Author's Note

Attention: It is highly recommended to read Fallout Equestria: Lineage to understand half of the events.

An Angel Among Mortals

An Angel Among Mortals

In a strange, but familiar location, a pony sat at a wide expanse of terminals. A sprite bot accompanied the pony, hovering between monitors. The antennae on the bot blinked rapidly as it accessed data base after data base. The pony, wearing a straw hat and a tattered brown duster, was in a posture that didn't even look like he was looking on the screen. Yet, he could sense the bleeps and bloops that rang through the area like a casino arcade, only scientific. The sprite bot was playing a jazzy tune that seemed to accompany the decrepit and rusty surroundings they were in. Yet, everything was well kept. Behind the pony, was a big, cylindrical pod that had seen its' fair share of days. The glass window being foggy, but upon closer inspection, you could make out a silhouette of a pony. Yet, their attention remained on the many monitors before them. The sprite bot eventually blipped, making the pony flick his ears in its' direction.

"I take it you found something, Watcher?" the pony asked, his voice gruff and a little raspy. The bot turned to the pony and bobbed happily.

"Heh, it was only a matter of time. We just needed to decode through the encryptions and get past a few firewalls. All thanks to a special pony." the bot said through a small bit of static. The pony nodded and tipped his hat, looking over his shoulder to the cylindrical container.

"Indeed. What would Equestria be without its' light?" the pony stated. The big monitor over the two expansive metal doors crackled to life and the image of a pony playing cards with another pony, a majestic looking alicorn with a flowing mane, sipped some digital looking tea.

"Don't start getting philosophical now, Lyon." the pony in the monitor said as she placed a card on a tiny table before them. Lyon peeked out from under his hat and slightly cocked his head.

"Cards?" he asked. The alicorn pony spoke up this time.

"Yes! We are playing Blackjack!" she said. "I've only ever seen the Canterlot guards play them, but I could never find a time for some R&R." The pony nickered.

"Well, we have twelve and a half years of it." the pony said. Watcher zipped over to Lyon and crackled through.

"Speaking of, Little Pip. I know all is calm in the Realm Beyond. But maybe we could use some more... brain power?" the pony nodded and waited for the alicorn to play a card, which she did after a brief thought. Little Pip played another card before speaking.

"Hero of the Equestrian Wasteland. Even in death, I'm still around helping, aren't I?" She looked over to them and smiled. "Found this neat little audio file your dad left behind. Might clue us in on what he found out about his travels." Lyon nodded.

"Play it." Little Pip lifted her foreleg and tapped her digitized Pip-Buck. Another blip sounded and the overhead speakers crackled to life.

"In my years of traveling the Equestrian Wasteland, I have come to realize that conflict was always backed by those who deem to conquer it. That being of Security, whose journey was far more painstaking and telltale than any other ponies I've encountered. Quite an interesting character. Yet, she played her part just as the Lightbringer has. However, war will always come, no matter how impactful the sacrifices are or how strong their perseverance is. Hope would be lost. Innocence tarnished. Compassion a happenstance. Courage a fault. Sacrifies all for not. There needs to be more that needs to be done to this land. Some enjoy the new land. Others wished it dead. Most would focus on their own kin and people. And others deem to conquer it.

"This land of Equestria was bright, awake, vibrant. More than just rainbows and sunshine. From the Old World stories, it has many magnificent beauties that had been laid waste to ponies who thought they could control it. The zebra weren't the true cause, this we know. The ponies reaped and sowed their own ignorance. And like many wars before ours two centuries ago, a new one is on the horizon. I can feel it. Sense it quake in the land. It won't just be pony and zebra again. It'll be griffons. Zebra. Ponies. Kirins. The stray changelings. Their leaders. Their heroes. Their villains. Yes... a tale like in a story of war. Somepony had said to me that war never changes. And I hope that what I will do, I will not only get ponies to understand that meaning, but have somepony to walk that road.

"I need to get back to my deliveries. Post Box will be wondering where I am.

The audio file blips off. Lyon rubbed his chin, his expression covered by the dark shadow his hat casted over his glossy eyes. Watcher studied the pony. He looked a little paler and weaker than before. It hovered around him curiously.

"What are you thinking?" Watcher asked. Lyon waved his hoof slightly in a nonchalant manner.

"These audio recording must have been when he discovered Little Pip's pod. He must have spent quite a bit of time in here gathering as much info as possible. Even stealing the data off of Security and Little Pip's Pip-Buck." The alicorn in the monitor frowned.

"He was quite a rude pony. Couldn't let the dead rest, could he?" she said with a dismissive whinny. Lyon nodded.

"But there is still no real motive reason to why he chose this path. It just sounded like he had wanted to do it for a long while. But I have no idea of his foalhood, let alone any remnants of his past." The Watcher chuckled.

"Well, we can go down Lineage Lane?" he stated. Lyon peeked out from under his hat again, eyeing the sprite bot.

"What are you implying?" Lyon asked stoically and nigh emotionless. Watcher bobbed softly.

"We just dig a little deeper. Say, the Great Beyond?" Lyon went quiet, shifting his head back to facing straight ahead at the monitors.

"To walk the road that was intended for somepony else? Perhaps... but their aftermath left the island shattered and nothing more than a crater. What's there to find anymore?" Watcher took a moment, unsure of how to respond to an idea flopping. But Little Pip spoke up through the monitor.

"Well, there are still plenty of audio files that I can have Blackjack help with." she said. "Most of them are just Twilight dating and talking about an interesting theory or subject she read from a book half the time. And the creations of the Gardens. And her... depressing self-talks. B-But that is beside the point. If we can just fan out and look for the right files, I'm sure something will come up about your father's ambition or just something that will give us a clue as to why he started his road." Lyon stood up and nodded.

"I'll join you in a bit. I need to have a bit of time to prepare." His horn glowed and a bright rune blinked behind him. The magical circle swirling with its' intricate design. He stepped through the rune and it blinked. The pony was gone. Watcher sighed and turned to the two ponies on screen.

"I guess we should take a break for now. I kind of want to check up on something." he stated. Little Pip nodded as did the alicorn. The alicorn spoke.

"Ah! This is so much fun! I kind of feel like a detective!" Little Pip rolled her eyes playfully.

"Easy there, princess. Let's conserve our power for now and get back into it after." the alicorn nodded and the monitor flickered to a screen that read Offline on it. The Watcher hovered silently. Through the bot, the purple dragon stretched as much as he could in his tiny space. He frowned and looked around, flicking the joystick in his claw in focus of switching the monitors.

'I need a new living space soon.' he stated in his head. As amazing as it sounded, he still couldn't leave his cave at the moment. He had to focus on finding out more about Lone Road. The Courier One that has stirred dead heroes into trying to unravel a mystery of himself. He stopped as his monitor flicked over to a screen that showed the sprite bot passing through a settlement. He stopped it and turned to read the sign above the entrance.

Wheatfield Acres

I stirred awake, feeling rather well rested. I shifted over onto my back and sat up, the blankets dropping from my chest. I stretched, grunting from the pleasant feeling of rest and stiff muscles. Once I got out of bed, I walked my way to the wash room. While the building I lived in has seen better days before, I did my best to keep everything clean and tidy. Especially the wash room.

Being a surgeon, the blood and bodily fluids tend to make quite a mess at times. I thought about this, washing my hooves in the sink with a frown. There is one thing I can’t stand, it’s the fact that someponies like to blacken their insides with chems and harmful substances. It made some incisions and, if I am to be frank, surgery a lot more difficult than it should. But I would complain more if I was just any normal surgeon.

When I was a filly, I had quite the hawk eye for things. My father was proud of me for having felled three Bloodsuckers, nasty irradiated mosquitos, down near the EMIT in the Common Wealth to harvest blood sacs for medical purposes. Ahh, EMIT. Equestrian Medical Institute of Technology. What had once been a mutant ridden facility, became a valuable resource of studying more on the pony anatomy. Thanks to the help of quite a few figure heads that retook the Medical Institute, upcoming doctors in training or those that already practiced well in the arts found it a good place to preserve and archive new and old discoveries.

And with the help of a few ex-Applejack Ranger Scribes, they managed to copy as much medical books as they could and fixing the old technology that used to be active two century ago. Oh my, it’s been a long while since I’ve been in the Common Wealth. Can’t believe it’s been well over seven years. But it’s what mom and dad would have wanted. They were proud to see me begin my own office in the Empire. I was an excited mare, with rifle on shoulder and my journey across the beginning of the Lightbringer’s work.

Yes, I will admit, The Empire isn’t at all an ideal place for habitation, but the ponies here adapted well. What with all the snow and blizzards that tend to happen. The only good change of environment here is the curious ecotone border that divides the Frozen North and The Strip. Having been to The Strip a few times, I can safely say, passing by the actual Las Pegasus, it definitely was an impressive city of envy. Yet, Mr. House, a title more than a name in The Strip, couldn’t compare to the real House. But I do applaud the pony behind it for capturing the near similar identity. Just as ruthless and cunning.

I found my well rested mood beginning to shoot down as I had gone from washroom to throwing on my apron and fashioning my mane into a bun. The thought of the Empire’s Mr. House is not a pleasant thought. In fact, it really began to bother me. But I pushed it aside for now, wanting to get started on several appointments that were made.

I trotted down the stairs from my room down the hallway. Upon walking past lined sepia pictures of my home in the Common Wealth and my parents, I walked through the doorway and entered a lobby. I had benches installed for waiting patients and lounging chairs for those that wanted a little something homier for traveling, what I call, Road Warriors. Believe me, the couriers that wander the Empire always loved to “find themselves” in clinics more often than not.

But like the great Hippocrates, I took up the mantle of aiding those in need, no matter how dire. Even our resident Road Warriors who can be quite the mix of personalities. I’ve met many couriers on their endeavors when on duty, each their own issues and health problems. Some felt the need to get up from the operating table with half their organs still out in the open. Which is a miracle in itself. But also, quite the annoyance. Which is why I’ve gotten ahold of some great medicinal herbs that will knock out even an Ursa Major. It’s quite harmless, I assure you. Though… some side effects are a little… psychedelic? As amusing as some personalities are under the affects, I’ve thought I’ve done a pretty decent job at mending their wounds.

And if it isn’t our Road Warriors, it’ll be our resident gun totting enthusiasts. I sighed at this thought. Too many self-injuries over who has the biggest heat. It’s a wonder why Wheatfield Acres is home to so many doctors and surgeons. Yes, I am not the only medical pony in the settlement. But, I can’t help but chuckle to say I am the best one there is. The Road Warriors and some of the locals have begun to call me Angel. Saving them from the brink of death more times than I can count. They call it a miracle, but I call it elementary. It is sad to say that I do not hold a streak of saving pony’s lives.

There have been occasions where I have lost many under my care. Due to dire circumstances, or unable to revive them no matter how hard I tried. It was a challenge I was willing to accept, but damn me if it isn’t demoralizing. Even worst is having to deal with the paperwork after and relaying the messages via courier to their next of kin… if they have any of course. I am sorry, I do tend to get lost in my own thoughts, but it does help me focus more on my job.

And after clicking on the neon “Open” sign at my office’s window, I couldn’t help but notice already a few patients waiting outside. I frowned and opened the door, the bell ringing as I motioned them inside.

“Really now, you all need to not harm yourself more than you have. I’ll get the fire going, but please, I can charge you so much more if that is what you all desire.” The variety of ponies exchanged glances, each having worse for wear winter barding as they filed in the clinic. I sighed and shook my head. If it’s one thing about Frozen North Empire ponies, they are quite the stubborn bunch.

The day went by like any other. My time away from the clinic hasn’t dwindled my skills as a surgeon. Quite the adventure I had for a time. I do wonder what became of my dear friends. I haven’t heard a single peep out of them. I do hope they are okay. After sewing up the last of my clients, I took some smelling salts and woke the pony up. The pony grunted and looked around groggily.

“Huzzabawah?” The mare slurred. I smiled as I went to the sink and washed my hooves.

“Rise and shine~! Your wounds have been disinfected, treated and I patched you all up.” I said. I could hear the mare shift and groan before speaking, gratitude in her voice.

“Urgh, my head is dizzy. But… thank you, Angel.” I rolled my eyes playfully.

“Honestly, I’m not saint. Just doing the best I can. Now then, off you go. And don’t get yourself injured or killed on the way out. My charges increase on visits per day.” The mare nodded.

“Noted. Thanks again, doc.” She said before trotting out of the clinic, looking much better and no worse for wear than when she had entered before. Having cleaned my hooves and sterilizing my equipment after washing them off, I reorganized my tables and took the mop with my magic. Cleaning up and around the operating table, I put everything away and went to my clipboard to see any more patients.

‘Let’s see… got a couple of couriers that are on their way to get patched in the evening. Have a patient appointment at 8 tonight. Other than that, I have done my tasks for the day. And with a register full of caps, I can help myself to the shooting range!’ I felt giddy, thinking about the shooting range in town. It always felt stress reliving to fire off high caliber rounds. Yes, I am not a mare that enjoys little guns. I prefer the whole package.

Nothing beats the feeling of a heavy LMG vibrating in the air in my magic. I could feel the serotonin flow back through me. I’d even hone my hawk eye with a .50 cal anti-material rifle. The force and punch it had. Just felt right down to the sensitive areas. Yes, I love big guns. But I prefer bigger rifles. And nothing more enjoyable than spending those oh so satisfying moments with my dearest and oldest childhood friend, Dusty.

‘Speaking of, I wonder if he is going to be at the range today?’ I thought. Thinking now would be a good time to go on a break, I clicked the neon sign off and placed the “On Break” sign at the window. I went up to my room, shifting through my wardrobe. Among the pre-Rarity dresses I adored, none were fit for winter travel or weather. Spying my mother’s old bomber jacker, I smiled and pulled it out. While my dad was a good doctor himself, my mom flew Vertibucks. She was quite the young and fiery pilot in her days.

While I knew nothing of arial flight and have more of a knack with doctoring, I can’t help but smile that I inherited her hawk eyes from her. She told me a few dog fights she had with Applejack Rangers and how she was called the Blue Barron of the Skies. Her blue painted Vertibuck a challenge to any who dared contest her in the skies. She still has her Vertibuck resting in the bigger shed outside their homestead. It was quite the marvel to me when I was a filly. Mother would spend half her time in there working on her pride and joy.

My parents were proud to have me as their daughter. And I can’t help but caress my mother’s bomber jacket, wondering the many tales it had seen. I threw on the jacket and buttoned it before digging through the drawers and withdrawing a comfy pink scarf. Over the years of working in the Empire, I feel I have adapted well to the weather here. But it still gets pretty nippy for me. As I gathered my saddle bag and walked to the door, I heard my door open, and I froze.

I narrowed my eyes and looked to see a pony had stepped in. I then beamed when I felt my heart sing with joy. It was a stallion. But not just any stallion. It was my stallion. He stepped into the building and shivered. He shook himself of the snow and met my eyes. I could tell mine have grown bigger as I admired his neatly quaffed hazel nut mane, his charming and handsome smile. Those spectacles protecting such a luscious pair of emerald eyes. And the quite fashionable merc wasteland wanderer outfit that perfectly accompanied his rustic hide.

The stallion then shivered and sneezed, sniffling as he rubbed his muzzle, adjusting his glasses back up on his muzzle.

“H-hey, Lee. S-sorry to bother, but can I warm up by the fire?” He asked. I blinked, snapping out of my daydream and hurriedly nodded.

“O-oh yes, of course! I’m sorry, Shining Star.” I rushed over and helped him to the fire, seeing his rather confused look as I dragged him along and placed him in front of the fire. “Are you okay? Do you need something to eat? Drink? Maybe a little more warmth?” I said this as I cuddled up to him. Shining Star gave me his handsome smile, though… I was certain he was giving his best smile he could to me.

I know I’m a bit of a worry wart. Sue me, okay? Shining Star then wrapped a foreleg around me and kissed my forehead.

“Missed you too.” He said, his smile no longer awkward. I smiled and kissed him back.

“How were your travels? Did you find anything interesting?” I asked. Shining Star rubbed his chin in thought.

“Quite a few, actually. But we can discuss that over lunch.” He said with a grin. I nodded as I stood up.

“I was just on my way to the shooting range to meet up with Dusty. I’ve been worried about him, so I want to check up on him and shoot off a few rounds.” I said as I began to trot towards my door. Shining Star stood up, having appeared to be warmed up enough (thanks to my professional cuddling) and trotted after me.

“Been needing to get my carbine adjusted a bit. I was on my way to Swashington’s Tail Armory to handle that.” I frowned and when I looked back at Shining, he shrunk back a bit. “Wh-what?” I sighed and shook my head.

“The better service would be Ironshod. You shouldn’t do business with thieves like Swashington.” I said. That name has always left a sour taste in my mouth. Ever since they showed up in town a few years ago and quickly began the go to place, I’ve found it to be a bitter after taste. I never understood why everypony thought they were the better option than Ironshod. I mean, we have a giant factory of it still in working order. In fact, it is the heart of the town about a good walk away from here.

Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that the heart hasn’t been beating lately. My worry for Dusty grew. Shining pat my back.

“Come on. You’ll feel better after firing off a few rounds with Dusty.” He said. I gave a small smile and we trotted out the door and into the snow.

It was that time of the week. What the ponies of the Frozen North would call “Sun Day” being the only day where the Empire is exposed to the sunshine. It was quite a beautiful spectacle as the snow glittered like crystals around them. The angel rays dotted the horizons beyond the mountains and hills. Wheatfield Acres was usually busy during the one day of the week. But I couldn’t help but notice the quiet air in the place.

“Just this morning I had several patients on the table. And now, it looks like no pony is busy.” I stated with a curious furrow of my brows. Shining Star stopped and gulped a bit, motioning ahead of us. I looked ahead and my jaw dropped. There were several bulky looking robots on one wheel. The monitor screens having gruff looking cartoon soldier pony faces. I noticed ponies that were doing some shopping did their best to avoid any contact or confrontation of the mechanical beasts. What was even more terrifying was that they were spread out and standing guard in front of the Swashington building. I groaned.

“Uhh, Goldenlee, I don’t mean to be a bit of a downer, but maybe we should just head back to the office and have lunch there.” Shining said. I shook my head and marched up to the mechanical creature.

“Securitron, as a concerned citizen of this settlement, I demand to know why you are here.” I said, taking Shining by surprise. The Securitron faced me, the metallic commanding voice of the cartoonish soldier pony unmoving.

“Citizen, please mind your activities in the vicinity. Strip business is currently ongoing.” I cocked my head.

“So, what does Mr. House want with Swashington?” I asked. The Securitron responded as I expected.

“Please, return to your daily activities. Nothing to see here.” I looked over my shoulder to Shining. He looked a little like deer in headlights. He can brave the dangerous enviornments of the Empire’s lost relics, but confrontation isn’t his strong suite. But I do remember him having quite the way when it came to robots. I motioned my head at the Securitron and he looked at me, at first confused before realizing what I was getting at. He cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“E11 C83 D10 LK7.” He said. The Securitron was silent. Me and Shining looked at it in anticipation. When it seemed like nothing has happened, the Securitron suddenly jolted, making us back away from it a bit.

“Bzzzt - Bzzt Bzz-zzzt - zzzt.” It hissed smoke from its’ sockets before rebooting up and the Securitron jittered. “What is it y-y-you want to a-a-a-ask?” Shining Star looked past the Securitron, noticing that the others were on standby, guarding their positions. He then smiled and nodded to me. I cleared my throat and spoke.

“I just want to know what Mr. House’s Securitrons are doing around Wheatfield?” I asked. The Securitron seemed to have fixed its' bug in the voice box as it responded to my question.

“We are on duty to escort an ambassador to Mr. House. He is scheduled to overlook the transferal of ownership of Ironshod to Swashington Tail.” I balked. Well, there goes my afternoon. I grit my teeth in worry. Shining Star eyed me curiously.

“I take it you want me to cancel your appointments and clear your schedule?” He asked. I was already quick on the draw as I took off galloping past the Securitron, not stopping as they expressed dissatisfaction with my galloping.

“Shining, cancel my appointments and clear my schedule! We’re going to see Dusty!” I shouted back.

“No running.” One Securitron stated. Shining Star was right on my heels. He’s quick in adapting to sudden changes in the situations. It’s one of the reasons I don’t worry too much about him. That and I already chastise him enough when it comes to him being reckless. But he’s cute when he gets nerdy about relics he finds.

We darted through the streets of Wheatfield, heading towards an offsite building I know of that Dusty uses when he’s not in Hoofton. I wasn’t slowing down for a second. When we arrived at the front door of the tall red building of the Ironshod office building, I hadn’t noticed the Securitrons outside. My tunnel vision focused on the doors before I found two 9mm submachine guns pointing at me. The Securitrons looked down at me as I didn’t move a muscle.

“You are trespassing on House property. Please leave or we will escort you by force.” I took a deep breath and backed away from the gate, Shining Star finally catching up to me as he panted and wheezed from running. I nudged Shining with my hoof.

“Make them let us by.” I whispered to him. Shining took a moment to gather himself before managing to speak.

“I… I can only do it once every day now.” He rasped. He took a gulp of breath before continuing. “Ever since their hardware was updated, the firewalls are quick to catch on. There’s a grace period for every time I bypass them. If I do anymore throughout the entire day, I’ll most likely be vaporized.” He took his final pant before rightening himself and adjusting his glasses. I gave a small pouty puff of my cheek at the Securitrons.

“Well, damn it all. How am I going to see Dusty?” I asked, thinking over ideas and scenarios. Shining Star looked at me coolly.

“He could be in the town, and you were too worried about him that you may have bolted by him.” He said. I flushed and rubbed the back of my neck.

“M-maybe… Err, I shouldn’t have gotten ahead of myself.” I stated with a bow of my head. Shining lifted up my chin to meet his eyes. His smile making my heart flutter more than it should.

“I’m sure everything is alright, Lee. Let’s just head back to town and look around.” I sighed and looked up at the building.

“I never could get an audience with House. It’s why I left in the first place. How I met you.” I said, sounding defeated. Shining nodded.

“Indeed. It was quite the adventure. Braving the Enclave. An entire changeling kingdom. Managing a prison carrier. Or a bit of it at least. Even tackled the wilds of the Frozen North and The Strips. But if I recall, you did tell somepony that you’ll have to face the inevitable.” I nodded. He was right. With what me and our friends have been through, it did help clear the air about this situation. But it’s been six months since then. It was quite the surreal situation.

I can remember it clearly. I was standing next to Shining. Our strong, silent and stoic demolitionist, Brick, was standing next to a tiny insect looking pony. No more than a colt, the changeling was such a brat towards me at times, but he is a child who was scared and alone. Next to him was a hulking timberwolf that sat obediently, as if it was staring at the spot and whining as if it just lost a dear friend. In front of them was a silver colored pegasus, her mane glinting like the snow as the sun was peeking out and the angel rays descended on us. She had tears trickling. Down her eyes.

We all stood together, staring at a worn and tattered looking Old World flag, billowing on top of a hill. Behind us, I could remember looking back and seeing s crowd of ponies. Most of them couriers. Some, residents. The town behind them laid quiet. As I looked back, I noticed that Brick, our stoic and silent demolitionist, suddenly contorted and then vanished. It was like we were frozen in a picture. I looked back and saw that the crowd of ponies, save for a few, remained exactly as I have remembered them. I then looked back ahead and saw, what the Empire has begun calling it, The Ghost of the Wasteland. The dark, ominous shade stared at the ponies. Its’ eyes eventually fell on me. I heard a soft gulp and looked to see Shining Star, moving and staring directly at the shade.

“G-G-Goldenlee… where are we?” He asked. I blinked in confusion. So… this wasn’t a dream? My quizzical look made him shrink a bit. “O-oh, good. So, I’m not the only one that is seeing it. I-I-I thought it was just a myth.” The shade seemed to make a gesture, but the figure was hard to make out. It was a pony, for sure. But I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. It felt familiar, but I can’t rack my brain around it. Shining continued.

“S-s-so what happened to Brick?” He asked, shivering uncontrollably. I gave him a worried look, but I found myself a little terrified as well. We couldn’t completely move. Just our heads. Our heads suddenly shot forward and stiffened as a pony walked past us. A tattered duster and a straw hat covered his figure.

“You still have a long way to go. Even if you meet them, they can’t understand you, yet. You reconnected with the Walker. But these ponies still do not remember you. You shouldn’t rush this. You’ll only hurt them.” The pony was talking to the shade. The shade seemed to quiver and contort. I tried glancing to my lover, but I could only sense that he was unable to do anything either. The pony then looked back over his shoulder, a glossy eye peeking out from under his straw hat and looking at us. “The Angel and the Hunter. The Lost Wanderer, the Lone Wolf and the Exiled. I understand you want to reach out to them just like you did the Walker, but I cannot let you interfere this time. You can, however, observe them.”

The shade quivered again. A small smile creeped under the straw hat. It only made things rather terrifying. Where even are we? This was all too surreal. Were our memory of this moment being manipulated? How? How is this possible? My concentration on trying to move anything was broken as the pony stepped towards us, his horn glowing. I gulped and stared terrified back into my own reflection that looked back at me through his glossy eyes.

“You’ll return to her, soon. For now, somepony needs you more than The Ghost does.” There was a blinding flash of bright light and me and Shining Star found ourselves back in front of the Ironshod factory. We took a moment, gathering ourselves as we tried to think about what happened. We looked around before exchanging each other knowing glances. Something had happened to us. And the fact we could remember it made it even more terrifying. Shining Star was the first to break the ice.

“I-I’m going to have nightmares about that.” He said with a weak smile. As relieved as I was to see us okay, something else compelled me to look ahead. Out from the door was a vanilla-colored stallion, his brown mane slicked back into a cow lick. His brown rarity suite clean and professionally tailored. I smiled and trotted over to the pony, stopping only upon seeing a certain mare. Her pink hide beneath a pre rarity suite herself, a blond mane and a smug looking expression on her face. It made my blood boil.

This mare has been a thorn in Dusty’s side ever since she renovated that wagon body shop into a Swashington Tail Gun store. Swashington have always been shady and cutthroat when it came to business. And they made no hesitation to target Dusty’s business. Eventually, the espionage caught up to him and he had no choice but to go down with the ship. This mare may not be the root cause of his downfall, but she is a representative of it. And the smug proud look she had on her face just looked very disgusting on a mare. I felt a hoof pat my shoulder softly and I turned to see Shining smile reassuringly to me. I sighed and nodded. As preposterous as this whole ordeal is, even if I tried to fight it, the end would be the same. The House always wins.

In between the two was a very unusual Protect-a-pony. It had the design of a Securitron, but it had a dome like head that lit up when it talked, if I could recall. I remember a long time ago asking Dusty why he was keeping such a disturbing tech freely roaming around.

“Chipper just wants to bring moral to an all-time high with the employees. He’s quite the helper.” He would say. I never really liked “Chipper”. What with the cartoonish smiling pony face that looked way too happy than the room had. “It’s just his default expression. He’s supposed to be programmed to change expressions depending on the situation. One of Mr. House’s special designs.” Dusty would say. Shining looked at me worriedly and broke my train of thought, as well as my dagger staring look at the robot, as I noticed Dusty excusing himself and trotting over to us.

When he got close, I smiled and threw myself onto him a big hug. He smiled and hugged back before we pulled away.

“Goldie! I had a feeling you’d show up.” He smirked. I flushed a bit but nodded.

“Oh, you know me, Dusty. Saving lives and checking in those that matter.” I said. Dusty nodded before eyeing Shining. He gave him a grin and a wink.

“And what’s your name, handsome? Friend of Goldie?” Dusty asked. Shining shifted a little uncomfortably at the look.

“Err… Shining Star… I’m uhh…” He seemed to lose his words and I rolled my eyes playfully.

“Forgive him, he tends to be a bit shy around new ponies unless it’s a dire situation. Dusty, this is Shining Star. Suave and handsome relic hunter.” I teased. Shining blushed through his glasses and adjusted them nervously. Dusty eyed him up and down before giving an approving nod.

“So, this is the relic hunter you talk about. I remember seeing you once. For a brief moment. I believe you were passing through with a group of others.” He said. Shining nodded.

“Yes. Lee tagged along to help you settle the dispute with House. Though uhh… I can’t really remember what happened in between that and finding myself staring up at an Old World Flag on a hill.” He said. I frowned as well and nodded.

“A very unusual event. I have no idea what we were doing there gathered like that.” The images of the shade flashed before me. It came as a bit of a shock as for a brief moment, I felt like I was being watched. Shining seemed to experience that same feeling as we looked around, making Dusty raise a concerned brow.

“Everything okay?” He asked worriedly. I slowly returned my attention to him after scanning the street down further.

“Err… Dusty! I remember why I came here! Shall we grab some lunch?” I asked, hoping that it would shake off this sudden paranoia. Dusty nodded but glanced over to the Swashington mare talking to Chipper and a couple of Securitrons.

“Actually, we had just finished up the ‘planning talk’. We are breaking for lunch right now. I’m afraid I can’t join you.” He smiled at me. “Maybe tonight for dinner? You can invite your friend here, hopefully?” He winked at Shining. Shining nodded.

“I wouldn’t miss dinner.” He said. That seemed to brighten Dusty’s day a little. Which made me feel relieved that Dusty would enjoy a brief respite from all of this. I then looked over to the Swashington gal talking to Chipper. I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes. Was she acting a little… suspicious? I could see the nervous look she gave as she looked over her shoulder, eyeing the area suspiciously. Didn’t help that Chipper seemed to change from happy to an animated nodding expression. Her eyes met mine and gave me a knowing look. I heard Dusty clear his throat.

“Ahem. I shouldn’t keep them waiting. Got to do the transferal papers today after lunch.” I furrowed my brows. Something wasn’t right. Nothing sat well with me. And it’s not me thinking about fighting House on this. I had a feeling today was going to be a long day. I then turned to Dusty and smiled.

“Why don’t we join you for lunch? We can stop by the Cantina. I could go for Frost Deviled Eggs.” I said, my stomach embarrassingly growling at the thought. Though I tried to keep a positive and lady like air about me, sometimes it felt great to just let the professionalism drop from time to time. Shining nodded.

“Could go for an omelet myself.” He said. Dusty looked between us.

“Are you sure? I don’t know if they’ll allow ‘citizens’ in on the transferal.” Dusty said worriedly.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it!” A voice said. We looked to see Chipper roll up to us. It looked even unnerving up close. The cartoonish pony smiling from one end up to his ear. “In fact, I think more ponies for lunch would be delightful! Mr. House would think so too! Makes him feel a little more at home if more were in attendance.” I shivered, not liking every red flag I was getting about this day. Shining cleared his throat before speaking.

“We would be delighted. This’ll be a great chance to ease the tension.” He said. The Protect-a-Pony gave a garbled chuckle before replying.

“Indeed! With tensions being high now more than ever, it’ll do wonders for every party involved! Once you have your food, come meet us back here and we’ll go over the process of transferal!” And with that, Chipper turned and began rolling away, swinging its’ limbs in an upbeat manner. I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

“I hate that robot.”

We sat in an office space, the wallpaper peeling and the red rug underneath us having been cleaned as much as it could, but to no avail. You can’t get rid of two centuries of muck and grime of abandonment. My food, some nicely prepped looking Deviled Eggs and Shining’s, who was already digging into his, an omelet with some sprinkled spices on it and some wheat grain on the side. Dusty helped himself to a hay sandwich while the Swashington gal helped herself to something a little more expensive. A court on bleu.

In the room with us, seemingly snacking on some seeds as a snack, was a neatly groomed stallion wearing a black pre-Rarity suite and bow tie. A suite case that had some papers sticking out of it at the side of his chair. Chipper was standing, watching us eat our food and just being… well… chipper. There was a Securitron inside the office, guarding the door. With another guarding outside of it. Mr. House didn’t want to take no chances for anything. The cracked and decrepit windows blew in a winter breeze with the soft warmth of the angel rats from the sun.

Once we all had finished our food and set things aside, the well-groomed stallion cleared his throat and looked between all of us.

“Now then. Onto business. I am here on behalf of Mr. House to oversee the transferal process of Ironshod R&D Co. over to the new management of Swashington Tail’s Armory. I have here, with me…” he reached down and brought the suitcase up and plopped it on the table before us. He clicked the latches open, and the papers seemed to comically spring out into a disorganized looking stack. The stallion, with no hesitation and all business, seemed to have everything in order despite it and separated the papers to Dusty and the Swashington gal. The mare cleared her throat.

“Is… all this really necessary? I thought we were going to just sign and be done?” She stated. I frowned as I looked at her. I still couldn’t shake the feeling something was going to go wrong here. The ambassador to Mr. House nodded.

“Mr. House wants to remind you all that we are not tribals or savages. We are to do business as they have in the Old World. Which means reading fine print and uhh, dare I joke, shady dealings? Yes? No? Anyway, just take the time to read over the paperwork and we’ll get to signing the contract. I marked the areas where you need to sign.” He then pulled out some pens and placed them on the table.

Time went by rather slowly as the two read through the paperwork and both looked not too interested in it. However, Dusty was taking his time while the Swashington gal was hurrying through. Me and Shining watched the proceedings from the side. I was slightly beginning to doze off, resting my head on Shining’s shoulder. Shining was helping himself to reading a book that I remember seeing back in the Common Wealth. It was a book published about the Lightbringer and her tales.

The thick volume with a silver engraving of an intricate design of Little Pip on the cover made for an interesting cover indeed. A good depiction of the struggles of Equestria’s very own Lightbringer. As minutes became hours, I had a strange dream of a pony. I was in my office. I had a pony on the chair. Brick, one of my friends as well as Comp and Shining Star had come in, looking rather panicked. I recognized the barding of the pony Brick had on his back. A Road Warrior.

They mentioned something about having fought one of the members from The Family and the pony had this strange mutation that they wanted me to look at. I remember digging around aside from a very slight cataract, nothing else stood out. I then remember the pony telling me they would escort me to The Strip to talk to Mr. House about Dusty and Ironshod. The dream flashed forward to us standing in Tipson. Yes, Tipson. The now ruined town abandoned, the horrible event that transpired from it.

Thanks to the intimidating influence of New Roam’s own conflict finding its’ way into our region, the zebra influenced by their Caesar to remind ponies of what the torture they exhibited, albeit exaggerated by their leader Lanius, two centuries ago. While most of the world have moved on, it takes one bad apple to ruin it all for everypony else. The Remnants, their cousin faction, split from the Legion after the Lightbringer brought back the sunshine and rainbows.

Having come to terms with their past and moving on, The Legion however, put them at an impasse and thus are stuck in a neutral power. Which it seems they want their independence, but with The Legion close by, they are paranoid more of an invasion and being overthrown by a tyrant. As awful as it sounds, we have our own struggles here, sadly. And while the zebra still are being shunned for their actions, they are at peace with the past and want to walk with Equestria into the future.

Walk with Equestria

My eyes suddenly shot open as the dream faded upon hearing a maniacal laughter from the pony and the burning sensation of fire on my hide. Shining smiled down at me and nuzzled his cheek against my mane.

“Bad dream?” He asked. I didn’t want to move, so I just rested there on his shoulder. I nuzzled his shoulder and wrapped my hooves around his foreleg. I felt them a bit and didn’t realize the muscles he was developing. He must have been working out a little more. Probably from finding more ruins to explore. I blushed and closed my eyes again.

“I’m fine. Though, it wasn’t a dream?” I looked up at him. “It was like a… memory.” I was trying to piece together what I witnessed. And that pony manically laughing as the fire in front of them began to surround them along with the burning silhouette of the town and The Legion patrol that terrorized the town. Yet, as brainwashed as they were, I wouldn’t wish that on even Lanius himself, even if he did deserve a form of punishment for what he is exhibiting. But nothing like that memory.

Dusty and the Swashington gal rolled their necks and jaws as they had signed so many papers. Once the ambassador of Mr. House shifted through them and put them in their respective folders, he then pulled out a pristine sheet of paper. I’ve never seen such a pristine looking paper before. Usually, they were yellowed and decayed from old age. He placed the paper on the table between the two. Chipper made a clapping gesture.

“Well, isn’t that swell! All the paperwork done and no words to be said. Just pure and simple transferring power over to another. Almost like Mr. House did with - bzzzt -“ We all looked at the robot, wondering where that sudden cut off came from. Chipper spoke again. “My apologies, everypony, I got too excited and almost spoke out of place. Oh gee, I hope I don’t get scrapped by House and my parts salvaged by prospectors. Boy, that would be quite a predicament, wouldn’t it?”

I shivered in disgust as Chipper didn’t change a single expression throughout all that. I hate that robot. Dusty and the Swashington gal stared at the paper. The gal smirking and staring Dusty in the face.

“It’s been quite a pleasure, Mr. Trail. I will miss the fine products your company processed. But it’s time for a newer generation to take over, wouldn’t you agree?” Dusty frowned and grumbled something under his breath. The ambassador held up a quill

“Alright, last bit. Just need both party’s signature and ownership will be fully transferred.” Dusty looked worriedly, hesitating as he then looked back at me. I returned his look. I didn’t know what else to do. What could I do? The House always wins. There would be no way of coming back from this. I gave a defeated sigh and nodded. Shining pat my back reassuringly. When Dusty turned and sighed himself, he picked up the quill and dipped it in the ink. When he placed it on the paper, my instincts suddenly went full alert. There was a sudden feeling of killing intent somewhere.

And before we knew it, there was a distant crack and the glass window shattering. The wall and table exploded and splintered. The Swashington gal shrieked, and Dusty stood up, backing away and crouching low. Me and Shining followed suite as the gal cowered behind the sofa. Chipper and the other Securitron in the room drew up their arms, the weapons at the ready. I couldn’t believe it. A sniper? My eyes scanned the area of impact. It had to be a .50 cal. No other round would cause that much destruction, let alone blow off the head of an unfortunate pony.

And to everypony’s horror, the one victim of this all was the ambassador of Mr. House. The pony’s head completely blown off and spraying blood everywhere. The Swashington gal cried as she was beginning to be coated in blood. The area around the body had turned a dark red and when the “fountain of blood” became small spurts, the pony’s body slumped. Dusty turned a little green and the Securitron in the room was blaring an alarm.

“All Securitron units in the area, shots have been fired and a casualty is counted. Find the assassin and detain them.” There were blips and bloops from the robot before turning around to everypony in the room. “You are all to be questioned. Any resistance will be met with force if you do not comply. That includes you too, Chipper.” The robot looked between us; the blood having been splattered over the screen. The eerie cartoon pony face smiling behind it.

“Well, shucks. This is quite the pickle, isn’t it?”