Fallout Equestria: An Honest Soul

Chapters

1 - Time For a Change
2 - Under Attack
4 - It's a Sin to Tell a Lie
5 - Leaving Home Ain't Easy
6 - The People of the World
8 - Going Home
9 - Octapedal Equines
10 - Trigger
3 - Getting Help
7 - Rescue

1 - Time For a Change

Chapter 1: Time for a Change

*THUD*

My rear hooves struck the tree trunk with no conviction. A couple of pale, lumpy, 'Apples' tumbled down into my baskets but the rest only shook slightly. The artificial sunlight up above, the Overmare's gift to the Stable, seemed dimmer and colder than usual.

"Applebuck."

I gave another half-hearted kick to the gnarled thing that passed for an apple tree down here in Stable Two's subterranean Orchard.

"Applebuck!" A half mushy glob of fruit struck my head, knocking me from my ruminations.

"Wha, what?" I turned to look at the mare beside me. Loveberry was floating up another mushy looking apple in her magic.

"You've barely filled half your quota for the day. Just because you're sad your boyfriend got transferred doesn't mean I'm gonna let you slack off."

"Brandy is not my boyfriend!" I sputtered. "H-he's just my friend." My head lowered, my face burning slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just pick up the pace, okay? We're down a bucker and we still have quotas to meet." She tossed the mushy thing into my basket. Nothing could go to waste in Stable Two.

I pulled my old, worn cowpony hat, the only thing I had left of my mother, down over my eyes, and grabbed the handle of a full basket in my teeth. Heading towards one of the processors lining one wall of the vast Orchard space. I kept my head down, not feeling like looking at the cheerful blue sky with white clouds painted over the ceiling and halfway down the walls, which is why I ended up with my face in someone's tail.

"Hey, watch it!" The mare flicked her tail and stomped in annoyance at my sudden stop in her flank.

"Sorry Sheerkick," I mumbled and stepped over to a different processor beside the one Sheerkick was emptying her baskets into. Usually Sheer got into a rhythm and couldn't be bothered with conversation, but today she surprised me with a bit of small talk.

"No radio today?" she asked.
I looked down at my hoof where my Pip-Buck, that wonder of Stable-Tec arcana, would normally be chirping out Stable Two's daily broadcast.

"No, Velvet isn't on today; Overmare mentioned a day of silence or something, and I just don't feel like music today." I mumbled through the handle of my basket as I dumped it in the hopper of the machine that would turn the 'apples' into paste the kitchens could make into more varied foods.

As Sheer was about to answer I heard something that lifted my spirits considerably. Not Velvet Remedy's dulcet tones from my Pip-Buck, no, even better. It was the end-of-shift chime from the Orchard PA system. That meant Brandybuck!

With a wave to Sheerkick I tossed my basket on a pile of empties and galloped for the main doors of the Orchard. Not as big and heavy as the main Stable Door, they were still the largest and strongest interior doors in the Stable, a set at each end of the Orchard, meant to be used in times of emergency, but nothing could happen to us down here right?

I raced through the open doors and through increasingly narrow corridors towards the main Atrium. Brandy would be getting off his shift too and even though we were separated now, we still kept up our traditional late lunch/early dinner - 'Linner' if you will - date after our shifts ended.

Wait, no, not a date… a meeting… appointment… something. He's just a friend okay?

I skidded to a halt on the steel grating of the Atrium floor and looked toward our usual table. There he was! I pranced, er, walked in a dignified manner, over and plopped down on the bench next to him.

I leaned against him. I didn't mind the rough texture of his worn security barding, but I missed seeing his plum purple coat and jet black mane in the yellow light of the Orchard sun as we worked.

After old Cufflink passed away, leaving an opening in the Security Crew, someone had to fill it, and since Orchard Tree Buckers were lowest on the candy cane as far as skilled labour goes in a Stable, we ended up being the Pony Power Pool that other departments pulled from to fill empty slots, which was why my best friend was now wearing armoured barding and a baton instead of bucking me… I MEAN TREES, BUCKING TREES!

"What are you so flushed for? Did you gallop all the way here?" Brandy Asked.
"I, no, I mean yes, I-I mean I'm fine. H-how are you?" Sweet Celestia peg me with the sun. I buried my face in my hooves and tried not to glow like a spark lamp under my hat.

"Riiiiight" Brandy drawled.

As I cooled my face down, Brandy asked me a question. "D'you hear about what happened earlier today? With Velvet Remedy?"

I stared in thought for a moment. I shook my head. As he opened his mouth to speak again, it turned to an awkward smile as he looked across the Atrium and waved. I followed his gaze, then sighed.

“Boys!” My Dad cheered as he approached our table with a tray of three apple juice glasses balanced on his back. He placed the glaces on the table and sat opposite us.

I loved my Dad. Honestly, I did. But he always managed to show up at the wrong moments.

"Daaad…" I faux cheered as he sat and gave Brandy a brohoof. I was glad Brandy and Dad got along. There weren't many ponies that that green idiot didn't get along with. But it was a relief to know that the two most important ponies to me were important to each other too.

"Ahem. Applegreen?" Brandy asked. "You shouldn't be here; I know for a fact that you're still on duty,” he smirked.

My Dad just leaned back in his chair with his hooves behind his hot pink mane. “Yeeaah, but I was walking past the Atrium on patrol and saw my two favourite ponies and thought ‘Eh. What the hell?’"

Damnit. I wanted to be alone with Brandy! The two worked together in Security; I only got to spend so much time with Brandy these days!

“Anywho,” my Dad was always quick to avoid a silence. “Did you hear that Velvet Remedy escaped the Stable earlier today?”

I nearly spat out my apple juice. “She did what?!”

Velvet was… out? But, where even was out? Was she okay? Why would she leave? Would she ever come back? What was she thinking!

"Why would she do that?" I asked. "We don't know what's out there! She could be dead right now!"

"How is the answer I want to know," said my Dad. "I was on my way to Security when I heard the rumour. I know as much as you, Bucko. But if she got out, what's been stopping ponies for the last 200 years, I wonder?"

Fear, I thought. Who'd be crazy enough to want to leave for whatever empty void may be out there?

"It's our Pip-Bucks," said Brandy. "Pip-Bucks can be tracked. If someone decided they wanted to leave, we could just track them down and bring them back, wherever they were. Assuming anyone was stupid enough to actually follow them that is. Cuff told me that Velvet wasn't wearing her's when she left. When Security thought to track it, apparently it said it was in the Technician Stall. We knew she wasn't there, because we saw her leave on the Friendly-Pie security cameras. So she must have had someone from the Tech Stall like Mister Buck remove it."

"But how did she leave in the first place?" Dad asked. "Surely if it were possible, someone would've tried to leave before, even with their Pip-Buck? If someone escaped before, everyone would know about it, right? So why hasn't anyone?"

"Beats the hell outta me. I'm just an intern, AG. No one tells me anything," he chuckled.

I was being very quiet. Even I could tell. Change scared me. I couldn't stop thinking. What would I listen to at work from now on? Sure, they'd still play Velvet on the radio, but who would replace her when her music got mundane? It was only a matter of time before someone came along. I hoped Velvet was alright.

"Hey, it’s okay, Buck,” Brandy must have noticed my forlorn expression. He looked cute when he cared. “This was her choice. Her call. Maybe Outside isn't what we think it is? Maybe she's happier out there?"

“Brands' probably right Bucko. I like to think he is, at least,” said Dad. “I mean, I’m more worried about Mister Buck. He's probably gotta file a crap-ton of paper work because of her. Velvet, at least, we know can look after herself.”

The Technician. I hadn't even thought of that. Imagine being responsible for Velvet Remedy disappearing suddenly.

I wondered what was on the Outside. Some ponies imagined a void of nothingness. Others just imagined a floor leading on forever. Some thought it was heaven, while others thought it was hell. And me? Well, isn't it obvious? I liked to think it was an orchard. One that would put ours to shame. With beautiful and healthy trees, baring apples, cherries, oranges and other tasty looking fruits I'd only ever seen in picture books, like plums, which reminded me of Brandy. And I could buck with him in the orchard!

I-I mean… we could buck trees! Of course! Just the trees! Not each other, nope! Two bucks, bucking in an orchard. Not bucking each other 'cause they're just friends!

“Ground control to Major Buck!”

“Ga-ah!” I'd zoned out. I smiled nervously at my Dad who had spoken. He knew me well enough to not question my weirdness. He probably knew what was going through my head anyway. That was the difference between a father and a Dad.

"We were saying, if the whole Stable goes through a load of changes after Velvet’s little stunt, you may want to consider joining the Security Crew.”

Ugh. Not this again. Dad had been trying to get me into Security for years. He thought that when Brandy joined, it would be the perfect moment. But I was happy as an apple bucker. It was my calling. And my flank said as much.

I reminded my Dad for what seemed like the millionth time that, no, I didn't want to do what he and Brandy did. I didn't want to be a Security Buck like him, I didn't want to be a Medical Buck like my friend Ellabelle, and I didn't want to be any place other than that Orchard. Apart from maybe Brandy's bedroom… Oop! I was glad I didn't say that last part out loud. A-and I didn't mean it, anyway!

I supposed Brandy noticed my blush. He decided to help by leaning in and holding my hoof. It felt warm. Warm enough to melt me. It definitely heated my face even more. I looked him in the eyes. They were a beautiful magenta, like my own. A beautiful contrast to his plum purple coat. I felt myself leaning in too, my face getting closer and my breathing seeming quicker. His face blushed slightly as I saw his lips pout slightly. I felt mine doing the same.

“Guards! I want every guard pony at Stable Two door! Stop that filly!”

The Overmare’s voice boomed through the Atrium's speakers and snapped us out of… whatever it was we were doing. We were blushing profusely. Looking at my Dad in mortification, I noticed even he was having a hard time processing what the speakers had said through his rosy face.

Quickly, the gears in his head started to turn, and his eyes widened milliseconds before he bolted off. I looked to Brandy. I wanted to hug him. Maybe continue what we were about to do. But after half a second of us staring at each other, he smacked his face a couple times and bolted in the same direction.

Me? I somehow blushed a little more as I looked down and realised I had to give myself a minute to… um… calm myself down…

***

By the time I had located it on a map and ran to the main entrance - or for Velvet Remedy, the exit - the fun was already over. Dad and Brandy were talking to a Security Mare when I approached. I felt slightly awkward after what had been interrupted.

"Sir, this area is off limits. Please return to-"

"Eh eh eh, it's okay, Chief. This is my boy Applebuck. I've trained him well." He ruffled my hair, much to my annoyance. "Anything you can say to me, you can say to him."

The Chief looked me up suspiciously. She looked back to Dad, and nodded. "You have the gist of it, Applegreen. Keep an eye on your boy." The mare walked off. I asked Dad what had happened.

Brandy spoke first. "Remember we talked about how Mister Buck's probably gonna have a lot of paperwork?" I nodded. "Well. It just got worse."

Dad chimed in. "His apprentice was the one who removed Remedy's Pip-Buck. Turns out Velvet only got out because she typed an override code she found into the door's terminal, which is why no one's ever escaped before. When she found it, she downloaded the code to her Pip-Buck, then when the Technician with her Pip-Buck learned Remedy escaped, she followed her. The two guards she knocked out were just taken to sick-bay."

She knocked them out? I would expect that kind of behaviour from Brandy, not a technician who sits on her ass all day doing nothing.

"Where did she get the code from in the first place," I asked. "Was it the only one?"

A new voice replied. New, but very familiar. “No. And no one will be leaving here. Ever. Again." Every face in the room turned to the entrance and found the sight of the usually happy and fair Overmare looking sort of… ashamed?

"Overmare?” the Chief questioned. The Overmare turned to her, stating, “Velvet escaped using the Stable door override code, which I didn’t realise I had gifted her. And if I knew it was on her Pip-Buck, I would have taken it from Littlepip before she knew what she had. I was a fool!”

The Overmare was never like this. This was serious. And it really was, I realised, as something occurred to me. That Technician. If we were closing the doors, we'd be condemning her. Banishing her. It didn't matter why she left. If she could return, she should. I wouldn't stand by and let her come back with Velvet only to be turned away because we refused to reopen the door.

"Um, Overmare?" I asked. Very quickly, I had every pair of eyes in the room on me.

"Hm. What's an Orchard Worker doing here?" She asked.

My Dad stayed silent. If my Dad was intimated, this was really serious.

"Um. Her name was Littlepip, right? She escaped with her Pip-Buck on her. So, we can track her right? So, maybe we could send a team to get her? We might even find Velvet along the way."

The Overmare stood still. Her expression didn't change, but I knew she was thinking about it. After a few seconds of silence, she faced a pony standing near the terminal. "Keep that door shut!" she commanded - something she rarely had to do. “I want a new set of guards by the door. And I want them armed. This door is never opening again.” Her commanding expression reverted back to her sad face as she walked to a group of ponies by the door. “I can only afford to lose two ponies today.”

That should have been the end of it. The Overmare's word was final. But she was wrong. Dead wrong! We were killing two innocent ponies! She was! I wouldn't let her!

“Overmare,” I called as she walked away. “We’re down a vital member of our community,” I always liked to talk proper like that when trying to take charge. “For every master, there must be a student, and the Senior Pip-Buck Technician is without an apprentice. We need to get Littlepip back! We can send a team out to track her Pip-Buck tag; there’s still hope!”

She looked at me over her shoulder as I spoke. She looked at me like I was something she stepped in. She never acted like this. She was fair, and kind to her people. As a leader should be. “You’re an Apple Bucker, correct, Applebuck?” She even remembered my name! There’s hundreds of us and she even knew my name! I nodded. “Then you’re more expendable than a technician. You’re our new Littlepip, Mister Applebuck. I’ll inform the Senior Technician of the change in employment. Congratulations on your new job.”

Wait. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

***

Apple bucking is… well… it’s not an unfulfilling job, but generally you wind up working in the Orchard because you’re not that bothered with where you end up career-wise in the Stable. You’ve got a slightly apple related cutie mark and don’t really care what job you get? Ah, just toss ‘em in the Orchard. The crew could always use another set of hooves. And likewise, when a job suddenly becomes… available… rather than waiting for a kid to get their cutie mark and take up the job, which could take years, management usually just took an Orchard Worker and assigned them the missing role. Hence why my best friend went from a full-time Bucker, to a full-time Security Buck.

Of course, some Orchard Workers are genuinely destined to be there. Sheer Kick may not be as strong as some of our colleagues, but she's stubborn as hell, and would work through even her lunch hour to meet her quota. I sometimes wondered if I was destined to be elsewhere anyway. The two ponies I loved most worked in Security, so maybe I should follow? That’s when the Orchard calls me away from that train of thought. I was an Orchard Worker. And I wouldn’t trade that.

Except, now I had no choice. We all respected the Overmare, and rarely questioned her leadership. I’d feel pretty guilty about filing her a complaint after the way she reacted to losing two residents in one day. And like I said, technically, I was supposed to be a Pip-Buck Technician now. Whether I liked it or not.

Which I sure as hell didn't.

I didn't go home after the situation at the Stable door. Instead, I went to the Technician Stall where Littlepip supposedly worked. When I opened the door, I found it was a decently sized room. Big enough for two ponies to get to work on… technicianising stuff. I only then realised that I was completely unqualified as what was basically the Stable-Tec equivalent of I.T.. How did a Pip-Buck even work, anyway? I looked around the room, looking for my new teacher, and saw what I would typically be seeing likely for the rest of my career. A stallion in a hammock with a magazine on his face as he snored.

It was the early evening by then, so I figured he was only having a snooze - sleeping on the job, rather than just sleeping. He'd likely wake up long after his shift ended, I thought. So I didn't feel guilty about waking the lazy buck up.

I knocked on the open door. Then again. “Excu- oh forget it…” I trotted to the hammock, removed the magazine (notably a naughty magazine) and held his ear. “Hey, Mister! Wakey wakey! No sleepin' on the job!” He awoke frenzied. After regaining his senses, he looked to me with his eyes squinted. The Stallion had a dark greyish coat and a Pip-Buck lime mane, with a few silver streaks in it - he looked quite grumpy to have been woken up to do his job. Lazy.

He lay back in his hammock and shut his eyes “Anything you need me to do, Littlepip will be right on it. If she’s not here, then we’re both on break” Oh. Right. I completely forgot that I was the bearer of bad news.

“Uh Littlepip? I take it she’s the Junior Technician?” I realised then that my father must have felt not too dissimilar when he was about to tell me my mother was dead. This was not the ideal first impression.

“Pip is my apprentice, yes. She’s perfectly capable of performing any maintenance on your Pip-Buck, probably better than I can, actually. You want to leave it with me?"

I looked at my Pip-Buck. "No no, my Pip-Buck's fine, it's just…" I struggled to find the words. He opened an eye and peered at me. "Spit it out, bud. Ain't got all night."

“W-what’s your name, sir?” I asked as I removed my hat - something my Dad said I should do if informing someone of bad news. “Just call me sir or Mister Buck. That's what she always calls me,” He waved me away. Heh, Pip and Buck. These two were made for each other. This was gonna sting.

“Littlepip is gone, sir.” His other eye opened slowly, then he turned his head to me, an eyebrow raised. I told him everything. About Velvet Remedy, the override code, how Pip intended to save her. He looked perplexed once I was done. As though he wasn’t sure how he should feel. “And now, I’m your new… apprentice.” I looked at the floor as I said it, as though ashamed of replacing her. My confidence went out the window; he’d just lost a friend.

He leaned back again, rubbing his face with his hooves. “She’s gone…” he whispered after a moment. "She's... actually gone..."

What could I say? The Overmare wouldn't send anyone out to get her. Maybe we could still locate her, though. "Do you have her Pip-Buck tag?"

After a minute of fiddling with his Pip-Buck, he said she was out of range. Was there nothing I could do for him?

Of course not.

“Look, sir, I’m here to help you as a Technician. If you ever need me as a friend, I’m all ears,” I replaced my mother’s hat and gifted him the most sincere smile I could. He sighed. A somber, lost sigh. Then he looked to me, smiled and said: “Buck. And your name is?”

“Hah. Applebuck, sir.” We both smiled - his widening - at the coincidence. Or maybe it was fate. “But my friends call me AB or Buck. Guess you can call me AB,” I said. “Apple,” I hated it when people called me Apple. “go home for today. We'll start fresh tomorrow. You’ll start your shift at 0600,”

“0600!?” No way! Oh, he was smiling. Yeah, didn’t take him for the 0600 type. “Get back here at 10 o’clock tomorrow. I might teach you a thing or two. If you’re lucky.” He winked, but I could see it in his eyes. That look like you’ve lost something you know you won’t get back. I smiled, bowed in salutation, and left my new workplace.

A master, and a new apprentice. Two. As there should be.

***

I was walking down the hallway to my Dad and I’s quarters. The second I walked through the door, I slumped to our couch and breathed a heavy sigh, venting all of today’s emotions into it. What a day.

I wanted to sleep. To finally rest easy. But my mind was too focused on other things. I wished I hadn't opened my mouth. I was stupid! The Overmare gave an order, and I dared to question it. Now I was stuck with a job I didn't want. And it wasn't even in Security.

I wanted to see Brandy. I hadn't spoken to him since the situation with the door. Actually, I hadn't spoken to him since…

I blushed violently. The Atrium! What were we doing!? Were we gonna…? No. Of course not… But I wanted to. No! He was my friend! Nothing more! I didn't want to lose that! I didn't want what we had to change!

As though he read my thoughts, I heard a knock on the door. Brandy! We could talk it out, and see how each other felt about it, and me changing careers and… I was pretty disappointed when my Dad walked in.

“Bucko.” He smiled at me from the door. “I take it you met Mister Buck? Yeah, he’s quite a lazy individual, isn’t he?” I sure thought so, but he was probably grieving right now, so I didn't think he deserved to have his lifestyle judged.

Dad trotted over and moved my rear hooves so he could sit next to me. He looked at me quizzically - I didn't really feel like talking. And I was pretty embarrassed with him having seen Brandy and I as we were.

“Bit for your thoughts?”

I stared at him from my lying position. I knew what I needed to say, but Goddesses did I not want to ask. After some hesitation, I sat up, and the words left my mouth: “Do you still grieve over Mom?”

That was it. That moment when you want to say something, but you’re not sure if you should, then you say the first word and know you’ve made the decision and must finish it. And then the relief of having gotten it out. The relief was short lived as I saw that my question had saddened my Dad.

He loved her. More than anyone. No. We both loved her. And the pair of us would give anything just to see her one more time. After a moment, he finally spoke. “I think about her all the time."

“Not a day goes by where I don’t think of her either,” I said.

“But we can’t stay sad forever.”

“But it seems to hurt forever.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Just because it hurts, doesn’t mean we should waste our day being hurt. If we do that, then we’re not living. And if we’re not living, then, what did she die for?”

I didn’t really know what to think, let alone say. She died painlessly. Quickly. Over the course of a few years, yes, but the actual death was, dare I say, easy compared to some other unfortunate residents over the past 200 years. Truly a peaceful demise that I wish I could share one day. Just way later in life than her.

“I just hope we can spend countless more years with each other, Dad.”

Oh Goddesses. And just like that, he was hugging me. I groaned, but the kind of groan that he knew still permitted him. I wished Brandy were here. A hug from him would've been completely welcomed. Not that he was anymore the hugging type than I was.

“Why do you ask?” He said as we retracted from the hug. I simply gave him a quizzical look of my own. “About your mother?”

“Oh. Well…” confidence, Buck! Confidence! “I sometimes feel guilty about Misses Cufflink. I remember when I heard she died and how Brandy was gonna replace her, I was sad because I’d be seeing less of Brandy. Even though someone just died.”

He nodded. “go on?” he asked.

“Now my new boss is grieving over LittlePip. They were friends, as far as I can tell, and not only did I waltz out of nowhere ‘hey, I’m your new apprentice!’, but I also had to break the news to him. Which is why I’m back here. He wanted to be alone.”

“Know the feeling.” That cracked my heart a little.

“If there was ever a time for him not to be alone. It’s now, Buck. He’s grieving. And he shouldn’t do it alone.”

“Doesn’t he have kids? Or a partner?”

“Not as far as I’m aware. Buck's one of my drinking buddies. Never mentioned anything about a family. Though he generally keeps his business to himself."

“Then I best help him wherever I can.”

We sat there in silence for a while. Between friends, it would be awkward. Between family? I was just happy he was there. “C’mon,” he smiled at me and patted my hat. “Let’s get some ice cream.”

I was a grown-ass stallion with, I think, a serious career now. But there’s no point in being 22 if you can’t be 11 with your dad sometimes.

Author's Note

Hello all! Huge thanks to my buddy Pip_Mouse who helped me re-write this chapter because I was a newbie who made newbie mistakes whilst making it.

Also, here's a lovely artist's rendition of Applebuck that I commissioned from V-nus! (I forgot to tell her the Pip-Buck is on the left side, so just pretend it is lol)

2 - Under Attack

Chapter 2: Under Attack

I was on the floor, surrounded by either the unconscious, the dead, or both. I could hear the sounds of those heavy metal hooves, running through the halls. If I lay among these ponies, they'd likely run right past me, I thought. The running stopped, and there was nothing but the sounds of them speaking. I couldn't hear what they were saying; it felt like they were plotting my demise. They probably were.

A good minute went by until I heard what must have been only a single armoured pony walking down the hall. I made the critical mistake of choosing a lying position whilst panicking. And there I was, playing dead, lying perpendicular to the hallway on my blood soaked stomach in the middle of the route of a thousand ton metal monster.

My heart was pounding more and more in my chest the closer it got. I struggled to play dead with my hitched breathing. Then my mistake was made fully apparent when it stepped on me.

***

About five weeks had passed since I made the stupid mistake of opening my mouth and assigning myself the role of the new Littlepip. Mister Buck wasn't the best of teachers, but at least he never took over. If there was a problem, he would only give me pointers in the right direction. Most of the work was just me. Which I was happy with.

'Most', unfortunately, meaning the few jobs a week we had! If I were a lazy pony, this job would be great! And sure, it's a challenge when it gets going, but I'm not supposed to be sitting around all day waiting for somepony's 200 year old leg terminal to somehow stop working after two centuries of perfect use. The only things I had really been tasked with were the odd padding replacement, screen replacement, or radio replacement. Really, my job consisted of taking the broken things out, putting new ones in, sending the broken things to be fixed by some unicorn and her magic and BAM. Job well done.

Admittedly, there's a lot more to replacing a screen than taking it out and putting a new one in - I'll spare you the boring details, don't worry - but all our Pip-Bucks were the same! You've learned one, you've learned them all. When someone gave me an old vintage radio, THAT'S when I wasn't so sure. Mister Buck, of course, reminded me from his hammock that I'm more than just a technician of Pip-Bucks in the same way that I used to be more than just an apple bucker. Helpful.

It wasn't the same as being an Orchard Worker. And it got kinda lonely sometimes (which made visitors a warm welcome for sure), but I'll admit it, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'd picked up electronic skills, terminal skills, and I even learned how to keep a tidy workplace, as Mister Buck's lack of a care for one was driving me crazy. none of these skills was I a master at, but if, for some ludicrous reason, any of it could save my life one day, I'm sure I would be grateful for Mister Buck's teachings. Well.... nudgings.

Mister Buck was doing better after some time alone. And over the countless hours we worked, practiced and just in general talked to each other, we really bonded. Sure, he was slacking off most of the time, but when he was lively enough to converse with, I think having a buck to talk to rather than a filly was quite a refresher for him. He still missed Pip, that much was obvious. But as far as it appeared, he was comfortable around me and was able to talk to me like a friend. I suppose, after over a month of being a pain in his ass, how could I not be? Even still, I never stopped calling him Mister Buck, unless we were being particularly casual. It was just our thing. Mister Buck and Applebuck. I felt like crying tears of joy when he first called me 'AB'.

But, it all sort of went wrong one day.

***

It was early in the morning. like, for me, it was pretty early. Having a five minute trot to work at 11 o'clock (yes, Mister Buck extended it from ten to eleven) basically meant I could wake up realistically whenever I liked. The reason, then, I was up at twenty to eight that morning was because my Dad woke me up. Why, you may ask? It was announced that we had visitors! Apparently, one of the guards in front of the Stable entrance heard a knocking on the door. When he checked the camera on the terminal, he saw several pony shaped robots. Upon further examination, he and his partner realised that they were actual ponies! Strangers, from the Outside! No wonder they encased themselves in those funky looking suits! They probably combated the skin melting radiation as much as the mutant critters. (We got our odd Radroaches down here, so I'd hate to see what a Raddragon or something would look like!)

I thought this was great news! Maybe Velvet Remedy and Littlepip were in one of those suits! Maybe they were the ones who came knocking on the door!

My Dad said they were sending a team of 'casual residents' to greet them with flowers and welcome banners and the like. 'Casual residents' I was assuming meant harmless and non-threatening looking ponies.

If the Overmare would be letting them in, and Littlepip were among them, I could maybe have my old job back!

Wow. What if today would be the day we all leave the Stable and live on the Outside?

Oh Goddesses.

What if today would be the day we all leave the Stable and live on the Outside...?

***

I was on my way to the Security Lounge to see what they all thought of this encounter - Brandy specifically - when a fleeing pony ran past me, screaming at me to run. At first, I wondered why the hell this random stallion was screaming at me. I briefly paused in confusion until I heard a pang above my head and saw that a small hole had punctured the wall. I peered to the end of the hallway where the stallion came from. All I saw was the eerie sight of a metal armoured pony standing motionless with a gun attached to either side. One was smoking. It was at that point that I realised we had a rogue visitor.

My brain didn't have time to process what that meant, but the visitor's continued gunfire was enough to kick my survival instincts into gear. I ran, and fear ran through me. Was this the day they would replace the replacement technician? I wouldn't let that happen. If not for my own sake, then for Mister Buck's, or Brandy's, or Dad's. They didn't deserve my death on their consciences.

I ran through the hallway, and reminded myself that my life was on the line, as the rogue visitor chased after me, bullets only missing because of my erratic - and frankly silly looking - maneuvering. Then I turned right on a T junction, mercifully finding a group of metal ponies.

"Help! One of your friends has gone... rogue...?" The last word was a whisper, as I looked down, and saw the stallion from a moment ago. He was under the hoof of one of them. In the few seconds he had been there, they had managed to bloody his face up and make him swallow his teeth.

Their side-mounted guns were abruptly pointed at me, and as I fled for the left side of the junction, countless holes resided in the spot I was just standing in.

Cardio was never my strong suit - in a Stable, whose really was it? - but I was more than capable of ignoring the pain of my heart pounding more than it was used to due to all the adrenaline flooding through my blood. I turned a corner, then an arm grabbed me from the side; I was swept into a living quarters. I wanted to scream, but the unarmoured hoof covered my muzzle.

"Will you shut it, Buck! You're gonna get us both killed!" Sheerkick shout-whispered as she hit the door's shut button. I relaxed immediately. Slightly. Sheerkick; not my closest of friends, but a welcome individual nonetheless.

finding a friend in this dilemma calmed my nerves greatly. Even if things went very south, at least I wo-

Before I could even finish thinking, I was dragged into Sheer's bedroom and shoved into her closet. Sheer, meanwhile, hid under the bed.

I heard the quarters' door open, so I immediately shut the closet. Dangerous curiosity overwhelmed me, and I opened the door just enough to peek through. By the sound of it, it must only have been one of them, but one was enough to maul me.

I didn't need to see the other room to see that the visitor was combing the living quarters. Either hunting its defenceless prey or just taunting us. I prayed that if it found me, it would stop looking for Sheerkick. Selfishly, I was also hoping it would work vice versa. I only wished the Goddesses would hear me.

After about a minute had passed - it felt longer than the month I had spent as a technician - the visitor made its way to the bedroom. It entered, and immediately it went for the bed. My heart rate spiked. That was a stupid hiding place, Sheer! Years of hide and seek as a foal should have taught you better!

"Found one."

Sheerkick cried out as she was yanked by her hind legs from under the bed. She struggled loose slightly, then managed to give the pony a trademark Orchard Worker buck to the face, which seemed to do nothing but annoy the metal pony and make it lose its grip on her legs, allowing her ample time to leave the bed and bolt for the exit. Sheerkick got a bullet to her flank for her trouble.

She fell to her side, clutching her wound and grunting in pain as tears formed in her eyes. I'd never seen her any where close to tears before, apart from that time she slipped while kicking a tree and sprained her fetlock, and even then she hobbled her way to the sick bay by herself. The visitor didn't even hesitate as it took aim, and gunned my colleague into a red paste.

I had never heard a pony scream like she had. I'll never forget that time when I was a newbie Orchard Worker and I saw another Worker over estimate his abilities and shatter his legs trying to buck Deadmare's Oak, the biggest tree in the Orchard, where we get our only healthy, decent looking apples. His mistake taught me a valuable lesson early on in my career, and frankly my life: Try your best, but don't hurt yourself trying to do better. Sheerkick's screams were not unlike that old colleague of ours'. Though they were over far sooner.

I couldn't help it. I should've kept the door shut. The sight of a pony being desecrated like this, and one that I was acquaintances with no less, it was enough to make me vomit.

I heard no speaking from the murderer, but the ceased sounds of the desecration of my colleagues told me enough. Once I spat the last of the bile out of my mouth, I waited for the pony to approach my door. When it was at such a distance that I could slip under it, that's exactly what I did.

The metal pony slammed the closet doors open, and I kicked my rear legs off the wall to project myself through its legs and get up behind it. After I got to my hooves, it didn't have enough time to spin and catch me before I bolted for the exit, desperately avoiding the sight of what was left of Sheerkick.

As I ran down the hallways, my thoughts were running as fast as I was. Where should I go? Where could I go? The Security Lounge? One glance at a map would tell any rogue visitors that that was the place to go if you were looking for a good fight. The Security Lounge was either empty, swarming with murderers or... filled with the corpses of my fellow Stable residents...

Brandy!

That was it. Security is was then!

***

It was hours later, and I was hiding in someone's vacant living quarters, leaning my back against the front door on my haunches and bawling my eyes out. Outside, around the other side of a nearby corner, was a massacre. The ponies screamed and muffled gunfire rang. This wasn't just a few rogue visitors. There would be most of them, even some of them, fighting on our side. Not a single metal monster was firing at the other. Every single one of them was on the attack. And they all thought what they were doing was right. Or, most likely, they didn't care if it was or not. They didn't even care.

I wept. Scared, feeble, and so sick of things going wrong. Mom, Brandy, Velvet, my job. Everything was changing.

Everything was fine before, so why did it all have to go wrong! Why did it all have to change!

"If change never comes, how are we supposed to advance as people?"

I was startled by the voice. It didn't come from behind the door, or anywhere in the room. Actually, it came from all over. Every direction. It was feminine, with a sort of posh sway to it that I didn't really recognise anyone in the stable having.

"W-what? Who's spea-"

"I told you. If things don't go wrong - go different and change - how will anypony ever get a chance to learn from that new experience, and become a new person?"

"But I don't want to become a new person! Life was so easy just a couple years ago. Then one by one, things started changing, and now I'm cowering for my life from metallic demons from hell!"

"Metallic demons, may I remind you, that can probably hear you? Do try to keep your voice down, AB"

What? She knows my name? My nickname even?

"Well of course I do, darling. I have been a part of your life ever since Honey Apple passed away - Faust bless her soul. And really, since the day you were born!"

"I don't understand. Who are you? Why can't I see you?"

"Well of course you can, darling. You see me about as often as you see your own nose. All the time! You just never look at me."

My nose? But that doesn't make any-

My hat.

I removed my hat from my head and held it in my hooves like it was a foreign object. It was just a basic, light brown stetson with a circular hole at the front of the brim. Throughout the Stable, very few ponies had such luxuries as fashion accessories. All you had was what was passed down from generation to generation. i.e. whatever your great, great, great, etc grandparents thought to bring with them at the moment's notice they were given before the whole world went to hell. The odd collar and bow tie, the occasional pair of (usually lensless) sunglasses. Mister Buck was proud of his grandfather's horse shoes that he inherited that made a cool metallic sound when he walked. And me? I wasn't just lucky enough to have a hat. I wasn't just lucky enough to have a stylish hat. I was lucky enough to have a hat that was in better condition than any other accessory I had ever seen. Sure, it was damaged at the edges, and it would still be kinda dirty even after a good wash, but for a 200 year old hat, it was doing pretty damn good for itself.

"Oh, I would say I'm about 200... plus about 50... ah, but minus about 10ish, then maybe add 30...?"

So damn good that it learned to talk?

"Well there's a bit more to it than that I'm afraid, darling."

"Can you read the mind of whoever wears you? Have you been sucking my life force for your continued existence? Are you a parasite? Tell me!" I commanded my hat.

"Oh, hush up, Bucko. All will be clear in due time, but right now, I believe you have a boyfriend to find."

"Brandy's not my boyfriend. He's my bestfriend. And only my Dad calls me Bucko now."

"Bestfriend whom you so have a crush on. And anyway, I probably know you better than even Applegreen does, considering I know your every thought and emotion. Your privacy really hasn't existed for the past three years since you've had me."

I grunted in embarrassed frustration and replaced my hat. rudely. I could feel her smug, non-existant face taunting me.

"You still didn't answer my other question," I said as I got to my hooves and cleared the blush from my face, along with a few streaks of tears from earlier. The pause, I gathered, was her waiting for me to elaborate. "Who are you? Like, what kind of name do you give a hat?" I asked.

"I love it every time a new owner asks me my name," she replied wistfully. "It really drives home our new friendshi-"

"I can't be your friend, if I don't know your name, hat," I sternly chided her.

"Oh, fine. If you must know, my name is Tsukumogami. Although you may call me Suki, like your mother before you, and her father before her. And so on."

"Why didn't Mom or Dad ever tell me about you, Suki? And why di-"

"Bucko?" she interrupted. "Stable under attack? Brandybuck possibly dying?"

That kicked me into gear. I turned to face the door, closed my eyes and sighed. Was I going crazy? Surely this was just some kind of magic. But why was I not made aware of this? Did Dad even know? I needed time to think.

"There is no time, Bucko! Get to the Technician Stall; the door has a special lock that the power armour ponies won't bother trying to get into; it's too tight a lock. There, you can find a stashed away weapon. Collect it, find Brandy, then hide in the stall until it's safe to come out."

"But what if it's never safe to come out? If I can find Brandy, he can take me to the other security ponies, and they can look after us. We can't hide in that dinky room forever!"

"Don't be a fool, Applebuck." That was a bit stern. "Don't let your personal feelings get in the way. Go to the Technician Stall. There, you will find an old revolver. I think. It was stashed away by a previous technician years ago. It's a fairly basic revolver with a pink six-pointed star on the purple grip. Hopefully it hasn't been confiscated."

A weapon of any kind could be a life saver. But Brandy... No! Suki was right. Escaping those monsters wouldn't be possible without a weapon. And Mister Buck would most likely be there anyway. Either way, I wasn't alone. Then again, it turns out I was never really alone, was I? I unlocked the door, and hesitated, hovering my hoof over the open button. This was insane! I couldn't do this!

"Honey always said you would do right in her absence, Bucko"

Mom. "Suki. Please. I know we're busy right now, but if we get out of this, can you answer me some questions?"

She hesitated for a moment. "About what?"

"About you. And my Mom. And lots of things, really."

Again, she hesitated. I suspected she was thinking of a way to lie.

"I would never lie," she said darkly. "I will answer all questions I feel you should know the answers to. In due time."

It was the best I could get out of her. I opened the door, hesitated again, then ran. Because my life depended on it.

A talking hat. A hat. I'm going fucking crazy, aren't I?

***

I would bet anything that Mister Buck would be either hiding in the Technician Stall, or blissfully ignorantly sleeping in it. Regardless of either outcome, or even if the stall was empty, it would be a more than suitable place to hide until the monsters... do whatever it was they wanted. What if they wanted the Stable as a home? Should I escape so they couldn't get me? What would I even do after that? It was probably more dangerous up there than it was down here!

The Goddesses must have been at least a bit merciful today, as I finally approached the Technician Stall unmolested. I was relieved to find a lack of blood, scorch marks, bullet holes, and especially metal monsters.

I cantered to the door, and gently knocked on the place I called work for the past five weeks. "Mister Buck!" I shout-whispered. "It's me! AB! Are you okay?" No response. He was either dead, not in there, or fast asleep. Either way, the door was locked, and Mister Buck never told me the passcode. I thought it was pretty cool that the Technician Stall had a passcode protected lock. it was something I never saw on any other door, lock or no lock. clearly some olden time pony figured they would put their electronics abilities to good use, Which wouldn't have surprised me, as all the Pip-Buck's would have been in even better condition all those years ago, meaning even slower business in Technician. Cool or not, right now, that lock was an obstacle I could have done without.

"Sweetie Belle's Beautiful Voice,"

"The first Overmare?" I asked. "What's her voice got to do with anything?"

"No, darling. That's the passcode," she told me. "It was set during the first or so generation of Stable residents, back when Sweetie Belle was the Overmare. After the passcode system was installed, no one knew how, or even if it could be changed, so the Technician Workers just kept it like that."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Your... great, great, great... great great great... great grandmother was a Pip-Buck Technician. She was a senior eventually. One of her colleagues would always lock the door at the end of their shifts, and it would simply drive her up the walls having to type that in every single time. Trust me, Bucko. I know that passcode, even all these years later," she then sighed wistfully. I couldn't believe my hat could feel nostalgia.

I shrugged. I always wondered why Mister Buck never told me the password. Not that he ever bothered to lock the damn door. I entered the code, and the door opened automatically. No sign of my boss-turned-friend. "Mister Buck?" I called. "Buck, it's me, AB. I figured we could hide here together?" I closed and locked the door, reminded of my danger by my own words. "Better odds in numbers, right?" But there was no response.

I sighed. "Looks like it's just you and me, Suki."

***

"So when you're near me darling can't you hear me S.O.S.

The love you gave me, nothing else can save me S.O.S.

When you're gone
How can I even try to go on?

When you're gone
Though I try, how can I carry on?"

More hours passed, and Suki didn't want to be chatty. Funny that, considering talking is literally her unique talent. Even still, she seemed more than happy to sing for the first time in at least three years. And I was more than happy to listen in our time of solitude. Between songs, I kept asking her questions. Questions like 'where did you come from?' 'How can you talk?' 'Can other hats talk?' But she either dodged the questions or ignored them entirely. After a while, though annoying as it was, I took the hint.

More olden times songs it was, then. Which was fine, because it made for good background music while messing with all the junk in here. I was disappointed to find that the revolver had been taken. Damn. I was looking forward to trying it out. I think Sheer Kick would have gotten a bit of satisfaction in the afterlife from a bit of revenge. It was entirely in her character. Was.

Suki forced me to stay put. She didn't want me in danger without a weapon. I wanted to be with Brandy. Dad too. But she was having none of it. I could have just left regardless of what she said, but her whining was just… ugh…

So I stayed. And though tinkering wasn't exactly a hobby of mine, I was more than competent enough to entertain myself with a few of Littlepip's old knick knacks, even if all I was doing was dismantling them, then panicking slightly when I couldn't put them back together again. A few of the times where there was evidence to suggest I wasn't as competent as I thought, Suki was more than happy to correct me on what went where. Sometimes stating the obvious like I was an idiot, something I was glad Mister Buck never did.

After quite a while longer, I nearly jumped out of my jumpsuit at the abrupt pounding on the stall's door. Not just abrupt, but in very quick succession. "Let me in!!"

Mister Buck!

I accidentally kicked over my chair bolting to the door, but by the time I was halfway there, the monster had already started firing, three tiny dents appearing on the metal door, surely painted red on one side.

My heart sank. I remembered it doing that when Dad sat me down and told me that the most important mare in my life had died. I remember the same whisper that came out of my mouth then coming out of my mouth now as I slowed to a halt along with the gunfire.

"What?"

I continued my way to the door, simply a slow stepping of a journey, as I hoped against hope that my ears had been tricking me, and that some other poor bastard was a bloody mess on the other side of that door rather than my friend. I placed my ear against the door, listening for any sign of the attacker. I wished I could just run out there and confirm for or against the worse, but I'd probably just get myself shot. So I waited. I counted each individual second. And after about thirty of them, I couldn't wait a second longer.

I opened the door, and a small pool of blood flowed into the stall at my hooves. I peered at the source, and saw three tiny bullets in a puddle, with a crimson trail leading to the side. Peering out and to the side led to a sight that filled me with relief, then panic. Mister Buck was holding a hoof to his side where blood ran freely as he limped step by step, his side pressing against the wall, creating a line of red along the Technician Stall. A twisted mural to an otherwise grey wall.

I dashed for him as he fell to the floor, rolling on his back. Up close, I could see the extent of his injuries. The three bullets pierced his side, and exited through the other.

"Mister Buck," I whispered to him as I held his hoof in both mine. I opened my mouth to speak again, but he cut me off with a quiet shush, as he pointed to a nearby room. The killer. "She's in there," he told me, a mere shallow breath of a voice. "Get back in that stall, AB. Don't be a hero; it's not worth it." But it would be. I didn't want to lose someone else.

Suki thought now would be a good time to speak. "You need to get back to the stall, AB. I'm sorry about Mister Buck, but if you stay here, you'll die too."

It would be worth it if that monster would die with me. But I couldn't do that to Dad and Brandy. And Mister Buck would want me to live too. I looked at him. "What do I do?" I asked him. It was a stupid question. Both he and Suki just told me. But really, I just wanted to hear him talk. He looked at me, then placed a bloodied, horseshoe adorned hoof on my cheek. "You need to run like hell, AB. Run and don't look back. your future isn't with me. And it's not with that Orchard. Or this Stable. Please, get to that stall. And when it's safe, run. Run to wherever Pip went. Because you're worth it, AB."

"But I've never done anything for anyone. I'm no virtue driven hero. I'd trade anything to have my old life back." I noticed how much blood I was kneeling in. my lime green coat staining crimson. "You don't need your old life back," he told me. "You already have everything you need to survive out there. Strength. Friends. and computer skills." He chuckled. "All you need now are lock picking skills, and you'll have the complete pac... p-package," he was getting drowsy. "Say hi to her, AB. Please?"

"I will survive, Mister Buck. I promise," and I damn well meant it.

"Oh Applebuck. Just... call me Buck... okay?" His smile widened as his eyes squinted, then closed. And he completely relaxed, going limp before my eyes.

I shook him. Called his name a couple times as tears formed in my eyes. But there was nothing. I looked across the hall where his murderer was rummaging through a room. I simply let go of his hoof, kissed his forehead lightly and removed my friend's horse shoes, applying them to my own hooves, then stealthily trotted past the monster that called itself a pony. Tears joined the blood dripping to the floor from my soaked body as I trotted to what was supposedly left of my family.

"The stall… W-where are you going, darling?"

"To see my family."

***

As the monster walked my way, oblivious to even my being there, I held my breath in the hopes of it just leaving me, unaware if I were even alive. It inched closer to me, every step feeling a million years later than the last, then as it stepped mostly over me, a forehoof was placed just above my pelvis. Time slowed down as more and more pressure built up as nearly the entire weight of the monster was on my lower back. The pressure reached its zenith, then I felt my back pop. Not the kind of pop you get when you stretch after a long day's work. The kind of pop that bone makes when hit with the force of a sledgehammer.

I felt my spine split, and I screamed. It may not have noticed me a moment ago, but the monster was taken aback, maybe even shocked, at the sudden outburst of my prone body. I started hyperventilating at the constant sharp and intense pain. I knew this was it. Game over. My heart raced even more, my mind too; I wondered in my panicked state who would Inherit my hat. Who would take Suki in my absence? Maybe Dad? It wasn't like I had any kids of my own. I'd have liked Brandy to have her. If either of them were still even alive to remember me by. If they weren't, maybe it was for the best that this monster found me when it did, to save me the misery.

It was hesitating. It simply stood a step or so back from me, not doing anything. After several seconds of agony, it finally pointed a side mounted gun towards my head, and it was all I could do to shut my eyes and say my prayers.

*BLAM!*

I heard the sound of heavy metal crashing to the floor. After a moment had passed, I dared to open my eyes. When I did, I turned them to my side to discover the metal monster had crumbled to the floor. Standing behind it was Brandybuck, a gun in his mouth with a six-pointed star on the grip pointed to where the monster's head had been a moment ago.

The sight of my saviour's face turning from anger to shock as he saw me was the last thing I saw before my vision faded to black, and my head fell to the floor. Little victories. At least someone was alive.

4 - It's a Sin to Tell a Lie

Chapter 4: It's a Sin to Tell a Lie

The Surface. Now you all at home, or on the train, or wherever you're reading this, ought to know the world around you as green and blue and white and other colours, with life all around, and people everywhere. At least I hope you do. Otherwise the world in your point in history is vastly different to when this story was written. And if it is, then you might have an idea of what I was soon to be looking at.

Before I saw the open world though, there was a tunnel. Though the walls in Stable Two were - say it with me, now - grey, what was beyond the gear shaped door was different. All any of us could see was black. One after the other, we activated our Pip-Buck lamps. A yelp followed shortly after, as Ella found something that shocked yet fascinated me.

In the green light projected by Ella's Pip-Buck, I saw the skull of a long dead pony, along with its skeleton. In fact, there were a hoofful of skeletons by the entrance. As fascinating as it was to see the real thing that I had seen in diagrams at school when I was younger, I couldn't help but notice their cracked hooves. They were trying to get in.

Brandy put his hoof on my shoulder. His somber smile lifted my spirits slightly. But my eyes kept returning to the pony remains. "Let's keep moving. These ponies aren't doing your head any good, AB."

Isaw Ella was taking it just as well as I was. And she was a doctor. All these dead ponies must have been eating her up inside.

So we made haste. Clearly we were in a tunnel, and if our grandparents could get in 200 years ago, then we could get out now. At the end of the tunnel was a metal ramp, under a large, grey cloth covering the entrance, acting as just another wall in the tunnel. I saw it as a door, however.

We were in front of the ramp, and all three of us were hesitant to even touch the cloth, much less move it. Ella was the one who had the guts to step up and engulf the bottom with her magic, waiting just long enough so that if either of us wanted to stop her we would, then she raised it, revealing the open world to the tunnel.

One by one we left the tunnel and out into the cold night on the surface of Equus. And there we sat. Three friends. Barely out of the cradle, much less the Stable, staring at the cloud filled sky. We saw no stars, unlike the illustrations at school, nor did we see the moon, but the wind in our ears was a foreign sensation that, at least I, welcomed.

But was anyone else getting woozy looking at the sky?

"Blaargh!" Ella was vomiting. Okay. Glad it wasn't just me. And Brandy? Woah, was he crying? He was staring out into the world around him with his hooves covering his mouth. "We finally did it," he whispered as I rubbed my hoof on Ella's back. "We left. We're actually, really, out."

The Surface. It didn't look as healthy as the Orchard, and that was saying something, but I was sure it looked better during the day. I was just glad it wasn't the face-melting-hot hellscape that I was imagining. I was curious about what was out there. Were the Steel Rangers bad compared to the rest of the world? Or were they just children playing dress up? The thought scared me.

It also made me want to meet the ponies out here. How many were still alive? Surely there were some good people out here? People worth protecting from ponies like the Steel Rangers, or Raddragons. Actually, scratch that. If you're being attacked by a raddragon, you're on your own.

"He he he."

Oh, all I had to do was think something funny and then you make a peep?

"Sorry, darling. But I just imagine you trying to slap at a dragon's heel with your flimsy front hooves, and it makes me giggle."

Hah. Flimsy? As if. These arms are just as strong as the back ones were, missy.

"Hm. Your right one certainly is."

"AB, is the radiation heating up your face or something?" Brandy asked, catching my beet red face.

"Hah. Uh maybe? Oh I don't, I think all this..." I waved at the world in front of us "this is over stimulating me. Let's just go look around and see what's what." Damnit, Suki. Stop making me look weird.

So we set off, in no particular direction. Not like I had much of a choice, as Ella was wheeling me to whatever direction we were headed. We seemed to be on some old farmland. There was the odd 'tree' here and there that looked burnt and black, and made the Stable's trees look like Deadmare's Oak by comparison.

"Huh, what's this?" said Brandy. I noticed him fiddling with his Pip-Buck. "Sweet Apple Acres..."

I opened the map on my Pip-Buck, a rarely used feature in the Stable, and sure enough, there we were. Just outside the gear shaped icon was 'Sweet Apple Acres.'

Scrolling through his Pip-Buck, he pushed a button. Then we heard static, followed by a voice fading into existence.

"Hello, chiiiildren! How are ya'll doing this fine Wasteland evening?

The voice from the Pip-Buck was a voice that pretty much everyone in the Wasteland was familiar with, except, as it turned out, for us three.

"Listen, children, I've got a question for all of you. Have you ever told someone you love them, when it wasn't quite true? Sure you have. Well you shouldn't. Because it's a sin to tell a lie."

The buck on the radio chuckled, then something magical happened. Music. Not music about the Stable. Not music about camaraderie. Music about sin, and what it does to people. Never before had Velvet Remedy sang a song about something negative. The idea seemed new to me. Foreign. And I liked it.

"Then maybe you should listen. This was one of Applejack's favourites."

Listening to the soft tune of the music's guitar, we travelled onward. When the chorus began, we spotted in the distance what looked to be a town.

Be sure it's true when you say I love you

It's a sin to tell a lie

Millions of hearts have been broken
Just because these words were spoken

I love you, yes I do, I love you
If you break my heart I'll die

So be sure it's true
When you say I love you

It's a sin to tell a lie

I was glad I was being wheeled. My mind was so focused on the song that I probably wouldn't have been able to walk anyway. It wasn't just the different type of music, but the lyrics, and what they meant that got me thinking. Or at least, what they meant to me. If I met someone who I fell in love with, how would I know they meant it when they said they loved me too? Would they break my heart if I found they were lying? Would I be too blinded by my love to see it?

As we approached the town, we found a bridge. Oddly painted red in some places, though with no notable decoration. It was still a thing of beauty for a Stable Dweller.

I love you, yes I do, I love you
If you break my heart I'll die

So be sure it's true
When you say I love you

It's a sin to tell a lie

As the song ended, the radio host answered my question as Ella rolled me ever closer to the town, Brandy by our side.

"Yes, Watelanders. Love: It's a terrible thing. Can't live with it, can't live without it. But how do you know when to trust it? In all trust, children, there is the possibility of betrayal. And personally, I don't think anyone is ever prepared for it. So maybe it's better to never trust? Seems to work out for all those raiders you see around the place. But without trust, there's no friendship. None of the special bonds that make us who we are. The bonds that separate us from the raiders."

"So how do we know who to trust?" I whispered to the buck on the radio.

"So how do we know who to trust? Well... you don't. And putting your trust in the wrong person may cost you your life one day. That's the gamble of trust. That's the gamble of love. So be careful who you trust out there, folks. Perhaps it's best to find a group of friends, like the Lightbringer has. Started with no one, then she found love in her small group of friends. And maybe, if anyone listening in right now can find the courage to search for that same love, the risk will be worth taking.

"Anywho. This is DJ-PON3, bringing you Bird Set Free, by Velvet Remedy!"

All three of us stopped. (Okay, the other two stopped) Velvet Remedy? Like,Velvet Remedy Velvet Remedy?

We shared a look with one another, then laughed. Mare's gotta make a living out here somehow, we guessed. And so we eventually made our way to the outskirts of the town, listening once again, to the beauty of Velvet Remedy's vocal talents. This time, singing about freedom.

After we crossed the bridge, Suki told me this town was called Ponyville. Interestingly a moment before my Pip-Buck told me. Must have been some old map data from a long time ago.

"And that big tree in the centre of the town is called Golden Oaks library. If you want to find a Surface Dweller, that's where the town Mayor is likely to be. Biggest house and whatnot."

"That tree is a library and a house?" I said aloud.

"Hm. My Pip-Buck doesn't tell me that," said Ella, hoofing her Pip-Buck, most likely checking the map.

"Let's check it out!" said Brandy. "And if there's any danger, I've always got my revolver." He patted his leg-holstered gun as if to rub in the fact that he had something we didn't.

"Which I am so the rightful owner of," I added with a smirk that said I only minded a bit.

He smiled at me. "Finders keepers, AB. Finders keepers."

***

A few minutes later, we arrived at Golden Oaks library. After the past 15 or so minutes we'd spent out here, we had grown used to the rotten smell in the air. That smell was nothing compared to the smell coming from the library.

"Sweet Celestia, what is that smell?" I had to suppress a chuckle when Suki and Ella said it at the same time. "I don't know," said Brandy. "But I'm gonna find out!" He silenced his Pip-buck and practically charged at the front door with his gun in his mouth and kicked the door open. From the angle Ella had wheeled me from, it was hard to see into the library, but judging by Brandy's reaction, that was probably a good thing.

Brandy's eyes widened when he gazed into the tree. Then he quickly tightened them and slammed the door shut, gagging, as though about to vomit. Hey, if he did, that would make all three of us now.

"Not funny, AB"

It really wasn't. "What did you see?" asked Ella.

"Look, you don't want to know," he said as he found his bearings. "Let's go explore elsewhere. Is there a park or something? I just… I want to get my mind off of what was in there." Ella and I shared a glance. We both wanted to peek. Ella decided it was probably for the best that we left our questions unanswered, and followed Brandy to wherever he was wondering off too.

"I don't remember Ponyville having a park, but the school ought to have a playground on the premises."

"Hey, if we're in a town then there should be a school right? And if there's a school, there's a playground," I said. What do you know? Suki could be useful.

"And there might even be a Trottin' Wheels in there!" said Ella. Now we're talkin'!

***

About twenty minutes of our one hour trip was spent by the time we reached the bushy walkway of the Ponyville Schoolhouse. It was a basic red building, with cute love-hearts painted all about the outside walls. A bell was stationed at the top of the roof with its own chamber, adorned by a love-heart shaped weathervane. And I noticed a long flagpole with black and white stripes on its flag.

The addition of a small flight of stairs to the front door irked me greatly.

I wanted to ring that big bell. Now that may sound stupid, but none of the three of us had even seen a real bell before. All we knew was 'the lunch bell' from the Orchard, which Ella had never even heard before, and was more of a siren, really. I noticed Brandy was staring at it too.

Ella noticed the staring too and reciprocated with a stern "No. We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves." She always was the clever one of the three of us.

"Oh, lighten up, Ella," said Brandy. "There's clearly no one in town, and even if there is, are they gonna get mad at us for ringing a bell?"

"I will not lighten up. And you're practically inviting something to come and eat us. You've seen the illustrations of how small radroaches were before the radiation. Imagine what a raddog or something would look like."

I had to admit, the potential attraction of a radanything seemed like reason enough to leave the bell alone to me. "Let's just go inside. There might be some cool stuff we can bring back," I said.

"I am so ringing that bell," I heard Brandy say.

***

Ella was using one of the 200 year old bathrooms, while Brandy was off 'exploring'. I didn't trust him alone with that bell, but trying to chase him in a wheelchair would look like a comedy sketch, so I stayed behind. When Ella left the little filly's room, (I noticed how suspiciously not wet her hooves were.) her expression was enough for me to know she knew straight away why our purple companion was absent.

As if right on queue...

*BLAM* *DING*
*BLAM* *DING*
*BLAM* *DING*
*BLAM* *DING*
*BLAM* *DING*

"That fucking moron!"

Ella bolted off. Then halted and ran back to get me. Then we bolted off. When we exited the schoolhouse, between soaring across the stairs and the abrupt halt, I nearly fell out of my seat. Standing in front of us was the sight of Brandybuck with his revolver pointed at the bell tower. When I looked up and back, I saw five small dents in the bronze metal, which was still ringing and swaying slightly.

They reminded me of Buck.

"Brandy!" she yelled. "I told you no! What if someone heard you?'

He holstered his revolver to speak. "You're not my Mom, Ell. Besides, there's nopony around for miles."

"Ponies? Maybe not. But animals? They might only see us as food, Brands." She glared at him. I had to think of something to stop my friends from killing each other before the raddragons did.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could make a word, we heard the sound of a twig snapping inside one of the walkway's overgrown bushes. We stared in silence at Brandy for a moment, then something lept out and pushed him into a bush on the opposite side of the walkway. We both called his name in panic. It was too dark to see what kind of creature got him, but Ella swiftly dashed to the bush anyway. Only to be snatched up by the same creature and sent into a bush on the other side.

Panic. I was vulnerable. My friends weren't making any noises. And I was once again the prey of an unknown hunter.

My sight was attracted to a pair of red eyes visible in the bushes. Then the muzzle of the beast slowly exited, and it was all I could do not to scream as it jumped out at high speed at me.

It collided. My chair rolled backwards until it tipped over the first stair. The beast and I spilled out into the classroom as it swiftly shut the door behind us, then pounced on me. "What the hell do you think you're doing, ringing my bell? Are you trying to get raped by raiders?"

The voice was masculine, and exotic. I was barely able to open my eyes in my hyperventilating, panic-filled state. The beast... wasn't a beast. He was just a guy. A zebra, actually.

"Well?" He commanded. I stammered and stuttered. Damnit, Buck. I need to get my confidence back! I looked up at the zebra sitting atop me, placing his weight on my poor back, and gave him a stern look.

Catching my breath, I asked "What have you done with my friends?" I could be commanding too.

"Your stupid, noisy friends are paralysed in my bushes. It is temporary, I assure you. They are safe. As safe as anyone can be in Ponyville after ringing a damn school bell. What were you thinking?"

"It wasn't... do you mind getting off me? I've had a... back injury... recently..."

He looked me down and up, as if judging my jumpsuit, then budged off. "Look, it was my friend's idea to shoot the bell. Our other friend and I told him he shouldn't."

"Your friend sounds like an idiot," he said as he got up. He ignored my being stuck on the floor as much as I ignored his insulting my best friend. From my angle, I could see the zebra beside me had blood crimson eyes, and a sharp jawline. Around his neck was a chain necklace running through a little holder connected to what appeared to be a severed unicorn horn. He was a fairly muscular equine, with a snow white coat where it wasn't striped black. I noticed a grey, swirly cutie mark with spikes that looked like thorns, adorning a rather not bad and quite round rump.

"Eyes forward, Sparkle," he told me in his chocolate melting voice. But I noticed a slight blush in his cute cheeks under that glare.

I shook my head from my ogling. "Look, my friends and I need to be back home by midnight, so if you could bring them here and actually talk things out like a normal person rather than paralysing them, that would be great." I sounded a little bitchy, but I think it was justified, considering what he did to my friends. How did he even do that?

"I was under the impression that when one leaves a Stable, they never return."

"Hey, my 'back injury' means I can't get up on my own, ya know. So if you could park my butt in that wheelchair you so rudely roughhoused a moment ago, that would be great."

The cute zebra glared at me. Then he grumbled as he went to open the front door. "I'm Applebuck, by the way." He simply continued his grumbling. Not sure if typical Surface Dweller behaviour, or just zebra behaviour.

After dragging my chair into the classroom and replacing me in it, (so strong!) the zebra, I hoped, returned to my friends. "You know, it's polite manners to introduce yourself after meeting someone," I called to him. Again, he just trotted off like it was nopony... no one's business.

As I tried to follow him to the bushes, I remembered my obstacle. Stairs. I could only watch as he dragged Brandy from one of the bushes; and though he couldn't move a muscle, I could sense the fear in him at being unable to move. Ellabelle was similar, although I imagined she at least had an idea of what was going on, seeing as she was familiar with this magic. Assuming this even was magic.

He placed my friends back to back against each other, then looked at me. Sorry, 'looked' is the wrong word. 'Glared' is better.

"Hey, I didn't ring the bell. That was Brandy," I pointed. He still didn't seem impressed. "Well your friend doesn't seem to have attracted any attention, other than myself. Luckily. Or else I would have left you to your fates with the raiders, Stable Dwellers."

"You're very kind," I mused. "but I think my friends would prefer it if you could undo what you did to them."

"I told you. It's time sensitive. They'll be back to their old selves in an hour." Damn. That was thirty minutes too long. Not even including the walk (err... wheel) home.

"Look, our Stable's door is still open. Do you have a trolly or something you could push them in? You do owe us, for ruining our night out."

"Or maybe I could just leave you here to fend for yourselves. I'm leaving in a few days anyway." Though he was smirking, he seemed to have meant it.

I opened my mouth to argue, but I was silenced by the sound of the zebra shushing me. Rude.

He perked his ear, but I couldn't hear anything, then his eyes widened slightly. Then without a word, he barged past me, and a hoofful of seconds later, came out of the schoolhouse with a pair of saddlebags and a cloak that made him look like Fropone Baggins, and was off quicker than you can say 'you shall not pass!'

And there I was. Half a vegetable tasked with looking after two complete vegetables for an hour we didn't have. Except, why did the zebra leave? My ears were finally able to pick up the sounds of stomping coming from the side of the Schoolhouse. I began to panic. Whoever or whatever it was, he was afraid of it. Which meant it was dangerous. And in my state, I couldn't even get close to my friends without tipping out of my chair.

We were screwed. And I didn't think telling it Brandy and I were copulating was gonna work this time.

I turned to the sound of the stomping, where not a few seconds later, the sight of three ponies exiting the bushes graced my view. They looked metal! A unicorn mare with a kickass mohawk was flanked by two earthpony bucks. Finally the mare spotted us, then I heard her say "Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here."

"Hey," I said. "My name's Applebuck. My friends here were paralysed by some zebra a few minutes ago. Do you guys think you could lend us a hoof getting back to Sweet Apple Acres, roughly in that direction?" I pointed to my Stable. "The zebra wasn't very co-operative, and decided to run off."

The ponies seemed to be snickering. Were all Surface Dwellers weird? Were us Stable Ponies the real weirdos who didn't know it?

"Sure, we'll help you out," said the mare.

"Oh, great," I said with a wide smile. "If we were delayed much longer we'd be in a ton of trouble. This really means a lot to us, thank you."

"Heh. No problem, Applefuck." The mare said as she signalled her friends. One hoisted Brandy on his back; the other put Ella on his. "In fact, I think we have a spell book back at our hideout in the town centre that has a magical paralysis cure in it."

"AB," Suki warned. "I don't know about this, darling. I know fashion changes over time, but anypony dressed like that before the bombs would be kept well away from on public transport, if you take my meaning."

"That's great!" I replied to the mare. Look, Sukes. The quicker we get that spell book, the quicker we can get home. I think we've spent enough time here already.

The mare lowered my chair down with her magic, then proceeded to wheel me, leading the rest to, supposedly, their hideout. "Oh. Where are my manners," she said. "My name is Knife Bite, but you can just call me Knife. They call me that because I'm a wicked cook, heh heh. Maybe you could stay for a late supper at our place?"

"Supper sounds great, Knife! What's on the menu?"

"Oh, nothing special. Just a few vegetables." For some reason the other ponies were laughing again. I still had no idea why Surface Dwellers were so weird.

***

And there we were again. At the very place we wanted to be least, Brandy more so than anyone.

The Golden Oaks Library.

"Yeah, my friends and I were here just a while ago. No offence, but there's a terrible smell coming from inside, and my friend - the purple one, Brandy - peeked inside and said he didn't want to talk about it. Is it safe to go in there?"

The unicorn wheeling me simply laughed again as she pushed the door open with her magic and pushed me inside. I had to cover my face and close my eyes at the smell alone, but when I opened them to see what the huff was about, I wished I hadn't.

The library had a hoofful of large cages scattered around the room. Suspicious, without context, but here, they were simply disgusting. Inside the cages, around the floor, and even on the walls, the remains of ponies could be seen strewn about. The intestines hanging from wall to wall reminded me of a happy birthday banner, and the bile, blood and other bodily fluids seemed to be a form of twisted air freshener to accommodate for the other rotting remains littered here and there.

It was all I could do not to throw up on my own lap.

The mare behind me whispered into my ear, "You Stable Ponies are a healthy bunch right? I bet you taste delicious served with the blood of a mongrel." Then she nipped my ear, and the sight, the smell and finally the sudden sharp pain in my ear was enough exertion to make me spill my dinner over myself.

The sick ponies laughed at me. I couldn't escape. I couldn't run. wheeling away was out of the question, and even if I could escape, they would still kill my friends. What could I do? Before my brain could even process this, or my body recover from its convulsions, I was being wheeled toward an open, and unfortunately not quite empty cage.

There I was dumped, tipped out of my wheelchair and onto a smelly, fly-ridden lower half of a pony. Her entrails already spilling out, as though forming a sick pillow for me to take one last nap before I was cannibalised. Where the top half was, I didn't want to know.

The mare shut the cage door, laughing at me. I didn't have time to pity myself as I saw her friends dragging mine into another cage. No. When they tossed Brandy in, they locked the cage. Ella was being taken elsewhere.

The mare looked to her friends. They were taking her upstairs. "Whatcha wanna do with her boys?" she called, a disgusting smile on her face. "Should we kill her first? Or glaze her, then kill her?" Like hell I was gonna let them do that to her!

As the bucks cheered their support of the latter option, I shifted, trying to get my hooves to the bars of the cage. When I finally got there I called out to the mare. "Let her go! She can't defen-" my exclamation was cancelled by a stern kick to the nose. Pardon my Prench, but it hurt like a motherfucker.

I sprawled on the floor with a sharp yelp, clutching my bloodied nose with both hooves, tears forming in my eyes at the unbearable pain. Leaving the Stable was a huge mistake. We should have been asleep right now. Instead, we were at the mercy of what PON-3 must have been referring to.

These monsters were raiders.

The mare crouched down in front of me as I looked up at her. "Listen, sweetie, you three are Stable Folk. Now we have a saying here on the Surface about you guys, and it's that you guys don't know nothin'. So for your own sake know this. Anything and everything will kill you up here if you're stupid enough. Your first mistake was leaving the ground. Your second mistake was trusting me." She got up on all fours, then produced something from her pocket with her hoof, dropping a few others on the floor.

Keys. She collected the fallen keys, then inserted the hoofed key into my cage's lock, then opened the door.

"My boys will want your cool chair for, ironically, kicks, so I'm afraid we'll be taking that. But crawl along back home to Mommy and Daddy, Stable Dweller. Maybe they'll get the message and stay in their little box."

What? She was letting me go? She was letting me go! B-but my friends...

"Buck! Buck, listen darling, please. I know you're scared, but you can't miss this shot! If you try to save them, you're all dead. If you go home, you might live."

To hell with what Suki thought. To hell with the Stable. To hell with the Surface. And to hell with this bitch and her shitbox of a treehouse. I was going to save them if it cost me my front legs too.

As I dragged myself out of the disgusting cage, I was about to make a turn for the stairs. If I could rescue Ella, she might be able to-

"What does Dad have left if you die too?"

I stopped. Dad. If I died today, it would... I don't even know what it would do to him. He already lost his wife. What more could he lose after me? I crawled. And this time, it was towards the door.

"Your third mistake was trusting me a second time."

I felt a hoof press hard against my back, and I stopped dead in my agonisingly slow tracks. The mare leaned her head down to my ears. I heard the sound of a horn being lit. "And it just cost you your life." I heard the sound of a gun being cocked.

*BLAM*

I heard the sound of... well... it sounded like someone dropped a basket of apples. I opened my eyes and turned to the mare. She was dead on the ground with a hole in the back of her head. Behind her was Ellabelle, panting, standing idle. Her horn was smoking slightly with Brandy's gun in her magic, as well as a magazine titled 'Medical Magic'.

Déjà vu...

"My sleep spells won't last forever. I had to do them quickly and with multiple ponies. Where's the key for the cage?"

I stared blankly at her. How did...?

"Now, Buck!"

"Uh, uh, Knife Bite has a bunch of keys in her pocket!" I stammered out in a rush.

In seconds she was at Brandy's cage with the keys. Then after another ten or so of guessing, the door was open, and she perched him atop her back.

Ella levitated my wheelchair over to me, then struggled, visibly sweating as she levitated me into the seat.

We were off. With about twenty minutes left, we were at the entrance to the tunnel. Ella had dumped Brandy on the ground, scarcely missing her vomit from earlier, then promptly dumped herself, panting, then creating a second pool of bile.

The poor girl had run all the way from the Library to Sweet Apple Acres at full speed, running on no food, and all fear. Carrying a stallion on her back, and pushing the weight of another with her magic. It all finally caught up to her. All I could do was rub her back again as she made a humiliating mess of herself. I wasn't judging. I was about to leave them for dead if she hadn't rescued us.

Brandy still wasn't moving, save for a few movements in his face and neck, but I could see his chest moving as he breathed. All was accounted for, and as far as it seemed, none of us were harmed. I had to stop Ella from exerting herself more by cancelling Brandy's paralysis. She didn't care, and Brandy was back with us, and her horn was even blacker.

After ten minutes or so of us hugging, sobbing slightly, I reminded her that we had to get back before the guards woke up. So Brandy and Ella were back on their hooves, I was back to being wheeled, and we slipped past the sleeping guards who, I sure as hell hoped, would just think they dozed off when they woke up.

After closing the Stable door, Ella took us back to the showers to clean off all the muck, the blood, the bile, and the smell. But for a long while, we just sat there under the running water, hugging and crying out our emotions caused by a world that we would be forced to live in for the rest of our lives one week from now.

Wasteland. That was what SteelHooves had called it. It was an accurate description. If that was life above ground, then perhaps we should just stay in our little box forever.

But we had no say in the matter.

5 - Leaving Home Ain't Easy

Chapter 5: Leaving Home Ain't Easy

Today was the day that we would be leaving the Stable. I'm happy to report that we did not get in trouble for knocking out the Stable door security protocols (which Brandy claimed he reactivated the night after), knocking out the guards guarding the door, knocking out the guards guarding the guards guarding the door, going against a direct order to never leave the Stable (even though we were leaving in a week anyway), and breaking a load of other rules that we would have been severely punished for. Though really, I think all three of us were punished enough by exposing ourselves to the outside world.

And going back to that, every night I was kept awake. By many things. The post traumatic stress from the raiders, though that was mild, the want of listening to that radio station again, the curiosity of what else was out there. But one thing kept me up that stood out to me: that zebra. He lived in Ponyville, but said he was leaving soon. Why? Were the raiders new, and he wanted out? Some of the... parts... scattered around the library seemed really old. Maybe he wanted to reunite with some family for an anniversary? I wanted to know where he was going.

Maybe I'd meet him again someday in the Wasteland, I thought. But right now, in the Stable, things were busy. First off, I got my Trottin' Wheels! Not as fabulous as my chair-of-many-colours, but infinitely more convenient. I was actually on my hooves and walking like a normal pony! For the first time since I got them, I was actually using (half of) Buck's horseshoes!

Ponies were packing their personal belongings. Seeing as there hadn't been anything added to the Stable in 200 years, you can imagine how personal belongings usually amounted to inherited or traded possessions. Still, I doubted the panic ridden ponies of Ponyville way back when had as much trouble getting their stuff here as we now had getting it out.

There were five large wagons outside in Sweet Apple Acres, waiting to haul up to fifty of us each, plus four ponies each for pulling. That's roughly over half the population after the attack. The rest would have to leave after the wagons returned for a second trip. Ella and I were going to be on the first convoy, as I was classified as a 'vulnerable passenger' and was therefore a priority. Ellabelle was classified as my carer, being a doctor and spending so much time helping me over the past week or so, so she was instructed to chaperone me on our journey.

Brandy on the other hoof...

The Overmare saw fit that a small squad would be sent on a diplomatic mission to Junction R7 a few days before everyone else, in order to meet the ponies there and create preparations for the arriving ponies. It was important that ponies who were any good in a fight were to be sent on this mission, as they were also acting as a clearance, making sure our route there was as safe as could be.

My Dad was sent to be a part of that squad because he was higher ranking. Brandy, by sheer bad luck. He didn't seem to mind though, as he was given ammo for his precious 'Twinkle' as he named his gun. I begged him not to go, and to stay with us, where we could watch each other's backs, but he was insistent on following his orders. Evidently he felt guilty about sneaking out, particularly because he had to do it behind his manager's back by hacking her computer. Something Suki later chided me as being dishonest.

So there we were. It was about eight in the morning when we were standing in line to leave the place we had called home for our whole lives. This time, for good. I didn't have many personal belongings - none that I couldn't fit in my saddlebags, anyway. And Ella was similar, having only her few belongings in her bags along with a few medical supplies. Given our past experience with the surface, I think we were a little more nervous than most.

"AB," Ella whispered to me. I sent her a friendly 'yes?' expression.

She looked at the floor with a forlorn expression, then opened her mouth, but she couldn't speak. I knew what she wanted to say.

I placed my arm over her shoulder in consolation; it felt a little diminishing putting my weight on her due to the mechanics of my new wheels, but I knew she got the message. "I'm scared too."

All three of us looked after each other after the raiders. We were scared. Scared for each other, scared for ourselves, and now that he was out there - somewhere we didn't even really know where - we were particularly scared for Brandy.

The line inched forward as we comforted each other and pondered on our new lives. I was going to miss this place. I knew change was needed, though I rarely ever liked it, and that a new life above ground could be just the change I needed. But it didn't help the fear much. That job was left with my family. And right now, only one of them was with me.

We finally arrived at the door, where the two guards from last week were making sure that the evacuation was performed in an orderly fashion. Ella and I kept our heads down in shame. All we wanted to do was see the world that night, and we took advantage of these two ponies who were just doing their jobs. I would have apologised to them, but they might not even have known what happened, much less than there was any hoof pointing to be done. Best to stay out of trouble, I thought.

And there we were again. In line in the dimly illuminated tunnel, where on the other side, the sun supposedly shone.

When we stepped out, it was beautiful. Though we were quite mistaken. The sun didn't shine over Equestria. It didn't seem to shine at all by the looks of things. The clouds that seemed to be everywhere that night still drifted through the sky, not permitting a single ray of sunshine. Which I was almost glad for, as the sunlight, for as cloud-blocked as it was, seemed to nearly blind me.

Still the smell hung in the air, and the sound of Stable Two's generators was nowhere to be heard, just like before.

A new life. This time, above ground.

***

Of the five wagons the first batch would be sent on, Ella and I were stationed on the fifth one. And due to Ella's insistence of sitting at the back of the wagon, it would mean that we would be the ponies closest to our former home when we set off.

About 30 minutes of preparation later, we were headed for Junction R7. The wagon had a roof to defend against the so-called 'rain' that I'd heard so much about (I mean, water? That falls from the sky? How... quaint), and the rear had a large opening, allowing us to gaze at the journey behind us as we strolled.

"You know, I was kinda hoping we could see the stars," said Ella with a wistful smile, as we rode down Sweet Apple Acres towards the bridge. I hoped our armed security ponies would deal with any raiders we would be unable to avoid. "but if these clouds don't go away anytime soon, we won't even see the sun, much less the night sky."

The sky. It was one of my favourite parts about the Orchard. Yeah, it looked fake, but it was there. And I could have daydreamed for hours under a tree if it were allowed. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think my manager would have had a problem with that, so long as it was after hours, and I wasn't in anyone's way. Another thing I'd never get the chance to do, now that I'd be living somewhere many miles east of that subterranean orchard.

"I asked about the painted-on clouds back in the Orchard when I first started working there. My manager at the time, after I asked what the 'white roundy things' were, told me that pegasi would turn water into its gas form, where they would put them out into the sky to later turn into rain. I bring this up because, I don't think these clouds are gonna budge."

She gave me a quizzical look. "These clouds were put there by pegasi," I said. "Because if they weren't, then someone, somewhere would clear them."

"Maybe the weather is out of control?" she replied. "Or maybe the pegasi are extinct. Which would explain the lack of control."

"But that's not it. If the pegasi were extinct, then some group of unicorns would clear the sky so the crops can grow. Look around." I pointed out the back of the wagon to a patch of yellowed grass that should have been a rich green colour according to my experience in the Orchard. "Call it 'farmer instincts' but I don't think that's healthy grass. There's no crops - at least none that're worth eating - therefore no sunlight, and it could all be resolved with a team, maybe a corporation, of unicorns dedicated to controlling the weather. But the clouds are still up there, preventing ponies from growing the food they need to survive. The clouds have to have been put there. Because if not, someone would have come along years ago and come up with a solution. They haven't. Meaning every time the clouds get cleared, they regroup to block the sun again before even the grass has time to freshen up. It has to be the pegasi. And they have to be living on the clouds."

"But that begs the question..." Ella started.

"Why do the pegasi want to block out the sun?" we said in stereo. I wanted to ask a Surface Dweller. Maybe I was wrong? We hadn't seen any pegasi around Ponyville, but then, we only saw 4 people. One of which wasn't even a pony.

Unable to think of an answer to our question, we sat on it. The talk about Surface Dwellers reminded me that there was one pony who I yearned to hear again.

I switched to the radio option on my Pip-Buck. The lack of a Stable Two Radio felt like a thorn in my heart, but the option of DJ PON-3's station assuaged it plenty. As the gentle music played, I asked Ella where she thought that zebra was now. We had talked about him before with Brandy, and both ponies made themselves clear that they didn't like him, after what nearly happened because of him.

"He said he was leaving in a few days, right? That was a week ago. So wherever he was leaving for, he's left already," I said.

"Does it matter? I could live a happy life at R7, never having to meet anyone like him again."

Truth be told, we wouldn't actually be going to Junction R7 just yet. A so-called 'New Appleoosa' would be used as a pit stop, then we would shortly be arriving at R7. A census would then be taken, and after everyone is accounted for, we would be permitted to travel wherever in the world we pleased.

Ella had a point though. I didn't want to live in a world with ponies who kill each other, or leave one another to be eaten. Though I understood the civilised places like New Appleoosa and Junction R7 were safe spaces, meaning we wouldn't be affected by the outside world all that much. I could go back to a day-in-day-out job, and my life would be just like it was before. Only the sky would be real! Though different, I prayed that I may like working outside better than working inside. Assuming, of course, the Overmare's artificial sunlight would be enough to grow the Orchard outdoors.

It's a shame there's only so much an Orchard Worker can do off their hooves.

As the hours passed by, noon was upon us, so to give the ponies pulling the wagons a rest, we stopped for an hour lunch break. Ella decided to stretch her legs, then helped stretch mine, which was a weird experience, though relaxing.

Many ponies, including Ella and I, were sitting about on the ground near the wagons, eating our lunch. She decided to strike conversation with her trademark lack of care for sensitive questions.

"So your hat. What does she think of all this? Moving out and whatnot?"

I sighed. I doubted she actually cared about the answer, but was more curious as to how I would respond. I removed my hat and looked at her. "Well?"

"Honestly? I just wish Honey were here to see this. She would have loved to see the world with us."

Wow. Awkward much? I replaced Suki and replied to Ella. "She misses my Mom. She doesn't tell me much, but from what I can tell, she talked to all of my ancestors before they died."

Ella looked at the hat suspiciously. "Why does she only talk to you?"

I looked up at my hat, then repeated her words as she spoke. "I can only have one owner at a time. Switching owners isn't as simple as who wears me. It's complicated, darling." Yes, she did trick me into saying 'darling.'

"Can she only see what you see, or can she see everything around her? Or does she just sense stuff? Or does she just not see at all?"

The pain in the ass replied sarcastically, "Please insert one bit to continue this call. Thank you for using MOI. We hope to see you again soon!"

"She's not responding anymore. She does that sometimes. I don't know why."

Ella looked suspicious again, though this time at me rather than Suki. Unable to think of anything else to say, we ate. After the break, we positioned ourselves back in our place on the wagon, and resumed our journey.

Not much more was said for hours more. I wouldn't say I was motion sick, but all this rattling about was giving me an unpleasant feeling.

As twilight was upon us, we entered a particularly foggy forest, whose large branches and tree roots didn't help my unpleasantness with the bumping of the wagon. Though it was twilight, summer was still summer, and it was later than it looked. Ellabelle was asleep, snoring quietly, and leaning against the side of the wagon. I feared she may fall out the back.

I decided to sit next to her, in case she tumbled in her sleep. Then I asked Suki to sing me a lullaby, so I could join Ella in whatever realm one goes when they sleep.

Suki complied with my request, which I was grateful for. Her gentle voice was a beauty to fall asleep to. And as the night crept on, so too did the sandmare upon my eyes.

"Hush now quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head

Hush now quiet now
It's to go to bed"

***

*CRASH*

The front wheels of the wagon hit a particularly large obstacle in the road, causing Ella to lurch over the opening in the back of the wagon. She was still asleep somehow, hanging half over the edge. I tried to grab her to pull her back in, but all it did was wheel me closer to her. The rear wheels hit the obstacle, and we both went tumbling out of the wagon.

The last thing I saw before I crashed was the sight of Ella hitting her head hard on the rock our wagon had just trod over. The last thing I heard was the sound that accompanied it - which reminded me of two pool balls smacking into each other.

I landed hard on my back, which winded me. Quickly, I began to panic. Did they know we weren't there? I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. I tried to scream. We're over here!

It was useless. I tried breathing. Tried screaming as soon as I could. But it was futile. They were leaving us behind, and it took seconds before the rear wagon disappeared into the thick fog. Once I got my breath back, I screamed as I struggled to right myself. I was like a turtle put on its back. I couldn't move. My panicking was severe now. I was certain Ella was dead.

I released the straps on my walker, then rolled over. I frantically crawled over to Ellabelle with tears in my eyes. I prayed to the Goddesses that she was alive. When I found her, she looked just as asleep as she was a moment ago. And it was true, for she was breathing slowly.

I sighed and thanked both Goddesses. I then inhaled greatly and screamed one last time for help. She was alive for now, but a blow like that was deadly.

I opened her saddlebags, searching for what she needed. It was full of bits and bobs, but I quickly found the purple healing potion that I prayed would keep her alive. I uncorked the bottle, and slowly poured it down her throat.

As I held her head up so she could drink, I noticed the blood running from her head. By the time the potion had stopped the bleeding, there was enough blood on the ground to fill the bottle.

I was alone in a forest with no backup. My medic was now dead weight. My only guide was a voice in my head that knew little more than I did. And my friend would certainly die without proper medical attention.

I placed Ellabelle on her side, then crawled back to my wheels, righted them, then harnessed myself. I marched over to Ellabelle and perched her on my back. If I ran for it, I might be able to catch up to the wagons before they made a turn.

My only problem now was the growling coming from around me.

As I peered around the forest for the source of the growling, I activated my E.F.S. compass. I quickly realised I didn't need a computer to show me a bunch of red lines. The many pairs of glowing yellow eyes told me where the danger was. I didn't want to find out if they were zebras or radioactive monsters. All I wanted was to save our skins. And that's what I was gonna do.

I bolted. Ella's weight was balanced on my back, and while my wheels were not the best of paralympic modes of transport, they were more than operational enough for me to gallop in the last known direction of the wagons till my heart ached. The heartache from my friend, and the fear of the monsters, pushed me through it.

I didn't dare look back, even to count my chasers. I could clearly hear that whatever was behind us was already on the hunt.

"Suki! Do you remember this forest? Is there anything nearby? Like a town, or a road, or something?"

"I've never been here before! It's just some forest! It had no significance before the bombs!"

One of the creatures jumped out in front of me from behind a tree, causing Ella to fall over my head as I halted. The creature was a type of wolf. Its pointy teeth followed a pattern of one red, then one black, all along its gums. It's fur was a deep murky green colour with purple stripes, and its yellow eyes glowed appropriately like fog lights, impairing my vision slightly.

The wolf was inches from my friend on the ground. I knew I had only a second to react. I swiftly leaned in to hoist Ella on my back. I only barely managed to succeed before the wolf sank its disgusting teeth deep into my shoulder.

I yelped. I had two lame rear legs and a limping front one now. Running was out of the question now. Though particularly because there was still a wolf attached to me. I recalled something Sheer Kick told me years ago, which I found stupid at the time, but was now glad I listened to. I leaned my face up to the wolf's and bit into the side of its face. Biting with all my force into its eyeball.

Never fight fair when you're fighting for your life, she told me.

The wolf roared. I took the opportunity to return for seconds as I bit a second time, this time even harder, on its wet, black nose, causing blood to spurt from it profusely, painting my maw red. It also made one hell of a noise as it broke.

The wolf fell to the ground and cowered. I ran again, hoping the others would see their fallen comrade and understand the danger. I wasn't so lucky. The searing pain in my bloody shoulder was unbearable. I was only able to push through due to the adrenaline of my plight. Inevitably, however, the wolves were catching up.

In my panicked state, I failed to notice a stone in my path, and I tripped, falling flat on my stomach, sending Elle over my head once again. Being roughhoused like this couldn't have been doing her brain any good. I knew there wasn't any time to replace her before the wolves caught up.

I should have been scared. Scared for my life, and my friend's. This was it. We were going to be killed by wolves. But I wasn't scared. I was angry.

I was so incredibly angry.

I got back up and faced the pack of wolves now seconds from making contact - I now counted nine of them - and ran towards them. I couldn't even feel the pain in my shoulder anymore. Or at least, my brain ceased to realise it. As the closest wolf lept at me, I strained my vocal cords as I vented my rage through a deafening scream.

A small flash appeared between myself and the wolf, then a large, circular, light blue shield formed. The wolf made contact, and the momentom horribly destroyed its muzzle and teeth. If ever it survived and healed, it would forever be a poor imitation of any creature's muzzle.

The wolf fell, and the others came to a stop in front of it. As I stepped forward, searing pain returned from my bleeding wound, and my anger returned anew. I wanted these monsters dead for the pain they caused me. I didn't deserve this. Any of this. All the pain over the past month and a half. After all this, I didn't deserve this!

The shield divided into eight like a pizza, then the pieces narrowed like daggers. In the blink of an eye, the daggers were driven into the body's of the remaining wolves.

I couldn't even hear their howling as the daggers made contact. My eyelids felt weighted. A terrible drowsiness overtook me as the daggers disappeared. And before I could register that my passing out could kill Ella, I was ready gone.

***

Groggy eyes and, this time, a mild, numbing from my shoulder. Again, I awoke in a makeshift bed of sorts, with a bandage around my shoulder. Wait, this was a medical bed. I was in a darkly lit room with bleak wooden walls. There seemed to be basic medical equipment on various shelves, as well as what appeared to be robot parts strewn about the place. I noticed a window showing a forest with identical looking trees and thick fog. I was still in the forest.

By my side, I noticed Suki was on a bedside drawer; I equipped her. Next to that was another medical bed, housing a pony with a bandage wrapped all around their head as though they were a mummy from the neck up, and a feeding tube in their nose.

Ella!

"Your friend is very lucky to be alive. And so, may I say, are you, Stable Dweller."

The voice came from a corner of the room, where a figure sat on a chair. I couldn't tell if it was male or female.

"Who are you?" Are you friendly?"

They chuckled. "You ask the right questions, Stable Dweller! I can assure you, right now, I am a friend. Though my friendship is easily lost. I expect to be rewarded for my generosity in helping you and your friend."

"I haven't got any money, but my Stable is on its way to Junction R7. They might be able to pay you."

Again, they chuckled. "Moving a Stable? Sounds like more effort than it's worth to me. Unless your name is Red Eye, I suppose"

"Hah hah. No, I mean the ponies inside. We decided now is the time to leave. Ellabelle and I fell off the wagon, but no one noticed."

A scoff. "Evidently they didn't like you. Was that how she got that head injury?" they pointed to Ella.

I looked to my friend. I desperately prayed that I wouldn't lose another friend.

"Your friend Ellabelle has a severe concussion. If left untreated, she would have had a stroke and died. Lucky I found you when I did." The pony started for the light switch by the door. They looked kind of weird in the darkness. When the light came on, I found the pony wasn't a pony! They were a... a... what were they called? Wings, beaks, paws and claws? No not claws… talons… Gryphons! the person was a gryphon! Except this gryphon evidently didn't like showing their paws. They seemed to be wearing some kind of battle armour from the waist down - something similar to the Steel Rangers. I noted that they were wearing a necklace identical to the one I saw that zebra wearing back at the schoolhouse.

I thanked the gryphon for helping us, then asked their name. "Just call me Maamsir. I'm a cyberneticist. I saved your friend's life using a mix of technology and magic. Once her body has properly healed, the cybernetics can be removed, and it'll be like she never even hit her head. Save for a small scar on the back of her head."

I thanked Maamsir profusely and told them my name, then asked if there was anything I could do to repay them. They told me they weren't after money, and that they had a job for me. "But I can't walk. I was in a Trottin' Wheels when you found me, right? Please don't tell me you left it for some animals to destroy."

Yet again, the gryphon chuckled. "I don't think you realise just how much you owe me." I gave them a quizzical look. They nodded to my rear legs, leading me to remove the blanket covering them.

When I did, I saw that my legs were each encased in some type of medical brace. The braces were made of a thin metal, hardly armour, with many gaps that exposed my green-coated legs. Going up, I noticed the braces were a part of a sort of metal body armour that covered the entire bottom half of my body, the same as Maamsir. Interestingly, my cordate-apple cutie marks were made visible by a pane of thick glass on either side.

"If you look at your hooves, you'll find that there are three extendable supports on each. One on the front side, and two on the sides. For support in case you need to stand on your hind legs, like a zebra."

I gave them a clueless look. What the hell were they talking about?

"Of course, I could replace your whole lower half, like me, but I get the feeling that's not what you want. And trust me, it isn't."

My brain couldn't process this. They... weren't saying what I thought they were saying, right? I shot another look, pleading for confirmation.

"With these braces, Applebuck, you can walk again. Capisce?"

***

I had my life back. Almost. I was, quite literally, not out of the woods yet. Four things still stood in my path of having my old life back. One, I had to repay Maamsir for their 'generosity.' I think they needed to reevaluate their definition of generosity. Two, I had to wait for Ellabelle to recover, though I was told that would happen 'sooner than I thought.' Three, I had to find Junction R7 and get there alive; Ellabelle in tow. And four, I needed to get an upgrade for my new gear. While yes, my leg braces were designed so that I could walk again, Maamsir didn't have kicking solid trees in mind when they cobbled it together at a moment's notice.

But that didn't matter to me at the time. I had a victory to celebrate. For the first time in eleven days, I was walking on my own four hooves! And after an hour of running about, kicking the air, and doing all sorts of tricks I hadn't been able to do for nearly two weeks, I was all worn out.

Apparently, the power source for my braces was the same as my Pip-Buck's. They draw a small amount of magical energy from their host. Unnoticeable to the host, but just enough energy to suffice for a power source. I was told that stronger, heavier legs meant for apple bucking would require a stronger power source, but that I would cross that bridge when I got to it.

An hour of exercise had tuckered me out, so Maamsir suggested I use their shower, and invited me for lunch. Apparently I was fed breakfast through a tube while I was asleep. I was trying not to think about that.

So we had lunch at Maamsir's dining room. Their entire house seemed similar to the houses in Ponyville, so it was familiar (for the most part), despite the odd location. Just a little slice of normal in a not-so-normal place. That being said, it was a weird experience for me. Don't forget, I'm a Stable Dweller. I only knew what a dining room was based on its name. My 'dining room' back home was a massive atrium that fit nearly five hundred ponies in it last week. Can your dining room fit 500 people in it? And don't even get me started on operating another person's shower!

Maamsir's way of life was, by my standards, odd, though I was grateful they respected my herbivorous needs. As I ate my salad, - and they ate the cooked meat of one of the so-called brewster wolves that I'd killed last night - we talked.

We talked for a good while about all that had just happened. I explained my life up until now; they explained what had happened since last night. I noticed that Maamsir never revealed much about their past. Nothing worth mentioning that one couldn't figure out by talking to them, at least. They were about as secretive as Suki when it came to revealing stuff I wanted to know.

With no luck of a further inquiry, I asked them what their necklace was for. The one similar to the one I recognised that zebra wearing.

"Oh, this old thing? Basically turns me into a unicorn. Ya see, every creature has a magical signature. Every pony, every gryphon, every woodland insect. But they're all different. And unicorns have a really unique signature that, combined with the usage of their horns, allows them to tap into certain magic abilities. For example..." Maamsir closed their eyes in concentration as the horn glowed a bright yellow. From a bowl sitting in the centre of the dining table, a pear was levitated to my plate. I took a bite. Meh.

They relaxed. "So you see? Some poor unicorn carks it, some other asshole cuts off their horn, then a special talisman is attached to it. Whoever wields the horn can then use it the same as the unicorn used to. Not many people can make the talismans, though, so they're pretty rare. Not to mention, valuable."

"I met a zebra not too long ago who had one. He had red eyes, and a swirley cutie mark with thorns on it. You don't know him by any chance do you?"

Maamsir chuckled. "Zulu? That bastard. He's actually a part of that job I need you to do. He came here about a month ago to steal it. The bastard ran off with it just as I caught him. All I need you to do is take back that horn. Kill him, if you like, but that's optional."

"I don't wanna kill him. I just wanna see him. Where can I find him?"

Maamsir scoffed. "You met him, now you want to meet him again? Why? He's a thief. And a liar. The bastard used to live in Ponyville, clearing up all the mess the raiders left behind. As well as some of the few standing raiders left."

"Isn't that a good thing? I've seen what a raider's 'hideout' looks like, and it's not pretty."

"Don't be fooled, my friend. He was doing it for his own benefit. He saw that the raider count was lowering, so he decided to take the town for himself and clean the place up. But his effort was a waste of time. Now he's living in a town just west of here called Fetchway. So his sister tells me."

"That's great! I'll take back that horn, then can you point me in the direction of Junction R7?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll mark it on your Pip-Buck when you're back."

I felt so relieved. Finally, things seemed to be going my way. All except for Ella. I prayed nothing was permanent for her.

"Now I get to ask you a question, Mister Applebuck."

I didn't like the sound of that.

"Remember what I said about magical signatures? How everyone has one, and how they're all different?" I nodded "Well as I was treating you, I noticed an odd signature coming from you."

Sigh. Here we go. "Yeah, that would probably be my hat." They gave me a quizzical look. "My hat is magical."

"Magical?"

"Yep. What would you say if I told you it was sentient, too?"

They stopped and thought for a moment. "I suppose I would ask how it became like that."

"Funny. I've asked her multiple times. She either avoids the question or ignores it entirely. And she won't tell me why."

Maamsir looked pensive, complete with a talon on their beak. They asked what her name was. I answered with her nickname, then remembered her real name was: "Tsuk... Tsuku... Tsu-Tsukumi...?"

"Tsukumogami?"

"That's the one! How did you know?"

"Tsukumogami is the ancient name given to an object that comes to life. Some neighponese crap."

Maamsir asked me to tell them everything I knew about Suki. Evidently they were just as curious as I was. I explained my whole history with her, something I excluded from my tale earlier on. Again, they were pensive. "Well, I don't think Suki has anything to do with your signature. Or, at the very least, it doesn't belong to her. I assure you, AB, that signature is undoubtedly yours"

Now it was my turn to look pensive. "My signiture; You said it was odd. How so?"

"It's the same as a unicorn's. I don't mean to pry, but you don't happen to be a unicorn who... well... used to be a unicorn, do you? If so, I think I may be able to heal you. Or at least direct you to someone who can."

Me? A unicorn? That's impossible. I told them as much.

"So explain the stab wounds on those wolves you killed last night. Those weren't any ordinary knife wounds. And there were no weapons on you or your friend. Those seemed to me like wounds from a magical object created by unicorn magic. And if your friend was already knocked out at that point, then the first explanation that comes to my mind is that you're a unicorn in disguise."

I wondered if Suki had an answer. Heedless of how crazy I looked, I asked her aloud. "I've been there since the day you were born, AB. I can tell you with honest certainty that you are, in fact, an earth pony."

I looked to Maamsir. "She says I'm an earth pony. No doubt. Maybe being with a magical hat for so long made me magical?"

"It's entirely possible, AB. Either way, I was only curious. You're a really unique case, Applebuck. Perhaps I could help you understand this magic when you get back? Assuming you have the horn, of course."

I was curious about my own ability. I only barely remembered last night. I understood I was enraged, but it was a blind rage. I could recall very little. I was sure Suki could remind me later. For now, I had a question for Maamsir.

Changing the subject, I asked Maamsir what happened to their legs. It was clear they were metal, that much I could tell. But I was curious to know more.

When I asked, I was relieved to find it wasn't a touchy subject. They smirked. "Hah! Got into a fight. Got messed up something awful. Thankfully my soon-to-be teacher rescued me and patched me up. The bottom half of me was stolen by raiders - the only half they cared about anyway - and I spent many months in rehab, getting used to my new legs. The old fart carked it a couple years ago. I miss old the bastard, but he lived a long life. Cybernetics will do that to you. Now it's just me and the odd guests here and there."

"Is there anything else of yours that's robotic, if you don't mind me asking?" They smirked wider, then leaned into my ear. What I heard, I will not repeat.

***

A little later, I dropped most of my personal possessions off at Maamsir's, borrowed a few medical supplies from Ellabelle as well as some barding from Maamsir, and was out the door, on my way to Fetchway.

"You know," said Maamsir. "If you want, I can replace your heart and lungs with cybernetics. That way, cardio won't be an issue, and you can practically run forever. At least until your muscles get tired."

I thought about it. It would probably save my life if I were running for it. But I refused. Paralysed or not, I was still whole. And I wouldn't willingly trade that.

I thanked Maamsir again for their hospitality, then set off. "Oh, wait a minute!" Maamsir ran off into their house to get something. A moment later they returned with a cloak identical to Zulu's. "This is a type of zebra stealth cloak. You can guess who I snagged this off of as he was running out the door, heh heh. You press the buckle, and you go invisible for up to sixty seconds. You can become visible again at any time by pressing the buckle again, but for every second you remain invisible, it takes sixty seconds to recharge. Capisce?"

"Capisce. Thank you! I'll look after it, I promise."

I equipped the cloak, then gave a little swirl. Gotta say, I was lookin' pretty swag. I pressed the buckle, but nothing happened.

"You need the hood over your head for it to work. Just put your hat in the cloak or something."

I did just that, then pulled the hood over my head. I pressed the buckle, then found the only part of me visible was my hoof as it poked out the front of the cloak. It was weird looking straight down and not seeing my chest. Very slowly, I started stepping off to the side as I stared at Maamsir. Annoyingly, their gaze followed my movement.

"Though invisible, the cloak doesn't dampen sound. And it doesn't make you lighter, either. So be careful using it on grass or any ground that depresses when you walk on it." Maamsir pointed to my hooves. I looked to where they ought to be, and found that there were hoofprints where I was standing.

As I stared at the four depressions in the ground, my hooves reappeared!

"Yep. Sixty seconds, Stable Dweller. That's your lot. Heh heh."

I removed my hood and replaced my hat. Sixty seconds wasn't a lot, but it was still cool as hell! I gratefully thanked Maamsir for the cloak, even if it was on a loan.

"It's stylish and useful! Simply divine!"

"Heh. Suki definitely likes it. 'Divine,' she called it." I gave a nervous chuckle.

Maamsir smiled. "You're weird, Stable Dweller. I like you, kid. So I'll tell you what: You bring Zulu back here, dead or alive, and it's yours. It suits you better than him anyway."

I thanked them again, and went on my way. Things were finally going my way! New legs! New clothes! And I was one step closer to getting home! I hoped Brandy and Dad were safe at R7 by now.

Still, I wasn't happy about being a bounty hunter. No matter how cool the clothes were. But it didn't matter. Bounty hunting was optional - if I wanted to keep the cloak, at least. If I had to kill someone to get it, I didn't deserve it anyway.

I wouldn't kill Zulu. Regardless, though, I had to get that horn. So off I was to Fetchway. Where I would have to drag that sexy zebra back here if I had to!

6 - The People of the World

Chapter 6: The People of the World

With the location marked on my Pip-Buck, I made my way west to the town known as Fetchway in the Foggy Forest, also known as the Double Eff, as Maamsir had told me. I mentioned before that Maamsir gave me some barding (which was just some old black barding to go over my Stable jumpsuit with metal plates in it to help stop a bullet), but what I didn't tell you about was my weapon. A basic revolver; nothing special like Brandy's. However, the way I was expected to fire it was pretty unique.

Maamsir had given me a special strap to go on the fetlock of my right foreleg. It had a special holder designed for small guns, like a pistol or, in this case, a revolver. The idea was that I stand on my hindlegs, using my new 'feet' for support, aim my right foreleg, then fire with my left. To put the gun away, you flip the strap to the outside of your leg, then flip the gun so that it aims upwards when you stand on all fours. Obviously turning the safety on.

As I followed my Pip-Buck's map, I had plenty of time to think about all that had happened to me recently. I was still curious about last night. I honestly had little recollection after falling out the wagon. I knew something unnatural happened to the wolves. Some kind of magic... and a blue shield... As I followed the marker on my Pip-Buck, I asked Suki about last night.

"I don't remember much, but I remember I killed a bunch of wolves. How? Maamsir seems to think I used some magic spell. Was that you? Did you kill the wolves?"

They were out to eat me, but I'd still feel guilty about killing a creature that was just hunting to survive. So you could imagine my irritation when Suki stayed quiet.

"Please? If we get attacked again, I'm gonna need to be able to do that again."

No response. She was trying my patience. And I was getting sick of it. I shouted "Suki, this isn't a game! What if someone dies because you didn't tell me something? Can I save Ella with that magic? I know there's something you're not telling me!" Still no response. "Do you want Ella to die?"

"I made her a promise..."

"Who? Who did you promise?" But I knew who. She deserved to be addressed.

No response. I'd had enough.

I turned around, then threw my hat on the ground. "A-Applebuck??"

"If you can't help me, then you're useless! You promised my Mom what? That you'd abandon me when I need you? That's not what friends do, Suki! Why don't you answer my questions? Who are you!?"

"I can't... I promised, Buck. I promised Honey that I would protect you. But I..."

"You what?"

No response.

My emotions got the best of me, and I started to walk away. I didn't need her. At the very least, I didn't want to be around her right now. I knew guilt would follow soon, though.

"I love you, Bucko." I stopped Immediately. It wasn't Suki I heard. I turned and ran to my hat, clutching it in my hooves. "Say that again, please!"

"I love you, Bucko." I would never forget that voice for as long as I lived. "Please, Buck," Suki's voice returned. "put the hat back on, and I'll explain." She sounded so defeated. I imagined a pony bowing their head in shame while saying that. If she was just trying to protect me, then she didn't deserve this. Guilt followed sooner than I thought it would.

I placed my mother's hat atop my head, and the world faded.

oOo

My eyes were closed. I tried to open them, but they wouldn't budge. I heard a familiar, constant hum, and my body felt wrong. It was smaller, lighter. Maybe even weaker. I was standing, yet my legs were just like my eyelids - Immovable. Finally, my eyes opened on their own, and despite my emotions, they refused to cry.

I was in the Stable, in front of a mirror in our quarters' bathroom, where facing back at me wasn't my own face. She was yellow-coated, with a brown mane covered by a brown stetson, and eyes as magenta as mine and my father's. "Hello, Applebuck. My baby boy." My mother's weak, baggy eyes closed as I felt her facial muscles form a sweet smile.

"I'm speaking to you post-mortem. By now, you should be familiar with Tsukumogami - Suki. Ever since Pop died, she's been spending every day sitting on my head. And only a year later did she think I was ready in the eyes of my father to know about all this. Now, my baby boy, it's your turn. Suki has made the judgement call, and has presented herself to you. Now, she sends you my final message.

"For nearly 200 years, Suki has been aiding Applejack's descendants, as well as Applejack herself. Now, it's your turn. There's no point in trying to convince anyone your hat's alive. They'll just think you're crazy. Instead, let Suki be a friend. She knows your every thought, and helps you make decisions. Don't worry, she doesn't care about your not-so-obvious crush on that Brandybuck kid; it's not unlike her to tease, though.

"I'm going away now, and it was Suki's idea to use this memory as a last message to you, seeing as we know I'm gonna… well…"

She sighed. "My final advice to you, babes? You must find those whom you will call your family. Suki will tell you more about this later. For now, please, just do one thing for me in my absence."

She closed her eyes and just rested them for a moment. My mind yearned for her to continue. Not being able to move was killing me, but I could feel that she was weak. It brought back unhappy memories from not too long ago.

Finally, her eyes, feeling like they were made of lead, opened, and she faced the mirror again. Slowly, she asked her final request. "Please, have a good life. Live life with your friends and family in the Stable. And look after them. And let them look after you. I love your father. And he loves you, Bucko. Never forget that."

My Mom's weak face smiled again. She placed her hoof on her reflection, then a tear fell down her cheek.

"I love you, Bucko."

The world started fading again, but it faded back in. This time, I was on the floor of the bathroom, balling my eyes out.

"If you were ready, the memory would have ended there, AB. But you forced my hoof."

I didn't care what she said. Finally my body was acting how I felt, and the release from the tears felt right. It was over soon, as my Mom sniffed, then started looking in the mirror again.

When my Mom faced it, a unicorn faced back. "I will look after the boy, I promise." The unicorn that looked back spoke with Suki's voice. She was a snow white unicorn with a beautiful purple mane, dark blue eyes, and light blue eye makeup.

My mother gave a warm smile, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Please, don't show him that unless you're sure he's ready. Please, keep him out of danger."

I promise."

"An-"

"And show him the Virtue of Honesty, I know, darling. I have it all under control. Believe me, Hun, life was more complicated above ground. I think Applebuck will be just fine."

My mother removed her hat and hugged it. She thanked it softly and sincerely, as my world faded one last time.

oOo

I awoke on my back, with Suki resting uncomfortably behind my head. As I regained sense, emotion flooded through me. As the tears fell from my face, I clutched Suki in my arms and rolled to my side, weeping into my hat.

Suki had the respect to wait a minute before talking to me. "And there you have it, AB. I only spoke to you during the attack so I could save you. You weren't ready. You still aren't."

"But I've learned so much since then! I'm a Wastelander now! Please, Suki. I need you."

"No. You need your mother. But she's gone now. And you won't find her in me. Go about your mission, AB. Pay off your debt and wait for Ella to get better. Go home, then I'll reconsider."

"Could you at least tell me what happened with the wolves?"

No response.

I sighed. I sat up, and rubbed the tears from my eyes. I sighed again, louder. I knew what I had to do next. Fuck it.

I got to my hooves and looked around, bewildered. "Wait... what was I doing here?" I asked in faux surprise. "Why was I crying on the floor? I think I had a weird dream about my mom and a weird mirror unicorn with a voice I've never heard before! I wonder who she could be. Oh well. Guess I'll never know, because it's not like there's anyone around to tell me."

"W-what on earth are you-?"

"Woah! What's that voice? A spirit from the forest or something? Nah, must be my imagination."

No response. Except a small giggle. "Oh, fine. We'll start fresh when you're ready, AB. For now, just pretend I'm not here.

"Yes, Ma'am! I mean... who's there?"

It was done. I understood Suki didn't want to break her promise to Mom. And I made her. I didn't understand why I wasn't ready in her eyes, but I respected her choice. If not for her, then for Mom. I would drop my silence the second I stood hoof in R7, though. If Suki could show me my mother's memories, I wanted to see more.

***

Fetchway. Or, rather, the chain link fence surrounding it. The town was stationed in a far less foggy section of the forest, with an unwelcoming fence blocking any entrance except a front section guarded by a pair of ponies with side mounted weapons like the Steel Rangers, one pink male and one blue female.

I approached the two ponies, then they promptly stopped me with a pair of barrels aimed at me. I sat on my haunches, held my forehooves in the air and said, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm just looking for someone."

The female guard dropped her weapon and spoke. "Looking? I would say that you've found someone, no?" The pony laughed. Her male friend wasn't as friendly as her.

"Shut it, Dice. Who are you looking for, Stable Dweller?"

"What makes you think I'm a Stable Dweller?" I asked. They couldn't see my jumpsuit under my barding, so what gives? His friend was quick to approach. "Well just look at you! Even if you ignore the Pip-Buck, you can spot a brand new Stable Dweller by how clean their coat and mane is! Though you must not be that new. Is that a zebra stealth cloak? Who'd you kill to get that?"

"A friend lent it to me. They stole it from a zebra because he stole a necklace from them. He's who I'm looking for, actually. I was told he was here."

"Hah. We've got a few zebras living here, kid," said the buck. "Zebras, pegasi, ghouls. Even the odd zony and pebra. Most Surface Dwellers despise them, but Fetchway is a bit more friendly than that. But step out of line and you're in for it. Got it?"

I nodded furiously. His gun was very threatening.

"Oh, lighten up, Rolly! The kid's not gonna do anything stupid. Are ya, kid?" As kind as she seemed, I definitely got a sense of 'you better behave, or I'll kick your ass' from that last part. Again, I nodded.

I didn't know what a ghoul was, but the mention of pegasi reminded me of my talk with Ella yesterday. I asked about the sky, and whether or not the sun ever shone. Much to my disappointment, I was right. The few pegasi not living on the clouds that blocked the sun were a tiny piece of the Wasteland population, so I was told to consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon one of the few places that housed a few of them.

I asked where I could find a zebra wearing the same cloak as me, to which Dice directed me to a saloon called the Three Horseshoes. I was told I probably wouldn't find him there, but that the Barpony might know him, as she supposedly knew everyone in this town. I thanked them for the info, and set off for the saloon.

***

Fetchway was decently sized. Not a utopia, but certainly not cramped. I passed many houses and buildings of various uses. All made from the wood of the trees that were cut down to make room for the town. The idea of turning a tree into a home was still weird for my Orchard Worker mind to wrap around. And trying to forget my experience at Golden Oaks library wasn't easy.

The people here were nothing like Knife Bite and her henchponies, though. Clean were their manes and coats, and most didn't bother wearing any form of clothing. And 'people' was definitely the right word. Not just ponies, but the odd zebra, gryphon, as well as a few others likes donkeys, and horses, and such. A few even waved at me, noticing a newcomer in their home.

Eventually, I was in front of the Three Horseshoes. With my hat, my gun, and the whole western feel of the town, I felt like a real cowpony from a prewar film. Buck Eastwood, they should call me! I certainly didn't feel like it when I stepped into the Saloon.

When I stepped through the two little doors that didn't quite reach the floor or the ceiling, my eyes were graced with the sight of many creatures stirring inside the saloon. Some gryphons were arm wrestling in a corner, a pair of ponies were smooching in another; most creatures more or less kept to themselves though, like an elderly buck with only one hindleg, sitting at the bar. The Barpony however, looked fairly chill. She was a pink pony with a jet black mane. She reminded me of what Brandy might have looked like if he were born a mare. The mare held a mug in her hoof, whilst using a cloth in the other to clean it.

"Afternoon, stranger! Don't recognise ya 'round these parts!" High was her voice, with a cool, cowpony-ish accent to it. I exchanged greetings with her as I sat at the bar.

"My name's Applebuck. I'm looking for a zebra called Zulu. You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"

The Elderly Buck on my right spat into a bucket. "That son of a bitch! He's not welcome in this community! Thievin' bastard ought to be shot!" he said.

"In not so many words," the Barpony said, "Ah'd have to agree with ya, Dad." She turned to me, "Mah name's Petal, Mister Applebuck. Sorry tuh say the zebra you're lookin' for skipped town a few days ago. Used to live in Ponyville, but spent the past week with us. Turns out the thievin' bastard was just that. A thief. If you're lookin' for 'im, I'd greatly appreciate getting mah forty caps worth uh booze back from 'im."

"Funny. A gryphon from the forest sent me to hand him in for another theft."

"Maamsir? What'd he steal from them? That gryphon helps people! The audacity of that zebra!"

"Yeah!" the Elderly Buck agreed. "Maams hooked me up with a false leg a few years back. Until that striped bastard stole it from me, along with those booze. Didn't even say why he wanted it! I bet he just wanted to see me struggle."

My opinion on Zulu was diminishing. Clearly his book wasn't as good as his cover. "He stole a special necklace from them. If it helps, this cloak of mine was stolen by Maamsir from Zulu. Maams saved my friend's life, so I have to pay off that debt.

"Yep. That sounds like Maams, alright," said Petal. "They'll do anything to help someone, but don't think fer a second they'll do it for free. Still..." She leaned over the bar and eyed me up, spending longer looking at my legs. At least, I hoped it was my legs. "It seems ya don't just owe Maams because uh yer friend. Might Ah ask what your story is, sir?"

I guessed it was story time again.

After a good hoof full of minutes, my story was told to the Barpony and the Elder. Judging by the silence in the saloon, it was told to just about everyone else but the two ponies still smooching in the corner. Did they even need to breathe?

"Now all I need to do is find Zulu and that necklace and bring 'em back to Maamsir."

I heard a chuckle from my left. A sneaky... pony? zebra? of sorts had sat next to me without my noticing. She had a crimson red coat, amber eyes and unshorn hooves, as well as a sharp face, like Zulu's. Also like Zulu, she had stripes. Which was odd because she also had wings.

"One does not simply find Zulu," she said. Unlike Zulu, she had an Equestrian accent, not at all exotic like his. "I would know. The thieving so-and-so is my half-brother."

Half brother? That's when you only share one parent right? "Excuse me for asking, but, you're a zebra, right?"

"Pebra is the technical term."

A what now? My Stable Dweller brain couldn't figure that one out. Thankfully, she elaborated.

"You see, a zony is a zebra with a pony father - a zebra with pony traits. Whereas a pebra is a pony with a zebra father - a pony with zebra traits. In my case, my mother was a pegasus, and my father was a zebra. The same father as Zulu's."

I was starting to understand. I asked the pebra her name. She told me her name was Mixen. She said she had a score to settle with her brother too, so she invited me to her house, saying she might have an idea where to find him.

After a questioning look to Petal, she assured me that I wasn't going to be kidnapped or put into some creepy dungeon in this mare's home.

I thanked Petal again for helping point me in the right direction, and apologised for not buying anything. Hey, I would have loved a drink after last night, but I was capless! When Mixen and I left our seats, a pony hastily walked through the saloon doors with a grim look on her face.

"Guys!" she shout-whispered. "I don't mean to start a panic, but Silver Eyes is headed straight for us!"

Very quickly, everyone in the saloon hid under their tables. When I looked to my new companion, I found that the pebra had already disappeared somewhere. Petals pulled me over the bar and hid me beneath it before I even had a chance to question who the hell Silver Eyes was. No sooner did I hear the sound of metallic hooves at the door, then as the door opened I heard Petal exclaim: "Mister Silver Eyes, sir! What an unexpected pleasure! Ah am honoured by yer presence!"

"A Stable Dweller with a stetson was let in here not too long ago, so say Dice and Roller. Where is he?" The voice was unfriendly. And he sounded like he had a cough in his throat. Even still, no matter how he sounded, his voice had a confident authority in it. My old manager Loveberry was very good at doing that voice.

Petal looked in thought for a moment. This buck was bad news. I hoped the twenty minutes I had known her was long enough for her not to sell me out to him.

I heard the pony walk up to the bar. "Can't say Ah've seen any Stable Dwellers 'round here, sir. Not one that was wearing a stetson anyhow. May Ah ask why you need him?"

"You remember that group of Stable Dwellers a few days ago?"

"Yes, sir."

"The few that escaped would have gone to whatever nearby settlement the rest of their Stable went to. I was near New Appleloosa when we found them, so I checked there. No one. Here was my next best bet. I'm after that stetson, specifically, Petal."

"'Fraid to say there ain't no refugees here, sir. And pardon mah askin', sir, but what makes the hat so special? And if Ah spot this pony, where to should Ah send him?"

"Why I need the hat is none of your business," he said sharply. "And I don't care about the pony. Kill him if you have to. Or tell me where he is so I can. Just get me the hat. I need it at all costs."

I heard the front doors slam open, followed by a voice. "Silver! Good news! You remember that zebra that stole that memory orb of yours? I just got word from HQ. They say they found him snooping around the building."

"Good, good! Is that stripe in chains with the others?"

"Aye, sir."

"Excellent. Then let's be off. I'll deal with him myself along with those Stable Dwellers."

"You mean the Security Ponies, sir?"

"Brandy!" I whispered to myself far too loudly.

"What was that?" Silver asked.

Panic grew on Petal's face. "Uh, uh... brandy!" she exclaimed. "On the house! Ah know yer a busy buck, Mister Silver Eyes, sir, so a shot of brandy would help yuh let loose a bit!"

Based on her progressively nervous smile, I figured Silver Eyes was staring her down.

"Thank you," he said finally. "But I think I'll be on my way. I'm gonna show that stripe what for," he laughed.

"Heh heh, yuh don't mean a red eyed zebra with a big butt do you? 'Fraid to say he owes me money, sir."

"Hah. Zulu's mine, Petal. I'm afraid you're just gonna have to kiss your money goodby-"

*CLUNK*

I accidentally knocked a bottle over, and my heart rate spiked.

Petal quickly replaced it. As she leaned near me, I noticed she was nearly in tears, sweating heavily. She rose and gave Silver Eyes a nervous smile. "C-clumsy hooves, heh heh."

She backed up to the wall as Silver Eyes leaned over the bar. For the first time, I saw his face. He was a silver coated pony with no mane and an extremely bad skin condition, along with, of course, silver eyes. His sclera appeared yellow, glowing dimly. I figured the radiation did something to him, which would explain his voice, skin and eyes. I wasn't concerned with his looks however, as his neck turned and he faced me head on.

He stared right into me. After a few seconds, however, he pulled back, as he was. It was about then that my last seconds of invisibility were up.

"Keep an eye out, Petal. In fact, I'll pay that zebra's debt tenfold if you turn in that hat. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Metallic hoofsteps again, as the silver pony finally started for the exit without so much as a word. About thirty seconds after he had left, the same mare who announced his arrival, announced his departure.

Just about everyone in the saloon let out a sigh of relief. I got up from the bar, Suk- I mean, my totally not magical hat, was still under my dark green cloak. (It's not like I could wear the hood and the hat at the same time!)

Petal pulled back my hood and hugged me. "Holy shit, ya have no idea how lucky ya are to be alive, right now. I think ya owe Maamsir a drink for lending you that cloak." she whispered to me.

As we departed our hug, she assured me that no one gave a damn about his offer. No life in this town was worth a bit of booze.

"And look on the bright side," I jolted as Mixen reappeared from nowhere. "Now we know where my brother is - Silver HQ. As well as your 'Brandy' friend, apparently. I'll show you the way!"

Brandy. I prayed he and Dad weren't with them. I prayed they were safe with everyone else in Junction R7. I realised the first convoy was probably there by now, fixing up the place and turning it into a town like Fetchway. If Ella and I weren't there by the time the second convoy got there, we'd be classified as missing, and they might risk Dad and Brandy's lives with a search party. We were on a time frame.

Not wanting to wait a second longer, Mixen and I thanked everyone for their loyalty in not handing us in, and we made for Mixen's house for supplies.

***

I won't say much about Mix's house, as there isn't much to say. We grabbed a few things like her twin pistols for her 'battlesaddle', as she told me they were called, as well as a map and compass. I told her such things were redundant, as we could just use our Pip-Bucks, but she reminded me that she obviously didn't have one. Easy to forget when nearly everyone you've ever met wore a Pip-Buck 24/7.

Soon, we were off. Silver HQ was stationed not far from Fetchway. A little north-east, so Mixen told me. On hoof, about an hour's trot. Thankfully, we were using the 'safest mode of transportation' to get there before Silver Eyes did. Despite my apparent safety, I was still screaming.

Mixen was soaring low in the sky. We couldn't fly high for fear of being shot out of the sky by some random Wastelander, which was apparently a very real threat, meaning we weren't travelling as quick as one would like. We would only have about twenty minutes to find the others, get the necklace, and leave undetected before Silver arrived. Assuming he wasn't in a rush. If he was…

I could have really used some of that confidence Dad always said I should have. If not for our mission, then for the my fear of heights

As Mixen flew, she held me damsel style while I screamed like one. I still got woozy looking at the sky, so you can imagine my fear of being closer to the sky, on top of the fear of dropping to the ground.

To distract myself, I asked Mixen about her and her brother. She told me she didn't like her brother sometimes, but promised her mother - his adoptive mother, that she'd look after him. It was hard holding to that promise, she told me, as Zulu had a tendency to get himself into trouble. His father didn't raise him well, hence his thieving, but Mix's mother hoped she could correct him with 'pony morals.' Clearly, she either wasn't trying hard enough, or was just plain wrong.

"I love my brother. I really do. But he makes it so hard sometimes."

I never had a brother. Or a sister. The only things close were Brandy and Ella. And neither were with me right now. I looked to my new friend. Hm. 'Friend.' I had known Mixen for all of five minutes before we decided to go on an adventure together. Was this fate? Mom told me I needed to find those I would call my family. I felt a degree of responsibility to do well by this new 'friend.'

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She chuckled at that. "No, I don't think so. I'm sure back in your Stable everyone knew each other and their moms, but up here, family is tight. When it rarely exists."

"That's not how my Stable worked at all! Back home, I had two really good friends and my Dad. Everyone else was either a stranger, an acquaintance like the chefs or barbers, or people you just know but not well enough to be friends. I had no idea life on the Surface would be so simple as 'trust the right person or die.'"

"Hah. You think there's anything simple about this life, AB? I'm sure you'll find out in years to come. Assuming they do come at all. 'Cause you're right: you trust the wrong person, and you could end up with your head on a pike. But that's why we stick together right? Hey, I've only just met you, but if you can help me kidnap back my brother, you'll officially be my friend." She smiled at me.

"'Course, for all you know I might want to kill you in your sleep. Heh heh heh. Hell, I can drop you right now! But that trust is all up to you. For all I know, it could be my head on a pike."

The mild threat on my life wasn't welcome, but I did see her point. It was the same point DJ-PON3 made all that while ago. Putting your trust in people is hard. I would trust Ella and Brandy with my life. But they weren't here anymore. I asked myself if I could trust this pebra. The answer was: of course not. At least, not yet. It was a leap of faith. But she was on the other side of this cliff with me. So all things considered: what the hell. Might as well jump together.

***

Over the next half an hour, I asked Mixen more questions. Specifically about Silver Eyes; who he was and what it was he did. First off, that metallic stepping? He was wearing full-body armour. Made of a sort of bluey, purpley, silvery metal; it was supposedly indestructible. His goal? To understand it, apparently. Though not much was really known about the buck, other than that his skin condition was 'ghoulification' and that he was over 200 years old, but judging by his interest in my hat, I wagered he was after its magic.

The purpose of Silver HQ was to act as a hub for scientific research into arcano science and other technologies, where clients could even commision things like the reparation of a savanged Pip-Buck for example

Silver and his company, apparently, weren't evil. They were just bad news, and not the kind of company you'd want to be on the bad side of. I could easily just wander to the front desk and talk to the receptionist without any trouble. Assuming Silver Eyes wasn't there to see my hat. Unfortunately, I wasn't a client. I was just a thief, stealing what was neither mine, nor theirs.

We soon arrived. The plan then, was to rescue the ponies and necklace we came for, leg it back to Junction R7, drop off the necklace to Maamsir and pick up Ella at the same time. Say goodbye to Mixen, then go back to R7, then we all live happily ever after. Simple, right? What could possibly go wrong?

Silver HQ was, according to Mixen, an old college campus. Abandoned, even before the bombs. It was a little while away from the edge of the forest, so Mixen decided we should walk the rest of the way.

Mixen was a known client here, so she said. When we entered the main entrance, we ran into an orange-coated, cyan maned receptionist, who she claimer was her friend. The receptionist looked up from his magazine, and gave Mix a look.

"I thought the boss said he doesn't like zebras, Mix."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm a pebra then, isn't it," she grinned. The receptionist wasn't impressed.

"Mix, I won't refuse your service, but I think you'd best get out of here. I don't need to remind you that being a pegasus is dangerous enough. Being a pegasus and a zebra is just asking for some bigot to put a bullet in your head just for being yourself. And who's your friend?"

Mix nudged me forward. "My name's Applebuck. I'm looking for a zebra?"

The receptionist sighed. "Zulu and the others are locked in the basement," he told me simply. He looked to Mix who gave a pleading look. He sighed heavier.

"And whatever you do, don't steal this key that I'm placing on the desk." He did just that, then went back to his magazine.

Mix leaned in, removed the magazine, stared him in the eyes for a moment. "Which way?"

He stammered, blushing a little at the closeness. He pointed. "Take two lefts then a right…"

She smiled, leaning in closer. Then smooched him lightly. I figured that was a zebrican way of saying thank you.

They departed, then the pebra walked me away as the beet red-faced buck grunted and went back to his magazine.

"Old boyfriend?" I asked her as we made our way to the basement.

She blushed slightly (or it could have been greatly. Couldn't really tell with the red fur). "Teppie and I go way back," she told me. "He wound up working for Silver Eyes after his last place went kaput. The pay's not bad, so he tells me. Every now and again, we like to catch up. If you catch me." She winked and nudged me.

"The buck is very easy to toy with."

I didn't know how to respond to that. I wondered if pegasi were any better at doing it than earth ponies or unicorns. I should try one someday, I thought.

My lewd daydreaming was interrupted by a door to the face.

"Oblivious much?" Mixen chuckled. We had reached the basement. As I rejoined Equestria, she unlocked the door, holding the key in her wings. I was pretty impressed she could do that. But then, for all I knew, all pegasi could do that.

We stepped through into the pitch black room and hit the light switch. Broken. On went my Pip-Buck lamp as we trotted down the stairs. I called out 'hello', expecting nothing in return. When I heard a sharp "Hello?" from a corner, I nearly fell down the stairs. I recognised it!

I carefully ran down the stairs to the sound of the voice. The basement was mostly full of old boxes, papers and other basic sciencey equipment. The sectioned off corner with the ponies chained to the wall was one hell of a juxtaposition. There were half a dozen ponies in Stable jumpsuits, one of which was the voice I had heard - Cuff, the unicorn Security Mare who nearly busted us when we first left the Stable. Next to her was Zulu. As Mixen approached her brother, I ran to Cuff.

"Cuff! It's me, Applebuck! I'm here to rescue you!"

She looked me up and down with suspicion, then looked to Mixen. "Cheating on your girlfriend?"

"Ella's not my girlfriend!" My face burned a little. "And she's staying at a Surface Dweller's place. My friend here's just here for that zebra. Where's Brandy?"

"Not here. He got away with your dad and the others. They're probably at R7 by now."

Phew. One less thing to worry about. He was safe. Cuff and the others on the other hoof…

I examined her shackles. They weren't gonna budge. I tried the chains at the wall. No luck.

I heard a sharp CLINK from Mixen's direction. The clever pony had thought to bring a pair of bolt cutters with her! Just as she got Zulu's second chain off however, we heard the basement door begin to open.

Out went my lamp, and I hid behind a box. I don't think I need to remind you about Mix's sneakiness.

I heard clearly the sound of Teppie pleading with someone, saying he didn't do anything. Whoever was with him spoke no words. It was hard to see in the dark,
but the metallic hoofsteps were enough to assume who Teppie's tormentor was.

As Silver Eyes locked Teppie in a set of shackles, I readied my revolver. I leaned on top of a cardboard box and took aim at the glowing eyes of the ghoul. It dawned on me that if I didn't miss, this would be my first kill. I didn't consider it murder. But if he lived, these ponies could wind up dead in this basement for all I knew. I sobered up. Re-aimed. And as much as I hated it...

*BLAM*
*PTANG*

Damn. I hit his armour. Still, Silver grunted, but before he even bothered to question what had happened, he was bolting in my direction.

I dived off to the side just as he crashed into the box. Quickly, I repositioned and held the revolver to the back of his head. Milliseconds before I pulled the trigger, he ducked.

The bullet went into the wall, and half a second later, Silver spun, smacking me with his armoured hoof. As I was sent into the wall, he got his first good look at me, and his yellow eyes shot open, glowing like a dimmed version of the brewster wolves.

"Her hat!"

My head hit the wall. Very quickly my world faded. Couldn't I go to sleep without passing out lately?

8 - Going Home

Chapter 8: Going Home

"Zeebie, zeebie, zeebie!!"

Zulu was not impressed with his sister's attempt to torture him.

"It only works when I say it," I told Mixen, much to her disappointment.

It was getting late by the time Zulu, Ellabelle and I made it to Fetchway. Not knowing where to look for everyone, we started with the Three Horseshoes, where, as luck would have it, we found everyone conversing at the bar while Petal, presumably, was out back for the moment.

Zulu stuck a little closer to me as he was getting unpleasant stares from everyone in the saloon.

I fancied having a drink, - I was sure we all did - but we were still capless, and Mixen didn't have enough caps for drinks for all of us. I noted how, despite probably having enough for herself, she also didn't buy one. Still, I wondered if stealing caps from Zulu's bags counted as stealing. Even though most (if not all) of what was in those bags was stolen, I still couldn't bring myself to justify stealing caps from him.

Petal returned when she noticed the commotion Mixen was making, then decided she'd take matters into her own hooves when she saw Zulu. I believed her when she said she was gonna kick his ass if he didn't give her the caps.

We needed to leave soon if we were gonna arrive in one piece.

***

Assembled, the Security Ponies elected me as their navigator, seeing as their previous navigator was my Dad, and I was the only one with R7 marked on my Pip-Buck thanks to Maamsir. It was kind of poetic, really.

R7 wasn't terribly far. We'd definitely reach it after dusk, though. And while the brewster wolves and other dangers were more prominent during night, we were now big in numbers. Mixen had her pistols back, I had Twinkle, Ella was medically trained, and if we found any raiders, we had a professional thief who could take their stuff! It wasn't dishonest if we were stealing from bad guys, right? Wait, was Zulu a bad guy?

Regardless, we had a team. Probably not the group of friends DJ-PON3 said I should have. At least, not everyone here was my friend. But regardless, we looked after each other, and within hours we had exited the Double Eff on the east side, en route to Junction R7. According to Mixen's map, if we traveled south-east from there, we'd find New Appleoosa. If it were daytime, we'd go straight for R7, but we were tired and worn out, and seeing as New Appleoosa was supposed to be a stop on the journey in the first place, we decided to stay the night.

We found a lovely pegasus mare in New Appleoosa. A ghoul pony, with even worse skin than Silver Eyes, but what she lost in external beauty, she made up for with her kindness and charming personality. She ran a general store in the town, and told us, via a chalkboard of all things, where we could find an accommodation house. I was starting to feel guilty about not having any money to give people for their helpfulness. She even gifted me a free copy of her self-written book on how to survive out in the Wastes.

I had to say the Z-word twice to get Zulu to put back the few things he stole from her. And a third time to make him apologise.

Dinner was meager, as it was just basic provisions from mine, Mixen, and Ella's saddlebags spread across ten ponies, but it was enough to survive the night.

We only barely managed to rent two rooms for the ten of us, courtesy of Zulu's stolen caps. Unfortunately there were only two rooms with three beds per room, so two pairs of ponies per room had to share a bed.

Ella quickly insisted on sleeping with Cuff, causing Cuff to ask again about mine and Ella's 'romantic relationship.' I, however, volunteered Zulu and myself to share a bed. Cuff suggested we cuff him to the fireplace so he wouldn't steal or kill us in our sleep, but Mixen told her that was cruel and unfair, so we settled on cuffing him to the bedpost instead.

I got into the old, springy bed, complete with suspicious stains and the odd exposed spring. Stable-Tec's long lasting mattresses put these to shame, but it was better than sleeping outside in the cold. Barely. I removed my horseshoes and leg braces, placing them beside our bed, as I felt uncomfortable sleeping in them. Thankfully my braces had a quick-release, and re-equipping them was just as easy as taking them off.

I was awake late that night, waiting in mild fear until I could hear Zulu snoring. The buck tried to kill me earlier today. All he had to do was kill me in my sleep, and he'd never fall victim to that collar again. Supposing he didn't decide to kill me in my sleep, and somehow broke out of the cuffs, he'd probably steal some of our stuff from our bags. If Cuff caught him, though, I suspected Zulu would never see the end of it.

I could hear Cuff snoring. She was loud, and snored like my Dad, but Mixen's snoring was quiet, somewhat ladylike. Brandy, Ella and I would have sleep overs as kids (and sometimes as adults too), so I knew Ella wasn't asleep yet based on her lack of snoring, which sounded like loud breathing.

Zulu was dead silent. He decided to sleep by my side rather than top and tail, which I didn't question, rather welcomed. I couldn't tell if his being a full-blooded zebra meant he slept silently, or if he just wasn't asleep yet. I would stay up all night if I was even a little uncertain of his being asleep.

"Can you believe we're finally doing it, AB?" I heard Ella whisper. Clearly she used the same snoring logic I used to determine whether she was asleep or not on me.

"Having a sleepover with not one, but two other girls? Never thought I'd see the night."

She giggled quietly. "No. Going home. When we see Brandy, he's gonna have so many questions as to why we're late. It's been, what, half a week since we've seen him? But it feels way longer, ya know?"

"Hey, you were asleep for most of today. I was the one who had to go on a whole adventure and rescue this idiot next to me. And all for a magic necklace I wasn't even allowed to keep."

"Ah, but you don't need it, so Maamsir told me. You're a unicorn, they tell me."

"Hah. It's a long story, Ell. You still think I'm full of shit when I say my hat is alive?"

"I trust Maamsir, and they said it- she is. So no, I don't think you're full of shit. I'm sorry I didn't believe you, AB. I think we're gonna have a hard time convincing Brandy, though."

"I honestly couldn't care less if he believed me or not. I just want to see him again. I'd do anything just to see him right now."

"Gaaaay…"

My face went a shade of red. "Sh-shut up. He's our friend, Ella. You know this."

"Who are you kiddin' AB? You're one smooch away from loving him."

"Y-yeah? Well I noticed how quickly you agreed to sleep with Cuff."

"W-well that's because I don't want to sleep with a Surface Dweller! I don't know Mixen. And I don't know why you have no problem with Zulu. Oh wait, I do. You're cheating on Brandy with him."

"How can I cheat on someone who isn't even my boyfriend?!"

"Will you two shut your mouths!" Zulu shout-whispered. "It is bad enough I cannot go to the bathroom; I do not need you Stable Morons keeping me awake!"

Now I was blushing even more. I really didn't want Zulu to hear that!

"Hey, Zulie," Ella said lightheartedly. "AB was staring at your butt on the way here."

"W-what? No I wasn't! Shut up, Ella!"

Zulu turned his whole body. We were both facing each other now, barely an inch away from each other.

"I do not care," he said. "Stare if you like, but soon I will be gone. You will see."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that, zeeb."

He recoiled, blushing and starting to breathe heavier.

I leaned closer, softly whispering, "Zeebie zeebie zeebie!" repeating it more times than I could count. His face seemed redder than his sister's, his breathing worse than a smoker doing a marathon. When I wouldn't stop tormenting him, he found one last ditch effort to shut me up.

Zulu's free arm went to the back of my head, pushing me closer as his lips made contact with mine. It could have been three seconds; it could have been three years. My brain was too frazzled to keep track of how long it went on for. Either way, it was over far too soon. As he retracted both his head and his hoof, I stared at the red and black zebra. My own coat was probably a similar shade, minus the stripes. His eyes were gorgeous, and I was quickly lost in them the same way I was lost in that kiss.

As quick as a lightning strike, my emotions switched, as I felt a pain all too like an old friend. Zulu had rammed his knee into my crotch.

"That was for earlier, Stable Dweller."

I recoiled in pain. I couldn't see or hear Ella, and quite honestly, I didn't have the care to think of how she saw all that. I was in too much pain.

At some point in my riding out the pain, I drifted off to sleep.

***

I awoke in the middle of the night. I heard a soft breathing from my side. I noted that as what Zulu sounded like when he slept, for future reference.

Zulu. He… he kissed me. I had never been kissed like that before. I wished my first time would be…

No! This was good. Zulu. I wouldn't mind him being a boyfriend, as flawed as he was. But not Brandy… I still blushed remembering what almost happened at the Atrium all those weeks ago.

I clumsily reached over the bed and encased myself in my braces. I didn't feel like waking Ella up to help me, for a plethora of reasons. I wished memory wiping was a part of Suki's crazy unicorn powers. I started for the bathroom. It was the first time I had used it by myself since the attack on Stable Two. I was happy to feel a bit more independent now that I had my new legs. I really did owe Maamsir a drink sometime.

When I returned to our room, I noticed Zulu's saddlebags were within his reach beside our bed. That memory orb thingy; I was curious about it, so I silently trotted over and took a quick peek in his bags.

In his bags were basic odds and ends, looted items and the such. Plenty of caps (That liar said he was broke! He was so buying us breakfast in the morning), bullets, but no weapons, a screwdriver of all things too. A little fox doll I noticed from Ditzy Doo's was in there as well… I grabbed it and told myself I'd return it in the morning. Finally, I found it. A shiny silver orb that looked to be made of solid glass. I held it in my hooves. As far as I could see, there was nothing interesting about it. It was just a glass ball.

Okay, time to crack out my inner Sherclop Pones.

Memory orb was what it was called. Did it contain storage for a terminal? Was this some magical external harddrive? It didn't have any ports, but it may have hooked up via special plugs. No such plugs existed with any terminals I was familiar with, like Silver's terminal in Silver HQ, but perhaps it was compatible with some special computer elsewhere. If this was valuable, then it was a bargaining chip. If Silver wanted Suki, he'd have to choose between her and this orb. Not that I'd ever give him Suki anyway. Most likely, I could trade this in exchange for help in finding Brandy.

I considered putting the orb in Cuff's saddlebags, as she would never let Zulu anywhere near them, but I got some awful feeling that, even in her sleep, she would cuff me to her bed if I got close to her, leaving me stranded all night.

I settled with storing the orb in my own bags for tonight. We'd be home before midday anyway, so I didn't worry much.

I got back into bed, removed my braces, awkwardly pulled each of my legs into position, then got under mine and Zulu's covers. As I looked at the sleeping zebra, watching his chest rise and fall with his soft breathing, I wondered where we stood now. I was still very embarrassed about that kiss. And it didn't help that Ella probably saw everything. Did this mean he liked me? He was still prone to thieving. I was certain his condition was compulsive. But was I at any lethal risk anymore? At the very least, was I safe around him?

If I tried to answer that question, I'd be up for the rest of the night. So to hell with it. I'd let his future actions dictate where our relationship stood.

***

Morning was hectic. Between ten ponies, we had one bathroom, so it was over an hour before everyone was even ready to leave the accommodation house. Cuff was clever, and set her alarm for twenty minutes earlier than the rest of us, so she could get ready for the day hassle-free. By the time I was awake, she was already lying on her bed, reading Miss Ditzy's Survival Guide.

As we left our accommodations, Mixen suggested we get something small to bite for breakfast, to which we all looked at Zulu. I knew for certain that Zulu could afford to get us something big to bite. He sighed, but agreed, giving the caps needed for breakfast to Mixen. I told everyone that I needed to go back to Ditzy Doo's for something (I didn't say what, but Zulu's face changed, and he checked his saddlebags, presumably for 'his' fox. If looks could kill…) and that I'd catch up with them in a bit. Unfortunately for Zulu, Ella suggested he go with me, as no one else could use his collar to keep him in check if need be.

As Zulu followed me to Ditzy Doo's, he asked me why I was looking through his things. "I knew you had that orb," I told him. "Silver really wants my hat. But he also wants that orb. Seeing as it wasn't yours to begin with, I helped myself. Now, it's my bargaining chip."

"That is dishonest, hypocrite."

Huh. I told myself it wasn't stealing if I stole from a thief. But I supposed I was being a hypocrite. Ignoring the moral conflict, I asked Zulu what the orb even did.

"It is a memory orb. It is not difficult to understand. To people like you or I, it is useless. To unicorn ponies, it is a gateway into the past. Allowing one to view any one recorded memory per orb. That one is one of Silver's memories."c

"Do you know what happens in it?"

"Like I said, it is useless to non-unicorns. They only work when you press your horn to it, which we do not have. Unless you have a special device, or a unicorn who is skilled in memory magic who can project the memory onto another, it is completely useless, other than vanity."

Ella! She said she knew a bit about memory magic the night we snuck out! Maybe she could show me the memory in the orb.

We were just outside Ditzy Doo's when a thought came to me. "So what did you want the doll for anyway? Aren't you a bit old for kid's toys?"

"I saw it. I wanted it. I took it. And I do not care if you think it is a kid's toy."

"But, you have caps? Why didn't you just buy it?"

"Stealing comes more naturally to me, Stable Dweller. Deal with it."

"Hm. In that case, stay here. And stay out of trouble."

Zulu glared as I entered the general store alone. When I entered, I was greeted by the pegasus behind the counter, as well as a lavender unicorn filly with a blonde mane.

"Good morning, Miss Ditzy Doo. Who's the girl?"

The instant I finished speaking, I felt incredibly stupid, remembering she couldn’t talk. Thankfully, the filly spoke for herself. "My name's Silver Bell!" the filly cheered. "I'm Mommy's personal assistant. If you ever want to ask a question, I'll be able to answer for her!"

How cute. Ditzy and her little assistant. She must have already been in bed last night.

"Anything we can do for you, Mister?"

"Um, well my friend st…" Sigh…. "my friend has terrible anxiety issues, and she didn't want to ask about this doll." I produced the fox from my bags. "She saw it and loved it, so she pocketed it. I haven't got any caps, so is it okay if I trade something for it?"

Miss Ditzy knew Zulu to be a thief, so I hoped she didn't see through my story. Regardless of whether she did, she nodded, then signalled to Silver Bell.

"Watchya got for trade, Mister?"

What did I have for trade? All my medical stuff had been returned to Ellabelle. The orb? It was too valuable to give up. My Pip-Buck? I couldn't even remove it. And trading Suki was completely out of the question. I realised then that I would have to start getting into the habit of looting from random places for anything valuable. But right now…

I removed my cloak. It was valuable, that was for sure. But as much as I liked it as a fashion accessory, Its practical use was where its value came from, and though it saved me from Silver Eyes back in Fetchway, I could live without it.

I placed the cloak on the counter, then Ditzy examined it, tilting her head at it.

"Is this enough?" I smiled. I was gonna miss this cloak. Why was I trading it again? Oh yeah. For a stupid doll. This trade probably wasn't worth it. It's not like Zulu would even appreciate the sacrifice.

She smiled at me and nodded. She then went out to the back of the store. She seemed to be rushing off a little quicker than usual, though.

"Where's she off too in such a hurry?" I asked Silver Bell.

"Mommy probably thinks the cloak is more val-yuh-bull," - she pronounced the word slowly, leading me to believe Ditzy had only recently taught her the word - "than the doll, so she's probably getting something better for you."

"But I just want the doll…"

Before the filly could reply, Ditzy returned and presented some damn good quality barding on the counter top. The barding put Maamsir's second-hoof barding to shame. A sleek black finish with thick metal plates sewn into the tough material. It looked heavy, but as a piece of protective gear, it would sure as hell get the job done.

I gave the pegasus a quizzical look. All I wanted was the doll. She pointed to the ancient blackboard hung around her neck with text that read:

'Fair trade :) '

I felt an earnest smile form across my face. Zulu thought there were no honest people in the world. How ironic that he was lying to himself.

I thanked Ditzy profusely. She nodded with a goofy grin on her flakey-skined face. If I didn't know who she was, it may have looked threatening. I wondered how someone who looked like that could smile that earnestly. She must get some nasty customers with even nastier comments sometimes.

I got one last look at my cloak as the pegasus mare took the cloak out back, probably to replace the barding in front of me. It didn't matter if Zulu appreciated my sacrifice; Ditzy made sure it was a fair trade.

I placed my saddlebags on the floor and stored the fox doll in them, then retrieved the barding from the counter. I was right in assuming it was heavy. I sat on my haunches and felt the heavy weight in my fronthooves. It took me a good minute or two to equip my new barding, and I was barely able to maneuver the sleeve under my Pip-Buck, as the sleeve had a metal plate sewn in.

Looking myself over, my eyes were drawn to my flank. In my braces was that thick pane of glass, presenting my heart-apple cutie mark. An upside to me not having a cloak anymore was that I got to show off my cutie mark. I was always proud of it, though I no longer understood it now that I didn't work in the Orchard.

Steadying on, I started to move about, testing my maneuverability; I quickly found the barding was indeed heavy to wear. I was glad working in the Orchard for so many years made me stronger than the average pony, or else I might have found it quite cumbersome. At the very least, it wouldn't drain my energy all that much trying to move in it. Other than that, it was a perfect fit!

Miss Ditzy was right in calling this a fair trade, I thought, as the thick metal plates would surely stop a bullet, and maybe even stop it from hurting - if I was lucky.

I left the building after thanking Silver Bell and Ditzy again, and found Zulu next to the entrance, pawing at his collar in a futile attempt to get it off.

I placed the doll in front of him. He stopped and stared at it, then at me. "All you had to do was ask, Zulie. Just ask. And a true friend will do anything for you. As long as you don't abuse that friendship."

He held the doll, almost caressing it as he smiled slightly. He quickly shook his head, returning to a neutral expression, and quietly muttered a 'thank you', unable to face me.

Sarcastically muttering a 'You're welcome' at the same volume, I checked my Pip-Buck so I could track Ella's tag. She was moving. I called Zulu to follow, and he saddlebagged his doll as we made haste for wherever Ella was headed.

"You gave up that cloak," said Zulu as we followed the trail. "I am sure it was worth more than that barding, as well as breakfast for us all, and more."

"Maybe."

"Then why did you trade it? Those are a rarity."

"I reckon a true rarity out here is someone who gives up their things for people."

He paused for a moment, wondering what to say. "Well do not expect me to do the same for you. You are foolish, Stable Dweller. But… thank you…"

I smiled at him. I was gonna miss that cloak, but the barding was useful, and Zulu being happy with his doll made it worthwhile.

"Hey. What're friends for?"

***

Another saloon. Typical. When I entered New Appleoosa's saloon, I found all eight other members of my party sitting at a corner table. They made room for me, but only Mixen scooched over to make room for Zulu. Eight drinks were placed on the table, as well as what looked like takeaway breakfast for Zulu and myself.

Ella told me that there was good news! Apparently, a pony in the saloon overheard our group talking about going to Junction R7, and informed them they were going the same way. They were doing a job for the Barpony, delivering a shipment of alcohol to R7, and said if we'd help load up their wagon, and do some of the hauling on the way there, they'd let us use them as transport.

After breakfast, the group of us made for the back of the saloon and helped the ponies pack their wagon. Except Zulu and I. Ella suggested I stay because I shouldn't exert myself lifting stuff (I was perfectly capable, Mom!). And Mixen suggested Zulu stay here, so as to not be tempted with the alcohol. He wasn't a massive drinker, so she told me, but he would steal anything of mild or moderate value if no one was looking.

Zulu and I decided to take a seat at the bar while we waited. It wasn't as clean as Fetchway's bar, and the Barpony wasn't as chatty, but the whiskey was good, and the Barpony's radio was playing a beautiful mid-war anthem I didn't catch the name of. Something about tomorrow being a better day?

Zulu paid for a small bottle of Wild Pegasus, and bought me a shot of New Appleoosa's famous apple whiskey. I'd tried apple whiskey in the Stable from time to time - usually for celebrations - but I had to admit, this stuff was infinitely better.

Zulu took a sip straight from the bottle, then asked me an inevitable question. "When do you intend to remove this collar?"

That was a good question. When did I? When he was trustworthy, I supposed. When I got home, he would have been none of my business. But Maamsir punishing him with this collar was just as much a curse for Zulu as it was for myself. Assuming I didn't break my promise to release him when I knew he was ready, that is. Which I knew Suki would never let me break.

"When you learn to control your stealing habits," was the best answer I could provide.

"Then I am forever your slave, Stable Dweller. Even if I wanted to change, I am all of me. And neither you, nor my sister, nor a torture collar can change that."

"We've got ponies in R7 who can help you, Zulu. Counsellors. Therapists. Doctors. There are ponies who want to help. Maybe there are no honest ponies in the Wasteland like you said. But we're not from the Wasteland. Stable Two will help you, Zulu. And that's the honest truth."

"You mean the decendents of ponies who murdered zebras in a pointless war? There was a great warrior who lived not far from your Stable. He was called Macintosh. There is a memorial for him in Ponyville. That pony was praised for killing zebras, and when he met his fate, they built a statue of him. Your people did that. If he were alive today, he would kill me, and only praise would come from my demise. Even all these years later, no pony ever gave a damn about a zebra!"

"That's just stupid, Zulu. I just told you, we don't care about the past in Stable Two. And anyway, maybe if you started leaving good impressions rather than stealing for the sake of it, people would like you more. I'm sorry ponies don't like zebras. But they're not even gonna bother trying if all they know is the negative side.

"Start over, Zulu. Come to R7 with Ella and me. The ponies there don't care about what happened two hundred years ago. I'm sure they're too busy worrying about themselves right now. We just lost a lot of ponies. Ponies who never knew what hit them. Myself included. My life was fine just two months ago. And now, I'm using technology just to walk.

"But we're moving on. We're gonna be building houses, Zulu! We can live together. Starting over. In a civilisation where no one cares about the past; only the future. And you can be a part of that future. One where we help each other. As all equines- no, all creatures should."

"What you speak of is a dream, Stable Dweller. A dream which I cannot be a part of."

"Says who? To hell with what the Wasteland thinks! I want to live happily. Away from the raiders. Away from the bigots. We can live happily ever after in R7. And you can get the help you need, Zulu. After that, you won't even want to leave."

I held my hoof out in front of him. "Please. Come with me. And we can help you."

He stared at me hesitantly, a pensive look on his face. Slowly, his hoof gingerly approached mine. But before he even came close to making contact, the door behind the bar opened, with Cuff on the other side.

"Apple Junior," Cuff called, a wry smirk on her face. "Time to go. Next stop: home."

Zulu was lost in thought, but he quickly shook his head. I followed him as he started for the door, walking around the bar, and through the back door. When Zulu met Cuff, he stopped and reached into his bag, and produced what was considered a rarity in Stable Two. Not meeting her eyes, Zulu held out a pair of aviator sunglasses, complete with reflective lenses.

She held them in her magic and raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch, Klepto?"

He simply grumbled something inaudible as he made his way to the wagon behind the saloon. Cuff shrugged and equipped the glasses, an earnest smile now on her face. She turned and gave me a questioning look, but understanding that zebra was beyond my abilities.

***

Hills. Why did it have to be hills?

The trek to R7 from New Appleoosa wasn't terribly long. Only a few hours. But boy was it hard pulling a wagon full of ponies and alcohol uphill. Even with the help of three others. Apparently, lifting the alcohol was too dangerous for me, but after Ella's first round of tiring hauling, suddenly she figured I was fit enough for the hard labour.

I was tempted to play the 'paralysed card' to get out of having to take my next turn hauling the wagon, but I knew Suki would never forgive me.

During someone else's turn, I sat in the wagon with Ellabelle. I told her about the memory orb I had, and how I needed her help viewing it.

"They can only be used by unicorns, and I thought, because you know a thing or two about memory magic, you might be able to use it on me, or something?"

"Hmm. Well my magic is meant to allow me to read other ponies' memories so I can fill out incident reports. That's all I know; that's all it's needed for. But I can give it a try at least."

So I presented the silver orb to Ella. She held it in her hooves, wondering what to do with it. "So I just press it to my horn?"

Zulu chimed in. "If you hold it to your horn and focus on it, you will be dragged into the memory. Your body will go limp, and you will lose all sense of the real world as you experience the memory within."

"So just like my interrogation spell. Got you," Ella said. That description reminded me of my experience in my Mom's memory. I figured it was the same kind of magic. "So how can she drag me into it too?" I asked.

"I have no idea. I have never been in one before; it might not even be possible," Zulu replied.

One of the Security Ponies now asked: "If you've never used one, and can't use one, then why the hell did you steal one?"

Mixen called from the front of the wagon. "It's a long story. Basically, my brother is an idiot who steals for its own sake."

Zulu grumbled. "Just press it to his forehead or something. Use your initiative."

Not bothering to prepare, she did just that, and as she pressed the orb to my head, she lightly pressed her horn to the orb. Ella's purple aura emitted and formed around the orb, but nothing happened.

Nothing, except for Ella falling to the floor of the wagon.

The orb made a satisfying clinking noise as it hit the dank wooden floor, and bounced a couple times, rolling and stopping as it met a barrel full of beer. I was still in the real world. "Well that didn't work."

"Maybe not," said Zulu as we all stared at the prone Ellabelle. "Nevertheless, your friend is in. And she can speak of the events of the memory when she awakes."

As I sat Ella upright against the wall of the wagon, I asked how long that would be.

"Who knows? Some memories can go on for hours. Some, only a few minutes."

I looked at my sleeping friend. It reminded me of seeing her sleeping peacefully back in Stable Two's wagon. I was then reminded of her prone body in the Double Eff, blood pooling behind her head. I wish I could remove that memory and put it in one of those orbs, then shatter it.

"Can she feel pain in there?" I asked.

"If the host feels pain in the memory, yes. All sensations are completely recreated, save for thought."

I must have been right in assuming this was the same kind of magic from my Mom's memory. Hell, Zulu was telling me about the orbs, but I probably knew more about them than he did, seeing as I had actually used something similar. I hoped the memory she was in was more pleasant than my Mom's, though.

With nothing else to ask, and nothing else to do, we waited for Ella to come out.

No sooner than a few minutes later, we were abruptly alerted of her emerging by her cry.

"I HAD A PENIS!"

After Ella regained her sense of reality (having been in a memory before, I knew the feeling), she explained what she saw. She was an adult male pony. Silver in coat, who was talking to a 'beautiful white mare with gorgeous purple hair'. The way she said it made me think she liked her.

I immediately made the connection between Silver Eyes and Ella's host, and that pony I saw in Mom's mirror and the mare. I asked if the mare had blue eye makeup. Check. Did the stallion have a bad skin condition? No, she said, which meant this must have been a really old memory of Silver's.

"The pony you were… riding? No, that's a gross word. Well anyway, your 'host' was probably the pony who imprisoned the Security Crew - Silver Eyes."

"And what about the mare?" she asked.

"Her name is Suki. I don't know much about her, though."

"Suki? Her name is Rarity. That's what Silver Eyes called her, anyway."

"Rarity?" Mixen, who was now in the wagon with us, asked. "White fur, purple hair, blue eye makeup? That's the Ministry Mare of Image. She was responsible for propaganda during the war."

Suki, Tsukumogami, Golau, Rarity. I thought this hat wanted me to be honest! She wouldn't even tell me her real name! I seriously needed to get to R7 so I could talk to Suki… whatever it was she called herself… again.

"Heh. Wasn't Suki the name you have to your beloved hat, AB?" Ella grinned at me evilly.

Not in front of everyone, Ella! "Hah. It's a long story," I blushed. Quick to change the subject, I asked what Silver and 'Rarity' were doing in the memory.

"Well they were talking about some kind of magic I'm not familiar with. Something to do with ponies' souls. They talked a lot, so it was hard to keep track of everything, and I don't remember much, but I think it had something to do with putting souls in objects? Do any of you know of any magic like that?"

No one spoke. I was confident Suki could answer when we got to R7. But my bigger concern right now was actually getting home. Finally, we'd meet up with Brandy again!

"I am sure an answer will present itself eventually," Zulu said, sounding like he didn't really care. "But for now," he grabbed the orb that was sitting next to the barrel. "I will be taking back what is mine."

"That memory belongs to Silver," said Ellabelle. "It was literally his personal experience of an event. How much more 'his' could it possibly be?"

"I do not care," he said. "I stole it, and now it is mine. Considering I paid for everyone's food, everyone's housing, and I gave Applebuck a stealth cloak, which he threw away for armour he does not need, I think the least that can be done for me is to let me keep the useless orb?"

"If it's so useless, why do you want it so much?" Ella challenged.

He didn't respond outside of a pout and a look in the other direction. I decided he could keep it. He did make a fair argument.

Soon, we mercifully reached a flat area. I was now towing the wagon again. A while back, we found a set of train tracks pointing in the same direction of R7. My Pip-Buck told me our destination was nearby, only about a ten minute trot.

Overhead, I spotted a figure high in the sky. A pegasus? A moment later, it then dived towards us. Worried, I readied Twinkle and warned the others. After another moment, its dive turned into a more casual flight towards us, and I was able to identify the creature. It wasn't a pegasus. And it wasn't a winged pebra. It was a gryphon.

"Hoi! You lot from New Appleoosa?"

"Gawdina, Ma'am!" said one of the Saloon Ponies next to me, and the wagon came to a stop. "We are! And we've brought more Stable Dwellers!"

She swooped in, hovering near us as she eyed the pony. "Got the booze?"

"Got the caps?"

She smirked. It created an uneasy look, as a horrid scar stretched along her beak, reaching her eye. "Caps are back at R7. Just a short walk that way," she pointed a talon towards the location on my Pip-Buck.

"Thought the other half were staying at the Stable for now?"

"Beats the hell out of me. Ask 'em."

Gawdina swooped closer. "Stable Dwellers - who's in charge?" I was ready to point to one of the Security Ponies - any at random - but Ella already pointed to me.

"You there, with the hat." Gawdina pointed at me. "The Overmare told me no more Stable Dwellers were on their way. Why then, are there Stable Dwellers on their way?"

"Um, Hi? I'm Applebuck. Ella, over there, and I were on the first convoy. We fell off the wagon and are just making our way here."

She looked at one of the Security Ponies, then her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Security Ponies. The Overmare said a few of you were missing in action." She looked to me. "Nice job, Applebuck. Your Overmare will be very pleased to see you've found them. She's incredibly stressed right now."

"I should imagine," said Ella. "She's single hoofedly leading a whole new settlement, directing its creation from practically nothing."

"Hah!" Gawdina laughed. "All by herself? I don't think so. And what'dya mean 'from nothing'? R7 is my turf. And if you wanna share it with me, I expect the proper respect, Stable Dweller."

"Wait, wait, wait," said Cuff. "Gawdina. As in Gawd? The gryphon the Overmare told us about? Leader of the Talons?"

She did a mid-flight bow. "At your service, Security Mare." She chuckled.

With introductions out of the way, Gawd then travelled by us as we strolled ever closer to R7. Home was a stone's throw away, now. Almost there!

***

As we strolled through Junction R7, it was clear that only a day and a half was put into building it. Many buildings were in foundation stages, and only a hoofull seemed mostly complete. As though it were a top priority, the town saloon was the only building that looked to be completed already. Go figure.

The wagon pulled up to the back side of the saloon. I was the first pony to jump off the wagon; and I had to bend my knees because of my newly added weight. I had two ponies I needed to find; and helping unpack the alcohol like we had promised didn't even cross my mind as I all but ran to the front side of the saloon, checking there first for my family.

As I stepped through the unpainted doors, the average pony would notice how the interior of the saloon was incomplete. The walls were unpainted, the wood was unsanded, there were only a few hoofmade stools sitting at the bar. But what I noticed was one particular pony sitting at the bar with a pint of beer, sitting next to the mare I saw Velvet Remedy slap all that time ago.

"Dad!"

I saw his head lift up as his ear twitched. His head turned, and the moment he saw me he quickly started for me. As he got off his stool he seemed to hesitate as he saw me standing, but very quickly he shook his head and all but ran at me, embracing me in a hug that put Ella's near back-breaking hug to shame.

"What the hell are you doing here? You were supposed to be on the first convoy. The second one can't be here already, can it?"

We departed from our hug as we conversed. "It's one hell of a long story, Dad."

He looked me up with a strange look on his face, spending more time looking at my legs than anything. "Bucko… your legs…"

"Are still fucked, pardon my Prench. But I met a gryphon who patched me up."

My Dad looked perplexed. So he invited me to sit at the bar, ordering a small beer for me (I wasn't a kid anymore, Dad! I could have a pint!), and taking a swig of his drink.

Smiling, he gestured to the mare sitting next to him. "Bucko, this is Inebria. Bria, this is my boy, Applebuck."

"Wooh, that's him? He's quite the looker, just like his father," she smirked at him and nudged his shoulder. Inebria was blatantly drunk; 'a few too many' would be a bit of an understatement. "So this is the Mechanic Pony? Just like my Littlepip used to be?"

"Technician, technically," I chuckled, trying not to sound rude. "You're Littlepip's mom?"

"Thaaat's me!" she cheered, holding her beer mug to her chest in pride, splashing a bit of beer onto her dull lavender coat. "Mother of the mare who saved the Stable, so they tell me." She hiccuped.

The mother of Littlepip. I had a galore of questions to ask about her daughter. Questions I felt a little too awkward asking Buck, as we thought she was dead at the time.

Unfortunately, no sooner than my drink arriving did Cuff catch up with us.

"Applegreen, sir!" she smiled, making her way to us and nodding at Bria and I. As Dad and Cuff hoof bumped, she asked: "Where's Brandy, sir? And Raze and Edge?"

"Raze and Edge are helping build the hospital."

"What about Brandy?" Cuff and I asked in stereo.

He furrowed his brow. "He's not with you?"

We shared a look. "We thought he was with you?" she said.

He wasn't here? So… where the hell was he?!

"Dad, Brandy was with you, wasn't he?"

"Brandyyy," Inebria mused. "That was the Doctor Pony? Hey, Barmare, we got any apple Brandy out back?"

"Quiet, Bria," my Dad said as politely as he could. "Cuff - what the hell's going on? Recall everything that happened after those ponies attacked us."

Cuff studered a bit, recalling the events. "We got separated, sir. And the others and I were taken by those Surface Ponies. Applebuck and a friend of his rescued us."

He looked at me almost in wonder. "You saved them? How?"

"Ella and I fell out of the wagon on our way here. Ella hit her head badly, but a gryphon found us and asked me to do a job while Ella recovered. They gave me new legs and sent me to take back something someone stole from them. It was just a coincidence that Cuff and the others were taken to the same place."

"I call it fate," said Cuff.

"Well anyway," I said. "We escaped, got Ella back, then made our way here. If Brandy isn't with either of you, then…"

"He's still in the forest!" Cuff finished.

I was starting to panic. Petal would have told me if she met another Stable Dweller. Maamsir too. And Silver would have locked him up with the others. That meant he was either starving in the Double Eff, or was the dinner of a pack of brewster wolves! "Cuff, we need to go back! He's dying, or already dead! We can't wait another second!"

"Bucko, Bucko." Dad placed his hooves on my shoulders. "Cool it. Take a deep breath, and think. We'll find him."

Calming down was at the bottom of my list of things to do. Number one was finding Brandy. But I saw the concern in Dad's eyes. Slowly, I closed my eyes and normalised my breathing. Calm.

I sighed. "Okay. What do we do?"

"Applegreen!"

We all looked to the front entrance of the saloon, where Ellabelle called my Dad's name. Standing by her was Zulu and Mixen, shortly followed by the Security Crew.

"AB," Ella said as she approached us, a wide smile on her face. "Where's Brandy? Did he get the job of Sheriff like he wanted?"

Dad called everyone over. As the highest ranking Security Pony in the room, he knew it was his responsibility to inform of the bad news. Being the closest pony to Brandy, I refused to believe what Dad was implying.

Over the next ten minutes, everyone was caught up with the events of the past few days. Two days before Ella and I left Stable Two, the Security Crew were surprise-attacked by what seemed to be a small group of raiders. The Crew seemed to be winning, so said Cuff, but a new group of ponies heard the ruckus. They shot the raiders and abducted six of the Crew. Cuff claimed she saw Brandy escape with Dad and two others, but Dad claimed Brandy was never with him.

Brandy's last known location was the Double Eff.

Satisfied with this information, I promptly left my seat.

"Where are you going?" Dad asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" I replied.

Mixen put her hoof on my shoulder. "Bucky, that was three days ago. Even if he's alive, he'll be miles away by now. You have no leads."

"I don't care, Mix. I'm going. And I know Brandy would have done the same for me."

"No, he wouldn't." Daid said harshly. "Brandy would have followed his orders. That's why he's such a good Security Buck. He puts safety before emotions. But your emotions have always clouded your judgement, Bucko."

"What's so wrong with that? I'm only equine. If my emotions can save Brandy, then I don't care about putting safety first."

"Well you're my son. You're my responsibility if you're unsafe. And if you're unsafe, I want you here."

"Well then I don't care what you want! I can look after myself! I saved the Security Crew, pretty much all by myself! And I saved Zulu! And I didn't even have to kill anyone to do it! See this gun?" - I presented my frontleg - "I haven't even fired it once. And the other gun Maamsir gave me was fired twice, and missed twice. 'Unsafe'? I couldn't shoot a pony who was running straight at me!"

"It's not about other ponies' safety, Bucko. You got lucky. And you didn't do it alone. If you want me to help you find Brandy, I'll do it. But right now, we have a job to do."

"And what's that? Build a town because some selfish bitch decided to take a walk?"

A few gasps and plenty of murmurs sprung from my comment.

"The Overmare told us not to blame Velvet for leaving. That was her choice," Dad warned.

"Yeah, and look where that got us! Confusion, chaos, and drawing those Monsters to our home! I was dragged out of the job I loved, then paralysed because of her! I don't care what the Overmare thinks! If Velvet had just shut up and lived like the rest of us, none of this would have happened! We'd be happy in our Stable!"

"Happy? Bucko, you haven't been happy in months. Distracted, that's all Loveberry ever describes you as. You're distracted. You hated working in that Orchard because it lost meaning to you after Brandy left. It was never about the Orchard. It was about him. And you were offered a job in Security, but you threw it away. Why? Because you can't accept change? Well now change is here, Bucko. And Brandy isn't. Maybe he would be if you had joined Security like your Mother and I wanted for years."

"No! She didn't want that. You did!" Tears were now forming in my eyes at the mention of Mom. "I just wanted to live happily after she died. But everything started changing!"

Dad cleared his expression and looked at me calmly, solemnly. "Bucko. If change never comes, how are we supposed to advance as people?"

I stared at him, tears now flowing down my cheeks. Everyone was looking at me. I couldn't take it, so I simply ran out of the saloon to anywhere I could be alone.

***

I sat alone on a hilltop near R7. I stared at the soon-to-be town. Town, home. Call it whatever you like. It was nothing to me if I couldn't live in it with Brandy. I turned away, now staring into the horizon. I still got an uneasy feeling in my gut from looking at the sky. I wished I could see the sun though.

"You're supposed to be honest, right Suki? Well, you made a promise. No matter how hollow this victory feels, I still got home. Now please, talk to me."

"I only said I'd consider it when we got here. You're still not ready, AB."

"I don't care about being ready anymore. I wouldn't mind if I lived the rest of my life here, not knowing the truth about you, if I could live here with Brandy."

"Nevertheless, Silver will come looking for you. Eventually, you will have to confront him."

"No. He wants two things. That orb, and you. He doesn't care about me. He said I was useless once he was done with you. As cruel as it sounds, I think I would trade you right now if Silver told me where to find Brandy. That's the honest truth."

"Then he will kill me."

"Why would he kill you? He needs you. So what does he want with you?"

"Silver wants his freedom. Tywyll is the one who wants me."

"And Tywyll is?"

"My brother. Well, was my brother. It's hard to tell; I don't really know who I am anymore."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She chuckled. "No, probably not. Tywyll wants my power so he can restore himself."

"What's wrong with him?"

"The same thing that's wrong with me. He's a soul trapped in an object. No body, but alive nonetheless. If Silver gets his hooves on me, he'll rip me from this hat and absorb my magic to fix his master."

"Why didn't he do that earlier? You were right there. Sitting on his head."

"He can't do it just anywhere. He needs to do it… well… it's a long story, dear, but it suffices to say he needs to prepare for a long journey. "

"So, if I get my hooves on Tywyll, can I restore you instead?"

"Of course. But that's not my goal. I'm done being Golau. But he's not done being Tywyll. I'm content with being your guide, and your friend. I don't need legs and a body for that, dear."

"Thank you, Suki. I'm sorry if I ever lose my temper with you. You don't make it easy though.

She chuckled again. "No, I suppose I don't. But patience, Applebuck, darling. You'll know in due time. But right now, someone's coming."

"Bucko," I heard my Dad call.

I turned back to R7, where my Dad was just reaching the top of the hill.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said, Bucko. I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your friends, but it just got…"

"I know. I'm sorry too. I'm just… angry, and…"

"Scared?"

I nodded. My Dad took a seat next to me, placing a hoof over my shoulder.

"You think any of us aren't scared right now? The Overmare is in tears over her stress right now. Have you noticed there aren't as many ponies here as there should be?"

I looked at the soon-to-be town. The ponies there were working their asses off, building houses, a hospital, and every other building needed for a healthy settlement. Countless ponies, but not nearly as many as were in the Atrium when the Overmare told us we'd be leaving.

"Well where is everyone?" I asked.

"There's been a change of plan. Originally, the five wagons that should have brought you and Ella here were gonna go right back to get the second half of the Stable, as well as the water talisman. But the Overmare overestimated the size and resources of R7. So they're staying put for a while while the first half builds a town to live in.

"The Overmare, bless her. She's up to her neck in it trying to organise everything. It's only been a day and a half, but I doubt she's taken a second to rest."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

He smiled. "That's just it, Bucko. Do you stay here and help, or do you look for Brandy?"

"What happens to everyone here if I leave?"

"Probably nothing. I can probably come with you, but Ella will have to stay. A Doctor is too important to lose right now. But you seem to have made friends already, eh? A zebra and a pebra? And a gryphon cyborg? We should have left the Stable years ago. It's done wonders for your social life."

"But Brandy's not in it. And I'm gonna fix that as soon as possible."

Dad smiled again, looking into my eyes. I couldn't tell what he was doing; it was unlike me to be unable to read him like this.

"You've got the same stubbornness your mother had. Must run in the family."

I smiled with him now. "I sure hope so. Or else we'll never get anything done."

Dad ruffled my mane. "What's that supposed to mean, you little rascal?"

We shared a short moment of laughter, and I felt my spirits lifted higher than they had in a long time. No sooner though, did we catch sight of Zulu walking up the hill to us.

"What's his name again?" Dad whispered to me.

"Zulu. His sister's name is Mixen."

Zulu spoke as he made it to the top. "I have been tol-" he stopped when he saw my Dad. "Oh, my apologies. Should I return later?"

"No, it's fine Zulu. I'm okay now. I just needed to get out of there. How did you find me?"

"My Sister spotted you up here." Zulu held out a hoof to my Dad. He shook it, and gave him a quick bromance hug, but I knew Zulu wasn't as polite as that. Once he sat down near us, I placed my hoof under his cloak and removed the baton he had just skillfully swiped from my Dad.

"Woah…" my Dad gasped as he checked his baton holster. He looked rather impressed with Zulu.

As I hoofed the baton back to Dad, Zulu gingerly spoke to me. "Um, the reason I came here. My sister suggested that I help you find your friend."

I smiled. "That's very sweet of you, Zulu. But I doubt you can help much."

"But I can. I know someone who might be able to help. But she does not like strangers. It took me a long time before she was able to trust me. I would not wager her to be happy with me bringing strays to her den, so if you want my help, I am afraid it will be only you with me, Stable Dweller."

"He has a name, you know?" My Dad said, slightly irritated. Though I was beyond questioning zebra behaviour at this point, so I simply asked him who this friend of his was.

Once he told me, I knew at least Ella wouldn't be joining us, even if she had a choice.

She hated bugs.

9 - Octapedal Equines

Chapter 9: Octopedal Equines

We all spent the rest of our day in R7, helping construct all manner of buildings in support of the new settlement. Ella, Dad, Zulu and I were helping to build the hospital, a couple hours after midday.

It was a relatively hot summer's day - as hot as the pegasi's cloud layer permitted at least - so I was working without my heavy barding, working in the nude, save for my braces and hat. Without a word, Zulu decided to leave, heading for one of the construction site's several water kegs. It had been a couple hours' hard work, so I thought nothing more of it. Ella, though, was watching him, like an angry mother suspicious about their child; she still didn't trust him, despite the collar, and my telling her he wouldn't hurt her.

Zulu returned with three flasks of water, and hoofed Ella and I one each. I thanked him, but Ella stared into the open flask, examining it as though she thought it were poisoned. Without a word, though, she sipped, staring into him as she did.

"So, you think a spider can help find Brandy for us?" she challenged Zulu after she had finished.

"Queen Octan respects me. I am confident she will help."

Ella made a judgy-looking face. "So it takes a creepy crawly to respect you. Not surprising," she said, a little too bitchily for my liking.

Zulu sighed, looking towards me with distaste, as if Ella's bitchiness was my fault. "I was told Stable Ponies would judge me for my actions, not my stripes."

"This has nothing to do with stripes, you moron," she said. "You nearly got me killed!"

"Look," I interrupted. "that's in the past now. If Zulu does something bad, I can just get him with the collar. That was the deal, right?" I now challenged Ellabelle. Forgiveness was a virtue. Just as much as Repentance.

"I don't care about a stupid collar, AB. It's him," she pointed accusingly at Zulu. "I understand you feel safe around him, but I don't."

"You think I feel safe just because there's a piece of leather around his neck? He's already tried to kill me, like, twice since the schoolhouse."

"Yeah, then he kissed you," she spat. "He has a soft spot for you, AB. But I wanna stay as far away from him as possible. I don't think you understand how awful being dragged into that treehouse felt. Paralysed. Being told I was gonna be taken away. We barely escaped with our lives. That was on him. I don't want anything to do with him."

"As I said," Zulu spoke up. "you cannot come with us either way. We will be gone soon, and you won't be with us."

"And where exactly are you going?" she challenged again.

"I think south-west of here," he said. "I will have to check a map before we leave, but the Cave must only be little more than a couple hours' trot from here."

"Is it safe?"

"Is anywhere?"

"Is it safe?"

"Of course not. If it were not for me, they would capture Applebuck as soon as they saw him. They would then drain his life essence and share it with the colony. And if that does not happen, the radiation will slowly sicken him."

"Your home is radioactive?!" We asked in stereo, amazed at his not being dead right now.

He sighed. "You will see."

"I don't think so," said Ella. "If that place is dangerous, AB is staying here. You go on your own, and bring back this Tracker of yours."

He smirked. "Alright then. I will leave for the Cave, and will return with our Tracker."

"Oh nice try. Then you hide in the Cave forever and never come back."

"I am a zebra. Not an ursa-major."

I sat between the two. I feared this would either end in a hoof fight, or angry kissing. Unfortunately, I knew it would be the former. "Fighting is getting us nowhere. Zulu - can you bring me to a Tracker?" He nodded. "Ella - can you look after people in this hospital when it's done?" She nodded. "Good, then that's what's gonna happen. Got it?" Reluctantly, they both nodded.

"Then we'll leave tomorrow morning, Zulu. The sooner we find Brandy, the sooner we can come back here. If, by some miracle, you can prove to me that you're worthy of being set free, I'll make it so. Until then, you stick by my side, and if I find you've stolen anything, you get the collar. As Maamsir says: capisce?"

Not meeting my gaze, he reluctantly nodded. I turned to Ella, and spoke more calmly. "Look, I just want him back. Dad was right. I wasn't happy in the Orchard. I just wanted Brandy. So I'm gonna do everything I can do to get him back."

She sighed. "Please do. And if it's at all possible, try to bring back more resources for R7. Maybe Zulu's thieving might come in handy that way. We could use as many resources as possible."

I nodded. "I promise. And don't send anyone to get me if I don't come back. If I'm not back in a year or something… well…"

"Well you better get your ass back here." She smiled. "No more Brandy. No more AB. My only friend will be your Dad! That's just weird."

We both laughed. It was a lovely little moment for us, one I didn't realise I had been desperately craving. Friendship. And I was willingly walking away from it to rescue another friend. Very quickly our laughter was cut off by a sound I dreaded ever hearing again.

"Applebuck!"

I winced, remembering that final day I spent in the Orchard. Like on that final day, once again Loveberry chided me for being distracted at work as everyone but her worked hard to build the hospital. Zulu Ella and I carried on working, praying not to get a verbal beating from her.

I supposed I had sort of come full circle. Where once I was working for Loveberry, now I was working for Loveberry. Again. But the circle wasn't complete yet. It would never be complete until Brandy was brought back home.

And mark my words: I would bring him home.

***

That night, myself and the others were spending the night at the same place most of the Stable was: a shelter, using sleeping bags, mattresses, or even just a blanket and some old hay if you were unlucky enough, for sleeping in.

Most of my friends were asleep, but I knew from the night before that Zulu wasn't asleep yet.

"Who's Queen Otctan?" I quietly asked from beside him.

No response.

"Nice try, but I know what you sound like when you sleep. Spill it."

He sighed. "She is the Queen of the spider-ponies."

"Oh? They're ponies now, too?"

"The spider-ponies are a race as old as the Wasteland. They were bred from the radiation. And they come in all manner of shapes and sizes. The Queen is the tallest and most powerful. Others are small, others are thin, others are fat. Some are black, some are brown, some are white, and so on. Our Tracker is on the small side, and resembles more so a large spider than a spider-pony."

"Okay, so what about the radiation? Won't that kill us?"

"It will kill you, yes. But only after prolonged exposure. You will feel rad-sickness far sooner. The spiders partly feed off of the radiation, though physical food is far more nutritious for them. Also, they have a special venom in their fangs that acts as Rad-Away. Prolonged exposure to that will result in a natural resistance to radiation. Though even I must take the anti-rad venom when exposed to the Cave for so long."

"So all I have to do is get bitten by a radioactive spider and I'll have the rad-resistant powers of one?"

"No you fool. It would take years, as it has for me. The venom's effect on you will be very temporary."

Oh. I was kinda hoping I could get super powers for a second there.

"Are there any other non-spiders in the Cave?" I asked.

"None."

"Then why do they trust you?"

He didn't respond for a moment. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Hey, you used a verbal contraction!" I said a bit too loudly, and immediately covered my mouth.

"A verbal what?"

"You know, 'I've' instead of 'I have', or 'can't' instead of 'cannot'. I've never heard you use one before. And come to think of it, I don't think I've ever even heard you use my name until today, back in the wagon. Why is that?"

No response.

I tried a few more times, but he never replied to anything I had to ask for the rest of the night.

***

The next morning, there was no time for dallying. Everyone was up bright and (fairly) early, so they could get to working on the town ASAP. My friends didn't go to work though. They were busy saying goodbye to Zulu and I.

Junction R7 had several boxcars for a few residents to stay in that came from an old rusted train. The train itself however, served as a barricade at the entrance of the soon-to-be town, where myself and Zulu were facing Dad, Ellabelle, and Mixen, ready to say goodbye to us for the foreseeable future.

Dad and Ella were hugging me tightly. They knew where I was going was dangerous, but they couldn't convince me to stay.

"Bucko, please," my Dad said as we departed our hug. "If I can't stop you, at least let me come with you. We can look out for each other. Tackling the Wasteland as father and son."

I smiled at him. "I'd love that, Dad. But I'm doing this with Zulu. Your place is here. And my place is nowhere without Brandy. I promise, we'll be back ASAP."

He sighed, hugging me again. "I understand why you need to do this. But if there's any doubt that you're getting yourself into a situation you might not walk away from, don't hesitate to bail. There's no shame in that."

"I'm not coming back without him, Dad."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

We departed our embrace, and I got one more look at my Dad, then Ella, the closest thing to a sister to me.

"Don't do anything stupid, stupid," she smirked at me.

"Hah. No promises, Ell."

"Yeah, well promise that you'll bail if things get ugly," she said with a bit more seriousness.

I sighed. I really didn't want to make that promise. I already danced around it with Dad. Maybe she knew I would only agree if I physically said I would, not being one to lie. Reluctantly, I agreed. No going back now.

I looked to Zulu and Mixen, who was holding his shoulders and counselling him. I could tell she was worried. She looked more like his mother than his sister right now. I made a promise the other day that I'd protect him, as well as myself from him. As I saw the worry in her face, despite his blatant lack of care for it, I knew I still had to stick by that promise.

So Zulu and I left Junction R7, determined to survive the trip. But I had a somber feeling in my heart. My mission may already have been over if Brandy was already dead. No! I had to stay optimistic. At the very least, Zulu was going home, and I was about to experience that, as well as get a helping hoof from the people he called his own. High hopes may not have been with me, but my perseverance carried me regardless.

I knew that by the end of it, whether it be in a week, in a month, or in a decade, I would walk this trail again. Only this time, with a purple earth pony by my side as we walked home. Many things may get in my way, but nothing would stop me. Nothing.

***

Fetchway rejected Zulu because he was a menace to their society. A thief who you could never feel safe around, constantly thinking about ways to swindle you.

But there's a home for everyone somewhere. And if there's a home, there's a people.

Zulu was leading me south towards his home. Mixen claimed she would be staying at R7 for a couple more days, putting her wings to use and lending a hoof or two, then she'd return to Fetchway. Zulu and I, on the other hoof, were walking along the bank of a fast flowing river. It looked surprisingly clean compared to most other water sources I'd seen in the Wastes up to this point, though it was still too muddy to tell how deep it was.

After lying perpendicular on the bank and dipping my forehoof in it, feeling the cool water flowing quickly around my hoof, my Pip-Buck alerted me that the river was slightly irradiated. I may still have been a bit smelly due to all that manual labour yesterday, but I wasn't desperate enough to have a bath in a river that could replace my legs with cancerous tentacles.

And like most Stable Dwellers, my ability to swim was non-existent. And being practically encased in metal didn't help one bit.

I noticed Zulu hadn't stopped to wait for me, and was further ahead of me than I'd liked, so I stood up and started for him. My hindhoof suddenly fell as the edge of the bank gave way where my hoof stood, and with a yelp, I barely managed to get a grip on the edge with my fronthooves as my midsection fell into the river. Grip or no grip, I was a heavy pony, and my weight was quickly causing my grip to loosen.

"Zulu! Help!"

He turned his head and quickly ran back to me, but his run turned to a canter, then to a light stroll.

"Hurry! I can't hold on!"

He gradually pranced up to me, a shit-eating smirk on his face. His smirk didn't waver as he lied down in front of me.

"Need a hoof?"

"Please!"

"Hmm… no." His smirk somehow stretched further. His hooves shuffled forwards, touching mine. "With you out of the way, they'll never know where to look for me. Freedom is now within my grasp."

His hooves pushed mine slightly. "Wait, Zulu. What about my Dad? He needs me!"

His hooves pushed further still. Very quickly my grip was losing. I tried to push up the bank with my hindlegs, but it only caused my fronthooves to completely lose traction. Instinctively, my fronthooves released and took a hold of Zulu's. Down I went into the river, with the zebra still attached to my hooves, his arrogant smirk shifting to shock in a nanosecond.

The water was cold, which was the first place my mind went as I was submerged. Unfortunately, my quickly sinking to the bottom immediately made my mind panic, as it was far deeper than I first thought. I pulled Zulu into an embrace as he struggled furiously to get to the surface, but I wouldn't allow that. I held on tight, and as my metal-covered hooves hit the river-floor, I found the river was about as deep as four ponies standing on top of each other. Three ponies taller than I had liked.

Zulu got desperate, and took a hold of one of my frontlegs and bit down hard on it. I gave a sharp yelp before I covered my mouth, chiding myself for wasting my precious air. Unfortunately, this distraction was just what Zulu needed to escape my grip and make his way to the surface.

Plans of escape raced through my head as I fell to my back. If I removed my armoured barding, legs and horseshoes, I'd probably float, at least a bit, but I wouldn't be able to use my hindlegs to stay afloat. And that's ignoring the fact that I'd then be unable to walk if I ever got out of the river.

In terms of plans of escape, that's all I could manage before I started to struggle with my lack of oxygen.

"Reach out, dear."

for what?

"Please. Just do it."

My lungs were in agony now. It was all I could do to hold out my hoof - weighted with the metal of my armoured barding, my Pip-Buck, and my horseshoe - and calm my mind enough to reach out.

Mind. Spirit. Body. But all of it was dying. All in pain. All starved of oxygen. But I could never give up. Dad was right. I was stubborn, like my Mom. And if I had even a fraction of her true stubbornness, there wasn't even a 1% chance that I wasn't going to save myself.

I reached out, my mind focusing on nothing in particular. Before, I had an object to focus on - Mixen's bolt cutters. But now, I was blind. Too panicked to think to open my eyes. I felt that same strain I had felt when the cutters were in my magical grasp, and after an agonisingly long moment, Suki told me to open my eyes.

At the same time, my hoof touched something. When I opened my eyes, a long tree trunk, held in front of me by my magic, was set before me. I held my other hoof to it, pinning it between my hooves, and released my magic.

Up I went, feeling the slightly muddy water rushing past me, and within seconds I was on the surface, exhaling and taking a deep lungful of air as I held on for dear life to the tree trunk as it drifted through the river. After a few moments, my mind started to calm down, drinking in oxygen like Dad drinking in gin on a saturday night.

Down the river I rode with my tree trunk, but gazing about, I found Zulu was nowhere in sight. I thought about saying the Z-word to keep him in place, but realised that might get him killed. A cruel part of me was okay with that. He was perfectly okay with murdering me a moment ago. He was clearly enjoying it, actually.

I rode the river for a while longer, and very soon, I found some good news. Or bad, perhaps. Near the bank of the river, I saw Zulu holding on for dear life to a tree branch, only it was still attached to a dead and blackened 'tree' on the edge of the bank. He was in a terrible position. The branch wasn't quite close enough for him to climb to the bank, and the river was too strong for him to swim to shore if he let go.

As my tree trunk approached, he caught sight of me, and fear was in his eyes. Whether he lived or died was very much up to me now. If I were Ella, I'd probably just drift right past him, like any other apple bobbing down a river.

But I wasn't Ella.

I concentrated on using my magic to create little bursts of magic that propelled me towards the bank slightly. It wasn't easy, and focusing on my Mind, Spirit and Body was very hard with the noise of the river raging in my ears, but progress was being made. All I needed was time. Which was very quickly running out.

Zulu was about a meter in front of the tree trunk, but about two meters to the side of it. One meter later, he was just a few inches out of reach as I passed him. He let go of the branch and I barely managed to grab a hold of his hoof before I drifted past him, traveling far too quickly for him to ever catch up.

As he held tightly to the tree trunk, I gave him all of five seconds to catch his breath before I unleashed my wrath.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" I shoved him for further emphasis. "I have a family waiting for me back home! You wanna explain to my Dad why his only son miraculously drowned?"

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not!" I stared at him. He wouldn't meet my eyes, simply staring down, at least having the decency to look ashamed. I doubted he actually was, though. "My life is important to others, Zulu. You may not like me, but this isn't about me. Did my Dad do anything to you? Or Ella? Do they deserve this? No! So suck it up and get me to where we need to go."

"The location is marked on your Pip-"

"It doesn't matter! I'm stuck with you either way because of Maamsir! I promised I'd take off that collar when you were ready. You're not!"

"What? It does not matter! Remove it and I will be gone, and you will never be in danger of me again! You lose nothing! Just remove it, you idiot."

"No. I made a promise. And unlike you, I'm not a liar. Thief." I practically spat the word out. "This is why no one trusts you, Zulu. Because when they do, you betray them. You want ponies to accept you? Then start acting like someone they want to trust."

"I never said I wanted to be accepted, idiot."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to set me free!"

"Not until you're a better person. That was the deal. Maybe if you didn't steal in the first place, you wouldn't be in this situation."

"Well I will be out of it soon enough. You will see."

"Yeah, we'll see about that, thief."

With no further comments to make, we drifted in silence thereafter. Luckily for us, the river flowed roughly in the direction we needed to go, so we stayed on the trunk for a while, as cold as we felt.

I checked my Pip-Buck for the location of the Cave. We would have to get out of the river soon if we didn't want to end up in the middle of nowhere. More than we already were, at least.

"Tell me about these spider-ponies." I was beyond asking Zulu with a formal 'please' at the moment. He wasn't my favourite person right now.

"I already described them to you."

"I mean what are they like? If they don't like outsiders, will they like me?"

"As long as you are with me, they will not kill you unless I tell them to."

"And if you do, I'll say the Z-word."

"Fine with me. A few moments is all you will have before the only sound escaping your mouth will be screaming, as they implant their eggs in your less meaty areas, and take your more edible areas for the colony to feed on. Our Tracker is particularly fond of equine eyeballs."

He smirked as I glared at him. Shaking my head, I told him we needed to get out of the river. Promptly, I tried to get on top of the tree trunk, only to find attempting so only caused the trunk to turn, nearly dumping Zulu and I in the river.

"Any idea how we're gonna get off?" I asked.

"You have telekinesis magic. Just lift us to the bank," Zulu suggested, as if lifting him was as easy for me as it was for his sister.

"It doesn't work like that. I can drag a small object across the floor, but I've never lifted a person before."

"You blasted me into a wall," he stated flatly.

"I was panicked. I can't just lift something that heavy on command; I need to be… energised? I guess? I need to feel strong emotions."

"You're a stupid mud-pony with a disgusting green coat, and your Dad has pink hair."

"Gee, thanks. Now I feel insulted. But not emotional."

Zulu held his hoof in front of my face, waving it from side to side slowly. Very abruptly, he smacked me hard on the nose.

"Ow! What wa-"

He cut me off with a slap across my cheek.

I then realised he was trying to get me angry. It was working. Hoping to seize the opportunity to use my magic, I thought about trying to send Zulu flying, but I knew I'd probably hurt him at this range. His hoof kept striking me, progressively harder, and in my conflicted frustration, I slammed my hoof into the water, causing a small magical blast to splash water in every direction. Very pretty, but very useless.

Smack.

My agitation started to turn to anger as my temper started getting the better of me.

Smack.

I stared into the eyes of the zebra smacking my face as I felt the stinging linger, reddening my cheeks

Smack.

His crimson red eyes reminded me of Silver Eyes' crimson red magic.

Smack.

The enemy. My enemy. The pony after Suki and her magic.

Smack.

Silver was a liar. I refused to believe what he had told me about saving Suki.

Smack.

He was manipulating me! Trying to get to Suki through me!

Smack.

Those crimson eyes - they belonged to the zebra who nearly got my friends killed.

Smack.

Ella hated Zulu for what he did to her and Brandy.

Smack.

And you know what?

Smack.

So did I!

My face scrunched up in anger as I yelled and slammed a hoof down on the tree trunk. Blue light bathed us as the trunk split and splintered, and the recoil projected me upwards, landing me hard on the bank of the river.

I stood up wearily, shaking myself off. I was still pretty miffed, and more than a little frustrated, and the realisation that I would now be walking around in wet barding all day only made things worse. But the release from the exertion felt great, if a little painful.

I saw Zulu struggling to stay afloat in the rough water - the remains of the trunk out of his reach as he drifted down the river. Entirely at my mercy. The only thing standing between him and drowning being my choice to save him.

Hmm...

"Don't you dare," Suki warned.

I sighed. I didn't need to be warned. As annoyed as I was at him, I was never gonna leave Zulu to whatever fate would await him at the end of that river. Murder was not a level I was going to stoop to out here.

I started along the riverbank, making sure to keep a safe distance so as to not risk falling in again, and caught up with Zulu. As I cantered along, I asked Suki if she had any ideas on how to get him to shore, to which she told me to run further up ahead, then lie down on my stomach.

After doing just that, I asked what next. "Close your eyes. Calm yourself and your breathing. Reach out again. You can do it."

"Lift a whole zebra!? You must be joking. I could barely drag a pair of bolt cutters the other day."

"But just a few moments ago you held a huge tree trunk under water. That's no easy feat, darling. Stop seeing Zulu as a zebra, and start seeing him as a tiny, lightweight rock. And hurry! Time's running out, dear."

Zulu was catching up quickly. How was I supposed to imagine him as a rock? I hadn't even seen a real life rock until just recently! But time was quickly running out, so I shut up and closed my eyes. I held out my hoof, focusing.

Mind, Spirit, Body. Mind, Spirit, Body. Mind, Spirit, Body. This became my mantra as I tried to connect myself to just those three things in order to use my magic. I eventually felt like my Mind, Spirit and Body was connected to Zulu, as well as myself - as though we shared a body, or maybe even a soul. And without even opening my eyes, I knew in my heart and soul exactly where Zulu was in that river.

Locking onto him, I engulfed Zulu in my magic, and created an upward lift, though it wasn't quite strong enough to elevate him.

Logically speaking, weight is equal to the mass of an object multiplied by the local gravitational field. If we remove gravity from the equation, all we have is Zulu's mass, which will be easy to move, as it will become weightless without gravity. In order to remove gravity, we need to counter Zulu's weight, which means all I need to do is-

"For Celestia's sake, Applebuck! You're overthinking this! Just imagine him as a rock. Stop thinking logically, and just lift!"

Stop shouting at me!

I regained my concentration, and I tried to imagine the weighty, zebra-shaped being in my mind's eye was just a little pebble. But it was hopless. Instead of a weightless pebble, all I could think of was a titanic bolder. So I tried a different approach. As I felt Zulu pass me and start to drift further away, I tried to imagine him as an apple.

I could easily picture it in my head: a beautiful, healthy apple - like the ones grown on Deadmare's Oak's branches. The imaginary apple turned heart-shaped, like my cutie mark, which brought back memories of when I first joined the Orchard Crew. When Brandy and I were new in the Orchard, my Mom taught us all the stretches needed for apple bucking.

A smiled formed on my face as I remembered my first day there. My legs ached by the end, so Dad took me and my new best friend to get ice cream with him and Mom.

I heard a soft thud near me. Opening my eyes, I turned my head and gazed in wonder. I realised then that Zulu was already on the bank with me.

I had done it already? That cordate apple in my head was so easy to lift, I hadn't even realised I was doing it, but why?

"Because you stopped seeing it as a zebra, rock, or even an apple, darling. All you saw was the love you formed with others. As cheesy as I may sound, dear, is there any power more grand?"

Friendship?

"Is there any difference?"

Before I could contemplate further, Zulu had fully comprehended our victory over the river, and laughed victoriously. "A mere river cannot defeat us! We are unstoppable!"

"We?" I laughed as I caught sight of his cute little victory dance. "All you did was get yourself into trouble. I saved myself from drowning, then I saved you, then I saved myself again, and now I saved you again. What's with this 'we' business?" I smirked.

He blushed, grumbling to himself as he started to walk in no particular direction. He then paused and sighed as he bowed his head. Quickly, he returned to me, mumbling, I think: "Which direction is the Cave?"

I opened the map on my Pip-Buck. Either it was lucky timing with the river, or fate had stuck us, because the Cave was only a twenty minutes' trot from here. Based on Zulu's alacrity after I told him this, I assumed we'd be there in fifteen.

***

Roughly ten minutes after our battle with the river, Zulu found himself at the entrance of a cave tunnel leading into a hillside. I, meanwhile, found myself a fair few yards behind him, after having walked not nearly as eagerly as he had been.

When I caught up to Zulu, my Pip-Buck was quick to warn me about the radiation coming from the Cave. Mild as it was now, I knew that clicking coming from my foreleg was gonna get much more frequent the deeper in we went.

"Wait here a moment," Zulu said as I caught up, then he started for the Cave without any further explanation.

"I'd feel a lot more comfortable following you," I called, though he didn't even bother to look back at me as he responded. "Do you want to get mauled by very big, and very carnivorous bugs?"

I sighed. "No."

"Then wait here. I will be only a moment."

I'd heard that one before. Defeated, I backed away from the Cave a little so the clicking would stop, then I simply waited. I fiddled with my hooves for all of three minutes before something caught my attention. My ear twitched as I thought I heard a sound from somewhere nearby. But I was wrong, mostly. It wasn't a sound I'd heard, at least not one that my ears heard. No, this sensation, it was a type of sensation that I felt rather than heard. It was like a sixth sense, and I felt it earlier on the riverbank when I could feel where Zulu's soul was without opening my eyes.

Using what I learned on the Riverbank, I closed my eyes and concentrated. Where was it, whatever I was feeling? When I opened my eyes a moment later, I found that, without even meaning to, I was pointing my hoof to the side of the hill.

"Excuse me? Is someone there?" I called.

There was no response.

"I'm not out to hurt anyon-"

Whatever I was going to say was immediately silenced, as I saw a horrific figure creep into view from the side of the hill. It was hideous. It had a huge, brown, bulbous body with six hairy legs jutting out of it. At the front of the body was what looked like the front half of a pony sticking out the front. Its pony arms were equally hairy, however they seemed to have three extruding claws coming out where its hooves should have been.

And it's face. It had the shape of a pony's head, sure, but its features? On its brown head were two black, beady eyes with a set of two much smaller eyes on the top and bottom of both eyes, totalling ten eyes on this creature's face. Its snout had a set of ponyeating fangs sticking out, coloured a disgusting yellowy colour, which would make Stable Two's designated dentist faint with shock.

Speaking of shock, the creature locked eyes with me, and my body was paralysed with fear. Before I could open my mouth to speak (maybe 'scream' would be more accurate), the creature quickly started for me, maw open wide, and claws open for attack.

As the creature rapidly approached, I tripped over myself in my panic to run away. Forget attack or defense; I needed to get as far away from this thing as possible! As I fumbled to get away, I heard the creature hiss out. Rather than a battle cry, this hiss seemed more like a cry of plight.

I looked at the creature and saw it attempting to tug at a shimmering, pale-white noose that was now strained tight against its neck. Almost in harmony with myself, the creature looked behind itself and found Zulu holding the other end of the rope in his teeth. When the creature saw him, it stopped struggling, and when it did, Zulu spat the rope out.

"He is not food, Loki."

"Zulu!" The creature cheered. It had a bit of a raspy voice, one that fit its appearance well. I didn't care what it sounded like, though. As long as it didn't see me as food. Or anything worth killing.

As the creature removed the noose, Zulu approached me.

"Who's the pony?" 'Loki' asked as he rubbed his neck with a claw. I was too shocked to speak myself.

Zulu stood beside me and held a hoof before me. "Loki, Applebuck. Applebuck, Loki." I took the hoof in my own as I gave an awkward smile at Loki, but Zulu shook me off.

"Hey. I'm looking for a Tracker?" I awkwardly asked. The sight of the pony/spider hybrid still caused my heart to skip a beat in fear when I looked at him, but if Loki was a friend of Zulu's, that at least meant I was safe for the moment.

Loki looked at me side on, then looked to Zulu and shook his head.

"What mess have you gotten yourself into now?"

***

Loki led Zulu and I through the Spider-pony Cave. It had webs of all sizes lying about the place, and various caverns and tunnels leading to who knows where, harbouring who knows what. It would have been Ella's worst nightmare, as you could clearly see evil-looking, glowing eyes gazing through cracks and holes in the Cave's walls every now and then. Even I was getting the creeps from those eyes.

Zulu spoke with Loki in some weird whispered language, rather rudely leaving me to my own thoughts. I couldn't figure out what they were talking about, but even if I did, I don't think I would have spoken much, as the new and frightening environment spooked me into silence anyway. Before long, we made our way to a secluded area, with webs used as curtains across a doorless opening.

Loki pulled back the curtains with his claws, and Zulu entered first, followed by myself, then Loki, who had to duck slightly to get in, being just that bit taller than the average pony.

The room we had just stepped into was in an apocalyptic mess. Hoarded possessions lied about on the floor either individually or in piles. Disposable trash and food wrappers were left wherever they fell. The bed was unmade, with the sheets strewn about near the bed, stained and uncleaned for more time than I dared to imagine. And the culprit of this bomb-site had just casually hung his damp stealth-cloak on a coat rack, and started prancing towards his bed.

Loki bowed and left us alone in the smelly stone-walled room. Even after I hung my damp barding next to Zulu's cloak, I still felt a mild coldness from the room - we were in a cave after all - but it seemed warm enough to be comfortable in. If you ignored the mess at least. And the smell...

Zulu now sat on his bed and emptied his bag onto the mattress, proceeding to sort out what stolen goods went where.

"Um… what happens now? Will we be seeing the Queen soon?" I asked. Being in Zulu's bedroom seemed like a moment of opportunity in my dreams. In reality, I felt incredibly uncomfortable being in such a dirty place; his mother would not be proud.

"I have asked Loki to make an appointment with the Queen, who will make a direct demand to our Tracker. She is not busy, the Queen, and will see us within the hour," Zulu answered casually as he sorted his items.

"Well what do we do till then?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

He quickly looked straight at me with a demanding glare. "Do not. touch. my stuff."

I rolled my eyes. As if I'd want to touch anything in his dirty, smelly stallion-cave. Regardless, I strolled over to the side of the bed and parted a few Fancy Buck Cake wrappers so I could sit down (I assumed he wouldn't mind me moving some blatant rubbish).

I quickly noticed the fox doll on the bed among a lot of what I had seen the other night when I looked in Zulu's bags. I also noticed the white rope from earlier, and could see that it closely resembled the spider webs I had seen in the Cave hallways. My eyes then fell on Silver's memory orb.

Asking Zulu where he was gonna put it, he simply told me, "It will remain here. I found it. And I will keep it."

"You stole it," I corrected. "Can't I use it as a bargaining chip for Silver Eyes? Like, if he helps me find Brandy, he can have the orb?"

"He does not care about the orb. From your conversation after you blasted me, I would assume he was after your hat. I do not understand entirely what makes the hat so special, but believe me, a memory orb that is special to an earth pony is only special due to its sentimental value, not because it will provide personal gain, like information; he already knows of the memory in the orb, or he wouldn't want it. If he wants it back, he will just have to take it from me himself.

I guessed Zulu had a good point. I didn't know what was in the memory, but judging by the colour of the orb, and the context of it being 'Silver's' orb, it would be safe to assume Silver already knew what was in it. Meaning he didn't need it. Only want it. Zulu was right, it wasn't a bargaining chip. It was just another reason for Silver to chase me.

My eyes stayed on the zebra for a moment. As I lingered on his eyes, I wondered if all zebras had red eyes. Red was quite a rare colour in pony eyes, but were they maybe common in zebras, I wondered? I then lingered on his mane as I noticed it was still wet from the river. I wondered if the spider-ponies had working showers for Zulu to use.

Hey... the river!

"Oh, before I forget: Zeeb!"

He exhaled deeply. "What was that for?" he asked angrily as he stared daggers into me.

"For letting me fall into the river. Why'd you even try that, zeeb?"

"I saw an opportunity, then I took it."

"An opportunity for what? Murder?" I was starting to get annoyed by his casually violent attitude.

"For freedom. I want to stay here. This cave is my home. So are its people. They accept me in a way that ponies do not. You know this."

"Then why were you living in ponyville?"

"Raider territory has plenty of stolen or raided property. If I can sneak about undetected, all the raiders' belongings are mine for the taking. The schoolhouse was a temporary home for me while I stole what I could; I was only visiting for a short while. Unfortunately, I had to leave a little earlier than I had planned, because someone led a group of raiders to my hideout."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault. I wasn't the one with the gun."

"Regardless, you should keep your friends in check. If you want to survive out here, you need to stop making stupid mistakes like that."

"It was our first day! We had been in the Wasteland for like, twenty minutes at that point!"

"Believe me, twenty minutes is more than enough time to get yourself or others killed. That is why you need powerful allies, like I have with the spider-ponies."

"And why is it that they even like you in the first place?"

"I never said they liked me. I said they accepted me. I bring them food, usually the remains of a brewster wolf, and they allow me to live here. They also have no possessions to steal, so they have no reason not to trust me. We live in harmony, and everyone wins."

Zulu then left his bed and grabbed a pile of junk from the bed and moved it to a far larger pile on the floor in a corner of the room. I was surprised at even my own emotions as I felt a twinge of hatred as the fox I had bought him was buried under that pile.

"Have you no respect for your stuff?" I huffed, my bitter bitchiness leaking through slightly.

"That is none of your business."

"Well you could at least respect the stuff I gave you. I traded my cloak for that doll. And you just dump it into a pile, not even on display. You know how many Stable Dwellers would have loved to have a doll like that as kids?"

"Trading that cloak was your choice. Perhaps your error. I will do with my stuff as I please, just as you did with my cloak as you pleased."

"'My'? If you think that cloak was still yours after Maamsir stole it from you, then I bet 99% of the stuff in this room is someone else's. Don't you dare imply that I stole something from you. You of all people."

"I could not care less, Applebuck."

"Couldn't, not 'could not'. Which reminds me, you didn't answer my question last night: why don't you use contractions?"

"If you must know," Zulu said as he layed back on his bed after merging the final pile with another bigger pile. "I was not raised in a Ponish-speaking household. My father did not speak Ponish, and when my mother took me in, she taught me how to speak your tongue. 'Contractions' as you call them, were never something she taught me however. And do not expect me to change on your behalf. I may wear your slave collar, but I refuse to be your slave."

"You're not my slave, Zulu. I just need your help. If you cooperated, I wouldn't need the collar. I never wanted to put it on you anyway."

"Regardless, you still use it."

"Well of course I do; you're a murdering pain in the ass!"

To my surprise, I heard him chuckling at my retort. "If I promise never to attempt to kill you again, will you never use the collar again?" he said through laughs.

"Well, no. You could still run off, or steal something. But if you promise me you'll do better, and prove to me that you have, I'll release you. You need to earn your freedom, Zulu."

He seemed to ponder this for a moment. "I once read an old war poster that read: 'freedom is the right of all sentient beings'."

"It probably should be. But that poster was made a long time ago, and the Wasteland doesn't care about our rights. Or anything, really. In a perfect world, everything works out fine. In the Wasteland, you're gonna have to earn the things you want. Even if you deserve them by right."

Before we could discuss any further, a knock was heard by the curtained doorway, followed by the sight of a black spider-pony. This one was a fair bit smaller than Loki, about the size of a lanky filly, and had eight eyes instead of ten.

"Queen Octan awaits you, Zebra Zulu." She bowed. She then noticed me sitting next to the bed. "Who might you be, dear pony?" She asked in her raspy spider voice.

"Applebuck, ma'am-"

"Pony Applebuck," she bowed again. "I believe her Majesty awaits your arrival also. Follow me."

***

Through the rocky tunnels again we traveled. It baffled me how these spiders knew their way around here. Did they even? Putting myself in their horseshoes, even by the day I left Stable Two, I still had to check a nearby map in order to find a place that I didn't normally go to. It was probably the same with these spiders, I thought. But I didn't see any maps on any walls like in Stable Two. Maybe they had special navigators, telling people where to go? Was this spider one of them? More likely, she was probably just a servant of the Queen, and just knew how to get to her throne room. Did the Queen even have a throne room? I knew if I was a king, I'd have a throne room.

As I pondered the lore of this Stable-like cave, I stuck close to Zulu as we followed this new spider-pony. I didn't know if Zulu was even safer to be around than the spider, but I at least knew Zulu. All I really knew about spider-ponies was that I was a potential meal for their queen. I wondered if my highly apple-based diet made me taste like apples.

We eventually found a large opening, covered by similar curtains that Zulu had in his room's doorway. Judging by the sheer size of this doorway and its curtains, I had a pretty good idea of who was behind them.

"Is the Queen nice?" I whispered to Zulu.

"From this point on, you only speak when you are spoken to. Understood?"

Gulp.

Our escort ducked under the curtains and made a rather dramatic entrance.

"Visitors! From the Surface!"

The curtains then opened. I assumed they were rigged to some rope (or more likely some web) to be pulled by a pair of spiders on the other side.

Zulu stepped in slowly, with dignity, despite the poorly hidden worry on his face. I followed his lead by his side. The room we had stepped into was huge. There were various webs hanging from the walls and the ceiling, some large, some small, and some friggin' massive, just like the spiders dwelling in the center of said webs. Forget Ella's distaste for creepy crawlies; even I thought my braces were gonna be stained yellow if any of them made any sudden movements.

It definitely didn't help when I looked directly forward. Across the large, dark room was a giant throne, crafted out of what looked like solid webbing, with a web-pattern aesthetic all along it. Sitting on that throne was the arch rival to any raddragon my darkest nightmares could conjure.

A monster of terrifying size. Queen Octan shared a similar shape to Loki, however she was a dull yellow colour, with a large pair of rich green eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness of the room. As her two beady eyes lit her face up, it appeared she preferred to keep her four other smaller eyes shut. To my mild interest, this spider-queen seemed to have stringy, webby hair growing out the top of her head, the shade of a dirty orange.

"Queen Octan." Zulu bowed as low as he could, and I quickly followed his lead. "We require your assistance, your Majesty."

I returned from my bow as he said this, but realised he was still bowing, so I quickly resumed the position.

"Zebra Zulu," she spoke slowly and carefully, but had the beautiful voice of a regal and healthy mare, rather than the raspy and sandpapery voice her subjects seemed to have. "you have brought a pony to my throne room. Does it speak for itself?"

"Usually, your Majesty, but I have requested that he only speak when spoken to. Unless you desire otherwise, your Majesty."

I turned slightly to see Zulu's face. He was as nervous as a radroach spotted by a ten year old with a BB gun. And there wasn't a hint of dishonesty in his words. I was starting to fear this spider more than I already was if her presence alone forced Zulu to be honest for a change.

"Rise," she said, and we did. "Speak, pony. Freely. And introduce yourself."

I gulped. "Uh.. um, my name is Applebuck. I'm a Stable Dweller. From Stable Two."

"Stable Dweller, eh?" She rubbed her chin with a claw. "Stable Two; is it still running? After all this time?"

"No, your Majesty. Stable Two was attacked by Surface Dwellers recently. We were forced to live on the Surface, but one of us has gone missing. I'm on a rescue mission to seek him out and bring him home."

"I see. How unfortunate, Pony Applebuck. Tell me, where does Zebra Zulu come into this story?"

"I bumped into him along the way. He offered me assistance, your Majesty. He said there was a Tracker among your people who could help find my friend. Please, your Majesty. His life may rest in your hoo- um… c-claws?"

Zulu's face shifted. I thought I had made a slip up. A faux-paux, perhaps. But the Queen simply laughed. It was a beautiful, charismatic laugh, quite unlike her subjects' voices. It still made me feel helpless, despite its charm.

"Pony Applebuck, you are quite funny. Tell me, why should I lend my resources to you? Will I perhaps be compensated for my helpfulness?"

"Um. Well, what would you like, your Majesty?"

She closed her eyes, rubbing her chin in thought. "Can you promise us food?"

"Probably not, your Majesty. Nor water, for we have very little of both as of now." It wasn't technically a lie. Stable Two's water talisman was still in the Stable, and good food was hard to come by for anyone out here. "Is there something else I can provide? Y-your Majesty?

"I believe," said the Queen. "that you have yourself. Might we use you in our breeding program?"

I nearly choked on my own breath hearing the request. "W-would I be harmed in any way?" I asked as a blush formed, and a flutter appeared in my stomach.

"You would be fed to the babies after your usefulness has ended, yes."

Freaky insect sex followed by an imminently painful demise? Yeah… maybe not…

"Then I'm sorry, your Majesty, but that has to be a hard 'no' from me. Us ponies don't trade lives. If there's a way to rescue him, we'll work together. That's the pony way."

There were murmurs among the spiders around the room, and Zulu looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack. How dare I tell the Queen 'no'. The Queen simply sighed, though.

"I remember my youth as a pony," she said wistfully. "Many moons ago it was, Pony Applebuck. Yes, I was once an earth pony the same as yourself. I was a Farmer Pony."

"Oh, I know a thing or two about farming, your Majesty. I don't like to call myself a farmer, but I worked in a subterranean orchard in Stable Two, working with apple trees. Were you an apple farmer specifically? It's possible we could be related, if so."

She smiled at this. Not to be judgy, but it wasn't a pretty smile. "No, Pony Applebuck, I wasn't an apple farmer, but a carrot farmer. I lived in Ponyville, not far from your Stable, as a matter of fact. What my name was before the bombs, I will not say, however I believe I was acquaintances with a relative of yours. Perhaps an ancestor?"

"Oh? What makes you think so?" I quickly corrected myself with a quick 'Y-your Majesty?'

"That hat is recognisable from a mile away, dear Pony Applebuck. A family heirloom, I take it? You know, your ancestors gave a great deal to Ponyville. Your grandmother, Pony Smith, provided the trademark Apple Family apples to Ponyville during her younger years. And your uncle, Pony Macintosh, was a war hero. And Pony Applejack - most likely your newer generation grandmother - was a government official during the dark times, during the War. And let us not forget Pony Applebloom, co-founder of Stable-Tec, and your auntie. Very important has your family been in Equestrian History."

"And here I am, half a pony who used to be just a glorified gardener," I quipped. But in all seriousness, the Queen's history lesson on my ancestors put my position into perspective in a way I didn't like. How unimportant was I if that was what I had to live up to? I mean, a war hero? How could I compare? "Maybe the Apple Family lost its touch after the War."

"My dear Pony Applebuck," the Queen said. "Their actions reflect the people they were. The people they were reflects the way they raise their children, and their children after them, and so on. There was always something special about the Apple Family, I feel. After all, they founded Ponyville, so perhaps I owe it to your family to return the favour."

"My family founded Ponyville?" Zulu seemed just as surprised to hear this as me.

"Indeed, Pony Applebuck. Countless moons ago, before the town was built, all that existed of Ponyville was the Apple Family and their little house, or so said Pony Smith when she retold the story years later. Young Pony Smith ventured into the Everfree Forest in search of food for her family, as their newly planted apple orchard had yet to bear fruit. In the Forest, she found a most peculiar fruit. A zap apple, she called it. Rainbow in colour, with a stem resembling lightning, the zap apples were collected, and their seeds were planted in the orchard. Within the blink of an eye, the zap apple trees sprouted, and their fruits were beloved by all who visited the Apple Family. If not for their sheer beauty, then for their exquisite taste

"Some decided they would stay and create a small settlement nearby, which would quickly grow, and grow, like the apples that started the settlement, and become what is now known as Ponyville."

All that because she was hungry? Thousands of people went on to have a place to call home because of my grandmother? "Does that mean Smith was Ponyville's Overmare?"

The Queen laughed her regal laugh. It felt a little condescending, even a little insulting, but I still wanted an answer, so I wanted patiently for her to give me one.

"What, may I ask, is an 'Overmare', dear Pony Applebuck?"

"W-well, it's like you, I guess. The leader. The pony who's in charge and looks after everyone. So, the Queen, I guess? Was she Queen Smith?"

She chuckled again. "Ponyville had a Mayor, not a Queen. And no, my dear, you're not the rightful ruler of Ponyville."

Shoot. I didn't have any need to be a ruler, especially if the town was full of corpses and had raiders about, but it still would have been cool to be an Overmare. Overstallion?

"I digress," said the Queen. "What I was saying is that your family is owed a debt. Pony Smith allowed for my home to exist. I understand a home is not complete without all of those whom live there, so I believe your request for Atterclop is a fair one, given all that your family has given me.

"I accept your request, Pony Applebuck, Zebra Zulu. And I am happy to help one who's family gave me so much, and without even realising it."

My brain took a second to process, then bliss registered on my face. Zulu who looked as surprised as I was joyed at the Queen's enthusiasm to stick her neck out for me.

"Um, what did you say the Tracker's name was again, your Majesty?"

She chuckled again, and closed her eyes, humming a constant and soft hum. A noise from above caught my attention, and I saw a figure slowly descend from a single string of web. Before long, a peculiar spider stood between us and the Queen. It was small for a spider-pony, no larger than a Pip-buck, with no pony-like features at all. Just a really large spider, with a pretty white coat that reminded me of Suki's coat in the mirror, and six beady eyes the same colour as mine and Suki's magic aura.

"This is Atterclop," said the Queen. "My most efficient Tracker. Though we have little need for Trackers, - Hunters are far more practical - they still have their occasional uses. She is to obey your every command, however the price of that is that she is within your care. I permit you to borrow her, so long as you promise to return her in working condition as soon as her usefulness comes to an end. Pony Applebuck - does this agreement seem fair to you?"

Brandy missing, Tracker good at tracking, Tracker find Brandy, AB return Tracker to Spider Queen. Seems fair enough. I told her as much.

"It's settled then," said the Queen. She then spoke to Atterclop, saying something in their spider language. Atterclop made a short squeak, bowed, then crawled over to me. As she looked up at me she squeaked something inaudible that didn't even sound like the spider-language.

Zulu leaned next to me, saying: "She says she wants to see your foreleg. The one without the Pip-buck." With a furrowed brow, I complied. I didn't see why she wanted to see my leg, but I- Ow!

I felt a sharp pain, and found Atterclop's fangs were sunken into my skin. I pushed her off and examined the bite, finding two small fang holes; they were lightly leaking my own blood, as well as an odd orange liquid.

"It is not safe down here for Surface Dwellers," said the Queen. "Please excuse our method of treatment, but you would have become sick without our radiation treatment."

I had drowned out the clicking from my Pip-Buck ages ago, to the point that I had completely forgotten that I was even being rad-poisoned. I thanked Atterclop and the Queen for their 'treatment', despite their lack of a polite warning, and thanked them both again profusely for their offer to help in the first place. The Queen then warned us to make haste, before another dose was needed, and the three of us did just that.

With our Tracker sitting snugly atop Zulu's back, I was one step closer to finding Brandy. Next stop, his last known location. That meant we were back to the Double Eff for another run of the Stable trail.

Almost there, Brandy. Almost there.

10 - Trigger

Chapter 10: Trigger

Zulu and I entered Fetchway with a wagon full of brewster wolves dragged behind me, with Atterclop nibbling on the corpse of the freshest wolf. I was wearing Zulu's cloak over my head and body, partly to hide my hat, which was currently pinned between my body and my saddlebags, but also to hide my face. I couldn't risk anyone identifying me.

We were granted access to the town freely by Dice and Roll, the two guard ponies in charge of the entrance, as our repetitive trips through Fetchway taught them that even though the infamous Zulu was by my side, we weren't here to cause any trouble.

It was dark out, and there was the tease of a light drizzle from the pegasi's ever-present cloudlayer. We knew Fetchway's part-time Butcher/part-time Chef was still awake, as for the past three days we had been delivering brewster wolves to him in exchange for caps - same time each night.

Before Zulu and I left R7, Cuff, after Zulu told her we needed to give our future tracker something to smell for reference, had given me an unwashed spare jumpsuit that belonged to Brandy. How or why she had it, she wouldn't say, but regardless, it was the key that Atterclop needed to help us find Brandy. Yet in three days of work, we had nothing but dead wolves to show for our efforts.

Still, brewster wolves are no match for a good revolver at your side, especially when you have S.A.T.S., so we were relatively safe in our search in the Double Eff. We didn't actively seek the brewster wolves of course, but they would usually attack if they saw us. Fortunately for us, their meat was one of the reasons Fetchway was able to thrive when it was founded, and was still considered valuable, as selling the brewster wolf meat to other settlements and anyone who was eager to buy it was still common practice.

Personally, I never touched the stuff, but apparently it was tasty. Regardless, the town Butcher was all too happy to take them off our hooves, and had plenty of caps to give us.

I dropped the wagon off to the back of the butchershop and walked around to knock on the front door before entering. As per usual, the Butcher was sitting in his chair behind the counter, reading a book. By now, he had learned that this was going to become a nightly thing.

"Mister Cassidy," I greeted the Butcher kindly, yet quietly, as though there were newborn foals sleeping nearby. "Five wolves, minus one leg; my spider was a bit peckish on the way here."

Mister Cassidy looked up from his book, and stretched. The gryphon was, poetically, a rather butch individual, with a bright yellow coat of feathers. "No luck finding the scent then?" And his voice was appropriately as butch as his appearance.

"Nothing," I replied with a dejected sigh. "Are you still willing to trade the wolves for caps? I wouldn't want to trade you out of all your money."

"Nonsense," Cassidy chuckled. "Business has never been better, my boy. So few people are willing to hunt those beasts these days. Seems everyone's gone soft. Even the other gryphons around here seem hesitant to get their claws dirty."

"Well you can count on me," I smiled somberly at the Butcher. "Stubbornness runs in my family, and with such stubbornness comes undying determination. So my mother told me." Despite myself, I found myself sighing at my own pretentiousness. "And yet, it breaks my heart to say it, but… I'm losing hope, Mister Cassidy. Three days and nothing. After all this time, he could be dead."

"Now stop that talk, Applebuck! You'll find your friend, just you wait. And if you ever need the funds to start a search party, just keep those wolves coming my way. Things'll turn out alright in the end, just you wait."

"Thanks, Mister Cassidy." I smiled again, this time a little more sincerely, and he took the awkward silence as an opportunity to collect the wolves from behind the butchershop.

Zulu, who constantly stood close by my side whenever we were in Fetchway, never spoke a word, as per usual in our meetings with Mister Cassidy. He knew Fetchway didn't like him, but he knew people not seeing my face was more important than them not seeing his, so he at least permitted me to hide under his cloak.

After a few minutes, Mister Cassidy returned with a bagful of caps, placing it on the counter, then double checking the amount within. After he was finished and satisfied with the amount, I also opened the bag to check for myself if payment was right. He knew I trusted him, but I wanted to be certain I wasn't going to overcharge him. I'm glad I did, as he gave me the caps for five wolves. I placed twenty caps on the counter.

"Five wolves, minus one leg," I said.

He waved me off. "Keep 'em. You're having a rough time. And anyway, if it comes down to a search party, you'll need every cap you can get. Those caps are more important to you than they are to me."

I sighed through a smile. "You know you're gonna go broke if we keep this up?"

"Eh. I've got talismans in the freezers that can preserve the meat for a long time. When they sell, I'll have made a handsome profit indeed." He looked rather proud of himself at the thought of his long-term financial gain.

Satisfied, we said our goodbyes and swiftly left Fetchway without any distractions.

***

Atterclop was happy to comb the forest while Zulu and I stayed in the tent I had recently bought from Fetchway's general store. The tent was ancient, tacky and cold, and if the rain decided to start pouring, we'd be soaked through to our bones. But the fire we had lit outside at least helped with the coldness. Neither of us cared if it attracted any wolves; we'd rather be eaten than be shivering.

Zulu and I sat in the entrance of our tent, having pitched it as close to the fire as we dared. Zulu, who now wore his cloak for added warmth, seemed lost in thought as he simply stared into the fire, flames dancing in the air as they drove away the fog, coldness and darkness of the Double Eff. I called his name, then again, but he was so tranced that he didn't even hear me. Unresponsive to sound, Zulu all but jumped out of his skin when I patted his shoulder, shuffling away from me defensively. When he seemed to have come back down to Equuis, I asked what was on his mind that made him so distracted.

"I fear your hiding is only delaying the inevitable." Oh not this again. I rolled my eyes. "You cannot hide forever, AB. Soon our luck will run out, and someone will find you, and Suki will be in the hooves of Silver Eyes."

"Zulu, I don't care. First, we find Brandy's trail, then we find him. Then once we all go home, I'll deal with the bounty."

Inevitably, Silver Eyes was willing to use any means necessary to find Suki. In a frankly desperate-sounding attempt to achieve his goal, he had placed a ten thousand cap bounty to bring me in alive, and a fifty thousand bounty to turn me in with my trademark stetson - dead or alive. Making sure to give me the least amount of information as possible, Suki assured me that I couldn't just hand her over to Silver in exchange for a professional search party for Brandy. I knew such a trade was unethical, and I would never willingly give up Suki's freedom, but she made it seem like it would be a tactical error to do so, rather than an unkind thing to do. Being informed on why it would be a mistake would be nice to know at least.

"Your bounty is just one problem," said Zulu. "Supposing we kill Silver, and the bounty is lifted, what happens if you find your friend to be dead as well, killed before you even had a chance to help? You need to be open to the possibility that Brandy is gone, AB."

"You need to be open to the possibility that you can shut your mouth!" I snapped, my sudden outburst surprising even myself, though the anger in me didn't let it show.

Zulu showed slight shock for all of half a second before he glared at me. He had already told me that Brandy was probably dead, but I wouldn't accept that possibility until I saw his corpse. Brewster wolves spit out the bones, and the only bones we had managed to find out here were either animal bones, or pony bones that had been here for many, many years.

We spoke no more as we sat by the fire and waited for Atterclop to return. According to my Pip-Buck, she was only gone for about an hour before she crept back into view, emerging from the fog and crawling up to Zulu, trying to avoid the heat of our campfire. As she squeaked to Zulu, he lowered his head to her so he could hear her. After a few nods as she went on, Zulu whispered back to her something in traditional spider-language. Atterclop gave a salute, and scurried off into Zulu's tent.

"What did she say?"

"Uh. S-she… she found a nest of wolves. We'll search it in the morning," Zulu said, not meeting my eyes, or even looking at me.

A blatant lie if ever I heard one. And I wasn't in the mood for lies. "Bullshit. What did she find?"

He sighed. "We're not going anywhere until the morni-"

"What did she find, zeeb!" I was in just as much a mood for patience as I was for liars.

He tensed up, but quickly answered. "S-she found a scent that smelled like raiders. She said she didn't have Brandy's, and that she would rather not attempt to find it due to the stench of raiders. But if we follow the trail, we'll probably find a raider camp. If what your father says is true, in that your friend was separated from the rest of the Security Ponies, then it's possible these raiders could have found him alone and imprisoned him within their camp. But we're not going anywhere until at least sunrise. All three of us need our rest AB, if we are to confront these raiders."

A sense of relief flowed through me. Finally, we had a lead - a raider camp. Wait, a raider camp!? Even if Brandy was alive, he certainly wasn't safe! Not if I knew raiders. And unfortunately, Knife Bite had left quite the impression on us back in Ponyville.

"Hold on a second. My Dad said Silver's ponies killed the raiders. If they're dead, how could they have taken him?"

"Not all raider groups are as few as Knife Bite and her two friends. These ponies are most likely a sizable raider camp, with a small society among them. Silver Eyes would have no need to snuff out a whole raider camp - not unless they got in his way - so his ponies would have stopped after killing the group assaulting the Security Ponies. Believe me when I say that we will not be dealing with just a hoofful of ponies tomorrow, AB."

"So, that's it then? So many raiders would have killed him by now; they're savages. We've failed."

"Not necessarily. There are many reasons why a raider group may want a pony, besides cannibalism, or petty murder. None of which will help you sleep tonight. We will find out in the morning. But rest assured, they may be a slave camp, with several ponies just like Brandy - mistrested, but alive nonetheles."

We said little more that night, and I could barely get to sleep, thinking about the little visit I would pay those raiders tomorrow. For now, I was content with telling myself that Zulu was right, and that the flame of hope was still alight, so I tried to get all the sleep I could manage. Can't kill raiders when you're running on no sleep, right?

Wait, did I really just think that? I felt guilt, realising I had just casually joked about the murder of other ponies. Trading a group of raiders' lives for a single pony? Was that really moral? Even justifiable?

I recalled the Golden Oaks Library, and suddenly my guilt faded.

***

It was still in the early morning when the raider camp was in our sight. We had left the Double Eff from the north side about an hour before arriving at the settlement, which was stationed near several large hills - the sun still hidden behind one, and bathing the camp in shadow. I had been wondering why there was an abandoned college in the middle of nowhere, seemingly meant for no reason in particular, other than for Silver to make his base of operation. I now deduced that what would go on to be Silver HQ must have originally been built for the ponies who had lived in this former town, which must have lied only a twenty minute trot from Silver HQ.

Once, this settlement was a small town, no bigger than Fetchway, but now it was plenty smaller, as many of the houses and other buildings were taken down; their materials and resources repurposed throughout the camp, leaving behind half-built husks of housing and other buildings.

Hiding behind a particularly burnt, black and lifeless pole (I refused to call these abominations 'trees'), Zulu and I gazed at the raider camp from afar while Atterclop nibbled at the base of the not-tree in an attempt to suck out any sap that may have still been in there after two hundred years of ill health. She didn't appear to be very successful, but seemed happy enough just nibbling on the bark anyway.

"What's the plan, AB?" I was proud of Zulu for trying to use contractions in his sentences. I could tell they didn't come naturally to him, based on the emphasis he put on them, so I appreciated the effort. Even more so, I was happy to hear him using my nickname. What did he ask me, again? Oh, a plan!

"Uh… sneak in?"

His facial expression portrayed that he wasn't very happy with my 'plan'.

"I suggest," he said. "that you get yourself captured. You see those boxes over there?" He pointed near one one of the larger, complete, buildings to a collection of hoof crafted containers made of wood and nails, probably recycled from the disassembled houses. "They're used to contain groups of slaves. Knife Bite and her boyfriends used metal cages, but not all raider camps are lucky enough to have such efficient forms of imprisonment. If they catch you, you will likely be thrown into a box. From there, you will use your unicorn powers to discreetly pry your way out of the box. If Brandy is not in your box, move onto the next one."

"Why don't you come with me?"

He looked at me like I was stupid. "Because I value my continued existence? If you get captured, they'll put you to good use by selling you for a profit. You're a healthy pony; you'll go for a high price on the slave market. But if I get captured, they'll… well… I just can't let that happen."

Oh yeah. Ponies no like zebras. Why were Surface Dwellers so ignorant? "And besides," he continued. "You don't want your things stolen. You won't get them back. Let me look after your gun and saddlebags while you're in there."

"But what if I need them?"

Zulu opened his mouth to speak, but cut himself off as he gasped sharply. He looked to his flank on the side I couldn't see, then he slumped to the floor without a word. Not sure what to do, I simply shook him, then looked to see what he saw on his flank.

Stun dart.

Not a moment sooner, another dart shot out from nowhere and pierced my neck. I quickly removed it, but it was too late. As dizziness quickly overtook me, panicked set in. I could barely mumble for Atterclop to run away before I fell to the floor, and the already sun-shielded area became completely black.

***

I was sick of it. I was so… fucking sick of it. Being knocked out and waking with groggy eyes. Did this happen to every Wastelander? Like, as frequently as me?

Much like last time, I awoke with my hooves in chains. No, wait, only my right foreleg - the one where my gun strap used to be - was restrained. It was hoofcuffed to an old, yellowed radiator, complete with disgusting black streaks along the wall coming from where water had leaked centuries ago.

Looking around my new location, I found I was in a room not too dissimilar from Silver Eye's staff room/office. There was a desk in front of me, complete with a chair and drawers built into the desk which probably had ancient paperwork or other office related documents in them. Or more likely rat carcasses, based on the smell in the room.

"Fifty fousand caps." I heard a stallion whistle from the doorway of the office room. The Stallion had a jet black coat and wore spiky raider gear that looked like freaky bondage gear you'd find in a naughty magazine. The creep was also wearing my hat, tipping it at me as he said, "First fing you gotta know about me: I'm the Boss 'round here, Stable Dweller."

I actually rolled my eyes at his pompousness. "First 'fing' I gotta know is I'm dealing with a moron. And let me guess, I'm your slave now? Your little bitch toy until Silver gets here? Yeah, real fuckin' original."

He smiled amusedly, his yellow teeth (what remained of them anyway) on display for my added disgust. As if his stench wasn't enough. "Nah, you're not my type. But my daughter'd love to take a bite of you. She's the one what shot you, ya know. But she's pro'lly distracted with your zebra friend right now."

I strained against my cuffs. "Where is he!" But he simply smiled smugly at me. "I'll kill you if anyone here hurts him! You bastard! Answer me!"

"I don't fink you're in any position to make freats. Now sit tight. Silfer Eyes'll be here soon."

I was wasting my time with this idiot. How long was I even out for? Silver could be here any minute!

"Look, I'm in a really bad mood, raider," I all but spat the word. "but I'm gonna be nice. I'll give you one chance to take that hat off your ugly-ass head, and let me out of these hoofcuffs. You do those two simple things, and I won't break your right forleg. How's that sound?"

He simply scoffed, turning to walk out the door and saying, "I'fe sent a messenger to get Silfer. They'll be back soon, so don't go nowhe-"

*clink*

I focused my magic on my hoofcuff and forced my hoof as quickly and as hard as I could, straining the cuff against the chain and snapping it clean off my fetlock. I'm certain that that amount of force would have normally broken the bone, were it not for my magic protecting my leg. But thanks to my magic, it only broke the cuff. I would still have quite a wicked bruise on that leg, and walking would be painful until I could get a healing potion from my saddlebags, but I wasn't gonna let the raider know that.

Shock registered on his face when he realised the clinking sound was from the cuff snapping, and horror followed as I focused my magic on his neck and squeezed, his face frozen in that same horrified expression as his breath was held by a power he was too ignorant to comprehend.

"Brewster wolves look way deadlier than you. And I've practically been hunting them for sport these past few days. Now, about that foreleg."

***

The raider had passed out before I did anything too dangerous to him. I broke his leg quickly, using my telekinesis, and the shock of that alone knocked him out in a second or two. Thankfully, my hold on his windpipe prevented him any chance to alert anyone of his plight.

Mercifully, I found all of mine and Zulu's gear to be in the office with us, just dumped in a corner by some grimy stains and a suspicious damp spot, so I was able to get myself a healing potion for my bruised leg, and geared up, ready to search the building. Unfortunately, Zulu's stealth cloak was nowhere to be found, which was a significant tactical disadvantage, as sneaking around undetected would be key in such a dangerous place as a raider camp. Not to mention the harsh mood Zulu was bound to be in after I told him we'd lost his second stealth cloak. I hoped he was okay, though I was more realistically hoping for him to still be alive.

Poking my head to peer out of the office, I found a layout not too dissimilar to the Security Ward back home. Prison cells lined the hallway, and after finding a light switch, I peered into the nearest cell, and found they weren't empty. No, these prison cells were quite full. Filled with more ponies than the original ponies who designed the cells had intended.

Every one of those cells were so crowded I felt claustrophobic just looking at them; few ponies could barely even move. Most slaves looked away when I saw them, some looked scared or angry, but a few broke their silence to plead that I free them. I had to silence them as politely as I could, as I knew releasing them now meant compromising my stealth. I'd come back for them later, I told myself. If I could, that is.

"Hey," I whispered to one of the calmer looking slaves, a poor buck whose once blond mane looked more green and dirty now. "I'm looking for a purple earth pony with a black mane? His name is Brandy. If he's not around, then a zebra? He would have just arrived. Did you see anyone take him anywhere?"

The slave made eye contact for just a fraction of a second before he decided staring at the ground in front of me was better than even talking to me. He seemed so on the verge of tears just because he had to face the misfortune of being questioned by a free pony.

Understanding I probably wouldn't get any answers from any these ponies, I pressed on. As much as I wanted to assure all these ponies I'd save them, I didn't want to make promises I couldn't keep. Especially to ponies so vulnerable and hopeless.

After scouting every cell and whispering Zulu and Brandy's names more times than I could count, I figured they were both in one of the wooden boxes we had spotted earlier. I hoped they were, at least. If they were elsewhere, I had no idea where to begin. And I didn't even have Atterclop any more to help me.

It didn't take me long to find the exit, as the building wasn't big. Just a load of cells, and a couple of side rooms. It seemed that the now unconscious Raider Boss was the only pony in the Security Building who wasn't a slave, which made stealth redundant within the building, however when I slowly poked my head around the corner of the exit, I quickly found I wouldn't be as lucky outside. I retracted instantly, as I found a group of three raiders, complete with atrocious manestyles and fashion sense, congregating outside the Security Building like a gang of teenagers. I then realised that stealth outside was a job for the stealth cloak. Crap.

I realised I had to improvise. If stealth was out of the question, then my next best bet would be to come across as someone they would let wander around. I came to the conclusion that the freaky bondage gear of that Raider Boss would do well in helping me look 'raidery.'

Or most likely, it would probably just make me look really kinky. Regardless, it was the best I could come up with, so I tried my best to drown out the slaves pleeding or cursing me as I ran past them, as well as the mild pain that still sprung up from my foreleg as I ran. Juggling the pain from my leg, the anguish from the slaves, and the stealth from my unstealthy horseshoes, I made my way back to the office. For the life of me, I just wanted to shoot the locks off the cells and let every one of those slaves roam free, if only I could.

I laid my eyes on the Raider Boss, still unconscious in the office' doorway. I wondered if he even knew how to spell the word 'bath' as I caught a whiff of his unwashed coat. Knowing he wasn't getting any less dirty, I held my breath as I carefully disrobed him, all the while praying he didn't suddenly wake up and start a psychotic murder episode.

I held the spiked bondage in my hooves, examining it as I tried to figure out which holes my hooves were meant to go in. Eventually, after much difficulty and worry of waking my new 'friend', my whole body was adorned in spikes and bondage. I felt dirty just existing in them, like simply wearing them would turn me into a raider, tainting my every moral and desire.

Still with no better ideas coming to mind, I soldier on, swiftly running back down the cell hallway. However, when I found the exit again, it came to my attention that slipping past the gang wasn't going to be as easy as dressing like them.

"Look at this Stable asswipe," I heard a nasally voiced unicorn buck say as I discreetly poked my head around the corner. "All prim and proper with his 'formal attire'. Either the artist wasn't thinking with any detail, or that hat of his hasn't got a scratch on it!"

The raider who spoke held a copy of my wanted poster, with a pile of them laying next to him, his friends laughing and mindlessly agreeing to his criticism.

"Ya think that's why that Silver fella wants it?" Another buck, an earthpony with a far deeper voice and a far larger stomach, said. Judging by the size of him, I'd say he probably ate any slave that looked at him funny. "Ten thousand for the Stable Dweller, but another thirty if he has the hat, too? Jus' don't add up. Why's the hat so much more expensive than the pony?"

"You're damn right it don't add up, you megadork!" An earthpony mare mocked the fat buck. "Ten plus thirty don't equal fifty, ya fucktwat."

"Well who cares what the client wants," said the nasally buck. "I'm more worried about what the Boss is gonna do with that bounty money. You'd think with fifty K's worth of dough, he'd finally get us some good housing again."

"Nah, ya know what he's like," said the mare distastefully. "The cuntchops'll just blow it all on his daughter. He'll probably buy her some luxury pet or something, while the rest of us have to huddle together like animals to stay warm at night. Well he can shove that pet up his daughter's ass!"

"And what about that Stable Dweller?" The fat buck said. "What's Silver want with a Stable Dweller of all things? Ya think it's got something to do with his tech company?"

"Beats the hell outta me," said the nasally unicorn. "Motherfucker looks more like a cowpony than a Stable Dweller to me. Either way, I don't like him. You've heard the stories about that lady Stable Dweller. They're dangerous ponies I tell ya. If ya see a green earth pony ya don't recognise, well…"

The unicorn levitated a pistol out of a holster on his leg, and cocked with the biggest shit-eating grin I'd ever seen. And his two psychotic friends only joined in on his smug cackling.

There was no dice about sneaking past them, as they were standing far too close for me to be unseen. And unless one of these slaves happened to have a butt-ton of dye they were willing to share, there was no chance of the gang not recognising me, even with with bondage.

I started for the office again as silently as my horseshoes would allow. Once in, I sat and leaned against the wall, thinking. They know what I look like. I thought to myself. Raider gear isn't gonna be enough to blend in.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of several slaves fighting in their cell. Biting, kicking, screaming and howling. Why they had decided to start a fight, I had no idea, but I knew the gang would get annoyed at the noise eventually, and I feared I'd be caught when they came to investigate.

I swiftly left and closed the door so the gang couldn't see their Boss's unconscious body. I figured closing the door might trick the gang into thinking their Boss was interrogating me, and decide to leave us alone. In hindsight, if that trick worked, I could have stayed in the office anyway, but I wasn't gonna risk the Raider Boss waking up. He had to eventually.

So down the hall I ran again, in the opposite direction this time, eventually stumbling across the girls' restroom. I was in too much of a rush to think about gender as I entered, only praying the gang didn't hear me, or search the building if they found their Boss.

When I entered, I really wished I had entered the boys' restroom. No bowel movement smelled like this. Only one thing did.

I heard the sound of flies from the corner of the room, and when I looked, I nearly vomited from the sight alone. Beside the corner stall was the corpse of a semi-recently deceased mare. I think her coat was originally white, but now it was just grey with splotches of black, and plenty of red patches, coated with bodily fluids I didn't dare to imagine.

I couldn't look away as I drank in the disgusting details of her progressive deterioration. Her eyes were yellowed, and looked incredibly dry, with flies pestering about them, eating her sclera and laying their eggs in her eyelids. Some of which had already hatched, as maggots were scrounging with the flies for her sclera.

Her lips were cracked, and dripped with suspicious liquid, as was found all around her body, particularly near her groin, which was the area most covered in blood, and… and…

I quickly gave up noting her appearance, as I had to run to the nearest stall, and barely made it as I heaved, vomiting my breakfast, and trying to be as quiet as possible as I did. Being surprise attacked mid-vomit was not a desirable death, if ever there were such a thing in the Wasteland, much less a raider camp. Panic soon set in as I couldn't stop. They were gonna hear me! I tried to stop by covering my mouth with a hoof, but all I ended up doing was drenching my hoof.

I suffered until my stomach was empty; not that there was any more than a few apples, some Sparkle-Cola, a bit of Fetchway hay, and my stomach acids in there in the first place. After I had nothing left to chuck up, I simply rested there, waiting as the minutes passed, hoping the gang hadn't heard me. After maybe five minutes of just staring into nothing, I figured I was in the clear.

I hesitantly left the stall, letting my vomit just sit there in the bowl as I sobered up and headed for one of the sinks, avoiding all visual contact with the mare. Rather typically, the water wasn't running, meaning I had to swill my mouth out with a bottle of Sparkle-Cola from my saddlebag. I tried telling myself a joke about how my dentist probably just felt a great disturbance from such an act happening, but it did nothing to lift my spirits.

After I used the last of the Sparkle-Cola to wash my hooves, one having been covered in vomit, while the other was probably covered in every type of bacteria in the book from holding the toilet bowl for so long, my attention was drawn to my reflection in the mirror above the sink. I looked like a mess. My once chocolate-brown mane was now dirty, and sticking up in places, having not been cut since even a while before the Steel Ranger Attack. And me not having showered in a week, save for my little swim with Zulu, didn't help. My coat looked a tad more pale from my recent vomiting, and my eyes were bloodshot slightly. The only thing that really looked normal about me was my magenta eyes. Not all that common a colour in Stable Two, but given both my parents shared that eye colour, it was only inevitable that it would be passed down to me.

My euphoric reminiscing of my parents ended quickly when my attire caught my attention. I hated the spikes and bondage, as they made me feel dirtier than I already was. The black barding didn't help, and the cumbersome metal sewn into it, while helpful in protecting me from attackers, still felt uncomfortable to wear at times, and definitely made me less agile. The inclusion of my leg-mounted revolver was something no one would have ever expected for my casual attire back before the Ranger attack, yet there it was, just a natural part of what I wore now.

And yet, taking everything about my looks into consideration, despite how much of a raider I looked, that gang would still see past the disguise the moment they noticed my green coat.

I sighed. "Any ideas?" I asked as I stared into the mirror. I stared back at my own dirty face for only a moment before it was replaced by a beautifully clean, white-coated mare, with eyes like sapphires shining reverently. Probably the cleanest thing around for miles, and she only really existed in my head.

"If we had the materials, I would teach you how to dye your coat, so you don't match your wanted poster."

"You don't think one of those slaves has an affinity for coat-dying do you?" I shallowly jested.

She sighed. "Doubtful, dear. However, I do have an idea that will… probably work…

"Oh? You don't sound very optimistic."

"It won't be a problem as to whether or not it will work. It will. But..." Again, she sighed. I didn't like where this was going. "I can't believe I'm about to suggest this, - Celestia knows the original Rarity would be utterly disgusted at simply the mention of it - but I have an idea. And you're not going to like it, dear."

***

I slowly trotted down the Security Building's cell hallway, hearing nothing but the sound of my metal horseshoes gradually hitting the ground, and the odd droplet of the mare's blood dripping off my chin and also hitting the ground.

I'd have rather died than let the blood stain my hat, so I folded it into my saddlebag, which I hated doing, - folding my hat felt like a disrespect to the many generations before me who wore it - but I knew it was the better option.

Every cell fell deadly quiet as I passed, which was impressive, as the whole building seemed rather silent after the gang dealt with the fighting slaves.

As I slowly approached the exit, I could clearly hear the sound of those three raiders beating two or three slaves outside. When I poked my head outside, I found it was actually four slaves being beaten by the raiders. Three of the slaves whimpered with each blow, while the fourth remained silent. I used the opportunity to sneak out undetected, stealthily creeping around to the other side of the building while the raider gang was distracted. Typical. I didn't even need my new face paint for this part of the plan.

As a cold wind blowed lightly against my wet face, I peered around the raider town, and quickly realised exactly where I was, as the many wooden boxes Zulu and I had earlier seen strewn about the place were visible. Turning my head to the side, the not-tree where the Raider Boss's daughter had shot Zulu and I was clearly visible.

Going back to the slave boxes, I knew Brandy was bound to be in one of them. The question was, which one? If I snuck up to a random box and cracked it open, I'd probably just unleash a load of random slaves, and all hell would break out around the camp.

No, I needed to find someone with information, who knew which slaves were where. Then I'd come back with plenty more ponies to free the rest later.

Seemingly right on queue, a mare made her way to one of the slave boxes with a tray on her back. After placing said tray on the ground near the box, she pulled out a crowbar and proceeded to remove one of the wooden planks. Feeding time.

No better options seemed to have presented themselves, so I had to assume this mare was my best bet at finding either of my friends. She at least was a good place to start.

After I took just one step however, my leg tripped over something, sending me sprawling and landing flat on my face, only barely missing a puddle of rainwater. Mercy; I really didn't want to reapply my new face paint.

When I looked back to see what I had tripped over, my eyes fell on a tiny, white figure, running away as fast as it could, as though it were being chased by a brewster wolf.

"Atterclop! It's me, Applebuck!" I shouted-whispered to her. She stopped when she heard my voice, but as soon as she caught sight of me, she flinched, then quickly continued, slipping out of sight behind a half-dismantled house.

"No, wait! It's me! You can help me find Zulu!" But it was no use. Sighing in defeat, I was about to get up when my eye caught sight of the puddle I had barely missed.

I hovered my face over the puddle, and stared straight at my blood-soaked, deadpanned face. I wondered if Littlepip ever had to gut a corpse in order to survive.

"Now isn't the time for pouting, AB. You have a job to do. Please, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and just get this over with."

I stared at my reflection still. My face was completely covered in the mare's blood, leaving no patch of green from my original colour to be seen. I also took the liberty of splashing said blood along my hind legs, knowing well that the joints in my braces would get sticky when the blood dried, but I knew I couldn't risk any raiders seeing any green.

"Applebuck." Suki was starting to sound agitated now. "Get up. I've been very patient so far. This hasn't been easy for me either. Let's just finish this so we can go ho-"

"Will you shut up?!" I slammed my hoof in the puddle, causing water droplets to splash my face. I immediately sat on my haunches and rubbed my face, trying to get the dirty water out of my eyes, and hoping that all that water wasn't enough to warrant another round of stabbing that mare with a shard of glass for a 'fresh' coat of paint.

I wasn't sure if it was the dirty water, or just the rush of emotion, but I felt on the verge of tears. Sorrow and anger in equal measure flowed through me, and all I wanted was to be home again.

I shook my head to clear it. I knew that this was it. There was nowhere else for Brandy to be but here, so if I could just find him, we could leg it back to R7 and put everything behind us. I kept telling myself that as I returned to my reflection. The blood had already stained my coat, something awful; I doubted I'd ever look as green as I had before I left Stable Two again.

Suffice it to say, a little puddle wasn't going to be enough to wipe the blood away.

***

I approached the slave feeder mare, and, upon closer inspection, found her to be a rather gross looking mare, now slipping a tray full of slob through another one of the boxes where a plank of wood had been removed. By the looks of things, the food seemed to have already been eaten and spat out.

"Excu- ahem. You there!" I pointed at the mare and spoke in a gravelly voice as she caught my gaze. One of her eyes appeared to be growing rather cancerously, and her teeth looked as yellow as her mangie coat. "There was a filthy zebra taken from behind a tree over there not so long ago," I pointed roughly to where Zulu and I were shot. "I want that stripe to taste his own blood when I knock his teeth back. Know where he is?"

"And just who the hell are you, hotshot? Eat out any mares lately, with a face like that?" Luna, she sounded like a spider-pony…

"The name's Knife Bite, not that it's any of your business, cunt. Where's that fucking stripe? I'm not gonna ask again." Speaking like this to someone was really foreign to me, but calling someone a cunt to their face was really thrilling, and maybe even a little satisfying. My mother would have clipped me round the ear if she ever heard me using such language.

"Alright alright, no need for insults. I heard the Boss's kid had him dragged behind the Boss's house for a beating about an hour ago." She pointed to a nearby house, one of few still completely built. "If you wanna beat the shit out of him, you're probably a bit late, zebra bigot. The others already got to him."

Before she could even finish her sentence, I was sprinting to the house as fast as my little pony legs would let me.

***

Zulu and I sat curled up in silence behind the house on some hay, soaking up what little sunlight was finally poking from above the nearby hills. I knew Silver was coming, so I would soon urge Zulu to move so we could find Brandy. For now though, Atterclop had found us, and was spinning webs to create makeshift bandages for Zulu's injuries. He had a black eye, so swollen he couldn't keep it open, and the beating the raiders had given him left him with all manner of cuts and bruises, as well as a twisted ankle. Even after two healing potions, he was in pretty bad shape.

"Where is your friend?" he whispered from beside me, breaking the silence that had been here since I found him.

"I haven't found him yet. Probably in one of those wooden boxes."

"Then you're wasting time. Silver will be here soon."

"No. We've got to go together. What if they come back for more? I can't protect you from across the camp."

"What if you're missing your last chance to find him? Don't miss this shot. Besides, Atterclop will protect me."

My leg was nudged by Atterclop, erging me to get up. Giving into their consistent encouragement, I left Zulu one last precious healing potion. He wasn't out in the open, so I hoped any ruckus I may cause wouldn't put him in any danger.

Returning to the boxes, I found the yellow mare with the cancerous eye kneeling in front of yet another box with a plank missing, feeding the ponies within that sludge they passed for food.

"Hey, you again."

The mare jumped as I addressed her. "Oh, it's you. What'd I tell you, the others already got to h-."

"Never mind that now," I rudely stopped her. "Listen, I'm looking for a slave now. A purple one with a black mane. Would've just got here abou-"

It was the mare's turn to rudely cut me off. "Fuck if I know. I'm just the dinner-mare. The only person who gives a shit about who's where is the Boss. You got a problem? Go take it up with him." And like that, she went back to feeding the slaves as if I wasn't there.

Fuck. As if it'd actually be that easy. There were about three dozen slave boxes here, and Silver would get here long before I managed to check each box individually. And that's assuming that I'd be able to check any boxes at all before the yellow mare busted me.

Dealing with the mare however, seemed at least possible, as with her back now turned, she was completely vulnerable.

While she was distracted, I discreetly made my way behind her, then readied Twinkle, pointing it at her head. It would be easy. Just pull the trigger and… sigh…

I hesitated, staying there for a few seconds before she started to turn. Then I pulled my hoof back and clubbed her on the head with my Pip-Buck. She fell with a quiet yelp, and stayed down. She had called me a bigot because I said I wanted to beat Zulu up. As far as I was concerned, that meant she was one of the nicer slavers.

Moving her body away from the box, I stuck my head in, heard a cry, then got a smack across my cheek for my trouble. I pulled out, rubbing at my face and whispering, "Hey, I'm not a slaver, I'm just looking for someone!"

There was no response from the box. Maybe I had to prove myself. Beside the unconscious raider mare was her crowbar, which I then slid through into the box.

"I'm just a Wastelander," I said. "I'll help you get out, but first, I'm looking for someone called Brandybuck. He's purple, and he would've only gotten here the other day. Does he ring any bells to anyone?"

Murmurs sprung from within the box, though I was hesitant to stick my head in again to look for myself.

"How do we know you won't kill us?" one asked.

"Politely, I don't give a shit about you. I'm looking for Brandy, who clearly isn't here. Look, you all need to stay put. If you all run about, they'll kill you. I need to see what I can do to help everyone. But first, I just need a little ti-

*BANG!*

A sharp pain flared in my side, between the metal plates in my barding. I immediately fell, grasping my new wound with a hoof. Sure enough, blood dribbled from the hole as I looked at it.

When I peered in the direction from which the bullet came, I saw the Raider Boss whose leg hung limply at his side as he was held shoulder-to-shoulder by a teenage mare wearing Zulu's stealth cloak. And she held in her mouth the smoking gun from which the bullet was fired.

The two ponies hobbled over to me as a crowd was roused by the sound of gunshots.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you right now," said the Raider Boss. He looked in pain, and more than a little pissed off. He signalled something with his working hoof, and every raider with a gun pointed theirs at me.

"Because Silver gives you a bigger reward for bringing me in alive." Despite my plight, I knew I had to keep my cool if I was gonna sound convincing. I was reassured by the knowledge that Silver would probably kill him if he killed me. And the emotional high of being probably within fifty feet of Brandy right now was too good to deter me, as well as the adrenaline from my bullet wound.

He nodded to a specific pony, who then shot me in the foreleg. Despite the bullet stopping as it hit a metal plate, I felt pain of indescribable measure flaring up my leg. Despite the healing potions I had drunk earlier, the bruise from my leg was still very present. And that bullet had made it feel like it was being shredded. Suffice it to say, a few tears fell down my blood-soaked face as I tried so hard to control the pain.

"He said alive. Not in one piece," the Raider Boss said smugly.

Many raiders laughed at my pain, and most looked eager to see more, with rotten smiles on their faces. If I had to guess, there were about twenty, maybe thirty of them now, with quite a few more gathering, completely circling me off from escaping.

"Do you even know why Silver wants me?" I asked the Raider Boss through clenched teeth.

"Beats the hell outta me. I didn't ask him; not my business."

"You met him?"

"Sure. He came here the other day with a few of his lackeys to deliver your wanted posters, and trade too. Now Silver will do with you as he pleases, while I get my deserved reward. Silver's happy. I'm happy. And everyone wins." He laughed dryly. "Except for you. Who knows what that asshole wants with a pathetic Stable Dweller like you. Nothin' good, I bet."

I wasn't gonna let that happen. I was so close to getting what I wanted. Brandy was right there! At least, that's what I was led to believe. "If I'm gonna die, can I at least ask one question?"

The Raider Boss scoffed. "Make it quick."

"I'm here because I'm looking for somepony. A purple earth pony buck with black hair and magenta eyes. Would've been poking around the Double Eff. You gotten any new ponies with that description lately?"

His smug expression didn't change, and several seconds of silence passed before anything happened. Then he held a hoof up, and every armed raider readied their guns at me.

"Fire."

Not gonna happen! As soon as I heard the word, instinct immediately overrode me, and I tensed up as I saw a blue flash from all around me, followed by a sensation that felt like my body was being squeezed through a hole just barely meant for its size. I had managed to use this spell to defeat Silver the last time I saw him. I had also managed to harness it a couple times in the Double Eff to avoid blows from brewster wolves. I was glad the training had paid off.

I disappeared from the sight of the raiders, who had just planted more than a few dozen bullets into the ground where I once stood. I then reappeared, landing beside a pair of ponies who were huddled together. The spell usually took a fair bit of energy out of me, but this time, I was only teleporting about a foot or two into the inside of the wooden box. Immediately, I pulled the missing plank to its original place, with its nails still poking outside.

Bathed in darkness, I activated my Pip-Buck lamp, and got a good look at the ponies in the box. Examining each one's face, it was clear to me that, even with them bathed in the bright green of my lamp, not one of them was Brandy, but all of them looked terrified. Whether they were scared of the situation we were now all in, or just of me, I couldn't yet tell.

I didn't know what to do, and thinking was almost as difficult as breathing, what with the searing pain from my wound. Aware that I only had two healing potions left, I saved one for later, and guzzled down the other, untensing as the pain faded and my flesh knitted back together, pushing the bullet out, which bounced as it hit the ground. A few of these slaves looked like they could have used one too. Actually, most of them did, but I couldn't afford that right now. I had only a few seconds before the raiders either pried the box open, or shot it to smithereens.

"Y-you said you don't care about us," one particularly malnourished stallion commented. "Are you gonna save us?

"I know what I said, and I'll see what I can do. " I told him as I checked my gun's cylinder to make sure it was full. It then dawned on me the danger of the situation I had gotten myself in. Kill or be killed; more bloodshed would come because of me.

"So why?" asked a mare angrily. This one seemed a bit less famished, but seemed to suffer from some form of trench-hoof. "You some raider gone rogue?"

"Never mind that now. I'm gonna make everything right, I promise."

"How?"

I sighed as I gazed about the inside of the box, drinking in the sight of the scared and confused slave ponies who had done nothing wrong. Their lives now depended on me and my competence, and so did my own life.

A plan started to formulate in my mind. A very terrible plan. One that almost certainly wouldn't work. But unless there was some miraculous anti-raider group that was headed this way with an ambush, I doubted I had any better alternatives.

I focused on where I remembered the Raider Boss being last, then attempted to teleport. I held my breath, but nothing happened. My heartbeat was quick, and the pressure was on. I knew that if I failed, this was the end of the road. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, which made my partially healed wound flame up, but helped calm me down overall. I tried again, and after a flash, this time I found myself outside.

A blue flash appeared a short distance behind the Raider Boss and the mare next to him, with me in the middle of it. As soon as I realised that, I didn't hesitate as I ran at them as fast as I could. By the time they themselves realised, I had already rammed myself into the mare, knocking her to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, I extended my leg braces' hoof supports and stood on my hindlegs, proceeding to hold the Raider Boss in a choke hold with one arm, and hold Twinkle against the side of his head with my other.

"Not a single person shoot! Not a single person move! Anyone tries anything, and I'll paint the ground with this pony's brains! You hear me!?" I shouted as loud as I could.

"For Luna's sake, do as he asks!" The Raider Boss shouted in panic, his one good arm gesturing to his ponies to stand down.

Adrenaline was racing through my veins like a raging river. The thrill of shouting my lungs out, on top of threatening to murder someone, was causing a whole new feeling to occur to me - one of power and controll, and I hoped it wouldn't cause me to do something stupid like actually kill someone, even if they were a slaver. I reminded myself: I was only here for Brandy.

The Raider's daughter, now on the floor, moved Zulu's cloak out of her eyes and reached out to me. "Stop! Don't kill him! Please! Put the gun down!"

I held the gun on him still. I wasn't gonna let him take the upper hoof. "No one's gonna get hurt if I get what I want."

"What do you want?" She asked frantically.

I looked around. Every gun was still pointed at me. "First, I want the only weapon being held to be mine. Put every gun, tire iron, crobar, and the rest, into a pile where I can see them."

After the Raider Boss commanded his employees accordingly, I scanned the area for any more guns. By the looks of things, I was now in the clear.

"Right, now I want all those slaves released from the boxes."

"What? But they're our livestock-" I cut the Raider Boss off by pushing the barrel of my gun closer against his head.

"Every single one of those slaves. I want them free. Send them off wherever. They'll find their ways. But I want each individual box opened one-by-one; I'm looking for my friend."

Reluctantly, the Raider Boss sighed, then called out for the slaves to be released.

One by one, the boxes were dismantled, and the ponies within were encouraged to escape. I examined each boxful as the slaves spilled out and ran off to the Double Eff, or any other location they thought to go, but one after the other, box after box after box, I couldn't find him. I called his name several times per box, but the only slave that stopped was a mare, who continued her escape a moment later.

Not the Brandy I was looking for.

"I don't understand. I thought Brandy was supposed to be here," I glared as I asked the Raider Boss.

"Um, the pony you're looking for," His daughter asked quietly. "His name is Brandy?"

I now glared at her. "There a problem?"

She shared a look with her father before replying. "Silver Eyes asked for a pony called Brandy when he came here the day before yesterday. I sold a Brandy myself for five hundred caps.

My eyes widened. Then widened more as realisation struck me. Silver. He was on his way here. All my problems were about to be solved! All I needed to do now was…

Suki…

I could get Brandy back for certain now, but I'd have to trade Suki for him. A sacrifice I wasn't sure I was entirely willing to make.

And even if I was, there was still the problem of the entire Raider Camp getting ready for me to let my guard down so they could surprise attack me.

I gulped. "Right, the next thing I want is to be alone. I want every raider to run off. Get back here in a few hours or something. I don't care. But right now, I want every pony gone, except for myself, your Boss, his daughter, and you," I nodded toward the cancerous-eyed mare who had been feeding the slaves; she had just woken up a couple minutes ago.

"I need you to release all the slaves from the Security Building, and I want every slave to be sent off just like the rest. Once everyone but the Boss, his daughter, and myself is gone, you can regroup later. Silver will have picked me up by then."

With nothing left to be said, the Raider Boss disbanded his tribe of slavers, urging them to flee swiftly. I took the moment to ask Suki a question. Suki, I need to know. No bullshit. If I hand you over to Silver, what will happen?

"Tywyll will be able to reform using my magic. If he does that, he will erect an army, and eventually expand it and conquer Equestria."

Is that a bad thing? There's no government here. Maybe this is just what the Wasteland needs.

"Not if Equestria cares about its freedom. This will be the beginning of another terrible war, Applebuck. Tywyll cannot be allowed to reform. No matter the cost."

"Okay," said the Raider Boss, ending my internal conversation. "now what? What're you gonna do with us?" I quickly found the camp was empty already.

The daughter stood before us, her eyes large, practically begging I spare her beloved father. I sighed, then threw him to the floor, quickly taking a few steps back to make some distance between us as his daughter rushed to his aid.

"Look, all I want is my friend back. I've been searching for ages, and I'm sorry I had to bring you into this, but I will do anything to get him back."

"Your friend," said the mare distastefully. "said he was a Stable Dweller. I take it that means you're one too?"

I nodded.

"Then I guess all Stable Dwellers are as psychopathic as the two of you?"

"Huh? I just wanted my friend back. If your employees had never attacked his group, none of this would have happened. And all those slaves would be back in their boxes. You brought this upon yourself, raiders."

"So that's what happened," said the Raider Boss. "A few of our boys and girls went scrounging in the Double Eff last week. When they didn't come back, Malice here, and a few others went looking for them. All they found were their corpses, riddled with bullet holes. On the way back, they found your friend and took him as new livestock.

"I'm sorry about your friends."

"Hah! You think every raider in a raider group is friends with each other? The only things that matter to me are money, and Malice."

"Well, then you understand the importance of family," I told him simply. "My family isn't complete without Brandy. I-"

I was abruptly cut off as Zulu lunged at the Raider Boss, taking a page out of his sister's book and seeming to appear from nowhere, sinking his teeth deep into the Raider Boss's neck until blood spurted and painted his maw.

Malice backed off in fright, but rushed over and rammed Zulu off her father, engaging in a hoof-fight with Zulu. Shock paralysed me, but as soon as I snapped out of it, I tried to aim Twinkle. But it was a painfully unclean shot.

Zulu got a good buck with his back legs, knocking Malice off him, along with a tooth or two of hers.

As Malice spat blood, her father pummeled Zulu for his insolence. Even with only one punching arm, and a dramatic loss of blood, Malice' father was one hell of a fighter. Either that, or seeing his daughter in pain pushed him far over the edge. Zulu didn't realise the danger he had unleashed on himself, not being a family guy himself.

I had little time to pity Zulu, as Malice, complete with a maw as bloody as his, charged at me, screaming something awful; looking back, she reminds me of myself during my first encounter with the brewster wolves, back when I first discovered my magical abilities a whole seven days ago when Ella and I had left the Stable.

I didn't have time to question why she was bothering with me before she became a danger. Try as she might though, Malice wasn't a strong fighter. She tried getting a few punches in, but I managed to hold her hooves in restraint. Unfortunately, her franticness would be her fatal downfall in this fight, as her hoof slipped over the side of mine, and-

*BANG!*

In a fraction of a second, the scampering sounds brought on by our pathetic little scuffle were silenced. No sooner did I feel warm liquid drool down my front as Malice fell forwards onto me.

I caught her as she exhaled deeply, slowly. More blood running down my front as I felt her start to tremble.

Malice' father pushed himself off Zulu, complete fear in his eyes as he hobbled to his daughter as fast as he could on three legs, completely ignoring the wound on his neck. He grabbed Malice from me and gently placed her on the ground as I stared in awe with my mouth agape.

I had shot her. After all this time, trying my best to never kill someone. Seven days in the Wasteland, and finally, I had done it. Her eyes still fluttered as her life persevered and struggled to hold on, enduring the final throes of death as blood leaked freely.

I heard little as Malice and her father whispered to each other. Respectfully, I looked the other way and tried not to pay any attention. Which was easier than I thought, as my mind was focused on the thought of me having ended an equine life. Still I overheard a few words that caused guilt to wrack my body. Words like 'Daddy', and 'the Fam'.

After a few seconds, silence fell again. Dangerous silence. And suddenly, I felt very unsafe. More so than I was when a tribe of raiders had all their guns pointed at me.

The Raider Boss slowly turned his head toward me, tears streaming down his cheeks freely, his breathing heavy and weezy. Anger and grief were as visible as the bright crimson on both our hooves. As physically present as it was metaphorically.

My Pip-Buck let out the familiar screech that accompanied S.A.T.S. as I raised Twinkle, aiming it at the raider who seemed to fly as he lunged at me in slow motion. A religious pony, I was not. But I knew in that moment, as tears started to roll down my face, that I'd see these two raiders again. And that I'd shake their hooves in a specially selected spot in hell.

Saved specially for cold blooded murderers.

I fired three shots, and all three landed in separate areas of his face as his momentum left him crashing into the ground before me. I backed off in fright. Actually, disgust might be a better word. Killing someone on accident during a fight is one thing, but killing that person's father afterward was a whole nother level of fucked up.

I was disgusted with myself. My heartbeat started to pick up as the adrenaline wore off, and the realisation started to settle in. I saw the bloody hole ripped in Malice's chest. then the three holes ripped in her father's face. Teeth and flesh missing where bullets had ripped them apart. I realised I didn't even know the name of the stallion I had just murdered.

I saw Zulu, who seemed shocked at my actions, but relieved the worst was over. Maybe he was just glad his cloak survived the assault. But me? This was all too much for me to handle. My head started spinning, and suddenly, I felt very woozy. Vertigo overtook me as I fell to the floor, and not a moment later my stomach racked, and I emptied my stomach only inches away from the Raider Boss's cooling corpse.

Tears flowed down my face as my stomach churned again. The physical pain was unbearable with my stomach already being empty, all except for the fire-like bile escaping my throat. The grief, and anguish of my actions was equally unbearable. Yet I suffered both together to add insult to my injury.

My eyes widened slowly. I looked along my body - my hat having fallen out of my bags and to the ground during the fight, not deserving to be touching a pony as disgusting as myself - and peered at my metallic legs, making my way to the black barding with steel sewed in for added protection, entangled with the bondage gear tipped with metal spikes. I then found my Pip-Buck, a marvel of Equestrian engineering, and my leg-mounted revolver, another proud murder weapon, created and used solely for such.

Hiding within the confines of a metal shell, adorning body-mounted weapons and Stable-Tec technology, and covered in more blood than was even remotely honourable…

"After all that's happened, after all this time, the final switch has been flipped. I have become the Metal Monster."

After a few seconds of silence, save for my pathetic coughs and slimy sobs, I didn't need to open my eyes to identify the pony whose metallic hoofsteps I heard upon the dirty ground, approaching me from behind. Another Metal Monster. One who was after my friend. Unfortunately, he also had my other friend as a bargaining chip.

Silver sighed. "A Metal Monster? Yeah, I've felt like that before. A Metal Puppet mostly, really. But all of that is gonna change soon, Apple. I have Brandy in a chariot on the outskirts of the town, waiting for you."

I didn't respond.

Again, he sighed. "Welcome to the Wasteland, Apple; it's kill or be killed out here. Congratulations on not being the former."

My eyes shot open as I snapped to face him. "My name is Applebuck! Not Apple! Not Bucko! Not Bucky! Just Applebuck! Applebuck the murderer! The Stable Dweller who killed a stallion and his daughter! You want my hat? You can't have it!" I replaced Suki on my head, not caring if any undried blood stained it. "I can't have Brandy anymore! He doesn't deserve me."

Silver came up beside me, sitting down and keeping his hooves to himself - I could see Zulu keeping a close eye on his every movement. "So, what? You're just gonna… run away? You've come so far so you could achieve your goal, and when you finally do it, you wanna throw it away because you killed someone? Grow up, Applebuck. This is the Wasteland; shit happens. But when my Master returns, we will have a government again. A kingdom again."

"I don't want to be a part of a kingdom."

"Why? You think you're so bad because you're a murderer? Well think about this: how many children do you think die because there are no hospitals? Hm? Or how about medicine? The basic things you had growing up in that little box of yours aren't available out here. And people die because of it. Every. Fucking. Day.

"Give me that hat, and it will all end. We will revolt against the Enclave, and see sunny days again. That Orchard Applebloom said she wanted in that Stable of yours - I'm sure it must be wearing a bit thin after two hundred years of fake sunlight. Moving an Orchard isn't easy, but it can be done. Once you clean out the radiation from the soil, and the cloud layer is gone, it will thrive. All because of my Master. You want that? A chance to be an Orchard Worker again?"

"How do you know abou-" But he cut me off.

"Brandy told me enough. Listen, Applebuck. Things will get better for everyone. The raiders will be gone. The Enclave will be gone. And peace will be restored. Don't you want that?"

I looked into his eyes as I reluctantly nodded.

"Then give me the hat. All will be right with the world for the first time in a very long time." His hoof outstretched to me. I gazed at it for a moment, then looked back and stared at the two lifeless cadavers I had created, then at Zulu. His expression seemed unreadable, as though he himself wasn't sure what to think. I removed my hat and looked at it. One life. Suki's life. One life for countless generations afterward.

I looked at Silver. I had just destroyed two lives. What was one more?

3 - Getting Help

Chapter 3: Getting Help

I awoke with groggy eyes and a dry mouth, but a surprising lack of pain, save for a bit of aching all around. I was later informed that I was in the wing in the Atrium along with most of the other survivors. I was lying on a mattress with a blanket over me. As my wits came to me, I peered around the wing to find it full of ponies. Some I recognised, like my go-to barber, or one of the chefs from the Stable saloon, or one of my Dad's drinking buddies. Others I really recognised. I gasped at the sight of Brandy and my Dad sitting near me, then choked horribly, coughing something awful.

"You're finally awake!" my Dad cheered. When my fit subsided, I noticed Suki was held in his hooves. I smiled at all three of them. They were alive! "Dad! Brandy! What ha-"

"You. Have suffered. Nothing."

I peered to where I heard the blatantly magically enhanced voice, and low and behold! Velvet Remedy! She was here! And she just... hit... my Dad's drinking buddy... Huh?

I looked closer, and she was here too. Littlepip had returned from the Outside! Sorrow surged through me, as her presence reminded me of Mi- reminded me of Buck. Then guilt surged through me, as I recalled that fateful day when she left. I had to tell Buck that she was probably dead. Now I had to tell her that he was definitely dead, and that he didn't even know she was alive. I hated it, but it was the right thing to do. I moved my leg to get out of bed... I mean... I tried? I couldn't move my leg. Or the other one. In fact, I couldn't even feel them. I looked to my Dad with a look of confusion. His very fatherly look of saddened support made me more confused. Brandy placed a hoof on my shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay, AB. I promise. We'll help you through this."

***

Sitrep: I woke up to the information that 'Steel Rangers' in what I now knew as power armour were at our front door, I then spent the entirety of my conscious day getting hunted down by said Rangers, saw a close friend murdered because 'they were following orders', and now I was irreversibly paralysed from the waist down and will never walk again. And the 'fuck you' cherry on top was that my wheel chair had a squeaky wheel.

Denial. I couldn't believe it when Brandy had told me I would never walk again. After all I had been through today, over the past five weeks, hell, since Mom died, did I really deserve this? I was assured that this was no joke, and once my denial passed, very quickly came sadness.

My Dad suggested that, once we were allowed to roam the Stable again after a few hours of... clean up... from the very brave crew sent by the Overmare, Brandy should take me somewhere to take my mind off things. Honestly, I didn't want that. After everything I'd been through, I just wanted to be in the embrace of the two most important ponies to me. No. Really, all I wanted was to go apple bucking with my best friend. Just like we used to.

Soon after, Dad wheeled over the chair I would be confided in. It was a bleek, black chair with a pale, lifeless pink colour on the sides of the wheels. And I had to suffer the humiliation of both ponies lifting me into it. After a few seconds of silence, save for the constant chatter in the wing full of countless ponies, the two ponies staring at me simply hugged me, and didn't let go for some time as we all just wept together.

Hearing them weep for me was more painful than that power armoured hoof destroying my spine, and the feeling of Brandy's tears running down my back made mine flow ever more. The tears and pain of the day all draining, but the despair all the more present.

***

Late in the evening, Brandy and I were off. I held Suki in my hooves as Brandy wheeled me towards Pallet's (The designated artist of the Stable) stall because he thought it would be a good idea to have our cutie marks painted on the sides of my new wheels. I was assured by Ellabelle back at the Overmare's wing that there were special devices specially designed for patients like me. Supposedly, your waist is suspended on a frame with wheels attached, and you just walk along on your front legs. I think she called it a 'Trottin' Wheels'. Although due to short notice and lack of priority at the moment, I was stuck with the squeaky chair.

I now felt angry. I didn't deserve this. Not me. Not Brandy. Not Dad. It was her. She did this. If Velvet Remedy hadn't left the Stable none of this would have happened! How could she be so selfish! She and Littlepip did this!

Then I felt overwhelming guilt. Now the anger was aimed at myself. How dare I? How dare I? If these Rangers were just one group of ponies from the Outside, then what others awaited us out there? No wonder they wanted back in. They must have been suffering endlessly for those five weeks. Maybe we truly have suffered nothing? My venom for both of them still didn't disappear. Only shrink as my guilt started to join it. I felt poisoned by my own venom.

As we traveled through the hallway, I thought of an idea to cheer myself up. I sought solace in my new friend. "You've been awfully quiet since Buck died. Maybe you'd like to reveal yourself to Brandy?"

"Hm? What's that, Buck?" I craned my neck to see Brandy. "I don't mean to be quiet, I'm just trying to give you space," Brandy said with a sympathetic smile. I simply went back to staring out into nothing.

Suki. You want to be my friend? Don't hide yourself from my family, I warned

"Buck?"

Why was Suki being so quiet? No. Why was Suki being so difficult?

"Buddy, you're scaring m-"

"Answer me!!"

"Buck, what's wrong!" Brandy stopped and ran in front to face me. Concern was etched in his face, as tears started to form again. I couldn't bear to see his face like that, so I looked away.

"He wouldn't be able to hear me."

"Then say that for Luna's sake!"

Brandy abruptly leaned in and hugged me. I could hear him sobbing now. How stupid could I be? I must have sounded like I was shouting at him. "Please," he said through tears. "Just talk to me."

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Bullshit."

Sigh. Alright. You asked. "Brandy," he raised his head, then I placed my hat atop it. I stared into his eyes and smiled, searching for the words that wouldn't make me sound crazy. Eh, who am I kidding?

"My hat is alive and can talk to me." The confused squint look didn't suit him. "Her name is Suki. And she only talks to me for some reason."

He looked at me, unsurprisingly, like I was crazy. Then a thought came to me that should have come much sooner. Maybe I was crazy?

I didn't bother asking Suki any questions, as I knew how that would go down, so I simply asked Brandy, "Do you believe me?"

He continued his stare. His hesitation told me enough.

After a moment, he asked: "What does she tell you?" Not the question I was expecting. And what does she tell me anyway? Philosophical mumbo jumbo about how change isn't bad? Yeah, look where change got me so far. Just what Mom would have wanted.

"She sang to me when I was hiding from the Rangers." I wasn't sure if stating that she could sing made me any more convincing. His face sure didn't suggest it.

"Look, Brandy. I'm not crazy. My hat, I assume, is magical. She's a pain in the ass and won't tell me anything, though I only found out she can talk earlier today. From what she's told me, I can assume that she's-"

"Stop, okay. Just stop," he lost his temper with me. "Your hat isn't alive, AB. No magic spell can do that, and even if it could, who would want that? You've just hit your head earlier." He got up to start pushing the chair again.

"I swear, Brandy! She told me she knew my Mom! From when she wore the hat before I did!"

"What, does Mister Buck's horseshoes talk to you too?"

***

So Suki wasn't helpful. And my best friend thought I had a concussion. Thanks, Suki. Ten points to loyalty.

"Actually, I made a vow of honesty"

I ignored her. She wasn't my favourite pony right now, as my mom would say when I misbehaved as a foal. Brandy and I arrived shortly at Pallet's stall, where I had to shut my eyes and cower. Brandy assured me that those 'Steel Rangers' were the good guys. Outcasts, apparently. The real rogues.

Sigh. I'd been doing that quite a bit lately, sighing. I knew these guys were good. I understood that they hate what their former peers did just like we did. But seeing those suits, with or without the helmets, with or without that new red streak, it just hurt. "Do you want to talk to one?" Brandy asked me. I'm glad he did. The answer was no, I told him as much, "but it would be good to meet one. So I can overcome this." He put his hoof on my shoulder, and I savoured it. I just wished we could be together forever. With Mom and Dad. Like brothers should.

"I'll be right back," Brandy told me as he replaced my hat atop my head. Wait. Come back! What if one of them was lying and actually wanted to kill me because I was vulnerable! Brandy walked up to a red striped mon- Ranger. "Excuse me. But my friend wanted to take his mind off of everything that just happened, and I thought it would be a good idea to meet one of the good guys that stood up against what was happening. My name's Brandybuck; it would mean the world to both of us if we could just talk to you for a moment, please?"

Reading the Red Striped Ranger's emotions through the helmet was impossible, but the voice was audible. "Absolutely. Is that him over th-" he stopped when he saw me.

"Applesnack?"

Oh now you decide to open your metaphorical mouth?

"I recognise that voice anywhere! That's Lieutenant Applesnack of the Macintosh Marauders!"

Wait, you know him? How does that work?

"Applesnack is a pony from... from... oh, forget it. I must be mistaken.

You just said-

"Buck!" Again, I was shaken out of my daydreaming by the calling of my name. This time with the creative addition of a tap on my shoulder. By the time my senses caught up to me, Brandy was already mid-sentence. "He's a Surface Dweller, and he travels with Littlepip and Velvet Remedy on the Surface. That's what they call the Outside."

"You're friends with Pip?" I asked, a bit surprised at how she made such a friend that (at least formerly) associated with those monsters. Not the kind of Pip that Buck talked about.

He held out a metallic hoof. "SteelHooves."

I looked at his hoof. "Yeah, I guess they are." That garnered a facehoof from Brandy, and a chuckle from maybe-Applesnack. "My name is Star Paladin SteelHooves, formerly of the Steel Rangers."

"Oh. Applebuck," I tried to shake his hoof, but he didn't seem to want to budge. Weird.

"I'll leave you two alone for a minute," Brandy respectfully bowed, then went off towards Pallet.

I watched Brandy leave, then after he left sight, I asked "So, um, Brandy said you travel with Pip and Velvet?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I do. I've been travelling with them for some weeks now. I take it you know them?"

"Well, not exactly," I was too dejected to use my confident speaking voice around the deep tone of the potentially dangerous paladin. "I've never met either of them, but I was a friend of Littlepip's friend. When she left the Stable five weeks ago, I was the one who was assigned to replace her job. I used to buck the trees in the Orchard to collect the apples, but... that's all in the past now," my head was lowered, almost in shame of replacing the pony who apparently was a huge reason the Stable was still mostly alive.

"For goodness' sake, Applebuck," Suki bitched. "Pull yourself together. This isn't like you." I ignored her still.

"Very unfortunate, Applebuck," he said. I think he was trying to sound sympathetic, though the helmet wasn't helping portray his emotions. In fact, it made it look like he was staring at my hat.

"On behalf of every Steel Ranger Outcast, I apologise for the destructiveness of my former peers. They don't deserve to be Steel Rangers."

"Thank you, sir." I gave him a warm smile. And to my surprise, the already weird yet intimidating pony did something even weirder. He put his hoof on my head, resting on my hat, and said "I think we could all take a few pages out of
Littlepip's book. If we did, maybe the Wasteland wouldn't be so bad."

Wasteland? I was about to open my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Pallet's call as he and Brandy approached. "Mister Applebucker!" What a weird and no longer appropriate nickname. "I hear you need me to spruce up your new wheels! Hey, you know my brother could probably set you up with one of those Trottin' Wheels thingies that allows you to walk on just your front hooves. He's pretty clever like that. And you can even use those same wheels after I've de-dulled them!" What an energetic pony for someone who's home was just desecrated. How the hell did he stay so optimistic? And how the hell was he making me smile right now?!

"I'll leave you to it, Applebuck," said SteelHooves, retracting his heavy hoof from my head. Seriously, was he trying to paralyse me from the neck down? Now I'm joking about my misfortune?! How did Pallet do it?!

"Please understand that us Ranger Outcasts will do everything we can to repent for the Steel Rangers' sins. I hope you can forgive me someday, son."

***

Check out these wheels! Ow! I mean the squeak is still there, but you know what they say about polishing a turd.

Where the wheelchair was once black and boring, now it held the trademark red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple of the rainbow along both its leather seat and backrest. I probably wouldn't want to be sitting in it during a funeral, but for everyday use, it had style! And the wheels, the wheels! Where once the wheels were a plain and ugly, pale pink, the kind of colour your grandmother probably had in her bedroom when she was little, now it was as hot pink as my dad's mane!

But what really got me excited was what was promised from the start. Circling the centre of each wheel was the continued pattern of mine and Brandy's cutie marks.

Apple heart, hexagon formation, repeat. Apple heart, hexagon formation, repeat

It sounds weird, but the 'de-dulling' of my chair really made a difference in my mood. I may never buck again, hell, never walk again, and was now practically guaranteed to work in the Technician Stall for the rest of my life, but at least I could still spend time with the pony marked on my wheels.

Change can be scary. It usually is. But at least I'll have my family there to help me.

***

Okay. This was a big change.

Three days had passed since the attack. Living casualties were recovering or recovered, personal funerals were held, usually at the loved one's home, and Brandy even got to keep the gun that I technically have right to since I was now the Senior Pip-Buck Technician (by a technicality, but still). Things seemed to be smoothing out, and returning to a semblance of normal.

Until today.

We were leaving! Like, leaving leaving. Out the door leaving. A meeting was held, meaning all available residents were summoned to the Atrium for what was, in Surface Dwellers terms, a town meeting.

We were all assembled in the Atrium. I still had my squeaky wheelchair, but I didn't mind because it was a cool wheelchair now. Plus I didn't have to worry about finding a seat, unlike Dad and Brandy who had to sit on the floor because the Atrium wasn't built for this many ponies at once. Peasants. Heh heh heh.

As we waited for the Overmare to show up, Dad and Brandy were talking, but I was still trying to get something out of Suki. You know she hasn't told me anything worth mentioning since last you heard her? 'How are you alive?' No response. 'Who the hell is Applesnack?' Nothing. 'Do you call me darling because you like me, or does it just make you feel important when you say it?' That one got a grumble out of her. Suki, what's the point in telling me you're alive if you never talk to me? When you first talked, you said I should embrace change because it allows you to advance as a person. Isn't gaining a new friend a good way to change?

"I get the feeling big changes are just around the corner, darling."

It was at that point the Overmare showed up. She wore another one of those serious faces of hers. She's a really kind and sweet individual 99% of the time, honest! She wasn't making a good example of this today, though.

She climbed up onto a table, silencing the room save for a few murmurs. She peered around, visually addressing all of us with simply a glance. After she made a full 360, she ignited her horn and finally spoke. "I have an announcement to make," her voice was magically enhanced, not unlike Velvet's spell. "One that will bring about great changes for all of us."

Oh brother… Was this aimed at me or something?

"It was brought to my attention from Velvet Remedy three days ago that the Stable has... an issue. An internal issue which cannot be easily solved. And it cannot be solved going on the way it has been going for the past 200 years. Some of you may be aware of this issue; most of you aren't." She paused to glance at some of the residents. I noted a few were couples.

"True love can be both easy and nearly impossible to find. It's fate, and we cannot choose who or what we love, the same way we cannot choose if we live up there, or down here. And though it may shock and scare you to hear, it is impossible for this community to continue down here in Stable Two. Effective one week today, all Stable Two residents will be sent out into the world above, where we shall all take whatever paths the Goddesses decide is right for each of us."

Murmurs turned to full conversation, some panicked, some intrigued, and many conflicting tones. And me? I was... terrified. I was afraid of what would happen when we got there. Until three days ago, some of us thought your skin would melt if you went to the Surface! I mean, it still might if you wait long enough! My fantasy of an ever expanding orchard was killed when SteelHooves called it a wasteland. And what about my condition? I could look after myself before. But now? I couldn't even go to the bathroom without needing someone to help me. I mean, Brandy bathing me has been fun, but what clean water could be found in a radioactive nothingness?

The idea of being up there, even with my two literal security guards at hoof, struck fear into my heart.

But it was easily assuaged when I felt Brandy's hoof on mine over the armrest. He gave me a worried smile that told me he knew what I was thinking. Then Dad's hoof was on my other one, and next thing I knew, we were three idiots with no idea what the hell they were about to do next.

The Overmare stopped waiting for the chatter to quiet. "We love who we love here in Stable Two. Unfortunately, over the past 200 years we have lost track of who's who down here." She sighed, and opened her mouth to speak a couple times, but struggled to find the words. "I'll be blunt, my little ponies: our Stable is at risk of becoming entirely inbred. That is why we will be moving to a relatively nearby location, where we will meet friendly ponies, from whom the next generation shall be born. An outpost, a fixer upper called Junction R7, which we'll all lend a hoof in turning into a great town, like the ones our ancestors would have lived in hundreds of years ago."

As the Overmare spoke, I felt Brandy hold tighter. Dad didn't seem much calmer. I was glad it wasn't just me.

Leaving the Stable. I was terrified. But they were too. And we would do it together.

***

I was in the public shower room with Brandy and that aforementioned friend of ours called Ellabelle, a ginger unicorn (freckles and all) with a light orange coat and purple eyes. She was there to help strike conversation between the three of us, but also because it was hard for Brandy to keep me sitting upright and sponge me at the same time, so her telekinesis was very helpful in getting the job done. Also, she was a lesbian, so it wasn't a problem for her to undress and redress me, or be here in the showers with a pair of boys.

Still didn't stop some of the other boys in here from being shy.

"So what do you make of us all leaving next week?" Ellabelle was prone to asking questions. She always sought more knowledge, which Brandy teased her for, calling her an egghead from time to time. She really was the clever one of the three of us, and I was glad to have her as a part-time carer, alongside Dad and Brandy.

Ellabelle was wearing my hat, as she was shampooing my mane, though she never showed any signs of hearing Suki. "Well I think it's a great chance to become the sheriff of the place," said Brandybuck. Always ambitious was he. More ambition than sense, really. He wasn't the 'stupid one' of our friend group, but I think it suffices to say that he thought with his gut before his head. Quite an opposite to Ella in some ways, really. Though we never let this get in the way of our friendship.

"And," he continued. "I think it would be a good opportunity for AB to settle down."

"Settle down? I'm not even in my mid-twenties. Once I get my hooves on a Trottin' Wheels I'll be good to go."

"Buck," Ella said solemnly. "You're in no condition to work. People will look after you in Junction whatever it's called."

"Junction R7," Brandy corrected.

"Exactly! You need to take it easy, Buck. Or else your mind will never recover, much less your body."

"My mind is fine," I said, a little too harshly. "Look, I know you two are looking out for me, but I can't spend the rest of my life off my hooves."

"Well you can't be a farmer, even if your legs worked. The soil is bound to be too radioactive for any plants to grow."

"We were not farmers!" we said together.

"Right, right, whatever, boys," she chuckled. Still. I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life jobless. On the other hoof, what jobs were there in my field that were within my abilities and OW OW OW OW SHAMPOO IN MY EYES!!

"Close your eyes, Buck. Jeez," Ella held the shower head over my head once she noticed my plight. A few rubs from my hooves shooed the stinging away.

Sigh. Again. I was doing better now than I was three days ago. I was still shaken by Sheer Kick and Buck. And my legs were still useless. But really, I was just grateful to still have ponies who could, and would, help me overcome this. I felt useless. But they didn't see me that way. More helpless than anything.

"Brandy," I asked. He looked at me. It always assured me when a friend responded with a look rather than words. It shows that you're close enough to not need words. "I'm sorry about the other day. Before we met SteelHooves."

"Oh, it's all in the past, AB. You were angry, and grieving. And you probably had a concussion."

"I'm telling you, I didn't, Brandy!" I said as politely as my temper would let me.

"Brrr! The Stable is under attack, Applebuck!" Ella mocked me by moving Suki on her head to make it seem like she was talking.

"You blabbed?" I yelled at Brandy. If he thought I was crazy, or that my head wasn't working properly, why the hell did he tell her what I was saying in my 'delirious state'? Oh, but it's okay, because at least two of us were laughing...

Ellabelle was a lovely mare. She had a contagious laugh which would make someone very happy one day. And as much as I wanted to be angry at both of them, her laugh was just too contagious.

We were all laughing like idiots while the water from the dropped shower head pooled at our hooves. Then something unexpected was said. "Heh. You two want to hear a secret?" said Brandy, through his laughter. "What?" We both said as one. He waved his hoof in front of him to call us toward him. Ella leaned in and, thoughtfully, shifted me forward with her magic as he whispered into our ears the words I wouldn't have guessed in a thousand years.

"I have the Stable override code on my Pip-Buck."

Silence. Then *plop* as I was dropped and landed on the floor.

"Brandy, what the fuck! You know how much trouble you could get into? How'd you even get that?" Ella's cursing was not uncommon, and though I'm not one for sailor talk, I was on the cusp of asking the same thing. As Brandy picked me up and sat me between his kneeling legs, my back to his front, he explained.

"They treated Littlepip's escape as a sort of crime scene all those weeks ago. When Security arrived, a butt ton of evidence was taken to see what happened so they could figure out why and how she did what she did. That was before the Chief told them what the Overmare told her: that the override code was a part of Sweetie Belle's belongings, and wound up on Velvet's Pip-Buck, then Littlepip's. As a part of all that evidence, the security recording of Pip leaving was stored on the security terminal network. And in that video..." he looked left and right, as though checking if anyone was listening. He leaned closer to Ella and whispered - I was loving the intimacy with him, by the way - "You can see her type in the code... CMC3BFF."

The code. I now knew the override code. CMC3BFF. Okay, Cake Making Contraption 3 Bratty Friends Fight. Wait, why was I memorising the code? It's not like I wanted to leave. And we were gone in a week anyway, so what did it matter? I didn't care. Not at all. Why would I? Nope. I didn't care at all. Nuh uh. Nope.

"Wanna see the Surface?"

"Yes fucking please."

***

That night, we knew what we were doing. Brandy, Ella and I were going to the Surface. But how? Sure, we had the code, but what about the guards? I was there myself when the Overmare gave the order to put a pair of guards at the entrance, and a hidden pair in case someone tried to incapacitate them. Not to mention the alarm would go off the moment that code went in. And what if the code didn't even work anymore? This was a stupid plan!

After Dad went to sleep, I managed, by some miracle, to slip myself into my wheelchair. Ella and Brandy met me outside my quarters at 2200 hours like we discussed earlier today. A simple nod was all we shared before we set off.

Now, Stable Two didn't have a curfew. No one cared how long you stay up, and many jobs, mine included, were being suspended for the time being for the sake of the workers' recovery. Three mischievous-looking ponies sneaking around in the late hours of the evening, however, was just asking to be stopped by a night-shift Security Officer for suspicious behaviour. But don't worry, we were only going against a direct order from the Overmare herself!

"Guys," I asked as Ella wheeled me down the hall. "I don't think this is worth it. We're gonna be out in a week anyway. We're just asking for trouble."

"Oh, don't be a square, Buck," Brandy said. "Besides," Ella continued. "it'll be educational. We can get an idea of what we're dealing with so that we can be better prepared for when we're out in it for real. "

I knew she was full of shit. I told her as much. Before they had time to reconsider what we were doing, we heard the hoofsteps of an Officer from around the corner of the hallway.

Brandy took off to take a peak around the corner. "Oh shit, it's Cuff. Her first instinct is to cuff someone who she thinks is up to something. If she catches us, we're screwed."

"Other way," Ella was about to move my chair. "Stop, I can't. My wheel's too squeaky." We were only five minutes into our mission, and we were about to be busted before even breaking the rules.

Brandy looked pensive. Never a good sign. "Don't worry," he said. "I've got an idea."

We were screwed.

We came around the corner in full view of the Officer. I was being wheeled by Brandy with Ella by his side now. "Going somewhere?" Cuff asked. She was one of the ponies I talked about who had a pair of sunglasses without the lenses. Not many ponies could pull off the look, but her tall frame, blue pony tail, security barding and glasses all clashed nicely, giving her that badass authoritive individual look. Her baton looked threatening though. And she always had a set of cuffs on her belt. Always.

Brandy looked cool and calm, but Ella and I were visibly nervous. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe it, Cuff. I caught these two... copulating in one of the shower rooms near the Atrium.

He was so dead.

Ellabelle and I, for as incompatible as we were, went pretty red at the suggestion of... 'copulating' with each other.

"Yeah, proper goin' at it, they were. I don't know who sounded girlier as they did it, but I put an end to their potential disturbance/indecency before it escalated. I'm taking these two to the Security Lounge. Applegreen is Applebuck here's dad," he nodded to me. "He'll know what to do with 'em."

Cuff stared at Ella. Then at me. I should have stayed in bed.

"Heh. You didn't join them did you?" Now Brandy went a slight shade of red. Good.

"Hah. As if. You know I'm a virgin, Cuff." Aaand Ella just went even redder. "Anyway, I need to get this one," he placed a hoof on my head "to his pop. And this one," now Ella's "to her mom."

Again, she just stared at him. I heard his gulp of nervousness. Brandy always had a little crush on Cuff; he wasn't good at hiding it, as he would go on and on about her sometimes, and it really bugged me that he never said those things about me.

"Fair enough." A 'phew' escaped all three of us, as she simply walked past us. "But just so you know, Brands."

We looked back to see her looking to us over her shoulder. "If ever you wanna lose that V card of yours. Gimme a call."

Now the only face that wasn't smug was Brandy's cherry coloured one.

***

Here was the plan: Brandy shuts off the Stable door security protocols with the terminal in the Security Lounge, meaning we can open the door without anyone knowing, then we make our way to the door, get past the guards, enter the code and... well... see the world for the first time.

I wasn't confident.

My attempts to persuade my companions against escaping, even if only for an hour, were futile. I could throw a hissy fit and put a metaphorical hoof down, but I knew that even if I were to go back home, they would just leave on their own. I didn't want my friends in danger. Not without me.

Ella and I weren't needed for the first part of the plan, so we stayed behind and waited for Brandy to return from disabling the security systems. To pass the time, I asked Ella why she wanted to leave early. She responded telling me that we'd be home by midnight, and that we weren't really leaving, at least not for good. Though I believed she was dodging the question.

"But why now? Why is it so important to see what's up there now?"

Her answer surprised me. "Because I want to experience the Surface for the first time with my best friends. On our own terms. With no one else."

I felt a flutter at hearing her call us her best friends. "Your best friends aren't colleagues from work?" She questioned if my best friends were from work, which was technically true, though I only ever really had one true friend, and that was Brandy. Everyone else was more of a mate. People I liked and got along with, but if it came between them and Brandy, it would be him, purely because he was beyond a mate. I supposed that meant Ella was a friend too. I definitely appreciated all that she'd done for me as a carer since my paralysis.

After a while, Brandy returned. With a great big smile on his face that brightened my day (my night, rather) to see.

"I am such a clever pony."

Modest.

***

Now was the hard part. The guards. Two out in the open, and two that didn't know we knew were there. Fortunately, Ellabelle had a plan.

Brandy and I watched from around the corner of the door room, where Ella simply walked up to the first pair of guards standing either side of the walkway down to the exit and said "Hey."

The guard on the left raised an eyebrow. The one on the right was less patient. "Ma'am, you're not allowed to be here. Please return to your living quarters, or I'm afraid we'll have to report you."

Ella stood on her hind hooves, ignited her horn and touched their noses with a hoof each. "Boop!" The guards fell to the ground without so much as a peep.

She looked around, waiting for the second pair of guards, then we heard snoring. It wasn't from the first pair of guards; the second pair were just lazy slackers.

"The coast is clear!" Doctor Ellabelle whispered to us, after snuffing out the other two guards and casting her sleeping spell on them. Oh yeah, I probably should have mentioned that Ellabelle was a Junior Doctor at Stable Two, hence why she was my part-time carer. It's funny the things that slip your mind when they make for a big reveal.

As Brandy and I approached the three ponies at the door, Ella had a smug look on her face at her handy work.

"Yes, very good," said Brandy. "but they saw you. And a ginger unicorn isn't exactly hard to spot in a crowd. Not to mention that only a Doctor Pony would be able to use a spell like that, so they'll be able to track you down in no time."

She went smugger. It wasn't a good look. "You forget, Brandy, while I am a healer, I also fill out paperwork and accident report papers. This means I have to have at least a bit of knowledge on memory magic, so I can interrogate patients on their accidents. Or in this case..." She held her horn to the sleeping couple.

*ZAP*

"I can erase a small portion of their memories; enough for them to forget their 'operation.'" Her horn was slightly blackened with a trail of smoke emitting from the tip, and she was breathing a bit more heavily. She was clearly showing off, and wasn't used to using her magic like this. "Now they'll wake up thinking they just dozed off."

Before I could even ask her if she needed a minute, she ran off to cast her spell on the other two guards, just to be sure. Brandy was at the controls. In went the code as he had a cheeky grin on his face. He turned to Ella and I, placed his hoof on the enter button, then before he could push it, he was stopped by Ella.

"The time is just coming up to eleven. My spell will last till about midnight, so we've got just about an hour to explore. Any more than that, and the guards will wake up, notice the door is open, then close it. If we're not on this side of the door by midnight, boys..."

"Then I guess we're off to Junction R7 a little earlier than expected," I finished.

"Then let's stop wasting time," Brandy pushed enter. Silence filled the room for all of three seconds, then the silence broke a second later with the sounds of the door being pulled back, then sliding across to reveal a pitch black tunnel.

We moved in front of the open door. Three friends, holding hooves, with no idea what they had just done, or what it all meant.

We started for the tunnel, and blackness consumed us.

7 - Rescue

Chapter 7: Rescue

Groggy eyes, yeah yeah. Chains this time. I didn't have a bed, just the cold, hard concrete of the SHQ basement floor.

"Hey," I heard Mixen's voice from my side as I stirred. I had a mild headache, but it was quickly fading. "Don't worry, you've only been out for about twenty minutes. Silver caught us. Now he's got Zulu and our stuff. They're most likely in his office. Any bright ideas?"

I tried to stand up, but found my hooves were bound in shackles. I activated my lamp and peered around, hoping to find Mixen's bolt cutters nearby. I did! But they were across the room, far out of reach.

I slumped against the wall in defeat. "Nothing. Not unless you've got stretchy legs that can reach all that way over there?" I pointed to the cutters.

She sighed. I took that as a no.

Teppie decided to speak up. "I don't know why I helped you, Mix. I should've kicked you out."

"Oh, will you shut up?" she replied. "Silver's your boss; he'll probably just let you off with a stern warning. How do you think I feel? He's gonna kill me. If he doesn't kill my brother first."

"No," he sighed. "Silver's gonna torture the two of you. The prewar bigot hates zebras. I have no doubt that Zulu's in his office getting flogged or something right now. It wouldn't be the first time. And he's probably wearing that hat of yours too, Applebuck. He's all kinds of fucked like that."

As much of a sexual fantasy as it was for me to see that zebra's plump ass bright red on the end of a whip, I hated the idea of my mother's hat being on the person doing it. Unless that person was me, I supposed.

I sighed. I couldn't believe it. Suki was taken. Silver needed her, but what for? I prayed she was safe. Suddenly, a thought hit me, and a spark of hope graced my heart. I asked Cuff if she could levitate the cutters, but she was wearing a magical inhibitor, so she told me. My hope was short-lived.

After about five minutes of convincing her to let me take a stab at it, and another five of me trying to pull, gnaw and bash the ring off of Cuff's horn, the only effect it made was her complaining about an awful hornache. And a few unkind words on my behalf.

No luck. We came here to save people. In the end, we only got ourselves caught. We should have gone for the necklace first, then the ponies. I hoped that after so long, Maamsir would just send Ella on her way scot-free, where she'd meet up with Dad and Brandy at R7.

I thought harder about what to do. But there were dead ends all around. Frustrated, I slammed a fronthoof into the wall. For a brief moment, a light blue shimmer and a crackle of sparks came from my hoof as it hit the wall.

I stared at my hoof. That magic… I hit the wall again, but no sparks came.

I calmly closed my eyes. I don't know why, but I held my hoof out without really even meaning to. I felt something inside me. It felt like... a special energy from within. It was like my mind, my spirit, and my body were merging into one harmonic being. I opened my eyes, and focused on the bolt cutters. A dim blue light started to form around them. But it faded. I closed my eyes and returned to my harmonic state. I heard the magic form around the cutters as much as I felt it. I imagined a rope attached to the cutters was slowly being pulled in my direction, and slowly, I heard the sound of metal sliding against concrete. After a brief moment, I opened my eyes as I felt the cutters bump against my hindleg.

"What the hell?" Mixen gasped.

"Buck?" Cuff asked in wonder. "You're not a unicorn?"

There were murmurs among the Security Ponies. I stared at my hoof. It was the same old hoof. Nothing special. Yet I realised it had a power I never realised before.

No. I did. My mind, spirit and body. It all came together and made... whatever that magic was. What kind of magic was that? Unicorn magic, so Maamsir said. But that didn't make any sense.

The brewster wolves. Whatever killed them, it wasn't Suki. It was me. I did something. This was the proof.

I didn't have time to ponder any further before Mixen grabbed my shackles at the chain in her wings, then pressed hard on the bolt cutters with her hooves. I imagined a unicorn would have had an easier time, but Cuff and the two other unicorn Security Ponies were unavailable right now. And I didn't think that I could replicate what I just did.

Finally, the chain snapped. Not long later, the other three were gone. Even being the strongest in the room, it took about twenty minutes for me to cut everypony's chains.

Well. Almost everypony. Unfortunately, Teppie decided he wanted to be a pain today.

"No! If I escape with you, the next time Silver sees me, he'll kill me! If I stay here, maybe I'll be lucky."

"Teps," Mixen was getting progressively more annoyed. "Wake up. You stay here, he'll take his anger out on you. You're fucked either way, so just come back to Fetch with us."

"I'll tell you what," I chimed in. "I need to get to Zulu and take back our stuff. You said they'll be in Silver's office, right? Can you show me the way?"

He scoffed. "Even if you have a death wish, I don't. Sorry, buddy. You're on your own. You too, Mix."

We didn't have time for this. I told Mix as much. "Right now, you and I should find Silver's office, get him out somehow, and rescue your brother and our stuff. We don't need Teppie for that. If he wants to stay here, that's his choice. But we need to go. Now."

"I don't care. He's my friend. Teps, please!" she pleaded. Luna, she had a good pleading face. "Teps, if you come back, I promise I'll get you another job. Fetchway'll protect you from Silver. You know that. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you!" I knew that look of guilt. I wore it myself from time to time.

"Then why won't you come back? Please? I don't want to lose you."

He clearly thought about it. I felt myself mentally pleading too. It didn't even matter to me, but it was clearly important to Mix. I hoped he would come with us.

He made a loud sigh. "Fine! Appledude - get me out of these." He presented his shackled hooves. "Before I change my mind."

After taking a minute or so to break Teppie out, we all established a plan. While the others hid in the basement, Teppie was to lead me to Silver's office. When we'd get there, Teppie would pull the fire alarm. As the building is evacuated, Mixen and the Security Crew would blend in with the rest of the staff and slip away undetected. Mixen would then lead the six Security Ponies into the Double Eff and escort them to Fetchway, where we'd meet up later. When Silver leaves his office, Teppie and I swoop in and save Zulu!

Assuming Silver ignores the alarm or takes Zulu with him… well… we'd have to improvise.

As Teppie and I started for the basement door, Mixen pulled me aside. "Bucky. If you're gonna go after my brother, watch your back. He will betray you. Don't take your eyes off him."

I waved her off. "I promise I'll look after myself. I just need to bring him to Maamsir. How hard could it be?"

"Bucky, he's not safe. You need to look after him just as much as yourself. Please, promise you'll bring him back safe."

Promise. That was a part of the Virtue of Honesty. If honest was what Mom wanted me to be, then that's exactly what I'd be. I looked Mixen straight in the eyes. "Mixen - I promise I'll bring Zulu back alive. You have my word."

"In one piece?"

"I'll try my best. I promise."

She seemed hesitant at first, but after a moment of consideration, she accepted that that was the best answer she would get out of me.

Teppie and I then made our way up the stairs, and wearily stepped out. I let him lead the way. I felt conspicuous trotting around with shackles on our legs. Thankfully the chains were completely cut, so at least they weren't making any noise, but the sooner we got the shackles off, or found a way to hide them, the better.

Teppie led me to the second floor, then the third, and finally, the fourth. We passed many hallways, not all too dissimilar to Stable Two's, save for the old, worn carpet, as opposed to the cold metal grates. After a few close calls with staff, we managed to find our way to Silver's office without being caught. All the other doors in this hallway lead to classrooms, judging by the interiors. Silver's office, so Teppie told me, was a repurposed staff room.

I placed my ear to the door of the former staff room as Teppie was on lookout. On the other side, I heard it. A sharp KERKRACK followed by a pained sound, somewhere between a yelp and a grunt.

Unlike the classrooms, Silver's door had no window, so sound was all I had. But sound was what was going to get Silver out of there. I turned to Teppie and made a 'pst!' noise to get his attention. I did a sort of hoofpump signal on the wall, the signal for him to sound the alarm.

Within seconds, Cuff's signal to escape was set off.

The whipping ceased. But the door stayed shut. Teppie and I had to slide into a vacant classroom in order to avoid any evacuating staff.

Mixen's part of the plan was all up to her and the Security Crew now. All I needed to do now was slip in there and get Zulu and our stuff. Presumably, the horn was in there too, but it was impossible to be sure. Unfortunately, Teppie had informed the Security Crew that their possessions were elsewhere in the building, out of our way. I felt sorry for them, knowing all their (admittedly few) possessions were likely gone forever, but this was a matter of freedom or… whatever Silver wanted to do with us… meaning we couldn't afford to go snooping around unnecessarily. And even if we could, we were two ponies and a zebra. Hardly capable of carrying all our own stuff as well as six other ponies' junk.

After a moment, I asked Teppie if he had seen Silver leave. No luck. I placed my ear against the wall, wondering if-

*KERKRACK!*

"Hrgh!"

Yep. Still at it. And that zebra's grunting was making me pretty red in the face. If I had my stealth cloak, I could maybe slip in and give Silver a quick knock on the head. But it was already in there. The key to getting my stuff, was my stuff. Typical.

"Any bright ideas?" I asked Teppie.

He looked around the room. About us was sciencey equipment like microscopes, whiteboards, and other eggheady stuff. The Newtpone's cradle sitting at the teacher's desk was pretty cool though. Sitting next to it was a terminal.

"Appledude. You any good with computers?"

"Hah! You're talking to the Stable Two Senior Pip-Buck Technician." Suki would have scolded me hard for the exaggeration, but it was technically the truth. "What do you need me to do?"

He grinned at me. I didn't know if I liked his mischievous smile, or hated it.

***

I sat before the terminal. Buck taught me how to access these things without knowing the password as a part of my internship with him. Usually we needed to know this in case some idiot changed and forgot their password back home. I never thought I'd be using my skills to break into someone's terminal for my own benefit, though. I figured Suki would see this as a moral grey area, considering the context.

I activated the terminal and produced my hacking tool from my barding. Evidently Silver didn't think to check our pockets when he locked us up. It's a shame I never learned those lock picking skills Buck said I should have, or else I wouldn't have needed the bolt cutters now on my barding's belt.

The terminal was no harder to hack than any back home. After a month of practice, I was pretty confident in my abilities. After a few failed guesses, though, I had to back out of the computer to prevent it from locking me out. After my second attempt, I was in.

I opened the messages option and scrolled till I found the profile I was looking for. My message to Silver's terminal in the other room read as followed:

'Dear Mister Silver Eyes,

Sir, what the hell are you doing in there!? There's a small fire and a gas leak from just across your office! Get out of there, sir!'

I hit send, and Teppie and I held our ears against the wall. I blushed slightly, being face-to-face with him, nearly at smooching distance from him.

We heard the sound of a terminal beeping. A grumble, and the whipping stopped. A moment later, he cursed, then swiftly started for the door. As I ran to our room's door, I saw him rushing with no zebra, but clearly with my hat. I panicked, and reached out, silently pleading he stop. My magic caused the hat to fall from his head, and I quickly hid behind the door before he could see me. When I poked my head out a moment later, both Silver and the hat were gone.

We knew we may only have had a few minutes before he got back, so we quickly ran to Silver's office. I gave a thankful prayer to the Goddesses as it was left unlocked.

As I stepped in, my eyes immediately found Zulu, facing a wall. He was chained again, this time with his fronthooves chained closely to the wall in such a way that he had no choice but to stand on his hindlegs. His rump, back and upper hindlegs were red, bleeding in some areas. (The whip that dealt it all was laid on the floor. It wasn't a slash-your-flesh kind of whip, but I still didn't envy Zulu). As his eyes found mine, I could tell he was on the verge of tears. It wasn't as hot as I imagined. It just felt sad.

"There. I got you where you needed to go," said Teppie. "I'm out of here."

As he started to leave, I stopped him. If I had someone watching my back, I'd feel a lot safer. I told him as much, but he wasn't having any of it. I watched as Teppie left the hallway, hoping not to have to lift both mine and Mixen's stuff, as I was left alone with Zulu.

Looking around Silver's office, I saw all our stuff slumped in a pile in a corner of the room, as well as what appeared to be Zulu's stuff too.

Swiftly, I claimed my saddlebags and equipped my cloak and revolver. I asked Zulu if he knew where the horn was, but he stayed silent. He was still writhing in pain slightly. I checked my saddlebags, then produced some gauze I had borrowed from Ella. I remembered her telling me they were enchanted with a pain relief spell.

I approached Zulu. "Hey, I've got some magical bandages here. They help stop the pain. If I wrap these around your injuries and free you, will you come back with me?"

He stayed silent.

"Either way, I don't have to bring you back. Maamsir said I get to keep this cloak if I do, but now I can just take yours and give him the spare. You really want to be stuck here until Silver gets back? Which might be any second now, by the way."

He looked conflicted. After a moment, he spoke. "What will they do with me?"

"Beats me. But Mixen wants to look after you. Maams will probably just take your stuff and let you off with a warning. I hope so, at least."

He looked conflicted again. He shifted, then squinted in pain. His cuts weren't bad, but they were everywhere. He eventually nodded, asking for the bandages.

As I stood behind him, I activated my new feet to stand on my hindlegs. Keeping my balance was tricky, but I was able to place my forehooves on his hips for stability when need be. I started wrapping the gauze around his back. The intimacy was nice. I almost forgot where I was as I enjoyed placing my hooves around his body. He seemed to relax a little, at least.

Next was… I blushed. "Just get it over with," he harshly whispered to me as I hesitated.

Hesitantly, I placed the end of the gauze on the top of his right flank. I trailed it along the bottom of his waist, leading it to the top of his other flank. One more loop around his abdomen, and I came across an obstacle. His black and white tail was in the way, and I was unsure if I should ask him to move it, or just move it myself. He took my pause as a sign to move it himself, and I saw stars! I had to look away for a moment to contain myself as I saw what I had been dreaming of for the past week and a bit. He grumbled, pressing me to carry on. A few painstaking seconds later, his rump was covered in the magical bandages. Thankfully, covering his upper legs was far easier, and within seconds, he was all bandaged up.

He asked about the chains, so I told him I had his sister's bolt cutters. After a minute of struggling with the chains, they were finally off. The instant that I took that second chain off, I wished I hadn't.

Immediately after he was free, Zulu pushed himself off the wall and barged me onto the floor. He stood over me as I was on my back, his muzzle inches from mine.

"I am not going anywhere with you, Stable Dweller!" he angrily whispered in my face. "I do not know how you found me, but I refuse to be the prisoner of that robotic chicken!" He pushed off the floor with his forehooves and stood up on his hindlegs, both of them spread, standing either side of mine.

As he stood, I saw my revolver was in his muzzle. I didn't even feel him take it! Before he had a chance to aim, though, I took my shot.

I retracted one of my hindlegs, then rammed my hoof into his groin. The gun dropped to the floor as he fell atop me, silently waiting out the pain.

I pushed him off me, stood up, and holstered my gun. I then pranced on the spot in panic, knowing he was gonna kill me once he got up. I hurried, searching the room. Maybe Silver had a few spare shackles lying about. I checked a nearby drawer, finding nothing of any use. I opened another drawer, and immediately stopped. In it was Twinkle, Brandy's cherished revolver.

Why was it here? How was it here? Did he drop it when the others were caught? I picked it up in my mouth. Before I had time to think, though, Zulu charged at me from across the room. Distracted, all I could do was panic as I sent a blast of magical energy into Zulu, sending him bouncing off the wall and out the room. He was out cold.

I looked through the doorway from my end of the room, and jumped as I saw Silver Eyes beside Zulu, still wearing my hat. He quickly looked in my direction, then smiled.

"That's one hell of a throwing arm you've got there, Stable Dweller." He said confidently as he walked in. He then rummaged through a large chest in a corner of the room and produced a large pair of shackles. No. It was two collars connected by a chain. "Either that, or you've learnt to use your magic. Am I right?"

I gave him a quizzical look, then secured Twinkle in my wrist strap. I didn't want to use it, but I had to be prepared. "You know about my magic?"

He answered with a demonstration. He closed his eyes in concentration, then a deep crimson aura surrounded the prone Zulu. He was effortlessly lifted into the staff room, then Silver clamped one of the collars around his neck.

I wasn't alone? That meant that Suki really did have nothing to do with my magic, right? Could all earth ponies secretly use magic, I thought?

"Earth ponies with magic. Who would have thought?" Silver smirked. "So how long have you known?"

"About my magic? Um. Just yesterday?"

He furrowed his brow. "Your parents never told you? Did they even know?"

"I'm pretty sure my Mom knew. But my Dad… wait, what do you know about it?"

"More than you can imagine, my friend. What's your name, Stable Dweller? Let me guess; it has the word 'apple' in it, right?"

"Uh… yeah… Applebuck..." How did he know that? My (only slightly) apple themed cutie mark was hidden behind my cloak. Was he able to talk to Suki, I wondered?

"Tell me, Applebuck, does the name Brandy have any meaning to you?"

Brandy? How did-? Oh. Crap. He was suspicious about what happened at Fetchway. "Well, yes, actually. He's a friend of mine. Do you know where he is?"

He chuckled. "I thought I heard something at the bar. So that must be a zebra stealth cloak, then. No, I have no idea where any Brandys are. I have six of your Stable Ponies in custody, though. I took names, but none mentioned that one. Unless they're lying.

"I meant no harm; I was under the impression they could help me find this." He tipped the brim of my hat. "I will release them now that I have it. Though I assume that's why you're here? That's what the alarm was for? A distraction so they could escape?" I was hesitant to tell him anything, but I think my silence told him enough.

"So why, then, are you after this stripe?" he asked a little harshly, tugging on Zulu's chain more than a little harshly.

"That zebra, he stole something from a friend of mine. A unicorn horn on a necklace."

"A thief. I'm not surprised." He closed his eyes again, then his crimson magic lifted the horn out from the inside of his armour, still on its chain, which was now hung around his neck.

"I have no need for this," he said, then he levitated the necklace to me. I stored it in my saddlebags. "Thank you," I said. "I also need Zulu. The person he stole from wants to see him."

He smirked. "Suffering the consequences of his actions. Serves him right. Do with him as you please." He casually levitated Zulu to the floor near me.

He then removed my hat and held it in his hoof. "I understand this hat probably has meaning to you, Applebuck. I'm sorry about your mother. But I need this hat more than you, I believe."

I was starting to get freaked out by how much he knew about me, for someone who'd never met me.

"It does, sir. Please, I can't lose it."

"Then I am sorry Applebuck, but I need this hat. It has magical properties I need."

"What for?"

He moved his mouth for a split second, but stopped, like he realised he didn't want to say anything. "I can't tell you, Applebuck. Look, I respect that this is important to you. I'm over 230 years old. I know a thing or two about sentimentality. But there are bigger things at play than this hat."

"Like what? What do you need her magic for?"

"Ah, 'her'. So I take it you've met the voice in this hat?"

"Wait, you can hear her too?"

"No, but I am familiar with her. I've been looking for her for centuries. Now, I finally found her. I am sorry about your Mom. I know it's a big ask for this hat that would have meant so much to her once.. But please, may I have it? For trade of a zebra and a necklace?"

I didn't even have to think before I knew the answer. "It's not about Zulu! It's not about a necklace, or a hat! It's not even about my Mom! It's about Suki! She isn't a hat, she's a person. She's not property. She's not a slave."

"Suki. Is that what they've been calling you?" He looked to the hat in his armoured hoof, then he looked to me. "I assure you, my friend, Golau will be perfectly safe. If I wanted her dead, the deed would already be done. Keeping her safe is the next step I need to take."

"For what! Why can't you leave her alone? I just want-"

"He doesn't care what you want!" Silver's attitude quickly changed. "Tywyll doesn't care! He just wants Golau! Suki! Whatever!" He sighed, rubbing his face with a hoof. "Look, I have a job to do. It's not up to me. Neither you nor myself is in control here, Applebuck. If you come with me, I might be able to convince him to let you help us."

"I don't want to help you! I want to help Suki. And from my point of view, you're kidnapping her! Why? What do you need her for?"

Again, he hesitated to speak. "I can't tell you. But I can tell you that Suki will be benefited."

"How will she be benefited?"

"She'll get her body back. Tywyll wants to…" he stopped again. "L-look, I can't promise you'll get your hat back in one piece, but I can promise no one will be hurt. Suki will return to her true form when Tywyll has her magic. From there, we all go our separate ways. I assure you, Applebuck. I'm not your enemy."

I was still sceptical. I didn't trust this pony for a second. "Can I at least talk to Suki about this?"

He simply stretched out his hoof with Suki on it. Several seconds passed, but Suki never spoke.

"Oh, right," I said.

"Oh?"

"I promised Suki we wouldn't speak to each other. That I would pretend I never knew she was sentient. Not until I'm ready."

He tilted his head. I must have sounded odd. He shook his head and replaced Suki on his head. "I'll send you and your stripe to wherever your Stable went. I'll handle Suki from here. When we're done with her, we'll send her to wherever you'll be staying. For now, I think we should get out of my office."

I was a bit confused with where I stood in this dilemma. Did I just win? I got what I wanted. I've got Zulu and the necklace. And Silver said he'd send me home. I won. But what about Suki? This seemed more important than her promise; so why didn't she speak? It didn't seem like she won. She'd break her silence if something went particularly wrong or particularly right, right?

Something was off. I could feel it. Maybe it was my magic telling me. Or maybe it was Suki.

"No."

Silver met my gaze. "Excuse me?"

"I said no."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean no. You're not having Suki."

He laughed through a sigh. "Applebuck, I have the best intentions on all sides in mind, here. Please don't get in the way of Suki's happy ending. This is what she wants."

"How do you know?" I pointed an accusing hoof at him. "Did she tell you? Because she seems more quiet now that she's with you than she ever was with me!"

"I've heard enough, Apple. Get out of my office, before I decide to keep this stripe for myself."

"He's not going anywhere with you! And neither is she!" Instinct overtook me, and I shot my hoof out and pulled Suki over to me with my magic.

"Give me that hat, Stable Dweller!"

I equipped Suki, then stood on my hindlegs and took aim at Silver Eyes. "You want her? Come and get her!"

Silver charged at me. It only took a moment for him to cross the length of the room. A split second before impact, a blue aura appeared around me and I disappeared. In the space of half a second I felt like my entire body was being pushed through a hole just barely my size. I then found myself standing right behind him. I yelled, flinging my arms in front of me, sending an even stronger magical release than the one that knocked out Zulu. Silver was sent straight into the wall. And kept going.

In half a second, the wall had a Silver sized hole in it, and a few moments later, the ground below had a Silver sized crater in it.

I panted. I was dizzy. I had to slap myself a few times to keep myself awake. Slowly, I was returning to my senses. I meagerly hobbled to Mixen's saddlebags, equipping them, then clumsily turned to see where I thought Zulu was. He wasn't there.

I abruptly felt cold metal forced against my neck. I quickly realised I was encased in Zulu's other collar. Just as quickly, the tension increased as the zebra threw me to the floor, pressed his hindlegs into my back, and pulled the chain with his frontlegs. My breathing was hard as it was; him choking me was unbearable. I pawed at my neck. Within seconds my face was turning blue.

Mixen was right. I got distracted. And Zulu took the murderous advantage. Suddenly, I felt the tension loosen, then it was gone. I inhaled deeply, then choked and coughed, struggling to catch my breath.

"What have I done?"

As I caught my breath, Zulu's words registered. He looked at my collar. "W-what have I done?"

Then I noticed it. And I found a bit of mirth noticing the stupidity of this zebra.

Zulu had trapped himself with me.

***

Leaving SHQ was easy, because we both had stealth cloaks. All we had to do was use our seconds sparingly, and stick close to hide the chain connecting our necks.

We found our way to the Double Eff without harassment. But as you can imagine, Zulu wasn't very compliant.

It was only about a two hour trot to Maamsir's, and the only reason Zulu bothered to follow me, rather than force me to go his way, was because I was the one with the gun. I was glad he didn't know about Twinkle, but I knew he'd check through my stuff if I didn't keep an eye on him.

Not much can be said about the return journey. Suki was as silent as ever, with no hope of answering any questions that had popped up. I asked Zulu if the names Golau or Tywyll had any meaning to him. Regardless of whether or not they did, he said nothing. In fact, he rarely ever spoke at all, only grumbling a quiet thank you after I noticed him hobbling on his cut legs and gave him a healing potion.

I tried again to converse with him. "Why did you steal this necklace?" I now hung it around my neck. I wasn't gonna risk him stealing it from my bags when I wasn't looking.

Silence.

"My friend Ellabelle taught me the word 'kleptomaniac'. That word seems to fit your description pretty well."

Silence.

"Someone was with Silver Eyes in Fetchway earlier today. She said you stole a 'memory orb' from him. What the heck is a memory orb?"

Silence.

"Can you do any tricks with the horn?"

An eyebrow raise! Finally, something!

"I am not much of a magician, even with a horn," he said. "but I have killed with one before. You had best stay on your guard, Stable Dweller. If I were to take that back, I would be able to crush your head, and slip it through that collar."

Could he really do that? Could the horn even do that? "Well, Maamsir said they didn't care if you were alive. I think you owe your sister a drink for making me promise to bring you in alive. Oh, wait. You already owe Petal a drink, don't you? A few maybe?"

To my surprise, he looked away in what might have been a semblance of shame. I didn't know he had any.

We walked for a while more, with only the radio filling the silence slightly (quiet, so as to not attract any wolves), then Zulu walked closer to me and stared at me. I muted the music, waiting for whatever he had to say.

"Thank you…" He couldn't look me in the eyes as he said it.

I looked at him questioningly. "For what?"

"I nearly got you and your friends killed. Then I became your problem again as you were sent to hunt me. Then I tried to kill you again. And the only thing that stopped me was the thought of having to drag you all the way back home. But despite that, you still helped me. Saved me, and healed me. I thank you. But why? After all I have done. I would have just left you."

Gee, thanks. It was because Mixen asked me, obviously. But why did I comply? Was it guilt? If so, what of? Disappointing Mixen? Suki? My mother? Maybe it was the thought that I'd be a bad Security Buck if I did the wrong thing and left him. Either way, doing the right thing just seemed… right.

"It's just right. That's what good people do. They're honest. And they help people."

"Honest. Hah. You will never meet a truly honest person out here, Stable Dweller. Much less a 'good' person. Whatever that truly is."

"I like to think I already have. But if I haven't, then the people of Fetchway are close enough. And if ever I find they're not, I'll always have my family. And they're exactly where I'm headed after I hand you in. In fact, you'll be reuniting with one of them at Maamsir's house. Maybe then you'll change your mind about there being no good people out here. Then again, you abandoned her to be kidnapped by raiders; she won't be too happy to see you, Zulu. I suggest you savour these moments while your biggest worries are the brewster wolves."

Silence. That shut him up.

***

We later spotted Maamsir's house in the distance. Which wasn't far, since we were in the Double Eff. As soon as he saw it, Zulu froze. I noticed a well hidden expression of fear in his eyes.

"Hey, they're not gonna hurt you. I promise."

"You can promise nothing. You know nothing of Maamsir."

"I know they help people. For a fee, yes, but no one in Fetchway ever said anything about murder or violence. And anyway, I'm the one with the necklace they want. If they don't promise not to hurt you, they aren't getting this horn."

"What if they lie?"

I paused. I realised I didn't know Maamsir well enough to judge that. I showered in their home. Ate their food. Accepted their gift of mobility. But I didn't actually know if I could trust them. Why did everything always lead back to trust!?

I sobered up. "If they lie, then you're coming with me, Zulu. You might be a thief, but if you're redeemable, you're worth my time. And my friendship. I promise. You won't be harmed as long as I'm behind the wheel, got it?"

He didn't respond. But he at least looked ready to accept his consequences.

***

"You… you actually did it??"

Maamsir gazed in wild wonder at the sight in front of their front doorway: a Stable Pony with a horn-necklace held in one hoof, a huge smile on his face, and a striped prisoner looking dejected, chained to him and pawing at the dirt with his hoof next to him.

"Eeyup!"

Maamsir didn't even get a chance to take in my response before Ellabelle appeared and ran up to me, embracing me in so tight a hug I felt like my back was gonna break again. We stayed like that for a moment before Ella let go. Then she raised the side of my cloak and got a good look at my legs. She returned her gaze to my eyes and told me how happy she was for me. I thanked her, but before we had a chance to talk some more, Zulu gave a loud 'AHEM' to get our attention.

"What is to become of me?"

***

I told Maamsir we couldn't stay long, as there were ponies waiting for us in Fetchway who needed to be in R7 before dark. I made them promise they wouldn't hurt Zulu, or else I wouldn't hand over the necklace. Maamsir said they promised, but Zulu didn't seem convinced. They hadn't answered his earlier question.

All my shackles were removed, but Zulu's neck shackle was still attached. Only now, he was chained from his neck to Maamsir's fireplace in their living room, where we could easily keep an eye on him.

"Zulu's sister made me promise to keep him safe," I said. "I understand he's a criminal, but you can't hurt him."

Maamsir chuckled. "Don't worry, AB. I didn't plan to. In fact, I had a better idea in mind. I noticed Ella cracked a smile. She knew something I didn't.

Maamsir opened a drawer and retrieved a thin collar. It was made of leather, hardly a method of entrapment, and had a circular clasp on the front. Maamsir gingerly approached Zulu. "I'm gonna remove your collar, then I'm gonna put this one on you. Capisce?"

Hesitantly, he nodded. I pointed Twinkle, now in my leg strap, at him. He was still. I hoped he would stay that way, because I was bluffing.

Off came the shackle, and on came the leather collar. It seemed to tighten around his neck on its own. It looked tight, but as far as it seemed, wasn't uncomfortable.

"This collar," said Maamsir. "is designed to make the wearer feel incredibly hot - as though in a desert - if their commander feels they're stepping out of line. In this case, your commander is noooow…" they pointed at me with a talon-gun. "Applebuck."

Me? A commander? Why? Ellabelle was a doctor! If anyone was in charge, it was her!

"What do you mean 'commander'?" I asked.

"Mixen asked you to look after him, right?"

I nodded.

"Then that's exactly what you'll do. If you feel he's stepping out of line - being violent, or stealing, or if you just feel like it - you simply say the word 'zeeb' and the collar will activate."

I furrowed my brow. "Uh… zeeb?"

We all looked at Zulu. It didn't look obvious, but his eyes looked to be quinting a bit, as though he were tired. He gulped, as his breathing picked up a tiny bit, but other than that, no physical indication that he felt hot.

"Zeeb! Zeebie zeebie zeeb! Zeeeeeeeb!"

Zulu collapsed. He was breathing heavily, his tongue sticking out of his mouth. He looked really uncomfortable. But I knew no harm was being done. At least I now had a way to keep him from running off without having him attached to me.

"Wait, why is he my responsibility now? I never said I'd look after him forever. I meant until I could hand him in."

Zulu recovered fairly quickly. Quickly enough that he thought he would reply first. "My sister will torture me with this. I will travel with you to Fetchway. You will hand me over to my sister and remove this collar. And we will go our separate ways."

Maamsir chuckled again. "Yeah, not gonna happen, Zulie. It's up to AB to take that thing off. Not you. Knowing that you'll suffer this humiliation makes it all worthwhile for me."

Zulu scoffed, seeing Maamsir's evil grin. "Whatever. Enby chicken."

Maams and I shared a look. "Zeeeeeeeb!"

Zulie (new nickname acquired!) dropped to his haunches and leaned against the wall, panting heavily. His blush looked adorable. I couldn't tell if the tears in his eyes were from emotion or his heat, but they added to his cuteness nonetheless.

"Won't that dehydrate him?" Ella asked, pointing to the prone zebra.

"Nah," Maamsir replied nonchalantly. "It's all in his head, so he doesn't actually sweat unless it's actually hot outside. So at least you won't be travelling with a smelly zebra, heh heh. You can pretty much do this to him all day with no negative consequences."

"I will tell you what negative consequences it will bring! It will piss me off!"

"My little zeebiiie, my little zeebiiie!"

An annoyed grunt, and plenty more panting. It looked unbearable. I was sure he'd think twice about stealing now.

"AB," Maamsir said. "As a part of your debt to me, I hereby declare that you force Zulu to travel with you until you decide he's ready to be on his own and not steal."

"But why me?"

"Because," Ella said. "We both know you won't abuse that collar. Use it whenever you feel you need to, but we trust you to use it correctly. Right?

I supposed I didn't really have much of a choice, much like Zulu. So I nodded.

Ella then reminded us that we were against the clock, so, swiftly, we said our thanks to Maamsir, collected our belongings, dropped off all that still belonged to them (barding, gun, Etc. Though Zulu and I were allowed to keep our cloaks, and I got to keep the gun strap.) and politely requested Zulu to follow. Unsurprisingly, he complied. Must have been my charismatic 'please'.

At Maamsir's front door, we all three looked at them. I walked up and held out my hoof. They bumped it, then gripped it, shaking it lightly.

"Good luck out there, Stable Dweller. Both of you. Get home safe."

"We will," I replied. "Thank you. For everything."

Ella now walked up. "I don't care if AB paid off 'the debt.' Our score will never be even until I make it up to you personally, Maams."

They smirked. "If that's what you want. A life debt is not an easy thing to pay off, you know. Heh heh heh."

They then embraced in a hug. The sight brought a smile to my face. Whatever wholesome friendship they formed today while I was away must have been special. I looked at the friend I had made today. He was tapping his hoof, eager to get as far away from here, and us, as possible.

Sigh. Zulu had a long way to go before I felt like taking that collar off. And something told me he wouldn't be accepted into Fetchway's community anytime soon.

Redeeming him was gonna be one hell of a job. But I didn't doubt for a second it was impossible. Right, Suki?

No response.