearly dead hooves to mosey back into town. I'll just use my wings instead. Pegasi have them for a reason.

"So… Scarlett, uh. Who is tis mare ya want ta find up in Manehattan?" Summer questioned, breaking the sudden silence between us.

"Her name is Nimbus Shock. The last name used to be Strike but she changed it for some reason," I said to her but I doubt she'd know who Nimbus is. Summer had that strange look on her again like when I had asked her previously back at the Scavenger's Saloon about her past, though I didn't take her for being offensive. But this time it felt slightly different.

"Nimbus huh? Can't say ah've heard o' her. But, I'll help y'all with this train stuff then maybe… Ah, dunno…" She just smirked, I don't know if she was thinking of helping me get to Manehattan. Or, thinking of something else entirely. I could feel a little tingling feeling somewhere- but not between my hind legs- By Celestia, I don't think we would get like that. But somewhere that almost made me want to ask a personal kind of question. But I feel it would just make things strange. I mean, she is a mare after all, so… I dunno.

"Though, thank you for wanting to help me with this, Summer." I gave her a smile and her eyes just went a little wide looking at me. For a moment I thought she might kiss me or maybe that's the point to that cute look she's giving. But Summer just smiled back instead.

"No problem, Scarlett! A friend in need is a friend indeed." We both started giggling along with each other, she's probably the friendliest of ponies that I've met. At least friendship isn't dead, and I'm considered a friend. Not a food source, or something worse.

"Huh? What's that small thing in the sand?"

Beep...

Beep...

Beep...

"Fuck! Scarlett, move!" Summer screamed at me, pushing me away quickly to the ground. Then I realized why so suddenly… As if the events of Equestria's ending happened all over again, the ground blew up beneath Summer's hooves. Throwing up the sand, the earth over us, and her up into the air, away a few hooves. It happened all so fast. But that noise, the explosion was almost like the ending. I couldn't even hear anything or her screams as her body crashed against the desert sand. Couldn't even see correctly for a moment, the force of my landing, stunning me. That… Ringing sound in my ears started to clear off, and all I was screaming was her name…

It almost felt like the other half of me had just died. Coughing from the sand in my way, in my mouth, I just kept calling her to get up. Because, when I looked back. All I could see besides the haze of sand… Were raiders. This was a fucking trap "Summer! Please get up! There's-"

"Raiders?" A voice said from behind me. Quickly turning my head around I was met with a hoof, kicking my head down on the ground but not enough to knock me out.

"Welp, welp, ah'll be damned. It's Scarlett Dawn an' her little friend." Wait? Where have I heard that voice from before? Looking up suddenly, I was surrounded by about seven raider ponies all laughing hysterically. That pony from the saloon. That one wearing all blacked-out armor, it's him. Boomer. He went to go reach for Summer as I could see her trying to stand up, the others just crowding her. But damn, she's alive?

"IF YOU TOUCH HER I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HOOVES OFF!!!" I screamed as loud as I could at him but he just looked at me then one or two of his friends pulled her up.

"Aww, will ya now? Welp. Ah gotta say, y'all ain't in any position to do so. Ah did tell y'all to pack up an' get outta town before 'twas ta late. But, tsk, tsk, tsk. You pegasi do have a habit of disobeyin' orders-"

"F- fuck you, Boomer…" I heard Summer just barely say with everything going on around. He just spun around and smacked her across the face. Then I heard her pained yelp.

"Arrrgh!!" I leaped from the ground powered by my wings straight towards him. But he figured I would try that and stepped to the side before I almost hit him. Next thing I know I'm pinned down by a dirtbag raider mare. Boomer then came over, but when I refused to look at him, he grabbed a hold of my chin with a hoof and looked me deep into my eyes. All I could see was hatred.

"Now! Y'all listen here... Need ya to deliver a message. Tell ya little friends back in Sunnyspring that my contractor, Azrael, is getting really impatient now. An' tis a really bad idea to do that. Me an' ma boys will be arrivin' tomorrow mornin' an' If we don't get the Colonel by then, we're gonna light that place up like the summer sun celebration." He let go. But this raider was just putting more pressure on my back. Typically, she's at my flank. Had a perverted smirk on her face too. Witch. Looking back towards Summer I watched in horror and anger as those bastards were just beating her, kicking the shit out of her. Oh! How I am so gonna rip these animals in half!

"Oh, an' Scarlett? We'll be going now if ya don't mind. But, I'll leave Buck an' Stampede here ta keep ya company till ya mosey on back towards town. Will be seeing y'all. Pretty soon…" Boomer then rounded up the five other raiders and Summer, started dragging her away, across the sand, towards nothingness.

I just laid there for about ten minutes or so with this stupid mare on my back, so I tried to move, but then I felt her put more pressure on my flank. All I could hear and feel is the sickly slurping sound she made against my left ear.

"Mm, well ain't y'all a wild specimen? A pegasus. Ooh, ooh! Can't wait ta taste ya!"

Oh fuck…

"Hey, Buck!" The stallion raider shouted her name. Buck? Well, kind of strange but seems apparent, I guess.

"What!" She shouted, "Ah'll get to ya later, Stampede! Gonna eat me a pegasus, an' she's gonna taste so fuckin' good! Might even make cupcakes outta her!"

Oh, holy Celestia fuck me. She either meant she was gonna eat me or probably rape me. Or both. But either way, fuck that I need this bitch off of me. But, I just couldn't move with her fat self on my back. The longer she keeps frantically licking my ears, the angrier I'm going to get though.

"Mmm, ooh! First, ah'll eat ya little ears! Second, ah'll eat ya little hooves! An' third… Ah'll-"

Managing to get her to slide down a little off my flank, I then quickly broke free and gave the crazy witch a hard, buck? Kicking her backward into the hooves of Stampede knocking him over too. Spinning around to face them I quickly sorted out my battle-saddle getting it ready. Point and bite the bit to shoot… yeah I definitely know.

"Oof! Ooh! That's great! Ah love it when they fight back!" Buck shouted at me getting back on her hooves, lighting something up in her orange glow of magic. I then focused my mind on her, entering a sort of advanced targeting mode that my PipBuck allowed, aiming at her, picking a body part, ninety-percent chance to hit.

"Eat this, bitch!"

Point and bite…

BANG!

To shoot…

I had blown a clear hole straight through the mare's stupid little head! Her corpse hit the ground hard. Landing near the soon to be dead Stampede if-

"Where is she! Where has that idiot taken her?!" I shouted at him. But he just had to get up and play a hero.

BANG!

Another shot tore through his front left leg before he could shoot me with his guns. He screamed, writhing with agony in a dark scarlet pool of Buck's life essence, as well as leaking profusely from his wound. Which was sure to be more if-

"Fucking! Better tell me right now!" I rolled him over onto his back pointing both my guns at his head. Ooh I'm going to just start-

"S- Sta- Stable S- Six! Damn it! Just little ways more s- south!"

"Any last words?"

Stampede muttered a word or two before I decided to just put him out of his misery instead, would probably just be an insult. Damn earth pony. That's all I needed to hear, Stable Six. Sounds like it could be their base or something. Now I need to rescue Summer Wind and get these train parts? I only hope these raiders die quicker than I can carry both. Looking at the two dead raiders, I then picked up a large knife or "machete" as my E.F.S called it, next to Buck's corpse. It was slightly rusted brown but stained almost entirely in her blood. I just added it to my inventory. Feel like I might need to use this pretty soon.

Oh, when I said about carrying hell to your doorstep, Boomer? I meant it. Oh so very literally… He doesn't know what this little pegasus is capable of. If very possible I'm going to rip and tear straight through them all to find her. Until it is done… then I am coming straight for you. With my message straight out from the barrel of a gun. Delivered right between the eyes.

This is not what I was expecting when I woke up today. When I get back to town with Summer in tow is when I'll deliver Boomer's message. Not before. I'm going to go get my friend back from those savages first. Because I'll be damned if I don't…

Ready to move out now, I started going south, deeper into the desert and possibly raider territory. Just why he would take her there instead of taking me is something I want to find out. But at the same time, I don't think I want to know what they could already be doing to her right now. Thinking about it just made my pulse quicken and my heart more stricken, now I want to get there faster, so I can just put a damn bullet in their fucking master! If heaven can see me now… know that the devil is in the detail.

All these bastards are going to pay!

I spent probably about an hour or so heading in the possible direction towards Stable Six, but it wasn't appearing on my E.F.S. Either Stampede had led me astray or I'm blind. Or both. Now I started to feel the distance in my aching hooves. Really wanted to use my wings, but Summer said to me during training that always using wings is sometimes a bad idea. Makes you stick out from a mile away. But… I wanted them to know that I'm coming. That death is coming, for all of them. I just feel like a devil incarnate or an angel, ready to allow them penance. Feeling the need to just… kill them all! Raiders! I hate them, I fucking do! But then, I looked left and saw an icon for a stable door…

Stable Six.

All I could see from here was the entrance and it looked shut, sticking out the side of a mountain, a little blue security shack next to it, and- Two. Stallion. Raiders! It almost looked like I lost control of myself at first glance. Using my wings, I propelled myself at a pace that was almost too fast to follow, straight in the direction of the stable. Within seconds the two boys guarding the entrance only saw me when it was too late. I suddenly came almost crashing into the blue one by the panel, knocking him down with the momentum. Quickly… Going into targeting mode, I then threw the machete at the head of the gray earth pony, just before he had a chance to shoot. Getting fully up off the ground I saw the other guy getting back up too.

"You! Y'all s'posed to be fuckin' dead!" He shouted, starting to run at me.

Damn it!

Thinking I could've jumped out of his way failed. The stallion pushed me down, trying to get on top of me. I squirmed trying to position myself so my guns would blast a hole into his stomach. But just as he was about to bash my skull in with a rock he found, all I heard was a…

Click…

BANG!

"A- Ah!! YA- B- DAMN BITCH!!!" He wailed, falling off me to the ground. I had put one bullet into his left side. One bullet… because I need him to tell me something. Getting back up I walked over to the panel near the big titanium door with a Big Six on it. It needed a password to be entered. That's great. That's why he's still breathing. When I looked back at him he tried to crawl over to his dead friend, one hoof clutching his wound. I slowly trotted over to him, watched him just trying to survive a little bit longer, it was satisfying to watch this fucker think he could be stronger. But really, a raider is just a weak piece of-

"Oh. You weren't trying to go for that were you?" The raider could do nothing but scream in pain as I stood on his reaching right hoof. Could hear his brittle bone underneath, crunching under the weight. He tried to reach for my machete. Tsk, tsk tsk. He thought I wouldn't notice. "Tell me the code to the panel! Before I start making you sing like a fucking songbird!"

A few seconds then past but he stayed quiet.

Not talking huh? Applying more pressure he screamed louder and louder, now that was music to my ears. After a short moment, he then gave in.

"Okay! Okay! It's Six, Three, Five, Seven." Good boy. Releasing my hoof, I aimed at him. "Now that ah told ya, promise not to kill me?" Now he just tried his luck.

"Can't promise you anything..."

Except for a quick death.

BANG!

I took back my machete from the head of the other dead raider then went back over to that door control panel, entering the code. Six, three, five, seven. That's it! For a moment I thought he just spoon-fed me horseshit. The giant door of Stable Six began to unlock, making a series of sounds. It started opening up with a sound of steel banging and finished with an ear-scratching hydraulic hiss like it was airtight. Now every raider will definitely know I'm here, but let them come. I've got all evening to kill.

Stable Six looked entirely different from Stable One-Eleven, the front area, reception- or whatever Stable-Tec used to call it. Is way smaller than the other, even the main door looked less… Fortified. Like they weren't expecting a balefire bomb to hit out here. "Ring-a-ding-ding..." I smirked at the sickly green unicorn mare standing behind a metal crate in front of me as I entered, her back to me, for a moment.

She suddenly swung around as I stepped into the stable, her eyes narrowed in instant anger as she then drew a knife with her orange glow of magic. "Who the fuck are ya! Y'all got some kinda fuckin' death wish asshole?"

"No…" I aimed my guns at her, no need to use the E.F.S targeting mode for this one, "...But you do."

BANG!

The sound of her knife clattering to the ground with her corpse reminded me. About how this world died. Something dropped. And now. So will these ponies. Funny. They only kept one guard at the door- Shit! I leaped down to take cover from two ponies that came bursting in from nowhere, both were unicorns. "Hey! We know ya behind tat crate! Just peek ya head an' let me shoot y'all! Tat's what ya get fer killin' ma friend."

"Yeah well, It's not my fault that I've got an itchy trigger-mouth." I heard the unicorns chuckle, one of them I could hear getting closer. Do they think I'm joking about that? "Hold this for me…" When one of them got too close it proved to be a big mistake. He was unprepared for when I quickly jammed my machete into his chest.

Ooh, now I'm starting to love the sight of blood. That warmth, that essence. I felt it splatter softly against my face. So good to just bathe in it! It's steaming and red! Must have hit the juicy spot, right at his heart. My hooves are covered in it too… Blood is my color. Ha! Ha! I am blood!! Hahaha! Must! Have! More!

Before the other raider could react I had already pinned him down to the cold, cold ground. He was behind the other as I found out when I charged him. No weapon in his grasp! Defenseless! All alone! Hahahahaha!! Something deep inside me had taken control of my body and was now just hammering the fuck out of him with my hooves. It seems like pure rage but feels like bloodlust. When I was done, the beast inside still wasn't satisfied.

BANG!

"Arg fuck!" I fell for a moment feeling a bullet sink into my flank. Looking back to see it was the same raider I put my machete into. That was his last stand before he bled out. Tried to take me down to Tartarus with him. I could hear more raider ponies past the door ahead, obviously heard the gunshots too so I had to hide in some little side room that looked to be used once for observation. Up against a corner, I now tried to ignore the fact I just got shot in the ass! Well, not exactly my first- oh Scarlett shut up! Now that was embarrassing. Who'd ever heard of a pony getting killed by a shot to the butt? ...Fuck that hurts, feels like a solar flare in my ass right now.

Suddenly I heard about eight of them enter...

"Damn it! Looks like Snippy's work. He's always been wantin' to leave this place... Must have gone out there. Get out there and find him!" Peeking around the corner I then saw the other seven-run past, heading outside. The purple unicorn who commanded them looked very different from the average raider, wearing the same armor as Boomer. This place better not be unicorn heaven. But I swear something strange is going on here. He stood next to another one of those control panels watching his goons run free. Thinking I could get the drop on him and shut the stable door behind them. That'll probably buy me some time before they get it back open. For a second I went through my saddlebags looking for something that Summer told me to use if I get shot. A healing potion. I drank it down and felt its magical effect working on me, putting an end to the flow of blood leaking from my flank. When that was done I waited till the others got a good distance apart from the entrance before making my next move.

"Who the-" Before I made the connection he noticed me and shoved me over onto my back. He quickly brought out a pistol in his magic, calling to his friends. I took the opportunity, when he looked outside, to kick both his front legs making him fall onto the floor, disrupting his magic. Quickly standing up, I managed to quickly pull on the lever to close the door, triggering an alarm as it scratched the air with shifting steel. For a moment I thought one of them was going to make it but the door shut closed. One of them, I witnessed got a hoof stuck in between when it slid into place. Then just as I looked back I ducked my head as a shot from his weapon almost hit me. I went into targeting mode and shot his gun out of his magical grasp. Then aiming at his head, put two bullets into him.

Now I really hate unicorns...

I reloaded my weapons. Bucked at the ammo cases on either side of me to quickly prepare for anymore raiders. But it sounded quiet past the door ahead, apparently, my E.F.S showed that there were no enemies ahead of me. Besides from the ones behind that scratched and banged at the main door. Each bang reminding me of the day Stable-Tec failed to save most ponies from the devastation. I don't know if I want to find out what happened to the original dwellers of this place. Either they became the raiders... Or worse. So I moved to progress forward through the door and came to a long hallway. Most of the walls were covered in all kinds of graffiti, most displaying their colorful language, others were black depictions of badly drawn ponies and... Mushroom clouds? It was a little dark halfway down with only one already dead raider, around her corpse on the floor were some vials and lots of long needles for injections. Seems like somepony liked to "party hard" as Nimbus would say.

As I approached another door, it opened up and revealed a canteen area. There were only two more dead raiders in here. It seemed quite spacious with the end half converted into a makeshift med-bay. I took the time to look around for any supplies that I could use... It's not like I'm stealing anything really, this stuff will help me better than it will help them. But mentally, these guys need a lot of help As I was crouched down trying to get at the back of a medical cupboard, I then felt something metal pressing against the back of my head. "...As much as I would love to blow a hole into that pretty face of yours, how about you tell me what you're doing first?" I turned around slowly, looking straight at the stallion who wore some helmet with an onyx visor. That deep voice did sound like a stallion, under that dark, foreboding visage.

"Why should I tell you?" I said to the mysterious stallion. His gaze didn't waver, but he looked at me for a while before turning away.

"I know you're looking for that girl, Summer Wind. If you are lucky she'll still be alive, though not many have an encounter with Boomer and live to get captured... You will find your friend in the living quarters of the east wing. But be wary of the Cook. His dishes are best served... Scorching..."

Looking away for a second, I looked back and the stallion had now disappeared. What in Celestia's name had just happened? That was strange, but at least he told me where to find Summer.

I finished up looking for supplies and went back into the corridor. Strange. That dead raider's corpse was now gone. Somepony else must have moved it unless radiation makes ponies come back from the dead.

"Kill! Kill, eat flappy!! Dead!!!"

Turning around slightly, I ducked as a knife flew over my head. The raider mare who threw it tried charging at me before I shot her twice. Her body fell to the floor fast and slid along past me. That was close. She must have been playing dead. Either that was the same raider or not... Fucker almost got me. They seem to be evolving, but they're still stupid like those raiders from Ponyville. Except these are apparently smarter and maybe better organized. As I continued moving down the hallway I came to a choice of going either left or right, I went right and stopped outside a door leading to the... "Atrium?" or so the directional markers on the walls read. According to my E.F.S, there is nothing on the other side, so I gave the door control panel a boop...

On the other side, there were at least a dozen raiders. All preparing to probably go looking for me. (Well here I am) They stopped and looked at the pegasus who just shit herself.

"Umm... Hey boys?..." Then all hell let loose.

The bucking E.F.S is bucking broken!!

Before I knew it, I was already running back the way I came. With bullets flying past me and raiders laughing and shouting. Fuck! I knew I should've stayed in bed today. Being chased by bloodthirsty stallions was not what I had in mind. Nor wanting to get fucked up by one.

I came to that corner part but instead of turning, I went straight on, going in the direction towards the stable's reactor. I'll try to lose them there. Unless more raiders are down there then I'm more fucked than a mare in heat in the middle of mating season. Suddenly I came across the door to it, almost smashing the panel for it to open. Luna! Moonquakes! The raiders weren't far behind me when the door finally opened, I did swing around and take a few shots at them but they missed, it stopped them for a bit. Once inside I bucked at the controls to close the door. One of the bullets hit me in the ass again a second before it fully closed, I screamed and ended up falling down a full flight of stairs. At that moment I then realized that they could just come down here and finish me off. It seemed like I was gonna die trying to save Summer Wind.

Just laying on the floor in pain was the only thing I could do, besides using a hoof to blindly search my saddlebags. My hoof then found one of the healing potions I found back in the canteen and I brought it back so I can devour that stuff. I thought back to when Doc' Stitches told me about trying to not get myself killed again as I drank the potion. But it's not my fault. I can't help but think... Why am I here? Is it just to suffer? I'm going to find Summer, kill that dunce Boomer, and find those... Oh, Celestia... Almost forgot about those damn train parts the Colonel needs from here. Fuck. It's not like he said about a specific part or if it's a box, at least I hope it's only a box and not a whole engine.

It better actually be here or coming to this deathtrap was a waste of my or our lives.

I got myself back up on my hooves and looked around, the room I landed in looked to be a maintenance room of some kind. There were Pip-Bucks around the floor and on a table. So it's like a maintenance center for them? I looked down at my Pip-Buck and saw that the screen had been cracked in the fall. Great. It still seemed to be working, as for the E.F.S though I guess it can't scan past the thick stable walls, couldn't see if those raiders were waiting up there for me. In a corner there was a terminal attached to some other machine, like a server, I went over to it and it was already unlocked. It had records of repairs done throughout the stable, mostly about Pip-Bucks. But one that stood out the most said about the stable having a problem with its 'Water talisman'. There was a water leak down here and the residents were forced to go outside to look for help. This was a few years ago. First they only sent one pony outside to look for a replacement but he never came back, two months passed and the inhabitants started to go a little crazy. Then the Overmare authorized the opening of the stable door and about half of the dwellers went outside... I'm guessing the raiders moved in after they left.

But what happened to the other half? It doesn't say.

Through a bulky door ahead of me, there was a sound of running water mixed with sparking electricity. That reactor doesn't sound good at all. I got up, leaving the terminal behind, and began to unlock the door. Turning the handle around about three times before pulling it open. I quickly jumped up and hovered in the air using my wings as the water started to rush into the area. Carrying with it some debris and other small fragments of stuff. When I squeezed through the small gap of the door, I immediately saw how bad the situation was. The reactor arced electricity everywhere! Good thing I wasn't standing in the water or I would have been more shocked to see it in its current state of disrepair. These raiders don't seem to care if it does eventually explode. I could give two fucks when it does. Maybe I should just get out of here before it does.

I started going back the other way, back up the stairs slowly, stopping before I reached the doors. Cautiously moving a hoof over to the door panel and opened it. Nopony was on the other side. Guess they thought that would be enough to kill me. Pfft, my flank has a better chance of being killed. I turned right and started going down the hallway, hopefully towards the living quarters' area. It wasn't long before I spotted a sign that pointed to another door. 'Living Quarters,' it read. As I was about to go through, it opened up and I crashed into a unicorn, once again falling down some stairs. Except this time I had a stallion beneath me as a cushion. The fall knocked him out... Oh wait, there's a lot of blood. I think I shot him at the same time as we landed. 'R.I.P.' Wish my wings would stop extending, it could give the wrong impression.

Now I found myself in an area that may be filled with more raiders. Yay. Getting up off the unicorn I heard somepony shout from further downstairs... "C'mon boys! It's killin' time!" Great, now it's time to get my fuck on, not in that way, but killing. Just killing. The first pony that turned around the corner saw me. He said something about a pegasus then turned back down. Two others came around screaming and blindly shooting, they must have been scared, one tripped up the stairs and I aimed to shoot the other down with him.

BANG!

The raider I shot flew backward into a new one that had appeared, and just like Rainbow Dash, I ten seconds flat their flanks! I moved onward after finishing off the other two then found that other raider. He seemed docile albeit slapping himself and screaming when I came into his view, taking off, only to run into a wall with enough force to knock himself out. Saves me a bullet, although... Nah. He'll probably kill himself after.

BANG!

Holed up inside a storage room, I took cover from more of Boomer's goons. Those special guys in raven black armor. There're four of them and they're better prepared for threats than the other cannon fodder that I'd come across, one of them clipped my left foreleg above my Pip-Buck. So now I was just hiding behind an overturned locker, waiting for them to give up shooting...

"Apple out, lads!"

Huh? Apple?

I quickly moved out from cover to get a quick look. Time slowed as I entered into targeting, getting a look at a small metal object that did look like an... Apple... Shoot it! Shoot!... I then shot the object and was thrown backward into a fridge, maybe I was a little too close to the resulting explosion, but they were closer. It was a fucking grenade, I should've known... My ears were ringing and my head hurt like an Ursa Major on moon dust. Looking up though, through derpy eyes, I saw it had killed those special guys. Heh. "How'd ya like them apples?" I'd imagine Summer saying that. She reminds me of somepony, special. But now I've forgotten.

Slowly I moved away from the fridge, it opened up a little and a piece of meat then fell out. Upon closer inspection it looked a lot like a hoof, I opened it up further... My eyes narrowed at all the stuff that fell out onto the floor. It's all fucking body parts! There were all sorts of parts I didn't know a pony had here, fuck! On the remains of a torso, I saw the tattered remains of what once was stable barding, it branded the numbers zero-six for this stable on the collar...

I know why that mysterious stallion said about a pony called "The Cook". It makes sense now. These monsters eat ponies! Oh shit! Summer!...

Out of fear, I began to turn around and run. Tripping over the locker first before heading out the door in a flurry of heart pulsing intensity. I was now blindly running through the hallway of dead raiders. These twisted fucks! Deserve worse than death! Now we need to get the fuck out of here! Should've known something smelled funny when that mare, Buck, threatened to eat me. But I thought that was just raider talk for doing something else. Soon I eventually came to another atrium area. This one was all different from the other, that I barely got to see, the walls stained with blood and some pony corpses put on spikes for some sick display. Red underglow mood lights for that sinister replay. This place looked mostly empty, with some overturned tables, chairs, and litter scattered around the floor. My eyes then looked at some small cage where Inside around two dead pony captives I could see a familiar little orange pegasus, curled up, possibly sleeping.

"Summer?" I whispered, approaching the cage.

She looked up and immediately her bright purple eyes went wide in total surprise. "Huh? Scarlett!?" A smile appearing on her face. "Ah didn't expect ya to come lookin' fer me."

"You kidding me? I never leave a friend behind. Kept you waiting, huh?" I immediately started trying to open the cage door. Fuck, I wish but don't wish I were a unicorn only for the magic so I can pick the lock. Or maybe become an alicorn if I behave myself. She looks as if she doesn't know who these creeps are. Or at least she doesn't know the other half of it. "Summer, we need to get out of here fast. These psychos eat ponies!"

"Oh yea ah know, one pony eating another tis kinda like a common thing, but ah get tat y'all haven't been out here long so..."

Oh yeah, I've only been out of that stable for four days, technically two, and I'm already wanting to just die again. Couldn't she be a bit more serious about this? Past Equestria was crazy but not like this. "...Tis also a delicacy the some." Okie, dokie, lokie.

There was suddenly a boom on a loudspeaker, "Ahh, Scarlett, how generous of ya to come an' shoot up ma humble abode..." I stopped and looked around, I saw at the top behind a circular window a familiar stallion. looking down at us. Boomer.

"Though ah will admit. You made it this far. Y'all got fire in ya kid, ah like that! But, ah'm afraid whatever y'all tryin' to do ends right here. Maybe this stable will hold ya corpse better than the last one."

Wait, how does he know about that? "H- how do you know..."

"Rumors fly fast, Scarlett. An' ah assume y'all here fer those train parts too, well too bad, there not here. Sold them to some annoying bitch in Ponyville by the name o' Nuka, but figurin' tat you're gonna die first..." Suddenly the door ahead of me exploded and landed at my hooves. Out came a brute of an earth pony the size of the corridor itself. Wearing some sort of metal armor and a metal face mask. He took one look in my direction and roared... I could see on his right side a long type of weapon with a small torch on the end attached to his big battle-saddle. Two large black tanks on his back... "Meet the Cook! He's big! He's bad! An' he makes a mean barbecue. Up next is the pride of the cuisine... Roast pegasus!"

Oh Luna, fuck me sideways...

I quickly looked back at Summer and could see the fear in her eyes, trying to do the lock of the cage. "Scarlett, look out!" Before I could turn I felt the force of the brute throwing me halfway across the room, hitting off the atrium wall. He paid Summer no mind but only went for me, good because if I were in her position I'd hate to be burning alive in there. He brought out his flame weapon, starting to prepare it. Shit! I then started moving towards the door on the floor and barely had time to use it as a shield as a wave of jet heat threatened to consume me. It did manage to burn at least half or so of my tail. Great. Now I'm gonna have to run around with a short tail for a long while. Maybe short tails are in this season? So I guess it can't be that bad.

The Cook laughed menacingly above me, his hoofsteps loud and getting closer. My shield was then thrown off me, just before I shot a quick bullet, he knocked my saddle at the same time. The bullet ended up hitting off the cage door. I suddenly got picked up by the throat and he lifted me a few meters from the ground. I couldn't do anything but gasp for breath, it wasn't long before my vision started going slightly dark. Among his brute like laughter and the light from the torch...

"Giddy up buttercup!"

What? Looking up I saw that Summer was now freed and, pretty much riding the back of the Cook, leading him into the walls as he tried to throw her off. Wait, am I looking at that right? She's riding the fucking stallion! Wow! I mean, you go cowgirl. "Yeehaw!" Summer chimed. I slowly got back up off the ground and couldn't resist looking up in Boomer's vantage point. He looked less than impressed, but really who the fuck cares? Summer had her fun cut short when she got thrown off of his back, landing next to me but quickly getting up.

"Had your fun, Summer?" I questioned looking at her.

"Ayeup, tat ain't ma first rodeo!" She panted for a moment. "What can ah say? A cowgirl tis not a cowgirl without rodeo. Rodeo tis not a rodeo without a cowgirl. Y'all get the picture, Scarlett." I do. And yes, it's not exactly a foal-friendly one either.

The Cook roared at us for a moment, starting to prepare his flamer a second time around. "You die now, flappy birds!" Wow. What an insult... Wait, do I smell gas? Looking at Summer I saw she had a devilish smile on her face, facing towards the Cook. The way she just smiled into the faceless face of death was so... Brave? Maybe stupid, but attractive. She opened her wing then started moving a feather away as if counting to three.

"One..." Summer began, the noise of the gas got louder, hissing like crazy.

"Two..." He roared again, his flamer torch lighting up brightly for a moment then...

"Three."

BANG!!!

The Cook then suddenly erupted into a display of red haze, pushing everything around him away in a forceful fiery explosion. It ended up knocking me and Summer down to the ground. His corpse scattered everywhere, there was so much blood. Enough to probably feed a hungry batpony. That horrible stench that also accompanied him was long gone now, replaced with the smell of burning cinders. These ponies were also crazy enough to let this guy touch their food? Damn. At least he's dead, now it's Boomers' turn to do the same. With less of a boom obviously, only the boom from my rifles in between his eyes.

"Oh well, so much fer getting others to do ya dirty work. When ya want something done, y'all do it yourself!" Boomer's voice did not sound happy whatsoever but boo woo, somepony wet the bed this morning... Besides me, that was an accident. "So y'all killed the biggest dumbass act this neck o' the woods, so what? Tis not over yet girls, the show must go on! So get ready to run to your deaths!"

Suddenly, there was another loud explosion and a heavy tremor ran through the ground of the stable. What in Celestia's name? "What did y'all just fuckin' do, Boomer!" I heard Summer shout, getting back on her hooves. He didn't answer just simply turned around then went out of view. Again great, today is so fantastic. The whole stable shook violently, almost like... Oh, surely he didn't? He rigged the damn place to blow up and now he's done it, that crazy piece of-

"Scarlett, run! We need to get out of this place!" Summer exclaimed.

Next, I found myself running alongside her throughout the stable, dodging either dead raiders I killed earlier or bullets while also making sure we keep a good pace. This place was exploding everywhere, the pipes, the walls, even the ponies. He must have rigged that damn reactor room in explosives or something, how could I have been so blind? These boys were mainly too occupied killing each other to bother paying any attention to us as we ran, almost blindly, but I knew the way anyway. "What did he mean about that other stable was meant to hold your corpse, Scarlet?" Summer said as we reached the canteen where I met that mysterious stallion, stopping for a moment, just looking into it. She stopped to look back at me, "What is it, Scarlett?"

"It's nothing. I'll tell you once we are back at Armistice..." I smiled at her. She nodded then we continued to move on, the screams of dying raiders behind us as we reached the main stable door. Huh. So those raiders I locked out earlier must have opened it back up, that or just our luck. Ooh, I'll take that back, I picked up my machete that I also left as well. Mm, wait maybe I should?... Summer went on ahead now fully outside, safe, while I tried rendering the inside door control panel unusable. When that was done I went outside and flipped the switch, ordering the giant steel door of Stable Six to shut, and never reopen. Breaking the outside panel also. Summer looked back towards me and smiled weakly, that golden sunset reflecting her rich eyes, caught in her coat. She didn't seem to mind that I just decided the fate of those helpless raiders, trapping them under the earth for eternity. Maybe I am an angel of death? But I also couldn't let those cannibals live, that's just barbaric doing what they did to survive.

I looked at Summer and we started a long low flight back to Sunnyspring, following the sunset together…