Fallout Equestria: Out of Time

by Silverwolfdemon

First published 1st of May, 2012

The tale of a little pre-Wasteland filly waking up to her world after two centuries

A filly walks out of her Stable after 200 years of being asleep to find the world she once knew gone, and the world she finds herself in could be as nightmarish as her worst dreams.

Author's note: A Rewrite of my story Fallout Equestria: Subject 00

Ch.0 The Last Day

Jade sat with her friends Tea Leaf and Cherry Pie in the living watching a new episode of The Great Adventures of Harmony on her family's new TV. Her family was the only one with a TV in their neighborhood. Daddy said they were new and that they were very expensive, so she was not allowed to touch it, but Mommy and Daddy let her watch Harmony go on adventures on it. Harmony taught her it was better to talk out problems rather than be violent, and that Magic of Friendship could be found in everypony, just like the Ministries Mares Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy said. Harmony was AWESOME!

It was a nice day outside and Jade didn’t have to go to school, so she was really happy about that. It was because it meant she didn’t have to deal with Print Stamp and Dreary Day, a colt and filly that bullied her for being the only one left without a Cutie Mark in her class. She didn’t really have many friends,Tea Leaf didn’t like fighting, and Cherry wasn’t much help with how sick she was most of the time. Jade hoped Cherry would get well soon. But for now she just enjoyed the TV and a good company. Jade heard her Mommy talking about going to the park as Mister Hoofsy made lunch. She liked Wiggles(that’s how she called robot) because of all his wiggly arms. Wiggles said she was a smart filly because she was in the same grade as Tea Leaf and Cherry even though she was supposed to two grades behind them. And Jade… Jade just happy to find some friends.

Daddy had been gone on a trip last week and had gotten back this morning telling her and Mommy about how they got tickets into something called a Stable. Jade didn’t know what that was but she didn’t care. Her birthday was coming up and that meant presents and cake, and visit from Pinkie Pie. Even if most ponies were scared of the Ministry Mare, Jade found her funny.

Jade hoped Daddy could stay for the trip to the Park as he left often to meet with ponies from MWT on some projects. He was a smart pony, like Jade, and made things like she did. The little filly didn’t understand what her Daddy was working on but she hoped it could help Pinkie at her party like the time he helped make Mister Hoofsy

Jade frowned as an image with PLEASE STAND BY appeared on it and not Harmony teaching the griffons to not be mean to pony just because they were not alike. Why did the screen change?

“DADDY! The T.V. is broken!” she yelled as pointed at the source of the problem. Just as Wiggles moved over to help, a pony that was not Harmony started to talk.

“To all Citizen of Equestria, this is the Emergency Broadcast System, and with accordance to…”

“Honey, what’s going on?” Mommy asked Daddy as Jade started to pout.

“I’m sure it’s just a drill. It’s not like they’re going to tell us to take shelter from a Zebra raid.” Daddy said calmly.

“I repeat this is NOT a drill. You must take shelter immediately, whether in a shelter you’ve build up to code yourself, or a Stable if you’ve registered. Cloudsdale has been hit, I REPEAT, CLOUDSDALE has been hit. This is NOT a drill….”

Jade and her friends were picked up by her Mommy as she started telling her Daddy to grab their IDs.

“We should head for the Stable. It’s not far from here, just up the hills behind the house.” Daddy yelled as they got out of the house just as sounds Jade didn’t like started blaring from all over and ponies were screaming or yelling. Almost immediately she started to cry. She could see them passing a stallion trying to pick some bags while yelling at a mare to help him.

“Shush, it’s alright girls, we’ll be okay soon.” Her Mommy said as the started to run for the forest Jade was told not to go in. Eventually they were getting to big gear shaped platform, just like gears in the clock she was fixing for Mommy. And there were two ponies in armor like she had seen on TV but their armor looked different from the TV. Still, they were wearing Power Armor, at least that’s what her Daddy called it. There were lots of other ponies too. All looked scared like she was during thunderstorms, except a stallion in front of them.

“Hold it! We can’t just let anyone in here, just those on the list.” One of the armored ponies said.

“But, I’m Stable Tech, You have to let me…” The stallion stopped talking after a loud bang. Then he laid down while red stuff pooled around him.

“Sir, what in the pony hell ARE you doing?!” One armored pony said to the other. “We’re supposed to keep them away, NOT shooting them!”

“If you’ve missed the news, missy, hell is at our doorstep. It’s either we keep the order or it’s gonna be another stampede. You heard me?”

“Yes.”

“What did you say?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Shooter, her tube still emitting a trail a smoke, turned to the crowd, her voice booming.

“I REPEAT, YOU ARE NOT GETTING INTO STABLE 092 WITHOUT BEING ON THE LIST! ORDERS ARE DIRECTLY FROM THE MINISTRIES OF KINDNESS AND ARCANE TECHNOLOGY! DID I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” She looked to Jade’s Daddy and yelled “You! Are you on the list?”

“Yes, my name is Tinker Charger, and this is my wife, Amnesty Frost, and our daughter, Jade Charge.” Daddy said, visibly shaken.

“Girls, don’t look at the napping pony.” Mommy whispered looking worriedly at Daddy.

“You’re on the list, go ahead.” The pony in green armor holding a folder said waving them through. “Mam, you’re have to leave the other two foals, there just isn’t enough room.”

“But they’re just foals, I can’t just…” Mommy started to say before the shooter mare pointed a tube at her.

“I will not repeat myself, leave the other two, take your daughter and get into the Stable.” The pony said just as Mommy put down Tea Leaf and Cherry.

“Mommy, but what about Tea and Cherry?!” Jade asked not understanding what was going on. Mommy didn’t answer her as she rushed inside with her Daddy. Jade hesitated. It was Mommy and Daddy, sure, but those… those were her friends!

“Don’t worry.” Tea Leaf smiled. “I will take care of Cherry and meet you when this is over, okay?”

“But… but…” Jade stammered.

“No buts! Go on! Your parents are waiting for you!”

“You should go, Jade.” Cherry hugged her as Jade was ready to cry again. “We will be okay. Just… promise you will find us, okay? You promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly…”

“JADE! Move faster!” Daddy yelled.

“I’M GOING!” Jade yelled back and turned to her friends. “Goodbye.”

“Nah.” Tea Leaf winked. “Catch you later!”

Jade followed Mommy and Daddy. Big gear they’ve been standing on shuddered and went down. There they were told to put on some funny blue and yellow clothes, then to follow a doctor.

“Thank you” Daddy said as they walked inside, through the gear shaped door into lively painted rooms that went by in a blur as the doctor rushed them to a big box he call a Stasis pod.

“Now, those are the latest joint work by MAS, MOP and Stable Tech, the Stasis Pod! We only have three hundred, so we can only let the registered ponies in here. This state-of-the-art models will keep you asleep and preserved until automated systems determine the outside is safe. Now just step inside, and breath, the Stasis Pod will do the rest.” The doctor said as she took Jade and put into a pod and walked her through the breathing process until she fell asleep and everything went dark.

To be continued

Author's Notes:

Here's it is the new chapter, sorry for an inconveances for the past few day, i've deleted the old story for FIMfiction but kept and am rewriting it now and it began with this. hope you like it. and for those wanting to read Subject 00, I'm keeping up on my DeaviantArt but it will no longer update, here's a link http://45silverwolfdemon.deviantart.com/art/Fallout-Equestia-Subject-00-Ch-0-Rewrite-299383043

Ch.1 What a wonderful world

“WARNING! POWER MALFUNCTION IN PODS 00 …krrrkt... AND 268. ENACTING EMERGENCY REACTIVATION OF SUBJECTS” An automated announcement said through damaged speakers. The sound of dripping water and the feel of frigid air came next as the message repeated. Jade didn’t like the cold, she liked summer, not winter. But there was no use to complain about it she figured as she walked out of the pod.

“Mommy, Daddy?” the filly called out as she looked at another pod, only to fall back as she saw the mare inside that it looked like a skeleton with fur.

“Subject 00 ...shhh... please proceed to the Stable door and elevator.” The speakers announced.

“Why is that pony still sleeping?” Jade asked.

“Subject 00 ...shhh... please proceed to the Stable door and elevator.” The speakers repeated.

Jade ignored it looking in each of the pods. Seems like all the ponies were sleeping and seem to be too still. Till she found her parent at the end of the hall in the same white blocky pods lying in them like the others, being too still. She tried waking them by yelling, then crying, then trying a red lever on a pedestal with dim lights near the side, thinking the doors to their pod acted like her Jack-in-the-box toy.

“Error, manual release is malfunctioning.” Speakers announced before repeating the message for subject 00. Jade tried again getting the same result before another door opened by splitting in half, one piece going to the roof the other to the floor.

“Hey, kid, you the other survivor it seems.” A stallion with a black coat and silver mane said walking through the door. “What are you doing sitting…” he began to ask untill he noticed the pods. “Oh.”

“Mommy and Daddy won’t wake up.” Jade said as she tried to shake the box-like pods, like she did to her parents beds, but they wouldn’t move.

“Hey, uh… come on kid, we have to get out of here.” The stallion said slowing down and picking Jade up with his wings.

“NO! I want to leave with Mommy and Daddy.” Jade wailed as she was taken away from the room her parents were in. “They might wake up…”

“Kid, I know you’re, like, five or something, but your parents are dead, they died in those pods like every other pony except us. And if we don’t get out of here we’re gonna die too.” The pegasus said as he walked out with Jade on his back. “They’re... gone. Just accept it.”

“I WANT TO STAY WITH MOMMY AND DADDY!” Jade yelled at the top of her lungs trying to get out of the stallion’s grip. “Mommy and Daddy can’t be dead! Their smart and tough! There’s no way some stupid sleep would kill them.” Jade muttered to herself.

The stallion didn’t seem to notice as he walked to the closed gear shaped door, the very same door Jade and her parents passed through before going to sleep. Now that the filly was looking around noticing red pipes, blue walls and how the room looked like that spaceship Harmony used to ask Moon Ponies for help.

“Okay how do I open this?” The stallion said as he looked around a consol. “Pip Buck remote access, so maybe one of those guys would have one I could use.” Pegasus muttered to himself while looking at the skeletons Jade just noticed were around the door. Before he could search even one for a Pip Buck, Jade made a connection she had been denying for the past few minutes.

“My parents really are dead, aren’t they, Mr.?” She asked sadly, thinking of other ponies who seemed to be not moving and how the Stable was overall. This place had a lot of things like computer she helped to repair, or like the clock she had been fixing for mommy. Even the little bit of damage or miscalculation could result in the clock or computer to be a giant paper weight. Her pod worked, theirs hadn’t.

“Yeah kid, they are. Look, we need to get out of here, this place is losing power from what I can tell and we don’t have a lot of time.” The stallion said worriedly. “Names Sentential Sky, by the way.”

“Jade Charge,” the filly said as she hopped off his back and walked over to one of the skeletons, finding a blocky thing on its leg. She took the blocky thing and saw it was like a wrist band the doctor had been wearing before she fell asleep, though it was turned off.

“Found one!” Sentential Sky exclaimed as walked back to her, “oh, so did you, huh? Put that on, these things can be really useful. Here, let me help.”

It was over a minute. Jade was sure that she should do it herself if she wanted to. It was just, well… too simple! You merely needed to put wristband around your leg and close the lock on it, nothing more. Almost immediately Pip Buck activated herself and assured little filly that he was at her command.
Jade looked at the Pip Buck seeing a game on it already and decided to play while Sentential Sky worked on the console. Though she stopped when some kind of metal paw moved from over the walkway and connected with the gear shaped door, then there was a loud screeching which caused the young filly to start crying.

“Ouch! It loud, too loud!” Stallion cringed. “Oh, crap,” Sky said before getting closer and tried to calm the filly. “Shush, it’s just the door, nothing wrong. There’s no need to cry.”

“Why was it so loud?” Jade asked.

“Sorry, kid, this stuff old and nopony was around to do upkeep.” Sentential Sky explained before picking her up and walking through the opening left by the giant gear. Beyond was the true entrance to Stable 092, the massive elevator that all of the residents had to stand on to descend into the depths of the earth to be safe from the Megaspells.

“Let’s just hope this thing isn’t busted.” Sentential Sky said as he walked to the platform. The stallion breathed a sigh of relief as the speakers stated that subjects would be moved top side, the platform slowly ascending whining and squealing along the way.

“My Daddy worked for MWT, what did you do?” She asked as they waited for the elevator to reach the top.

“Ministry of Arcane Science. I didn’t work on this project, though, didn’t even knew it existed until I got to the door. It’s strange for the Ministries to get this involved in a Stable. I mean, sure, we sold some tech to the company, but MAS didn’t got this involved, or at least to my knowledge.”

“What do you work on? Daddy made robots and other stuff.” Jade said.

“Oh, well... I worked on the energy sources of Thunderheads, trying to make them more energy efficient. I mean, it’s fine and well, but just because something uses thunderclouds as a power source doesn’t mean it isn’t wasting power. A lot of energy was lost when it transferred from clouds to the ship’s systems. Lights, consoles, guns were losing the most, in fact they’ve lost so much so when they were trying to fit the new lighting cannon into the thing it was almost impossible! You know why?” Sky smiled seeing how Jade shook her head. “It was because it would get enough charge, then all the other systems couldn’t work with the power left.” Sentential Sky explained. “I almost had it, too... Maybe when we get to the top I’ll contact the Ministry and see if the project is still running.”

The rest of the ride up was held in silence as neither really had much to talk about. Walking out of graveyard of ponies you were living with seemingly just moments ago, before you woke up, was quite the shock. Jade decided to play the game on her Pip Buck to pass the time. It was about this pony climbing a mountain while avoiding falling rocks and animals. She could barely get past the first level.

It took about five minutes to reach the top just as Jade was about to beat the second level. She looked up from her Pip Buck and was dumbstruck at what she saw. Blue skies she enjoyed so much during the day were covered with dark grey clouds. The green grass she loved to roll in was gone, leaving brown dead ground and long dead trees littering the landscape. The city her family visited often to see plays or movies looked like something out of nightmare. Crumbling buildings, towers tipping or standing with damage clearly evident. Highways broken and leaning, stretching through the city in suburbs like dry dead veins of an once vibrant animal.

The world before her was neither dead nor silent. There were bugs flying about sickly brown grass, animals she barely recognized wandering through streets and fields. She could also see green flaming birds hunting in the distance and huge dog-like being even further away. And there were still ponies. They were specs from where she and Sentential Sky stood on the hill, but they were there.

“Um, okay, I don’t live that far from here. Barely an hour walk and I think I had some supplies in a cellar we could get. I’m totally sure it’s not THAT much time has passed, maybe a month… or two… hehe.” Sentential Sky said worried as he looked around.

“Maybe I can find Cherry Pie and Tea Leaf!” Jade said excitedly.

“Yeah, and I’m sure not the whole world is like this. I’ve heard of forests that could stand up to anything thrown at them. So I’m sure places like the Everfree Forest are still green a… alive.” The Stallion said as he started walking. “Come on, Jade, we need to get going. Neither of us has had food in a while and I think it's best that we grab something to eat.”

The filly followed the stallion noting some skeletons near the elevator platform, though none of them looked like it belonged to foals. So, her friends didn’t die here, but Jade had a thought at the back of her mind concerning the skeletons. How long did it take a body to become like that… she knew she was young and still had a lot to learn, but she was smart and could read books most ponies could only scratch their heads at. She had trouble with ponies, but when it came to machines and tech, her Daddy said she surpassed a lot of the ponies he worked with. She had read up on the bodies of animals too and a lot of other subjects like magic. She could barely lift a toy block, but she could recite the process of how to make a power matrix, or how the multi spell matrix was made.

Jade knew all that and she still didn’t have her cutie mark. She was by all account a prodigy, but none of this was her talent. Her Mommy and Daddy said she was destined for greatness if she still didn’t have her cutie mark. She also felt stupid a lot of the time because her friends or other ponies would say something and she didn’t understand if it was a joke or they were serious. The Doctor said her brain worked differently than other ponies, but she could overcome some of the problems she had with a little help.

Mrs. Polly came by and helped her learn to talk and showed her how to interact with others. Mrs. Polly was a nice mare from MoP. Miss Twilight came by every once and a while to give her a new book, and Miss Fluttershy would be with her to talk to her parents. It was because of Miss Fluttershy that she had met Cherry Pie. Miss Fluttershy had said Cherry had sickness that doctors were having trouble curing and that she needed a friend. Both Ministry mares wanted to help Jade be a better pony and even miss Pinkie came by to help. Jade hoped they were alright.

“Hey kid, what grade were you in?” Sentential Sky asked.

“Um, sixth grade.” Jade explained. “Miss Twilight said I should be higher, but Miss Fluttershy said I would have hard enough time with other ponies, Mrs. Polly agreed. Though miss Twilight said I should be trying for Celiestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but I’m pretty weak in magic.”

“Wait. You’re, what. five…”

“Six, I’m six years old.” Jade said happily.

“And your…why were so far ahead?” Sentential Sky asked.

“Miss Twilight and doctors said it was something involving brain and how I learn. I read books that most ponies can’t, but I can’t understand ponies too well.” Jade explained.

“You seem to be doing fine now.” Sentential observed.

“Mrs. Polly had to teach me how to, but sometimes ponies confuse me. Like... why do you find jokes about pain and farting funny, or why are you nice to ponies who are clearly being mean, or why do you do this instead of that when this would be so much easier.” Jade explained. “And sometimes I say stuff that makes ponies look at me funny.”

“What did you say?” He asked.

“Um… did you know that a Spritebot levitation rune have to use 5.5 joules of force at intervals of 1.2 milliseconds to stay afloat while at the same time pushing air at 2 MRP to move forward.” Jade said right off the top of head. “I can also tell you how the rune works.”

“You certainly are a gifted one. Why weren’t you in Celestia’s school?” he asked.

“I can barely lift a block of wood.” Jade explained. “Mommy and Daddy said I would be stronger when I was older. I wish they hadn’t….”

Sentential Sky didn’t say anything more, looking just as sad as the filly beside him. They continued to walk for awhile until they came to a crumbling house, one amongst others. Their bright colorful paint were still present but some of the walls were gone exposing the buildings skeletal innards. Some of the furniture was also still present if a little molded and stained.

“Well, home, sweet home.” The stallion said before walking in and to a hatch in the back. “This should be the cellar, looks like the lock held up AND I still have the keys, so…” His ears turned to the front door and then to the opened cellar hatch.. He pushed Jade in before closing it. “Well hello there gentlecolts, how may I help you?”

Jade tried to ask Sentential why he did that and who he was talking to but heard another pony speak.

“Yeah, hand over your caps and anything else you got, or else.” A pony said from the other side of the door.

“Um, what…caps what are those?” Sentential asked, confused. “Look, I sure we can talk about…”

There were some loud bangs and then a thud followed by distressed moaning, then cursing and more bangs as hooves galloped away.

“Idiot.” Pony harrumphed and spat. “Well, at least we get a meal out of this. Come on, boys, let’s get out here! I’m sure some of the local wildlife heard that and this far from the city it's more than likely a predator will come looking the kill.” The pony said. “We all remember last night.”

“Yeah, we lost Skull Breaking to a Prowler.” Another pony said.

“What about the door?. I think I saw this bastard open it, might be something valuable or edible.” Another said.

“Too, much to carry, and with this corps plus the crap we got from the railroad station we’re already overloaded.” The first explained. “Just go, we can come back later for whatever it is in there.”

Jade backed away from the door as she noticed a pool of red, which she now connected with blood stuff she had read about in the anatomy book Twilight had sent her through the mail two days before she and her family went to the Stable. She was barely past chapter one.

She heard other ponies dragging something away as the world beyond the door grew silent. She could guess what happened to Sentential Sky was the same as what happened to that pony that that Power Armor pony had…had shot. She stared at the blood as all that had happened to her over the past few hours started to catch up to her. She realized that the Power Armor pony had killed that stallion; her parents were dead, and now the only pony she knew she could probably trust had just been killed by a random group of ponies.

The filly wanted to cry, but all she did was breath harder and faster till she threw up what was left in her stomach and passed out in her puke and Sentential Sky’s blood.

To be continued.

Author's Notes:

well there's the Wasteland. and I thank Chayn editing this chapter. hope like how the story is going

Ch.2 Night kids

Jade awoke to the smell of acid and blood. Remembering what the acid was she quickly moved to the door to get out of it. The filly still couldn’t understand what had happened. Sentential Sky was gone, and she was alone. She started to tear up before shaking her head, looking at the cellar door. With the decision to either stay on the now blood and puke covered stairs, go further into the cellar which most likely smelled of said blood and puke, or go outside into the fresh air and a world that most likely more dangerous than she remembered, she decided to leave. She knew it would be futile to stay - those ponies, or whatever they were, would be coming back, and she didn’t want them finding her.

Jade opened the door to the grey, brown world around her with some unease, knowing that she could be hurt by some passerby for no other reason than some… caps, of all things. It seemed so wrong. Only several hours ago she wouldn’t had to worry about something like this, or at least have her parent protecting her. But she knew she couldn’t just be alone, she needed somepony to look over her. She wasn’t strong or tough, she couldn’t talk her way out of the situation and Sentential Sky had shown her, by example, that there are ponies not willing to listen at all. She was smart, though, and, she hoped, it could help her in a long run. She really didn’t like her chances if something found her and she was alone, though she guessed she might be able to defend herself if it came down to it, but that meant she needed a weapon and she would need to… kill. Kill… or be killed.

She looked around and noticed, for the first time, that she recognized the territory. It was a neighborhood not far from her home, Onyx St. She lived just north of here, and, if she headed that way, maybe she could find her Mommy’s pistol. Her Mommy had kept it hidden, but Jade knew that her Mommy had one somewhere around the house. One time she had heard her Daddy talk to Mommy about it. She didn’t know what the discussion was about, but she knew she heard about a pistol. It seemed that trying to snatch some cookies from a jar wasn’t THAT bad of idea after all...

It took her about hour to get back home seeing as they passed it along the way. Her home was more or less intact, except for missing wall on the left side where the chariot once was. Windows were gone. The bright green paint had faded to an almost white with blood red rust coating most of the walls along with dried blood. Jade didn’t want to know how it got here. The roof was still intact and the doors were still there, though, with a missing wall, it was a bit pointless

The filly walked into the home from an age long passed and was saddened by the state of it. The carpet, which had been soft and comforting, now was hard and crusty in here and there, while moldy and wet in the others. Pictures of her parents were faded and gone, bleached by the passage of time. The kitchen was destroyed by something that Jade could only guess. Most of the interior walls were fine, though, except a fallen off panel or a wallpaper peeling away. All in all Jade was proud to say that her home held up well on the inside. She searched through the house in hopes of finding a pistol, but what she found… was an old friend.

“Mr. Wiggles!” She exclaimed while running to the robot, who, for some reason, was on the floor of her parent’s room instead of floating around in the air. One eye stock lifted up to look at her with a cracked lens and widened in, what Jade guessed, was surprise.

“Miss Jade! My core burns and my processors flare with energy, it’s you, it’s really you!” he said while looking around. “And where are your parents? I do hope they didn’t leave you alone. The world has gotten much, much more dangerous for a filly your age.”

“Mr. Wiggles, my Mommy and Daddy….there…they went to sleep and didn’t wake up again.” Jade said solemnly as she looked the robot over, noticing that his other eyes were gone along with his limbs. “What happened to you, Mr. Wiggles?”

“Oh, I’m sure they will wake up soon. Your father can fix me up then and I can make dinner for all of you, and we will be exchanging stories about the last 200 years or so.” Mr. Wiggles said. He turned his eye to the window as if expecting her Mommy and Daddy to walk by worried.

“Mr. Wiggles….they’re not…” Jade began before crying for her lost parents. Mr. Wiggles placed his eyestalk near her head and started nuzzling her, like her Mommy would have if she were there.

“Oh, Miss Jade, I can only imagine what you must be going through right now.” Mr. Wiggles said sadly as he continued to use its only eye to nuzzle her cheek.

“I think I’ll be fine... now that you’re here with me, Mr. Wiggles.” Jade said with some happiness brushing her sadness away.

“I’m sorry, Miss Jade, but I can’t move. My levitation rune run out of power, and I know you can’t charge it.” Mr. Wiggles said sadly. “I’m not much of use to you and, if you stay here, you’re likely to get eaten by a predator and I can’t allow that. It would best to just leave me. It would be the safest option.”

“I’ll fix you, I know how.” Jade said brightly.

“I’m afraid there are not many parts to do that. Unless of course you go to the factory, but that is too far away, far too dangerous for you to go. And my spare parts… weight quite a lot.” Mr. Wiggles said in a way that Jade knew he meant it. The robot had gotten pretty good at showing her when he was serious. “There is that old XK3-77 Mk3, though, that the Pipers had gotten. Those robotic guard dogs were made by the same company that made me, my memory and motherboards should be compatible with its systems, or if its own are still intact I can transfer myself to a holotape and you can plug me in. Then I can protect you just like your parents would have wanted.”

Jade knew what Mr. Wiggles was talking about. It was the dog that Lily Leaf had bragged about her father getting, then Jade had looked it up with her Daddy’s help. It was some sort of robot guard dog, like Mr. Wiggles said. Unlike the cyber dogs, one similar to brain bots, it didn’t use an animal brain, which meant it could last longer without much needed maintenance. But it wasn’t as smart and was more prone to hacking then its biological cousins. They also had many setbacks until the XK3-74 model hit the shelves.

“The Pipers would have lived just two houses down the street, though I think I heard those ruffians that go by the name Shadow kids, or something like that. You should be careful” Mr. Wiggles said. “Your Mother’s rifle should be in the closet, but I’m unsure if you’ll be able to pick it up.”

Jade walked over to the closet, moving around the collapsed bed. When she opened the door she saw a long boxy like gun that looked like a gun she had read the book about that her parents had taken from her. They had said it wasn’t for little fillies to read.

“Mr. Wiggles, why did Mommy have a Magnetic Coil Rifle?” Jade asked.

“She was part of some law enforcement division as a sniper I believe. It’s a powerful rifle scoped for long range. Are you able to pick it up? I don’t really approve of letting you use it, but it’s our only option until I’m transferred into a new body or get repaired somehow. You need to defend yourself.” Mr. Wiggles said with some unease in his voice.

Jade looked at the Magnetic Coil Rifle with intent as she tried to lift it, but she couldn’t. It was just too heavy for her. She couldn’t use the weapon with how heavy it was. The rifle would be impossible to aim on top of it as the little filly had never held a gun before and she was sure this was on a different level than a pistol.

“Is there something lighter I may be able to use?” Jade asked, giving up on the Gauss Rifle.

“Well there is that bat your father was going to give you for your birthday. It should be under the bed, I believe. Sir was going to encourage you to play baseball. You know… get some fresh air.” Mr. Wiggles said while Jade looked for the bat finding a long box which she dragged out with her hooves. Opening it she found cedar wooden bat. She used her mouth to lift it out and walked over to Mr. Wiggles. “Good show, Miss Jade! I’m sure your father would have been proud to see you holding that.”

Jade nodded, dipping a little due to the bat in her mouth. She walked out of the room, down the hall and out the missing wall of the house. The neighborhood wasn’t too destroyed besides the house at the end of the street, but other than that was just decent, or maybe even livable. The filly really wasn’t a good judge on what made a home livable, but she guessed it was having wall and roof above you, to have shelter from the elements.

She looked down the street and saw a big metal object lying in the yard of a home. There were a lot of skeletons not too far from it. Jade walked to the object and noticed that the thing still had a head but was missing most of it legs. Things that looked like gun placements were empty and most of the metal plates that would cover it was gone, along with fake fur. It was the size of a small cart, which was about five feet long, one foot wide, and four feet high.

The head of the, well, Jade, guessed it was the XK3-77 Mk 3, looked like an oval dome with rows of magically shaped and treated teeth. The lower jaw looked similar and Jade didn’t see anything representing the eye. The body looked similar to a Timber Wolf, but Jade could see the rotators, servos and plating were removed from under the fake fur. Its tail was long and had a blade that could retract. In all it looked like it was missing a power cell, three of its legs and, most importantly, weapons.

“So this thing might be a dead end if I can’t find replacements. I wonder if those other foals Mr. Wiggles heard took the parts.” Jade said looking around and noticing the city in the distance. “There should be a shop out here. Maybe not all of those parts were looted? I could use a cart to move them... however long that would take.”

She started her walk to the city noticing a water tower nearby announcing it as Shorn Wall. It was the main sentiment in immediate area. She hadn’t really visited the city that much, but she knew there was supposed to be a repair shop for robots someplace inside the city limits. She really needed to repair either the Xk3-77 Mk3 or Mr. Wiggles.

There wasn’t much on the road to the city, except for trees and grass, and for the most part, it was quiet. She didn’t see any wildlife, and she hoped not to. If ponies were so violent what could all the animals and birds do?. She really didn’t want to think about what a Prowler was, let alone find one of those.

The outskirts the city were a bunch of crumbling building of brick and mortar, but she could still see some still standing further in. There were signs but none for the shop she needed to find. She would be lucky if the shop hadn’t been completely looted and she could find something to repair either of the robots with the spare parts. Anything could be used, though she would have preferred the original parts.

The filly noticed that there were bangs ringing off in the distance. Dread began to fill the young pony as she walked around the corner of a building and see a bunch of colts and fillies being attacked by some adults. The little filly started the back peddle until she felt that she bumped into something.

“Well-well-well, what do we had here. One of you little fillies ended up outside your little fort.” A stallion said as he picked her up with his magic. “What should we do with her?”

“The little pests have been a big thorn in our side, why not just gut her.” A mare came by, holding a knife in her mouth.

“Please, no.” was the all filly could say as relieved herself for the first time since waking up.

“AWW shit! She just pissed herself.” the Stallion said moving her away from her.

“Must be the runt of these fuckers, and I still can’t believe they went and hold up in that old robots shop. What was that thing they sent out?” The mare said moving to stab the filly.

Then the stallion’s head exploded and he dropped Jade just as the mare swung, just barely missing, cutting some hairs on fillys head. The mare looked at the stallion as Jade started to run away, not really looking where till she heard a door slammed shut behind her. Panting, she looked around and noticed she was on the inside of the wall the other colts and fillies had build. She also noticed she had lost her bat.

“You okay?” a filly said walking up to her. Said filly was a unicorn. Bright yellow with blue, and a book for a Cutie Mark. “You have got to be the youngest Stable Dweller I’ve ever seen, though you’re also the only one I’ve ever seen. Anyway I’m Paper Bind, leader of the Children of the Moon. We don’t have much time, so let’s go with the short version, okay?”

“Uh… sure?”

Paper Bind turned to the wall. “We’ve been having these bastards hounding us since they raided our old settlement and have been picking us off one by one. We had a lot more ponies with us before; all the adults are either dead or, well, left. What’s left of our little organization is all the colts and fillies that felt helping people and each other was still the right thing to do. And when we set up shop here those bastards came back to try and finish us off. Are you keeping up?”

“Um…”

“We help ponies, mainly colts and fillies who have lost their family to the wasteland, raider, radiation, sickness, or just some pony with a grudge. And it looks like you’re one of them. Unfortunately we need to get the raiders out of here, either by shooting them, or just plan scaring them off. Are you good with the gun? I’m asking this because we’re short of shooters and need some help to finish off those guys. Are you in?”

The yellow filly finished while Jade just stared at her. This filly was asking her to kill. She was terrified and this filly was asking her still kill a pony. Possibly even more than one and NOT in self-defence.

Jade did the only thing she could in this situation and collapsed. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was

“Oh, come ON! You just went on and dumped her into that shit! Good job breaking her, LEADER!”

To be continued

Author's Notes:

And after a long holiday, here we are, Chapter 2. hope you guys like it. and again thanks Chayn for helping me edit.

Ch.3 Boom like That

Jade awoke to the sound of gunfire. She had such a pleasant dream about her family at the park, well, until it ended with a huge explosion. Not a dream she would like to have.

As she got her wits about her she noticed empty shelves and smell of oil and dry grease. There was a flicker of light somewhere behind her and the buzzing of said light being drowned out by the blast from a rifle. There was also the faint sounds of ponies talking, but she couldn’t tell what they were saying from where she was. The last thing she became aware of was that she was lying on bedroll that smell slightly of urine covered roses. Not a smell you want to wake up to, though it was marginally better than puke and blood. And at least she found the store she was looking for. Now came the hard part...

Getting up Jade looked around and noticed Paper Bind in the doorway looking to a wall made of thick wood and sheet metal. She seem worried as her eyes moved towards a heavy gate. She turned to Jade and surprise spread across her face.

“Hey, kid, you've woke up, huh?” Paper Bind asked, looking around at anything but Jade. “Sorry! I am really, really sorry! I was kind of in the heat of a moment, so... sorry, yeah, didn’t mean to dump all that on you.”

“Um... it's okay... I guess?” Jade said accepting the filly apology.

“Well... you know, forget about my question for now, will you? And, since you're stuck for a while with us, you know, the whole Raider business trying to kill us and you, by association, you may as well get our names. Sounds good?”

It was definitely a better option than going out and kill some ponies at the moment, so she agreed.

“Sure!” Jade said while nodding her head enthusiastically.

“Good.” Paper smiled. “So... first things first, let's go the balcony, there is someone you need to say thank you to.”

Paper Bind led her up a ladder to a second story balcony where a striped filly zebra about 14 years of age were sitting with a black and white mane that stood straight up. She was scanning the streets through the scope of her sniper rifle. It wasn't much, but it was rather well-maintained. Noticing newcomer she turned, smiled, putting her gun away, then came to Jade and nuzzled her.

“Hi. My name is Shelest. I also go by the name Farsight around by those in our little group. I hope you're okay. Those raiders didn't hurt you?” The Zebra said with a sincere smile.

“No, no, I'm fine! Thank you. I'm Jade, by the way.” The young filly was.... a little bit shocked of such open show of friendliness, that girl was nopony she knew, and still... some blush crept onto Jade’s cheeks.

“Well, at least she didn't...” Paper Bind snickered.

Shelest stepped closer and planted a soft kiss on Jade lips. Unicorn, stunned by the sudden affection, backpedaled for several steps before falling on her rump. Paper sighed.

“Yes, that… Love, how many times have I said you that it is NOT how ponies greet each other?” Paper Bind said with what could barely be considered a scowl and more of a loving look.

Jade finally took note of Paper Binds age. It seems she was only a year younger than Shelest.

“My love is only unto thee.” The sniper said. “And I'm not a pony, am I? Forgive me, Jade, was it? Forgive me, but I could not stop myself. It is... a second nature. Mind, though, I'm not doing it to everyone, only to a few I like. Epic didn't get a kiss, did he?”

“I HEARD THAT!” A male voice came over from inside the building.

“Well, yeah...” Paper Bind said before she coughed into her hoof. “Short story, Shelest is our farsight, as in sniper, scout... and a... visionary of sorts. She... well, she sees things from time to time, and it helps a lot if we can decipher them. Now onto the next one!”

Shelest returned to her watch while a pair of fillies got into the fort again. There, sitting among several guns, was a unicorn colt of about 10 years. He was the color of a blue fire with golden mane, stained with dust, oil, and soot. He had a desperado hat on as well as duster with several shells and bullets slotted in a pair of belts, and his arsenal looked like he found it in those cool films about Appleoosian settlers.

“That grumpy cat over here is Epic Fail, our middle range gunner and repair pony.”

“Just Epic... and, HEY, it's not FAIL, It's CONFIRMED CRITICAL!” It was the very same loud voice Jade heard before she collapsed. “Anyway, sup, girl? If you need your gun or weapon fixed I'm your colt. And, yes, I AM the ONLY colt here. Sucks to be me, right?”

“I'm not sure.” Jade smiled. “Isn't that... could it be... nice?”

“In a way.” Epic shrugged. “Aaanyway, if you want to talk about grumpiness of cats...”

“Did someone call Grumpy?” a VERY chipper voice called down from several floor up above the three foals.

“Oh, shit, here we go... wait for it.” Colt snickered. “She's always something when she’s on the stuff.”

A loud “thump” could be heard from the ladder going to the ruined third floor, and another, and another, and...

“Am I here? No, no, no, no, no, no, YES!”

In a second, Jade saw a grey donkey filly of maybe 15 years smiling from ear to ear, moving at the speed of wind. The donkey jumped all around the place, but even then Jade could notice her red flower patterned bandanna, mane styled in dreadlocks and a vest with a lots of various badges.

“Ohh, you're the new filly! It's cool! It's rad! It's AWESOME! Anyway, my name is Grumpy, nice to meet ya! If you have something to trade, then I'm all yours! Honest, deals, promise! I will even give you a discount!”

Jade blinked as donkey shot that info with the speed of machine gun and simply nodded and then asked, unsure of what she heard.

“Wait. Grumpy?” Jade asked unsure how a filly that happy could be called Grumpy.

“Yeah,” Epic sighed. “She's a Dash addict. You'll see when she's gonna be off the meds.”

“I still have several doses!” Grumpy chirped. “Enough for one glorious last stand! Well, if you need me or my wares I'm gonna be up here, smelling the fresh new air! Ta-ta!”

While the donkey jumped away Jade tried to shrug off a feeling that she were in asylum. Paper Bind patted her on the head, smiled reassuringly and, solemnly, pointed her hoof at a several other ponies. There was an earth filly maybe sixteen years old with an earth foal barely able to stand tending to a wounded teenage mare with a syringe as a cutie mark and a pony sleeping in a chair.

“See that duo? It's Dim Lantern, our... civilian, of sorts, a perfect example of unlucky pony that got into bad situation. That little foal? Her daughter, sad story, won't go into details. The downed unicorn is our medic, The Cure. She caught a bullet and, well, we're kinda down on healing potions. We've bandaged her and could only hope for the best. The last one...”

“With the Scripture in one hoof and gun in the other I bring light of Goddess Luna into the forsaken Wasteland. Beware the raider, the slaver, the mutant, for our Goddess sees it all and retribution is coming. I am the Night Light, paladin in the service of Her Grace.”

She was an earth pony, but a strange one. Her colors were a little bit off, purple-ish, blue-ish, and spikes of strikingly white mane adorned her head along with ears that seemed furrier than the others. She was peeking an eye at the pair while leaning in the chair with her bulletproof vest on and a holster with the gun could be seen as well as “HSPD” stripe on it. The pony smiled, bared her fangs and looked at Jade with her vertical-silted pupils. Unicorn shuddered.

“How, what, uh...”

“My mother was a thestral, batpony, while my father was of a more humble lineage.” Night Light shrugged. “I get that look a lot. You could consider me both a paladin as in fighter and a spiritual leader somewhat. In a world filled with misery and uncertainty, it is a great comfort to know, that in the end, there is a light in the darkness. I will not ask if you join my cause, it would be too cruel, but I will give you a brief. We, lunites, believe in purification and retribution. We believe that, if we don't work hard and clean the mess our ancestors left us for our penance Nightmare Moon would rise once again and the world will end.”

Night Light yawned and smiled bitterly.

“Sorry, I am a night person, need to catch my sleep. Until the eve is upon us, my friends.”
Paper Bind looked at Jade with a crooked smile and faked a laugh.

“Well... that's all. Now, what we're going to do next?”

Jade could only think of one thing: she could only think of what to do to help Mr. Wiggles, which would be hard with the raiders in front of the store. Then there was that task of getting the parts out of here for either of robots. If she was going to help Mr. Wiggles then she had to get rid of the raiders, and to do that she would have to help these ponies.

The filly sighed before walking over to Epic. “I’m not too good a magic, can barely lift a block of wood, but do you have any weapons I can use.”

“Well I do have this old thing, but it’s most likely to blow up in your face than anything else.” Epic said taking out a rusty pistol.

“What are you planning on doing?” Paper Bind asked.

“I have a friend that needs help, and right now those Raiders are in my way. I need to get some parts to repair the damage done to him out of this store. Before you ask, my friend, Mr. Wiggles, is a robot and I need parts to repair or another robot to transfer him into.” Jade said looking at the pistol. “How many are out there?”

“You’ll have to talk to Shelest about that.” Paper Bind said before looking to the balcony. “She’ll know more about that.”

“Thanks.” Jade took some ammo, that gun and nodded to Paper Bind. The weapon was heavier than she would have liked, but it was her best option for self defense. “Are there any robots that might still be functional here? I might be able to get it to attack those raiders.”

“Downstairs, but we won’t be able to send anyone down there with you. I was taking a risk sticking down to wake over you till you woke up and even still going out to the gate.” Paper Bind explained. “I can ask Shelest to cover you, but most of the time you’ll be on your own if you think of going down there.”

Jade walked over and opened balcony door before walking onto the landing. “Hey, Shelest, how many raiders are out in the street?”

“About fifteen in the street, four in the buildings, and six on the roofs, been doing all I can to keep them off of us. I could get the ones on the roof tops if the guys in the street weren’t taking so many pot shots at me. Why?” Shelest said.

“Most robots have an Arcane Reactor or a Cell. Arcane Cells are usually used for magical weapons like a magic pistol or rifle, but Arcane Reactors full of magical energy, enough to power several buildings or one robot for decades, as seen with some that may be in this…” Jade said looking for a word to express the world around her.

“Wasteland?” Shelest suggested.

“Yes, that…an Arcane Cell or magical gems as so many call them, hold a small amount of energy only good for a grenade. An Arcane Reactor could be a good explosion, enough to demolish a building if there’s enough energy in it. Depends on building, of course, but...”

“Why is that important?” Shelest ask not following Jade’s thinking. The foal smiled.

“If I can make some robots to start fighting the raiders with compromised reactors, said robots could take care of the raiders in the street. I’d program them to move away from the shop so that we won’t be hit.” Jade explained.

“Are you sure?” asked Paper Bind.

“Sixty, forty,” Jade said with straight face.

“And how would you know how to work with them robots?” Epic asked.

“I studied them before I went into the Stable. I learn faster than most ponies.” Jade explained walking to the ladder. “And as you said I’ll need cover while I reprogram them.”

“How long would you need?” Paper Bind asked.

“Depending on the software, and condition of the hardware…I’ll try my best, but it might take a while. Where are they down stairs?” Jade said while starting to climb the ladder.

“They’re in the back room, there about three of the smaller ones, and two big one.” Paper Bind explained.
“Alright, I’ll try to be quick.” Jade said as she climbed down. Halfway down the ladder Jade started hearing Shelest firing at the raiders, and she took it has sign to move a bit faster.

Looking around the bottom floor Jade she noticed for the first time that the building was split into two. The main shop and a workshop connected together by a hallway. The door in the main shop had fallen off, but the one to the workshop was still secure. From what she could see from a nearby window there were some robots still in the workshop but because of the barred windows they were hard to get to. The filly walked over to the hallway noticing a terminal near the door.

“Well I guess that explains why the others didn’t try to get to the robots before the raiders showed up.” Jade said wondering if the colts and fillies had been planning on selling the parts.

She walked over the terminal and started hacking thanking her parents for leaving out the computer programming manual when she was five. She was also thankful for the fact she was such a fast learner. It took her a few minutes to hack terminal and open the door.

Moving into the room Jade noticed a couple of Protecta-a-ponies and Sentry-bots. They were all offline, but Jade noticed they were mostly in good condition, a Protecta-a-pony was missing both arms and a Sentry-bot was missing the back covering. There were also several other models that wouldn’t be much use to her. Nothing that would prevent her from doing what she was going to do to them. It would still mean those two were going out first as she couldn’t risk them going off to close to the shop.

“Okay where is the….there.” Jade said walking over the computer at the edge of the room. “Now let’s see, I need to set up a timer, while issuing the meltdown of the cores. Hopefully this will only take a minute or so to figure out.”

It took the young a filly a few minutes to gain access to mainframe connected to the robots then another five to write up the right commands. The robots connected to the mainframe began to move out through the hallway and out the main shop, shouting out exclamation of equestrian law as they went. Jade followed holding the pistol she had taken from Epic in her magic, still finding it hard to hold, moved to open the gate, allowing the bots to go through.

The Raiders noticed the gate and started rushing it when bots began to fire on them. The raiders for the most part seemed little deterred by the new threat, but focused on the bots nonetheless while Jade moved back to the storefront and took cover. In little more than five minutes the raiders had forgotten the store in order to deal with the more immediate threat. Then the explosion brightened the sky, deafening the filly along with the muzzle of Shelest’s rifle flashing in the slightly dimmed sky as she took out the raiders on the roof tops. It was over soon as the fiery death that could melt metal died with smoke and dust filling the air beyond the gate.

Jade breath a sigh of relief before covering her mouth to stop the bile that rose from her stomach as mind began to realize just what she had done. Death was one thing to see and have almost happen to you, but to commit the act itself onto another... She may not have done it with her hooves or a conventional weapon, but she had programmed those bots, made them overload. She had killed ponies, ponies who may have had families or not, but ponies nonetheless and in the past she would have never done it.

“By Celestia, why.” Jade asked herself for the first time since she even thought of her plan. She hadn’t really thought of the raiders as ponies, just targets that needed to disappear till it was over, she made them less than pony just to… just so she could help Mr. Wiggles and those colts and fillies upstairs. They were why she had done it, so all of them could survive together.

But that’s what those ponies were doing as well. Yes, they killed, yes they hurt and stole, and yes did even more horrible things that she didn’t know about but they were still just surviving. Just like that group that had killed Sentential Sky. Raiders just took from others to survive, taking others hard work and lives if need arise.

“YOU FUCKING BITCH!” a stallion yelled, shocking the young filly from her thoughts as the stallion rushed her wielding a jagged piece of metal as a knife. Jade was slow in aiming her pistol as the stallion came within striking distance. But before he could strike a bang rang out and he dropped dead over the young filly the piece of metal nicking her ear.

Jade panicked, pushed the stallion away and looked to the ladder seeing Epic there with one of his rifles. And almost like she used a teleport, Paper Bind appeared next to her, helping her up.

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, Jade, that was SO AWESOME!” The older filly said almost vibrating in place, almost singing the last part. Epic harrumphed from his place on the ladder while still keeping an eye out. “The robot, the explosion, you….you saved us, you don’t even know how much you just saved us.”

“I would think her help was TWENTY. FUCKING. METERS. CRATER.” Epic said watching the gate. “And I think she knows it. Now, ladies, if you’re going to make out, how about doing it upstairs and in safety.”

“Perv.” Paper Bind said with a bemused smile and blew a raspberry at the colt. “You just dream of watching me and Shelest, I’m sure of it, and you can just keep on dreaming. But he is right, that was one hell of a punch and Shelest says that roofs are clear. Yet the dust hasn’t settled, and we need to make sure the area is secure, that it over for now. Jade, I stand by my word… You’re a goddesssend.”

“You should not mention a Goddess in idle talk.” Epic scowled.

“I wasn’t talking about your goddess of moonshine, okay?”

“It’s MOONLIGHT, Paper, and get the hell out of a possibly dangerous area for FUCKS’S SAKE!”

“Okay, sorry. He’s right, why don’t we go upstairs.” Paper Bind said as she moved to the ladder following Epic up. Jade followed them up still trying to keep her bile down. Once she was standing in the main hall of the second floor Paper Bind grew more serious. “Jade, as a leader of Children of the Moon, I say thank you. We couldn’t do it without you, without your skill. I won’t stretch the truth in saying we owe you a big favor. You saved our hides, that for sure, and we pay our debts.”

Jade didn’t know what to think about the offer of a favor, she had never had anypony owe her a favor before. She didn’t really seem like she had done anything important. She just help them like Twilight, or Fluttershy, or Pinkie Pie had done for her when the world was… She wasn’t some hero like they were. She hadn’t save the world or anything, she just did what she thought was right. What she had to do the help Mr. Wiggles.

“You pleased the Goddess of the Moon today. Even the greatest journey begin with just a single step, and you, I believe have the eyes of those greater then than us watching over. But for now rest, eat, we will share some supplies, and think of what favor you wish to ask of us, decisions like this are not to be rushed. Tonight we shall hold a celebration held in blessed darkness, and you, Jade, will be the guest of honor.” Night Light said with hooded eyes.

“You don’t need to scare her off Night. And what’s with all “this eye’s of those greater” crap. I believe the Goddess of Moon lived, and follow the teachings, but they never said anything about ‘journeys’ or ‘eye’s’.” Epic said with a disapproving scowl.

“There were those just as powerful as The Moon, lest you forget. The Queen of Lies, the Gluten of Arcane, the Lord of Madness, the Eternal Lover, the Guiding Sun,the Vibrant Heart, the Balance Tree, the Darkness of Chains and the Great Mother. Each had their strengths and weaknesses, or at least that what my mother said.” Dim Lantern explained. “And while it is said that the Sun and Moon have died, it doesn’t mean that they all have. the Lord was in Canterlot with the Moon and The Sun so he’s probably gone like them, the Queen is said to be hiding, the Lover is said to be in the wind and snow, the Gluten in a prison of wickedness, the Mother has been missing for longer than recorded memory.”

“Those are just fairy tales! If there were more gods than the Sun and Moon then why have they not helped us? It makes no sense that a god called The Lover or Mother would stand by while we suffer, or one called the Lord of Madness would just sit in a stone prison when madness happens every day. The Gods are either dead, or have abandoned us.” Cure exclaimed bitterly.

“Cure, please be still, your wounds have not healed and you need your strength.”

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.” the smile of Night Light's was calm and hard. “Let me give you an explanation as my faith, our faith sees it. You too, Epic. Let’s start with a simpler things. There are two types of knowledge, common one and the arcane, shown only to those who proved themselves time and time again. You’ve been given only things you should know now. Arcane knowledge could be hard to swallow, but, believe me when I say so, I will tell you when the time is right. Do not stray from the path, Epic, and you will have your due.”

“S-sorry…” Epic looked and sound ashamed of himself, it seems. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you enough, know your nature, the core of your soul. I know that you’re passionate and, sometimes, you speak things without thinking. That could become your undoing one day, but for now… I forgive you. Heed me, Cure, for I will not repeat twice. Gods are above the common ponyfolk, even the destruction of physical body would not kill them, merely hinder. Thus, they would not act directly by any reason you could think of. But here’s the thing. Gods influence our lives through their teachings. Even mere word could shatter or save the life, isn’t that a miracle? When your shot strike true or you save the pony from certain death how can you be so sure that this is not been the help from above? Gods are powerful, yes, but we cannot expect them to do all the work. We must earn what we have, Cure. We must strive to do better, and, in due time, we will receive our reward. As for the last question. Mother, you say… think about that. We are mere foals before her, we need to learn. The Last Day, the Cleansing as some called it, was the test. We need to learn from mistakes of our ancestors and we must not allow our anger control us. There will be a time when the Wasteland as you know it will be no more. It won’t be today, it won’t be tomorrow, but, one day, I believe, things are gonna be as they rightfully should.”

Cure kept silence for several long minutes and, finally, laid down, not sure of how to answer.

“I will think about it. I didn’t… I didn’t see it that way. We will talk later. Thanks, Night Light.” Cure said before cringing. “And filly, it would be best to rest even if you had just typed on a computer. By the looks of this your art well and could us a good night’s rest.”

“I’ll do that.” Jade said uneasy by some of what was said by the lunites.

“Hey don’t mind them or their religion, it's just a something that goes on around here.” Paper Bind said with an uneasy smile.

“It doesn’t really bother me.” Jade said. She really didn’t mind it, but she wondered why The Cure had mentioned that Celestia and Luna as dead. They couldn’t really be died, they were gods what could kill them. Moving to a room with this in mind she found a clean spot of floor and laid down. It didn’t take long for her to drift off.

Author's Notes:

here's Chapter 3. sorry for the wait would have had it done sooner, but got caught up Warframe with my clan.y Chayn supplies most for this chaper and i liked them so i went with them, had some problems after that that realzuted in five bad drafts, but i'm happy with how the stories going now.

Ch.4 getting an old friend and a mysterous meeting

Jade sat in front of a fire at the small enclave in front of the robotics shop. She was eating a stew that was made with, from what the others said, radroach meat, corn, and some sort of gourd. She didn’t like the clicking sound from her Pipbuck, but she hadn’t eaten in awhile and she needed food. For the most part it tasted good, even if it was the bug meat.

It had been an hour since she woke up from her nap. She felt better. Now, that she had some sleep that wasn’t caused by her passing out or bonking her head on something hard. It wasn’t really good for her health, she had to admit, rubbing a bump that had formed without her knowing it. The filly hoped it wasn’t a sign of a concussion, though. The Cure told her she would be fine. The group she were with, Children of the Moon, were all enjoying the meal while exchanging tales about their time in this…Wasteland.

The world she had been born into, the world she had loved was now just a brown, blackened, clouded, almost lifeless husk of a shadow of what it was one before. The green grass she had played in was gone along as well as the great trees. Many animals she had enjoyed to watch from afar died a horrible death or mutated and became savage. The blue sky, beautiful nights, and shining sun were gone, replaced by grey clouds as far as the eye could see. And it had been the nations of old that had caused this.

It wasn’t hard for her to figure it out; the colts and fillies didn’t really keep it hidden. The Pony-Zebra War, the war she had been born into, had escalated to the point where each side decided that they didn’t want the other side to win at any cost. Both sides had used spells of magnitudes more powerful than had been ever seen before. Megaspells, arcane constructs that could enhance a smaller spell to be immensely more powerful, or be used to create new spells that had only been theory before. The usage of weapon grade Megaspells called Balefire, and rouge storms had done the unthinkable. They destroyed the civilizations they had worked so hard to protect in one day, and the world had come… to this.

Life, though, found a way to persevere. It adapted to its new environment or hid in Stables that were of a different design from hers. This had led to many surviving the bombs, but they now lived in a dangerous world. Ponies, Zebras, Monitors, Donkeys, Yaks, Bovines, Goats, and Dragons now live in a way that mirrored the Griffons when their government collapsed at the loss of a relic that was important to the national heritage. Though back then the Griffons at least had some semblance to their old culture and some form of government in the making compared to what the Wasteland was like.

To the filly this world was a horrible nightmare that she wished Luna would wake her from. It wasn’t a dream though, she knew it. The Wasteland was a product of greed and uncontrolled advancement the likes of which no civilization had been prepared for. A nightmare that even in her worst dreams she couldn’t imagine. How had nopony seen this coming? How could they just sit by while their government played a game of death with the world?

“Hey, Jade, you alright?” Paper Bind asked the filly, shaking her from her thoughts.

“Um, yeah,” Jade replied looking to the filly across the fire. “Just thinking of the past.”

“How much of a past can a filly your age have.” asked Epic between slurps of stew.

“I’ve read a lot of history books. A lot of books in general actually.” Jade answered.

“How, many, three, four history books?” Shelest ask with a smile.

“Um, one book on programming and computer design, half a book on guns, thirteen on history of varying cultures and species, about a hundred on technology and science, half a book on biology, four hundred on arcane science in general, and three coloring books.” Jade explained not really thinking much of it till she looked around and notice everypony had stopped eating was staring at her. “That’s not normal for a filly my age, I know. I read really fast compared to other ponies, and…”

The reaction was mixed. Paper Bind stared at her with disbelief, while Sehlest merely smiled, trying to hide her shocked expression. Epic spat out a mouthful of stew and started to cough. Grumpy began to hop around the small group singing something along the lines of, “It’s awesome, it’s awesome, IT’S AWESOME,” Dim Lantern and her foal kept to themselves, Cure looked pleasantly surprised, and Night Light only nodded, staying calm.

“You’re, like, the super-duper-smartest filly I’ve ever saw! And I have seen a lot of fillies!” Grumpy said while hugging her to death.

“You’re freaking LYING!” Epic said after catching his breath. “It’s like, more books than I’ve seen in my whole life! What the actual FU…”

“Temperance is a virtue.” Night Light said, silencing her protégé. “You’re a… unique child, Jade, I must give you that, and, unlike the others, I don’t doubt you.”

“Elder, really, how the HELL could she have…” Epic exclaimed.

“She is from times long past, Epic, many of her action tell of this.” The Paladin replied. “I’ve heard stories of both the beauties and horrors of the world before. I have wandered the Wasteland and have seen what there is… and judged them. You could say that I’m out here to purify the world. But that is of no concern for the moment. Paper, that filly could help our small group immensely with her knowledge, which rivals even mine and I, too, have read many books. My hometown had a good library.”

“I see your point,” Paper agreed, some tension in her voice. “But it is up to Jade to decide. We’re planning on sticking here for now, isn’t it? And, of course, we owe her.” The filly turned to Jade, blushing as Shelest nuzzled her. “Hush, love. Jade, what are you going to do now? I think I remember something about a Mister… Wiggles, was it?”

“Yeah, my friend, Mr. Wiggles, is a robot I knew before I went to sleep in that pod in Stable 092. Night Light is right about me being alive before the Wasteland. I need parts for either a Mr. Hoovesy, or an Xk-77 Mk.3.” Jade explained looking to the shop. “I’ll take a look of what there is in the back and see if there are any of those parts or intact models I could use.”

“You opened that place; it should be you who take the first pick.” Shelest agreed.

“Thanks, and I need help getting the parts to him too.” Jade said put her stew down before getting up and walking to the shop and going to the back garage.

The room was really messing now that Jade took time to notice, not focus on reprogramming some robots. The mess wasn’t much of a problem as it was mainly on the floor and out of the way. And there was a small hole in the ceiling where it looked like rain had gotten through, if the puddle was any indicator. There were also a lot of boxes strewn about. As for the robots in the shop, there were no parts for a Mr. Hoovesy, but there was a complete set of parts for Xk-78 Mk.1 that was only missing the frame. The Xk-77 Mk.3 that was near Mr. Wiggles had a frame, but was missing several parts. Jade could just take the parts she need but the Xk-78 was a police, more durable model than the Xk-77 and was used for security instead of a family guard dog.

“But the problem is I still need a power cell… and those parts are way too heavy.” Jade said, looking around, trying to solve the problem. “If I only take what I need my load will be lighter, but if I take all of them then Mr. Wiggles will have much more armor. Or I could go back get the frame which is the lightest part, get Mr. Wiggles and use the equipment here to make the work easier.”

“I believe you will choose the right course of action, Jade, and whatever route you take in this case, I will be by your side.” Night Light said from behind the young filly, scaring her.

“It…um, alright, um, sure.” Jade said trying to form her sentence. The filly found it hard talk when she was excited or scared, and she would usually not be able to talk coherently if it was bad enough. “It would be easier to just bring the frame and Mr. Wiggles here so I could use the equipment.”

“I’ll just get the wagon and then we can head out.” The older filly said before walking out.

Sometime later, they informed the group of their intentions and walked out of the improvised fortress into the recent battlefield. It was eerily quiet. Somehow Jade got reminded of some old radio drama she had heard while reading another exciting about the how Arcane Magic reacted to Bale Fire to produce most of the energy used in technology. It was a small miracle that some of the show even managed to stay in her memory despite the book being her main focus. There was something about a cowpony with a dark past, a loner, and she thought she remembered something about a…ghost town? The filly scrunched her nose, a little bit frustrated at the lack of context.

Unless you count the Pip-Buck, the filly barely knew a thing of, let alone had one; there was no way of telling time in the Wasteland. The uneven road bumping the cart around, Night Light being completely silent, the creepy silence of the buildings around them as they moved through the streets, freaked Jade out. At first she tried humming some song or another, but got tired of it pretty easily. For the most part Jade was bored, and little scared by the silence, and the paladin wasn’t really the best companion.

“If you have something to ask, go on.” Night Light said without turning her head. “I am accustomed to long days and nights without a word, it is you who is scared of it.”

“I…I’m not scared!” Jade protested, “But…yes…. I think there is something I wanted to ask. You said earlier that you will not…uh… force you cause on me or something. What t did you mean by that?”

“It is rather rude to try and force faith on those who do not need to be corrected in their ways.” The Paladin shrugged making the creaking cart groan a little with the sounds of old wood. “To put it simply, I have not found fault with you…at least for now. But, from what I saw of you, there is no need to introduce you to our faith. There is no need of it for one that is already pure of heart, and you have not sinned before my eyes. Though, believe me when I say it, that if you ever do, judgment for your actions on this earth will be swift.”

Night Light stopped and pulled out her gun from her side holster and pointed it at Jade faster than the young filly could blink. The world froze for what felt like an eternity as the filly stared at barrel. The image of her being killed passed through her mind again for what felt like the hundredth time since Sentential Sky been slaughtered. Meal started rise from stomach.

“Bang!”

With the same fluid motion the gun was returned to its holster and paladin resumed her walk as if nothing happened.

“If you’re wondering, the safety was on.”

Jade nervously gulped down the vomit. The Paladin seemed scarier now that she had done that.

“W-w-why did you do that?!”

“A small test. I wanted to see your purity once more, before it is snuffed out like so many things in this world. You’re young, clean of the sins so many have waded in even at your age. You have suffered, but you have also retained your integrity, which I find rare. It is also rare to see a filly who regrets the loss of all life, even those of raiders, who, as many feel, are beyond salvation, myself included. So, yes, I’m guilty of wanting to see your reaction on a threat, and apologize.”Night Light said before glancing back. “Do you know why I’ve offered to come?”

“Um…” Jade said while looking back towards the robotics shop. “You were the best candidate?”

“In a sense yes, as the others have their own duties. Epic was the only other choice, and he’s a bit too hot headed. And, frankly, it was better that me and Paper Bind had some distance, if only for a little bit. We… are not on talking terms most of the time.”

“Why?” Jade asked as her curiosity grew.

Night Light slowed a bit as she thought of how to explain her point. “She’s the leader of the Children of the Moon, what is left of them anyway. I’m of another group who believe a slightly different faith than what the Children of the Moon had, so when I came I clashed with the others. She is also a nonbeliever of both faiths which complicate things even more. She was tolerant of her parents’ faith, but not so much mine. Maybe she has gleamed something of me she just doesn’t like, maybe she feels unwell that two of her own, ponies she had group up with, had believed that faith, has listened to my words, and joined. Who knows, but you could say, we… have a ceasefire at the moment.”

“Ohh…”

Night Light stopped and looked back at Jade with a remorseful expression. “You know, I’m willing to talk if you want, I don’t mind. Epic and Cure have confide with me many times and have found my advice useful. I’d understand if you would like to talk to Paper in any case, of course you could end up walking in on them…blowing off some steam, as it were.” Night Light chuckled. “I did it once, the looks on their faces.” She shook her head. “Now hush, I’d prefer to keep calm and quiet from now on. Abandoned houses could hold many troubles, if one is not careful. It best we pick up the pace.”

It wasn’t long till a group of some sort of creatures attacked them. Jade wasn’t sure if it was it was a fly in the shape of a ball with wings and eyes with a growth for something else.

“Bloatsprites. Despicable creatures.” Night Light said as she took out her pistol and started to fire on the creatures as it fired something back, Jade didn’t want to find out what it was. The small skirmish was over quickly as it seemed the bugs weren’t that tough.

“What were those?” The filly asked.

“As I said, bloatsprites, a mutated parasprite. Nasty things that more annoying in small numbers than dangerous. But don’t get caught by a large group, that’s when you can get hurt.” Night Light explained.

“Oh, they look disgusting.” Jade commented as they started to move into her old neighborhood. The filly watched for the Xk-77 Mk.3 while on the lookout for more bloatsprites. There wasn’t much in the old decrypted buildings that seemed to be alive, so the travel returned to an uneventful trek on a almost nonexistent road. Jade felt a nostalgia for her old life creep onto her.

She really hoped that all this was a horrible dream that she could wake up from. Something Sable Tech had put in the Stasis Pod to test the occupants, some kind of psychoactive gas, but she didn’t knew why they would do that. She didn’t knew if this horrible world was real or something her mind was making up to confront some stupid fear. Jade really didn’t like the thought that she was in a dream more than if being reality.

The broken robot dog was right where Jade had left it, though some real dogs were wandering around but they fled after Night Light started yelling waving her gun. Then it was just a matter of getting the parts she didn’t need off the frame and the frame on the cart. It took about fifteen minutes in all as she and Night Light used makeshift ramp to shove the frame onto the cart. It was about two hundred and thirty pounds, so it was quite the task.

“You could have help with your magic, you know.” Night Light said between breaths.

“I can barely lift a block of wood.” Jade explained, shaking. It was the first time she had lift or even pushed anything that heavy and the young filly was about fall over, her legs feeling weak.

“Get on the cart. You can barely walk in that state.” Night Light said while getting back in the harness.

The filly, complied, climbing next to the Xk-Frame and collapsing onto the floor of the cart, breathing heavily. Jade knew she was not in the best shape, but she didn’t think the frame would be that heavy. It had been like that time she had tried to push the family cart when Daddy had some bots inside and had sprained her front legs. Except now all her legs hurt, but it was just exhaustion, not an injury.

“Mr. Wiggle is in my old home t…” breathe, “two houses down from here.” Jade said pointing at her old home. When they reached the house Jade was still too weak to get up from the cart so the two sat outside to get their energy back while eating some preserved food that Night Light found on one of the skeletons that had surrounding the Xk model. Jade вшв know how healthy they could been after two hundred years, but they were better than nothing.

“Well, let’s hope your friend is easier to move than that frame was.” Night said as she got up and walked into the house. “Where would he be?”

“My parent’s room.” Jade answered. She looked up and noticed Night Light giving her a deadpan look. “Right…”

The filly got up, wincing at the protest her muscle gave her. She walked past Night Light and to her parent’s room where Mr. Wiggles was still laying. The robot’s eye stock lifted as Jade came back letting out a happy exclamation that she was still alive.

“Yes, Mr. Wiggles, I’m alive. Now I’ve found a work shop with XK-78 Mk.1 parts and I’m take the frame from the XK-77 Mk.3 and so I’ll just need to move you.” Jade explained her exhaustion still evident in her voice.

“Well, if you tip me over you could roll me where you need to, Little Miss. I won’t mind.” Mr. Wiggles said with pride, though Jade gave him a confused looked at the term Little Miss. “I am your Butler, and you are my Mistress, I am at your command, your beck and call, Miss Jade. I may be a robot and programed to be this, but I will do everything in power to protect you as your parents would have wanted. And if I need a new body to do that than I will assist you however I can.”

“Okay, Mr. Wiggles.” Jade said as she and Night Light tipped the robot over and to roll him over to the cart. It was easy because of the lack of limbs that his model had and he fit through the doors. It was not long before they got Mr. Wiggles onto the cart and started hauling him off to the shop. The walk back wasn’t as eventful as the walk there, though Mr. Wiggles did try lightening the mood with a song till Night Light had politely asked him to stop. When they reached the Shop, Jade told Night Light to move to the door at the side down an alleyway so that they wouldn’t have to haul the frame through the store and roll Mr. Wiggles. The Paladin happily agreed.

“Okay so the platform should be good and the hooks to hold the frame up” Jade said as she walked past the ladder upstairs barely, noting that the hole to the second floor was covered. “And then I’ll need to get the parts from their place and the shop and THEN move Mr. Wiggles to the frame’s operating systems.”

“Oh, so some hadn’t scurried away.” A multiple tone voice said from behind Jade. “And the Goddess seems to recognize you too.”

Jade froze as she looked back seeing three Alicorns behind her, all blue. Her first thought was of Princess Luna, but then Luna’s coat was a bit darker blue and there wasn’t three of her. The Filly began to back up as the Alicorns started to move forward some talk all at once and without using their mouths.

“And while the others aren’t worthy of becoming a part of the Goddess, and this may not have been my original reason for being here, you seemed to have been of Great interest to the Goddess before the Bombs.” The Alicorns said lowering their heads to be level with Jade’s “Why is it that YOU would be of interest then? You don’t seem powerful in the ways of magic, you haven’t even have a Cutie Mark,” They paused lifting their heads. “So in the mind the Goddess had found interest in; fast learner, exceptional knowledge of robotics even at the age of six, and We had taking an interest in your education.”

“Wasted potential on what is essentially a dead horn. Maybe if you had more Magical capability you would be a better candidate, but as of now you are more a risk to yourself and those around you than an asset. We shall ignore you for now, as you are a waste of our time and conflict is not needed to take what We need so step aside.” The Alicorns said while magically moving Jade before grabbing some Arcane Cores and leaving.

Jade just stared at the Alicorns as they left, unsure of what just happened. On one hoof she just saw three Alicorns, weird as it was, and they just called her a waste of potential and seemed to know her past. On the other hoof, she noticed that they seemed…wrong, not biological in nature. They were sentient and made of flesh, but they also seemed designed, crafted to be what they were instead of born from almost random genetic code. Like they came from a template.

“Something for another time.” Jade said as she opened the door to the garage before getting bombarded with question from Paper Bind when the leader came down after the Alicorns departure. For the most part Jade didn’t know how to answer besides they didn’t think I was worth their time. That stunned some of the Night Children and she notice a few suspicious looks, but she surged them off to work on Mr. Wiggles, entering what her friends called Jade Mode. Where the world around her faded as she worked on a blueprint, schematic, read a new science or history book, or worked on a robot with her father. In this state Jade Charge was in her domain, her sanctuary, the place where she was at the most peace. And she said in this state for a few hours ignoring the other as she worked.

Author's Notes:

wow, sorry everyone, life has been hitting me hard for the last couple months, and while I might make a change in wording in some areas latter on. I think Its done enough to post,

Chayn, and I both had life creep up on us, and I feel you've waited enough for this chapter.

any thanks Chayn for the help and sorry for going dark myself.