Fallout Equestria: Desperado’s V4 (Molly Manticore Mega Mall.)

Fallout: Equestria

Desperado’s V4: Molly Manticore Mega Mall.

Ch 4, Winnyapolis.

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I was going over our gear for the third time before we headed out, partly to get my mind off the mission and fill-up time. Though I knew a little about the Smuggler, I was no mechanic, and all the gearhead talk the Desperados liked to do was a bit overwhelming to me, making it hard to fit in.

Aside from my gear, a Colt pistol, a service rifle, and the shotgun, we had two extra Griffinstone S.M.G.s as passenger guns, the G.A.R. as a turret, an extra Colt pistol for every seat, and three battle rifles in case we needed them. Most of the firearms we delivered to Arras had already been distributed amongst the Desperados, and the last barrel of battle rifles and pistols would be taken to Winnapolis. It amazes me that the guns were still in such good condition, making me wonder how long this long-term storage could last.

Lastly, there was food and water. The Smuggler had a water tank we could drink from, and we still had quite a few of the jarred food Percussion Cap gave us, so we were suitable for a few more days.

“Nervous,” Azure spoke, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin. “Sorry about that.”

I had to catch my breath, the wind having been scared out of me. “It's… fine.” Looking at the creature, I had forgotten he was even with us, something to do with his natural magic making him hard to perceive. The thought that there was more of him out there was rather creepy. Though, they were mutants and not aliens like him. “Anything you need?”

He presented his rifle, a .308 lever action rifle. "Just some ammo, I've been practicing my aim with Tire Fire, and I'm a bit short."

I nodded, opened the compartment with the battle rifles, and pulled out a carton of .308. "You seem to be fitting in well. How do you do it?"

Taking the carton and opening it up, Azure began loading the large bullets into their clips and placing them into a pouch. The rifle was almost no different from the battle rifle, only being lever action instead of gas operated. It was kind of dumb, but then that's probably why I had never seen a lever action .308 rifle before this one.

After loading the rifle, Azure finally looked back at me with his cross-shaped pupils. "Truthfully, I don't fit in, not even in my own body." He said as he wiggled his hoof. "I miss my claws and segmented tail, though I feel that at least my tail will return to normal eventually."

I raised an eyebrow.

"My kind tends to change every molt until we reach adulthood. This form… it still feels unfinished." Azure said as he moved his big sail-like tail. "That aside, I'm not trying to fit in but respecting their customs. Something you have to be able to do in my profession."

He was some sort of adventure, like Daring Do, but both crazier and boring.

"Anyways, It's more about trust and respect than anything." Azure continued, "If the Desperados cared about fitting in, they'd be less rough around the edge. I've seen my fair share of soldiers and warrior cultures; they almost all work on the same idea. Can you carry your share of the burden, and can they trust you to cover their back when shit goes down? If you can do both, you're generally in a good position. If they conflict with anyone, expect them to shittest you harder to ensure you're not an enemy."

That made a fair bit of sense to me, maybe too much.

The Lurker then patted me on the shoulder. "So don't worry about trying to fit in. From what I know, you're doing a good job of it, even if you're a bit awkward."

“Thanks?” I said, not sure if that was a compliment or not.

Azure then holstered the rifle into a hoof-made sleeve on his back. "Anyways, it is probably best to focus on what's to come. Truth be told, I am a bit excited and dreadful about this mega mall."

“Wouldn't think you would dread an adventure,” I said.

He shrugged. "I'm used to ancient but safe ruins. Not actual death traps. Anyway, the last time I went on some crazy expedition, I ended up in this world. So you can understand my trepidation about it."

Now that I fully understand. “Ya, it seems that every time I head out to some dangerous place, things just go weird, then maybe explode.”

"Well, I'll have your back this time since this is, in a way, my area of expertise," Azure told me before trotting away.

With a sigh, I rechecked the list, no less nervous about the whole thing.

“Hay!” Fizzy yelled, nearly giving me a heart attack. “S… sorry.”

“It's alright. Need ammo?” I asked the very purple mare.

Fizzy shook her head. "No, like, most ponies don't let me near guns." She then looked around nervously. Looking around myself, I saw several stallions starting from a distance. I glared back at them, and they seemed to get the message and trotted off. "Thanks. It happens sometimes, and it's hard to tell them to go away."

"No problem, but why not ask Harp or Star for help?" I then asked.

"Harps got leader stuff to do, like ya know. And Star is busy practicing her sword fighting." Fizzy then rubbed her leg nervously, strangely reminding me of my sister. "And before you like, ask, the other mares don't like me much."

I wanted to ask why, but I felt it had something to do with how Fizzy looked. Poppy would always complain about other mares and how they looked. Sometimes, she'd get jealous and think I was staring at them. Still, I had one question, "why me then?"

She shrugged. “You don't seem affected by me, and… you feel safe. Like… ya know.”

No, I didn't know.

"Well, if you're just going to sit around, that's fine with me. I'm just going over the checklist." I told her.

She nodded and smiled as she sat back and lay beside the Smuggler. It was strange, as I felt a bit more relaxed around her, but I couldn't put my hoof on why.

__________________________________________________________________

Our small convoy rolled down Route 50, the cold air nearly chilling me to the bone if not for a winter jacket I was given. Though I wanted to wait a few days before heading out, I now understood why it wasn't the best idea to wait. Already a thin blanket of white covered nearly everything, and the Desperados were admittedly sure that soon snow and ice would overtake the route, so going anywhere would take two to three times longer if we waited.

I didn't like the idea of camping in the snow.

“Fuck, I haven't been this cold since I was a foal!” Star yelled through the radio. “Why the fuck do you choose to live up here anyways?”

“Because almost nopony is dumb enough to trot a hundred miles in the snow to fuck with us, that's why.” Morning Light said with a chuckle.

Morning Light and Shepherd were traveling with us in their vehicles, forming a convoy of four. Morning Light was in some early military scout truck in the back, and another led the front. Both were armed with a 30mm cannon on the back. Shepherd was in a transport truck behind us, which I remembered the model being used throughout the entire war, though this one had extra armor welded on. Some of us traveled with Shepherd, but Live rode Gunner with Morning Light.

Compared to all the driving I had done before, Route 50 was the smoothest I had ever been on since I fell into the wasteland, allowing us to make good time.

“So some pony has tried before?” Star asked.

“During the first Desperados Ranger war.” Morning answered. "Turns out that power armor works well enough in the snow if you insulate it. But by then, we'd been living out here for generations. Those dumbass tin cans were respectable soldiers back then, but their leadership had their heads so far up their assess that they forgot that experience trumps fancy tech any day. If the damn tank ghouls had not intervened, we might have completely decimated those idiots for a generation or two."

"Right, I remember hearing about the Desperados having a conflict with the tank ghouls," I commented.

“It was all over a hidden Ministry of Wartime Technology production facility. We still don't know why, but its emergency beacon was activated, signaling to everypony with a radio. Amazingly, the Enclave didn't show up, too." Shepherd added. “Well, the place was set up to outfit a whole battalion, guns, armor, power armor, vehicle, and tanks. It could produce even more if given the materials and time.”

“Let me guess, you all destroyed it in the fighting?” Lair asked.

“Yes and no.” Morning answered. “When the tank ghouls showed up and laid down the heavy artillery, after a few days, both the Rangers and Us called for a ceasefire. As few in numbers as those tankers are, their machines are still apex predators of war, even today. After that, we all concluded that war would be inevitable if that facility remained. So the loot was divided to the Ranger's disappointment, and the place was leveled.”

“The fucking Rangers dragged their hooves so Celestia damn much that the tankers had to remind them that of all of us, they were considered the bratty younger sister of the Equestria military.” Shepherd laughed as he reminisced. “These vehicles came from there and are probably the most advanced and well-maintained of their types.”

Thinking about the things the Desperados could have done with a production facility. "Still a shame, losing such a place."

“I agree.” Morning said. “But in the end, the tankers were right. The Rangers and us were so far removed from each other that war was inevitable. Such a power imbalance would only hasten any conflict until one no longer existed. And as much as I boast about the Desperado's strength, if push did come to shove, the Rangers would see that both of us were wiped off Equestria before they let anypony else control such tech. Not to mention all the other groups out there who would turn on us, such as the Enclave who had yet to act."

“And only beat the Enclave because they spread themselves out so thinly," Shepherd added. “If they had focused their full force on one objective at a time, they'd have been in a whole lot better position than they are now. Thank Celestia for their corrupt government and blind military leadership.”

“Heads up, we should see the city just over this hill.” Morning Light called out.

As she said, we crested over the hill, and a rather bleak sight came into my vision. Winnyapolis was a massive ruin, a shell of what was once a grand Equestria city, with more skeletal remains of buildings than anything. A sickly, muddy red fog covered the city, making it look like it rose from Tartarus. Surrounding it was an unending wall and trench, reminding me of the NCRCF, a prison to keep what's inside.

“What's with the cloud?” Star asked.

“It's the storm, or at least what creates it,” Rattlebones said, telling us nothing.

“The Mega Mall has a protective magical barrier to stop the Bailfire bombs. Unfortunately, it became corrupted after a few years, producing that noxious radiation fog." Sheppard explained. “It's not as bad as it used to be, but if you're not a ghoul, I'd advise staying out. And don't worry, we have a safe zone we're driving into.”

Trusting the ancient ghouls, I kept on going. Whinnyapolis got bigger and bigger the closer we got. We passed through the reminisce of a suburb, the bare foundations being the only evidence of what used to be here. Yet ponies were living here in crude encampments made of scrap shacks held together by ropes and mud, the ponies there watching us with eyes that seemed to glow.

“Wasteponie,” Harp said

"That's right." Shepherd said, "We've always had a population around these parts, but since the gardens blew away the radiation, lots have been moving here to take refuge."

“Because of them, the Goddess of the Glow has become the second biggest religion here." said one of Shepherd's seconds, a ghoul mare named Greased Cain. "To keep the peace, we've been letting them into the city to scavenge, since the ferals don't attack them. But now we're sure they've up and built a temple inside."

“And whose fault is that?” Shepherd's other second spoke up in annoyance, a ghoul stallion by the name Oatmeal. “and all because you wanted some dick.”

Greased Chain let out a frustrated huff. “That was over a hundred years ago, jackass. I was young and just becoming a ghoul; even Gramps understood why I acted the way I did!"

“Settle down, you two; we can't have ya crashing my truck," Shepherd grumbled as we slowed near an old Red Rider fueling station, now an outpost for the Desperados. The place had a small tower on top of it, and a crude wall around it. “As dumb as Greased was back then, our deal with that cult did prove useful. Couldn't have built the wall without them.”

We slowed as we passed the outpost, a ghoul Desperado waving at us as they held a grenade launcher. They were clearly serious about securing this place, or at least the road.

Soon, we were at the city boundary, and a massive welcoming sign greeted us: "Welcome to Whinnyapolis, population DEAD." The last part was painted in red, and the Desperados symbol was also on the sign.

I then noticed that Route 50 went straight into the city, and nothing blocked our path. "Is it safe for us to keep going?" I asked over the radio.

“It's fine; the road is elevated through the whole city, high enough that the fog isn't a problem," Shepherd told me, though it didn't fill me with much confidence. “Oh, and I know what you're thinking. How is Route 50 still standing here? And ya, the Zebras fucked it up royally. But we had the time and resources to fix it. It took us a long time to do it, but fuck was it worth it. We even built up some extra on it because, fuck it, why not.”

As we drove, I quickly started to see what this "extra" was. Built right on top of Route 50, in the middle of the ruins of Whinnyapolis, was a fortress. Nothing excessively massive, but the thick concrete walls were more imposing the closer we got, reminding me more of an old-world castle than anything. It even had a tower on each corner.

"This is our home base; we call it Fort Danger Close. It's the only safe place for days around, " Shepherd said.

We had to slow as we got close, a ghoul waving at us and Shepherd poking his head out to wave back. Solid iron gates opened up, letting us drive inside.

The sight of refugees filled my vision, normal ponies huddling along the base of the walls inside, forming a small camp city right inside the fort.

“Here too,” Harp said with a hint of sorrow.

“Unfortunately.” Shepherd sounded just as sad as Harp, if also a bit angry. "We have been trying to get them to a safer place, but with winter now setting in, it might be best for them to stay here until spring. The wasteponies have helped to disperse them to lighten the burden, but the winter will be harsh this year, so we expect a lot of dead ponies. Still, they're mountain ponies, so it's nothing they've not dealt with before.”

“Likely, many of them will join us in the war come spring.” Morning added. “My own is already training the refugees back in Umberfoal, so we should have a fair axillary force by the time the real fighting starts.”

Looking at the refugees were thin but hardy-looking ponies who didn't look dejected but more annoyed than anything. One even looked me in the eyes and snorted at me.

“Well, they look ready to fight,” Star said.

I rolled into a fenced-off part of the fort, likely off Route 50 and hanging in the air. Which made me nervous. After seeing Platinum Hill, I didn't trust wasteland architecture.

Finally getting out of the Smuggler, I spent a moment stretching my legs, as well as feeling a bit nervous at a wobble from the ground

Shepherd laughed at me as he trotted over. “I get that, but trust that this place is safe. Built with plenty of reliable Equestria concrete and steel. We even doubled down on the supports. So even if another megaspell bomb drops on us, the fort will stand tall, though any non-ghouls will probably cease to exist or join our ranks.”

“I guess I can at least trust that. Seeing that the city is technically still here.” I said to him, remembering how much the Ministry of Wartime Technology advertised the strength of Equestria concrete and steel.

He nodded. "That's for sure. Even I was surprised to see even one building still stand after the fucking the Zebras gave this city. It did help that all the big bombs went after Canterlot, with Whinnyapolis getting a ton of the smaller ones. If it weren't for all the feral ghouls and the Mega Mall, we'd likely have torn this city completely down for the scrap."

“Scrap? What for?” I asked.

"For all sorts of shit," Shepherd said as he trotted off to a door in the wall. "It's the same reason Redeye was, and the N.C.R. is now dismantling Fillydelphia. You break down all that rubble and use it to build new buildings, make armor and weapons with the steel, or just sell it to fill your war chest."

"Let's not forget the radiation you can dig out of such cities. Even after the gardens were used, the old cities still glow, if only a little," Morning Light added. “Unfortunately, radiation engines are still the most powerful and reliable sources of power in the wasteland, and though the NCR freed up all that land by using the gardens, they also shot themselves in the hoof in terms of providing power to their citizens.”

“That power is used to recharge spark batteries, which are used to power everything,” Harp said solemnly. “Once the radiation starts to run out, I imagine there will be a war over what is left.”

Greased Chain let out a grunt of confirmation as she secured our vehicles. "That's why we have been trying to move away from spark batteries. The old ones just don't last long, and any new ones we make can't compare to the old-world batteries. Hopefully, that alchemic engine we're working on will do the trick."

Right, the Desperados were working on some kind of engine that used something like flamer fuel to work. It sounded stupid, but if they were right about the spark batteries, then any solution would be better than no solution.

Trotting through the cramped hallways of the fort, passing by room after room of Desperados ghouls and two churches. One was for the Sisters of the Sun and another for the Goddess of the Glow. We were eventually taken to a much more spacious room with a large map of Whinnyapolis in the center. The map had many simple toy figurines, with one ghoul moving the pieces around as another listening closely to a radio. Both ghouls stood up and solution as they saw Shepherd

“At ease,” Shepherd told them, and the two relaxed. “Report!”

The ghoul that had been moving the pieces then began to talk. "Sorry to say, but things are still somewhat out of sorts. With all the refugees passing through and Cult of the Glow being more active lately, we were a bit stretched thin trying to keep an eye on all of them. We also got more morons testing their luck in the city proper. It's got all the ferals riled up, and several hoards are getting very ornery. Despite being ghouls, I doubt we can even get in there right now without getting ripped from limb to limb. Then there's the mall; it's been… strange lately."

“Strange, how?” Shepherd asked.

The two ghouls looked at each other for a moment before explaining. "Well, the area around it has turned green. Like plants have been bursting out of the concrete, and creatures have appeared that we've never seen before. Fortunately, those creatures don't live long thanks to the fog, but the scouts think they're starting to adapt."

“These plants, are they like trees, white with black spots?” Harp asked.

The ghoul shook his head but then paused. “No, but maybe. Hard to tell in the fog, but I think one of the scouts mentioned such a plant growing out of the mall. But most of the plants have been chaotic mutations.”

Shepherd looked over at Harp, his empty eye sockets filled with worried curiosity. "You know what this is?"

She nodded. "It sounds like a tree of life. Or at least trees spawning from it. If it's popping up now, it might be because of Magnificence's death, possibly triggering Mystic's remains to sprout. I don't know much, but Magnificence said that Trees of life can sprout forests and other life, including animals."

“Right, that old witch did turn into a tree after she died.” Morning Light said bitterly. “It's too early to assume that's the cause, but it does make a lot of sense. But who's this Mystic?”

"Technically, she was Magnificence's sister. They were both body-doubled clones made from the cuttings of a tree of life. Were Magnificence was in Manhattan with Blackcharry when the bombs dropped, Mystic was-"

"-In the Mega Mall," Shepherd said with a huff. "I remember seeing her one of those days; Blackcharry Blackroot was on a stage with Terra Timberwolf in the Sparkle-Cola Adventure and even took a photo with my daughter. We got separated after that and scared me half to death, but Mr Frothy found my daughter and brought her to the lost and found." The ancient ghoul took a deep breath, centering himself. "Sorry, I need to focus."

Morning then cleared her throat, or what she had left of one. "So that adds another problem if the mall isn't dealt with. Will it or the ferals impede our ability to reach the mall?"

The first ghoul shook his head. "No, mam, or at least not yet. The subway system is still clear, but the scouts suspect it's only a matter of time until one of those creatures sprouts inside; then, we might have a major problem. As for the ferals, the walls are holding up, but all it takes is one moronic scavenger to make a hole, then we'll have thousands of ferals spilling out of the city. We already sent a message out to the Wasteponies, so they're helping keep an eye on things."

“How many fucking ferals are in this city?” Star nearly shouted.

"How many do ya think!" Morning grumbled. "Like we told ya, we trapped as many ferals as we could find in this city. Unfortunately, we didn't know that glowing ghouls could revive dead ghouls, and the concentrated radiation inside the city made more glowing ghouls. So it's damn near impossible to thin the ferals out. Also, so long as the mall exists, we need those ferals to keep ponies out and those robots contained. It's a shit situation, but we got it under control. Not that it stopped some idiots from trying the city."

Rattlebones chuckled. “Ho, come now, we were invited at the time, isn't that right, Shepherd?”

"If a fool wishes to scout the mall for us, I won't stop them," Shepherd said with a shrug.

"Let's focus on the here and now." Harp spoke up. "Fizzy, do you remember where you were when you found the entrance?"

Fizzy looked at the map, pulling her mane back and revealing her cola bottle glasses. "I… like… don't remember."

We all gave a collective sigh.

"She was taken to Clover station, south of the mall." The radio ghoul said, who was avoiding eye contact with any of us. "We… Well, I guided her there. And thank Celestia, you're okay, miss, but why do you want to go back?"

"She's related to the Blackroots." Harp told him, "And probably the only pony that can get us safely inside."

He nodded. "We'll keep the little miss safe. She's a good mare, though on the foolish side."

"Oh, got a crush." The map ghoul teased.

"Both of you shut it!" Shepherd sternly ordered, then turned his attention to the map. “The Clover station would be where the Blackroots would put a secret passage. And fortunately, we have an outpost there. I'll send Greased Chain ahead to get it ready for you."

“Anything else we need to watch out for down there?” Harp further asked.

"Just the usual," Shepherd answered. "Mutant bugs and rodents mostly. The fears and robots, like we mentioned, and possibly some other nasty thing hiding in the fog. But the fortress is directly connected to the metro, so you'll skip most of that. Our scouts do their best to keep the underground clear of pests and debris, so just do as they say, and you'll be fine."

“Wait, do you mean you have a working subway system?” Harp excitedly asked.

But Shepherd shook his head. "Nay. Unfortunately, by the time we started rebuilding Route 50, the subway system was unsalvageable. Too many winters flooded it with water and ice; now, it's more river than train system. The good news is that we have boats; just don't disturb the frost-lurks."

Morning Light face hoofed. "Right, those damn hoof bighters. Their mutant hermit crabs, not all that aggressive or big, but piss 'em off, and they will freeze the water and mob ya."

"We've been living with em for over a hundred years, and they've not been a problem, as long as you stay away from them." Shepherd reassured us.

"It's not the journey over there we're worried about. But what surprises might be in the mall?" Lair said.

Shepherd nodded. "I suppose you're right. But what we said stands, they're not all that aggressive, so if ya see a critter with a shell made of ice, just leave 'em be, and they will leave ya be."

"Now, how soon can they move out?" Morning asked the map ghoul.

“As soon as they are ready.” He answered.

Morning nodded at him and then turned to Harp. "I suggest you go before nightfall or wait till the morning, as predators come out at night. But this is where we part ways. I got to inspect the armories and then head back to Umberfoal. If all goes well, we'll see each other before my work here is done."

"I need to recover that megaspell, too," Shepherd said with a chuckle. "So we'll be meeting up later. The scouts will take you to Clover station and provide extra guns to watch your back."

“Wait, you weren't lying about the megaspell?” Harp said in mild shock.

"Oh yes! Not all the balefire bombs detonated when they fell onto the city, so we stored a few away just in case," Shepherd admitted.

"The bombs are nothing supermassive." Morning added. "But one detonated in the heart of the mall would wipe it out. We've tried to do it once before, but the mall's security made it not worth trying."

"Right, I almost forgot about that!" Shepherd spoke up. "While there, you'll need to disable the mall's security. Its response to threats is proportional to the level of danger, so you'll need to keep a low profile inside, or it will never stop harassing you with robots. Once you have the security down, just radio the fort, and a team will be sent in to set up the bomb."

"Yes, I remember that annoying problem," Rattlebones nodded. "We had to trot around without any weapons just so the protect-a-ponies wouldn't shoot us on sight. I never found the security office or learned how to lift the lockdown."

Shepherd nodded. "Same here. We believe the main control office is under the mall, which can't just be accessed from the surface. We also suspect it would need a key or a V.I.P. to get in there. Sadly, the Coven of Clovers was never willing to lend out any of Blackcharry's descendants to test that theory."

We all looked at Fizzy, who tilted her head briefly, then went wide eyes. "Oh, right, I'm a Blackroot too."

"Yes, this is our best shot at destroying that place." Shepherds didn't hide the blood lust in his voice, something I could understand why, with what he had lost to the mall. "I look forward to the good news."

Both ancient ghouls shuffled out, leaving us in the map room. The radio ghoul told us that the scouts would join us shortly, and we just needed to sit tight. Looking around, I found a balcony overlooking the city, the sight so much more dreadful from the center than outside. As far as my eyes could see were the skeletal remains of skyscrapers and factory buildings. I could easily imagine what they used to look like. The ministries were not that creative when it came to architecture, so a lot of cities looked the same. I could even imagine the busy streets below, with ponies trying to get somewhere in a hurry and the unending movement of trucks delivering something or other.

"Magnificent sight, in a depressing way," Azure said as he sketched out the skyline. "Had places like this back home, though they were far older than two hundred years. Much older."

"You should have seen it before it was destroyed," I said, imagining the airship in the sky and the patriotic music playing everywhere.

"Call me cynical, but when you see one steel and glass city, you've seen them all. Though I must admit, this place is far bigger than I've ever seen." His mandibles chittered a bit, but I couldn't tell if it meant he was happy or something else. "And who knows, I might see something even more grand than this."

Well, he was an alien, so who knows.

"Frankly, after living in Applewood and being in Platinum Hill, if I enter another big city, it will be too soon, " I said to him before putting a hoof over my nose. "Big cities have a really big stench to them."

Azure laughed. "Too true, too true. Even with waste management, cities tend to smell like sour milk." He then closed his sketchbook, placing it in his bag before pulling out a gas mask. "At least we got these."

“Don’t a mutant like you not need those?” Live asked the Lurker.

His antenna-like fins twitched at that. "Miss Live, I am not a mutant; I'm from another world, possibly a different dimension. I would rather not risk assuming that I'm immune to radiation and other contaminants. The last thing I need is to get cancer."

Live shrugged. "That's fair, I guess."

Azure trotted off, fiddling with his gas mask.

Joining me on the balcony, Live let out a sharp whistle. "It's so big. How many ponies even lived here?"

"Hundreds of thousands of them," I said as I looked back at the city. "And all of them… gone."

"Oh, come now, they would still be gone with or without the war," Live said. "Maybe think of something more positive. Like you must have been at such a sight before, when everything wasn't shit?"

"Looking at a skyline from up high? There was one time," I told her, looking out at the ruins and remembering the skyline of Applewood.

It was the same as all cities, but the iconic hill with the city's name on it gave it its own unique charm.

“It's all going to be destroyed," Poppy said as she drank her third glass of wine. “You know that, right?”

My marefriend of over five years looked stunning, but that was due to all the makeup she used. Her alcoholism had only gotten worse, and it was affecting her health. I had tried to help her, by Celestia I tried. Today was her three-month celebration of being sober, but as soon as my back was turned, she was drinking again.

"They say the stripes got the megaspell too now, and you know those monsters will use it. So what's the point, working all those jobs?" She ranted. Poppy always ranted when she drank, always about the war, which only made her drink more. I couldn't blame her; she had suffered because of that damn war. Two bullet holes scars in her chest and one to the head from an ambush. It was a miracle that she even survived fighting in the war and that they let her come back home.

“Hey, I'm talking!" She said, accidentally splashing me with some of her wine and getting it on my suit. Not that I cared about the suit anymore. "You would have understood if ya were there, but no, you don't have to fight with that psychological stuff the M.O.P. say you have. Well, I have it too, you know!"

Poppy always resented me for not being eligible for the military and never having tried to join. It wasn't like the Ministries cared if I was eligible to enter or not. Truthfully, it was just a stroke of luck that my incident with Molly put me on the ineligible list, as I haven't had that nightmare for years now. Looking back at the skyline, I just repeated the phrase I was all too used to saying now. "I know Poppy, and that's why I'm here, to help you through this." My words were once genuine, but now they felt all too hollow. All I could do was hold onto the ring in my pocket and hope I might get through to her next time.

“Thinking about Poppy?” Live asked.

I nearly slipped, remembering where I was and who I was with. “S… sorry, got stuck in a memory.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Do you miss her?”

Did Live sound… jealous? No, no way she'd give a damn about me like that. "Maybe I did once, but that was long ago. It's strange that the more I think about it, the more I haven't truly thought about her in some time, but the closer we get to the mall, the more she comes to mind. Maybe because Molly…"

Right, I wasn't the only one affected by that day.

"Because of Molly, what?" Live asked.

"Oh, sorry, I just remembered a foalhood friend of mine, Poppy's brother. He was a huge fan of Molly. Maybe that's why I'm being reminded of all that." I told her, leaving out the less-than-happy parts.

"Right, you saw all this when it was new. It must have been something," Live said as she looked over the ruins.

I shrugged. “Never actually left Applewood, so can't say I saw that much.”

Thinking back to the old me, the me from a few months ago, why didn't I ever leave the city? It wasn't like I needed to stay; I had no friends there anymore, and the rent was expensive. Truthfully, none of this would have happened if I had just left; just like with Appaloosa, I stuck around too long, and now look at where I am.

But no use complaining about that now, as powers beyond my control have dragged me here.

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