Author's Note

After a long wait it’s finally here, huge thanks to NoiseStorm on discord for the massive help

Funfact this story if based off an rp, so far has taken place before it, hopefully soon these will come out faster

Chapter 17: What Happened?

Cinder slowly woke up, her face buried in the larger mare’s chest fluff, she sighed when Ash started to rub her back. “My head hurts.”

“Mine does too, why are the lights humming so loud?” Ash asked before nuzzling Cinder’s head.

Cinder slowly lifted her head and laid her chin on Ash’s chest. “I think the ones in S-96 were louder. You were a scribe, you tell me why they’re loud.”

“Pretty much the glowey bit is vibrating, shouldn’t be this damn loud though.” Ash booped her nose.

“Hey, about S-96...” Cinder started to talk before Ash interrupted

Ash stopped rubbing her back. “No, I’m not talking about it.”

“Please, Just tell me why I tossed away my life to join you. Before I left they were all saying you took a ton of Rage and murdered a scribe, me and your mom knew it was a lie and went to find you.” Cinder had started to cry. “You don't even like your suit giving you Med-X but everyone kept saying you were on Rage.” she put her face back into Ash’s chest.

“There was a foal, he was from a stable.” Ash started crying as well. “Still had the barding and Pipbuck and the scribe tried to ash him to take it, so I smacked him in the head. I forgot I had power armor and he didn’t, I just wanted to push him back. I didn’t mean to kill him.”

Cinder raised her head and set her chin on Ash’s chest. “I thought everyone was lying so I went to see your mom, she didn’t believe them either so she went and got the tag for the armor you took and wiped it from the system, same with mine. I went and got my armor then we went to find you, I’ve been trying to believe you were the same Ash the entire time but it’s gotten too much.

Ash nuzzled her head. “I am, we just need to find the Neijave Chapter, we can continue to be the same then. W-we just need to find them.”

“But how? We have no clue where they are, we haven’t seen any presence of them here.” Cinder slid off Ash and the bed onto her hooves. “We should go, it’ll be nice to get away from this humming.”

Ash sat up and looked for her armor. “Yeah, I guess. Maybe we could take over one of their signals, just gotta find an encrypted channel and find a way through.”

Cinder started sliding the parts of her armor that she could without help. “That might work, can you give me a hoof with this?”

***

Ash followed Cinder down the strip to the gates, watching a couple ponies stumble their way across the street. While watching she noticed a red mare in heavy combat armor watching her and Cinder, on her chest was a white symbol but she couldn’t make it out at the distance.

While looking at the red mare she ran into something in front of her and fell back onto her flanks. “Watch it Ash.”

Ash looked up at Cinder’s rear and looked back at where the red mare had been to find her gone. “Sorry… just was looking at someone.”

Cinder looked back at Ash before looking around. “At who?”

“There was some red mare with heavy combat armor, very out of place but she’s gone now.” Ash said before getting back up.

“Heavy? Think it’s a Ranger?. Cinder sounded concerned and started quickly looking around for where she went.

Ash started looking around as well. “I don't know, I couldn’t tell what the symbol was on the chest.”

When Ash looked back forward there was someone different, Ash jumped back as Cinder turned to the new face. “Sorry, didn’t mean ta scare ya.”

Ash cleared her throat to compose herself. “Do you need something?”

Ash noticed he seemed to be an older colt, just below or just barely hit adulthood. “You’re Rangers right? Usually when ponies visit they don't have armor like that, just their bodyguards.”

Cinder went to stand beside Ash. “That obvious huh? What all gave us away?”

He turned to look at Cinder. “Well to start, you look very strong and the gray one is way too large to survive on what we all eat. Plus your fur is nearly perfect, just a little sandy.”

“Did you just call me fat?” Ash asked, pretending to be offended.

“No, no. I mean you’re just so tall and you look like you can throw ponies easily, there’s no way you’re a normal wastelander. It’s why most ponies are somewhat avoiding you, Rangers aren’t normally ‘undercover’ like you two are.”

“Then why did you come up to us?” Cinder asked with her head tilted.

“I know a place you might be interested in, found it with a couple friends, i'll tell you where for a hundred caps.” He smiles at Cinder.

Cinder shrugs before opening her saddle box, ash pulled the caps out and held them out in her hoof. “Alright, where is it then?” Ash asked as he took them from her.

“Up north a mile or two from the road there's a ground convoy, there's a few robots so we couldn’t get close. Got it drawn on a map though. I have a rumor you might be interested in for fifty more caps.”

Cinder sighed before having her armor push more caps to the top for Ash to pay him with.

After he takes and pockets it he starts talking. “Alright so I heard the I.S.Rs are out looking for some traitors.”

Cinder looked at Ash with her head tilted. “Who is the I.S.R?”

“Inner Steel Rangers, they only answer to the Elder Council. Basically their personal goons. They don't answer to anyone else, not even a single Elder, I think they can order us around as well.”

Cinder turns back to the other pony. “Alright, give me the map.”

“I said I’d tell you for a hundred, maps another two.” He gave them a smug look.

Ash leaned down and got in his face. “Or I could break your spine and take it.” She said quietly.

He tossed it on the ground in front of them. “Fine, whatever. Cunts.” He walked off as Cinder took the map and tossed it into Ash's bag.

Cinder started walking towards the main gate again. “We probably could have just talked down the price. He might not talk to us again now.”

Ash followed. “His fault for not being clear. He’s lucky I didn’t actually want to.”