> Fallout Equestria: New Beginnings
>  by StrikingSparkBrony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time in the magical world of Equestria, unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi worked together to save their land from the greatest threat they have seen so far: a war. A war to end all wars, this war was against the once-befriended race of zebras. Both sides, zebra and pony had felt the effects of this war, and the ones involved, endured so much more.

After the Zebras acquired the bomb, they had begun experiments to modify it to fit their own desire destruction of pony kind. Soon after, the mega spells went off in Canterlot, revealing how destructive these devices were, and can be. Two hundred years have passed, and it's time for both zebra and pony kind to start anew.

One pony influenced the new generation growing within the Equestrian Wasteland, Hazy was her name and she was all but forgotten.

The machines, weapons, and bombs created, set forth into war, were part of her own demise in the old world, making many suffer within the forsaken wasteland for countless years after the bombs fell.

Destruction and war followed in her wake causing Equestria to fall further into the waking darkened world it had become, but she wasn't always this way, even before the old war. It took a lot for me to break the spell I was under, being compelled to commit evil acts. It is not who I am and things need to be set right. My name is Hijack and its time you knew the truth.

-------------------------------------------

"Blue Star, we can't keep doing this. Every time Hazy gets out she causes more damage than we can handle, Maybe it's time we give it up and let her rest peacefully." Pink Supernova said with a sigh

"no, one more test" Blue Star said swiping sir's arm off his shoulder.

"But Blue Star, If she wakes up in here she might destroy the entire facility, it would collapse."

"I don't care!, one more test, I need to know if she can have a normal life ever again," Blue Star said crying through the words.

"She's a thousand years to late for that Blue. come on now, give her peace."

Blue Star pushed Pink Supernova out of the way slamming down on the green illuminated button before him. 

"You shouldn't have done that Blue"Pink Supernova said slowly.
"You just don't know when to give it up do you Blue Star" Pink Supernova asked ripping out an entire column of wires.

Blue Star was shaking as he moved away from Pink Supernova.

"Aw, what's wrong? you scared, well that's nothing compared to what i'm going to do to you and your little project." Pink Supernova said with a menacing smirk. 
> Chapter 1: Waking Daze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My life was perfect, In this little town that I woke up in everyday. I had friends, a home and the most gorgeous sun rising in the sky. I enjoy the sun, It's warmth, it's gleaming gift on the grass giving it life to grow. I can't say that I enjoy the starry night filled sky as much because here, there are no stars. No moon, I don't know why but it feels like this town skips that part of the day entirely. I try to stay up to watch the stars but the only thing that happens is a waking up in bed by a nightmare the next day.

Get the fuck off me! I hear myself say every night in the same nightmare before waking up gasping for air.

Celestia's light comes through my window every morning letting me know that everything was going to be alright, like saying: hey it's a new day enjoy it while it lasts.

I got up, heading for the front door.

Okay so I don't know if this is good or bad but I ran out of food in the fridge about a week ago and there is no shopping center anywhere in this town. I'm still alive, I don't know how this is possible but I'm fine with it, I haven't died yet so I must be okay.

Opening the front door, the entire neighborhood was outside and walking around as always. Greeting each other, and some talking to each other. all except Speedchaser who was leaning on the Celestia statue in the center of town, Speedchaser turned her head as if she had the feeling of somepony watching her from afar. Her eyes connected with mine through the open door almost instantly, and even though we're good friends I don't know how she does it, I thought of walking away with a smile on my face. I chuckled a little as I walked over to her with a smile on my face, no I couldn't do that.

"Well, its about time you walked over to me, I saw you looking at me from your front door," Speedchaser played as she got off the statue.

"Are we going to do some cool stuff today?" I asked as I looked at Speedchaser's smirk of a smile.

"Yeah yeah, but for right now I need you to do something for me, alright" Speedchaser asked flying up into the air.

It's probably another one of her silly pranks I rolled my eyes giggling "Okay, what is it?"

"How would you like to help me pull the ultimate prank on those two?" Speedchaser invited pointing at the only couple in our town.

I turned my head to see who Speedchaser was pointing at, Cyan and Gold Flair.

"Yes, that's them." 

"What did you have in mind?" I asked hoping it wasn't going to be to bad.

"Lightning" Speedchaser quickly spoke.

Okay, this was going to be good. If there was anything I have learned about Speedchaser it would have to be that she knows how to handle a good prank, nothing could go wrong.

Where do you want to do this? I asked letting the dastardly smile grow on my face.

Oh, right where they are is fine, it's just, I need someone to make sure they stay there.

"So, i'm the distraction, okay I can do that."

"Great! oh, don't move yet I need to get a thundercloud," Speedchaser said racing off into the distance.

This is going to be a good scare, and they wont see it coming. I still had a large smile on my face.

"Get ready." Speedchaser said interrupting my thoughts.

She already had the cloud above the Flairs.

Walking up to them, I greeted them with a big hello just as Speedchaser zapped them both with lightning that burned them both to death.

My mouth dropped to the ground.

Speedchaser was laughing as hard as she could, "you should see your face."

I was shocked, and could barely move, I just don't know what went wrong, did Speedchaser just killed two ponies? "Speedchaser you think death is funny" I asked throwing my gaze at her.

"Well, take a look for yourself" Speedchaser responded landing on the ground.

No, I don't want to look at a dead body, your just sick! I said looking back at the bodies that were staring back at us, alive.
Wait, what?

Like I said you should have taken another look, Speedchaser explained exploding into more laughter.

"But, what, how?" I asked practically ripping my mane out. "This is impossible."

"It's not when your me," Speedchaser explained glitching in and out.

"And before long your going to be set free, I can just feel it, and when you are, I can't say what your going to find out there, all i can do is prepare you for the worst. This little prank only revealed to you a small piece of what still might be out there"

Listening to Speedchaser explain this to me made me want to crawl into the darkest corner I could find and stay there, I felt numb, falling to the ground I closed my eyes drifting off into the darkness.


I groaned awake, realizing that I was being held upright in a chair inside some kind of metallic, oval-windowed shell. noting the sound of a stale, feminine, mono toned voice.

“Warning: preservation relaxation pod two has malfunctioned, Running diagnostics, Pod systems are online, Warning pod program connection link two is offline, Warning Pod Two connection screen has imploded, Warning Pod Two occupant is awake, Vitals signs are normal, Heartbeat and pulse are elevated” The monotone voice stopped with a large crackling pop. 

My surroundings were gray as the pod I found myself in,  focusing on the red button on my left I could see that it was blinking, reaching out for it, I found a strange device that had been attached to my right forehoof.

Detaching the cord from the port in the strange new device that was around my right foreleg, I took a closer look at it. Bringing it closer to my muzzle, I noticed it was glowing a soft green light from its screen. Looking up, the monotoned voice surprised me.

“Warning Pod Two occupant 'Hazy Daisy' disconnected from personal uplink.” The monotone voice cracked again.

What, Is that MY name? Why can't I remember.
Looking out the pod’s windows on both sides, I saw the other closed pods in the same room.
I appear to be the only one awake in this place so it must be my name.

Regaining my concentration, I went back to staring at the strange, new device that I found attached to my right foreleg, studying the device, I noticed quite a few things protruding from its interface. A green, glowing screen in the middle, a gauge at the top left that was labeled “Radiation Gauge”, a dial at the bottom left which had been labeled S.A.T.S., and three buttons in the middle at the bottom. The left button had been labeled “Stats”. The middle button was labeled “Items”, and the button on the right had been labeled “Data”. I familiarized myself with the machine attached to my foreleg by pressing the labeled buttons. I pushed the red button that I had seen previously on my left.

“Warning opening preservation relaxation Pod Two, please stand by,” The machine I was in began to spark as the glass lid of the preservation relaxation pod slid up, allowing me to get out of the pod itself.

The floor of the room was covered in a low fog that kicked up in the air as I waled around exploring the gray room I woke up in, it was circular in structure and had two doors, one door revealed stairs, the other door across the room revealed a gray maintenance room that held a few objects: a green metal cabinet, a gray metal desk, and two boxes that emitted a low, greenish light.

I tried to open the metal cabinet, but it was locked, turning to the desk, it had two drawers on the right side and a journal centered in the middle of the desk between the two green-screened, glowing boxes. I opened the top drawer and found a clip board, nails and a bottle cap.

Opening the bottom drawer, I found ten bottle caps and a knife. I didn’t know what I would need a knife for but it thought that it could be useful. closing the drawer my gaze fell back to the journal on the desk, it had the symbol of a cloud with a colorful lightning bolt coming out of it at the bottom in the middle of the cover. I put a hoof on it, sliding it down the cover of the book, Speedchaser came to mind. Picking it up after a long, motionless pause, I read from its pages.

Closing the journal, I put it down in even more stunning shock and awe.

We had been in a war, for how long?

Frozen, I couldn't move my hoof off the cover of that journal for what seemed like an eternity.

Snapping myself back into reality, I slid my hoof down the cover of the journal and back to the floor.

I walked back into the preservation relaxation chamber.

"Have I really been in that thing for two centuries?" I questioned walking back through the doorway. The large column of metallic, blue machinery hanging from the ceiling with twelve gray, glass-windowed pods on the ground around it.

I searched around for Pod One, as logically, that would be the master pod. I looked at each pod until I got the order they were in, clockwise, Speedchaser, and I are going to have a little chat.

Peering inside, I saw a cyan-colored mare with a rainbow colored tail and mane, sitting in the chair.

My mind began to fill with all sorts of new questions as I stared at her in that pod. Who is she, should I wake her, will she try to kill me if I do so?

*Click*

"Oops" I exclaimed backing up in fear of what I had just done.“Warning opening preservation relaxation pod one. Please stand by”.

The pod's hatch opened, waking up the sleeping cyan mare that blinked herself awake to find me starring at her with bewilderment, she returned my stare with a look of surprise.

"Uh. You know, I was using that." she said pointing a hoof.

"I know that you’re Speedchaser but, who are you really," I questioned in a serious tone.

"I am Rainbow Dash." she said carefully, while still looking at me.
	

> Chapter 3 : The Watchful Pony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh Littlepip, look how far you've taken us. And only in ten years." Homage sighed, both from not being able to be with her lover intimately and for the choice that she made ten years ago to see the Special Pegasus Project through.

With a loving smile, she softly spoke, "I just wish you were awake to enjoy it with me."

She lifted her gaze from Littlepip watch the ticking hands of the clock that hung on the wall ,Shadowbolts Support the war efforts, was what was written inside it.

Half past eleven, It was almost time for the news.

On Homage's way out of the small room, she gave one last timid loving glance at her coma-induced lover before completely walking into the main hall of the S.P.P., Her hooves echoed off the walls with each step on the cold, marble floor.

"Homage?"

She heard the richly divine, calming voice call her name, Celestia, or at least what was left of her after she downloaded herself into the S.P.P. Mainframe two-hundred and ten years ago appeared on the big screen

"Oh, Hello Celestia, do you need something?" Homage inquired, confused as to why Celestia called her in the first place.

"Well yes, since I can't do anything about it," Celestia answered.

"So you need my help?" Homage asked, unsure of what Celestia wanted.

"Yes, Homage." Celestia paused.

"Well, what is it?" Homage prompted sitting on her haunches.

The screens changed from Celestia's image to a new pony neither of them had ever seen before.

The new pony climbed her way out of the hole, struggling for her life, she fell on her side.

"Ahh. This is interesting," Commented Homage, studying the screen even closer, "Eighty-nine, hmm."

"What is it, Homage?" Asked Celestia, intrigued to hear what Homage found by her own observation.

"I didn't think there were anymore sealed stables left, but interesting enough, there it is. Proof that I was wrong." Said Homage. "But what is even more interesting than that is the fact that Stable Eighty-Nine doesn't exist to my knowledge."

"Celestia? Where is this location?" Homage requested, trying to sate her hunch.

The base of the mountain that Canterlot was set into was revealed and Rainbow Dash’s shack could be seen from the left-hoof corner, This stable was smack right in the middle of both of them.

"How do you like that?" Muttered Homage. "An entire city slides down a mountainside and the entrance hatch to a stable doesn't get disturbed at all,That pony that just came out of there must be very, very, Lucky, Or has somepony else besides Celestia watching over her.

"Do you want me to keep track of her?" Celestia's voice piped in.

"Hmm, yes." Homage responded intuitively.

Homage levitated a memory orb out from one of her saddlebags.

"And it would be a good idea to let me know if anything major happens."

Confusion grew on Celestia's face.

Homage walked away from the S.P.P. mainframe and set the memory orb she was holding on the ground. With her curiosity in full motion of who this pony was, she touched her horn to the memory orb, her mind and vision being whisked away into another pony’s memory.

OoOoOoOoO

It was dark and raining.

Homage's host was walking through thickets of brush to reach a window that light was coming out of, where she could see Twilight Sparkle arguing with Princess Luna.

"Why can't you just accept the fact that she is a lost cause, Princess Luna?! Princess Celestia's gift to you was destroyed because of her. The School for Gifted Unicorns in Crescent Moon Canyon, her actions there weren't enough?"

All Princess Luna could do while Twilight pointed out her faults and made points was lower her head.

"She needs to be restrained in a proper correctional facility!" Luna looked like she didn't want to be listening to Twilight while she was enraged, uncollected and yelling at her as she winced with each sentence she threw at her mentor.

Luna's feelings were amassing inside her until she herself shouted, "Enough!", at the head of the Ministry of Magic in her Royal Canterlot Voice. Twilight's face receded in shock and horror at the sheer volume of it. "I know I have my mistakes and faults to look after, Twilight, but I also know you have your own faults to tend to, not only that, I'm sure my sister knows how to handle her own mistakes and fix them without her pupil talking about them behind her back."

"But." Twilight interrupted.

"Enough!!!” Luna boomed again.

Clink! Homage's host hit the window she was peeking into, "Don't, You, Move," Ordered an unexpected, scratchy voice.

"Shit!" Homage's host exclaimed loudly.

The flash of lightning was bright enough to show the reflection on the wet glass for a second or two of the pony Homage was watching.

Wait, What? It was her! 

She had the same features: grey coat, curled blue-purple streaked mane and tail. And those deep blue eyes, Luna and Twilight put their argument on hold to deal with their new situation.

The glass glowed with a blue and purple tint. Luna and Twilight purposely opening the window to let Homage's host body slide on the glass of the window, slamming on the sill with a squeak and a thud.

"Wait, Princess Luna! Twilight, give me a chance to explain what happened." Hazy said in a panic.

Twilight gave Luna a look of concern, as though she were going to make the wrong choice.

Luna advanced, "No. You have caused enough damage, Hazy Daisy, and are being sent to a special place, just for ponies like yourself that cause so much destruction to our own world, there is no turning back for you."

Twilight pulled out a memory orb and levitated it to the pony behind Homage's host, "make sure you, get, them, all."

"And keep her locked up there for as long as possible. She will know the meaning of torture and the best of that word’s use."

"It would be my pleasure, Luna, Princess of the Night," Responded the pony behind Hazy.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Homage woke up from the trance, Standing up from the cold floor, If this is really her from this memory, this could mean the start of a new war, a war that equestria has ever seen first hoof.

Celestia? Homage spoke staring at the memory orb she held.

I think we have big problem at hoof.

Oh, and what would that be? Celestia asked trying to open the portal.

"To be honest, I don't know, but what I do know is that Hazy was put away for a reason, who ever did is going to want her back," Homage explained while Celestia tried to open the portal a few more times.

Okay, this isn't good, Celestia mumbled.

> Chapter 4 : The Company That Made
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

					 	
The sun was disappearing beyond the horizon as the large building in the distance became hoof steps in front of me, it appeared to be a recently abandoned factory, the exterior was flawless and new.

"Well it's better than camping out in this cold, desolate place." I reasoned bittersweet.

Looking for an entrance, I noticed all the windows and doors on the factory had been boarded up to keep anypony from getting inside. Except one.

The door was made of some sort of dark metal and had a security keypad built into it, the pad itself was blinking, security code. And for some reason I felt like I knew the code, like some far off forgotten memory, I entered one- zero- two- four-, the door unlocked, winding open with a click and the unscrewing of security bolts.

Walking inside, the building's interior looked old and aged like that of an old rag doll left to rot, and the air in here wasn't any better,
It was like choking on large dust particles, "Well, it's better than sleeping out there," I sighed closing the door.
Shuffling my hoof around on my Pipbuck, I located the flashlight, turning it on, I explored the factory, old conveyor belts lined the walls in rows, with rusting springs on some and large sprockets that could easily fit over my entire body on others.

I could see the name of the factory on the wall high above me, Springs and Sprockets, the name was surrounded by images of robots and tanks.

Finding the executive office of the factory I opened the door walking inside, the soft green glow of the terminals lit up the room eliminating the need for my Pipbuck's flashlight.

The terminal farthest to the left wasn't locked, so searching through it was a breeze thanks to the lack of security. Working the terminal’s interface I found a message that was sent to it ages ago.

Arrest warrant for one Spring Top dead or alive, wanted for hiding a fugitive and three counts of accessory.

Hacking the middle terminal, I found the passcode to be “springs”. The terminal seemed to hold the unlocking mechanism for the cabinet, as I heard the green-shrouded cabinet click open to the left of me. Opening the cabinet, I found a golden apple and a long, slender gun that was broken with five shells sitting next to it and a blank black journal.

Well, it's something.

Opening the jar of carrots I had from back at the outpost, I started to eat them while walking over to attempt to hack through the last terminal. Opening the terminal, I tried and failed both times before getting lucky. The passcode was “flower”. Searching through, I found entries that had been left on the terminal.

Entry 1
The supply orders have been coming in pretty steadily since the war started, we’re expected to get orders of fifty springs and sprockets or more to help finish up the robots and tanks they have been building to help win this war.

Entry 2
It's really not my place to say anything, but I just can't believe the ministry of peace gave the zebras the megaspell, they even used it in battle to revive everyone on the battlefield. Expect a major overhaul of production, one hundred springs and sprockets per day to help fix what the ministry of peace has done. Hopefully no pony will pass out on the production line floor, I just waxed that thing last Tuesday.

Entry 3
Great, I'm being looked for by the law. I guess taking in one pony that comes out of nowhere is a bad thing to do these days,
I had hoped that they would have payed more attention to the war than my productive employees, my most productive worker has been managing to pull off making at least seventy-five springs and sprockets by herself per day and they want to take her away from me? Not going to happen!, I plan on using the shotgun I have stored in the cabinet if they come looking here for me or for her.

Entry 4
ugh, this is probably going to be the last entry I ever make, they came here, but it wasn't who I was expecting to come looking for us. I-It was a group cloaked in red cloth, almost like a forgotten old cult.
They came specifically for that mare. I don't know exactly what she did, but goddesses does it itch like a fucking bitch.

Entries End.

"What the hell?" Backing out of the terminal, I began to sweat in fear.

"What happened here?"

And is something still in here, giving understandable reason why this place was locked boarded up and abandoned? I could hear the sound of something falling down through all the metal pipes hanging above. Turning on by Pipbuck light I looked around with my flashlight frantically, I couldn't find the source of the noise. Ouf! "Ow, what was that," I fell to side with my flashlight lighting up something purple high above me, moved and was oozing, before I blacked out.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Ugh, my fucking head. Wow, I didn't know my vision would come back this fast. Wait, what? I can't control my movements. -What? Am I bending springs?- And how are the conveyor belts moving? I thought this place was run down.

"Hazy, do you mind coming to my office?" Requested a very muscular, male pony.

"Sure, boss," I said with uncertainty in my voice.

Wait, Who is that? I walked off towards the office I was in a few minutes ago, and it was day.

I still can't move, It's almost like, I'm watching? I walked in and closed the door, "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes, Hazy,” He confirmed, “It seems they want me in jail for harboring you and a number of others I'm helping hide from the law, I received a message this morning that was a copy of my arrest warrant."

I Followed his movements with confusion as he paced back and forth, "Why are you telling me this sir?" I questioned.

"They could be at our doorstep right now, to take me away" He exclaimed.

"Sir, I don't understand, you harbor labor."

He stopped pacing. "You were one of the best workers I have ever had working here, Hazy. Most of the workers here, I would call acquaintances, but you I would call a close friend to the end."

"Sir?" I inquired

"Do me a favor when they take me away Hazy, blow this place sky high, they must not take it."

Two sharp knocks interrupted our talk, "Spring Top?" Another voice called from outside the door. "There is a group of strange clothed ponies out here who wish to talk to Hazy."

Both he and I were surprised to hear my name instead of his. Opening the door, we saw the strange group of ponies and the pony who led them to the office itself.

One of the strange ponies walked to me, grabbing my hoof, "Come with us, Hazy, this is not the place for you."

Spring Top walked forward, "I don't know who you are, Heck, I don't even care who you are! You are not taking my best worker!"

"Stay back!" The cloaked pony threatened Spring Top with a horn, at the sudden threat, I took my hoof back, nearly ripping it out of this pony's hoof.

"Last chance, Hazy, come with us and nopony will get hurt."

Closing my eyes, I cried. The unicorn pony got closer, pulling out a clear orb, horn glowing.

I whispered, "No."

The unicorn was shocked, asking "What did you say?"

"I said NO!" I screamed.

My eyes began to glow and shocks of magic were now beading off my coat as I levitated myself upward, even the air within the factory whirled, whipping everything upside down and the ground began to quake. The shocks on my body turned to purple lightning and shocking three of the ponies working at the factory one of them being Spring Top.

"Sir, we have to get out of here!”

"No! levitate her down!”

"But sir!"

“Now!"

The factory rumbled harder, as if it was about to be lifted off the ground.

"Just do as I say and levitate her down now!" The unicorn with the clear orb got close to me as I touched my hooves to the ground.

"That's it, now back off, all of you!"

His horn touched my head, subsiding the rumbling and making the magic dispel into waves. Ripples of uncontrolled magic shocked everyone around me with purple lightning before I blacked out.

What was that? And why were they using my name? Was I a worker at this place? Is any of this real?

OoOoOoOoOoO

Coming to once more, I woke up on my side, finding the strength to stand I found my answer by shining my pip-buck's flashlight where I saw purple before I blacked out, nothing was there, Was I just imagining this thing or was it actually there?

"You remember now, Don't you Hazy?" Asked a distant voice remiss of the past.

"Who's there?" I demanded.

"Hehehehe, or maybe not." The voice returned.

Backing up towards the door, I knew I was being watched. This is bad, I don't even know what I'm up against.

"Tick tock, tick tock, Hazy.

"What are you saying?” I inquired, “That orb somehow held my memories and actually did that to you?"

"Oh, what do you think? 'Hazy Daisy' is your name." It rang from the dark.

And I'm still denying that any of that happened "And didn't those steps you took inside that memory feel familiar even the slightest?"

Okay, I still want to deny it but, damn it, he's right.

"Well? Do you remember us?" It echoed again.

"No I don't, you must have the wrong pony." I lied moving to find my way out.

"Well maybe it's time to start playing with our prey, then you might recall something," It rang loudly.

"Playing?” I asked as the fur where the purple stuff hit me started to bubble and tingle. I gritted my teeth at the sight of it and my Pipbuck started to click.  Oh fuck, what is this stuff? Looking at my Pipbuck, I figured, radiation.

Pointing my flashlight up to see it, the purple mass move away into darkness.

"Ah, ah, ah. No, your not allowed to see where I am that would be cheating, And you don't want to fail now do you Hazy?"

"No, you're right, I'm still playing your game." I relented.

I need to work my way to the garage, To do what he asked me to do on that day, but not in the way he would expect it.

Carefully watching my step I managed to avoid getting any purple stuff on my hooves anymore than it already had, making my way to the garage.

"Ah, taking a stroll, I see. Where do you think you’re going?" Spring Top rang.

"Somewhere you wouldn't expect, asshole." I whispered as another spill of purple ooze touched my coat.

The splatter from the purple stuff hitting the floor spotted my coat, making my radiation gauge go hay-wire, I don't know what this stuff is going to do to me, but it can't be good, I walked around the newly-laid purple before reaching the garage door.

"What do you think your going to do in there?" Spring Top asked smoothly.

Pulling on the door, It wouldn't open. Shit, locked.

"So what is your next move, clever pony, use that broken shotgun on the door?"

"Can you shut up for five seconds so I can think?" I mumbled.

Throwing purple globs of radiation isn't enough for him he also has to taunt my every move?

"Tick click, tick click, all sounds like music to our ears." Spring Top mocked.

If that's how he want's to play, let's play.

Forcing magic to come to, I managed to make sparks fly out of my horn, before it lit up a pink tint.

"Oh?" Asked Spring Top surprised.

Fixating myself on the door I curled the bottom half up and let myself through before the large glob of purple fell from the ceiling and nearly splashed me a third time, uncurling the door I went to work
.
"I hope you know I see this as cheating Hazy, And I hate cheating," Spring Top rang.

Great, he's going to try to kill me, picking up a loose bolt I found laying on the garage floor, I jammed it into the locked door's keyhole.

"That won't keep me out for long, Hazy," Spring Top rang louder.

"I don't care, it buys me some time to find, ah ha, there they are." unscrewing the tanks of gas from their lines letting their hoses hang there. I proceeded to open up the tanks fully, as I heard the bolt drop from the door.

"Fiddle dee dum, fiddle dee dee, that old blue and grey pony has just found me." Spring Top gurgled curdling his voice.

My former boss, this transformed thing, was a large mass of purple that was standing before me, stretched-out, twisted faces. All of them were looking at me with their eyes and body parts towering over me in a wretched, smelly heap of decay, trying to grab and devour me in one foul swoop.

Dodging back into the factory, I lit a match and threw it in, closing the door, The entire garage engulfed in flames, created enough pressure to push out the large back door, making it fly out into the night. There was no sound of Spring Top, which made me nervous enough to look through the small melted glass window in the door. I couldn't see anything, the glass of the window was glossed by a thin film of black, I carefully opened the door just in case Spring Top was on the other side of it, waiting for me. The flames subsided as quickly as they came when I opened the door, as if it was extinguished by magic. There was no sign of him, the tanks had exploded into shrapnel, but that was all, no sign of incineration, no sign of ash from anypony.

Shit, I hope he didn't get out, all of the bad scenarios of what would happen if that thing had gotten out into the world played in the back of my mind. "I can't think about it that way," I affirmed myself running straight out of where the large door used to be, no sign of him, It doesn't help that I can't see in the dark, my Pipbuck continued to remind me of the radiation on my coat.

"Ugn," I gritted my teeth as the purple stuff seeped deeper into my coat, damn it, I have to find help.
I ran foward hoping to run into anyone that could help, Anyone that- "Ow"

I must have blacked out again from the pain and the exhaustion I was going through, because I was once again in a unfamiliar place that I didn't walk to under my own hooves. As my eyes came into focus while waking up, everything was upside down.

Where am I now, and why am I upside down? Even now, my Pipbuck was still clicking. "Help!" I screamed.

"Morning," I got as a response.

I looked over, at the light brown-colored pony with a cigarette in his mouth who just spoke, finish washing a knife off in his sink, and started to head my way. I panicked at the idea of what was going on and, in the process, found that my hooves were bound.

Holy shit, is he going to gut me? If not, why am I hanging by my back legs? The pony with the knife was standing under me cutting something on the back of my torso.

"Get away from me!" I shook the beam I was hanging from frantically while he was cutting me.

"Hold still, would ya? I can't get the rest of the damn taint off your coat when you're squirming like that" shouted the knife-carrying stallion.

"Taint, “You mean you're not going to butcher me?" I stopped to question.

"Butcher you? No.” He grimaced, taking in a puff, letting the smoke go out his nostrils. “I'm not that hungry to cut up other ponies for meat, but I sure would eat you if you didn't have this taint on you."

"I think I can let that one slide, considering the circumstances." I whispered to myself.

Even now, the Pipbuck continued to click, "Yes, taint,” He said, “The purple stuff that's spotted all over your fur. It needs to come off before you mutate. And after that, I'm going to get you some Rad-away for the radiation your kicking off from this stuff."

"Huh, thanks I guess."

"Look, How did you get so much of this stuff on your coat anyway?” He asked, “It's not like there is a radiation or taint plant anywhere near here."

Here, Where is here? I thought looking over at the door, where a brown coated pony leaned against the door with stuffed saddle bags minding his own business until he noticed I was looking at him, and looked back at me.

"This is the small settlement of Dynamo Feura, We specialize in wind power on account that were in the middle of a flat desert, We have our own water talisman by the windmill; that runs like a sieve so water is never a problem in these parts."

"Good to know," I said calmly.

"Oh sorry, I don't think I ever introduced myself, The name's Clay, others, call me Ben."

"Hazy Daisy," I returned.

"Nice to meet you Miss Hazy," Clay assured, taking in another puff and letting it out "And sorry for tying you up like this, I didn't know what you would be like when you woke up."

"Didn't know what I would be like," I echoed.

"Yeah, we get all kinds that come through here, even the occasional slaver and raider parties," Clay said tapping the ash off the end of his light.

Slavers and raiders, huh? If any of them are as stupid as the kind that picked me up and tried to rape and or sell me they need to drop off the face of Equestria.

"So, what are you doing out here?” Inquired Clay, “This fellow, was telling me you ran into him in the dark coming from the direction of that old Springs and Sprockets factory, fainting on the ground in front of him."

I didn't know what to say, all I had to tell him was my name. Since I can't remember much else, I just nodded.

"I'd say by the look of you and your elevated radiation levels, you wouldn't have lasted the next six hours if Goldchip didn't rush you here on his Brahman." Clay said.

Goldchip, that sounds like a cheesy brand name off the back of a cereal box. "I-I had a run in with this purple colored horror that had a couple of my old co-workers stuck, fused on him, I exploded some gas tanks in the back of the factory to try to destroy him."

Goldchip gave me a shocking stare, "You did that?"

I nodded.

"But I don't think I destroyed him, he might have, regenerated and now is roaming the area," I dropped my gaze down to Clay.

Both Clay and Goldchip locked gazes.

"What?" Goldchip asked nonchalantly.

"So what is this taint, exactly?" I asked, my Pipbuck continuing to remind me of this problem.

"Taint was the by-product of the Ministry of Magic experiments that were conducted back east, head of that ministry thought it would be a good idea to dump it in some crack in the ground where things had been living," explained Clay, "Sounds like a really bad idea if you ask me, turning them into horrific killing machines."

"The hell hounds." The Goldchip let out.

"I don't know how your boss was changed by it way out here, but I can tell you this, you opened up one hell of a can of worms if what you're telling me is correct." Clay cut me down and pushed a handful of Rad-away into my hooves as I got up off the ground.

"Drink those." Clay ordered.

"All of them?" I groaned

"We have to get the taint and radiation out of your system, yes all of them." Something told me that I'm not going to like this.

I took a sip from one of the bags, It tasted like old rubber tubing and what was supposed to taste like oranges but ended up tasting like the backside of a mule. Drinking the last one, I felt sick and needed to lay down, falling on my side I could feel every inch of my body begin to crawl in a whirling motion.

"Hey, Clay, I don't feel so, good." I complained with my Pipbuck clicking furiously as I felt my stomach begin to eject everything inside.

I vomited purple sludge on the floor that seemed like it had life of it's own as it moved in swirls on the ground.

"Damn it, that's what I thought," Clay said regretfully.

"What?" Goldchip spoke.

"You brought her here just in time, she was fairly gone when she got here. You and I just saved her life." Clay answered

"Well, thank Celestia for that," Goldchip sighed in relief.

"Uh, do you mind lending a helping hoof though" Clay requested.

"What do you want me to do?" Goldchip asked.

"Oh for fucking Luna's sake, help me get her to the couch.” Clay explained, “She's gonna be here awhile."

"Ok, but you don't have to be so pushy about it, Clay." Goldchip pointed out before the two of them shuffled to either side of me.

With a "One. Two. Three!”, everything became even blurrier than before, and I landed with a dull “thump” on what would’ve been a soft surface.

"Ow, that's going to leave a mark." Goldchip remarked.

"Well you shouldn't have thrown her like a fucking ragdoll," Clay scolded Goldchip.

Clay repositioned my body so my head wasn't on the wooden arm of the couch.

I managed a thanks before I vomited taint one more time, and my conscience fizzled out.

A single candle lit itself in the middle of the large, rusty, metallic, round room I awoke standing in.

"What?, no, not again I said smelling the same musty, metallic smell of blood that haunts me every time I sleep. Hearing two rough coughs I backed up into the darkness away from the flame.

"Who's there?" I asked, looking for the source, only to receive two more coughs in return.

A black, red-robed pony came forth from the dark rust stained metal on the other side of the room.

"You were never supposed to know.” He stated as shackles appeared around my hooves.

"No, I-I'm sorry!" I cried. "I don't even remember what I did!"

The shackles pulled into the ground, making my legs slowly sprawl out.

"You know what you did and you must be punished for it." The pony's eyes glinted blue from under those robes and began to glow a deep, bloody red as I started to sink into the ground.

"Just tell me what I did!" I yelled, "I can fix it!"

"You have already caused enough damage, What's done is done," it said.

"And what's fun is fun, hehehe! Hahaha!"

Oh no, I looked down and saw what exactly I was sinking into. It was that purple monstrosity, I was neck deep in him, getting cold from the fear of what I was about to become a part of, I tried to scream and flail as my head was consumed, but it was no use, I couldn't scream, I couldn't move, I couldn't even breath, I just felt cold.

I awoke, wet and cold from the water that was just splashed on me, shocked from the sudden reawakening, I sat right up, I was annoyed, Clay just dumped a bucket of cold water on me.

"Uh, sorry Hazy, I'm not to good at waking other ponies up and it seemed like you were having a bad dream," Clay apologized, showing me the bucket in a flowing, forward motion.

I just gave him a look and then proceeded to vomit more taint into the trash can sitting next to me, before laying back down with a roaring headache.

"I'm just going to rest a bit longer," I said simply, faintly seeing Clay's sheriff badge on his leather vest as my eyes blurred into darkness once more.

"Do what you have to, I'll be here," Clay assured.
	
> Chapter 5 : Receive and Resend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daylight was what woke me up the next morning, sitting up I felt a little dizzy, at least I wasn't vomiting purple anymore and I could hear, music? Wait a minute, music, looking around I noticed the small radio on the living room table producing the sound.

"ah, you're awake." Clay spoke, walking through the door, and at least you're able to stand up now without vomiting radioactive taint all over my floor," Clay exaggerated.

"Yeah, at least that," I yawned, as Clay thew a sling at me with my gun in it.

"That's quite a nice piece you got there. Alongside that shoddy broken shotgun that I fixed up." Clay said momentarily, laying down on the couch I had been sleeping on.

"Now, I don't know how many more shots that gun can take so only use it when you really have to," Clay explained.

“How did you? I said stunned.

I used to be a gunsmith back in the day- Clay interrupted, that was before I became sheriff of Dynamo Feura.” 

"Gun smith?" I asked not knowing what that was.

"Yea, I used to take guns from other folks and replace or fix the parts inside them, explained Clay tipping his hat, Of course I would ask for caps in return."

"Caps?, as in bottle caps?" I quizzed Clay confused.

"Uh, yea." Clay returned.

The idea of caps being the replacement of bit's after two hundred years was a weird concept to take in, then again so was the come apocalypse . 

"Thank you," I smiled as Clay got off the couch.

"and uh, pardon me for asking but isn't that a pip-buck, Clay queried, It was kinda hard not to notice it from all the noise it was making when I was cutting the taint off your coat."

"Yes." I answered like I was guessing.

"So do you know about S.A.T.S.?, It's a special arcane targeting spell, that makes it a hell of a lot easier to hit your target,"

Checking my pipbuck's interface, I saw the button for it, S.A.T.S. Lowering my fore hoof back to the ground. 

"I can teach you how to use it if you don't know know how." Clay offered, Handing me two rounds of six.

Knowing I would need it I took Clay's offer, strapping on my gun.

We walked out back where a fence had been set up with empty sarsaparilla bottles set on each post.

"Well?" asked Clay, "Take your shots."

Turning on S.A.T.S I targeted the necks of three bottles.

"Very good." Mused Clay, "Now let's try something a little different." Clay threw a few disks in the air.

Settling into S.A.T.S. I hit every one.

"Not only is it important to use S.A.T.S. Hazy, It's effective and efficient. Do you want to try a few more?"

I nodded yes, aiming at the last bottle on the post. 

The last bottle on the post shattered, I jumped as it did.

"That wasn't you, was it?" Clay spoke.

I gave a head shaking no. 

"Ugh, well it looks like they're back."

"Who?" I asked shoving my gun back into my sling.

"Thundershot, and his group." Clay cautioned.

Turning, I came to face a mud red buck walking towards us in armor made out of some kind of reptile and a gun of his own in his mouth.

"Went and stole our water talisman now didn't ya Ben?" Thunder Shot blistered. 

"It's Clay to you and no I didn't steal it, I bought it off one of your faction."

Clay's badge came flying off his vest with one shot of Thundershot's gun

"What was that Ben? You bought it off of us? No, Scooterbead betrayed us and so have you, so here's the deal, we shoot you and we take back the talisman that you stole." Thundershot said.

"Not much of a deal," Clay argued.

Clay took a shot to the fore hoof, the bullet tore the flesh off Clay's forehoof, Clay screamed in agony loud enough to be heard over the next ridge and then some. The bullet came out the other of his hoof making Clay go into convulsions from the amount of pain endured.

I couldn't stand by and watch this anymore, I had to do something, reloading quickly I opened S.A.T.S. Just before Thunder Shot let off a round, targeting two ponies that just had come in the head and the third that had shot Clay in the back leg, I Watched as the two ponies heads exploded with blood and the third Thunder Shot, drop his gun in pain to grab his back leg with both fore hooves.

I was laughing like a mad man in the process of killing them and couldn't stop myself, walking up to Thunder shot I was still laughing.

"Open your mouth so I can shove my gun into it and shoot." I laughed

His eye's widened in fear as I forced his mouth open with my gun and wedged it between his teeth.

Clay surprised me when he gripped onto my back leg begging me to stop.

I cried as reality came back and hit me in the face, Hard. “I don't want to end up like that mindless killing machine Happy, I just don't," But here I am putting a gun in another pony's mouth, I pulled the gun out of Thundershot's mouth and dropped the telekinetic hold I had on it.

With a slow nod and death stare towards Thundershot, he fled in the direction he came from.

"One pony's loss of humanity is a blind and powerful thing, Don't let the wasteland consume you," Clay coughed.

I was crying,"I don't know how you made it over to me Clay, but I'm grateful you did," I assured. 

"Your welcome Hazy, now could you please help me inside? Clay suggested, I need to bind this wound before I bleed to death."

Lending Clay a helping hoof inside I helped him bind his wound inside his house, we spent a long time enjoying the silence between us, beside the occasional pain that came from Clay.

"So what happened to you out there kid?" Clay asked, "Did you snap or was it something else?"

All I could do was look down while tying the last binds on his wound with tears in my eyes. 

"Hmmhm." Clay nodded.

Clay got up after I finished the binding, limping his way to the door.

Opening my mouth I couldn't speak. 

"Yes Hazy?" Clay implied calmly.

"I have regards towards living things Clay, and that includes ponies, I don't know where it comes from, it's just, when I see one pony killing another, I see it reason enough for that pony to die" I explained, trying to hide my face away from the flickering flames that illuminated Clay's room.

"Well let me tell you this, regards or not, this place is unforgiving and it changes you, I'm sorry to say it but this ain't the equestria you knew anymore. This is a radiated tainted world that we live in and if you can't adapt, you will die, but your actions out there proved that you can adapt, a little to well, you almost let it consume you."

Clay got up and limped out of the room to the front porch, looking off into the distance, "ThunderShot will be back, no doubt in my mind about that and probably with more fire power, I need you to go after them Hazy," my jaw hit the floor. Thunders Shot has bone breaking bullets and he want's me to go after him?

"What, why?" I asked

"Because you're the one who killed two of his faction Hazy, and nopony forgives you for that out here, Thundershot will most likely come after you to if we don't kill the rest of the faction, Clay explained, besides my hoof was just obliterated by a special penetrating bullet, I'm in no condition to walk the long distance."

"So where am I going?" I  questioned, nervous of the answer.

"To a filly correctional facility about three and a half miles south west from here, I can mark it on your pip buck's map."

My pip buck has a map? Of course it does, the supprizes just keep coming.

"I don't see a pip buck on your fore hoof Clay, how do you know so much about them?" I asked Curiously.

"There was a stable-tech facility further out west that is now a maximum security prison secured by slavers, They started small, gathering slaves to dig to their own deaths to build this place, making them dig straight down within the walls using only their hooves to make room for more, play mates.  As the slave numbers grew the faster they were able to dig down and make room for more, That place is now a deep fortress inside a fortress. Very few managed to escape, including myself, but while I was there, manuals for stable-technologies occasionally dropped into my cell from the above facility floors and I read them, every one that wasn't a copy of one I had already read of course. To my knowledge I could for instance take that pip buck apart and make it into a bomb."

Great. Now I know there might be somepony cruel enough to try that.

Clay limped over and sat down on his porch chair as I set off to my destination south west toward the filly correctional facility, gun in hand ready for who ever dared get to close to take a shot at him.

I really don't know what I'm getting myself into, but I know there is going to be a long road ahead of me.

I could make out the watchtowers of the facility in the distance, the sun setting on the right side of the building blinded me if I dared to put my arm down, a flash from one of the watch towers caught my eye, instinctively I moved to evade what probably was a bullet entering the ground.

I thought all guns were loud, but this one was silent, The next bullet hit my ear with such traumatic force that it went numb instantly, I didn't even realize I was bleeding until the blood dripped down my face, a third shot followed hitting my foreleg right above my knee shattering bone, I screamed from the sheer force of the bullet, Blood gushed out with splinters of bone, I fell to my stomach, numb from the pain and to cold from the loss of blood to move, when they came up the dirt path.

"I can't believe I missed my target, I was aiming for the head Snippy, I hope you know that, oh well, at least I got a few hits on it, oh my she's still breathing."

The other pony that walked with her just shook his head with his hoof to his face. "Would you just take care of her, Charity?" Snippy insisted.

"Oh fine, but only because you said so," Charity aimed her sniper rifle point blank over my head ready to fire.

I was in no condition to fight, my vision was blurring, and I still felt like I couldn't move, but at least my will to live was strong, as the trigger was pulled I lifted my body with everything I had pushing the barrel away from my head, and I was snarling like a rabid dog. Needless to say the bullet hit the ground with my hoof on the barrel.

"Which one of you pricks shot my ear and leg?"I growled trying to stand up, ignoring every little sign my body was giving me to lay down and die.

Both of them just looked at each other before the lack of oxygen got the better of me.

Charity pulled her gun back and raised it above my head one more time.

"No, don't waste anymore rounds," Snippy objected pushing Charity's rifle down with a hoof on the barrel. 

"But all I have to do is.

No Charity, she's bleeding badly enough she will die soon, the bloat sprites like em' fresh anyway."

My head was swimming, as I was being dragged to the fence of the facility, blood was still flowing out of my body at a rapid rate, I was dropped among other corpses of ponies that were piled up along the fence, but it gave me a better chance and the reminder of death in my nostrils. Charity and the other asshole just might have unknowingly saved me. The door shut with both of them safe inside the facility's front door leaving me to be eaten by, bloat sprites?

What in the world could these things be? A blurred swarm of small flying bloated spheres with long spines came zooming around the buildings exterior and consumed an entire body until it was nothing but bone. Well, fuck.

If I had to guess, these are the bloat sprites and in my condition, I would be devoured alive before I could even make it to the door.

I have only one shot at this."Let's make it count."I said feeling for my gun and barding, six rounds and three out of chamber for the small gun, okay, nine and five for the big gun. This is going to be interesting.

Making my way towards what I thought was the front door may not be the smartest thing to do but it's the only chance I have, The second body beyond the first melted as these things went to town on it, I kept moving with every small breath I could take, ignoring how much pain was in my shattered crunching leg each time I moved, by the time the body next to me was devoured I was half way to the door, the bloat sprites were on their fourth when two came after me when I reached the door, shooting at both of them, figures, the door was locked from the inside and I missed both shots, I became frantic, looking for anything to close up the pathway to the door, feeling to my left, this part of the fence moved, a rolling gate!, exactly what I needed. I rolled it shut with my hoof just as the bloat sprites got close, making a wall between me and them, going back to open the door, pain shot out from my back, what?
They can fire their spines? Oh you gotta be kidding me, I beat on the door with one hoof.

"Hey! Let me in! You bastards!" I yelled still banging on the door.

"What's the password?" 

"Password? Just led me in you fuckers." I yelled.

The door opened when the swarm of bloat sprites nailed me in the front all at once with their needles and got a blast of my big gun in return killing most of them.

"Ok but you better"
The pony who opened the door had a dumbfounded look from all the needles he saw sticking out of my body from where I was laying in my own pool of blood.

"Uh, Thundershot?!"

It was the same asshole pony that dragged my body with Charity to the fence to be spine ball food.

"Yeah, what is it Snippy?

Dragging myself inside I held myself up against the wall of the room I entered.

"Oh," Thundershot spoke moving Snippy aside, He couldn't help but stifle a snicker from all the needles sticking out of me like a pony voodoo doll.

"Hmm, what do you want pincushion?" Thundershot insulted.

"Pincushion?!" I seethed in anger unholstering my gun inches from Thundershot's face, knowing that every pony else in the room had their guns pointed at me and were ready to fire.

"Hmm, yes, we've been here before, Thundershot confessed rolling his eyes."

"Why aren't you limping?" I stammered in the process of holding my gun.

"Stimpacks, work like a charm as i always keep a little on hand, Thundershot smirked, so why don't you settle down, I have a proposition for you." 

"What makes you think I would make any kind of deal with you?"

Thunder shot pulled out his gun,"I can wait for you to die or I kill your right where you stand by sticking my gun into your head, sound familiar, Hmm?"

Damn it, he's right, I walked into a death trap that was burning at both ends and I didn't even know it, damn I should have stayed outside, I can't imagine what Clay felt like when he was shot by Thundershot's special bullets and I don't doubt that he wouldn't empty that gun into my fucking head if I didn't take this.

"Fine, what is this “proposition” I contemplated scared and annoyed.

"I want you to take a little present to another faction for me since no one in ours will,” Thunder shot pointed to a metallic box in the corner of the building nearest to me.

"Well, what's inside?"

"I won't say Thundershot said, and don't try to open it. It may trigger."

That worries me a little.

"Just a few more things before you go," Thundershot announced clapping his hooves, more pain was endured, in my head and in my broken fore leg before my head stopped swimming and my foreleg let out a disgusting bubbling popping sound mending itself anew.

The last thing was a collar that they had put on me that blinked red.

"Just to let you know, I'm not going to send you out to this place on your own, I'm sending Charity as your company on this run and she has the remote to that collar, So do try anything funny to make her press that button and don't even think about trying to shoot it out of her hooves, It has sensors that talk to the collar you're wearing, If one or the other stops communicating."

Thundershot got really close to my ear before saying anything else.

"Boom, your head will become shrapnel."

"Is that supposed to frighten me?

"Hmm, maybe, maybe not, but I know that does." Thundershot pointed a hoof at Charity, who was gleaming as she was handed the remote, pretending to press that button in whatever fucked up fantasy she was having.

"And I see you're wearing one of those stable tec pip bucks, here, let me put in the coordinates, White Rattlers tunnel, It's a two day trek on hoof," Thundershot explained mocking if I'm even going to make it back.

Charity stopped her fantasy, remote in hoof. "Two days?!"

"Ugh, stop your whining Charity you're going with her and that's final," Thundershot argued rolling his eyes.

"Just between you and me, letting that mare into our faction, bad idea." Thundershot whispered.

"Hey, I heard that!" Charity returned.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little, considering the situation I found that quite surprising.

"Best be off, they don't like ponies coming around day time and, I'll be expecting you in four days time," Thundershot stated walking out the room they were in, Charity and I were practically shoved out the door, Charity however kicked and screamed and wouldn't let go of the door jam, trying something different, they picked her up and dropped her outside. Charity hit the ground as the door slammed shut, she hit it multiple times, begging them to let her back inside, "Fine," Charity pouted, Charity's gun was dropped on her unnoticed nailing her in the head butt first, "Ow, That hurt!" Charity complained.

It was Snippy who dropped the gun using telekinesis from one of the towers.

"Oh stop your whining Charity, you will be let back in when your task is complete," Snippy assured Charity taking a shot and missing.

"You're lucky you're such a bad shot Charity!, Go before I take that sniper of yours and shove it up your ass."

This journey just keeps getting better and better.

"Can you slow down? I can barely keep up with you." Charity whined noticing I was already a good length away from her. 

"No, where on a time schedule here Charity, we have no time to slow down or take breaks based on the small time frame given to us, if we are to make it there on time and back we have to keep moving, I stopped when I noticed my collar blinked twice.

"I said slow down! I will press this button!" Charity threatened.

Was that really all she had, threatening me with that button?

"Charity? is that all you have?"

Charity hovered her hoof over the button.

"Go ahead, press it, they will never let you back in," I threatened hoping to Celestia that she wouldn't.

Resuming my course, Charity pouted herself into leading.

"Ugh, look, we're not going to keep playing this game of back and forth, so get the little spoiled brat out of your system now, you're going to get us both killed." I stated trying to get her to reason with me, my collar blinking twice was the only response I got for my little rant, stopping me, again.

"Or take as much time as you need." I said as Charity was giving me a cold hard stare that made me sweat, I should have just kept my big mouth shut,  I was raging on the inside, my life was in the hooves of a childish mare that could possibly kill me if I don't watch what I say, fucking damn it, this sucks.

"Let's get one thing straight between us, I hold your life in my hooves and if I wish to make your head explode I will do it, got it?"

"yeah." I said disgusted.

"Got it?!" Charity asked again, eyeing me down.

"Yes, I got it." I responded nicely, forcing myself not to strangle her right there and then.

"Good, you better." She let out before we moved again, the sun was rising as I looked at my pipbuck to see how much longer we had to walk, we were close to our destination. Looking a little closer at my pipbuck I noticed a small label near to where we were on the map. 

"Charity?" I said her name to get her attention.
She looked back.

"We should find a place to rest."

"Oh, I thought you'd never say so, but where in equestria do you see shade?, " Charity raised an eyebrow

She said it that way just to spite me.

"Ugh. There seems to be a building or some structure on my pipbuck directly west of our current location."

"How far?".

" A mile, It's probably just over those hills, " I said catching up to her pace.

"Well that's good news, my hooves are killing me," Charity complained climbing over the hill,

My pipbuck was telling me this was the sunny-side up motel, the integrity of this structure as it stood was horrid, the doors and walls had been compromised, most of them anyway, the very few that weren't were reinforced with stronger material that had seen better days, the doors that were open showed nature had taken it's recourse throughout, rooting in and climbing their way up the walls. Deciding it would be best to take one of the rooms with the door still intact, to avoid any surprise visits from wandering bandits.

The room we were trying to open was locked, not surprising, taking into consideration what this place was.

"Wait here, I'll be right back, I said turning the corner of the building.

"Wait here, where do you think your going?" Charity complained.

"To find the motel office, the key should be in there," The office was right around the corner.

Walking in I could see the skeleton of the clerk still sitting at the front counter, lifeless but whole, It, was staring at a blown out terminal that had gone probably two-hundred years ago. He or she or whatever it was must have been impaled by the glass from the terminal's screen causing instant death, death, something I have been walking to close to lately, behind the counter I could see the key for the room.
"Gotcha," I said a step away from the keys, my collar beeped and blinked, either she was playing with the remote again, or this was the constraining length of the collar and the remote. "How am I supposed to get the key with this radius? Oh, I face hoofed,  levitation" focusing, I formed a grip on the key that I needed, pulling it off the hook my magic faded away, staring at the key I wondered how was this possible? I bent the entire bottom half of a door a few days ago, where did my magic go?

"Hey, you find that key?" Charity came wandering through the office door.

"Huh, oh yeah, I did," I stammered grabbing the key off the floor.

"Let's go then, this heat is killing me." Charity tried to say staidly.

Unlocking the door the musty air that came out hit us like an old sock that lay waiting in the back corner of this room, Charity thought it would be a good idea for herself to rest up until sunset flopping onto the bed with great glee, she kicked up the covers and enough dust to make a dust pony.

"Charity didn't that sound a lot like, something pony like?"

I pulled the covers off the bed revealing two pairs of pony bones, clutching each other for the impending doom, Rarity flew in the process.

"Ew ew ew ew, and I just flopped onto that?" Charity pointed her hoof at the bed, that's disgusting."

I couldn't help but to feel bad for the dead ponies in the bed but also Charity for unknowingly laying on them even though she deserved it. "Well you should have checked before you jumped on it." I said lethargically. 

"I hate you," Charity pouted

"Brat," I returned.

"I should have killed you on the spot," Charity said sitting in a corner, facing the wall.

That stung, not because she wasn't capable of doing it, but because she would have been so boastful if she did shoot and kill me.

"How did that faction end up with the likes of you anyway, knowing that every pony doesn't want you there but allows you to stay says something,"

"Don't worry about it, Charity cried.

"No, I will worry about it Charity, because it just seems that your trying to prove something to them that you cant, So what is it, Spit it out" I shouted at her, probably more than I should have, but, she needed to hear it she needed to wake up.

Charity, I called, she pulled away, slowly lowering her head.

"We were traveling the wasteland looking for somewhere called Paradise, the few days we had been out in search of it, we soon became short on food and water, and that was when they stumbled on us, they made me kill my parents, eat them, threatened to kill me too if I refused, oh how I tried to refuse, but they just grabbed my hooves and made me do it, the blood, the carnage, the cannibalism, that blood is on my hooves, My parent's blood, my blood, the ponies from the correctional facility? My guess is that they were outcasts from White Rattlers tunnel, I had heard word a day before on the radio that a pony led a rebellion from White Rattlers tunnel, I believe that pony to be Thundershot, The same pony who made me kill and eat my own parents, the same bastard pony who made me do such a fiendish thing found that place and brought me there! “Allowing” me to stay, just to spite my soul! They just ignored me at first, making me feel lost and confused, Then they started to take turns on me until I showed them that I could be useful." Charity finished hysterical curling up into a ball.

The hatred towards these ponies was beginning to manifest even more so than it had before, How could these ponies be so sick and twisted, to do this to another and then to leave her alive, to live with that, after all of that, they get to live with this, I pushed my revolver up against the wall.

"Charity!, I can promise you this after, this little trip is over, they, all of them over at that filly correctional facility are going to pay for what they have done to you I swear it" I yelled in anger at the sheer evil these ponies have done.

The sun was slowly slipping behind the horizon and I couldn't sleep, that and I was to pissed at the ponies at filly correctional to do so, making my move away from the window, I focused my gaze back to the corner Charity curled up in, she was gone but left the collar control where her body had lay, The red explode button was still blinking from being armed.

"Well, Time to get moving." I said to myself pressing the release button.

The road to the White Rattlers tunnel wasn't an easy one, it was littered with flat round disks that exploded when I got to close, I found out when I nearly got my forehooves blown off by one of them. Noticing that they make a chirping noise before going off gave me the impression that they take time to explode, and the box was really starting to feel it, even though it's still strapped to my back, the metal it's made out of seems to be hard as steel,or light aluminum, I figured the ladder since it was now a weird shape, fuck my life, the bright light coming from the large lamps over a rail road tunnel in the side of a mountain made me guess this was White Rattlers tunnel, closer up , I noticed the ponies holding these lights had moved them on me.

"Welcome to White Rattlers tunnel kid,"One pony yelled down from a spot light, "State your business."

"I have a gift for... -Clover hoof?- Yea." I finished blinded by the bright lights.

"Bring it in, through the tunnel make a right at the fork."

"Okay, thanks." I yelled up to him.

The tunnels were full of greeting ponies smelling of cooked flesh and the pony who was cooking whatever it was over a barrel of fire, Others in the tunnel were pouring a red liquid, that smelled too familiar, blood, second thoughts of running for the door filled my mind as much as the couple that were fucking each other on the walls of the tunnel.

"What is this place?" I wondered out loud walking over the familiar threshold.

"Gear shaped door, metallic floor, take a guess," Another voice echoed off the metallic blue walls.

"A stable," I stated creeping forward to face the pony the voice came from on my left, a blue pony with grey features and a shamrock on her flanks, appeared as soon as the corner ended, "You must be Clover Hoof."

"Clever Pony, I hear you have a gift for me," Clover admitted warming up to me. "May I ask, who is it from?  and don't lie, I will be able to tell if you do," She swished her tail over my muzzle as I had my mouth open trying to talk.

"Well, If  that's true I may as well be straight. It came from thundershot."

"Oh?" Clover Hoof acted surprised.

"Yeah, he wanted me to give it directly to you," I spoke plainly.

"Of course, he would have wanted you to say that," Clover turned with her tail still on my muzzle."You know you're kinda cute."

"What, huh," My ears must have burst into flames because they were burning. "well, uh." I couldn't stop stammering

"What's the matter, does this make you nervous?" She giggled. 

fixing in her direction, she had the biggest daring smile on her for me to say yes.
"You need to stop," I pushed her tail off my muzzle.

"Why?" Her giggling smile faded.

I untied the box from my back and set it down before continuing, "I'm not that type."

“Are you certain,” Clover asked an inch away from my muzzle

"Yeah I, No,"

"Would you like to know?"

"How?"

I wasn't sure what was about to happen but. She kissed me making my whole body twist and turn uneasy.

"Just follow me." Clover hinted still smiling, she dragged me deeper into the stable to a room that held three memory orbs on pedestals around some sort of projection table,
"I know that unicorn magic is normally used to watch memories, however I was able to craft this machine that uses zebra magic to tap into the memories allowing them to show up on the projector in the middle. Here watch this one."

The projector began to swirl into a big black nothingness.

OoOoOoOoOoO
"Are we ready to go?" Joke-Blue spoke.

"Damn it, no Joke-Blue, just let me do my repairs."

Ricochet eyed Joke-Blue from across the table

"Can I help?" Joke-Blue asked slamming his hooves on the table making springs flew left and right.

"Ugh, great, no, just go do something else, Joke!"

Joke-blue up and walked away, afraid of what she just caused.

"You tried to help Ricochet again, didn't you" Homage asked calmly

"Homage I," How many times do I have to tell you, you're good at disarming traps, Like this one, not guns, why don't we find somewhere while he finishes up?"

I couldn't feel the stupid smile on Joke-Blue's face but I could tell it was there based on all the nodding she was doing.


 OoOoOoOoOoO


"I've watched the second memory orb again, again and again, this, is the one that taught it all to me, this is one of Homage's memories, entirely her perspective."

The orb was all scratched up and looked like it had gone through a long war to get here.


OoOoOoOoOoO


Joke-Blue was laying down with the host on top of her nipping at her ear and I, we, could hear heavy breathing.

"Wait,what is that" questioned Joke-Blue.

"Don't worry, it's only,"

"That's a foal crying"

Walking away from where we could barely see them lay, Joke-Blue took a turn around a corner, Homage after her.

"Joke?" Homage called.

She turned the corner to Joke-Blue in a panic.

Click!

"Homage, no!" her hoof out as to stay her hoof."

"Oh, joke blue." Homage cried clouding her vision, blurring projection worse than it was.


OoOoOoOoOoO


"I was crying for Homage's loss of Joke Blue, no pony should have to go through losing another like she did."

Clover, standing next to me didn't show a single wavering sign of sadness in her eyes.

"Why aren't you showing any emotion towards this?" I questioned Clover.

"It's like I told you, I've watched this one over and over again, I can't cry to this anymore, no matter how hard i try, I've seen it that many times, It's like Homage herself is taking over in my absence to do so.

and the third one, I quizzed hoping to know.

"I don't like to watch that one much," Clover Hoof admitted letting out a sigh.

"what's on it?" I asked

"You really want to know" Clover returned.

"Yes." I replied.

"Alright" Clover Hoof agreed placing the memory into the projector 
OoOoOoOoOoO

It was raining, and an earth pony was on an old chariot along side another our host was on.

"You ready?", the light green pony called in our direction.

Our host nodded, "you know it brother."

Both chariots moved, fast building greater and greater speed.

"First one there who's alive gets to live forever!" The light green pony pulled out his gun giving our host a dubious smirk.

The light green pony made a shot at our host, missing.

Our host shot the rotating shaft on the light green pony's chariot.

"What are you doing!? I'm up here!" called the light green pony.

The next one hit our host's shoulder, letting out a yell of pain, refocusing she made more shots at the chariot's axle.

The axle of the light green pony's chariot fell apart making him fly free into the air and hit the ground with a splintering crack that came with the opening of his skull, our host stopped her chariot to walk up to his

"Why?" he whispered.

"Some ponies just don't have it in them, that includes you," Checking the last shot, our host emptied it into the light green ponies head, taking his gun, she got back onto her chariot and moved on towards a tunnel, White Rattlers Tunnel, as the last few ponies were entering the Stable, she managed to slip inside.

OoOoOoOoOoO

My imagination went wild as to who this pony was and what she did after she got into this stable. Only Celestia herself would know the answer to that.

"Clover Hoof? Who was that?"

"I don't know, none of us do, the only evidence we were able to find that she was real were the inhabitant of the stable dead, but even that is a stretch.

"And what did they mean by live forever, what's down here Clover?"

Contemplating if I was a threat or not, Clover took me deeper into the stable, where strange alien symbols were designed into the wiring and panels powering them.

"I have no idea of how this machinery made it's way down here but, from what I have experimented and tested on myself, this stable was meant for age degeneration." Clover Hoof shared.


"Age, what now?" I asked warily.

"Age degeneration, taking years off of one's life to make them younger, to my knowledge these machines can even reverse the effects the pink cloud that affected many ponies when Canterlot fell, through this process."

"Canterlot?," looking at my map, Canterlot ruins had been added.

"Yes, Canterlot, there were mega spells that hit that place and hit it hard."

Mega spells, those must have been the same ones rainbow dash talked about in her journal.

"Many that inhabited that place after the mega spells fell were blown off the cliff face due to the Enclave coming and eviscerating everything. The ponies of the wasteland never cease to amaze me. But if any of them were able to make it to this place, I would help them in anyway I could starting with these processes."

This mare isn't anything like those at the filly correctional, now I see why they sent the bomb, Either they wanted this place destroyed or they wanted to kill Clover Hoof out right and take this place.

"I just want to help other ponies and perhaps find a lover like she did.”

She snuck up on me while I was thinking, "Hey!" I said turning around quick.

"Hm, You taste lovely," Clover giggled.

"Thank you, but I still."

"Don't know which way you swing?," Clover added.

“Yeah,"

"That's alright, Clover got close, we can explore" she put her front hooves on my shoulders sending shivers down my spine that, felt, good.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know."

Clover's playful smile started to dull a little, "you don't know what you're missing."

"Trust me I saw and I think I do, and I think I will pass, sorry."

Walking back to the entrance I placed the box back on my back and walked out of the tunnel.

I can't just let her open this box with it this dangerous, how do I disarm it without putting anyone in danger?

I can't let it go off in the tunnel, no, the spikes would ricochet off the walls.

Setting the box down at a safe range outside I opened up S.A.T.S and fired at the lid, the box let out an explosion with spikes riding the explosion.

"Well that worked."

The box lid was wide open with all kinds of spike holes in the box.

Maybe there is a way I can help her.

I Walked back to the motel, with lots of time to think up this plan, opening the door I was greeted by charity's nagging and yelling.

"What the hell were you thinking, why didn't you give that bomb to Clover Hoof, why are you back here? Thunder shot is going to kill us! I hope you know that, I hope your happy knowing that."

"Charity calm down."

"Calm down? How can I when you clearly didn't follow our order. "

"Charity, How long have you been with the ponies at that facility?"

"as far back as my parents why?", Sadness broke onto her face.

"I think it's time for a change," Click!, I Put the collar back onto my neck and handed her the remote,

"What do you mean?" Charity questioned.

"Well, do you want to be someone and not just a shadow?" I smiled.

She thought about this for a long while before answering.

"Yes, Yes I do."

"Alright then, here's the plan."

We arrived at the door to the filly correctional facility right on schedule with the bomb box on my back, this was perfect, one quick stop at Clay's place and the explosives in my collar were removed, Charity walked up to the door and started to bang on it like a crazy old bat trying to get back into a nursing home.

While I just stood there with a stupid grin on my face, This was going to be good.

"Yeah, yeah I hear ya, just give me a second," Snippy was the one who looked over the watchtower wall.

"Who? oh it's you two."

"We did our job let us in." I beamed with such confidence. 

"Alright! Let me gather everyone into the courtyard, Oh and I have to get Thundershot, Wow, I didn't think you two were coming back alive and now we get to live forever, Hang on, I'm coming down to get the door."

Heh, live forever, that's a ponies joke if I had ever heard it.

Charity busted open the door as soon as it started to crack, running inside before Snippy even had the chance to get out from the wall behind it.

"You okay?" I asked Snippy, not that I really cared.

"Yeah, I'm okay, wow that mare has gathered some strength since we picked her up way back when."

"Snippy, everyone is in the courtyard, Is she ready?"

"Yea, she just ran off somewhere."

"Well we can start without her."

"Yeah, that would be fine," Snippy was rubbing his head trying to stop the pain.

"After this, you're welcome to stay with us little lady."

Like I would stick around this place, It's a complete death hazard with those Bloat sprites around, besides that it reeks of death and decay, making it that much more undesirable, in the courtyard Thundershot and the rest of his faction were standing in the middle with an exclusion of one Charity.

Her sniper was pointing towards the outside of the facility, capturing some sunlight through the eyepiece I saw the glint at the corner of my eye, signaling she was ready.

"I hear you took care of Clover Hoof, is this true" Thundershot queried stepping forward. 

Yes, her head is inside that box that blew up on her ass as you can see, I pushed the box to him, not even a thud, Excellent.

Thundershot opened the box, pulling the string off the pin off the modified mines and one grenade, giving everypony near the box only a split second near the box to get away, I thanked Clay for that.

“NOW CHARITY!” I yelled, telling her it was time to focus on our fight to kill, every, last, one, of these raiders.

Charity had the advantage shooting from above like she was, since most of them were still getting up off the ground, I however was still trying to get off ground level, shooting any pony who was trying to stop me.

Electricity danced down the pony's body that was on my right about to shoot me.

Whoa, I would hate that to be me.

Taking out rainbow Dash's knife, I levitated it to kill the three ponies headed up to where charity was shooting from, one, two, my magic faded at three, shit.

"Why does this have to happen now?" I choked on my own saliva as I unholstered my gun, I aimed it at the last one settling into S.A.T.S. 

One of charity's shots went past me.

"Hey, careful!" I yelled at her.

"Sorry!" Charity pointed a hoof in my direction.

There was a pony with a bullet in his neck dead center behind me, all I could hear from him was a gurgling of blood in his throat. "Is that all of them?" I quizzed her.

“I think so” Charity assured, Shrieking “look out”, but it was too late, I felt a sharp pain penetrating my back right on my spine.

The pony who shot me fell to the ground immediately after Charity shot him in shoulder.

Charity got closer to deliver this ponies prize for shooting me in the back, a bullet to the head.

Getting close meant she would be able to get a good look at the bastards that shot me and of course it had to be Snippy.

"Why charity? Snippy asked in a sly sad tone, why would you do this to your own family?"

"you're not my family.” Charity cried lowering her head.

"What?" Snippy said tense.

"They're long dead because of all of you and It's been long overdue for me to return the favor."

His ears flattened in fear of what she was about to do.

She shot him in the knee, the neck, the other knee and the hoof.

All of which Charity rang a scream loud and true for each shot taken, One last shot.

"Stop!" I yelled crawling on my stomach to grab her sniper by the barrel, breathing heavily to get to her, I worked through the pain using my upper body strength to reach her, "One pony's loss of humanity is a blind but powerful thing. Don't let it consume you." Charity lowered her gun, she wanted to lay down, she wanted to sleep and hope to Celestia that this wasn't real, she wanted to wake up somewhere else, I don't blame her, because I was there once, still crying, Charity looked into my eyes and seeing something, something that spelled trust.

Saddling me on her back we headed for the exit.

Snippy was crying in pain with both front hooves practically immobilized.

"That's it?! You're not even going to finish me?! Come back here you cowardice bitch!"

"Think of this as a gift Snippy, the gift of life," Charity walked out of the Filly correctional facility with me on her back heading back to Clay's place.

I was yelling in all tones and curses.

"Can you Hold still for one second Hazy? It's hard for me to get a grip on anything that's moving like a worm," Clay warned.

"Let me shoot you in the spine and then try to pull the bullet out, I offered, maybe then you will see how this feels. You don't need to do that." My scream rang louder than Clay's did when he got shot in the foreleg by Thundershot. The bullet came out with a loud bone crunching tack.

"Your lucky your skinny as a rail Hazy, otherwise that bullet would have kept on spinning, moving clean through you," Clay assured me of that fact.

It felt like it already did.

"It was lodged between two links of your spinal column which amazingly saved your life. I can dress this wound up the best I can but the electrical pulses that run down your back legs might be permanently severed if we don't get you any healing potions sadly I don't have any.”Clay reckoned. 

"You gave me a handful of Rad-x but don't have anything for healing" I queried in anger 

"I'm sorry but the only one I had I used shortly after you had left to take care of Thunder Shot and his boys," Clay stated giving an explanation.

"Oh great, so where in Equestria are we supposed to find more?” I questioned annoyed at Clay for using the only healing potion he had.

"Well I, I don't know, That kind of stuff has been in limited supply since the beginning of the Equestrian war,” Clay said, making it even worse.

"Wait, Something is coming to mind." I remembered something as I was tapping my head with my hoof.

"I have no idea of how this machinery made it's way down here but, from what I have experimented and tested on myself, this stable was meant for age degeneration.

"Charity, after Clay wraps me up, get your saddle bags and your gun, Were going back to White Rattlers Tunnel," I smiled.

"I still don't see why you want to go back to White Rattlers tunnel, even if Clover Hoof managed to live for so long, she can only offer us so much, what could you possibly have that she wants in exchange for this information anyway" Charity questioned.

"Don't worry about that part." I explained in a passive manner.

"You know you're heavy, Charity remarked, even though Clay called you all meat and bones, you're still heavy to be carrying on my back."

"Hey, that hurt." I complained as my back responded to that with pain running up and down my spine.

"I'm sorry you were falling off and I needed to fix that," Charity argued calmly.

No, she wasn't, that was just payback for me calling her a brat and we both knew that no matter how much I was hurt.

"Who's there?"queried the pony sitting up on the spotlight.

"Hello!" I shouted up to him.

"Oh it's you again hey what the hell happened to you, Oh well, let's just say there was a revolt to a rebellion that came from here a few years back."

"You? Took care of Thundershot?" His eyes lit up with amazement.

"Yeah, I would love to sit here and talk more but this wound is killing me, I mentioned making sure I wouldn't stay still long, where is Clover Hoof?"

"Inside as always, Probably tinkering with those machines is my best bet, I'll let her know you're coming," He yelled down.

"Oh goddesses, please don't."

Charity couldn't help but facehoof at that reaction before walking inside with me still on her back.

"What?" I asked bluntly.

She heard that?

"I don't get why you had to take it that far and yes I heard that."

This silly mare, how long have I been talking to myself out loud for everyone to hear? As far back as the filly correctional? No, they would have heard all my remarks as to what they were saying. It must have been right after I got shot in the spine. Jeez injuries can do funny things to you.

A floating stretcher came down the tunnel towards us with Clover Hoof at the other end of it, "Can you get her on the Stretcher? Miss. "

"Charity, My name is Charity."

"Well Charity follow me and let's see what we can do for your friend Hazy."

This obviously perplexed her, Clover hoof calling her a 'friend' to me.

"I have never had a friend before, what do I do," Charity quizzed Clover.

"Well you can start by standing by her while I put her through some tests to see how much damage there is." said Clover Hoof sympathetically.

Charity nodded with a concerned smile.

She looked really worried about me, even though hasn't been traveling with me that long, it was apparently long enough to allow he to become that attached to me, Charity and I becoming friends would have been unthinkable a week ago.

But yet here we are, Charity standing by my side as a friend, I guess, I have learned to accept her funny ways, no, not just yet, but I do as of now call her close. 

"Oh my, Hazy, you've lost all electrical pulses to your back legs."" Clover said with the last hums of the machines doing their work, knowing that, she still looked supprized.

Just what I need right now, a wounded spine and two back legs that are basically useless wet noodles, Is it possible to throw any more shit my way?

"I-I don't see any other choice but to degenerate you if you even want to come close to walking again," Clover informed.

Well fuck me with Luna's star shine, If there was anything more wrong than that, it would have to be this, surgery.

"There is a special procedure when it comes to this sort of thing Hazy, I will be right back."

"Right back with what exactly" I questioned.

Charity gave the same queried look I had.

You'll see Clover said calmly. But for now, step into that metallic tube right over there. As she pushed the thing I was floating on into it. Great so I get to be sealed in a metallic container like some sort of bad tuna joke. If I had known this was coming I would have done a better job at getting myself maimed.

Clover came back with a memory orb in hoof. Pressing the button to talk to me on the intercom. "Stay still while I make the proper preparations to do this."

"To do what" I wondered.

“Just stay still." Clover insisted

"Will she be alright?" Charity asked looking at Clover for some sort of assurance for her friend. 

"Uh, yea, she will be fine, She's just going to feel a little tingle that's all," Clover said setting the memory orb into place and dialed in how many years ago it was made as well as Hazy's age.
"Now let me see, no, that's not possible."utter shock shown over Clovers face, 

"What is, whoa." Charity said showing just as much shock., both the age of the memory orb and age of Hazy were exactly the same. two-hundred twenty years old.

"Hazy, how old are you?" Clover questioned making sure nothing was broken

"I um, don't know, Why does that matter?"

"Take a guess, Hazy."

Okay, um twenty three? I guessed.

Clover couldn't believe what her ears were hearing enough to face hoof.

"She doesn't even know," Clover said.

Charity was dumb founded, She had never seen a mare this old, and yet look so young.

"Hazy, from what I'm getting your actual age is Two-hundred twenty."

"Wait what, How was that possible? I couldn't be that old, I just cant, I don't even have any gray's yet."

"My only guess is that you have been preserved somehow and that had slowed your aging process and if that is the case, this is also probably your memory."

"The last one we had watched in the viewing room? Shock hit me like a speeding train, did I really kill my brother?"

"I didn't even realize you were that dangerous of a pony, Hazy."

"Neither did I, But I'm still willing to sleep with you." Clover said happily.

"Uh, what?" What is with this pony, She just found out I could possibly be a controlled psycho killer and is still offering to have sex with me, Desperate much, or just plain crazy?

The intercom let out a loud screeching sound as Clover Hoof made an announcement "everything is good on our end and I'm ready to begin the operation, listen carefully, I don't know how to do this in small increments so you will have to bare with me, You're going to be a lot younger than you are now, I'd say around your thirty's to forty."

"At least I will be able to walk again." I sighed.

The chamber I was in began a slow low humming sound shortly after talking to Clover Hoof.

"Will she really be okay in there Clover Hoof?" asked Charity.

Clover glanced over in Charity's direction, "Yes." Clover confirmed, "She will be fine, I have done this a number of times now that it's almost like walking," The floor of the chamber started to glow brighter and brighter as the humming noise got louder and louder, Clover was moving dials and knobs the even numbers of two-hundred twenty started to shift, Hazy's age started to go down as the light of the memory orb in place started to darken, crack and lose it's clear with each year added onto it.

Progress was being made, I could feel my youth as well as my magic return past what it was to greater strength, The light within the chamber started to fade as the reminisce of a memory entered my mind, It was one of a brother I once had, as I got off the floating thing, The door of the chamber opened, stepping out I felt refreshed, new and.

"Oh my goddesses," Looking at both of them, they were tearing and in awe. 

"Hazy!?" both of them exclaimed

"What?"

"Look at your flank," Clover said in alarm.

"What, What?" I asked switching my head back and forth to try to see what they were talking about.

"You have a cutie mark." Charity pointed out.

"Cool, What is it?" I questioned with great interest.

Clover looked closer, "I don't know but It looks like an hourglass, thinking and pacing, Clover stopped.

I know who may be able to help you."

"Really, Who?" I asked.

"There is an old doctor that I know," Clover Hoof said.

"Where does he live?" Charity queried herself wanting to know.

"In Okefenee swamp", said Clover Hoof, "It's in the deepest part of the marshlands at the other end of White Rattlers Tunnel, Many stories have it that this stallion is a legendary brewer, practically rivals the Zebra folk that live in the town since he was the one who helped them build it, now a days he just sits up in his hut making potion recipes rather than potions."

Charity walked for the door, "Well you have been mighty helpful lately and I thank you for that but we really must get going now if we want to meet this legend, Come on Hazy."

"Charity!?"I yelled shrugging at Clover who couldn't help but stifle a snicker and a sexy pose as I walked out.

Oh goddesses what was this feeling that's burning inside me? And why does it have to be her to give it to me?

"Wait up Charity!" I yelled as I ran down the tunnel.
> Chapter 6: What a Dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Charity and I walked through White Rattlers tunnel for what had seemed like a darkened eternity, passed the occasional radroach that tried to harm us, that is, until we exterminated them, Charity was walking two hooves in front of me, leading, after the fight at Filly Correctional, her entire demeanor changed.

"Charity?" I called, "Are you alright with what you did at the correctional facility?"

"Define ‘alright’, Charity looked at me, “I just shot every pony who defiled me over the years whom also welcomed me as family,” Charity surmised halting to a stop. 

“But the more I think about it I did what I had to do, they had that coming and to be honest, it was hard to put all those ponies down, even with your help, Thundershot and the other ponies grew on me, It was like shooting and eating my parents all over again, except this time there's relief after the storm. They're gone, giving me freedom, you gave me my freedom, Hazy, I don't think I could ever express how grateful I am for that."

The silence that came was filled with the drip dripping of the water that found it's way down into the tunnels, Charity suprised me with a hug, one that seemed to last forever.

"So why did you want to get out of there so quickly, Charity, What happened back there?”

"Back where?," Charity quizzed, realizing where I mean't, "Something that was uncalled for," Charity looked up in embarrassment.

"Don't tell me, she tried?" I laughed as I took the lead out of the tunnel.

"Yes, she did, When everything was going so well, she tried to seduce me, On the wall," Charity mumbled.

Wow Clover, that’s sneaky. I snickered.

Charity's face grew red enough to glow in the darkness of the tunnel, "Shut up! That isn't funny," Charity shouted.

I stopped immediately, at the sound of beeping electronics, explosions and gunfire interrupting Charity’s ranting, as she bolted around the bend in the tunnel, following suit I caught up to her hiding behind mountains of barrels and garbage.

"Turrets," Charity mumbled shaking her head.

"What? Wait!" I exclaimed as I got closer to see what was going on.

“Fall back” we heard as more shots were fired.

Large metallic machines on the ceiling were shooting at ponies in metallic suits, hitting every target.

"Enclave soldiers."

"En who?" I questioned, confused.

"Shh, Get down," Charity pushed my head down against the pile of rust we were using as cover, coating my nose in the stuff as I tried to breath in.

A smell too familiar to forget, all it needed was the blood, a Pegasus flying by was shot by a turret locked onto him, turning his head into explosion confetti showering me in gore, my eye began to twitch as the memories of Stable Eighty-Nine, Happy, Filly Correctional and the stored memories came flooding my mind, I gasped for air, coughing out rust with each respiration.

Charity grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me back around the corner, looking into my eyes, my mind was so clouded with emotion that I couldn't think straight as my body was pushed flat against the wall.

"Hazy, I'm sorry." Charity Chortled as she hit me straight in the face with her hoof, I must have gone unconscious because when I came to, Charity was gone.

Charity! I called, but no answer returned, I was alone, numb, cold and in the dark.

Taking the few extra steps to reach the exit of the tunnel I called Charity's name again, but the same, no return, kicking an enclave soldiers body, I searched through it, gathering any weapons and bullets I could, doing the same with the rest. 

The dirt path I followed away from the tunnel headed into irradiated forest that had little to no visibility. I could hear my Pipbuck click click clicking away as I kept up my pace.

I couldn't help but look up at the canopy above me, It was so green and bright it reminded me of my Pipbuck light.

" It's peaceful and quiet out here,"  I marveled, as I kept walking, "a little to quiet," I put in noticing the surrounding fog rolling in, and I could very faintly hear the sound of hoof steps, "Hello, who's there?" I asked, as my voice echoed off into the distance, the last word echoing into the great expanse of thickening fog.

"I'm here," chimed a familiar voice.

"Who," I questioned as water droplets gathered themselves together like a large puzzle, materializing into a shape that I could recognize, It was a pony, clear but distinct in shape.

"Like you were so long ago," He said in a loud booming voice.
"Father is not going to be happy Hazy, how could you just shoot me like that and leave me behind to rot?!" He yelled, stomping a hoof.

"I don't know, I don't remember," I conceded wincing at the sheer volume of this things voice.

"Oh that's right you're the wastelands greatest bad ass bandit, weren't those your words?!" He boomed.

I stammered trembling as I tried to reason with this thing.

"He put a hoof up to silence me, before continuing "Keep telling yourself that little brother and you might just believe it," the pony figure dared puddling back to the ground before disappearing leaving me within the white expanse, feeling a tingling sensation, I decided to get out of here and fast, but which way did we come from, damn it, "This stuff is unnatural." I grumbled in frustration, moving forward through the fog's thickness, each step taking me in the right direction based on the coordinates on my pipbucks map, even though I couldn't physically see where I was going, at least the map was working in such a dangerous area,

I stumbled into a small run down shack that I didn't see it until I was at the door the fog was so thick, the windows were broken and the door was busted open, from when bandits must have raided the place, but it was something, walking inside I closed the door, the entire shack filled with fog, leaving me in a blank white space just like before, but this time even my breathing was being echoed in here, I didn't even bother to say anything, because I already knew what was coming, or rather who.

“Hazy?” called a soft elegant familiar voice.

“Hello, who’s there?” I spoke trying to find the source, quickly turning my head in all directions a faint shadow in the distance caught my eye and I focused on it, as it came closer the shadow took on characteristics of a pony’s shape, coming a bit closer the colors of the ponies features became familiar, Clover Hoof.

“What are you doing out here Clover” I asked shocked to see her.

“Why aren't you asking yourself the same” Clover asked smooth as her smile.

Alright, this makes no sense, Clover told us to head this way hours ago, did she follow us, something is off

"So, what" Clover kissed me on the muzzle and I kissed Clover Hoof back holding her around her neck, feeling something sticking to my hoof as I let go, I saw what it was, blood, It was covering my entire arm that was around her.

The strange feeling I had turned to fear, "Clover you're bleeding" I stuttered.

She just stared at me coldly.

"Who are you really?" I queried, frightened and curious.

"My name isn't known by many who survive me" Clover said giving me a wicked smile.
"And the same goes for you, now that I've got you trapped, I know your true desires," Clover said as she grew dark black limbs and a pitch black horn to levitate me with, she slit her own throat with a rusty knife she fabricated out of thin air, blood sprayed out from her neck splattering all over me, before she cut me open, ripping apart my ribs and tearing out my guts.

"It's time for you to die" Clover said in a demonic voice.

Oh goddesses no, this was not happening, I tried to scream, but this thing just wasn't letting me produce any vocal sound.

"Your screaming will do you no good here little pony," Clover continued, as the white scenery turned to rust encrusted metal and darkness that made all kinds of crashing sounds as it changed, "You desire death and death to all who surround you, so be it."

"No, I don't," I said screaming, only to have it come out as a faded whisper.

"Oh?," Clover said twisting the grip she had on my internal origins before releasing them to hang outside me.

“I know your deepest desires, don’t you dare tell me I’m wrong.”

"You desire to kill and destroy what is left of this world," Clover claimed throwing me to the ground with such force that I slid.

"What, I have no desire to do that," I stormed to her, guns ready as the metal beneath my hooves creaked and swayed.

Don’t lie to me, I can see right through you!

"What are you saying, If i haven’t yet, that I will?" I questioned, giving her the answer she was looking for.

Clover's smiled grew even more wickedly, I should have just stuck my hoof in my mouth right then and there.

"Damn it, No!" I commanded shooting into this fake Clover.

"Yes, You you get it now don't you, go on then, I want to hear you say it," Clover said blocking the bullets with one hoof.

"No!" I yelled trying not to let into the lies.

"Then you will be trapped here forever," Clover darkened the scenery.

“I won't say it,” I repeated.

"Say it or die," Clover taunted, levitating me high above the ground again, readying her knife she let go, Clover was going to slice me in half, but as she was Clover faded with the fog.

I wasn't waking up, no not this time, this wasn't a dream, everything became clear.

Was it, gone?

The darkness night sky made way to the sun coming over the horizon.

It was time to get moving, on my way out I saw a familiar scarf laying on the planks of the shack, I picked it up wrapping it around my neck, It was Charity's, and if the same thing that came after me came after her, I could see how she managed to leave it behind.

Climbing the steep hill I escaped the cold and wet mud of the swamp, at the same time I stumbled upon what appeared to be an abandoned base of some sort, My Pipbuck was telling me that this was Enclave Pegasus Air Base five, I opened the door to the base’s Main Building, the building itself was intact and seemed safe, excluding the few frayed wires that were hanging down from the ceiling, the hall of the building I entered emptied into a large room containing office cubicles lined around a support beam holding up the building, illuminated by the dust covered windows on the far wall, Checking three terminals out of many in the cubicles, I noticed the pattern that all of them said, 'Welcome to Enclave Pegasus Air Base V'. Under that were more details about the base itself, even a map that I drew up for future reference.

Using the map, I was able to locate the locked door leading to the Main building's head office.

"locked, surprise" of course I wasn't really surprised, I pulled out my pistol shooting the keyhole to the locked door, opening it, I was surprised that even worked, pushing the door a bit more I trotted inside.

Posters hung up on the wall, one portraying 'The Shadowbolts, best fliers in equestria,' And another with an Enclave soldier standing over a pile of zebras and ponies heroically. 'The war needs you', behind the desk, lay an entire ponies skeleton in ratty old red rags.

Remembering how fruitful it was searching other dead ponies bodies, I went through this dead pony's belongings, pulling out two memory orbs and a key that had a skull with fangs at one end, I closed the door, sticking the key into my barding, before I layed down to the two memory orbs I just found.

I prepared myself before touching my horn to the orb to be dragged into another memory.


OoOoOoOoOoO


The building was in was bustling with Pegasi, one passing another in the offices of the Air base when the door closed.

"Are you listening soldier?" the pony before me queried.

"Huh, What?" I stuttered refocusing, fidgeting in my seat.

"That's what I thought," She groaned.

The name on the plaque in front of me was, Frozen Dart.
"We need more ponies like you agent” Frozen Dart said hesitating to finish her sentence.

“I told you before, my name isn't important, but I know what is, to you anyway," I explained feeling the fear that this pony was going through as the sweat was beading on the back of my hosts neck.

"Well, It's good to know where your priorities are, but come on you must give me a name, something to call you on our business negotiations," Frozen Dart insisted walking around her desk to stare at her office posters.

"You've been supplying me for some time now and I still haven't gotten a name out of you," Frozen Dart said poking her desk.

"Ugh fine, call me Courier," My host said laying a hoof to his face.

"That's not much of a name," Frozen Dart chuckled pointing to me.

"To bad, that's all I'm giving you," I pulled.

"Well, I suppose it will have to do," Frozen Dart answered.

The door opened to a operative soldier, "Sir He is here."

"So 'He' managed to do it," Frozen Dart queried widening her eyes.

"I assume so sir, otherwise he wouldn't have come back, like you ordered, sir," the operative soldier choked between breaths.

"Very Good," Frozen Dart said sitting in her chair, please, bring him in, Frozen Dart smiled rolling her hoof in the air.

“Yes sir”, the operative soldier saluted her out of respect before walking out to bring in a more stern black stallion wearing a Pipbuck.

Frozen Dart looked him over from her desk, only to get up and pace around him making sure he wasn't going to try any tricks.

"No one remembers and you're sure you weren't followed, Hijack" Frozen Dart asked, curious as to what the answer might be.

“Yes sir, and no I wasn't followed I made sure of that,” Hijack responded .

“Frozen Dart, what is the meaning of this!?” I raged furious, as I shot up out of my seat.

“Sit down 'Courier ' and shut up, or I will shoot you,” Frozen Dart ordered annoyed, readying her pistol.

I sat back down, glaring at the black stallion that just came waltzing into Frozen Dart’s office, my attention drawn to his barding, wait a second his barding.

"So what is my next task?" Hijack queried. 

"Sir this is an escapee from stable two, what are you doing with him" I shouted as my host’s stomach flip flopped, knowing he has just stepped out of line.

"Shut up Courier!" Frozen Dart hissed ready to strangle, just to keep me quiet.

"No I can't, This is, this pony has to be sent back to his stable," I said growling.

Frozen Dart simply gave a nod in my direction.

Shooting out of my seat once more, I was surprised by a soldier that stunned me with a smack from the butt of their gun making me fall to the floor blurred and dizzy.

Frozen Dart dragged my body behind her desk before sitting down to refocus her attention towards her black coated guest.

"Sorry about that, where were we?" Frozen Dart asked kindly.

"Our next task," Hijack reminded Frozen Dart.

"Right."

I took out a memory orb without either of them noticing me, that or they didn't care.

"I need you to earn the trust of a secret society located in Tenpony tower," Frozen Dart said leaning on her hooves.

" Simple enough, Hijack claimed," trying to stand still.

"Simple?, ” Frozen Dart shook her head.
“You apparently don't know anything about them then, these ponies are very secretive and elusive, they will make sure you don't find them."

"My job is to find out how to make them come out of hiding and earn enough of their trust to become one of them, is that it then?" Hijack insisted.

"Yes," Frozen Dart smiled

"Okay, then what?" Hijack asked patiently.

"You will decide that when the time comes, but for now that is your task," Frozen Dart stated calmly.

"And what about him?" Hijack quizzed Frozen Dart.

"Don't worry, I will take care of him, your secret isn’t going to get out, It’s safe with me, Hijack," Frozen Dart insisted.

"Thank you, sir" Hijack replied.

"Your welcome, now be on your way,” Frozen Dart coaxed, pushing Hijack out the door closing it adjust.

“Now where was I?” Frozen Dart menaced around her desk once more to throw her gaze at me on the floor, My body was shaking from fear,  the cold stare I was getting from her was something to bear witness to.

"I'm going to tell you what's going to happen after he gains the Twilight society's trust and becomes one of them, He is going to take position as head of your society, rising a rebellion to make everything fall, and the best part is, your society will never suspect one of your own to do such a thing."

"But he can't, they would stop him," I choked trying to catch my breath through Frozen Dart’s hoof hold.

"Oh but you're wrong there, you don't know my clever friend, he know's how to be very clever pony," Frozen Dart said whispering into my ear, pulling out her pistol to shoot me, she shot me in the neck and both back legs, leaving me in my tomb.

I was bleeding out in pain.

" I have only one chance at this, Courier said through grit teeth, If anyone comes to find this, please help us, help us all," With a soft glow of his horn he touched the memory orb he crawled to before everything faded to black.


OoOoOoOoOoO


I got up from my trance, gathering the memory orbs and taking the red cloak from Courier. I put it on, placing the memory orbs into the my barding.

"Don't worry, I will carry out your last wishes you have my word." I smiled at Courier’s bones.

The door slowly creaked opened to a pony cloaked in purple robes as I held out the new gun I picked up at the door.

"Who are you and what are you doing here, I asked quickly as I could, keeping my aim on this pony.

“Whoa! Packing some heat there?” questioned the new arrival.

“Yeah and if you don't want to see any of it I suggest you start talking,” I assured ready to shoot.

“Well, If you're going to put it that way,” He turned to leave.

 My gun left a welt mark on the door jam.

"Okay, fine," he turned back to face me.
"I came to find you," you insidious prick.

"Find me for what?" I asked with great caution.

As far as I know Hijack could have sent this pony, but the question in turn would be, why?

I lowered my gun.

Who are you? I questioned.

"I cannot share my name with you it must remain a secret for now, until we meet again at Ten-pony tower," this pony moved closer to me inside the room, " and I see you found the one who betrayed us, Courier was a foolish pony to disobey our orders to stay in secret, anything you find on him I suggest you ignore it for your own safety,“ he explained walking out the door.

"Wait," I said apologetically.

"What is it?"

"This isn't the real reason why your here is it?"

"Yes you're right, I did come to look for you my little pony, but I did not expect to find you alive, but here you are alive and, well, surviving.

 “Do you know what they particularly had in mind?”

“To find you to aid us in a mission we can't complete on our own, our greatest secret has traveled further west than we expected, captured in fact, and we need your help to find it and set it free."

"Why me.

"You, because we feel that you are the only one who can save us from our new coming threat of darkness, we can feel a new war upon us, and if too many of us leave Tenpony tower, it will be unprotected making it vulnerable to attack, DJ-Pony has been missing for the past week and the last time we heard from her was right before our secret traveled to far west, so please, we need your help."

“A rescue mission, this is going to be fun”

"What's in this for me?" I questioned hoping for something more.

"Access to Tenpony tower out in Manehattan, that's all I can give you for now, meet me at Tenpony tower when this is done, and I'm sorry I have to do this but I was instructed to keep myself unseen.

“I'm activating all the robot's in the air base to destroy themselves so you better hurry up and get out while you can, there is no telling if they actually do so based on their wiring, it can falter at times." He clattered a device towards me that had the words Stealth Buck One written on it.

I didn't say a word, as I activated the stealth buck and moved through the building as fast as I could remain undetected.

 The robots were shooting at each other and crushing themselves into the walls decimating themselves before exploding but I was making good progress, the building began to collapse.

Come on! I have to get out of here! 

The doors busted open as my body slamed against them, it collapsed a split second after I hit the ground outside, landing right in the middle of a robot battle royal, one robot was at the other cutting pieces off.

I made it off the air base just as my stealthbuck wore off landing me fairly close to my destination.

I could smell the fire through the brush and muck, as I worked my way through, signs of radiated water were around my hooves, and my pipbuck was tick-clicking as a reminder that we shouldn’t be in the water for too long
up the bank we came to the village Clover had talked about, it was worked up the trunk of a large magical tree, and even through the large canape.

“This must be the place,” I whispered, as I noticed the Elevators that were moving up and down on the vines that were growing on the tree.

Walking into the village the ponies and zebras hid, backing away, looking at me like I was some sort of freak, hoping onto an elevator I went up the vine drawn elevator as it swung in the breeze.

Reaching the Zebra community at the top was an amazing sight, the entire canopy of the tree held up boards fastened to the large limbs allowing the Zebras to be secluded high above the world below.

The vine drawn elevator was anchored down allowing me to set hoof into the town, but as we did, the zebras themselves seemed frightened by my presence.

“Does anypony here know where Clew and Klide's shack is?” I asked all the staring eyes hoping for an answer, all of them just pointed at a house that had a windmill at the top and brews hanging down from the roof around it.

"Thank you", I spoke moving towards the pony who could help solve most of my problems.

I opened the door to a pony mumbling some brew he was making, in the cauldron. 

"Hello?" I called softly.

He kept on mumbling.

Hello? I spoke again watching this pony walk around the cauldron to me.

"Shh, don't talk," He said grabbing my muzzle before going back to the cauldron mumbling to the brew he was working on. drawing books from a bookshelf in his home he flipped through the text to find what he needed.

"Sir, are you Clew or Klide?" I asked, questioning if this was the right place.

"Shh," he said, dropping everything "He, is listening."

"That didn't exactly answer my question sir, who is listening?" I told him confused.

"Klide," he whispered in a creepy voice.

I walked backwards out the door at the creepiness of his voice

"Ah new visitors."Klide said settling down.

What the fuck?, I just became disturbed at what I saw take place.

"We don't get many new faces around here due to the fact that we are five hundred kilometers up in a tree, that I made up a magical brew to enhance its growth and size, quite fascinating if I say so myself" Klide said drinking from a teacup he pulled out of his barding.

“So what can I do for you, young mare?” Klide questioned stuffing the cup back into his barding.

I didn't realize my mouth dropped to the floor, until I went to pick it up, Did this stallion call me young? Well he has no idea, and let's keep it that way.

"I was sent by Clover Hoof to see you," I said, still trying to fathom how this pony functioned.

"Ah yes, yes, It has been some time since I have spoken to Clover, How is she?" Klide asked, taking another sip from the cup he pulled back out of his barding.

"She's great," I smiled, Young, pretty, and always trying to get another mares, something moved that caught the corner of my eye, It rolled over, tearing the covers off, her.
Charity! I yelled leaping for her in happy glee.

"hm, you saying that tells me that nothing much has changed down there, she didn't by chance try to," the expression on my face gave it away, "Oh, she did, didn't she?" Klide said laughing and shaking his head over to the bookshelf, "Hey, you gotta be careful with her, she's one of the few ponies that came back from the Arctic North while the Great War was going on, nopony knows how she did it, but she escaped with just her looks and seductive nature, As for your friend over there I'd have to guess she has some great power herself," Klide added, swirling his hoof at her, you two were meant to meet each other.

Wait, this wasn't Charity.

"hm, yes, Xepher brought her up here from the ground below, she almost made it here on her own, and so she rested up here and left this morning.

"Could you kindly put me down before I snap your neck," Xepher warned me as I let go, my thoughts went back to Charity.

Charity, why are you doing this?

"Well, thanks for being so informative,I really need to get going now."

"Wait, don't you want to know more about your cutie mark?" Klide called, catching my attention.

Yes what do you know about it? I stormed back to him.

Well, it's safe to say I haven't seen a time turner quite some time, the last pony I'd seen with a cutie mark like that was a crazed doctor living out in New Pegasus.

"Okay thanks," I sighed walking out.

The next pony who tried to tell me anything about myself is going to, my thoughts were cut short as I bumped into a rusty red pony wearing a desperado hat, battle saddle, "whoa. Howdy there partner, the name's Calamity and this is my partner Velvet Remedy," he spoke helping me off the ground.

"I didn't think anyone from Glyph Mark or Zebra Town survived the enclave attack on canterlot, Velvet Remedy said to Calamity.

"Calamity, Velvet Remedy, is that you?" Xepher rang coming out of Clew and Klide's hut to see what was going on.

"Xepher, what are you doing here?" Velvet questioned.

Xepher, took in a deep breath, deep enough for an extended conversation.
"They found this tree, in the midst of the swamp that surrounds us below, using our knowledge of potion making we were able to make it grow quickly in size, making it quite a nice place to plant our roots,"

Do you know this pony, Xepher glanced at me.

"Uh, actually we just met her" Calamity put in.

Come, I can tell we need to speak, Xepher noted leading all of us into a back ally one roomed home, stopping me.

"Not you" Xepher sassed closing the door in my face.

I couldn't hear a word they were saying in there, even with my ear to the door, well, now is a good time as any, I pulled the other memory orb I had out of my barding, sat down and readied myself. 


OoOoOoOoOoO


My environment was a deep grey, all around, the floor, the ceiling, the walls, even the piping was grey, but hey you know what they say, grey is the new color spectrum.

“Day in day out they might say,” my host sighed working on a pony’s new mechanical limbs.
“But the next time I have to give another pony a new arm or leg just because they cut it off with a mister gutsy saw blade, I'm taking it to their forehead, unlike myself who was actually attacked by a malfunctioned robot within the stable,” my host mumbled working away on his patient.

"Blake!" Called some pony who came through the lab door.

"Hm?" I replied with a angry look, Oh great, it's my brother, Michael, Ugh, he probably wants another tune up.

"I called your name like five times already you know,” Michael stated lifting his hoof.

“No, I didn't know, I was to deep in thought with my work,” Blake barked at Michael as he was trying to concentrate.

"Oh come on, you know that will only go as far as you can put hoof on that stable door." Michael taunted hiss brother sticking his hoof in the air pretending to touch something before smirking.

“Your point being, what do you want.” Blake suggested.

"For you to stop every once in awhile and come hang out with me," Michael complained, crossing his hooves, away from his brother, It's not like we have that much more time to hang out if your going to go through with your plan,"

"I suppose you're right, Michael, I will be right out of the lab, just let me finish up with this patient." Blake said giving another sigh and a face hoof out of exhaustion.

“Fine, but I won't be waiting for long,” Michael coaxed his brother as he walked himself out of the lab.

"Likewise," Blake whispered, with the last few turns of a screwdriver and installation of mechanical fluids.

The patent's mechanical parts emitted a powered up glow.

"I don't expect you to just jump off this table and be able to stand, so try it here just in case I have to make any adjustments to your new limbs," Blake spoke to his patient waking up.

Sitting up the pony moved her new mechanical leg back and forth letting it cinch that mechanical sound whenever it moved.

“Thank you” she said, gratefully before hopping off the table and moved towards the door.

“Yeah, get out of here before I make it worse,” Blake joked around in a dark tone.

"Blake!?" Michael called.

"I said give me a minute!" Blake yelled back, quickly turning off the lights before walking out the swinging doors of the lab, Michael was on the other side waiting on an old wood bench with his head turned toward me.

"There you are I thought you were never going to finish in there," Michael complained.

"Well, I'm sorry Michael, I needed to see if I any adjustments needed to be made on that patient, I can't leave them if they can't walk after I replace their body parts with wires and mechanical parts,”Blake said explaining.

"You've helped out more ponies in the mechanical clinic than you've hung out with me," Michael claimed in frustration, now let's go do something, Michael nagged getting up to pull on Blake's hoof.

"Like what?" Blake questioned curious .

"Oh, I have a few ideas,” Michael said.

“Like watch the fights in the battle arena!?" Michael sputtered with excitement.

"What, Michael, you know how I feel about that, especially since the arena is underneath the stables unsound structure." Blake said cold and slow.

"So, it's just one tunnel leading into the caves, It's not like it's going to collapse or anything,”Michael said sweeping what appeared to be old dust off his stable barding.

"Look, this stable was built on a sand pit the cave walls are not sound as it is, of course I'm worried that it's going to collapse!," Blake said shaking his head and sighing, I mean look at this, do you see that crack in the wall, that is bad, Blake pointed out to Michael.

"You know what, forget I said anything about it, go," Michael said crossing hooves in front of Blake.

"Forget it, no, because I know you're going to go down there regardless of what I say, You just pushed the guilt of the situation into my hooves at this point I can't forget you said anything." Blake yelled hoping to get through to Michael.

"Gotcha," Michael smirked.

"Damn it Michael," Blake cried.

"Fine I will go, but only because I don't want this hanging over my head." Blake said pointing a hoof at him.

Blake was led down the corridors of stable one hundred one to a set of stairs that Michael crawled under, entering the hole dug into the concrete Michael and Blake used the rope that was tied to the stairs into the darkness below.

The tunnel itself wasn't very long but it was pitch dark, making it seem like the tunnel went on for an eternity.
Blake and Michael saw the shadows of ponies dancing on the wall of the cave from lit torches, as they made it clear of the tight tunnel, touching the floor of the cave we walked over to take our seats in the stands of the underground arena.

The cave was large, sandy orange and the walls of the cave were smooth and wet, carved by time.

The pit was before us, two ponies enter, one pony comes out victorious, the announcer was in the center of the pit, using his magic he project his voice louder than he normally could, Scree!

"Alright since our last match there have been some complications with the winner coming back to show us all a grand old time, So we will just point and pick ponies from the crowd to fight in the ringer, Alight, you," The announcer pointed to my brother, Michael.

"Hey,' Michael bumped me with his shoulder, "At least now you'll know why they call me Duel Dagger" Michael smiled pulling out two daggers as he walked down to the arena.

" And you," He pointed to Terrible Luck, also known as 'Shit Luck because he doesn't have any luck whatsoever and which is why he was mostly cyber pony, he got the front of hatred when things went wrong while working in the mechanics unit.

"Both of you get your asses down here, the announcer yelled."

Duel Dagger was always a bit of a show off, no matter how subtle he tried to be about it, he almost kills his opponent every time.

Both of them met in the middle with the announcer between them, I fine tuned Terrible Luck's Cyber parts myself, though, so I know who is going to win this.

"Fight!" The announcer moved back to a barred area in the side of the arena and closed the door, The two of them began to spar. One side of the arena's stands was chanting,

“Shit Less Luck” while the other was chanting,

“Dual blades” over and over.

Watching the first few seconds of the fight, I decided to go get some rest back in the stable, touching the rope I felt the sudden rumble of a cave in.,dust rained down from the ceiling.

“Michael!” I turned calling out, but it was too late. the cave's ceiling collapsed sealing him away, crushed beneath the rock and rubble

"If only, If only I had stayed a bit longer I would be dead with him " I cried, I could barely climb the rope as I climbed crawling back into the safety of the stable, to the safety of my room, out of that dangerous death trap, the fathomable fact that my brother was gone, unreachable, untouchable, crushed beneath the rocks, crushed my heart and made me numb, not even knowing what caused the collapse wouldn't change the fact that my brother was dead, I lay in my bed awake until the heaviness of my eyes overtook me.

It's all a bad dream.

The next morning, my body shot upright from the sound of the morning loudspeaker telling everyone it was time to wake up.

"Good morning stable one hundred one, today is going to be a delightful day within the stable, oxygen levels as well as our water is a little higher than usual but that is nothing to worry about, have a nice day." The loudspeaker cut out, probably due to how old it was.

The halls of the stable were empty, in the residential part of the stable I noticed the stable population was a little thin, foals were crying as well as small fillies wanting their parents, It was real, it was all real, how could I have let this happen to them, the falling ceiling replayed in my host's eye.

"I can't stay here any longer, I have to leave, there is no way I can prepare myself for what is out there, but I also can't stay in here with this guilt either, it's too much."

pulling the stable door switch, the door began to grind screech and squeal open, revealing a dark and chilling wind that carried hoof steps in from the darkness the door opened up to.

"Hello? Who's there?" Blake queried.

"Your Worst nightmare” called a pony covered in tattered red robes.

"What, hey your," Blake shouted, stopped by a small box that lit up in a red flash.



OoOoOoOoOoO


The memory ended, as the door in front of me was opened, Xepher nodded me inside.

"So, my question to you, young one, why are you here," Xepher questioned ready to fight.

"I was sent here to learn more about my cutie mark," I suggested, observing where Velvet and Calamity were.

"and is that all, or is there something else at stake here?" Xepher insisted, noting my every move.

"The Twilight Society asked me to find one of their greatest secrets out here that has been captured, and set it free."

Velvet put a hoof over her mouth, crying into Calamity's chest.

"There, there Velvet," Calamity comforted allowing her to press deeper into his chest.

"Spike," Calamity spoke in a stern voice.

I cannot say for certain, but as it stands, somepony is playing the puppeteer, it's just a matter of time before we know who it is. Xepher stated staring into the candle's flame that sat on the rooms table.

Is there anything we can do, Calamity asked Xepher.

Yes, help her on her mission Xepher responded.

"Are you ready for this," Calamity questioned me.

"Ready for what, what am I getting myself into," I queried fast.

"That Twilight Society secret, is a Full grown dragon," Calamity explained slowly.

I gasped, dying twice over.

"What the hell do they need a dragon for," I yelled, switching between the three of them, falling backwards in my attempt to back out the door.

The black outs, was this one of them? 

"Just stop you won't succeed."

"The world's a disaster already don't you see that"

"Everyone is just going to kill each other, join them in the fun"

"No, it's alright Hazy"

What? I whispered

"Get up" a hoof extended over my body waiting for me to grab it.

"What is this place," I questioned the little filly in front of me.

"That doesn't matter here, I wanted to grow big and strong remember, just like you are now" huh, this grey filly seemed so familiar.

Those blue eyes, that purple and pink streak, that cute fun filled smile. Now I remember, this was before the end.

"Come with me, I need to show you something," she levitated herself with magic, selecting a good area, she filled the air with bright pink magic that showed not a map of the Wasteland, but of Equestria as it once was before the war, before anything started.

Do you see that right there, that house in the valley, that is where we used to hang out with daddy, do you remember Hazy?

I just shook my head no, I was being honest.

"Oh, that's alright, just remember to visit there, it's important, but not as important as friends, do you have any friends Hazy? the grey filly questioned with glee."

"I had one," I stuttered in sadness.

"Aw, what went wrong?"

"I don't know, she knocked me unconscious and ran off."

"Well what are you doing you need to go find her."

"I can't, she's gone forever," I whispered sitting on my haunches.

"Nopony is gone forever, you just need to look under your muzzle."

"Thanks for the optimism but, hey, what's going on?" My vision came to when I woke up in Xepher's bed, being taken care of by Velvet remedy.

You really need to be more careful with yourself, Velvet spoke wiping my forehead  with a cool wet cloth.

Yeah, was all I could manage, looking through my coordinates log, finding it, the coordinates to my fillyhood home.

Here I come pappy, I'm coming home.