Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale

Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale, Chapter Thirty Three

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After getting washed up and washed out, then spending a moment drinking some booze and finishing off the chem laced smokes I had, I now felt less terrible. A healing potion also helped, keeping from getting any more scars. I had been shocked to see over twenty tally cut into me, which sickened me.

I was sure they had violated me more than that, and there were other raiders who had joined in and left before Molo showed up to save me. The two raiders that delivered me to the gang rape had not been among the bodies.

But now the damage they had done physically was gone, small blessings, yet the scar going into me still remained, along with the painful memory of Spine Breaker's brutality. Even now the scar tingled, as though he was still violating me even now.

Molo tried to cheer me up, but all I needed was her to be near me, nothing more. The other two were still doing their thing, and I doubt they would care about what I just went through, so it was for the best that I didn't see them.

Checking my small box like bag, I was relieved to see that the raiders had not stolen the Pear Valley tribes chems, as they were in a hidden compartment. Other then that, only a few of my contraceptive pills remain. Though now looking at the glass bottle they were in, the Baelfire Fiends symbol was drawn onto it for some reason. But I didn't have time to care, and took the remaining pills so that I won't have to worry about bearing a raiders foal.

"You sure you're okay to go, Lottery?" Molo asked, genuine worry in her voice.

Again I felt warm, a bit numb, and more relaxed. "I'll be fine, I feel fine. But I still fucked up and made myself a target." Molo was about to protest, but I raised my hoof up to stop her, and then continued. "I don't regret what I did, and I'll do it again. But I did it in the most stupid way, tossing that junk at him, and fighting that raider. Ya, there are a thousand other things I could have done."

Then I let out a long sigh, as I tried to keep my leg from shaking. "It's not like it… was my… first time."

"And you got scared up because of it! And I'm glad they didn't do that to your beautiful face. That aside, you sure those pills are your-" I again cut Molo off.

"I'll deal with that later. And like I said, it's not like I didn't know the risks. I was prepared for this." This was a lie, I had only thought I was prepared, but even now I felt like just screaming and crying in Molo's hooves. I wanted to just leave and let some other pony do this. But deep down I knew that if I quit, this would only happen again. That again, I got lucky. Anyways, I was not the only pony suffering here. Where I only had to suffer for a few hours, some of the ponies here have been suffering for Celestia knows how long.

"What's important is that we end this, and save who we can." I told Molo.

My friend then smiled warmly. "Yes, we can talk about this later, but first we have raiders to kill." She then pulled out some clean cloth from her bag, it was some extra clothing. "But before you head out, put this on, it's not much, but should give you some peace of mind."

It was wasn't much, but I also didn't want everypony who looked at me to know I had been raped by raiders. So this meant a lot right now. "Thanks."

Covering up and feeling as good as I could feel after being used as a play thing for raiders, Molo and I met up with Cauterize and his friends.

We arrived at a rather secluded part of this Celestia damned town, where a group of ponies stood around a burning barrel.

They were a rather dangerous looking bunch who did not speak as we approached, just nodded. Like the stallion I had seen before with Cauterize, they all had long leather jackets, but now I could see they had armor hidden under it. None of them had spikes decorating them, or anything raider-like on them, actually they were fairly well groomed, and the clothing under the jackets and armor looked to be of good quality.

Their guns too were nothing like the raiders, both looking quite powerful and very well cared for. Mainly revolvers, single shots, and at least two beautiful looking lever actions. They also smelled heavily of black powder, which likely meant that some, if not most of their guns didn't use smokeless powder.

Again I was reminded of Pa, whenever I went out with him, he would smell like that after making the bullets for his Martini Breech rifle.

"Oh, right… bandits." Molo said, as though now remembering something.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, but an older mare among the bandits spoke up to answer my question before it was asked. "Yes we ain't chemed out crazy folk, but professional mares of bitches. And we getting the fuck out of this joint before shit gose tits up. Been on the bad end of a raider conniption fit once, not going to be dumb enough to be there a second time."

The mare, who I guessed was the boss, was a beautiful and much older mare, who sported several scars on her face that only seemed to add to her beauty. She also wrought a wide brim hat decorated with an old world gold bit connected to four queen playing cards. It somehow gave her a regal, yet strangely familiar look to her, and along with how she looked at me, it all reminded me of my Ma.

She then smirked. "So your Cauterize's new friend, and definitely not a raider… yet."

I glared at her, but her expression didn't change. Instead she just said, "word of advice, just playing as a raider will turn you into a raider. I get your doing something sneaky shit right now little miss, but that's how it always starts."

"That aside." The mare then tipped her hat to me. "Names Lucky Shot, and this here is the Royal Flush gang. Well what's left of it."

Strangle I felt a bit flustered by her, and bowed back as I said. "L… Lotter, my name, just Lottery."

Her eyes flared open wide as though I said something shocking, but her expression quickly returned to normal, though now a warm smile was on her face. "Alright Just Lottery, Cauterize here said you can get us around the wasteland without too many problems. Rather not have any raiders following us."

"Ahh, yes… well maybe. I don't know this area, but I'm good at reading the land and avoiding the more aggressive critters." I told her.

Lucky Shot nodded. "Ahh, a tracker, that's good to hear. Unfortunately we lost our tracker a few months back. Only reason we even decided to check this shit show out. Didn't know it was the fucking Naysayer family running this cluster fuck." she spat on the ground before saying. "Redeye had one fucking job, and the prick even failed at that."

The mare then made a sharp but quiet whistle. "Alright ponies, let's get going before the fuck head here get a brain cell sparking. Lottery here will guide us through the rough patch, so no fucking around with her." She then looked back at me, telling me, "don't worry, so long as your running with us, we got your back."

"Th… Thanks. Truthfully I just want out of here, anywhere but here." I said back to her.

Lucky Shot smiled a little, and then started moving to the raider base back door.

I turned to Molo and gave her a hug. She didn't say anything, just patted me on the head before gently pushing me on my way.

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Guiding the bandits was a simple affair, though I didn't know this land at all, the dangers were all mostly the same. Spotting tracks left by the raiders, or by some local monster, we quietly made distance from the raider base. Further away we got, the more at ease I felt.

Truthfully, I now felt more safe out here away from anypony than being behind walls.

Lucky Shot and the other bandits were all quiet, simply letting me take the lead. I didn't feel like talking with strangers all that much, so it was nice not hearing them for the hour we trotted. But eventually this short peace had to end.

We stopped at an ancient crossroads, a ministry of peace billboard stood above us, and a yellow and pink mare was illuminated by the moonlight. She held onto a big red arrow that pointed down one broken street.

"This is where we part." Lucky Shot told me.

I nodded. "Yes, I have something to do down there." I pointed down the same road the sign pointed.

"I was told." Lucky Shot said as she looked up at the sign. "I know what's down there, and its fucking suicide. You know you can always just leave and never come back, not like their your kin."

I cocked an eyebrow at the older mare. "And how would you know who is or is not my kin?"

She flashed me a smile, her teeth only slightly yellow and with a few of them replaced by gold. "Ya don't got the look of your normal wastelander. They have this quiet desperation about them, as though having lived all their life with a gun to the back of their head. You, naw. Ya got the gun barrel in your mouth, looking right at the pony holding it."

"And you can tell that how, we only just met?" I asked.

She nodded, "true, that. Well I did see your fuck up of a fight with the raiders. To go through that and still come out wanting to fight, to get revenge. Reminds me of when I was your age… well a bit younger. Young and dumb, with the tendency to get myself in trouble. Well until the wasteland bitch slapped me so hard that I learned to stop being pussy bitch."

Luckily Shot then sighed. "One can never rely on lady luck, as she's a ruthless birch, and you can't come back from the dead. Always told my foolhardy daughter that, yet she would always tempt fate and roll the dice."

This conversation was really out of the blue, but I felt strangely drawn to ask. "Di… did she die?"

All the bandits then let out a laugh, and Lucky Shot said, "by Celestia no, Poker Roulette was so slippery that even death couldn't hold onto her. Runs in the family you see, the wanderlust, the need to go out and risk everything, even when we don't know what we are risking everything for."

"So then, where is she now?" I asked, feeling really curious now.

Lucky Shot let out a very annoyed huff as she looked up at the star filled sky. "My damned second, Three Card Monty, knocked my daughter up and then ran off somewhere far away. But not before they pissed off every major slaver family on the east coast something fierce. Now those were the days, I just wish I got to see my Granddaughter. But it was too dangerous for them to raise a family with such a bounty on their heads, even within the clans. That kind of money will make ponies forget who their kin are, so they had to go before the inevitable backstab. Fortunately we bandits have more skills than just killing and robbing, got to have lots of skills to live in the untamed lands after all, so I know they're doing fine out there."

"I hope so too." I said, strangely feeling far too comfortable next to this old mare.

She then sighed, turning her attention back to me. "Sorry for rambling on. Got lost in old memories. Probably time I retire as well. Old age has caught up with my husband, and I my niece will likely take power, and she fucking hates me. not to mention that I already lost half of these idiots to the stable Dweller and rather not lose more."

My eyes widened in shock. "You fought the Lightbringer!"

Lucky shook her head. "Naw, and thank Celestia for that. My former idiot second took half of the crew to go burn down his home village. I'm sure you've heard of it, a little pathetic place called Arbu."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. "You mean the place with the cannibals? The place that-"

"That the Stable Dweller killed every single adult mercilessly." Lucky finished the sentence for me. "Ya, the same place. I'm sure my second was laughing his ass off from the pot those bastards cooked him in." She let out one more sigh. "I do hope his son is doing well. The little fucker deserves a better life then what we could give him."

"So… what will you do now?" I asked Lucky Shot.

Luck shrugged. "We're heading back to our hidden village in the untamed lands, and sort out some shit with the clans before. Thinking it's maybe a good time for the Royal Flush gang to do some good, you know, build some good will with the wasteland. With so many idiots coming out of their hiding holes, some ponies gotta show them how not to get themselves killed."

I chuckled nervously at that last part. "Ya, I get that. I could have used somepony to show me how things are done when I first wandered out."

"Damn straight. Ya know there's ways to fuck up a raider that makes you not worth their trouble." Lucky Shot then gave me a more serious look, dropping the casual look as she then said. "But unlike ponies like those wannabe heroes, you have the strength to survive, and fuck shit up even after getting knocked down. What happened to you with raiders has happened to me, and to Poker Roulette, and we got our revenge, just as your going to do.

Lucky then spat on the ground. "Though more my fault for what happened to her, shouldn't have let her go off alone like that."

"Oh… sorry." I said.

But Lucky Shot just rolled her eyes at me. "Don't apologize for my fuck up, anyways that was long ago, and she came out alive, and thankfully not pregnant." She then pulled out a pack of cigarettes, which looked all hoofed rolled. "Say, why don't you come with me, let the wasteland sort out its own business. I know a pony like you would fit in well with us, and it's not like you owe it anything."

The offer felt strangely sincere and not some joke, with no ulterior motives to it. I don't know why, but I felt I could trust her as though she was family. The feeling disturbed me, since I only just met her, as though it was a spell casted on me. But I had a mission to complete, and I would see to it.

I shook my head as I pushed the cigarettes back. "This mess, it's particularly my fault. And I aim to clean it up.

"Well that already makes you more responsible than Poker Roulette." Lucky Shot said as she got even closer to me.

She then leaned in and whispered in my ear. "When you do your thing, don't be afraid to enact some revenge. But don't get lost in it, even if you have all the right in the world to get lost in the bloodshed. I too have been there, been toyed with, even shown off. Almost went raider as I killed raiders in revenge. You see, going raider as they say, it isn't about going mad, it's about letting go of who you are."

Luck then pressed something into a pocket in my armor. "Oh, and take this as payment for getting us around the dangers. It's not much, but it may prove useful when there's nothing better to do."

I then watched as the bandits trotted off in the opposite direction I was heading. Pulling out the object she gave me, I found an old deck of cards in my hooves. Something was written on it, but that was beyond me. The cards themselves were worn, yet looked beautifully expensive, with the face cards depicting what looked like three beautiful alicorns. Celestia, Luna, and some pink mare that looked a lot like the mare on Tripwire's gun.

Putting the cards away, I then trotted to my destination, eyes focused on radiation signs.

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I stopped at a big warning sign, it had no words, just a large symbol for radiation. As though desperately trying to warn anypony that sees it. Beyond it, I could see several buildings, among them was one with the yellow and pink pony on it, likely the shelter.

Pulling out the small case Rattlebones gave me, I went over the instructions in my head. First drink a bit of rad-away, the orange stuff, and save the rest for after I'm out. Then take the Rad-X, the bottle with the pills, it should help me fend off radiation poisoning. After that, drink the sacred wine, then begin the spirit journey by breathing in the sacred air.

Easy enough.

Sipping on the rad-away, it was a rancid citrusy taste that my body threatened to reject. It was like biting into a rotted lemon, but all a thick liquid.

Next I popped the Rad-X, the dry pills making me wish I had water on me.

Pulling out the glowing bottle of pair wine, I hesitated for a moment before pulling the cork out. It… it smelled good. Taking a sip, I found that it tasted wonderful. Before I knew it, the small bottle was gone, and I strongly felt more drunk than I should be. It was almost like I was swimming in the air.

With the inhaler in my hooves, I took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, calming my nerves. When my lungs were empty, I took the inhaler into my mouth, and breathed in as I pressed down on the inhaler.

Nothing felt different, nothing at all… except for the pony standing before me. They wore a black coat that covered them from muzzle to hoof. The only thing not covered were the pony's large black wings.

The strange pony spoke, his words wispy, yet full of authority. "Hello living mortal, I Thanatos, ask why you trot into the land of the dead?"

Will-o-Wisp then appeared, dancing around.

Thanatos then nodded. "Then you may pass, but be warned, if you touch any lost souls in this place, yours too shall be claimed and sent to the river Stix."

Will-o-Wisp then floated to me and then passed the sign, clearly wanting me to follow. As I took my first step, my body moved, yet I moved quickly. After a few more steps I outpased my body, it now slowly followed me. But I didn't have time to ponder how I was not in my body as the world around me rippled in a rainbow of color, warping and shifting.

Trotting, I came to the entrance of the shelter, it was vivid in color as a beautiful earth pony mare in a nurse outfit stood by the door, looking quite nervous. She had a long curly yellow and red mane, and a peach pink coat. Seeing me she smiled with perfectly straight white teeth.

"Oh, thank Luna, you made it in time. We're about to close the doors, get in!" She told me.

I looked around, the scenery still a rainbow wobbling mess, but I was sure I could see leaves growing on the dead trees. Turning back to the beautiful mare, her form rippled, and for a brief moment I saw a rather decrepit looking ghoul in a stained nurse outfit.

I gave her a nod, and she ushered me in. "You should go see the doctor, some were saying that radiation was already setting in. It's a true nightmare, all those poor ponies." She said before gritting her teeth. "It's all the Zebras fault, curse them!"

As we trotted deeper into the shelter, I saw many ponies huddled together. Crying, yelling, fits of manic laughter and silent despair all mixed together. Every now and then my vision would ripple, and I would see feral ghouls everywhere, bunched up and unmoving. Looking back, my body lazily trotted through them, the ghouls paying me no mind.

I then almost tripped as several fouls ran in front of me. They were playing with toy guns, too young to understand what had happened to them. Not far were several worried looking mares, maybe the mothers, all in the stylish dresses that I envied.

As I passed by one, everything changed, and I was in some pony's house. Everything was so clean and… new. I trotted to a window, and saw so much green, as far as my eyes could see. Then the clopping of hooves caught my attention, and I turned to see one of those mares.

She was using some kind of high tech broom while also drinking a colorful drink that smelled strongly of alcohol, along with levitating a cigarette. "Oh how does this work?" The mare lamented. She then fiddled with a few buttons, and the broom began to vibrate. "Oh no, I don't think that's it… but I could use it later. At least this one didn't blow a hole in the roof like the last one. Never know with Solarus appliances. Now how am I going to sell this? My friends already bought them, and my neighbors stopped talking to me… maybe if I can get into that plastic container group, I can get them to buy theis brooms." She chuckled to herself. "I am the boss, the boss mare. Just like the sales pony said I am."

A knock at the door caused her to let go of the broom, which then stayed standing up in place as it vibrated. She trotted to the door and opened it, where a stallion in white was there, holding a basket full of milk bottles

The mare quickly looked around and invited the stallion in. "You're right on time, as always."

The stallion smiled as he loosened his collar. "Always for my favorite mare. So how's the sales job going."

She frowned. "Not the best, now, did you bring them?"

A small bottle filled with pills was then tossed to the mare. "Party time mentats, now where do you want to do it?"

The mare popped a pill and shook her hips. "On my husband's recliner, since he's more attached to it than me."

I watched as the mare trotted to a big comfortable looking couch and bent herself onto it, clearly preparing to have sex with the milk stallion. But both stopped as a siren went off in the distance. Fear crept onto their faces, and the panic set in. The stallion burst out the door as the mare rushed further into her house, coming back with a bag and a baby in her magic.

The scene shifted, melted, and wobbled as I stood over a ledge, seeing several green mushroom clouds in the distance. Ponies melted around me and others ran despite already being dead. My own body felt as though it was on fire, it glowing with a necrotic green as the magic became slugs, and the slugs became teacups.

Then I stood before the princesses, Luna laying limp in Celestia's hooves, burning tears falling from the alicorn's eyes. Again things shifted, and a small unicorn mare stood in front of a nearly black artificial alicorn, the monster wearing the bones of Luna, madness in her eyes. The place then crumbled away, and above I saw many cloudships raining death down onto the ruins.

I then felt as though I was falling, everything becoming upside down, and something snaked around, it made of many things, as though randomly placed together. Below… or was it above, but I could see ponies fighting, dying. A two headed bear, and a red bull clashing. But something shook, west I think. There two strange flags waved as fire consumed them. A blue flag with a golden two headed hound. A black flag with a drop of blood held within a green ring of thorns. Everything around the flags burned, as cries of death and despair were defining.

I couldn't take it, it was too horrible to see.

"But it's so wonderful, a thing of beauty." The mare made of darkness said as she trotted up to me, offering me a hoof. "Come with me, and I can show you true happiness. I can free you from all your pain and despair."

I took a step back, glaring at the abomination, at Strife. "How can something like you do that?"

Strife smiled, though it was not a smile a pony could do, unnatural, like she cut a smile onto her muzzle. "By helping you let go. Everything that holds you back, even yourself. Free yourself and be who you truly are. Embrace me and become powerful. Revenge will be yours, no longer will you be used and looked down upon. All those who oppose you will be crushed under your hooves.

My own hoof reached out to her, and I only managed to stop myself by only a short hoofstep. It sickens me, but that offer was tempting. If I could become powerful, I could find Tripwire myself and crush him. Kill all the raiders, all the slavers. Anypony who's trouble would be destroyed.

A chuckle of a stallion came from around us, this place warping again. The misshapen thing made its presence known as it became the walls, the roof, and the doors. Two misshapen yellow eyes looked at us as the thing spoke in a gentlecolt like manner. "Oh but that would be so boring, Lottery. The same story over and over again, with no real variety, just more of the same, but extra spicy. Like curry with no rice, or tea without a tea party. Like a cherry without the cunga, the bananas without the bunch. Like two peas but no pod… oh I must be hungry."

"SILENCE you buffoon!" Strife shouted.

But the mismatched entity just laughed. "Is Strife upset? Does Strife not like being silly? No, Strife is all spice, but without the base food to hold the dish together. Fun at first, but it quickly gets boring. No time for ponies to rest, to truly build, just a bunch of scattered blocks that they throw at each other." Again the entity laughed, causing everything to shake. "You had your time Strife, and with it you only did the same thing, over and over again, expecting different results. As entertaining your insanity is, times must change, and a new era must begin. The wasteland must die, and you with it. Though those spirits of death may have given you a new toy, Strife, they don't intend on letting you keep it."

The sound of hooves clopping slowly got closer, and the entity let out a slow bitter laugh. "Speak of the devil, and he will come."

Thanatos then trotted over, and I could feel the frustration from Strife as she huffed. "What do you want, old bones?"

"For you to began manifestation, and for this mortal to be on their way." He said as one of his wings reached out, growing larger and larger until everything had become darkness.

No sound, no light, yet I was not scared. It felt like… inevitability.

A soft and friendly giggle cane from the darkness, and a pink light floated over. It seemed a bit sad as it stopped in front of me, then spoke in a feminine, but a bit squeaky voice. "I didn't think that no good thing would show up. Even laughter doesn't stop that ghouly, it just makes it more cruel." It then bobbed, as though realizing something. "Oh, I know how to help you, and make Strife so mad! Just remind the doc about the letter in his pocket. And… don't stop being kind, it truly is a virtue, and something of beauty."

The pink light then went out, and I was in darkness again. But the darkness was starting to fade, and sound began to return. As my vision came back, things were still… weird. Everything had a slight wobble, and I was seeing two versions of everything. In one eye I saw a well maintained shelter, the room I was in had many beds in which medical staff were tending to ponies. In the other eye I saw a rundown dark place filled with mold, and feral ghouls were everywhere laying down on the moldy floor.

I looked to my side, seeing the nurse who guided me here, both a beautiful mare, and a worn down ghoul, but not quite mindless as the others. A two more ghouls trotted over, all young and beautiful nurses, none seem mindless as the fearals. One looked horrified as she looked at me.

"By Celestia, Aloe, why did you bring a heathy pony in here?" She whispered.

"Healthy? What are you talking about, Mint, this place if for keeping ponies heathy?" She then turned to the third ghoul, who looked rather sad. "Oh chin up, Basil. We'll get through this, just like the doctor says, we just need to stay put for a month, and things will blow over."

Basil looked at her hooves with a sad look on her face, where Mint just face hoofed.

"What's going on?" A stallion called out. I saw both a dashing stallion in a white lab coat, and a glowing green ghoul, whose lab coat was tattered and singed. "Is that a new pony, let me look her over."

The ghoul doctor pushed the three nurses aside and got close to me. Things felt weird as colors ripped off him. "Hmmm… eyes dilated, and a slight wobble… grate, a chem addict. I'm sorry but if you need your fix, it's not here. All medication is needed for those in need, not for those who want to get high."

My mouth was dry as I spoke, remembering the words the strange light told me. "Letter… in… your… pocket."

There was a long pause as the glowing ghoul looked at me with blank eyes as though remembering something, but only slowly. He then reached back and pulled out a letter, opening it and began reading. As his eyes moved, a haze seemed to lift from them, and though still milky white, they had a life to them.

"Miss Aloe… did my family arrive?" He addressed the first nurse.

A haze seemed to lift from Aloe's eyes as well. "I… no… they are quite late, doctor Coriander. It feels like I've been waiting for a long time."

Mint let out a long sigh. "Oh thank Celestia, you two are coming back to us." She then turned to me, looking quite puzzled. "But how?"

I shook my head, the double vision and my body lagging in movement compared to what I saw was disorienting. "Special chems… but won't… last long. Need the fearls… to… attack the… raiders… to get… rid of th… them. " I managed to say.

Basil flinched then gritted what teeth she still had. "Those crazy ponies that took over our home… no, we can't, our patients trusted us to look after them. To save them."

Mint rolled her eyes. "They're too gone for us to save, Basil. We've tried everything, and twice. They're already dead, mentally at least, you need to realize that." She then looked at me again. "I'm sorry about them young miss, my friends are a bit traumatized from when the raiders attacked, and we were forced back here. Both Aloe and Coriander nearly lost their heads because of it. So thank you for bringing them back to us before they were beyond recovery."

She then grabbed a nearby ministry of peace saddlebag and put them on. "I'm willing to help you, but I need you to agree to help us. There's more of us here, still sane, but if they stay here any longer, that's going to change badly. Can you help us leave this area, and to someplace safe."

I nodded, causing everything to ripple and become disorientating. "I can… at least guide… you out. I'm sure that… the NCR will… take you… in."

Mint let out a sigh, "good enough. So how do you plan to get all our lost to even follow you… without eating you?"

. "Need to... poor some of... this were all the... feral ghouls can smell it. Then use it to... lure ghouls out of the... shelter." I told her.

She sniffed the bottle and looked as though she was about to puke. "I don't want to know whats in that. But if that's all, I'll take you to the room ventilation room… just be warned, it's not a pretty sight." Mint told me, then paused for a moment before addressing Basil. "Can you gather the other survivors, with these two back to their old selves, it's time we move on."

With that, Mint then guided me further into the shelter. The further we went the more colors would swirl, and then we entered a room of chaotic rainbows. An ancient and damaged machine clunked away as it sicked in air though a crack and pushed it through vents. But to my horror there were two half melted ponies next to a warped barrel.

Mint clicked her tongue. "Fucking doomsday cult got us. Before we even knew what happened, it was too late. Death would have been better than what happened to us."

I opened the bottle, and poured it all into the crack in the machine. "I… must leave… guild ghouls… feral ghouls… to the raiders."

Mint nodded. "Alright, though they don't…" she was interrupted by many roars from deep within the shelter. "Well that's new… and terrifying. Now let's get you out of here before younl9os that beautiful mane of yours."

All of the feral ghouls had awoken, and now they moved about all over the place. I don't know how, but my body managed to not touch one of them, like they and I were naturally avoiding me. But this seemed to be fading, as every now and then a feral would look at me with its lifeless eyes. One even stopped to sniff me, and I recognized her. It was the housewife I saw earlier, now nothing more than a husk of her former self, her baby nowhere to be seen.

My own senses startec to return as well, and I began to realize how putrid and stagnant the air was. I was also being pulled back into my body, the disconnection between it and myself was growing less and less.

But Mint had quickly gotten me out, and though the air was not much better, I still felt relieved to have open skies above me. Outside with us was the doctor, the two other nurses, along with several other ghouls who looked quite worried. Strangely a few of them looked far more intact and lively, despite clearly being ghouls.

Basile trotted over, looking panicked. "Wh… what did you do, the patients, they all went mad?"

"Ghoul bile wine." I said as I splashed some at the entrance. I was feeling more myself again, and with it, panicked. There were hundreds of those things in there, maybe a thousand or more, and soon they will be coming out. "You folks better get moving, because things are going to get… bad."

Coriander then spoke up. "But where would we go? We don't even know if there is a place safe for us out there."

It wasn't my responsibility, but I couldn't just abandon these unfortunate ponies. I had to be better than that. "You can come with me. I don't know what I can do for you, but I can at least guide you to Ursa's Rest, it's the place with the big bear building."

Coriander nodded. "Yes, I know the place, my daughter loved to… no, never mind that now. If it still stands, then we might as well go there."

The collective groan of hundreds and hundreds of ghouls from inside the shelter sent a chill up my spine. "Then let's go, you can wait outside the raider base, and I'll come for you once it's done. But I need to move, or those ferals will eat me."

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