Fallout Equestria: Recollection

Chapters

Prolouge
Chapter One: The Yellow Sixty
Chapter Two: Hushed Demons

Prolouge

Prologue

Written and Edited by- Ballpoint

A Original Fallout Equestria side story

" In the North, you die by the boot of some big, fancy, powerful leader's spooks, or from the cold. The cold being favorable choice."

" I call the meeting of the Trottingham Federation to order, every pony please stand to greet First Commander Napalm to the stand." The ghoul mare announced to the long rows of seats and brown desks, sparsely populated with officials standing at attention to the large stage, no one upon it yet. After about a full minute, there was a bulge in the worn curtains, soon an almost god like figure, an alicorn, walked out onto the stage. Clad in a long trench coat, Kevlar vest underneath with the Federation's insignia painted onto its face.

She took her place at the podium, clearing her throat thunderously, and looked down at the ghoul, “ Thank you adviser," The ghoul nodded and sat, Napalm looking to the officials still standing at attention, “ thank you all for attending this meeting." All bowed and took a seat, except for the First Commander, who levitated a single sheet of paper from a trio of them resting on the podium, “ Second Commander Taken and Third Commander Gunpowder couldn't be here today as their addressing the Incident in the Stable District, so unanimous decision is granted to me and the Lead Adviser, Teller." Quickly she replaced the sheet with a fresh one, “ We are all here to address the food and security distribution situation in the Stadium District, District Coordinator Shadow, you have the stand."

Adjusting the microphone affixed onto his desk, a rather large black unicorn stood up, his position near the back of the re-purposed gymnasium, “ Thank you Commander," he began to depart from his position, magically taking the microphone with him and took a slow stroll down the small aisle between the two sections of desks," as of late, the Seared Raiders assault on many of our strongholds throughout Trottingham has, increased in intensity. And with it, comes with more civilian resources begin poured into military uses, primarily food and aquafied water." Shadow stopped for a second to stifle a cough and continue, “ As District Coordinator, I am tasked with distributing food to the very populace Stadium District, its citizens demand more sustenance..."

Napalm's eyes began to glaze over as she halfheartedly watched the official drone on about a topic that she had already forgotten about. Was it about the military...no, it was um... She found herself gazing at the worn into the hastily constructed wood finish of the podium.

" Um, Commander?" Brought back to Equestria by the simple utterance, she looked up with the sudden shock of the blank Shadow, “ Are you well?" The way those three words slipped from his lips sounded fake, sarcastic.

But, the leader didn't catch on," I'm fine, please continue." There was brief murmuring within the sparse crowd of officials and it stopped as the speaker raised a hoof and continued, making Napalm groan inwardly, forcibly watching and taking note of the Coordinator's words. Her watch was interrupted by a almost silent tap on her podium, making her find the source and find herself starring down at Teller.

" What was that?" She asked with an enforced tone, Napalm shrugging at the question, “ I know it’s hard for you to listen but don't fall asleep, we don't need distrust within the Federation." The alicorn nodded lightly and looked back up, her attitude changing almost immediately to an exasperated one. Napalm always seems to forget that see was symbolized as the undisputed leader of the Federation ever since she declared herself such for the formerly disorganized resistance, so her every word, gesture and even stance was tracked by the very ponies she ruled. So concern was shed if she acted abnormally.

After a full minute of talking, Shadow finally seized his speech abruptly to address the sudden interjection of a young purple mare pegasus," You know well Shadow that the Cloud District cannot spare its military power nor it's security with the risk of another attack from the Enclave." So that's what we’re discussing...

" Ah, Coordinator 'Delta'," he remarked, walking back up a few steps up the aisle to face the mare at her row, “ I was hoping for your impute but couldn't this, Enclave, problem be resolved if your district is move closer to the more friendly territory."

" The Cloud District can’t be moved as it’s the one of the main surveillance outposts in Seared Raider Territory. And would require the pony power of a few hundred pegasi, which the Federation lacks."

“ Yes I'm well aware of your kind’s departure into the clouds on the Last Day, but many of the scribes in my own district could provide ponies with-"

“ Are you deaf Shadow," The unicorn was taken aback," my District isn't moving where it lies."

" Yes but that decision is up to the Commander and the Adviser so," He spun on his hoof to face his leader, who looked up from her infantile toying of her Pip Buck," what do you believe Commander Napalm and Adviser Teller, is the best course of action?" Napalm, predictably hadn't been paying any attention, so she lent a ear over to Teller to fill her in, but when she regained her position at the podium, she still looked baffled.

" Well-" There was the sound of smashing glass, making her, as well as everyone else in the room swivel toward the only entrance into the room, a set of rusted metal doors. Then, almost immediately came the sound of gunshots, everyone other than Napalm ducking slightly. What the hay, the SRs couldn't have gotten this far into TiF territory.

Instinctively, the alicorn pulled out a small but intricately carved silver pistol, loading a magazine with a magical click,

“ Everyone keep down." The officials complied, except for Teller, who went behind the curtains of the stage and returned with a battle saddle fixed with a rather large automatic rifle, making her leader give a light chuckle," Like old times huh?"

" Yeah, I miss 'em sometimes you know." Was what she said as the metal doors buckled but yielded, making the gun wielders swivel and face the door. With a quick click, Napalm activated her Eyes Forward Sparkle and assessed the number of hostiles.

" Three." She whispered to her comrade, who took note, Now this is my element, none of that political bull-

The doors burst open, but no pony awaited on the other side. It puzzled both of them for a split second but they kept their weapons trained on the door. The anxiety was getting the better of the old alicorn, her aim starting to falter after a minute had passed. Come on out you Raider bastards.

Finally, a single pony occupied they open space, nullifying the three hostile fact to an assumption. His body was obscured by a black ski mask and polarized biker goggles, suited in old prewar law enforcement Kevlar armor. But what prevented Napalm from pulling the trigger was the six year old light green colt unicorn, being harshly caressed by the right fore hoof around his neck and the revolver to his temple.

It wasn't the foals appearance in the situation that prevented her and Teller from firing, but the fact that his mother was wielding a pistol to his captor. " Mommy." The child managed to squeeze out past his lips, making Napalm immediately drop he fire arm and let tears stream down her cheeks.

" Flash..." She made a idiotic attempt to run to her offspring, but the click of a levitating pistol stopped her from even take a single step, “Let him go dammit!" Her voice was equivalent to that of thunder as she utilized her Canterlot Voice, making everyone in the room cringe, including the intruder.

" You know," He grunted," I can't do that Napalm until you meet the SR's demands."

" What demands involve killing a child!? Are you mad?!" She relented at using her "outside" voice as the tears she shed prevented her from forming the strength to unleash it.

The stallion chuckled lightly," Very. Now-" He whistled loudly and two other ponies stepped in, both of their identities obscured, both of them carrying an unconscious stallion. With a quick grunt, the two tossed the gray unicorn stallion onto the dusty tile, the foal immediately struggling intensified at the sight of the stallion.

" Daddy!" He yelled, but being choked harder, stopping him from struggling, making his mother rage and sadness increase.

" Well, the family's all here." The deranged raider said, his words stung like venom.

She took a second to look at her husband and swiveled her head toward Teller, still with the harness around her, still aimed at the Kevlar armored figure, “ Put it down." The ghoul looked back, and gave, stripping off the harness, it landing with a clatter.

" So," He grunted, hobbling down the aisle with Flash Card, the child silently crying," now that I have your attention, Commander." He said, “ I want what your people found at that Stable-"

" Done." She said without a moment’s hesitation, making the intruder double back for a minute a bit surprised for the rapid response, then laughing in a menacing cackle.

" I doubt you have it here right?" This fact made the alicorn stomp her hoof and look down, her tears beginning to let up.

" Aww," He made a childish tone, beginning to back out of the room, along with his companions, who took the father in a magical veil, " I didn't feel like foal sitting this week but, until I get what I want, I’m just going to have to." He was almost out of the room before he stopped right at the doors entrance, " And I want it delivered to me personally-" Before Napalm could question why it should be given to such a low level raider, with a levitate pull of his mask, it revealed a horrible scared mane less unicorn, "-Big Dog. Tah" The crazed leader of the Seared Raiders commented before he hobbled out of the room with his people.

Napalm didn't even attempt to chase them; she was to shaken by the events that had taken place just a second ago to even move. Even when she did move, she just sat there, looking at the entrance where she saw her son and husband held hostage by her worst enemy and taken away. She couldn't cry, she couldn't feel, she couldn't comprehend.

There was minute long silence, then five, then ten...

The officials had fled at the minute mark, only Teller accompanied the broken goddess. Soon, after over twenty minutes of only the muffled wind, Napalm craned her neck to look at her elder, who perked up as she now responsive, “ Get the bird ready, I'm gonna neuter that Dog."

Chapter One: The Yellow Sixty

The Yellow Sixty

Written and Edited by- Ballpoint

An Original Fallout Equestria Side Story

" This world isn't much different from the last, this time, you need to strive for what you believe in."

Napalm looked quietly at the heavily modified Vertibuck that sat peacefully in the old, rusted hanger bay, half a dozen troops stood at attention. Each suited in miscellaneous equipment, varying from an automatic rifle to a small caliber revolver. Their armor, however was identical, each wearing light vests. The leader herself was heavily armored, her trench coat outfit replaced with black combat armor, a scrap of bright red cloth draped across the front of the armor, clamped by a rough steel buckle. She had a highly personalized pre-war Zebra rifle fitted onto her battle saddle, having her name inscribed onto the butt of the cherry wood finish of the rifle, along the nickel plated sheen of the gun itself.

She was intimidating. The highly trained and hardened soldiers before her exchanged glances, trying not to gaze too long into the alicorn's eyes, with the fear fresh in their minds.

Napalm began to pace slowly along the row of TiF troops, her expression lifeless and blank, " Soldiers, ten shun!" She ordered, the rebels straightening on command, " We are commencing Operation PARCEL, we are to retrieve the 'Parcel' from Stable 60 for negotiations with Big Dog to go as planned and free the hostages." She struggled by concealing the fact that it was her family at stake but she wanted to keep it personal, " Unfortunately that's not our only mission, as it turns out, the Incident in the Stable District has reached to the point where the Second and Third Commander are trapped there. We are to evac them and bring 'em back to the center for radiation purging. Got it?!"

“ Yes ma'am!" They responded in thunderous unison.

" Move it out!" The Commander shouted, briskly walking over to the open ramp of the lead lined and steel reinforced Vertibuck.

" Hoo-rah!” They shouted, filing into the cloudship, Napalm following close behind, squeezing into the cramped confines, with just enough room to take a stand at the door of the cockpit. She looked over her squad, each silently waiting for the ramp to shut. Once it did shut, there was a surge of kinetic energy as the small cloudship took off into the clouded sky of Trottingham.

The Encalve was built above the clouds and everyone in the Trottingham Federation knew it, so taking an ascent into enemy territory was risky, but fortunately the Enclave presence at Trottingham was small, and if they were noticed, they could easily be mistaken for their own as this bird was stolen. It still had many of the features of an Enclave ship, including the insignia and the olive color. The only changes were to make it radiation resistant, the entirety of its interior lined in rubber coated lead.

Unfortunately, this new layer made the former cramped interior look like a large park compared to the cozy shoulder to shoulder room they all had to share. But that didn't bother Napalm in the slightest, her mind entirely wrapped around her only son, holding back tears and cries of rage, looking down at the padded floor.

" Commander?" Her head shot up sluggishly, finding the voices owner to be a navy blue mare, a battle saddle affixed with a .223 Caliber Rifle.

" Yes Grain?" Her voice was still very flat but commanding, but it didn't deter the trooper from asking her question.

" I just wanted to know, are you from Sixty?" Upon closer inspection of Grain, Napalm could see she also brandished a Pip Buck and a rough patch of blue cloth had been stitched into her uniform, a woven sixty on the cloth. Napalm looked at her own fore leg strapped personal terminal then back to the questioner.

" No." Emotion in the alicorn's voice was virtually dead, giving Fine Grain the wrong impression.

“ Well I didn't mean to pry or anything I was just-"

“ It’s alright Corporal, just focus on the mission at hoof." Following the superior officers words, she nodded and fell into silent thought, leaving Napalm to do the same. Only thing was that she wasn't thinking about the mission, but rather if she could live up to her promise of "neutering that Dog."

***

" Coming in near Stable 60 now," Napalm yelled over the excessive hum of the engine, " this is the area of the smallest concentration of feral. We are going to obtain the Parcel first, it’s our main objective. Then we'll work our way a few blocks north from the Stable to our secondary objective! Got it?"

" Yes, ma'am!" The leader nodded and took a glance at her Pip Buck, checking the time.

" The area is highly irradiated so everyone pop some Rad-X now!" In unison, everyone in the cabin knocked back two pills apiece, but each had another two on hoof. Once she had swallowed her own pills, she consulted her groups again," at 1900 hours, take your other two pills. They last two hours apiece so if we can't reach either objective in time we are to be immediately evacuated! Alright soldiers, move it out!" All faced toward the declining ramp, weapons armed and ready to fire.

As the ramp was no longer obscuring the top portion of the exit, three feral ghouls were on the outside, already growling at the intruders. After a few rounds were fired, they were dispatched with relative ease and the squad exited the cloudship. All moved around the small cart lot, securing the area of hostiles, Napalm in the lead.

" Secure." She sounds off, receiving the same from the rest of her squad, who gathered back at the landing site. They were in a small cart lot, a few abandoned merchant stands had been erected here. The lot was sandwiched between two large apartment buildings. The air was stale and rancid, it even had a faint green hue, giving the impression it was some kind harmful gas was mingling with the air.

“ Alright everyone keep a tight formation, Crow," The called stallion took a step forward, his combat shotgun still giving off heat from its recent discharge, “ You got the back, make sure nothing hits us from behind." He nodded solemnly, falling back behind the loosely gathered group,” the Stable is a few blocks north, just follow my lead and watch yourselves. Let’s go." In silent unison, they filed in a loose line, two ponies out of the lines confines.

The Stable District was composed of a small area of Trottingham, including its center at Stable 60 and the rest only comprised of a dozen blocks of ruined buildings. This district had a purpose, like many of the others, which primarily was to provide a proper settlement for the Stable Dwellers that emerged twenty years ago, who were greeted by a platoon of friendly TiF forces. Once the Dwellers were fully accounted for, they were given food and the ruin of the district that remained; in exchange they provide whatever pre-war tech that was useful. The only one to surface was the Parcel.

The Bartering Chip, Napalm thought as they made a through and brisk pace down the streets, being on the guard in case of ferals, seems fitting.

At two blocks away from their primary objective, the leader signaled a halt and every one pressed against a brick wall, crouching slight as a brick wall was all that remained of the ruined structure. The alicorn had activated her EFS long before they had landed and it turned out to have paid off, shielding them from the twenty ferals around the bend. She turned to here squad, awaiting orders.

“ Twenty hostiles, anyone with rifles cover me, Crow, Tension and Cable while we attack head on." Everyone filled in and agreed, they prepared for the attack. Fine Grain and Unconventional Tactics (nicknamed "Tack") silently took their place farther across the street, having clear shots at the mutants, who paid no mind to the intruder a few hundred yards away; out of their field of vision.

With their support in check, the remaining for marched out in the middle of the street, assault rifles aimed at the now growling, increasingly hostile crowd. With a round in the camber and her firing line in the ready, she announced a great, thunderous and commanding “ FIRE!"

Without any hesitation, weapons were discharged at the now charging ghouls, each taking about twenty to ten rounds to be put down. And that wasn't good.

Even with the thunderous roar of firearms and the tearing of flesh, only five of the thinning crowd of fifteen were put down and Napalms magazine was spent, then the click of a bullet void in a firearm's chamber was universal, the only shots coming off were from Tack and Grain, dealing incredibly accurate head shots; violating the well-established center of mass tactic.

" RELOAD!" Was yelled as they were now in a steady walk backward as the ghouls were closing in, about fifty yard distance. It took about two seconds for the battle saddle of each squad member to cycle another magazine into their weapons and the wielders to bite down on the trigger to resume firing.

Soon, the crowd was torn down to three as they reached to gun happy soldiers. One was lucky to pounce on the solid Cable and knock him to the ground, both landing with a clack as he fell on his weapon. He put the thing as far as he could from his body, pushing the snapping jaw of the feral away with his hooves. But the ghoul didn't relent and Cable gave, letting the mutant sink his teeth into his cheek, making him howl him pain.

" Gah!" He hollered and the beast tore a chunk of flesh from the stallions face, crimson running fresh to the dusty, cobbled ground. Before it could have taken another bite of the meal it desired it was dispatched with a .223 caliber round through its skull and it slumped to the ground, its last electronic pluses making it twitch a few times before it seized, leaving a cowering Cable as he pressed his hooves against his face, soaking them in blood.

" Dammit!" Was the shout of a distressed High Tension as she went over to the withering stallion, the street around him starting to collect his blood. She pried his hooves apart and assessed his injury, " Damn..." Quickly, she levitated a small vial filled with amber liquid and popped the lid, " Alright so how am I gunna do this?" The mare questioned as she took to note that the right side of his face was partially gone, revealing the molars in the back of his mouth. With a shrug, she forced the healing potion down his throat, Cable choking slightly at the liquid slid down throat without his approval.

Once it was down, the rest of the team had been covering the two from hostiles which were nonexistent at the moment. Napalm took a glance back at the wounded Cable and the Tension that hung over him, “ He alright?" It took a minute for the answer to come in the form of the colt rising with the mare’s aid, the injury properly dressed with the blue aura of magical bandages.

“ Yeah he'll be alright," She looked at him with a sly grin," ain't that right pretty boy?" This brought a fragile smile to his lips as he nodded, falling in with the group. With the his injury assessed, Napalm signaled for the distant sharpshooters to fall into the group along with them.

“ You saved our asses out there guys." She praised Grain and Tack, who gave proper thanks and fell back into the group, which almost immediately continued their mission to Stable 60.

***

" The console's broken?" Napalm’s voice was ripe with rage and irritation as she looked down on Grain, who was fiddling with the broken terminal that would signal the large elevator's accent to the surface, now only a dark shaft was in its place.

" Yeah," The stable dweller withdrew from the consoles innards, a handful for wires in her mouth which she spat out," its missing many of its transmission components and one of hydraulic containers are missing." Napalm's jaw slackened as she wondered what her next course of action would be. The elevator was out and the only way down was to drop down, and she was the only one with wings. Were not going to find the components in time, she looked down at her Pip Buck, especially with only an hour left on our Rad-X. She tried to come up with an alternate plan of approach which involved her whole team journeying with her in the depths but the factors of the current situation were against her.

" File in!" The alicorn shouted, making the large group guarding the outside of the large concrete structure fall in with the two inside for her orders, “ As it seems, the elevator to the Stable is out and there is no way for all of us to go together. So, " The tall pony took a step back, a bit closer to the edge and looked at Grain, " Your coming with me as you know the Stable best, Crow, give her your shotgun. We’re going to be working in close quarters and that's the best choice of weaponry."

With disdain that was miniscule, Crow traded his weapon with the mare. She supported the new, heavier weapon easily and with little difficulty.

The mare walked next to her leader, who said, " Everyone else, take position outside, guard this location at all costs. Shoot anything that moves. We'll be back as soon as possible." Without any further orders, everyone went to their assigned tasks, leaving Napalm and Grain alone, both activating their lantern spells for the dark descent.

" You ready?" The engineer asked, getting her answer as she was lifted off the ground and was plunged into the depths of the shaft, light illuminated the rough stone shaft. She was terrified as alicorn held her in her hooves; the cold air cut into her body and seemed to drain her very life . But she never closed her eyes; she literally stared down the darkness of the depths below, knowing she would be safe in her officer’s grasp.

The drop lasted for three minutes, but felt much quicker as their adrenaline blinded their judgment. Once the metal, grated elevator came into view, Napalm pumped her wings downward with thunderous force, cushioning the fall and she hovered gracefully onto the metal floor, setting down the stable dweller and then herself. Grain could hardly breath, the events that had just taken place stripped her of her ability to breath temporarily, gaining it as her stress levels descended and she was calm.

" First time flyers always are scared shitless afterward.” The mythical equine joked, giving way to Grains instinctive giggle, tugging on her combat vest.

" I don't think falling counts as flying." She dusted herself off, the alicorn shrugged.

" Still petrified are you?" That much, the blue mare agreed with and they regained their militaristic attitude and peered down a slightly shorter rough rock shaft, with broken floodlights along the ceiling of the corridor, which was an even fifty foot height. It made the smaller mare uneasy, as large spaces never agreed with her very well. She already had a tough time dealing with the limitless surface and an enormous corridor wasn't welcome either. Even if she ventured down it once before as a foal.

With heart full of forced determination, she ventured forward with Napalm, her already about a meter ahead. The mighty god had her sights set on freeing her family. And yet she found it very strange.

Napalm had many loves in the last two hundred years; most of them are only a vague memory. None of them actually left an imprint on her life and she'd just move on and be done with. The stallion she now sees as her lover was nothing special either. She loved him just as she did her others, but with him, she was able to bear a child. Their love for that precious little colt was undeniably unconditional; they knew they had to be there to raise Flash Card. No matter what the world had in store, they'd do their best to shield him from it. If only they could've kept that innocence for just a little longer.

If only he was with me and Iron, She thought, scoping the length of the tunnel, and not that crazy sonofabicth. She gritted her teeth at the memory of sicken cackle of Big Dog. All she wanted to see, even before she met Iron Diligence, was to have a bullet between his eyes. He was just lucky that she was better than his dirty tactics, or she would have sicker punishment in store for him. She even debated whether a gunshot was a fitting fate for a monster such as himself.

" Ma'am," She turned and looked down slightly at the smaller mare, who was staring off into the black nothingness they progressed through," what is this Parcel that we’re retrieving?"

Napalm took a minute, " Well what reports that I got from this District prior to the Incident suggests that its maybe some sort of power source. I don't much about it myself." She looked down the cavern as well.

" I grew up in this place and never knew we had something so valuable under my nose. Talk about being left in the dark." She looked up at the combat armor clad goddess," It feels weird to come back after so long."

" Why didn't you come back?" The cave seemed to go on forever but small talk calmed their frayed nerves.

" Well the last time I was here I around fifteen, them after that I joined the mil-" She could feel the irritated glare from Napalm as she nearly finished her sentence,"-Federation and been here ever since."

Napalm gave a dark laugh, “ You missed out on a lot kid."

Grains brow arched, "Whaddaya mean?"

" I mean that I made the same mistake as you did. A long time ago. Got caught up in a cause that was none of my business, and suffered for it."

" Hold up." The engineer planed her hooves solidly into the ground, Napalm stopping a bit later staring down Grain, c" So fighting for freedom is something that's none of my business?"

" We have plenty of stallions and mares fighting for us, we-"

" Plenty? This war has been going on for longer than I’ve been alive and we've managed to stay on the losing end of this one sided fight for a pretty large portion of-"

Napalm made a brisk walk toward the outspoken technician, eyes seemed to be alight with fury, " Now you listen to me, I am your commanding officer and you can speak your mind but if you feel the need to interrupt me and downplay the effort that I have put into this resistance for over fifty years, than you shouldn't even be here." The inferior was taken aback. She swallowed hard but continued to stare into the gods eyes.

You pick up things after a hundred years of unwanted living, and you knew if someone was fearful of you or if you're defiant and fearless. When she peered into the warm magenta of Grain’s eyes, she sensed only confidence. She stood by her word. Which, to Napalm's disdain, knew was true.

She continued to stare into her eyes, but soon they both broke in unison and continued down the tunnel under the unspoken agreement to drop the conversation. The tunnel continued to go on for another minute or so until they reached the open, enormous gap of the Stable entrance, the gap about the size of a small cloudship hanger.

Stable 60, from what the Federation gathered from its inhabitants, was the largest Stable to ever be constructed by Stable-Tec. It runs under one third of Trottingham and actually was so large it needed two entrances but the other was sealed off by years of concrete rubble. Even with its large confines, it was meant to house a little under ten thousand ponies but according to the records dating the day the door closed, over sixteen thousand registered stable dwellers entered the stable along with an excess of five hundred stowaways. Many would think that the Stable would collapse for many reasons and fall into anarchy, but it didn't.

The dwellers simply got by, they survived up to this point with almost double their numbers on The Last Day. How any pony, Napalm thought, can survive that is just... She struggled to find the right word but tried to stay on task and consulted Grain, her anger had faded, “ You know where this Parcel might be?"

Grain was still a bit irked but she cooperated accordingly, “ If I'd have to guess, maybe around the Research Wing or the Labs."

" How many rounds you have left?" Napalm simply consulted her Pip Buck, reading her ammo counter in the item management section," One clip left, thirty two rounds."

" Fifteen shells." The smaller mare read off her own terminal, looking up at the deity.

" Alright make every shot count," She magically cycled a round into the chamber, " lead the way." The operative complied and took the first steps through the Stable door, taking no time to look over the clean, steel interior she once called home. Napalm was the second to step into the Stable and shivered under her combat armor as a strange cold chill caressed her for a minute.

She walked up the grated steps to where Grain waited at a door up the steps," The Research Wing is closest, stay close and cautious, we don't-"

Flashing yellow light filled the entrance along with a repeating buzz. Napalm was going to question why this was happening but Grain knew as a cylindrical machine from above the high ceiling descended, screwing into the Stable door.

" Oh no." Her voice was monotone as she took her position behind the door controls, flicking levers, pushing buttons and doing just about anything to get the door from sealing them inside the steel tomb. Napalm how ever was in no distress, she just watched as the Stable door began to close, the rusted metal straining both mares ear. Napalm saw the doors closing more of preference rather than a priority.

Soon, they were plunged into darkness, the yellow lights snapped off, leaving the duo with the glow of their lantern spells. Grain was still toying with the panel, she was unable to accept their fate. This seemed to only irritated Napalm as she looked down upon haste filled actions.

She stomped her hoof on the metal floor, breaking Grain out of her trance and her attention now focused on her leader, " We'll find a way out once the Parcel is secured. Clear?" Grain was a bit shocked at the deity's resilience to fear in such a dire situation, but complied with an assuring nod, breaking off from the panel.

Napalm was calm but still clueless as to who closed the door. It could've been some kind of malfunction, she thought half heartedly, or something else entirely. Hm, can't do anything about it now. With priorities under control, she gestured toward the metal door in their path. Grain took the lead and opened the door to be rewarded with another gust of chilling air.

They made their way down the dark hallways of Stable 60, following the dimly lit signs to the get to the Research Wing. Napalm found it rather difficult to keep up with grain as she knew this place like the back of her hoof, sounding off "Secure!" at least five seconds before the alicorn did. Eventually she ordered her to slow down, and she complied, satisfying the problem. This Stable was an active stable at the time it was opened to the point before the incident, many of its lights were dead or barely alive, the PA System played a very eerie song which echoed down the corridor and sent a chill down Grain's spine.

Those were the only signs of deterioration, as the gray concrete walls were free of erosion, save for the chipping strips of dull yellow paint that ran down their lengths. As the duo neared the Research Wing, Grain stopped and looked up to the ceiling.

" What is it?" Napalm whispered, thinking that hostiles were present. Grain didn't answer, but she listened to the music playing, listening to the last few lines.

"Maybe you`ll sit and sigh, wishing that I were near,

Then maybe you`ll ask me to come back again,

And maybe Ill sayMaybe`."

Napalm expected for the PA System to go dead but it didn't, and another song began to play, adding a much more chipper tone to the atmosphere.

"I love those dear hearts and gentle ponies,

Who live in my home town.

Because those dear hearts and gentle ponies

Will never ever let you down.

They read the good book from Fri' till Monday..."

" Someone's in here with us." Grain finally answered, making her officer cock her head in confusion, " in one of the Overseer's offices, that's where the PA System is controlled and new songs are cycled."

" Aren't things like these automated?" Napalm concern was with the engineer but focus was on the dark hallway behind them which she aimed down with robotic instinct.

" No. And if I were to guess, our friend who was kind enough to shut the door behind us is the same pony." She remarked, going down the hallway at a hastened speed, Napalm with no objection following close behind. So problem solved, just need to secure the Parcel and deal with whoever trapped us in here.

Still on the prowl, the goddess poked her weapon through every open room just before Grain would, and she noticed something rather obvious. As they neared the objective, the hallways and the rooms became more and more grotesque. Blood was smeared onto the walls, bodies with numerous bite marks and missing limbs. The stench was just as bad, it seemed that ever step they took they both needed to stifle vomit.

What got Napalm.s attention is that the blood was still fresh, it hadn't had a chance to dry up. Even the corpses gave off a slight radiance that bothered her and Grain. Then, nearing the metal door to their objective, Napalm ordered a halt to observe a faint indentation in the wall.

She brightened the area and the indentation became, what seemed to be a jagged bite mark. Which dug at least two inches into the concrete wall. The technician got a fair look at it and it shattered what courage she had left," Damn..."

The alicorn exhaled," Hm, something bigger than a ghoul is down here." She ran her hoof along the rough edges of the mark, " This could be...problematic." The mark didn't look like anything that the wasteland could produce, it seemed neat and natural.

" One big motherfucker isn't it?" Grain muttered under her breath, her voice beaten down to its current level by fear. Soon she shoved off only a fraction of her fear and they both continued down the rest of the hallway and entered the Research Wing and was surprised to find what was behind the metal door.

Dozens of metal desks and chairs were placed haphazardly around the room, some knocked over, others torn in in half, their jagged metal edges like the teeth of a monster. Crimson was splashed in an almost fabricated manner across the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling, which dripped the fresh fluid. But all attention was giving to the glass tank in the middle of the room, a gaping hole was at its center, florescent green fluid surrounded it, lighting the room dimly. Oxygen tanks were secured on the side of the broken tank while a large rebreather hung inside the tube. Something was in this tube, and from the various signs in the room and outside, was capable of devastation unlike anything the alicorn and the Stable Dweller had ever seen. And it was in the very Stable they were exploring.

Napalm could only awe at the sight, walking slowly around the large tank, stepping in the polls of strange fluid threat surrounded it," What were your people doing down here?" She noticed the fluid tingled slightly, so she stepped off of the possibly hazardous goo, the sensation soon subsided.

" I..." The native couldn't even fathom what could have been in the confines of the tank before her. She had been in this place he entire life and never seen this thing here. This thing is in here with us, stalking us. I just know it. She thought as she joined Napalm, who broke her stare of the tank and onto the task at hoof.

" What room?" She asked, pointing to the two on either side of the room, neither with a proper label. Grain gave the question a minute before she walked over to door on the right, followed closely by the alert Napalm.

Grain's hoof hovered over the button to open the door, waiting for Napalms approval. Which came in a silent nod and she slammed down on the button, the door slid open and everyone tensed, all weapons aimed into the confines of the room.

The room only contained a lone desk, a terminal that was long dead and a medium sized black box. The box was metal and had the words "TARTARUS" stamped onto its face in silver lettering. Napalm couldn't help but grin, it was the Parcel.

" Parcel secured." She said just for the joy of it, and began to walk over to the desk and retrieve the Bartering Chip but stopped as she heard a low growl that echoed off the walls that mingled with the music in the air. It soon escalated to a grating roar that strained both mares ears and petrified Grain. Soon, there was a recurring wet smack coupled with the only other sound in the Stable as the mares didn't move, the now ironic music.

"I feel so welcome each time that I return,

That my happy heart keeps laughin' like a clown.

I love those dear hearts and gentle ponies,

Who live and love in my home town. (in my home town)

Those dear hearts and gentle ponies,

Who live and love in my home town. "

Chapter Two: Hushed Demons

Hushed Demons

Written and Edited by- Ballpoint

An Original Fallout Equestria Side Story

" With such power and strength, she could tear a stallion in half with just her voice."

"Each morning, a missionary advertise with neon sign.

He tells the native population that civ-ili-za-tion is fine.

And three educated savages holler from a bamboo tree..."

The roar grew in volume and the repetitive smacking was coming closer to the team of elite military operatives. Grain however, was not displaying the quality that she delivered in the cowered form she chose as she backed away from the open door. Napalm on the other hoof just grunted, seeing the possibly large beast as an inconvenience.

"Don't have time for this crap." She muttered looking down at the sniper, who was shaking erratically," Grain."

The smaller mare looked up with fear fresh in her eyes, words cut by the same emotion," Y-yeah?"

"Are you a solider or what?"

That did little to deter her shaking, as she didn't take the question to heart. In less time it took her to react, she was spun around and gripped tightly by the collar of her vest as Napalm glared at her with all the rage that she saved to be unleashed on the Leader of the Seared Raiders," I swear on Celestia's name if you don't get a grip I'll personally hold you for court marshal for insubordination! Do you understand?" Grain's fear faltered as she stared into the rage and fury in her officers eyes and voice. Never before had she seen such anger, such command.

She answered only a second later," Yes ma'am." Napalm sighed and let the mare go, who, upon being released, regained a straightened posture seen when they first landed. A crack shot with a weak heart, she classified the mare that had been close to a mental breakdown.

"Now," Napalm whispered, still acknowledging the ever nearing growls that seemed only one room away," shut you light off and get behind the desk, if it comes in here, we'll take the fucker by surprise. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Grain complied, her and Napalm's light was shut off and she took position behind the desk while the Commander took a favorable spot beside the entrance in a slight crouch. And they waited.

Both operatives were thinking rapidly about the probable enemy that seemed to close in on their position every passing second. As well as to what kind of beast could produce a sound that they both heard over and over again. The alicorn focused on her EFS, which had become increasingly finicky and became blurry and ultimately unusable, so she shut it off.

She was now flying blind, relying on the sounds and growls that seemed only a few feet from the entrance, her tensing. There was a steady dragging sound as a silhouette came into the room, and to her surprise was pony sized, a bit larger than a normal equine but its outline was all she had.

But there was some deformity on the head as a outline larger than its own head resided at the end of its muzzle. The deformity prevented her from firing, because it moved. It breathed. It wasn't part of the creature, it was a victim.

Three seconds had passed since the thing entered the room and Napalm acted quickly, relenting to use her gun, and tackled the thing to the ground. Achieving the desired result of freeing to captive and incapacitating the being under her body.

"Hold your fire! Secure the civilian!" She grunted between her gritted teeth, restraining the hostile. And was it strong, it jerk back and forth with the force comparable to the kickback of a .50 caliber rifle. In fact, it had dragged Napalm into the other room by only squirming pathetically. Soon it relented and Napalm was able to push off its body and get a vague look at the creature, discovering it was far from an equine.

From what she could make out, the thing appeared to be male by its more muscular build. It had faint scars running along its head, splitting it in four sections. There seemed to be mechanical components embedded into the back of the head, its eyes had a faint green glow and its teeth were serrated, chunks of flesh were lodged in them. Holy shit...

With a sudden burst of energy and force, the beast kicked Napalm upward and , to her surprise, she slammed into the ceiling. That was five meters over head. So, she fell, hard, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

"Gah." She grunted, recovering quickly and on her feet in a second to fire on the creature. But it was gone, only a distant growl was heard practically miles away. Napalm to the opportunity to breath, but cringed, putting a hoof on her chest and nearly screamed in pain. She felt more carefully but couldn't properly asses the injury, the pain a bit more subtle," Ah, damn."

Then another thought arose and she retreated back into the room to find Grain looking over the civilian, acknowledging the Commander as she entered the room. The civilian was a young stallion, maybe a little over eighteen. He wore a long white lab coat, standard blue jumpsuit underneath that, the clothing in tatters, stained with blood. She felt for a pulse at his neck, and none was felt.

" He was gone before he even hit the ground." Grain commented, looking over the body, shaking her head slightly," Poor bastard." The alicorn however, was extremely enraged. Both at the fact that she let that thing escape to ambush them and even more so she let a one of her citizens die in the process. Anytime something like this occurred, it ate away at her being, threatening to have her question her command over the resistance she started.

His eyes were closed but his face was contorted and stained with fear and anguish, tear lines snaked though blood plastered on it. Napalm didn't talk , just stared at the body for a solid minute, Grain getting extremely anxious but willing to stay by here CO. Sacrifice is made when you fight for a cause for a greater future. She let that quote she heard years ago, and simply turned around, activated her light source, and made sure the Parcel was secure, which it was thankfully.

" So," She sighed, facing Grain as the subordinate activated her lantern spell," we make our way up to the offices rig-"

The air was pierced by a sudden cry from behind the duo, and the goddess spun on her hoof to see the stallion alive, in incredible pain but alive.

" What!?" Grain exclaimed," he was dead for a full minute, how is he-"

The stallion had stopped shouting and was now building up the sentence that he would use to interrupt Grain," Don't open the door, don't let the demon free."

The officer made a slow walk toward him," What was that thing? What was going down here?" His face was blank, his blue eyes just stared up at the ceiling as he gave a almost robotic answer.

" Stable Dweller #212675, Cake, Cream. Donated his body to Stable-Tec Science Division approximately two weeks ago for experimental purposes." Just as he was about to continue, he stopped suddenly and held his head tightly, and rolled off the table.

Napalm reacted and sprang forward and caught the scientist, him slamming onto her back and forcing her to smack the ground, making her grunt in extreme pain from her injury. He was surprisingly heavy, he looked very thin and he barely filled out his own attire which puzzled the goddess.

Grain was quick to step in and help the colt back onto the table. Now, his eyes were closed, his body rose and fell, he slept almost peacefully. This was utter nonsense, an experiment of unimaginable power was trapped in the same Stable as them, and a stallion just rose from the dead with mortal wounds.

" Did you get a look at the thing?" Grain asked, looking over the sleeping civilian. Her morale was failing fast and Napalm new this, so she tried to go light on the details.

" Barely, and what I did see was exactly Price Blueblood." She grunted harshly as her broken ribs caused more damage than she thought.

" Ma'am?" A wavering Grain asked, genuine concern in her tone.

" Im alright, Im-Im-" She vomited a small waterfall of crimson, the blood painting the steel floor and providing a few dots on the stable dwellers face as she revolted. Napalm heaved a few more times before she calmed, staring in a dazed fashion at the pool of blood beneath her hooves, a dozen of black stars exploding in her vision. Uh, that thing did a number on me.

Grain was hesitant to help her CO, caught between the fact that an alicorn can probably take much more than that and the urge to help out a fellow solider. Ultimately, she supported the faltering Commander, and nearly gave out under her weight but pushed her up right and held her there until she was stable.

" Thank you, Grai-" Her knees buckled and she just gave out but not fast enough for her to be caught by a navy blue mare, who, herself, nearly gave out under the goddesses weight.

" Ma'am come on, get up!" No response. Fine Grain was nearly buried under the alicorn her voice a low whisper," Get the fuck up Napalm!" With her pleas gaining no avail, she quickly dropped her into the pool of crimson. The earth pony was panting sporadically, not ready to believe what just happened.

Once she regained her breath she felt for a pulse, and breath a sigh of relief. The mighty Napalm's body rose and fell, but it wasn't the strongest breath. Still in shock she yelled over and over for her commander to rise and complete this task with her. She never got a response.

" Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" She shouted, taking a seat to think abut what she should do, pressing her hooves against her temples. She swayed back and forth, trying to come up with a legitimate game plan for her to get everyone out alive. Still, nothing spoke to her. Soon she stopped her pathetic panicking and looked at the unconscious commander and the strange colt. A plan came, just not one that she preferred.

***

The music that poured out of PA system was becoming increasingly irritating as she clicked the console at the side of the door, shielding the now blackened silhouetted behind a heavy steel door. Grain would retrieve them later, she hoped if she would be able to retrieve them. Until then she was on her own, nothing but the cold air and even colder singing to keep her company.

Grain had a about forty five minutes left on her first dosage of Rad-X, so she would have to work fast to get to Overseers Offices. With her Pip-Buck light cast ahead, she headed out of the research wing and headed toward the elevator, hoping that it still worked. She was beyond nervous. She was actually in fear of her life.

Grain had been trained for years to be an artist with a rifle and keep her cool on the battle field, which, under virtually any battle that she did fight she had followed her training. This, this was so much more than anything she prepared for. She was fighting in the very halls she grew up in, the home she had her first love, the only place that she really understood when she first left the Stable. Now its all gone, bodies of her fellow stable dwellers lie dead, there blood on the hooves of some creature they never saw coming. Now they were only echoes, ghosts of the once grand Stable 60. I was both sad and maddening.

" Woke in a w-world with nothin' but d-dust n' bones, " She mumbled as she neared elevator," had little choice but to carry on." That old song stuck o every TiF citizen, its origin unknown but it seemed to calm Fine Grain a bit as she sighed a breath of relief as the elevator doors slid smoothly apart to let the mare through. She punched the highest button, a orange square, which lit and the elevator doors lid closed, jettisoning the mare up toward her objective.

The elevator mad some bone jarring rust friction but it was running without fail, she hoped it would stay that way. And rise from the top from here I was, a sad little peasant with nothin' but heart. Grain mentally sung the tune, reminiscent of her time in boot, shooting her first rifle, and marching along with her fellow soldiers, singing the same tune. She wished they were all still alive, she'd rather be with them then a rag tag group of spec-op guys she barely knew. War is a evil spirt, picking anyone at random, taking her whole damned company and leaving her alone with barely a breath and mind left.

The stable dweller let a silent tear be shed, then cursing herself for being so weak, so frail, and so small. There's a reason Im alive, a reason, there has to be...

With a loud thud, the doors slid apart, revealing the large lobby to the Offices, the lush red carpet was very worn from two hundred years of abuse. A oak receptionist's desk was sandwiched between two doors, on labeled by an LED sign " Offices" and the other was closed off with yellow tape, reading out of order, its sign unlit.

With a little over thirty minutes left, she swiftly rounded the way to th Offices, taking no time to secure the area. She clicked the button the side of the door to be rewarded with an electric crackle, She pressed it a few more times with no avail, so she tore of the consoles steel casing finding it had been tampered with, the thing a jumbled mess of wires.

With the precision of a her keen senses, she noticed a breaker had been flipped off, so she activated it and the door slid open. It was greatest thing Grain ever heard.

As the technician was about to enter, she heard a strange whirring sound from the edge of the hall was, and her instincts kicked, recognizing the sound reacting a second later. She quickly dove to the other side of the bullet filled gap as lead was streaming through an unseen turret, .30 caliber rounds carving into the concrete wall.

Grain checked her EFS and took a mental note that its was just one turret, crouching slightly and edging toward the door as the turret seized. She didn't know how far the hall way was so she was going to have to guess, a life saving or taking guess. She bent her knees and bolted down the hallway, letting four SATS guided shotgun pellets turn the steel turret into scrap, the chassis being blown of by the incredible placement of her shots. She skidded to a stop and did a quick three-sixty around the perimeter before giving a fragile smirk at at her small victory. Hoo-rah!

Then she took a moment to recall her memory of the Overseer's as she looked at there offices, two doors on the right and left and one where a smoldering turret resides. The one on the left was for Overmare Cherry and the opposite one was for Overstallion Brass. And the one down the middle was for High Overmare Aurum, where her "best friend" resided as the music was cycled there.

With more than enough ammunition to take down a single pony, Grain walked toward the door, her EFS not reading any hostiles. Her heart was racing as she took position beside the door counting down to when she would press the console to open the door. 3...2...1, GO!

Grain slammed on the button and rushed into the room to have a cool gun barrel pressed against her forehead along with the cool words," Nice ta meet 'cha lass." After that, the voice reacted faster as it pistol whipped the solider, and the world swallowing her in blackness.

***

" ...and blacks white today, and days night today..." Grain drifted back into the world of consciousness with her captor singing alone to the tune of the PA System, the captors voice rather gruff and masculine. Her head was throbbing, her vision still coming back along with her senses. Finally she was able to make out the room which was lit by a dim floodlight at the corner of the wood paneled room. There was the soft whir from computers, a wall of monitors encompassing the wall to her right, along with a circular desk, the mysterious attacker sitting at the desk, was turned the other way. He wore a Stable 60 jumpsuit from what she could make out, that was few shades darker than his light blue coat and tattered cyan mane that had grown beyond the stallion norm, him almost looking like a mare.

But she knew this colt, but could barely believe it. Overstallion Brass...

Grain tried to move without alerting the stallion as her sung happily, but was bound by thick, rubber wire to a copper pipe. She struggled a bit more, feeling the the bands beginning to loosen. Almost free, she attempted the scope the room for a weapon but her vision was blocked by wall of steel hide. She gasped, and looked upward, to be greeted by a snarling beast, its eyes having an individual green ember. It serrated teeth salivated the blood of its recent victims, its stench making Grain gagging.

" Hm," Bras swiveled out of his chair and walked over the creature, his attitude and emotion remained strong," hey, what did I tell you about this Five. I talk and you, piss of. Go guard the door or something. Go." It growled sharply, but ultimately submitting to the hoof stretched toward the exit.

" What the," Grain barely understood what was happening," you control that thing?"

Brass shrugged before sitting across from the solider," Its a stable relationship I guess. Anyway, I have about,' he check his Pip-Buck, then silently cursing himself," ten minutes to get something off my chest."

" Ten minutes till what?" She asked, searching the room for options or routes of escape. None surface.

" Ten minutes till ya get a fatal dose of rads thats what!" He seemed demented, but her time limit was much more frightening. I was out that long?

He continued, gesturing toward the creature at the door," Or until Five gets hungry that is, but I doubt that," He noticed something on Grains vest and pointed at it," ah, you a dweller aren't cha? Well I guess I don't have to introduce my self then as you already met Five."

He got up and shouted at the monster, as if he was miles away while he was only about twelve feet," Hey five, our guest says hi." The thing labeled Five grunted, shifting its posture. The Overstallion sat back down," Well I would think you would want to introduce yourself, Miss..." This guys a lunatic

" What's been going on down here? What have you been doing?" She was amazed at how gone this stallion was as he rose to walk back over the desk and take a seat, twirling around in the leather chair.

" Well, Ms.Whatbeengoingondownhere Whathaveyoubeendoing! Its an honor to meet you!" A pistol materialized in his magical veil, Grain recognizing it as Flechette Pistol, possibly explosive due to the orange band around the magazine that was fed at the top.

He continued," To answer you name, um," He put the pistol on the desk leaning over it, and looking side to side before saying," you promise not to tell anyone right."

She cocked her head in disbelief, both at how this stallion acted and how he managed to capture her. She opened her mouth to reply but erupted in coughing fit that last several seconds, then regained her speech to reply with a smug," Who the hay am I gunna tell?"

He shrugged," Well, maybe you might tell the the almost dead alicorn that you left downstairs." Grain shuddered, but then cursed herself for forgetting the Stables surveillance system.

" Oh and speaking of her," the Overstallion looked over to Five," Go get her boy." His voice was cold and sick, that voice making the creature disappear on his hunt for the Commander.

" Oh you mother fucker, get me the outta here so I can kick your fuckin' ass!" Grain raged, even if she began to weaken from radiation poisoning. Her voice cracked slightly and felt as if her very body was slowly burning but she held it together with a straight face.

" Whoa what's with the language lass, there's no need for that," he sunk back into his chair," I told you that I needed to get something off my chest right? And it is about the current situation so, ask away cause you got about... six more minutes."

She was filled to the brim with questions, but barely had the strength to ask them, but she made due with what she had.

" Why'd you close the door?" Her voice was starting to become a whisper, her body on fire.

" What door?" He asked, clearly wasting time. Grain gave him the most fiery glare she could muster only to have Brass laugh out loud.

He stopped, wiping a fictional tear from his eye," Nah, I know what cha' mean and that wasn't me. It the other subject down there, the one I tried to get Fives to kill. Hm, he is tough ain't he?

" Well he was enhanced with so much cybernetic tech that it would take a balefire bomb to kill him. As long as the bomb vaporized his healing talisman." Okay, one down...

She knew she was going to die, almost certain of it as a thin stream of blood drained from her nostrils. There was little she could do, and that was to much of the stable dweller. Grain mustered up some more willpower, her condition worsening," Why did he close the door then?"

Brass sighed, fiddling with his weapon once again," Bugger wanted to stop Five before he got out. See," He straightened, setting the gun down once again," Five was meant to kill the Commander, so we made him, and was going to let him loose in the Federation. But the SR's thought the plan wasn't going fast enough so they set off the damned 'dirty' bombs all over the the Stable District and stranding us here, trying to get the faster result.

Brass checked his personal terminal," And now you down to four minutes. Wow your not a very good questioner."

Grain dismissed the comment, looking down at the floor as tiny specks of her blood dotted the floor, almost condensing into a pool," For money right?"

" No no no no no no," He sprung up from his chair, once again taking a seat in front of the dying mare," thats what you TiF's don't understand, you think you fighting for freedom but you idiots are the ones killing us. You started this was and its been killin' ponies ever since it started

" That almighty Commander of yours is a bloody idiot, she stared a war she cant finish. Sure, with the SRs ruling Trottingham, life was a bit rough but we didn't have to worry about dying over what we believe in."

With the very last of her strength, she stared down Brass," You know that isn't true. It isn't true." Her head swung down again hanging as she barely held onto to life.

" Hmm, then were is your Goddess now?"

Just then, a roar tore throughout the Stable, its origin a seemed to sign the Overstallion's death.

***

The mighty warrior must rise,

she must rise to slay the demon...

A beast of unholy power,

that is a testament to your own...

Please you must rise,

rise and liberate us from our prison...

Help us...

Alicorn of The Mighty North!

***

First Commander Napalm coughed and gagged back into the realm of reality. Her body was in all kinds of pain, mostly originating in her chest. This was good, it let her know she was still alive and kicking. Something seemed to have dried on her face, so when she came up to rise, a patch of coagulated blood filled her vision. A patch still connected to her face which she managed to peel off in manner of seconds.

As she came back, without any thought she made sure the Parcel was secure and sighed to see the black case secure in her satchel. She turned back to get practically ambushed by a lime stallion that invaded her space. His eyes were sunken, small specks of crimson dotted his face and his blue eyes were oddly full and almost glowed along with his smile. Its was a disturbing sight non the less.

" Thy savior has risen!" He exclaimed with delight, backing away and hoping up and down in pure joy that seemed out of place in the grim state they was in. It was almost animated.

" Hey," She rose and patted the stallion down, noting his tattered garbs," you took a beating, rest for a second." His was a bit jittery but he complied and took a seat, looking up at the much taller equine in admiration.

" It is such an honor to finally have you well," He took his words back in a single look at the loping Commender," um, at least you are still breathing Commander." Though the had the emotion of a Dash addict, the kid seemed alright to Napalm's pleasure.

" Thanks kid," She then shuddered, and did a complete three sixty round the room- but a sealed steel door stopped her search. She'd gone ahead. Napalm knew that Grain wasn't a deserter because of two obvious factors, the first and most direct was the door being closed and the other was there was a mile deep abyss to climb if the door was open. But another reason surfaced, one Napalm wasn't very sure of. She's one tough bitch.

She didn't know if that creature she saw earlier was gone or dead, she doubted that Grain would've killed it. She'd rather avoid contact with the thing at all costs, open the door, evac everyone to the surface, and seal that thing inside to die a slow death. Napalm quickly shook that thought out of her head, seeing the fatal flaws associated with it. Ultimately she was probably going to kill it before it got to her. If it could find her.

But Napalm still needed to find Grain, so she turned to the odd stallion, him waiting intently and unblinking," You know how to get to the Overseer's Office's from here?"

" Yes, I do. you wish for me to lead you there Commander?" The unnecessary pleasantries were starting to get annoying, Napalm sighing slightly.

" Yeah, but this is how its going to work, you stay close, don't wander off. That thing will be any where." He nodded, shooting up from his spot and rushing toward the door and to the console beside it, waiting for her approval. She first took position next to the colt, aiming down the door and steeling her self for what might lie beyond.

" Now!" He punched the button and Napalm rushed out, making a quick sweep of the room, satisfied that it was secure, she signaled the stallion to her side and they continued on by the stallions lead, a strange bit of pep in his step.

The halls seemed to beckon with all the lost souls and echoes of her citizens, all wanting to be set free of this metal tomb. As she poked into room after room, this fact never changed and its impact never lessened in its crushing morality blows. She very much wished all this would be done with , everyday of her life she wished that this war would be over and she could set Trottingham right, under a sane ruler.

Until until that day, Napalm had to face this reality everyday. More and more of her people dropping like flies to the oppression of the Seared Raiders. And she was going to get her wish, one way or another.

Rounding another corner, they encountered the elevator after several minutes and entered it and shot up to their destination.

Napalm was a bit curious about the young stallion that she shared the metal box with, so he asked," Kid, what's your name."

" My name?" He gave a look of genuine of confusion, looking at the floor, thinking intensely.

" You have a name?" He shrugged, so Napalm simplified the question," what do ponies call you?"

He seemed to perk up at that question," Well, the ponies in white called me 'Three' a lot. Dose that count?"

" Ponies in white? What are you talking about?" This seemed a bit strange to her, and very suspicious. After all it didn't seem like, Three, knew what was going on.

Before he could answer her question the elevator shuddered and stopped- seven levels below her objective. She clicked the button a few more times, but it didn't respond, most likely the main generator had failed.

Three cowered how ever, backing up into a small corner, looking up toward the ceiling," The demon in coming for you. For us s-savior."

" How do you know that?!" Napalm shouted at him, him backing up a bit more.

" He is a testenmant to your strength Alicorn, h-he must be slain." He talked as if this was some sort of trial, she'd be damned if she didn't pass it.

First she scanned her options, there was a escape hatch at the top of the elevator, route of retreat that she'd rather not use. This small confined space was too small for a limited fight, so either she rushed him as he came in or leave and deal with him later. It was a hard decision, but Napalm never ran away from a fight. Ever.

So, she consulted Three once again," I need you to go up through he hatch and wait for me there alright?" He seemed a bit hesitant but he complied to his deity and climbed the rugs up to the outside of the elevator into the shaft. Leaving the Commander alone to face the elevator door, rifle ready.

She glance down at her Pip-Buck for the time which she neglected to check earlier, realizing she only had three minutes until her Rad-X wore off. But she dint worry to much, as she boasted a natural resistance to radiation and could last al least another twenty minutes without another dose.

Just then, something pounded against the elevator door, denting it slightly making Napalm tense up. Come on in you sonofabicth.

The door took quite a beating but it yielded, and silence claimed the air for another minute, Napalm backing up slightly against the steel walls of the metal box. She knew that thing wouldn't give up, it wanted her blood. And Napalm was right as the thing started to pry open the doors, a tiny sliver of the elevator open but just enough for her to recognize those glowing eyes and open fire. Lead streamed out of rifle as .375 caliber rounds pounded into the elevator doors, some hitting there mark, but it didn't seem to deter the beast. Pain seemed to register as it let out a loud roar, the doors almost open.

Napalm continued to fire, her trying to get her body as far away form the door as possible as more and more rounds slammed into the creature, blood making the things grey coat slick and sticky.

As soon as she saw the door was opened just enough to let her smaller form through, she ceased fire and charged the thing, spearing him in the chest with her horn and sending it a yard down the hall. She staggered and was going to lay down some more fire but the thing rose too fast, and nearly cover half the distance he was thrown seconds later. A few shots impacted before Napalm charged again, but this time she was knocked back into the elevator.

She smacked into the wall but managed to land on her hooves to find the beast on a quarter of a yard away, numerous bullet holes dotted his body, crimson pooling beneath it. She tried to fire but was re warded with a heart dropping click of an empty fire arm. Shit! The alicorn was bent to destroy this thing and she suddenly came up with a solution.

Son Napalm retreated back up the elevator shaft and was nearly caught by the maw of the thing as she narrowly avoided it. She faced the scared Three and said," Hold onto the cable kid!" He complied and wrapped his hooves around the thick wire.

As soon as he complied, Napalm began to pull out various rusted nails from what secured the elevator to the cable. The beast had almost made his way through the small hatch when she pulled out a small rod and the elevator plummeted.

Napalm was going to take off before it fell to far, beast pounced her, pinning her to floor, wind and rust friction drowning out his roars. She took a moment tot asses the situation and did the only thing she could do. With all the force that she could muster, jammed the small rod into the thinks eye, it thankfully peeling off her long enough to make her escape. With a sudden pump of her wings she escaped the beast as the elevator made a free fall to the depths of the Stable, the creatures howls getting more distant until they were silence by a low thud and the muffled sound of broken and now twisted metal.

She savored the victory for another second before she acceded upward to retrieve the stallion holding on for dear life.

***

Grain's vision blurred, everything seemed muffled and mute. She could barley even life her head or even express the pain that she was experiencing.

A barely audible bang registered in her mind and she could formulate what it could've been, she saw the blue splotch that as Brass disappear under something. Probably his desk, but agony was too distracting as she slowly began to slip away, darkness lurking inside her vision. No... I can't go yet...

Her head lowered slightly was the blue smudge appeared again and fired his weapon outside of his door before having a grey object lodged into what she assumed was his head. Is it...

A large blurred figure rushed into the room, and towered over her. It was unmoving and looked powerful even with her vision failing. The Alicorn of The Mighty North. Seemed to be too late as Grain could no longer support her own head so she let it fall and her vision failed. The realm of darkness consumed her soul.

***

Bright lights, and white noise welcomed Fine Grain back into the realm of the living. she didn't move, she didn't react. All she did was start at the cracked ceiling of an unknown location. She felt someone shaking her, gently but firmly. Sound and vision returned to her senses and she made voices, relived voices.

" She's alive! Get some more antibiotics and Rad-Away ASAP!" The voice was unknown to her but she turned her head, looking at a stallion covered in white medical fatigues, looking down on her.

" Grain, you've been out for quite awhile, take it easy." The doctor coaxed, but she wanted to move, and as her senses came back, she realized she was in a makeshift bed, covered in white sheets. Monitors beeped and the gentle hum of machines filled the room. She shot up right and scanned the confines of what was an average bedroom that had been refurbished into a medical center, two other mares surrounding he bed. Each levitating medical supplies.

" Im alive." She whispered, as thought she was in a dream, looking down at her hooves.

" Yes, you were evacuated out of the Stable District a few hours ago," the doctor informed," you had severe radiation poisoning, we almost lost you."

" What happened to my squad?" Was the first question to pop into her head, now looking at the stallion who took off his googles, revealing tender purple eyes.

" They completed the mission flawlessly, zero casualties." She let out a small sigh of relief that her team had survived. Grain began to lie back, as she still was a little weak but the doctor caught her attention one more time by him pushing a small metal table toward her bed.

She perked up a bit and stared at what lie on top. A small cardboard rectangular box. There was no symbols or indications on the outside of what lie inside, so she took the both in her hooves and put out on the bed, uncovering the lid.

Secured by a velvet cast was a steel insignia. Three bars stacked on top of each other, all bent upward. It was the rank of Sergeant.

Grain held the insignia in both of her hooves, staring at it intently, with intense passion, her face unwavering however. She carefully put the metal badge back into its box, set it aside, laid back, and fell into a deep sleep.