Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale

Fallout Equestria: A Wastelander Tale, Chapter Forty Nine

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To say that everypony was shocked was an understatement, but with Spell's help, we managed to avoid having anypony shoot at Ben Day. Among the most trigger happy was Molo, who seemed more than just spooked. On the other hoof Mint and Aloe were just surprised to even see an alicorn, of which I understood.

I then began to explain what I saw and what I heard. This gaining concerned looks from my team.

Spell then raised his hoof. "Miss… mister Ben Day, can you confirm that there are no attempts at making more Alicorns here?"

"What, no!" Ben Day quickly responded. "I think Auntie Majestic knows how, she was close to the Goddess. But she said she has no interest in doing such a thing. We're only here for safety, and to keep an eye on Angel. Auntie says that he suffers from a brain illness, and is why the Goddess never took him in."

"What kind of illness did she say he has?" Mint asked.

Ben Day again scratched his chin with his wing. "I think Auntie said that the Goddess suppressed a voice in his head, but now that the Goddess is gone, the voice is back, and he thinks it's the Goddess."

"Sounds like schizophrenia." Mint said.

"Schizo what now?" I asked.

Aloe answered. "A rare medical condition where a pony hears voices in their head, and in the worst cases they hallucinate as well. It often drives the pony insane if they don't take medication."

"That sounds like Angel, he was crazy before he became religious." Spell commented, "but that would make talking him down harder, if not impossible."

"Talk him down?" Molo said questionably. "Let's just kill him and get the ponies out of there."

"Also let's not forget this." Plasma said as she pulled out the explosives.

"Ohhhh!" Ben Day said with wide eyes. "What is that for?"

I took over the conversation before it got off track. "We're here to stop Tripwire from being able to make more Mezmetrons, and get the innocent ponies to safety."

Ben Day nodded. "The mind control device you mentioned. I thought Tripwire was like a villain, but that's right out of power ponies villainy. And you're sure there's a place safer than this, Auntie tried the Ursa's Rest before."

"Trust me, I can convince Grizzly to let you and the others into Ursa's Rest. I'm sure it'll be better for you all if your are over there then here with Tripwire" I reassured the colt in the mare's body.

But Ben Day didn't look so sure. "I guess… but I don't think Auntie will agree, and if she won't go, the others won't either."

He made a good point, so I looked over at Low. "Say, maybe you can help with that."

Low shrugged. "As long as I'm not doing any fighting."

"How about also talking with your sister, she wants something from me," I told him as I passed him the paper that High Pressure gave me.

This time Low frowned as he looked at the paper, taking time to read it. He didn't look pleased at all as his eyes scanned it over. "Ya, this looks like High Pressure's penmanship, I can even feel her steaming arrogance in the writing." For some reason he glanced over at Plasma for a moment, concern in his eyes before mumbling out, "at least she's getting something she wants."

Spell Circuit trotted over to take a look, and a concerning look formed on his face. "That's a lot of words to simply say come here." He commented.

I raised an eyebrow. "What does it say?"

With a shrug, Low began to read, "To the illustrations and elusive mare by the name of Lottery, it is good to see a pony as accomplished as you come into this quaint hovel. Be it for good or ill, I am sure we can come to an arrangement that benefits the both of us. See me in the Forman's office of the refinery so we may talk, and to keep things boring, as it is impolite to disrupt those who are working. My time is short, so do be a lady and not trot about at night."

It took me a moment to translate what was said in my head, but some words were still a blank. "Ehhh… what?"

Spell Circuit answered. "She wants to make a deal, and will wait in the Forman's office until nightfall. Also, no fighting."

"Right, makes sense… but why should I?" I asked

Low had an answer for that. "My guess, she saw an opportunity to cut somepony out of the picture. High Pressure was always competitive, and would take whatever advantage she could to get ahead. So she… had a lot of enemies."

"What work did she do for the enclave, Low?" Cold Trails asked.

"Requisitions and distribution." He answered.

Cold visibly shivered. "Of course one of their numbers is in the thick of this shit." He briefly looked at his damaged armor and missing plasma rifle. "Oh she is going to hate me."

Before anyone could ask, Low filled us in. "Requisitions and distribution was in charge of who gets what and the recovery of Enclave property… oh, and everything was Enclave property above the clouds, even ponies. The amount of bureaucratic carnage they can rain down on a pony could even end a General."

Cold nodded. "Ya, everypony in the Enclave feared requisitions and distribution. But having one of them on our side would be a good idea. I'm sure Grizzly would love to get her hooves one one of those bureaucrats."

"Alright, then I'll go see High Pressure first." I said.

"Might as well join you." Low said with a sigh. "Unlike the rest of my family, she and I actually got along. Well it's more that I didn't care about the family drama. I just hope she doesn't start nagging me as soon as she sees me."

"Good, because I wasn't asking." I told Low, pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to drag him along.

Spell Circuit unrolled a large paper, it a technical map I couldn't make heads or tails of. "Alright, refineries like this were built with a rigid inner support structure. Here, here, here, and here. Take out two on one side and the whole place comes down."

"That should be, so long as they don't know what we're up to." Plasma added.

"But again, the civilians." Mint chimed in.

"Ya… that might be a problem." I said before explaining the mind controlled slaves and the curch.

"Yes, that is a problem. We might need to take that out first. What if…" Mint paused for a moment, then nodded. "Would it be possible to use mind control to get the civilians out of here?"

"Use mind control, are you serious?" I asked, feeling concerned about the idea.

"It would help prevent a panic, keep the ponies organized until they can get proper help." She explained.

"Actually it makes sense." Plasma added, "I mean, misuse of such technology is horrendous, but wastelanders are known for their irrational behaviors. If they are freed here, they could become a hindrance."

A long sigh came from Molotov, "ya, I agree with that. We are kindove dumb… say, what about any foals there?"

Right, I need to talk to Molo about that. "Ben Day promised to get them to safety, they trust him."

"And-" Molo was about to ask, but I raised my hoof to stop her.

"I didn't have time to confirm, but I'm very sure they're there."

She nodded, and looked away, a glint of a tear in her eyes.

Cauterize then added in, "so that it then, talk to an alicorn, an Enclave bitch, set up the bombs, get ponies to safety, and most importantly of all, kill Angle Dolly."

Ben Day looked a bit dejected as he then asked. "Do we have to kill Angle? He's not that bad."

I sighed. "Only if he makes us. If he surrenders then we can take him with us."

Cauterize rolled his eyes. "That's being too soft."

"We can't all have been hardened raiders." I spat back at him, then turned to the map. "Alright, now how are we going to do this?"

Spell thankfully already had a plan. "Well until the alicorns are no longer a threat we cannot do anything. I suggest talking with Majestic after you're done with High Pressure. See what help they can give us if they're willing to. Once they're out of the way, we can move in under the cover of night and set things up. That said, Plasma and I should take out the mezmetrons at the church, and try and get those under its spell out of here. Molo and Cauterize can handle the bombs. I'm sure you two know your way around explosive. Lottery can deal with Angel, she deserves the right."

"I'll be going with my master." Margaret spoke up. "I hate to see him end up like his father after dealing with dangerous magic."

That got a nod from Spell. "Good idea. I doubt the mezmetron can work on robots.

"We can stay here and wait for the civilians. "Aloe said."

"Ya, and protect the only way out." Mint added.

"I'll cover you from the sky, in case things go wrong and you need me to kill anything." Cold Trails said.

And so we had our plan, though one thing needed to be added. "Spell, you should come with us to meet High and Majestic." I told him,

"Why?" He asked.

I looked at Ben Day and then at Low before looking back at Spell. "Well, we might need somepony smart."

He sighed. "Say no more."

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Well I have a new thing to hate, more than riding in a sky wagon or the death box called an elevator. Flying through the air on an alicorn's back was downright terrifying, as I could see the ground below. When we arrived at the refinery, I was sure that if we flew again, it would be too soon.

From above we saw another green alicorn looking down at us, a confused expression on her face. When Ben Day waved at her, the tall mare just shrugged and trotted away.

"Most of the sisters are not the most social." Ben Day explained.

"I imagine they aren't." Spell commended.

Trotting ahead, I looked around, scouting the area we were in. There were even more ponies here, some looking brainwashed doing more menial labor, and others who were more aware of their surroundings. The aware ponies were working to keep the refinery from breaking down, all while keeping their heads down.

There were guards too, some priests and some slavers, all armed. With Ben Day by our side they didn't pay us much mind. They were mainly armed with batons and small caliber guns, but there were a few redeye rifles among them. A fire fight here would be bad, as there were too many places to hide, too many choke points they could use.

"So…. Were seeing my sis first then?" Low asked as he joined me.

"I just want to know what she wants, then we'll talk to Majestic." I then stopped, realizing I had no Idea where I was going. "But before that, we need to find the foreman's office."

"This way." Spell told me as he took the lead.

We trotted through a hallway and into a large room filled with ponies at work at large drums that radiated massive amounts of heat. "What is this place?" I asked.

"I feared as much. This is the main refinery room, where they melt the sand and separate the mithril from the slag." Spell pointed to one drum that was pouring molten metal into another. "From what I've read, it requires melting several times at different temperatures to get the mithril separated. Each drum could have up to one bar of mithril each."

Low let out a whistle. "I'm Surprised this place is even working."

"SMU was like Stable-Tec before there was a Stable-Tec. You can find what they made all over the wasteland, with most predating the war by over a hundred years. Most stables are actually built in old SMU mines." Spell Explained.

"Really, that sounds so cool!" Ben Day said excitedly.

A smile crept onto Spell's muzzle. "I know right, it's not as interesting as Starswirl the Bearded, but Surmount Mining Unlimited was responsible for Equestria's industrial revolution. Through the coal and iron mining, they helped build Mainhattan, and the railroads."

"So they're the ones who built all the tracks?" Ben Day asked.

"I'm not sure, but I know that most tracks do lead to an SMU mine. This place included." Spell explained.

I cleared my throat to get the egghead's attention. "Fascinating as it is, maybe we can have the history lesson later."

The unicorn straightened himself out. "Oh, right. Then let's move. I can explain it all later if anypony is interested."

As we moved on, we came to a hallway where two ponies stood guard in front of a door. Past them, from behind the door I could hear voices arguing.

High Pressure was the most reckonable as she was the loudest and clearest voice. "No, I am not trying to hamper the construction of the goddesses house, I am trying to control the quality of the building materials. If you don't want the great and magnificent bell tower built without it collapsing and turning the church into a great and embarrassing pile of rubble, then you don't just use any random materials you pick off the ground!"

"Our faith is not so weak as to let such a thing happen!" A male spoke.

Another agreed, "The Goddess has blessed us, Angel has heard her voice. She demands a bell tower, and it will be done."

High Pressure lets out a groan. "I doubt the Goddess would want her bell tower to be built out of scrap, and to make the bell out of mithril will only piss off Tripwire… I understand that we must show the Goddess glory, but we must be patient, and do it right. Otherwise she will look down at us and see only fools. Now go, I'll see what I can do about that mithril bell. As for building materials, send a requisition form to Tripwire, he may have proper steel and wood."

One priest grumbled out, "a true believer would not hesitate."

"Get out, NOW!" High Pressure barked.

We backed up as two priests stumbled out, both malformed in some way, and pushing them out was Catalyst. "Now go and pray or something, the priestess has a great and powerful budget to balance.

As the two mutants left, the guards following them, Catalyst eyed us, she tsking an extra long look at Spell Circuit before smiling. "Oy, anger problems, your guests are here." She then backed up, and let in.

Trotting in, I saw High Pressure sitting at a desk, paperwork all over the place, she mumbling, "Maybe I should have let Wiretap shoot me."

High Pressure then looked up at us, "Good, you're here." She said, sounding annoyed. "You know how much bullshit you caused me by killing Onyx. A cushy job as her secretary, all gone, and now I have to play the part of a zealot to not become another brainwashed slave." Her disposition only got worse as she eyed Low Pressure. "And my flirtatious shit stain of a brother is here, I'd think he was your lover, but he is too pure Enclave to be interested in the opposite sex." Her eyes then looked at Spell Circuit. "And you… no, not buff enough for him."

Low Pressure let out a chuckle. "Oh you know me so well sis. Do you still let yourself be tied down and whipped, if not, Lottery here is quite good at it."

She raised an eyebrow at me and I vigorously shook my head. "No, twice no! One I'm not in that business anymore, and two, my barn door doesn't swing that way!"

High Pressure rolled her eyes. "Ya I get it, you mares are too much drama for me anyways. That shit aside, now get in and sit down, or stand, I don't care."

We all got closer to the desk, kicking up paperwork that was all over the floor.

"So what is it you want?" I asked.

"So many things, such as a partner that's not a pansy and will ravage me until I pass out. Or for my brother to stop being a faggot long enough to give me a niece or nephew to raise." She said sarcastically but when Low Pressure looked away in his terrible attempt to not look suspicious, High Pressure narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh don't tell me…" She then took a deep breath, letting her air out slowly. "Business first, then we can have a long family talk."

She then turned to me, telling me "but right now, what I want is for Angle to stop giving clearly insane decrees, and for those fucking mutants to not hang onto every word of his." High Pressure said before taking another deep breath to calm down. "But that's a problem I'm betting will solve itself, and soon." She tapped her pen one more time with her wing before pointing it at me. "But before anything like that happens, I need insurance."

"Insurance?" I asked, tilting my head.

She slowly nodded her head. "Yes. As you might have guessed, this place is a clusterfuck of a madhouse, not much better than the shitshow Onyx was running, and I barely got out of that alive. Thanks for that by the way. So this time I want to not just be ahead of the game, but get out of this on top. Unfortunately I have a rather big problem."

"It's Stormfront, isn't it?" Low asked.

High Pressure slammed her pen down, breaking it. "Of course it's fucking Stormfront!"

I looked at Low, who then explained, "he's High Pressure's stalker, and our cousin. The moron has been obsessed with her since we were foals, mainly because both our parents wanted the two to get married. Nopony has ever done anything about him in hopes she just gives up and gets married to him."

"And he has followed me here. Thankfully as a priestess, I'm afforded my own personal guard." She tipped her head to Catalyst before continuing. "Unfortunately I can't get rid of him since he is one of Flyrights goons. But if somepony else deals with him, I may be able to leave without being dragged back, and with a sizable amount of valuable materials."

"I think I get it, but what do we get out of helping you?" I then asked.

High Pressure smiled, a wave of calm seemingly passing over her. "A few things actually, among them, information. Both for here and on Tripwire. As a pony who worked the logistics of a massively bloated bureaucracy and rusty war machine, all run by unelected geriatric control freaks, I know all the tricks in which Tripwire thinks nopony knows."

I raised an eyebrow, felling a bit confused.

She then sighed. "Lets put it this way, I can't fight, can't scavenge, and I could but rather not whore my way out of a problem. But I can read, translate an wright a legal document involving the the housing and using of troops. All while setting up their replacement because it's a suicide mission, and we don't want any one knowing it's a suicide mission, but it needs to be leigal."

Low nodded. "That sounds like the Enclave, and my sister. So what's Tripwire up to that he doesn't want anypony to know?"

High Pressure pointed her b4oken pen at her brother. "Not until the job's done." She then turned her attention back to me. "But for information you might need in the short-term, I do know how you can get the slaver guards to be… distracted for a few hours. Then you can do whatever you have planned, and I can make my leave of this place."

"And let me guess, you will be using us as your escort out." Spell said, sounding suspicious.

"Ahhh, a smart one, now if you had a bit more mussel, I might consider having you take me on a date." High Pressure said in an amused tone.

I rolled my eyes. "And why would we do that?"

Spell Circuit answered for her. "Because she knows she's worth more alive and with us then dead in the wasteland. I also doubt she would tell us everything until she is safe from Tripwire's retribution."

High Pressure nodded. "Correct!"

"Okay, then what about the other thing?" I pushed.

"Fair enough." She said, then opened up a cabinet and pulled out three spheres that had a bright glowing green band around it.

"Oh fuck!" Low Pressure said in shock as he jumped back.

"Indeed," High Pressure said as she presented the spheres. I'll also give you these three overcharged plasma grenades. In the Enclave we gave these to troopers we deemed in need of an accident, or when collateral damage was deemed acceptable. Used right, this will melt everything in six pony lengths from the center, and kill anypony in another three ponies past that. Useful, no?"

"That's enough power to even brake through an Alicorn's shields" Spell said.

Ben Day didn't look happy about that fact. "R… realy?"

Spell Circuit nodded. "I've never seen something like this before, but I did read about plasma weapons. Overcharging was a problem, where most early plasma guns would explode if overcharged. Those things there are almost an equivalent to Bailfire eggs. If we ever need a backup explosive, that would do it."

"So is it a deal?" High Pressure asked.

Spell over looked at me and explained, "the information would be good enough on its own. And the grenades could prove useful. Though it can also be all lies, she is Enclave after all. But I don't see her benefitting from staying with Tripwire, as he doesn't trust any pony who is as smart as he is."

It was a risk, but I didn't come here to play it safe. "Alright High Pressure, you have a deal."

She smiled wide, showing her way too wight to be real teeth. "Good! good, I knew you were reasonable ponies. Now…" she looked over a clock on her desk, it actually functional unlike most clocks I had seen, then back at me. "I got roughly an hour and a half before I turn in for the night, though I think I'll take a moonlight flight out along the edge of this crater before heading to my room. I miss doing that, but Stormfront always shows up to bother me. Really ruins the mood. Do make sure it's for the last time."

"Right, I get it." I then patted my rifle. "Should be easy so long as your not moving all over the place."

"Nataly." High Pressure said, then returned to her paperwork. "Now do leave, I got to sort out where exactly the idiots here sent the gemstones."

We did just that, leaving the room, and into the hot refinery. Trotting off to what looked like a bairly used brake room, I stopped to collect myself, and sort out what exactly just happened. "D… did we just agree to assassinate a pony?" I asked quietly.

Low nodded. "Ya, but don't feel guilty about it, Stormfront is a real peace of shit."

"Maybe we could do something else, like send him away. Killing ponies isn't a real good pony thing to do." Ben Day protested.

"True, but that could backfire on us all." Spell commented.

Low let out a huff. "Oh, and if we don't follow through with it, High Pressure will make us pay. Truthfully, we either kill Stormfront, or kill them both, otherwise we are screwed."

Ben Day looked a bit dejected. But Spell gently patted him on the side. "Hay now, were doing this to save lives. Just focus on that, focus on helping your friends and everything will be fine."

The alicorn sighed. "Alright, get them to safety, get them away from the evil ponies. I can do that."

"And I promise that I'll talk with Grizzly Deal." I told Ben Day.

"Thanks" he said back.

"Speaking of which, we should go see Majestic, if we have time." I said and looked over at Spell Circuit.

"I can keep track of time, and if Ben Day helps us, we should be able to easily tail High Pressure." Spell informed us.

"Good, then lets have a chat with Ben Day's aunt." I told everypony.

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Ben Day lead us to a remot part of New Unity, far from the slaves and slavers, but still with in the shadow of the refinery. Here many alicorns stood around doing nothing. Some stared off into the distance, others were surrounded by empty bottles of booze, some were just lying around as though they were dead.

"They don't remember, or don't want to remember." Ben Day said.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"Well… I'm not sure myself, its what Auntie Majestic told me. Something about them not getting their souls back, or their souls being already broken before joining Unity. Unless auntie or the others commands them they just do nothing." Ben Day explained, rubbing his leg nervously. "It makes me feel… uneasy being around them without Auntie here."

"ya, creepy." Low commented.

"I'd be interested in studding them, the artificial alicorns have always fascinated me, but I dared not ever get close. Maybe there's a way to help them in one of my old books." Spell pondered out loud.

I then began to wonder, the sight of so many lame alicorns, why would Majestic hold onto them like this. "Ben Day, how many of you are, you know, not like them?"

Ben Day looked at the ground and kicked a rock, clearly not happy about the answer. "Six including me, and… well, they were young foals like me when they were taken in by the Goddess. Auntie Majestic is the only real adult among us."

"And how many are… lame?" I asked.

"Thirty five." He said, sounding dejected.

Then Spell Circuit asked, "and how many were there before coming here."

From behind us, the voice of Majestic spoke up. "There was over two hundred of us at first." We turned around to see the displeased alicorn matriarch. "Miss Lottery, can we talk… alone."

"Auntie!" Ben Day gasped.

Majestic pointed her wing at her nephew. "You go take those two to the game room, entertain them. And no wining, or I will confiscate your comic books."

Panicked, Ben Day nodded and said, "yes Auntie!" before opening up his wings and ushering my two friends away.

She then looked down at me, her glare making me feel like a small foal. "I was hoping you were here to just scout out this place and leave, not drag Ben Day into your war!"

"You… know?" I said meekly.

Her eyes narrowed at me. "I can turn invisible, and be very quiet. Nothing you did after our meeting went unobserved, I know everything."

I then felt my hooves lift off the ground and she then dragged me off to a nearby shack. My world spun as I was then tossed into a wall, denting the cheap scrap siding.

"Where do I begin, coming here without any real plan but wing it as you go… its almost like being with master again, but even more stupid and arogent! On top of that you dragged Ben Day along with you!"

I got up only for Majestic to lift me up in the air again. "What do you say for yourself?"

Taking a deep breath, I tried not to think about the giant magical murder pony in front of me. "I… I can't just do nothing… just like you can't leave them behind."

She put me back onto the ground, but said nothing.

"So, what happened?" I asked her

A minute of silence went by before she started to talk, the mare thinking hard on if she should tell me or not. "I… could not keep them all together. Without Trixie, there was no more control, no more order. Most just simply left, not wanting anything to do with us. Others wandered off in confusion into danger and died before I could help them. So many were so confused, so filled with sadness and hate. My sisters died to raiders, monsters, or were lynched by angry ponies looking for somepony to punish. A friend of mine who was like me, fully in control of herself while under Trixie… She committed suicide soon after Trixie died. Then there were the raiders who Trixie took in, many of them starting to remember. I had to kill them before they could harm anypony. But even that I was at times too late to stop, and the damage they did to us was horrendous."

A cold shiver ran down my spine at the idea of a raider with the power of an alicorn.

Majestic nodded. "Yes, whatever your imaging is likely true. That first month without Trixie, it was a nightmare. And many of them are still out there, those damned raiders, drunk on their power."

"You keep mentioning this Trixie, who is she?" I asked.

"Right, her name is mostly forgotten." She then took a deep breath. "Trixie is who you have come to know as the Goddess, and who most of my sisters call Mother. She was my mentor when we were normal ponies,. She saved me when I was dying of radiation poisoning, having gotten trapped on the road, with only my show cart for protection. And I know what you're likely going to say, but no, she was not evil. She was an arrogant narcissist who never thought things through, but not evil. But give a pony like that such power, you can't blame her for developing a god complex. Though she was still my dear mentor and friend"

I felt conflicted, and had a nagging question to ask. "So, you want the Goddess back?"

"Fuck no!" Majestic blurted out, then sighed. "Trixie can finally be at rest, can finally stop putting up the act and be free. She couldn't move, or feel, and all the voices screaming out had driven her insane, yet she could not stop, so more and more voices were added… The raiders are what tipped things for the worst, not at first, not until Redeye came and delivered them by the cart load day by day. Before that Trixie was content with keeping our numbers reasonable, and our presence subtle. The ponies like myself would seek out ponies who wished to join, or those foolish enough to make a deal for power."

She trotted to a rather ratty window, looking at a purple alicorn that was simply sitting down and looking at nothing. "Now we're broken, fated to die off bit by bit, the dream of becoming our own race died with Trixie, all because of Redeye… the dambible fool."

"You could always join us, I heard that many of your kind joined Velvet Remedy." I suggested.

"They can because they are innocent, where I am very much guilty. They will know who I am, and they will kill me for what I've done. As for the rest here… I dare not even imagine what horrors will befall them." She said in a somber tone.

"And what about Grizzly?" I further aske

She looked at me with a hint of annoyance for several long seconds. "Ben Day already told you that I tried to ask for her help. She already knew of me, and was going to sell me out to Gwadina, who would gain great influence for executing one of the Goddess overseers. And you think you can change her mind? I have lived for over two hundred years, and watched as Equestria rotted from the inside as ponies turned into true monsters. My mentor was experimented on by the ministry, my sister sent to be a guinea pig in a deathtrap all while Stable-Tec lied to her about wanting to save their lives. The raider, the Steel Rangers, the Slavers, I've bear witness to it all. And I know that whenever you think a pony cannot be so low…" Her lips quivered as she then said, "I've witnessed ponies eating their young just to survive… then explain it away by saying that they can always make more."

That made my stomach churn in disgust, but also I began to understand. "I can't say I don't disagree… My own experience in the wasteland had been a nightmare. And I will not pretend to act like I know better, but I do know one thing. Staying here, helping Tripwire, it will only continue the horrors of the wasteland. It will prevent things from getting better and repeat the tragedies of the past. Tripwire cares for nothing but what he can control, and sooner or later he will come for you and your sisters. I know he will not tolerate a pony like Ben Day, who understands right from wrong."

A magical grip wrapped around my neck, and I was lifted up into the air by Majestic. "And what, join your side because you asked nicely. Pretend that I'm one of the good ponies now, turn a blind eye when Gwadina or Grizzly decides that cruelty is not just an option, but their first choice. Or is it just that victory is written by the winner, and you just want to make sure you're the one who gets to write the history books."

"Yes…" I choked out, struggling to breath. "But… all I want… right now… is for you to… leave."

She let me go and I took a deep breath. "Join us or don't, I don't care. But the more important thing is that you don't help Tripwire." I then looked her in the eyes, now noticing that they were the eyes of a mare who had seen too much, done too much, and was filled with regrets. "It's my fault, all of this. If I had not helped Tripwire reach his family manor, he might have still been stuck in the wasteland, unable to take the next step. Maybe in time he would get there, but by then maybe Gwadina would be able to stop him, or maybe Spell Circuit could have convinced his father to destroy the research. But that's not what happened, because of me Tripwire now has the ability to turn the wasteland into his plaything, to make everypony his slave. Every death from the time I lead him to his family manor is my fault. Their blood is on my hooves. But I can still stop it, and you can at least get out of my way!"

Majestic closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling before saying, "You remind me of my sister. Both that fire… and that guilt. It's just like back then, when she died trying to save the ponies she unwittingly doomed. Working all those years with Stable-Tec, keeping their secrets, helping them with their twisted experiments, thinking it was for the good of all. Only for her to become a victim to it as well. She… let herself die, I could have saved her, forced her to become like me, but there was too much guilt in her to let me save her."

She then unfurled her wings, causing me to flinch in surprise. "Alright, I'll consider your request, I don't have to help you, but I don't have to oppose you either." Then she said something that caught me off guard. "Now get on my back."

"Wh… what?" I stammered.

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