Fallout Equestria: Endless Horizon

Fallout Equestria: Endless Horizon

Chapter 8: Visions of Oasis

Vision was alive.

I’d never seen so many creatures in one place before. Unicorns, earth ponies, and even zebras, griffons, and pegasi there doing business! There was a ramshackle market near the gate that seemed to draw a lot of attention. Everyone was bartering, exchanging caps, and discussing recent events and rumours. Beyond that, the city was just as busy. Carpenter ponies scurried every which way. Security guards smiled and greeted friends as they passed by.

We made our way towards the five Ministry buildings that made up the bulk of Vision. The Ministries of Peace, Awesome, Arcane Science, Wartime Technology, and Moral. The Ministry of Image building was almost on the other side of Trottingham, on the block where a balefire missile had plunged the city back into the dark ages.

The City of Vision, (It was far more than a mere wasteland town,) was bordered by an 8-foot tall wall of steel and concrete. Devastating auto-turrets lined the top of the wall at regular intervals, ready to react to any possible threat to the settlement. One of them even appeared to be armed with a missile pod! That did leave me wondering what kind of enemies would require such devastating firepower.

The city leaders and guards lived and worked from the MoP and MAS buildings The Ministry of Moral had been converted into a place of commerce, filled with shops, inns, taverns, and artisan ponies. The market near the gate was where travelling merchants would go to sell their wares. The MoM building housed all of the permanent stores and shops.

The campus around the buildings housed a series of small shantytowns, all in various stages of construction. Even as we looked, there were crafts ponies working to build more steel metal shacks. The city was expanding, growing.

I was excited to explore it all. It was loud, smelly, and very chaotic. But it was a thriving community. Not a tiny village like Whinnies Grove, but an actual sprawling settlement! It wasn’t a place where I’d want to settle down, but it was a clear sign of civilization!

Scarlet had explained earlier how the people of Vision were all hardworking, honest folk, even if the leaders were doing some terrible things. She knew many of the ponies personally and held many of them in high regard.

I nearly bumped into one of the gate guards, causing me to blush furiously. Scarlet rolled her eyes and giggled at me. She stood vigilant by my side as I meekly apologized to the stallion. The guards in Vision were in similar silver-coloured armour as the ones we’d found at the prison but proved far more hospitable.

The one I’d bumped into hadn’t cared that I'd run into him, apparently understanding what a sight the city was for the first time. Opposite him was a pony-covered head to hoof in power armour! A heavyweight, magically powered exosuit that was probably more like wearing a tank than actual armour. The steel was accented by bright apple red lines running along the limbs and back. A minigun was mounted on one side of the armour and a grenade machine gun on the other.

If Scarlet showed any worry or disdain about being so close to these uniformed guards after seeing their prison, it well was well hidden behind a bright smile. Life as a slave then trader had taught her to keep composed in difficult situations.

“Welcome to Vision, folks!” A grey earth pony mare with a short blond mane sauntered over. There was a simple Pipbuck 2000a strapped to her leg with a broadcaster slotted into the peripheral slot. Her customer service voice dropped as her eyes fixed on the red mare among us. The earth pony darted up to Scarlet and nuzzled into her neck. “Scar, it's so good to see you! I-You…-Oh no! What happened?” She looked over Scarlet with concern, focusing on what was left of her wounded ear.

Scarlet smiled and nuzzled back, shrugging off her (friends?) worry. “Caravan got hit by the border. Slavers. Jasmin, this is my good friend Aella.” I waved as she nodded in my direction. “She pulled me out of the fire. And that’s Feather Free, he keeps us patched up. Guys, this is Jasmin Sparks, we go back to before I was a caravan driver.” Free rolled his eyes, annoyed at not being referred to as Scarlet's friend. That or at the somewhat dodgy nickname, given the many scars covering my new friend's body.

“I’m glad you’re ok! We’ll have to get together for drinks tonight. Your cute friends will come, it'll be great!” A simple wink from the grey mare made me blush. “But I’m sure you have other shit to do in town, seeing as you got hit. I think Mayberry is in her office? Always more paperwork to do... girl needs a drink and a screw”

Scarlet chuckled at her friend's commentary. “Awesome, thanks Jazy. Hey, what’s with the extra firepower? Never seen an AppleJack’s Ranger stand post.” Scarlet looked over the giant power armoured pony with disdain. He kept his eyes forward, focused on the ponies who milled about the edge of the city.

The question melted Jasmin's smile away. She shuffled awkwardly as she replied. “We’ve been having issues with raiders lately. Pegasi. They’ve been taking out caravans. Everyone wants Prime to send out his Enforcers to deal with it, but they’re all assigned so… Prime thought we needed the extra help. Make sure everypony-er-creature feels safe.”

Free's ears flattened at the news. Scarlet frowned “Well, they’ve done a lot for the community since they formed… I know I’ve had issues with them in-”

“You’ve had issues with almost everypony in the past! Dear Luna girl, I've even shot you a few times! Anyway, yeah, just keep an eye out when you’re on the road. Pack some heavy weapons just in case.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes and scoffed. ”Fair enough Jazy, and thanks for the tip. I’ll catch ya on the flip side.” They hugged before we were led past the heavy iron gates.

The weapon rules in Vision were lax at best. As long as it didn’t explode or punch through concrete you were free to carry it. Of course, causing trouble would lead to being kicked out, imprisoned (Well, enslaved,), or hung depending on the offence. After checking our bags for weapons above their specified limit, we were ushered through the city's massive gate.

It was a nice place but it wasn’t a paradise. There was a distance between the different species of the settlement. The ponies didn’t seem to do business or be friendly with the zebras, and the griffons only caught a ponies attention if it was business-related. It would take more than a few rules to undo the centuries of xenophobia between the groups, but sharing space and being civil was a start.

At least the zebra and griffon populations got along well. The two minorities shared a small village to the far left of the gate, back behind the MoP building. It seemed they had their own guards patrolling, often paired with a member of Vision’s security force.

As we made our way into the Ministry Walk’s campus, many creatures eyed me with suspicion. I was a member of a considerable minority in the wasteland too. There was no creature quite like me. That made me the largest wildcard of all. The closest thing would be griffons, but they mainly worked as mercenaries who’d serve anyone with the caps, like the infamous Redeye. Of course, this made them less than popular around most ponies. I was similar to both groups, but clearly not a member of either.

I didn’t blame the townsponies for being uncomfortable around me. I didn’t like things that were new or different. It could often be overwhelming. Terrifying. Hopefully, when they got to see I wasn’t a bad person, they’d pay me no mind. In the meantime, they were free to stare as much as they liked.

Our first act of business was lodging. The leaky shack we’d slept in the night before had left me exhausted and sore, so having a nice soft bed to nest was my biggest priority. Meanwhile, Scarlet went off to replace her lost visa and get an insurance? I didn’t ask.

That took us to the Ministry of Moral, the famously garish pink building full of speakers, creepy posters, and statues of the Ministry's mare. The speaker system had been set up to play the local radio station, rather than the weird music and recordings that played through Pinkie Pie’s Sprite Bots. Still, the creepy Pinkie Pie posters made my hair stand on end. It was like their eyes were following me.

It was rife with activity. The way every creature trotted around shopping, conversing with friends, and enjoying one another company made me think of pre-war malls I'd seen on films growing up. Despite the uncomfortable white lighting and the loud atmosphere, it was much more comfortable outside. Portable heaters were set up in each shop, helping the burning barrels in the hallways to keep the building warm and dry. All of the restaurants were packed for lunch, with many other creatures roaming the stores as their food settled. They had stores for everything, from cheese to instruments. They had three weapons shops! One for Melee weapons, one for firearms, and one for energy weapons. The only thing it lacked was a doctor or pharmacist. They had an entire story in the MoP building set up to act as a hospital and lab. Other than that everything we'd ever need was a short trot from the place Scarlet recommended.

The 3 restaurants were packed for lunch. The odd shopper browsed the adjacent shops while their food settled. There was a firearms store, an energy weapons vendor, a scrap dealer, and an armourer on the first floor. If we needed any drugs or medicine we’d have to go to the rather impressive clinic in the MoP building. Short of that, everything we could need to buy was a quick trot from the place Scarlet recommended.

From inside the Inn, I couldn't tell we were still in the ugly pink building. The walls were coloured a simple off-white, with a dark trim along the drop covered in stars. The lighting was less intense than in the mall proper, though I wasn't sure if that was by design or just due to energy rationing. The lobby had plush, refurbished furniture ascended by framed paintings and sketches. All were signed. Stella drew a boat. Fortune painted the figure of a pony, shrouded by a mess of dark colours warring with the lighter ones. Clarinet drew a unicorn buck flanked by two young foals. Many of the drawings and paintings were foalish, but they made the place feel homey. The energy in the air curled around me like a warm hug. A crescent moon with an equine silhouette sleeping on it hung behind the check-in counter.

The inn was nice. It was warm and comforting with refurbished furniture decorating the lobby. A crescent moon with a pony silhouette sleeping on it hung behind the check-in. As I wondered if the soft lighting was by design or just due to an insufficient power supply, an energetic filly behind the counter squeaked out a greeting.

“Howdy!” beamed the energetic filly behind the counter. She leaned over the counter, precariously balanced on a stool so she could reach it. Her pearl white coat was pristine. Free of the dusk and grime from the wasteland beyond the walls. She had her emerald mane pulled back with a pink bow to keep it out of her eyes. She could have been a pony from a prewar novel. Not a single trance of the wasteland was visible. "I'm Snowflake. Are we looking 'fer a room?" She tapped her hooves against the counter eagerly.

Feather Free nudged me with his wing, urging me to speak to the filly. My first lesson in bartering, per Scarlet's request. A simple transaction. No pressure at all. I stepped forward and smiled at the eager little foal. "I-um-yes, we are. Ugh, do you maybe have any beds with two rooms maybe? Rooms with two beds, I mean! Sorry..." Free facehoofed behind me and nickered.

Snowflake disregarded my stammering as she drew a key from below the counter. "One double twin will run you 25 caps, Miss!" Despite her age, she managed to stay professional and overlook my anxiousness. I pulled a jingling bag out of my breast pocket that Scarlet have me and sat them on the counter. Scarlet had already counted out the caps. The bottlecaps. From soda bottles. Because that's what money is. Obviously. The filly looked them over briefly and nodded. "Perfect, it's room three! Right over there!" She pointed down the hallway to our right.

Just as we started towards our room the young pony gasped. “Oh my gosh wait! You’re that hippo-whats-it from the radio! You gots to be! That’s so cool!” In a blur, she rushed over to take my claw in her hooves and shook vigorously. “Mom and I heard the DJ talking about you! You, like, basically saved all the food! For some reason, I thought you'd be taller... Anyway, t’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Captain!”

The sudden unexpected attention did nothing for my stammering. "I-um, yeah I guess... T-thank you. But my name is Aella, I'm n-not a captain. I'm Aella Breeze!" The commotion drew the odd glance from ponies trotting through the mall or loitering in the lobby.

Her eyes widened as she stared up at me in wonder. “Amazing! Ahh!” She squealed. “I hope you enjoy your stay! Thank you for choosing The Restful Moon! Me or mom will be here if you need anything at all!”

*** *** ***

The room was basic compared to the lobby. Two double beds, a TV that hadn’t worked in 200 years, and a noisy radiator in the corner. I couldn’t tell what this area had been before it was made into a hotel. Probably offices.

My saddlebags sailed across the room as we entered, followed by my armoured barding. I wasn’t used to carrying all of my gear for so long. My knees hurt and my lungs burned. Having a place to keep our stuff while we were out would save me a lot of trouble. Feather Free on the over claw only removed his bags long enough to pull out anything he didn't need, only to put them back on. He at least had the sense to remove his armour, revealing his green coat, ruffled wings and cutie mark: two snake things climbing around a pole with a pair of wings. Some kind of pre-war medicine mark?

I dramatically fell into bed, groaning as my head hit the pillow. The stallion chuckled at my tired theatrics. I ignored him. Between sleeping on a train and in a rainy shack, it was nice to have a warm bed. It was stained and a bit smelly, but it made me happy. I added a note in my Pip-Buck to pick up some tents for everyone. At least if we all had them I’d be able to curl up in my nest roll.

A bottle of Sparkle-Cola made a satisfying fizz as Free popped the cap. He took a seat on the bed adjacent to me, taking a long drink. After a moment, he found the energy to speak. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

I rolled a bit to look over at the pegasus and raised a brow. “Depends on what it is…”

“It’s nothing personal, don’t worry. I’m just worried about… your ship. If it’s secure. If somepony went rooting around…” He started.

“The ship is fine,” I interrupted swiftly. “The townsponies won't bother it and it’s safe there. Nopony’s going to go sniffing around and find something they shouldn’t. You have nothing to worry about.”

“I just wanted to make sure. I, um… heard stories about the technology your people have. I’m a bit worried about what would happen if the wrong ponies got a hold of it all.”

“The ship is safe, ok? Nopony is going to find the Skystar V, and no one is going to be weaponizing it. Do you think I don’t know about the risk of bringing it here? I know what ponies do with new kinds of magic or technology. My parents built that ship for peaceful exploration. I would never let their dream be perverted into a weapon of war.”

Free seemed content with my answer and dropped the subject. He was right, the technology and magic on my ship could be modified to do terrible things if the right pony got a hold of it. Most of them wouldn’t even know what they were looking at. If anyone was to go after the tech in my ship, it’d be the Enclave. They’re the only ones who had any knowledge of it, and it scared the feathers off them. From what I’d heard though, the Enclave was still in shambles after losing to the Light Bringer and her friends.

I was worried that he asked. With the betrayal from Specter fresh in my mind, I was still having some issues trusting people. No matter how much I reasoned that I could trust Scarlet and Free, it didn’t keep my mind from summoning up every possible worst-case scenario. I pulled my blanket over my head and shut my eyes tight to hide from the stray thoughts trying to poison my mind.

Just as I was starting to doze, Feather Free spoke out again. “Surprised you’re not heading over to the Ministry of Peace building to see about treatment for your friends.”

That sobering sentence had me spring up from the bed, wings unfurled. “Oh shoot I almost forgot!” I paced as the gears turned in my head. “Ugh, I don’t even know who I should talk to though, I-”

“The mare Scarlet is going to see is probably the one you wanna meet. Mayberry. I don’t know if she’ll know herself, but she’ll point you in the right direction. She’s in charge of trade and immigration, and the only Visionary you can see without having an appointment. Great gal’ too. Done a few jobs for her in the past.”

I nodded a few times, shuffling from hoof to claw. “Right, right, right, right, right. So go see her, and then find out where I wanna go next. Sounds easy enough! Right? Right! Of course!”

Free rolled his eyes, seeing right through my weak attempts at confidence. “You gonna be alright? You seem a bit overwhelmed by all of this. I can go with you if you-”

“I’ll be ok!” I snapped. “It’s just… So many creatures in one place. It’s a lot, you know? This place is so busy and alive, there’s so much to hear, sense, and see… Yeah, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Pfft, I can handle being shot at. Dealing with people? Easy!”

*** *** ***

So I lied! It was just a little! I really wanted to do it on my own, be able to do something on my own! If I was going to do well in the wasteland, I couldn’t lean on my friends for everything. I had to fly with my own two wings.

But I was socially inept. Mixing that with the culture shock of the wasteland, I was well out of my depth. I tried to ask some ponies who wandered through the shopping center in the MoM building, but they were all too busy or gave confusing answers that were hard to follow. Everypony was so clustered together I couldn't take two steps without bumping into someone. I didn't even like having my friends in my personal space most of the time, let alone an entire settlement invading it. Finally, I decided to get my bearings from the air. There weren't many fliers in the city so I had all of the airspace to myself.

The city was more impressive from above. The campus was probably around the size of my own hometown on its own, but much more densely populated. Multiple ponies were lined up in front of a beautiful fountain to fill up various containers with its freshwater. In the center of the fountain were the two sisters standing tall, with water flowing from their horns. I could vaguely make out the two water talismans that kept it running.

Power, clean water, safety, and economy. The city was doing well for itself, even when compared to Hippogriffia’s settlements. I speedily took a figurative step back from that thought. They were doing it by exploiting their prisoners. Slave labour. I couldn’t let myself get distracted by the commodities it offered.

The MoP building was easy to spot. The giant sign with its butterfly logo was clear above the entryway, which was surprisingly empty unlike other areas in town. Apparently, nopony had business with the town's leaders today. The giant glass windows made it look and feel very warm and inviting, which I appreciated. Pre-war Equestria had some brilliant architects. I wondered if I could find any books about them.

I glided to the entryway and headed inside. The lobby was neat and tidy, with a pony sweeping the floors as I entered. This was probably the only place in the wasteland that still paid people to clean things. Or… Oh, I hope he was being paid. The receptionist sitting behind the desk tapping away at a terminal seemed like the best pony to ask. Without looking up, he directed me to the hallway on the left. That didn’t seem like very good service, but he seemed rather busy. Down the hall was a communal area with several offices branching off. I easily picked out the correct one, finding the sign hung on the door.

‘Mayberry: Immigration and Asset Management.’

I knocked on the door, doing my best to ignore the nervous butterflies flapping around in my chest. Even though I was the one who'd be asking questions the experience reminded me of going to job interviews or speaking to my professors when I was in trouble.

A minute passed before I was called in. The zebra behind the desk gave me a smile which I anxiously returned. She'd been working on a portable terminal, with towers of paper on either side of it. Suddenly I felt bad for disturbing her with my own problem when she had so much on her plate.

The soft-spoken mare didn't mind at all as she gestured for me to sit. After finishing a note on her terminal, she addressed me. “If I’m not mistaken, you’d be the Aella Breeze Scarlet speaks so highly of. It’s lovely to make your acquaintance.”

I blushed a bit, completely blindsided by her unexpected knowledge of me. “Y-yes that’s right. S-she spoke of me…ugh, highly?”

Miss Mayberry nodded with a smile. “Yes, yes, but I digress. She told me of your quest. I don’t have the resources to help myself, but I do believe that we can get both you and Scarlet to the pony you want to meet. There is a contract that has yet to be filled, complicated for those who lack gills.”

I raised my eyebrows. “So, what? There’s something underwater that you need to get? Some tech or something? That sounds easy enough, I’ve done that kind of work before.”

My shapeshifting abilities hadn’t come up around my friends yet. Partly because it hadn’t been important, but mostly because it was a skill I was bad at. Working out my current form took a lot of visualization, and half a day of guided meditation with my sister to manage. But simply going to a seapony form and back should be simple enough.

“There’s a research building, West of here. The town flooded with water, maybe 40 years ago. Many of the older residents here in Vision used to live in the ruins of Port Mistmane. Obviously, we cannot get in, but we’re in need of the projects they uncovered from before the war.” The zebra slid over a folder, with papers detailing the job. I was impressed at the level of organization Mayberry kept. “Prime wants it badly. I don’t know why.”

I read out loud as I skimmed. “Joint MoP and AV pharmaceuticals. Available information limited, contract to acquire available data, shipment manifests, daily reports, inventory information… This all seems doable. But if the building is flooded, I can’t turn the power on without burning out all the computers. That a nonstarter.”

The zebra reached over and pointed at a basic map of the building, indicating the West end of the basement. “The pumps run on emergency power. You get those running, drain the water, then you’re clear.”

I closed the file, tapping my talons anxiously against the page. “So how will doing this job help me? And umm, how would I be…Compensated?” Ah yes, being left alone while discussing finance. Lovely.

She smiled, obviously expecting those questions in particular. “Completing the contract pays 5,000 caps, paid by the poster personally.”

Oh… Oh yes, that would work perfectly! That sounded like a lot! I bounced gleefully in my chair. “So we’d get to meet with Prime, the leader of Vision, in person?”

The zebra nodded. “Then assuming what you need isn’t found there, you may ask our leader himself to his face. Prime is many things, but the man has never lied. Not to me, not to anypony who’s met him. What do you say?” Now I knew that wasn’t true. He had lied to Scarlet about how Vision was being run and lied to the townspeople about where the labour came from. He wasn’t some kind of honesty-driven saint, like Miss Apple Bloom's sister, Applejack.

After a moment of consideration, I tucked the folder under my wing. “I’ll consider it, but I need to talk it over with my friends. I don’t want to commit them to anything yet, and I’m sure Scarlet won't want me going alone.”

The zebra got to her hooves, trotted to the door, and opened it for me. I smiled at her and got up to leave. “You seem like a good pony, as the DJ has said. I’m sure it will be a pleasure to be working with you, Captain Aella.” Apparently, that name was sticking. I couldn’t help but be bashful at the casual mention of my being on public radio as I headed towards the door, and back towards our hotel room.

*** *** ***

My job wasn’t the only news brought back to the hotel that day. Scarlet had gotten her Visa, as well as 500 caps (Which may or may not have been a lot) to help her get back on her hooves. While she didn’t plan on getting back into the caravan business for a while, the money would help keep us supplied in the meantime.

Feather Free had apparently gone out to a bar for a few drinks and caught wind of a couple of jobs himself. Of the list, only one had a sense of urgency that rivalled my own offer.

“I caught wind of a group of raiders that have been causing trouble up North. They’ve tried to send a few different groups to handle it, but none have made it back.”

I shrugged. “That doesn’t seem as pressing as going to this secret lab so we can get a one-to-one with Prime. Hell, this place may have the research my people need to help treat Blue Flu!”

Free pulled out a folder similar to mine. The first page was the picture of a pegasus clad in advanced, extremely light power armour, covering nearly his entire body. He had nova surge rifles mounted on both sides of him. His blinding red eyes shone right through me.

No... He wasn't wearing armour. It was some kind of exoskeletal structure built into his body. His legs were robotic, like Feather Free’s, but far sturdier, with heavy plate armour and powerful hydraulics. I could see very little pony left of him, save for the flesh around his muzzle and his um, somewhat impressive nether regions. Not even his eyes were made of flesh. I’d never seen something so augmented in my life, and the practice was somewhat common among my people. This Stallion wasn’t changed because he was sick or hurt, he was turned into a weapon. A terrifying machine of arcane destruction.

My friend spoke. “He was in my squad when we came to the ground. We went our separate ways, wanting different things out of life. Steel Wing was one of the first subjects when they cracked that ‘Project Steelpony’ bullshit. He wasn’t the same after he went into that machine. The things that make someone a pony, a living thing, I don’t think he has them anymore. I was medically in charge of him, all of them. They were my responsibility. If they’ve gone off and started some sort of badass robo-raider group, then I need to do something about it. I can’t let them kill innocent ponies.”

We all knew it wasn’t Feather Free’s fault of course. Steel Wing was his own pony, with his own wants and needs. I understood my friend was trying to right the wrongs of his squad, and why he felt responsible for them. He probably felt how General Seaspray felt when I fucked things up on missions…

“I’ll help you,” I said plainly. He raised his eyebrows at me, mouth half-open. I gave the buck a smile. “He’s hurting people and you feel responsible. My people are important, but they’re more than 1000kms away. We’re right here, we can help the wasteland now by dealing with these ponies.”

“Does this mean you’ve let go of your reservations about killing ponies?” Scarlet asked with a raised brow. She was sprawled out on the bed opposite Free, brushing off her third bottle of beer. ‘Pregaming’ before dinner she called it.

“It doesn’t.” I said, "I still believe all life has value. I’m just not sure whatever Steel Wing has become still counts. He isn’t a pony or a machine. That’s a monster and it needs to be dealt with. I’d prefer it if we could find a peaceful solution, but I doubt we can. unfortunately, I don’t think three of us and a little robot will be enough to fight him.”

Scarlet agreed with my assessment, but not much else. “We should deal with this later.” She huffed. “Yes, there are ponies’ lives on the line, but getting that slavery bullshit to stop has ponies’ lives on the line too. We can’t guarantee that this raider group will kill anyone in the next few days, but many of those slaves don’t have a few days left. Once Prime knows we know, we can use that against him. Threaten to tell everyone, or… something! But we need to get this going as fast as we can.”

It was a tough choice. We could work to save the slaves or try to deal with the raiders. But we couldn't do both. At least, they couldn’t…“The four of us can hit the research facility first. After that, we’ll split up. Free goes to get intel on the raiders. When we finish up at AV med, I can fly over to meet Free, dropping Scarlet off in Vision on the way. She can go after Prime, and she’ll have the added security of us being out of his reach.”

They didn’t like my plan. I hated my plan. I played just enough Ogres and Oubliettes with Aqua when I was little to know that splitting the party always invites trouble. But it was the only way that I could see to check off all our boxes fast enough. Any other plan would mean letting one of my friends down and risking innocent lives.

But our lives were on the line, too. We’d be weaker, more exposure on our own. That wasn’t a good feeling either. Unless one of my friends would be willing to cave in one direction or the other, we’d be at risk of having too much on our plates.

*** *** ***

Thankfully, we had time to think about it. The evening was starting to drag on and no one wanted to head back out into the wastes so soon. And we had been invited out for drinks… So we went out for fancy food and alcohol, courtesy of Scarlet's friend Jasmin.

The restaurant was on the roof of the Ministry of Awesome building. There were two dozen tables, a fully stocked bar, candle and torch lights, and even actual menus. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and not what I expected to find in a wasteland. A wonderfully crafted neon sign hung above the bar. ‘The Drunk Dragon’ it boasted, though everypony just called it Dragons. A soft, uplifting melody drifted across the roof. A young mare sat by the bar, smiling blissfully as she drew her bow along the strings of a contrabass.

Jasmin Spark and Scarlet got talking the minute we found our table. She recounted our adventures in the wasteland so far, adding a few embellishments about our feats and my intelligence. Sure I was crafty, but I was no ‘MareGyver.’

While they caught up, I drooled over the menu. Alcohol, Sparkle-Cola, pre-war food, the wasteland staples. They also had fresh produce and a small assortment of meat. Apparently, they got enough griffons and more adventurous ponies to make it worth having in stock. Lucky me, for once!

I got a rum and cola, a radroach and mole rat pie, and a heaping pile of salty, buttery mashed potatoes. Scarlet was content with a package of pre-war mixed veggies and fresh collard greens, and Feather Free had beans on rice. Jasmin had something called an appetizer platter, which consisted of piles of everything.

Rumble fluttered nearby, playing DJ pon-3’s station for us to enjoy and to make us a bit harder to overhear. I was a bit sad that he drowned out the beautiful music already present, but the added privacy was nice. It was my first time really hanging out with people before. Despite the noisy, beer-scented restaurant space, sharing a meal and swapping stories with my friends was really fun!

Scarlet was telling the table her tale in a bit more detail than she had prior. All it took was three beers to turn the little mare into a chatterbox. “It was my first time in the wasteland on my own, after… I don’t even know how long working crappy farms and pulling carts. I had maybe two days of supplies and a dull knife. I met a ghoul trader on the side of the road. She didn’t speak, but she did what she could to help me, a complete stranger.”

“We travelled together for a few weeks, and I learned bits and pieces as we went. Shortly after we parted ways, I got into the trade. First as an extra set of hoofs, but after a few months, I had enough to buy my own gear. So started Scarlet Sales. Was only free for about a year before my past caught up to me and dragged me off to Filly. I got out during the big escape, and I’ve been free since! Met Jazy shortly after, in a settlement nearby. We did some scavenging, a few odd jobs. Once we had the cap-ital,”–she couldn’t help but laugh at her terrible pun– “We came out here! She got a job in Vision, and I started a caravan. Been thick as thieves since! Town was less than half the size then. Guess it’s easy to build a city on slave labour.”

“W-wait, what?” Jasmin looked shocked and confused, her mouth hanging open. Her ears twitched a bit as her eyes darted around. I motioned for Scarlet to keep her voice down, something she struggled to manage.

“Yeeeeah. Found a prison being run by The Visionaries in horrid conditions. Using prisoners for slave labour, not feeding them, forcing them to sleep on the floor. Gonna talk to Prime about it, maybe shove my spear down his throat” she said.

“We’re not planning on killing him. He’s the only one with the power to make things better for them. We need him on our side.” It was my first time speaking in a while, to everyone's surprise. “But that's a future us’ problem.”

“Sounds great!” Jasmin said with unexpected enthusiasm. “I’ll ask around and see what some of my friends know. Maybe I can find some smoking gun to help get all of this fixed up. I assume you have something planned as well?”

“O-Oh wow, that would be helpful! And yeah we do actually. If it goes alright we’ll have an audience with Prime himself.” I didn't understand why she asked me about everything. Why did she think I was in charge? I was decent at coming up with plans I guess, but I didn’t know what I was doing! I’d been in the wasteland for, like, a week!

“Awesome, awesome. Let's talk biz later. We’re supposed to have a good time!” Jasmin ordered another round of drinks, and we moved on to far less sensitive topics. Just as I was finishing my third rum and cola: “So, a Hippogriff in Equestria. I had to look up your species in a book to know what I was looking at. What’s your country like?”

Just like that, it was my turn to tell my story. Growing up with my sister as an orphan; what life was like in our town. About Skya and the other settlements of Mt. Aris. In a way being in the wasteland was sobering for me. I didn’t like the state of my home, but compared to the wasteland it was a paradise. Low crime, food and water, power, education, technology, magic; one week in the wasteland and I’d seen more suffering than I had in my life back home. Even after seeing it for myself I hardly understood it.

They enjoyed hearing about my home's history. How we settled in Mt. Aris after being nomads for generations. I taught them our theology. Of how we lived in concert with the spirits, unlike the heretic ponies who stole the spirits’ lands and duties. When we were on death's door as a species against the storm king, the great spirit Accord gifted us with the power to save ourselves. Well, them and the help of a zebra Legion. That got some expected eye rolls. Ponies were blind to anything beyond the physical world and were often quick to dismiss the experiences of other species as superstition.

I told them our role in the war. How we provided humanitarian aid for both sides, doing similar work to that of the MoP before they were founded. We worked beside them a few times from what I remembered from school, even assisting them in some large projects. Probably more than we should have at some points.

Feather Free had very little to share about his old life. Even if he did, he was far too distracted to tell us much about it. As we ate, his eyes kept drifting towards the bar. Specifically, the bartender. He was a larger Stallion than Free, with well-defined muscles along his legs and barrel. He wore his brown mane short, and his sunshine-coloured eyes contrasted nicely with his black coat.

I raised an eyebrow at my feathered friend, who rolled his eyes at me. “Oh, you can’t blame me for looking. There weren’t many cute bucks back in Whinnies Grove who weren’t working all the time. That or they were taken. I’m not lucky enough to have a special somepony like you and Scarlet.”

“-W-we’re not really um…”

“-Oh no you got the wrong idea!” Scarlet was flustered by the misunderstanding. I just giggled and shrugged it off.

“Oh sorry, I just kind of assumed, since you got one bed between the two of you, and how you always comfort one another.” He said with a shrug.

Jasmin laughed hysterically at her flustered friend. I put a wing over Free’s shoulder with a smile. “You know if you like him, it’s easier to get somewhere if you actually talk to him?” Jasmin was giggling like a school filly now, both at us and at Scarlet. I gently ushered Free up from his seat. “Get going! Andelay!”

The buck rolled his eyes and grunted, but I could see he was appreciative of the gentle nudge. Turned out he wasn't actually shy about going to hit on the cute buck, he just didn't wanna be rude and leave the party.

Jasmin was more than fine with it. The already drunk mare stumbled out of her seat and leaned against Feather, intent on going with him. “I know this buck a lil’ bi’, leh me talk you up!” She giggled and ushered him on, giving him no room to deny her help. She even hoofed him a mint as they waddled toward the bar.

I’d never been one to go up to somepony and start flirting, but I understood the basics. Scarlet mentioned to me as they left that her friend was an amazing wing pony when it came to trying to get laid, but lousy when it was actually somepony you had feelings for.

The two of us continued to giggle and laugh as we watched. The buck seemed interested the moment he spotted the medic, likely never having spoken with a pegasus before. There was something about flyers... After ten minutes, Jazy returned, and the buck was buying Free a drink. He wouldn’t be home tonight.

Scarlet rested her head on my shoulder, which prompted me to nuzzle into her. She sighed softly and put a hoof around me, giggling. “I know we haven't known us too long, but you’re my bestest best friend Arlla. You’re Smart and cute, and you always helps the ponies!”

Jasmin giggled and gave her friend a light nuzzle as she took her seat. “Somepony’s getting a liiiiii-ttle tipsy it would seem! She’s always been a lovely dovey drunk, ever since that time in Friendship City when we-”

Scarlet jumped, pushing her friend away playfully. “Don’t you go telling everypony about fucking Friendship City, Jazy! We were drunk, it was-”

“It was a really fun fucking night is what it was!” The loud voices of my friends drew a few glances from the other patrons. Most of them smiled as they had their own fun times.

I raised my eyebrows as I processed it. When it clicked in my brain, I had to giggle as well. “You two slept together!?”

Jasmin nodded eagerly, while Scarlet shook her head. “It was just a fling, I swear! I don’t run around sleeping with every mare I travel with, but-”

“Nah-Nah, she doesn’t. I’m just adorable, and she was lonely and sad after spending nearly a decade in shackles. But we’re just friends, I swearsies!” Jasmin slurred and rocked back and forth. Not the kind of rocking I’d do idly, but the drunk rocking of somepony who can’t quite get their balance right.

“Thanks for the clarification.” I giggled. I took another drink. The alcohol was getting to my head, but with my larger body mass, it was hitting me slower than the rest of our little group.

“Aye, I heard from Torn Shot that your friend is taking on the raiders up near Eden. I’m going with ya, and I won’t take no for an ansor. An...swor. Answor! Got it that time!”

Another fit of giggles followed. “Well if you’re going, I’m going to watch your back! You’ll get shot in the flank without me!” She bellowed.

Jazy waved her hooves in front of her. “That only happened once time!”

I giggled and nodded to them both. “If it still sounds like a good idea in the morning, you can head out with us. I was honestly not wanting to split us all up anyway... “

We spent about another 45 minutes drinking and finishing our food before we headed out. Jasmin made sure we both got home ok, before getting to bed herself. I was a bit tipsy by that point, while Scarlet could hardly walk. I had a wing draped around her back as she rested against me, using me to keep herself upward as we trotted along.

The streets were quieter, but even in the twilight hours, the city was still lively. Guards were going about their business and some repair ponies were still walking around with tools on hoof. Mostly though it was people who were out late for a good time like us. Ponies trotting around after going to a restaurant or bar, talking loudly with their friends and stumbling home.

I managed to get Scarlet into one of the beds without much trouble. Knowing a thing or two about hangovers, I made sure to put a bottle of water, some meds, and a bucket by her bedside. I sat down a mint that Jasmin gave me for her in the morning. It was a zebra drug, apparently really good for treating hangovers.

I’d never tried Mint-als before, but the zebra I saved in the badlands, Corva, had told me about them. I never liked the idea of taking them. Pfft. Like a drug could make me smarter than I already was. Even if it could, that just sounded like cheating. It’d be like… Dash on Dash or something! I loved when life gave me a challenge.

I flopped lifelessly onto my mostly clean mattress. The original plan had been Scarlet and I in one bed and Feather Free in the other. With him spending the night with the bartender, we each got a bed to ourselves. It was for the best considering me and my friend’s drunken states.

I already had a bit of a headache, the barest hint of what would come in the morning I was sure. Still, it was a fun night, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

*** *** ***

Jasmin was true to her word about wanting to come with us. Apparently, she got permission from her boss to oversee the bounty collection instead of working the wall. “More excitement and much better pay,” she explained. Scarlet was still anxious to tear Prime a new one, but she didn’t want to leave her friend behind when she’d so kindly offered to come. I was happy about that, I really didn’t want us to have to split up.

Free got back a few minutes after Jasmin came over, just after dawn. His eyes had dark circles and his mane was a mess. Still, he walked in swinging his hips, a bright smile on his face. The buck and Jasmin quietly talked about his wild night in the corner while Scarlet and I got our gear on.

No one was quite sure where the raiders were living but we had a few ideas. At least some of them were fliers, so they’d probably want an area to take advantage of it. Someplace with a clear view from the air, perhaps someplace high. We were going to start where the last caravan was hit and work outwards from there.

Of course, there was still the worry of them finding us first. To help with that, Jasmin had taken a stop at the town's armoury on her way to our room. She had a giant rifle set up on the right side of her battle saddle. The barrel stuck out almost a meter past her with a bipod on the bottom. It didn’t even need to be set up to the saddle's firing bit. The size of the weapon put the trigger within reach of the mare as long as she was lying prone.

That was just as well, as she explained the weapon had too much recoil for her to use while standing anyway. At least not without being mounted to power armour or heavily modified. The weapon would no doubt tear through the raiders' cybernetic enhancements, and was likely the only tool we had that would be effective against them.

Scarlet had bought some grenades from a local arms dealer to help make up for our lack of powerful weapons. I managed to craft another disruption grenade at the cost of my last few spark batteries. It was a sad collection of equipment, but we’d make it work.

While Scarlet and Free were hungover, Jasmin and I were fine. That meant the two of us were doing most of the work while they complained and dragged on behind us. I enjoyed the extra work scouting ahead while Jasmin hung back to babysit the two slowpokes. From what I heard, it was mostly her giving Scarlet a hard time about being a lightweight, and Free about being a whore. That’s how we all spent the better part of the day.

The area around the city was well patrolled, having a safe perimeter of about 10 clicks. One of the guards and a friend of Jasmin’s, Torn Shot, walked us to the border of it. He gave us an idea of what the road north was like.

The train would make up a majority of the journey, but it only ran consistently to and from the local farms during harvest season then, for the rest of the year, it ran once a week. This left the traders and their brahmin to pick up the slack.

The caravan that was hit was heading North to a settlement called Suresprings. Apparently, they always stopped at a town called Eden part way there to sleep, eat and trade but they never arrived.

It was still raining as we followed the tracks North. The railway was from well before the war, but there were clear signs of recent maintenance. The Visionaries were intent on getting transportation up and running and more than willing to make their prisoners suffer for it.

There was very little chatter as we followed the rails and roads North, then Northwest. The rain was uncomfortable, but not nearly as bad as it was just days before. The roads were quiet, spare the odd mutated bug or animal.

Jasmin asked a few questions about Rumble, finding the strange Spritebot cute and entertaining. She was impressed with his weapons capabilities. Apparently, most of them were armed with relatively weak magical energy weapons. Rumble truly was one of a kind. I could feel the joy in him as he blipped and beeped gleefully at the added attention. I couldn’t help but give my first wasteland friend a nuzzle.

Scarlet speared a radgator (something I had learned after it had leapt at us from an embankment) clear in the eye, killing it instantly. Even with the huge amount of free meat the animal possessed, I was hesitant to harvest it. After my last bout of radiation sickness, I didn’t want to take chances with mutated animals. Especially if any of them might have taint in their systems. That stuff scared the feathers off me. Jazy ended up skinning the animal herself, planning to sell most of it back at Dragons since the restaurant paid well for quality meat.

I wasn’t excited about seeing the caravan. It weighed on my mind. The damage magical energy weapons did was terrifying, often leaving very little left behind. I found myself rubbing my breast where I’d been shot just days before. If it had been properly built and maintained I’d be dead. My lungs ached at the thought.

We arrived at the scene in the late evening just as the rain trickled to a stop. There was very little left to see.

*** *** ***

The site was devastated. Piles of ash, the odd dropped weapon, tatters of cloth and barding among the wreckage. The wagon had been burned, strangely, with fire rather than magical weapons. I could smell some kind of accelerant in the air. Kerosene maybe?

The wreckage slashed the good mood my afternoon of flying had put me in. I wasn’t as used to death as my Equestrian friends. Every ash pile we trotted past made my heartache. My mind conjured images of their friends and family who’d never see them again. How scared they must have been to be gunned down so ruthlessly by a band of masked bandits to obtain meaningless material things. I struggled to understand how anycreature could justify taking something as valuable as a life for something so meaningless. But then, I’d never been half-starved or gone days without water either.

Junk scattered across the area. Empty beer bottles, spent bullet casings, cigarette butts, some scrap metal and electronics. None of the merchandise was left, nor was the merchant’s ammo or water.

There were a few hoof tracks here and there from where the raiders landed to loot, but none leading away. If they’d flown in and out there’d be no real trail to follow. That’d be a lot of supplies to carry by wing though, I thought.

We’d figured we wouldn’t be able to find a trail, but it was still worth a look. None of us were skilled trackers so it’s possible there’s something we missed, but I doubt it. All they left behind were piles of garbage and magical goo.

Free kept an eye out from above as we searched for any sign of their camp, or any creatures trying to sneak up on us

Scarlet was quiet as she circled the carnage, studying the area closely. She wasn’t a tracker, but she was a trader. Her knowledge was our best chance at seeing if anything was off. She half-heartedly kicked a can down the street with a sigh.

“Everything alright?” I landed beside her and tucked my wings in. “I understand if this is hard for you… I kind of forgot that you’ve gone through something like this. Do you wanna talk about it?”

She nodded, then after a moment shook her head. “Celestia fuck me… Must be pretty obvious if you of all creatures can tell… I lost three ponies when my caravan was taken out. I was the only one they kept alive. Looked worse than this though… bright side of energy weapons is they don’t leave the blood and shit behind. They were good ponies. Strong, skilled, understanding. A bit intense, but it’s the Wasteland.”

We sat on the cool asphalt.

“They’re gone,” she continued, her tone warbled. “I haven't really had time to think about that. They gave their lives for me, for my caravan. I paid them too, but… I appreciate that they kept me alive, but maybe it would have been better if it were me instead. Anypony can learn this trade. They had ponies who cared about them. Relied on them. Why were their lives worth mine? I… It just fucking sucks.”

I draped my wing over her shoulders. She tensed but after a moment leaned into my warm feathers and soft coat. “They thought you were somepony worth protecting, worth dying for. I can see why. You’re a good pony, Scarlet. Trust me, what you’re feeling is normal… Survivors' guilt is really hard. Just um, remember… They chose to do what they did for you. All we can do is accept their decision and move on. Nothing we do will change what happened…” First with the radiation, now speaking with Scarlet. My buried feelings kept trying to claw their way out of the hole I threw them in. I shook my head. My eyes started to tear up. We were far too busy for that. I had too much at stake.

It took me a second to remember that my friend and I were still chatting. She was nodding with a solemn expression. “Yeah… Yeah maybe. Let's just get back to work.”

Yes, work, perfect. The best way to keep us distracted from our own inner demons.

*** *** ***

With no trail to follow, the plan was the same. We'd camp for the night and in the morning Free and I would try and find any signs of them. Free hadn’t seen any lights nearby from fires or electric lighting, but that wasn’t surprising. Getting around on wing was far faster than anycreature could move on the ground. At least without a decent motorwagen or something.

I collected firewood while everypony set up their bedrolls. By the time I returned we had a decent little camp set up. Free hadn’t bothered setting up his tent, insisting that it wouldn’t rain any more for at least a day.

They used rectangular bedrolls, which was somewhat strange to me. It didn’t look at all comfortable being all laid out like that. My nest roll was obviously more comfortable, its circular design of softness perfect to curl up in.

I piled the wood in the center of our little sleeping area and got a basic pit ready. Scarlet came over with a flint and steel held in her magic, but I waved it off. “Hang on, I wanna show you this.”

I closed my eyes–took a moment to focus. I could feel the energy around me, the plants, the ponies, the land and sky. I was more interested in my own. My razor-sharp talons easily carved into the log. When I opened my eyes, there was a rune searing itself into the wood. My friends watched in quiet awe as the rune burned brighter, then lit the log on fire. It was a small, weak flame, but with a bit of fanning from my wings, it grew swiftly to a comfortable campfire.

Free was the first to speak.“I… didn’t know Hippogriffs could do magic like that.” He breathed in awe. “I knew you had amazing advancements in Arcano-tech, and then there’s the shapeshifting, but this… this is like real magic.”

Scarlet was smiling wide, Jasmin moved closer to the fire for warmth. “They’re runes. Um… not all of us can do it, it isn’t a common art. Runa grants the knowledge to some of each generation. I was born with the ability, but not the actual skill to use it. Not sure why. I studied it for a couple of years before I gave up, but I know the basics. It’s nothing compared to even basic unicorn magic, at least not at my level.”

Scarlet patted my back and moved closer to the fire. “It’s still impressive regardless! Pfft, wings and magic. You little cheater.” After a moment she looked over at Free, and then back. Her eyes were wide. “Wait, wait, wait, did he just say shapeshifting? What, like a changeling?”

Jasmin was instantly suspicious, though Scarlet's expression was one of genuine intrigue. I tapped the pearl shard hanging around my neck. “Oh... Yeah, I haven't talked about that yet. Before the Deluge of Arcana, the great war, we had a war of our own. Our queen was gifted a powerful artifact from the spirit of our people. The transformation pearl was used so that we could hide from the war-torn world underwater. As sea ponies, we built a city and lived as one with the oceans. The zebras helped us mount an offensive against the Storm King and we won. Shortly after, all Hippogriffs, and eventually all Hippogriffia citizens, were given a shard of the pearl. It allowed us to stay safe, and move between our water and mountain homes. It doesn’t matter now, the water is toxic, as are the mountain peaks. Now we use the magic for convenience, mediation, sometimes fighting if you’re a warrior. I was never very good at transformations, only really being able to go from sea pony and back. My sister is amazingly skilled at it, though. She’s a powerful unicorn. Where did you hear about changelings, anyway?”

“Jasmin told me. She’s from some settlement down south, apparently, they had some changeling problems. What was it… Rot? Mould?”

“Rust,” Jasmin answered plainly. Her voice was calm but her hooves shook and her ears folded back. Not a good memory for her, apparently. Seemed all of us had our fair share of baggage.

My explanation seemed to be enough to ease Jasmin’s mind. I was surprised to discover changelings were still in Equestria. They were even more sensitive to changes in magical energy than someone like me. I was a little disheartened by the xenophobia they were displaying though. Aqua’s friend Endrin was a changeling, and one of the sweetest creatures I’ve ever met.

“Wait, unicorn?” Scarlet cocked her head. “I didn’t even realize when I was reading your conversations that she was one… I just imagined she was a bright pink hippogriff!”

Free raised an eyebrow hearing about how Scarlet had invaded my privacy, but I just shrugged it off. “Ponies and Hippogriffs are biologically compatible. The same isn’t true for ponies and griffons, or hippogriffs and donkeys. Though, I’m pretty sure if a hippogriff could manage to take the form of a donkey, then they could reproduce.”

We chatted a bit more about my tragically limited abilities with my own magic before they ran out of questions. It didn’t occur to me that the transformation pearls’ abilities would be a surprise to them. Back home it was common knowledge. It’d be like pointing out to my sister how cutie marks are determined by their special talent. She already knows, there’s zero point in talking about it. Granted I just did, so… UGH whatever.

Scarlet noticed I was starting to lose my focus and suggested we all get some sleep. I gave her an appreciative nod. When Jasmin offered to take the first watch I giggled and pointed a wing at Rumble. The fluttering blue ball was already doing laps around the campsite. She sheepishly nodded and went back to her bedroll.

The little bot didn’t speak or communicate much, and no one else seemed able to interpret his beeping. It made it easy to forget that he was hovering nearby.

I pulled my wings tightly around myself and curled up in my nest roll. It was cozy enough, and with the fire nearby I didn’t feel the need for blankets or anything. Everypony else got into their bedding as well. Free complained briefly about a depressing lack of company in his bedroll, then drifted off to sleep shortly after. Jasmin agreed with his sentiment, but at the same time called him a slut. I didn’t understand ponies.

Usually, I’d take a sleeping pill when I was ready for bed but I didn’t want to be drugged to sleep while in raider territory. I opted to take a healthy swig from a whisky bottle I’d picked up in town, trusting the substance to keep any possible nightmares or unruly emotions at bay.

It took me a while to manage any sleep. My mind lingered on all of the unusual adventures I’d had. The new experiences, the new people. We were walking into a dangerous, unknown situation. But I didn’t feel afraid. I was nervous. Anxious, sure. But I felt safe around these ponies.

I probably spent a good hour reflecting and processing it all before I managed to get any rest.

Footnote:
Welcome to level 6!

New perk: Toaster Pipbuck Repair Tech! You’ve adjusted your shooting technique for a more comfortable grip and calibrated SATS to match. Your accuracy with small guns has improved by 25%. Don’t expect more critical hits, though.