Cinder stared, eyes pinpricks jaw working wordlessly as she stared at the transparent mare before her. There was no thought of raising the pistol she held in her magic and when she took a step back her flank met the wall and dropped to the ground as she moved till her back was pressed to the wall.

The Ghost stared at her with that blank expression, tilting her head as she looked down at Cinder whose mind had seized up at what she was seeing.

Then Cinder heard hoofsteps slowly approaching from the way she had come. Was rescue coming? Had somepony seen her come to this cursed place and come to rescue her? Was she going to be saved from the Ghost? Wait, how would they get past the raiders at the gate?

As she had that thought one of the raiders came around the corner followed by the other two and the Ghost turned to face them as the two with guns raised them to aim at her.

“This is a secure Campus, you are trespassing. You are hereby ordered to lay down your arms, the Police have been notified.” The Ghost said a voice filled with authority while her face remained unchanged.

“The fuck is that!” One of the raiders said and Cinder jumped as she was startled out of her fear state as the Raiders opened fire on the ghost, their bullets passing through harmlessly.

The Ghost showed her first expression by frowning. “Very well you leave me no choice but to defend this Campus.” She said and there was a growing high pitched sound that lasted for a few seconds before the sound cut off as the raider with the machine gun spasmed and dropped to the ground spasming.

Standing behind him was a Ponitron sitting on its flanks, its front wheels moved to the side and raised where the raider had been standing, its white paint chipped and scraped and there was a faded red cross with butterflies on its side.

It turned its head to the pistol wheeling Raider as the high pitched noise began again. The raider swung around and fired his pistol into the Ponitron’s chest, the bullets ricocheting off with sparks harmlessly as the hammer wielding Raider dove for cover.

In response the Ponitron reached forward and touched the pistol raider and he spasmed his machine gun wielding companion and dropped to the ground.

The Ponitron turned to the hammer raider as the sound began again.

The raider ran faster than Cider ever saw somepony run before.

Seeing him do so reminded Cinder she should do the same and she stood to do so before the bullet hole in her shoulder and grazed flank reminded her they existed with pain and she dropped back to her flanks with a hiss of pain.

“Don’t move, you will aggravate the wounds.” The Ghost said, standing before her suddenly as the Ponitron got back on all four wheels and rolled over to her.

“Remain a calm Citizen, I am a Professional. Scanning” The Ponitron said in that weird voice they all had. Before Cinder could question what it was talking about it spoke again. “Minor laceration to the right flank, single GSW to the left shoulder.”

The Ghost frowned. “Oh dear, you poor thing. I am summing more Medicbots to help you get to the Health Center.” The Ghost said, causing Cinder to blink in confusion.

Before Cinder’s brain could catch up to what The Ghost was saying two more Ponitrons showed up with two long rods connected to them and some fabric between them, one leading the others.

They rolled over to Cinder and stopped next to her, lowering themselves till their bellies touched the ground.

“Now then can you please get on the stretcher?” The Ghost asked. Cider just blinked at her. “Are you okay? Did they hit you in the head?” The Ghost asked, sounding concerned.

Cinder found her voice somewhat and managed to whisper. “P-please don't hurt me….”

The Ghost blinked, tilting her head. “Hurt you? Why would I do that? I am trying to get you to the Health Center so I can tend your wounds.”

This made Cinder blink once more as confusion swept her mind. “Huh? You’re…..trying to help me? You don't want to…I don't know….tear out my soul and add me to a ghostly army or something?”

The Ghost blinked. “What in Equestria? No, I would never. What?. I just want to tend to your wounds before they become infected or worse.”

The Ghost sounded genuine and despite Cinder’s mind telling her to run for her life her instincts were telling her that The Ghost meant it. Though her Instincts had never been used on a ghost before but they never failed her before so against the voice in her head Cinder slowly climbed into the stretcher.

Once she was laying it it the Ponitron’s rose back up to their full height and The Ghost smiled at her. “There we go, I’ll see you at the Health Center.”

“What about them?” Cinder asked, looking at the two Raiders she was sure were dead as they weren’t moving.

“Don’t worry about them, my Janitorbots are already in route to clean up the mess.” The Ghost said. “Now then off to the Health Center and I’ll see you there.” The Ghost said and vanished right in front of Cinder in a blink. A moment later the Ponitrons began rolling down the hall with the one not attached to the stretcher rolling along the right side.

Soon they turned and headed down another hall that exited to the outside and rolled along a path to another building. It was a surprisingly smooth ride as they approached the building with a sign above the door that read “HEALTH CENTER” with a large red cross.

Like she was told the Ponitrons rolled through the door passing a waiting room and reception desk and further into the building till they came to one of the first doors and they rolled in where Cinder saw The Ghost waiting by an old looking bed in a surprisingly clean room. Don't get her wrong it was dirty but it was cleaner than anywhere else the scavenger had ever seen that wasn't being lived in.

The Ponitrons rolled over beside the bed and The Ghost looked sheepishly at Cinder. “Sorry, do you mind transferring yourself to the bed? None of the nurses are on duty at the moment.”

Cinder was a tad put off by how The Ghost was now showing emotion and being expressive but she hadn’t lied yet so slowly Cinder crawled over to the bed wincing in pain as she used her shoulder.

“Sorry, I’d Help but my Medicbots don't have the range of motion needed for the transfer.”

Her Medicbots? That was odd. “It’s fine, not the first time I've been shot.” Cinder said.

The Ghost looked horrified. “It's not!?!” Her voice said and there was a…weird feedback to it. “Oh dear oh dear OG FAMI!” she said the last part being gibberish that made Cinder blink. The Ghost saw her react and put a hoof to her chest and looked like she took a deep breath and let it out. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine…um…do you mind if I get in my saddle bag?” Cinder asked.

“Of course dear!” The Ghost said, looking at her with intense focus.

Cinder blinked at the odd behavior the Ghost was showing as she used her magic to reach into her saddlebag and pull out a healing potion.

“Oh you have a healing potion! That’s good.” The Ghost said, smiling a bit too widely.

Cinder popped the cork and drank the potion wincing as she felt the bullet slowly pushed out of her shoulder and the wounds slowly knitted together.

Soon the only trance of her injuries was the hole in her jacket and the nearly dry blood in her fur.

“All better!” The Ghost said with that same too wide smile.

“Yeah….um….I’m Cinder…..It's…..nice to meet you Ghost.” Cinder said, trying to be nice.

“It’s nice to meet you Cinder, I am I.R.I.S.”

Author's Note

Cinder has met The Ghost and found her to not be as scary as superstition said though perhaps something is off about her?