Fallout Equestria Shattered Memories

Blue slowly came to, startled by the gentle cracking of a nearby fire. Groggily taking in her surroundings, Blue tried to remember how exactly she had gotten there when she noticed that she wasn’t alone. On the far side of the room was a dark furry shape, the Yak that had saved her from freezing to death, still staring at her warily. She tried to thank them but instead, began to cough. Her coughing grew more and more forceful until it felt like she would cough up flowers or something when whatever was blocking her throat came up and tink-ed on the ground. A shard of what looked like green tinged ice.

Blue began to shiver despite being by the warm fire, she felt as though her internal organs had frozen over. She hadn’t been out in that blizzard that long, how could it be possible to freeze from the inside out like this?

"Pony knows now.” The Yak's deep voice interrupts Blue’s internal panic, “Blizzard is noxious. Brings rotting sickness. Once infected, Pony’s body becomes encased in ice. Pony shatter. Seen before...happen to all infected. Take three weeks though. Heat help, but Yak not sure cure exist. Never seen any survive. Only frozen corpses outside." The Yak stated, blessing her with a new terrifying fact of this land.

"If Pony worried about sickness, sickness happens in blizzard only. Had Pony stayed out much longer, Pony would be Pony popsicle. Pony appears to only have minor sickness, if so, that will pass with time." The yak told her, making Blue break into a cold sweat at the thought of having almost died mere hours ago. Shifting a bit closer to the fire in fear of the cold inside her, she could feel how her entire body ached.

Despite being mere inches away from the warm fire, the cold refused to leave her limbs. Every movement felt like she was moving through frozen molasses, all while her blood froze in her veins, stabbing her limbs from the inside and she continued hacking up frozen phlegm, making her feel like blacking out from the lack of oxygen.

Eventually the hacking subsided, allowing her a moment to breathe, Blue glanced around the humble shack that sheltered them from the blizzard outside. It was a simple abode made of wood, reinforced with metal sheets around the support beams and insulated with hay and fur.

In one corner was a bed of alfalfa covered by sheets and a pillow that looked strangely itchy… for some reason. Metal barrels and boxes were stacked up beside the door on the opposite side of the room with a small pile of firewood and a giant set of saddle bags that most likely belonged to the Yak.

An odd wave of nostalgia suddenly hit Blue, looking at the humble but homey shack. She wondered at how odd it was that she knew exactly what each and every one of these items were, how the barrels carry safe drinking water and the boxed food, how the Yak was uniquely suited to this land with their thick fur and heavyset body. After all, she had been born yesterday for all she knew. How did she know what any of this was and why did the thought of bundling up in that itchy looking bed make her feel… safe?

The Yak suddenly spoke up, shaking Blue out of her reverie "Say something before Yak kick you out, rude to not introduce yourself! Yak not running charity! Pony better have trade not be raider, otherwise Yak kick Pony out!" She felt a shiver of fear and anxiety run down her spine. The Yak had saved her life, but they were complete strangers to one another. It seemed that charity and goodwill can only go so far without proper introductions.

"I...wheeze…um not...cough cough, a raider."[size] she managed to say, her voice raspy and sore. Looking up to meet the Yak’s gaze, she saw their eyes were full of mistrust. Blue barely had the energy to lift her head for conversation, forget defending herself if things took a turn for the worse. She didn't want to get kicked out to survive that horrific blizzard on her own.

"Yak guessed as much. Pony weak, not wearing pointy armor. Just wanted be sure. All ponies dumb. Have no idea how survive frozen north. Seriously makes Yak mad!” The Yak huffed, adding more firewood to the fire. “Yak saved Pony life. Pony owes Yak life debt. Pony will work for Yak. Assist Yak with tasks.

“Yak will supply Pony shelter ‘till storm pass, that all. What is Pony’s name?" The Yak asked, much to Blue’s bewilderment being forced to repay them for their supposed kindness. Blue felt a bit offended by the brazen way her supposed savior was speaking and being forced into labor, but decided not to say anything about it. She didn't want to push her luck or anger the towering Yak.

"I…cough…am Blue. I can...wheeze, help you. What is…hack...your name?" Blue asked, barely getting the words out of her frozen throat.

“Yak named Baatar! Baatar skilled survivalist. Have lived many winters in frozen home. Baatar proud hunter of Yak Tribe.” Baatar said, puffing out their chest in a proud display.

Blue began to study the oddity that was Baatar. The Yak was three times her size, especially with their oversized horns that almost scraped the ceiling with every swing of their massive head. Their thick coat of black fur was well kept, and the coarser mane braided into several thick ropes, each held together by gold ball clippings. Several pieces of what looked like brass armor clamps also decorated Baatar’s horns, hooves and tail. Even if the Yak wanted to be completely covered in armor, Blue was almost sure that their fluffy fur would prevent it. The only pieces of clothing that Blue could see them wearing was a giant thick shawl, which could have very well been a blanket, draped over their back and what seemed to be worn survival equipment of some sort…wait…was that leather!?

“Ah! I see Pony staring at family heirloom. Even in Uçmag, Yak’s family still protects! This be uncle Yojan Spearhooves. Died two winters ago in avalanche. Yojan always thought he best being strong armor gear! Yojan was silly, but never failed me once!” Baatar proudly said, preventing Blue from hyperventilating and wrongfully thinking the Yak was some sort of psychotic serial killer. Even if it was a little bit gross, Blue was a bit astonished at the lengths Yaks apparently went to protect their own…even after death.

“Cou–cough cough–ave water, please? Mouth..gulp…dry.” Blue managed to rasp in a painful whisper, hoping that Baatar could extend their kindness just a little bit more. She needed to be able to talk properly, otherwise thanking Baatar for their hospitality would be a monumental ordeal.

Baatar gave Blue a somewhat comforting smile before leaping away to locate a container of water among their saddlebags. "Yak give Blue water. You stranger before, but Pony have proper manners. Better than most dumb Ponies anyways. Blue is stranger no longer! Yak can't have Blue dying. If dead, Blue can't pay off debt to Yak. Even if Ponies normally weak, happy and well fed Ponies almost strong like Yaks!" Baatar reassured her, handing Blue a rytha filled to the brim with purified water. Surprised by the aggressive but kind gesture, Blue couldn't help but feel appreciative of Baatar’s straightforward way of thinking. She wondered if all Yaks were this honest and straightforward in every aspect of their lives.

Blue gripped the horn firmly to avoid spills, something stopping her from just chugging, a fleeting glimpse of warmth chiding her to not choke. She sipped at the water, feeling the ice in her throat melting away at its presence, warmth spreading through her limbs as she drank. When she was finished she coughed at the feeling of ice still in her lungs, but the rest of her felt defrosted.

"Once Blue pays off debt, Blue may become good friend to Yak Tribe. Yes. Despite being stupid being outside, Blue stronger than most it seems. Blue quite strong, not freezing immediately in blizzard. Yaks respect strength above all else!" Baatar chortled, lifting the mood between the two of them considerably. Blue felt some comfort knowing that despite being complete strangers, Baatar had decided to trust her and help. Even if the kindness came with the string attached of having to work off a debt, it meant that she no longer had to be alone in this winter wonderland of death. Baatar was already a hundred times better than those heavily armored jerks that had detained her.

“Make sure to drink completely. Sickness will take time to melt. Yak knows well how dangerous it be. Having body freeze from inside. Tons of icy snot the worst. That how it starts. Tribe never came up with name for it. Yaks just know it evil sickness. Only Ponies dumb enough to use complicated names.” Baatar said, “Also! Certainly gross, but…spit loogies away from fire. Can't risk Blue putting out fire with snot HAHA!” Baatar boomed, causing the whole shack to slightly rattle with laughter.

“ cough cough…inhale…exhale.Thank you. I really want you to know how much I appreciate this. I didn't know what to do…I thought I was going to freeze out there." Blue murmured.

“However! Yak needs Blue to understand something important. Blue might feel better now, but recovery not possible. Pony still infected, still have seed of ice inside. If Pony not careful…sickness will strike back and grow! Sickness takes three weeks to steal life. Have seen many Yaks…die this way.” Baatar said with a twinge of worry, making Blue grimace at the horrible reality. Blue had hoped… but the grave tone Baatar used, the hopelessness they exuded.

“But, If there is no cure…how am I supposed to find–” Blue began to say, uncertain.

“Clean water and heat will be Blue’s greatest chance to live! Never forget that!” Baatar firmly stated, the topic was finished. Blue returned to sipping her water, listening to the merry crackle-pop of the fire and the distant, furious howling of the blizzard outside. She finished her horn, letting the water work it’s magic and stretching her sore limbs.

“Excuse me Baatar, sir, what sort of work would I be helping you with? I'm afraid I'm…new…to the way things work around here.“ Blue asked, worried what exactly her new employer and savior had in mind.

“Sir? hoho, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Pony is funny! Baatar is no stallion! Baatar is mighty Khishigten! Baatar is most refined! Beautiful warrior!” Baatar hollered, shaking the entire shack like a small earthquake. Flustered, Blue was at a loss of words turning just a tinge redder in the face in embarrassment. Even if Blue felt a little embarrassed by it, she had never even seen a Yak before in her life. It didn't really help that Baatar was essentially a fluffy mountain of fur, had a gruff booming voice and their hair was braided to almost look like a beard.

“I-Im sorry, I didn't–”

“Worry not silly Blue! Baatar cares not! Yaks only care about survival! Now, Baatar must ask Pony to do first task!” Baatar said to her, causing wariness to bubble up inside Blue. She wasn't sure what the task was, but she nodded in agreement regardless. Maybe repaying her debt to her kindly new friend would help her learn more about the world, and perhaps doing so would also help her uncover a cure for this illness.

“Listen closely Pony. Reason why Baatar out here…is hunting! Baatar searching for scum. Scum killed family! Baatar here to return favor!” Baatar angrily grunted, steam flaring from their nostrils.

“What do you mean Baatar? Uh…I’m not following.”

“Baatar need Blue’s help to KILL raiders! Will not rest until snow red with raider blood!” Baatar thundered, reducing the flooring in front of her into rubble with a mighty slam of their hooves.

"What? Kill? Me? I..." she whispered, the reality of the proposal dawning on her. It hadn’t been that long since she awoke in this frozen nightmarish world, and now? The only friendly face she’s seen was telling her to draw blood for them.

Seeing her hesitation, Baatar quieted, sitting and gazing into the fire with a sigh. Looking up into the emerald irises of the Yak, Blue could see the anguish, hopelessness and longing she felt. It struck her suddenly how deeply sad and lonely she must be, how she must have carried this burden for so long alone, with no-one by their side, no family, no friends, perhaps even no tribe to support them. The thought brought tears to her own eyes, and a burning determination rose up in her heart, she heaved herself up to sit and place a hoof on her friend's side. “I'll do it. Baatar, I may not be any help in a brawl, but I’m your Pony.” she stated with conviction.

Baatar, seeing the crystalline tears slowly creeping down Blue’s cheeks, rushes off to gather more purified water, an almost giddy spring to their step. A giggle rose up in Blue’s chest as she watched the Yak, thinking of the jerks she would use to paint the landscape with the prettiest of colors…Wait a second…was she feeling…good?…at the prospect of killing? This realization deeply confused and disturbed her. Was she really just now deriving pleasure and enjoyment from the harm she was going to inflict?

"What the fuck is wrong with me? I'm afraid of a horrifying snow creature but more than happy to take a life?” Blue whispered to herself, questioning her own feelings and motives. She knew that the situation was dire, but was it normal for someone to feel this way when thinking about hurting and killing others? Her mind swirled with confusion and worry, contemplating the dark turn that her mind and psyche were apparently taking.

“Is Blue ok? Blue making funny face. Rambling to self. If…Blue so torn up about it we can–” Baatar began, holding the refilled rytha, snapping Blue out of her reverie..

“I will help...if it's bad ponies. I don't mind painting my hooves red as you say. Mmmmh such a nice color, like sunsets and roses and-." Blue trailed off, daydreaming about red.. The small wicked grin on her face caused Baatar to feel somewhat spooked by her reaction.

“Ahem! Baatar… uh, agrees about the color red. Regardless! Blue will help being firesupport. Suppressive fire work wonders against raider scum!” Baatar nervously interjected, shoving the water at the small alicorn.

“Hey! Do you hear that Blue?”Baatar suddenly said, tilting their head as if trying to intently listen.

“No…I don't hear anything.”

“Exactly! Must mean that evil blizzard stopped. Safe now to go outside. Must be morning now. Fresh morning air always good for the soul! Come! Let us pack for the journey ahead. Hopefully we find you better gear. Flimsy jacket not thick enough for the cold. Don't worry, we have breakfast on way there. Made some hardy Kalg to munch on. It hard, but delicious bread. Tough like Yaks!” Baatar said, stretching out their powerful legs before beginning to pack up their belongings.

“Want me to help you pack anything?” Blue asked, standing on no-longer shaking legs.

“Hhmmmm…oh! Can Blue pack thick blanket from bed? Fuzzy, thick one on top. Blue will need if we forced to camp outside. Can’t believe pony survived this long without proper equipment. Blue must either have dumb luck, be tough likeYak, or both, haha!” Baatar laughed.

Meandering over to the bed, Blue set about the task of trying to fold the heavy wool blanket into a bundle. After finally folding it into something carry-able, Blue noticed an odd hard spot in the back of the bed. . It was as if something large and rectangular was lodged underneath the bed. Curiosity peaked, Blue ducked down to take a better look, making sure to not hit her horn, she moved little pieces of trash out the way. With the way cleared, Blue was surprised to see a very large black metallic box. Compared to all of the Baatar’s belongings, which had a sort of nomadic style to them, the box clearly seems out of place.

“What’s up with this box, Baatar?” she asked, nudging herself underneath the bed trying to get a closer look.

Baatar shot her a sharp look, their brow furrowing. “None of Blue’s business! It Baatar's property! Leave BOX ALONE!” She shouted, their voice echoing in the small space.

Blue flinched back, hitting her head and scraping her horn along on the bed frame above her, scrambling away from the bed frightened by the sudden shouting “Woah, woah! Okay! Sorry…” she said, frowning in confusion. How was she supposed to know that the box might have been a touchy subject for her new Yak friend?

Baatar crossed their forehooves, a scowl on their face. “Pony think can snoop? Pony should mind own business! Baatar said on top of bed, not under! Pony no touch shit without permission. Not everything for Blue!“

Blue took a deep breath, trying not to take it personally. “I didn’t mean to upset you, it just looked so interesting.”

“Yeah? Well, box not fucking toy for Blue! Next time, ask before! Drop it!” Baatar snapped, frustration pouring from their words and grumbling something about how rude ponies were.

“I get it…again sorry. I’ll leave it alone.” Blue replied softly, trying to deescalate the argument.

With a final harumph from Baatar, they both finished packing up for the journey. Leading the way outside, Baatar opened the door, illuminating the small shack with the bright light from outside. Beckoned Blue to follow, Blue noticed that the blizzard had indeed ended and the light, despite the cloud cover, was dawning over the horizon. Taking a moment to adjust her eyes to the light as she stepped outside, she was mesmerized by the miles upon miles of soft delicate snow blanketing the land. With one final check, Blue and Baatar set off into the frozen tundra ready to enact justice.

It had been a few hours since they left the safety of the shack, weaving through miles of soft cold snow to a small ridge in the horizon. Unlike the deafening of the blizzard, Blue found that the tundra was rather…eerily silent. The only sound for miles that Blue could hear was the crushing of the snow beneath her hooves and the occasional gust of wind. The absence of ambient noise was so deafening, that Blue could swear she could hear her own heart thumping in her ears.

“Baatar, how much farther is this raider camp you mentioned? All this silence is weirdly making my head hurt. How can you stand this?” Blue grumbled, wishing for some respite from this torment. To make matters worse, all this trudging was leaving her quite parched, having lost tons of fluids as well as sweating tons from pure exertion. Who knew that walking through miles of untamed and snow covered wilderness was supposed to be this intense?

“I can begin to see how Yaks have such powerful– cough, cough” Blue had begun to comment, being cut short by a cold sharp pain in her chest. Forced into a small fit of coughing, sneezing and hacking, she desperately tried spitting up frozen flecks of snot from her nose and mouth trying to expel that foreign feeling inside. Wiping the disgusting gooey mess on her jacket as best she could while trying to keep up, Blue could see how the sticky stuff had literal bits of tiny yellow spotted ice cubes intertwined within.

Shit! Not this horrid stuff again!? Baatar said something about keeping warm and hydrated. Hopefully we have a little bit of time to rest before any action begins. She thought to herself, a chill creeping up her body.

“We almost there, Blue worries too much. Yes, silence is strong here. Baatar always found singing tune in head helps. Helps focus and tune out dumb things haha!” Baatar said as they both finally made it over the hump of the ridge.

Once on top of the hill, Blue was greeted with a strange sight in the valley below. A large concrete warehouse was situated just at the bottom of the hill,, where a group of burly-looking ponies,battle scarred griffons were gathered and a slew of many different creatures were outside camping in makeshift tents. Immediately ducking down, Blue tried to get as low to the ground as possible hoping that they had not seen them approaching. They all certainly looked like a bad bunch, some sharpening pointy weapons, rough housing with each other, sparring and drinking booze while others nearer to the warehouse repaired various guns and armor. Baatar had never explained what these so-called raiders were supposed to look like, but Blue could definitely see how this bunch could fit the description. The loud laughter and jeering coming from the makeshift camps could be heard all the way from their position, thankfully drowning out that horrible silence from before.

“Pssst! Hey Baatar, what the plan for deali–” Blue had tried to loudly whisper, when she stopped herself out of shock seeing that Baatar was just brazenly standing out in the open.

Baatar, however, said nothing as she stared at the rowdy band nonchalantly. Before Blue could interject, Baatar began to slide down the hill towards the scruffy group below.

“Baatar! W-what the fuck are you doing?!?” Blue hissed, flabbergasted by the actions of her new friend. Wasn't this group the same that had killed their family? If so, they were more than outnumbered twenty to one. Without much time to decide, Blue decided to quickly follow Baatar, not wanting to let them die a pointless death. Maybe if she was able to talk some sense into them before it was too late, they’d still have a chance. Reaching the yak, Blue tried with all her might to pull her friend back by gripping their tail with her mouth, but the soft snow of the hillside made it impossible to prevent Baatar’s momentum. Baatar paid no mind, however, seemingly determined to meet the group face to face.

Having been occupied with the struggle of trying to pull her friend to safety, the alicorn's blood turned to ice when she realized that they had stopped sliding down. “Gulp…Oh fuck,” she stammered out, slowly peeking behind Baatar’s backside to see that the entire encampment had gone silent and were all now staring at them. Blue began to break out in a cold sweat and on the verge of hyperventilating, feeling the scrutinizing glare of these dozens of killers. She could just begin to imagine how they would soon overwhelm them, taking the time to probably roast them alive, cut them into little bitty pieces…or worse.

Unperturbed by their sudden spotlight and the sheer palpable tension in the air, Baatar began to casually walk over to the warehouse entrance. Remaining silent and inscrutable as she walked with the galant poise of a powerful leader. On the other hoof, Blue was shaking like a leaf as she glanced at Baatar, her mind racing a thousand times a second trying to figure out what was going on. Was this part of the Yak’s plan? Maybe the raiders respected bravery above all else and would only attack if they even sniffed a twinge of fear? All she knew was that if she didn't keep breathing, she was going to pass out any second now from anxiety.

Not wanting to be left behind, Blue began to scuttle her way into following Baatar into what looked like a sea of ponies, griffons, large bipedal wolf-like things and some opaque colored ponies whose fur shone in crystalline fashion under the light.

The closer they got to the huge concrete warehouse, the denser and meaner looking the crowd got. Each of them were so heavily armored that some even looked to be completely made out of spiked metal. Worst still, Blue could pick out huge heavy ordnance weapons being lunged around by the largest of the bunch. The grim expressions and glares on all of their faces made Blue skittish at every little sound they made, expecting that any moment they would decide to attack. Her body’s natural instincts were working in tense overdrive, trying to decide between fight or flight.

"B-Baatar...w-what...what's happening? H-how are we g-going to get o-out of here?" Blue finally managed to say, trying to hide in the shadow of her giant friend. Despite her pleas, Baatar continued their silent, stoic walk as they finally reached the warehouse. Sound of clanging metal and heat from burning furnaces could be heard from outside. The fire raging inside, casting an ominous orange glow to the whole interior.

Walking inside, Blue could hear as silent growls and murmurs resonated throughout the camp behind them. Most likely upset, according to Blue’s imagination, seemingly upset at having lost the chance to tear them both apart. While some continued to glare at them others lost interest and returned back to their previous tasks. Blue just hoped that this warehouse wasn't just some raider overlords abode, and now they were in for the fight of their lives.

Walking further onto the concrete floor, Blue felt her stomach churn as she observed even more creatures toiling away inside under that sickening orange glow. Unlike that crowd outside, the creatures working around the various furnaces and workstations inside were completely ignoring them. Despite Blue's heart pounding wildly at her chest, she couldn't help but admire the sheer concentration of these raiders hard at work. They were all covered in various degrees of sooth, stained oil, and grease from working with heavy machinery. Giant mechanical claws moved about the ceiling, picking up piles of scrap before proceeding to dump them into heated crucibles. Blue wasn't exactly sure, but it seemed that they were using the giant furnaces to smelt scraps of metal in order to recycle them into working materials. Once purified into various
colored ingots, several of the bidedal hounds hurried to bring the materials to different workstations. Where Ponies and Griffons worked to turn the metal into bullet casings, weapons and body armor. They all seemed to be focused on a common goal, not caring in the slightest at the arrival of fresh meat in their midst.

Blue tried to make sense of what was happening around her as she and Baatar weaved and ducked their way through the chaotic warehouse. Doing her best to keep up with the Yak, she began to feel unsure whether or not to feel reassured or even more terrified by her Yak friend. Did Baatar even have a plan or was she just leading them both into their untimely demise?

"Baatar, please! What is...happening?" Blue loudly hissed, trying to make her voice heard among the hustle and bustle inside. The heat coming off the crucible's infernos was so hot that Blue swore she felt as though her skin was melting off entirely. "Please tell me! I...I don't understand what's going on! This was never part of the plan! What are all these creatures even doing here?!?” She called out nervously, feeling the fiery tendrils of fear spreading through her whole body. Blue couldn't quite see where they were headed exactly, but Baatar seemed to be gunning for one of the largest workstations in the back.

“I know I’ve never been in a fight before, but walking in here like this just feels like suicide! I thought we were going to bring justice for your family, not join them in the afterlife!” Blue frantically called out, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the tears filling her eyes.

“Baatar! Please stop and liste–”

“Quiet! FUCK SAKE! Pony just don't know when relax! Baatar wanted to look powerful in front of comrades, but no. Blue just ball of panic stress.” Baatar interjected with exasperation, putting a paw’d hoof over Blue’s muzzle.

“Listen! Every creature here not raider scum. They tundra militia. Yes they scary looking, but quite nice after meet. They just no trust strangers and Blue stranger here. They work against slavers and raiders. Just like Yak Tribe. They few of groups in frozenland brave enough to fight...to protect those weak. Entire tundra and peaks controlled by various slavers and raiders. We must help friends.. They're friends. Now behave! Baatar has someone to introduce. Want Blue to make good first impression." Baatar explained with annoyance, pulling the trembling blue alicorn closer as they finally reached the supersized workstation.

Unable to voice her frustrations, Blue took in the sight before her. The workstation was, for all intents and purposes, decorated with various robots, guns, mechanical equipment, oil cans and bolts strewn all about the floor. There even was a bulky mechanical Snowplow right smack dab in the middle, in the process of being constructed and reinforced to look like a makeshift tank.

Although impressive, Blue's attention was drawn to the weapons lining the shelves in front of her. They looked oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't place exactly why. Reaching out to touch one, multiple images suddenly flashed in her mind, causing her to lose focus for a moment and feel an intense migraine. Unable to withstand the pain, she clenched her eyes closed trying to shake off the odd feeling.

===***===

When she blinked her eyes open and could see clearly again, she found herself in a strange place. No longer was she at the warehouse; instead, she was surrounded by a vast expanse of dried grassland. Despite the serene landscape, an acrid, coppery smell permeated the wind, causing Blue to wrinkle her nose in disgust. Utterly confused, she took in the scene before her, speechless as she stared at the carnage of ponies and zebras engaged in combat. Fields of grass as far as the eye could see were stained with blood, littered with bullet casings and filled with the smell of burning metal. Patches of the once beautiful landscape were ablaze.

She tried to speak but found herself unable to, reduced to a mere silent spectator witnessing the carnage unfolding in front of her. The chaos played out like a surreal nightmare. The vibrant colors of the grassland were overshadowed by ominous shades of brown and red.

Blue's heart raced as she absorbed the brutality—the clash of hooves against the earth, the echo of gunfire slicing through the air and the anguished cries of those trapped in the fray. She strained to catch sight of familiar faces, searching desperately for a sign, but the figures moving through the smoke and haze were indistinct silhouettes, lost amid the turmoil.

Suddenly, she looked down and froze. Her body was entirely covered in blood, the crimson liquid staining her torn military uniform. Her hooves were scarred, showing the marks of a battle she did not remember fighting. The reality of her situation crashed over her like a wave and her breath hitched in her throat.

Time seemed to stand still as she processed the scene around her. The brutality continued to unfold—the violent clash of bodies, the echo of gunfire and the screams of anguish of those caught in the fray. She felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and desperation wash over her, intertwining together into a putrid hole in her heart as she tried to understand how she had come to be here.

===***===

A blurriness obscured Blue’s vision. The gray of the past coalesced back into the gray of the present when she found herself back by the work station. She was unsure of all she had seen. Blue had a strange feeling of dread that these were memories of something long past washing through her brain.

“What was…No! Whatever that was, I'd rather not think about it now. I have too much on my plate to deal with freaky visions out at random. Once I have more time after helping Baatar, I'll see about confronting this…whatever it is. Maybe I should be careful touching things from now on. These guns...I don't really know why, but they seemed to have triggered something to resonate with me.” Blue said to herself, barely noticing that other ponies working nearby had stopped working and were all giving her these strange looks.

“I…should also really stop fucking talking to myself," she muttered. A sense of unease filled her heart.

Looking up, Blue saw that Baatar was missing. In her place stood a mare who was polishing some of the heavier weaponry and was surprised to find that the vanilla-colored unicorn looked so familiar to her. Tilting her head, Blue began to, totally not stare, at her as if wishing the answers of her connections to her would just magically materialize.

Noticing the look of intense deja vu Blue was giving her, the mare glanced over with a smile, "So, you must be the pony almost turned popsicle Baatar was telling me all about. You enjoy guns, I take it? Seeing as that was the first thing that caught your attention with your grabby hooves,” she chuckled, startling Blue as she realized she had been staring for an awkward amount of time.

“Oh! Sorry, guess I should've asked first. But yes, I'm just surprised how you all managed to keep them in such good conditions. I would have never believed a place like this could exist. From far away this just looks like a giant warehouse ruin.” Blue sheepishly answered, internally chastising herself for thinking that they were mindless criminals just minutes before. Though, Baatar might have been to blame for withholding vital information and scarring her half to death.

“These nice pieces of old Equestrian technology are anypony’s best friend out in the wastes, so we do our best to preserve their beauty. Found this ‘ere facility not long ago, patched all the holes in the ceiling and truly made it our own. Welcome to the Kovácsműhely! One of the most vital outposts of the Caretakers within Winterpeaks. Where we specialize in forging legendary armaments in the fight against slaver scum, raiders fucks and anyone else who dares hurt the innocent. “I am one of the top blacksmiths here, so if you have any questions please ask away”" She said, beaming a proud smile.

"Actually, I might have one. Um…have we met before?" Blue asked, frowning with a look of concentration. Scrutinizing the unicorn before her, Blue began trying her darndest to find out what about this supposedly random mare seemed so familiar. Her graying yellow matted mane was tied in a bun with a black bandana and stained with grease in several places. Giving her a rugged, no nonsense, sort of look, especially with the dark gray blacksmith overalls she wore. Unfortunately for her curiosity, Blue couldn’t see her cutie mark since her body was entirely covered in that protective clothing.

Although if she had to guess, it must have been something related to tinkering and fixing things. Little pieces of ash that floated down from the furnace were sprinkled all over her facial features and horn, making it seem like she was completely covered in freckles. Even if she wanted to guess how old the mare was, the soft tone features of the mare made her look years younger than she should. Probably due to all the intense work she must have been doing for a long time effortlessly moving around such heavy equipment.

The mare tilted her head slightly, pondering for a moment in response, “Can’t say, I meet lots of folks. Things tend to blur together. I tend to only remember what others have asked me to fix, rather than their names or faces. If you stick around long enough, I might even remember your name haha! The only thing I might remember for now is how severely underdressed you are. You even surprised Baatar, she said you must've been either the toughest son of a mule or the luckiest to have survived this long,” The mare guffawed, giving Blue the same inquisitive look she had given her.

Although Blue felt her heart sink a bit at the mare's reply to her question, the mare's next comment brought a faint smile to her face. "Nice to meet you stranger, the name's Polish." Polish said with a mirthful smile, extending her hoof toward Blue, offering a hoofshake.

"Likewise, my name is…Blue. Pleasure to meet you!” Blue said, returning the hoofshake and trying to mask how she herself was unsure what her actual name was. It is probably better to not share how she got the name from a brightly colored tube inside of a dilapidated stable full of monsters.

“I…will take your comment about the wasteland to heart, I don’t like that it leaves my spirits uneasy, but that’s just my feelings toward the state of this world. Violence makes me nervous and queasy.” Blue mentioned, doing her best to ignore those weird foreign thoughts about guns earlier. Glancing away for a moment, she felt her worries build as she stared at the excessive amount of firepower on display. She now knew that Baatar’s friends followed the same honorable crusade, but a small and irrational part of her hoped that these guns would never be turned against her.

"So, my hairy friend said you guys are fighting slavers and raiders out in the winter peaks, but I honestly have no idea what those things are. All I know is that they killed Baatar’s family and she asked me to help bring them to justice. I…uh might also owe her for saving my life, so knowing more might help." Blue sheepily said, pausing moments later realizing how foalish she might seem to Polish, not knowing what seems like common knowledge around these parts.

"I might have wrongly misunderstood earlier that you all were those bad folks responsible. Baatar might not be the best at explaining important things in detail. Do you think you could enlighten me? Having someone explain things in detail how things work around here would immensely help," Blue quickly added.
"You don't know what a slaver or raider is? What, were you just born yesterday or been living in a stable, ya some kinda dweller?" She asked, sounding troubled and a little bit astounded.

“Uuuuhh...” Blue stammered out, caught off guard by how Polish was able to blindly guess those things.

“HAHAHA! Guess I hit it right on the caps, you coming from a stable, though just a tad off since you are far too old to be a foal. Polish chuckled, clasping her sides as she laughed. “I always had this gut feeling guessing things about folks and machines I interact with. You seemed far too polite and kindhearted compared to the hardier folks up here. But no matter, guess I could help bring you up to speed in return for an I.O.U favor later, deal?”

“Hmmm, deal!” Blue responded brightly, inadvertently aware that the list of others she owed favors to grew longer. That makes a total of two now, hopefully this doesn't become a recurring thing in the future.

"Alright, listen closely, this might just save your hide if you reckon to repay Baatar for her kindness by joining her in battle. Raiders and slavers are a general term we use around in the waste land to refer to groups committing atrocities against their fellow neighbors. They can range from random gangs around what Equestria has become to more organized groups like the Blood Frosts. They're the ones causing all the problems out in the winter peaks...the ones we're trying to fight.” Polish began to explain, sitting down on a rubber wheel, trying to get comfortable enough to tell her tale.

“Ever since the world was singed to ashes a lifetime ago, folks all around began to lose their marbles. Rather than working together as our dearly departed Princess Celestia wanted, many ponies began turning against each other, fighting for what little resources were left.” Polish said melancholy, a little tear falling from her eyes at the mention of Celestia.

“Princess Celestia?” Blue asked a bit out of the loop, “Do you mean this?” Blue promptly pulled out her shimmering Luna poster from her saddlebag, which caused everypony else working near Polish’s workshop to momentarily pause their hustle and bustle to admire the poster.

Polish’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, honey! Where did you get that? It's been years since I've seen a picture of the lunar monarch in such good condition. I simply can’t believe you found such a treasure. That stuff is so rare nowadays that any scavenger lucky enough to find one could literally retire off the caps they'd make selling it. Make sure to hold onto that and not show it around willy-nilly. It's so rare that many of the more…covetous folks around might even try to scam or kill you for it. I personally don't care much about treasure hunting, but ho-boy, can some folks go stir crazy over that stuff.” Polish said with amazement, making Blue aware that she had suddenly become the center of attention of several dozen creatures.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable at the sudden popularity, she flushed and quickly put the poster back in the saddle bag neatly rolled up. “I’ll not try to do that again. Thank you for telling me this…but should I be worried?” She loudly whispered, seeing that the spectators were slowly returning to their work.

“Hmmm, nah, I wouldn't worry that much about these lovable hardy magots, haha! As long as you pull your weight around ‘ere and show strength, they won't bother you.”

“Good to know. Rather not get tangled up in pointless squabbles. So, who is this lunar monarch? Some famous actor or something?

“No silly, that's Luna on the poster. Luna was one of the most influential and important ponies to have ever lived. Along with her older sister, Celestia, Luna was one of the original alicorns that used to rule the entire country of Equestria for several millennia before the war. While Celestia ruled during the day and was the living embodiment of the sun, Luna, on the other hoof governed during the night. Representing the moon and the stars of the heavens themselves, Luna kept a silent vigil over everyponies dreams at night. After the massacre at Littlehorn, though, she became the sole ruler of Equestria after Celestia stepped down from the throne… The incident caused the deaths of hundreds of foals. After that, I'm not sure what happened. It's been over eighty years since the end of the world that any accounts of what truly happened have been lost to time. I just hope that they are still silently watching over us, may Luna rest their souls.” Polish said with a bit of sorrow, wiping tears from her eyes and accidently smearing oil over her muzzle.

“Enough sad reminiscing, it hurts a bit to know how much we lost. Now, where was I?”

“Um, you were saying something about ponies fighting each other?” Blue said.

“Oh right! One particularly insidious group born from this chaos became known as Slavers. They are groups who decided that kidnapping and selling other creatures as commodities was the best way to make a profit. They are some cruel bastards, justifying their actions to enslave those unable to fight for themselves into hard manual labor, prostitution, or worse yet selling their organs to medical centers. We tend to deal with them with extreme caution, since they keep their victims under control with bomb collars. Those sons of bitches like to use them as hostages, threatening to blow them into little chunks without remorse if we don't catch them unaware. If there is a way of rescuing the victims safely, we sometimes resort to bartering for their lives. Sad thing is that many ponies end up joining the practice of slavery not knowing better, simply trying to get by. However, that does not excuse them in the slightest, but at least some can be reasoned with.” Polish said with clear distaste, looking away into the distance as if remembering something.

“Raiders on the other hoof are...not pleasant. I don't really know how to describe them, but they're not very nice at all. Unlike Slavers, who are motivated profiteering off others, Raiders were those who embraced the madness of the new world. Just picture bloodthirsty freaks who like to decorate their hideouts with the entrails of those they ambush. They don't really have a rhyme or reason behind their actions. Simply motivated by the sheer pleasure of killing, maining, raping, and bathing in the blood of those poor souls caught by them. You can normally distinguish them by the mish-mash spiky armor they wear and the smell of rotting flesh. There is no talking or reasoning with them, just kill them on sight. Celestia knows that we've lost a number of good souls who underestimated them," she said with a shudder, remembering all the tales and reports she had heard from the scouting parties that got sent out and made it back alive.

"However, I have never actually engaged in direct action against these slavers and raiders. As one of the Grandmaster blacksmiths in this ‘ere forge, I support our troops from afar by keeping their equipment in tip-top shape, ensuring they can effectively combat these foes and keep the innocent townsfolk safe from harm. While I may not personally be involved in the bloodshed, my contributions are just as indispensable to our defense." Polish admitted, slightly confusing Blue since she had not seen a single trace of any life during the trek here.

"We travel all over Winter Peaks looking to assist anybody against gangs, raiders, and slaver problems. That's who I meant by townsfolk. Most of the actual outposts and real towns around the Peaks are scattered between large distances of frozen nothingness. Most tend to keep to themselves except when they send caravans to trade with each other and, on rare occasions, with the south. It's the caretaker's responsibility to keep the tundra safe in order for life to prosper. The environment is already deadly enough as it is without having bad ponies to worry about.”

A light bulb went off for Blue as she listened to Polish describe their group's cause, the bigger picture came into focus. "Ah, I see. Well, that's not actually a bad cause. How long have you guys been doing this as a group?" Blue asked, yearning to learn more with the stakes now clear. This wasn't just about fighting bad guys and saving others, It was about something much bigger than simple revenge . All these different creatures were working to create a brighter future for those affected by the ongoing conflict.

"We've been a group for several years now," Polish replied, "It started as just a few of us fighting to make a difference, but over time we've grown significantly into a force to be reckoned with. We've gained a lot of experience in dealing with the scum ‘round these parts in that time and we've helped countless folks who were under their yoke. It's tough work, but someone has to do it.”

"multiple years fighting against these creatures? That's amazing! I can only imagine the dedication it must have been taken to protect others for so long. I'd love to assist you guys from time to time once my debt is paid, except I actually don't know that much about fighting.” Blue admitted, feeling a bit disheartened. All she wanted was to be of use to this noble cause, and here she was, stuck, feeling like nothing more than a burden. If only she could contribute in a meaningful way, then maybe in return, she might find a lifelong companionship with them. After all, the concept of safety in numbers might be way more important in the frozen wasteland.

“We’d be glad to have you on board, Blue. I know you said the thought of fighting makes you sick, but worry not. There are tons of ways you could become a worthy asset to the Caretakers in due time. Your willingness to learn and contribute is what's important.” Polish tenderly said, trying to reassure her.

“But I'm just one mare, what could I possibly do?"

"Just like a well-oiled machine, every single gear and cog work together to be fully operational. Nopony or creature is the same, but only by working together can we achieve great things.” You don't have to be a warrior to help a cause," Polish explained. "We could always use an extra set of hooves. You could assist with organization, report writing, and keeping track of supplies. Even our little group has gotten too big for one person to handle. You wouldn't believe all the work we have to do just on a routine basis. So, if you'd agree to help take on some of that workload, we'd be more than grateful."

"Thank you for assuring me, Polish," Blue replied with gratitude. "I know I'm new to this world, but I really want to help and make a difference. I want to assist the townsfolk and help you guys defeat the raiders and slavers. You all seem to be really trying to make a difference in the world, and I'd be honored if I could become a member of the Caretakers too.”

“No problem! Always happy to have new members join the cause. Now, how about you begin to unpack all that stuff you've been carrying? We need to make sure you are all stocked, armored and armed for your mission ahead. You can go ahead and dump all that stuff on your back next to my tinkering station.” Polish said, getting up and gesturing Blue to follow her to a small station.

“Thanks, carrying around Baatar’s heavy blanket and scrap was beginning to hurt my back,” Blue snickered, taking off the heavy load she was tasked to carry all the way from the shack. Freed from the bulky cargo, Blue stretched her back like a cat, fully expanding her wings that had been constricted by the stuff.

"Celestia above!!" Polish exclaimed with terror, teleporting behind the workstation counter. In a split second, she came right back up pointing a heavy HMG right at Blue with her magic and yelled, “Don't come any closer, you alicorn freak! Any sudden moves, and I'll pump ya so full of holes they'll have to bury you in a soup can!"

"Woah, woah! W-wait, I haven't done anything wrong!" Blue pleaded with Polish, lifting up her hooves in surrender, utterly confused by her violent reaction. Cold sweat began to form on Blue’s brow, having noticed that the noisy warehouse had now gone completely silent except for the crackle of the furnaces. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the silvery glint of several hundred guns being pointed right at her. The sudden commotion had once again made her the center of attention. Except that this time instead of awe curiosity, everyone around her eyes her with murderous intent.

“Don't play dumb now with me, honey! We have heard all those horrendous reports from our scouts down south. You alicorns are all a mockery of our dearly departed goddesses! Luring the weak and feeble-minded with promises of a better life, only to rip them to shreds and or drag them off to Faust knows where. Well, fat chance! I don't know why your kind decided to venture up north, but we won't stand idly by while you bring ruination to us all!” Polish bitterly spat, making Blue tremble uncontrollably. It was the situation with those rangers all over again. Maybe it would have been better to keep her identity a secret if this is how everypony would treat her. If she made it out alive, that is, but then again. Why hadn't Baatar reacted the same way as her comrades?

"Please don't hurt me! I-I can explain, please!" Blue pleaded as she began to hyperventilate under the claustrophobic glare of hundreds.. Polish continued to point her gun at Blue, her expression faltering. She had never seen an alicorn up close before, and she was unsure of how the creature would react.

Her brows knitted again. “Give me one good reason why we shouldn't blow you away to smithereens right this instant!?” She thundered, magic on the trigger but, trying to stay calm and assess the situation. Blue was clearly not a threat, but Polish was still afraid, unsure of what the alicorn might do. Mere seconds felt like an eternity as everyone had Blue in their sightlines, ready to baptize the interloper in a hailstorm of bullets.

"POLISH, STOP THIS NONSENSE AT ONCE!” A roar sounded in the crowd. The creatures separated, allowing Baatar to make her way towards the commotion. “Blue has done nothing wrong, and she's not going to hurt you. Let Blue explain herself, alright, Polish? Everybody else! Stop being a bunch of fucking lily-livered foals and get back to work! If I catch anyone so much as giving her a lip, they will be on latrine duty for a month! Do I make myself clear!?" Baatar boomed, her mighty voice shaking the entire foundation of the warehouse like an earthquake. The fire burning in Bataar’s eyes was met with a collective gulp from the entire workforce. Thankfully, everypony there had the common sense to back off immediately and not meddle any further. They knew that it was best to not cross Baatar in any sort of way if they valued not being crippled for life."

“...Fine,” Polish lowered her gun slightly. “I'm not sure what exactly you were thinking by bringing such a dangerous creature here, but I trust you. You've never led us astray before, even if this might be one of the weirdest things you have done. Alright, Blue, if that is even your real name? You just got your ass saved by the Commander, so you better have a rock solid excuse.” Polish relinquished, slowly lowering the gun down to the counter but not leaving it out of her sight.

“T-thank you, B-Baatar…” Blue sputtered out, still terrified and shaking with fear, but relieved to see that Baatar had come to her aid. Wait a minute, did she just say Commander? Had she really been traveling with the head of the Caretakers this whole time?

“Y-you might not believe, Polish, but I'd rather be honest.” Blue sighed, doing her best to settle her trembling heart and get the words out.

“I awoke just about a day ago in a dilapidated underground stable without any prior recollection of who I was. So what you said about me being a stable dweller was half…true. In a weird way, I was just born yesterday having been suspended in a tube with weird colorful fluids for who knows how long. Blue is what I decided to call myself, since I could not even remember anything about my past. I was not even aware what these so called alicorns were, except the only two groups I've met have accused me of being one. Even if I get called a monster, I am just me in the end. I can't help being whatever I am. I just want to try to find out more of who I was or how I came to be. I really have no ulterior motive aside from repaying Baatar for saving my life.”

“How do we know you aren't just saying that to make us drop our guard!?” Polish responded with incredulity, the HMG flying back up as she stared at Blue as if trying to find any tell-tale sign of a lie.

“Gulp…well. How else could I pro–”

“HAHAHA! Come on Polish, you serious? If the reports were just as bad to be believed, do you think I would have let her live? Or better yet, bring her back with me?” Baatar chuckled, playfully slapping Polish in the back hard enough to make her hiss.

“Nah, she doesn't have any of that haughty and imperious voice they tend to talk with. Besides, look how tiny and cute she is compared to those monsters! She was half dead and infected with the frost when she came barreling into my shack in yesterday’s nasty storm. I’d bet my right horn that she is just as dumb and innocent as she seems.” Baatar said in earnest, radiating utter confidence in themself and receiving a sigh of reluctance from Polish in return.

“Wha–Baatar, when did you suddenly learn to speak Equish fluently?” Blue chimed in, entirely perplexed by the change, having been too preoccupied trying to not get shot to notice until now.

"Ah, you see, I was simply testing if you were really an innocent idiot in the wasteland. You did force your way into my abode after all in a state of delirium. I didn't want to get stabbed in the back if you turned out to be some dangerous megalomaniacal alicorn, so I embraced the classical role of a dumb and strong yak. Besides, I don't see how somepony that believes everything they are told at face value, could be secretly plotting anything in secret.” Baatar replied with a slight smirk, a little too eager to pop Blue’s reality bubble as much as it popped Blue’s eyes.

"Anyway, Polish, while Blue is working as a part-timer with the Caretakers I want you both to get along. Make sure she is fully prepared and equipped before going out on any missions henceforth. Blue is really not all that familiar with firearms, but her enthusiasm should more than make up for it. Since I don't want to deal with the headache of friendly fire in close quarters combat, she will be mainly providing suppressive fire to cover our escape. Blue already has two oddly impressive handguns at her disposal, but very little ammunition for such a task. She barely had anything of real use in her saddlebags aside from a metal stick when I searched her. It would be nice if you could provide our little winged friend here with a rapid fire machine gun and enough bullets to waste.”

“Sigh…I still think you are crazy Atar trusting one of ‘em amalgamates. I'll provide her with a 9mm pipe rifle with drum magazine for now instead. Best her dinky gun not penetrate the armor of the rest of the team if she gets all twitchy triggered. Only if she pulls her weight around ‘ere and on her best behavior that I'll allow her to play with the bit toys,” Polish grunted, releasing all of the tension she had pent up and finally putting away the oversized gun behind the counter.

“Blue has been extremely polite, if a little bit of a nervous wreck. So none of this grumpy nanny attitude ya hear? I know you are getting on in years, but not enough to be a grumpy sauerkraut HAHA! I assure you that having an extra body and pair of hooves to spare will help us in the long run. If her magic is just as strong as other alicorns, then she will be vital in our next mission.”

Her gaze turned towards the Alicorn. “I heard from our old friend that a raider settlement took over a nearby abandoned facility recently, causing problems for the locals. They're apparently kidnappning ponies for entertainment in those disgusting pit fights they enjoy so much. We need to take the raider settlement out soon. It'll be dangerous, but we need to save any ponies who are being held captive." Baatar relegated firmly,looking over Blue expectantly.

"Make sure you are ready to go in ten minutes, the longer we wait the more innocent lives are butchered. It'll be risky, but your alicorn magic could be just the thing that tips the scales in our favor."

“W-wa-wait a minute. Y-you were testing me this entire time?” Blue muttered out, still trying to process everything that was going on. It was all happening so fast and without her being able to voice her concerns. Despite wanting to help their noble cause, Baatar and Polish’s words had deeply wounded her. Had Baatar saved her simply for her own benefit, rather than out of kindness? Would she truly ever fit in with the Caretakers if everypony just saw her as nothing more than a monster? “I t-thought you…I d-don't even k-know how to use m-magi–” Blue began to stutter out, only to be cut off by Baatar’s booming laughter. \

"See! What did I tell you about her being an innocent little worrywart. Yes, Blue, I was testing you and guess what, you passed! Which in hindsight will be bad for you in the long run. You can't afford to keep being so naive or caught off guard out here in the wasteland. In this world, it's very hard to find any creature not out for themselves. Trust is one of the most scarce commodities out there! You have to be smarter about who you call friends. Otherwise you will find yourself becoming another one of the frozen corpses decorating the serene tundra. Hell! I could have just left you out to die yesterday and nopony would have been the wiser.” Baatar warned, her deceptively warm word of wisdom sending a cold chill through Blue’s body.

“I d-don't know how much help I'll be…I don't want to become a ruthless killer like everypony else out here." Blue said despondently, still in turmoil over the idea that the one creature she had thought might become her first friend was simply using her.

"Don't be a wimp! In this world, you either fight screaming with honor or you die in a shameful bloody puddle. I'm not about to let anything happen to my friends, so suck it up and pony up! Any little mistake in a firefight can and will result in death if we don't work together. Trust me, if we didn't need your alicorn magic I'd find some other way for you to repay me.” Baatar snapped back, seemingly annoyed by Blue's pacifistic answer.

“Polish, make sure she grabs some basic cold gear and have her guns checked before we set off. We will be leaving in ten minutes once the sun sets over the horizon. We will have a much better chance to catch them by surprise under the cover of darkness.” Baatar ordered, before marching off to the entrance of the warehouse, where a small group of warriors could be seen gathering.

FOOTNOTE

RANK UP: ROLLING DICE

Luck skill acquired, your are a walking four leaf clover. When you find yourself in tight situations, your luck is best friend. You'll get out of some fatal death situations. However, if you are too lucky. This skill can and will backfire, giving you a bad luck streak.

BONUS SKILL: ALICORN PROWESS lvl 2

You are given more than extra skill points to allocate, aren't you lucky!

S.P.E.C.I.A.L

• S:11
• P:15
• E:5
• C:8
• I:6
• A:2
• L:15