Several days later.

Ash glanced at her battery charge, just 20%. “What’s your battery at, we might have to try and find some.”

“30%, I have two reserves but we should find more or try and find a way to charge the spent ones.” Cinder replied.

Ash spotted a wagon refueling station. “Might be a generator inside there.”

“Doubt it would work but might as well see, you go in and I’ll search any wagons outside for batteries.” Cinder replied, she split off to where three wagons collided.

Ash watched her go before glancing at the accident, a skeleton was hanging out of the front window of one wagon, one behind it was still in their seat. The wagon they hit head on was mangled, having taken the force of two wagons.

Ash went into the old station, her EFS was clear so she started scavenging.

The shelves were barren, just a few plates and mugs, which somehow always looked brand new. The bit register only had a hoof full of bits.

A bell rang as the door opened, Ash snapped her head towards the sound, Cinder walked into the building.

“Got two more batteries, find anything in here?” She asked, coming over to Ash.

“Few bits, no food, generator is probably out back if there is one.” Ash replied, she ducked her head under the counter. “Found a safe.”

“I’ll see if I can crack it, head out back.” Cinder replied.

Ash got out from behind the counter, Cinder went behind after she was out of the way, Ash heard her armor open as she went outside.

Going behind the building she found a small junkyard, rusted to hell wagons sat around, even a few of the wooden ones ponies had to pull.

A small shack was up against the building, Ash made her way through the scrap metal, pieces on the ground were pushed into it by her armor’s hooves.

She opened the shack door, a generator sat against a wall in the corner, a bedroll near it, a body in it.

Ash spun up her minigun then kicked its leg, two glowing yellow eyes opened and looked up at her. A growl came from the feral on the ground.

Ash tapped her trigger and a burst of 5mm shot from her minigun and shredded the ghoul. When it stopped moving she went to the generator and took off her helmet.

She grabbed the generator’s cord and tugged it a few times before it actually turned on. The generator started to gurgle then growl as it’s inside started to spin. She noticed a fuel can sitting beside it so she took it and poured it into the generator’s fuel tank.

She returned to Cinder, her helmet hanging by the hoses, sitting against her chest.

“Found some bits, what was the shooting?” Cinder asked as she put things on the counter from the safe.

“Ghoul guarding the generator, anything good?” Ash replied, she sat across from Cinder.

“Around fifty bits, twelve 9mm and a 9mm pistol.” She replied before tossing everything into her armor’s container.

“Sleep here then continue in the morning?” Ash asked.

“Sure, let’s sleep out of our armor this time, behind the counter.” Cinder replied as she came out from behind the counter, the back of her Power Armor opened and she climbed out of it.

Ash did the same, then followed Cinder behind the counter, Cinder laid on her side and Ash joined her. Ash wrapped her forehooves around Cinder and pulled her close, her warm breath hit her neck, where her undersuit didn’t cover her fur.

***

Ash woke up to Cinder’s nose up against hers, she smiled before nuzzling against her. Cinder slowly opened her eyes to Ash’s nuzzles.

Cinder smiled and nuzzled her back. “Morniiing.”

Ash licked Cinder’s nose before sitting up. “We should head out, should be near the desert now.”

“I guess.” Cinder said as she got up, Ash was stretching beside her, she smacked her flank because she had it up.

After climbing into their armor and waking it up they left the old station. Ash looked up at the clouds, they were darker than last night.

“Might rain soon.” Ash said, still looking up.

“Oh well, just keep your helmet on, have a can opener?” Cinder replied as she opened her armor’s saddle box and pulled out a couple cans of food.

“No I thought you did?” Ash replied, confused.

“Well fuck, I don’t and only Cram has the tabs. Fucking hate Cram.” Cinder complained as she tossed the cans back into her saddle box.

“Just eat one of the box ones, like the Apple Bombs.” Ash replied as she pulled out a box of the old food.

Cinder shrugged before doing the same, they both ate as they walked, Cinder had her helmet sitting on top of her head, Ash’s hanging by the hoses.

“That’s probably not good for those.” Cinder said, looking at her helmet.

“What’s not good?” Ash asked

“Having your helmet hang like that, I doubt it’s good for the hoses.” Cinder replied

“Eh, it wasn't a problem when I had the T-51 suit, so I doubt it is on the T-45.” Ash replied dismissively.

***

Most of the day had passed and it was getting dark, Ash looked out at the desert sand that went on from miles as they walked, massive lines of rocks interrupted the field of sand, cacti dotted the sand as well.

She spotted a group of big brahmin looking things. “What are those? Desert brahmin?” She asked Cinder

“The guide I read a while ago said they’re bighorners.” Cinder replied.

“What guide?” Ash asked.

“Wasteland Survival Guide.” Cinder replied, she started going through her armor’s inventory.

“I read it and there wasn’t anything about these.” Ash replied, confused.

Cinder found the Neijave guide and tossed it to Ash. “Not this version.”

Ash read the title. “Wasteland Survival Guide: Neijave Edition.. there’s different versions?”

“Yea, the major places have their own, took it off some drugged up pony in that apartment building.” Cinder replied. “You should read it, I already have.”

Ash noticed a fire ahead and tossed the book into her saddle box then tossed her helmet on and stopped walking. “Fire, at eleven.”

Cinder put her helmet on as well and stopped. “Might be traders, should we approach?”

“Sure, keep your weapons ready in case they aren’t.” Ash replied as she started to walk towards the light.

Getting closer they found three brahmin and a group of at least ten, a few had metal armor and various rifles. Ash flicked on her headlamp, Cinder doing the same.

A few of the ponies jumped up and pointed rifles at the lights.

“Who the fuck are you, answer or I’ll fire.” One of them yelled.

“Steel Rangers, identify yourself, or we will fire heavy explosives.” Cinder yelled back.

“We are a trade caravan headin to New Pegasus.” The same ponies replied.

Ash and Cinder flicked off their lights then went into the light of the fire, the group watched them, a few stared at Ash’s grenade launcher and Cinder’s missile launcher.

“Mind if we join you for the trip? We’re heading to New Pegasus as well.” Ash asked them, sitting by the fire and removing her helmet, Cinder stood near her but took her helmet off as well.

The ponies seemed to relax and an older buck who Ash guessed to be the leader spoke up. “Wouldn’t mind, might make the raiders not come near us, still would have to pay for anything you take or use.”

“Fair enough, I’m going to sleep.” Ash replied, she put her helmet on and got up, then backed away from the fire, then stopped moving.

“I think I’ll stay up a bit.” Cinder replied and took her place by the fire.

“You can sleep in those?” One of the ponies asked Cinder.

“Yea, uses up the batteries a lot but we always do it when outside the bunker.” Cinder replied. “Sometimes we just have one pony in Power Armor while the rest sleep on mats, usually they change every few hours though.”

“What’s your name?” The leader asked.

“Knight Cinder, she is Paladin Ash.” Cinder replied

***

Ash blinked a few times before looking around, most of the group was asleep, two were awake and watching the road.

She took her helmet off and went to Cinder, who had fallen asleep sitting down, she sat beside her at the burned out fire.

Ash waited as the other ponies started waking up, she noticed one using one of the super early models of Pip-Buck, the tablet ones. She went to him and sat beside him.

“Where’d you manage to find one of them?” She asked.

“Stable pony sold it to me, wasn’t working but I took it apart and got it working. Damn thing doesn’t even have a rad sensor like the ones you wear.” The mare she guessed was a merchant replied.

“Our armor’s systems are about as advanced as those ones you wear.” Ash replied. “What are you all planning to do in New Pegasus?”

“We plan on swinging past a canyon that has a bunch of zebras living in it, then heading north to go to Pegasus, probably just stay on the outskirts. Doubt we would all be able to afford going into the main area.” The mare replied, she set the tablet down and looked up at ash.

“You could probably find a Geiger counter to attach to it, should be a spot on it to.” Ash said, looking at her pip tablet.

“I know, but I haven’t been able to find one, everyone just has the newer ones and they don’t want this old one.” She replied, picking the tablet back up and looking over it.

“So what are you two heading there for?” She asked, looking back at Ash.

“Looking to meet up with the Neijave Rangers, we came from the Fillydelphia Chapter.” Ash replied, looking back at Cinder, she had woken up and started talking to the group’s leader.

“We came from Manehatten, went to Filly for a while then decided to visit Pegasus to see how much we could make there.” The mare replied. “I’m Cherry Horn by the way.”

“Ash Blossom, nice to meet you.” Ash replied.

The group’s leader came up to them. “We’re moving out, get ready Cherry.”

***

Walking down the road again, the brahmin following behind the ponies, Ash and Cinder stayed near the brahmin, letting them lead. Ash checked her map, they were getting closer to the outlined marker for Las Pegasus. While looking in her map she felt an impact on her helmet, she exited everything and spun up her minigun’s barrels.

Ash looked around, the brahmin started running, the traders and Cinder had ran to the side of the road, Ash looked where she was shot from and started firing. She saw raiders hiding in the dead treeline and she started firing grenades at them.

The others started firing from the ditch they ran to, the raiders focused on Ash, rounds pinged off her chest plate and helmet.

***

Cinder looked up from the ditch, Ash was standing in the middle of the road firing her minigun and grenade launcher, she got out of the ditch and yelled “Backblast clear!” She waited a couple seconds before firing her missile launchers, eight missiles flew into the treeline, trees started falling, she saw raiders running away from the falling trees and explosions.

Cinder heard the traders behind her firing their weapons, which sounded like pistols. A bullet hit her forehead, hard enough to push her head back.

“FFFFUCK!” Cinder yelled and held her head.

Ash ran over to her. “Are you alright?”

“I think one of those fuckers has a .308.” Cinder replied, she could tell her helmet was dented.

“Can you tell where from?” Ash asked while scanning the tree line.

“I don't know, somewhere in the trees.” Cinder replied as she rubbed her head.

The trader ponies ran up to them and took cover near them behind the concrete divider. They started peaking out to fire then dropping back down.

Ash watched the trees as the traders stopped firing, it was quiet. “I think they’ve retreated.”

A couple of the ponies ran after the brahmin that had run. Cinder pulled off her helmet and rubbed where she was hit,

“Looks like it’ll bruise.” Ash said, looking at it.

“Probably, we need to start moving again in case they’ve run back to base to get more raiders.” Cinder replied as she put her helmet back on.

Ash turned around to see the ponies leading the brahmin back to the group. They gathered and the leader went to Ash with a small pouch.

“We want you to take this for helping us, I don't know if we would’ve survived that without you two.” He said as he offered it.

Ash took it and opened it, caps. “Thank you, wew need to start moving in case they come back though.

He nodded and told the traders to start moving again.

Author's Note

Chapter art
https://derpibooru.org/images/3373022