Chapter 2. The Republic

— Who are you?
— Oh Princesses, what a banal question.

“FoE: Enclave’s Shadows”, chapter 5

Shut the clasps of the light armor and tie the saddlebags tighter so that they do not hang out. Check weapons: assault carbine "Last Argument" of 5.56 caliber and two submachine guns – nine- and ten-millimeter; throw the first one on the back and put them in holsters under the saddlebags.

Next, the ammunition. After filling the mouth with rounds, one by one shove them into the magazine with the tongue. Damn it, there’s not much left. From the next contract would be necessary to purchase. In this way, equip five magazines for a carbine and three for submachine guns, then put them in breast pockets, from where they can be knocked out, caught and reloaded with a single movement in battle.

Put a box with five medicinal potions inserted into special cells (probably called a "tube holder"), so that they won’t break, in the bag. Add there some food and a flask. In the other bag – a set of bandages, binoculars, and an audio player with a pair of micro-earphones. After a little thought, insert the player into the groove on the armor specially attached to it and put one earphone into the ear, for no mess with it later.

Finally, look at herself with satisfaction in the mirror – a piece of glass leaning against the wall, its back was painted with silver paint. Make a face at the reflection of a blue earth pony, hung with weapons, and smooth the unruly dark brown mane.

Well, Cosmic Valor, here comes another day. A new shift as a local guard.

Jump, making sure: nothing rings anywhere, and she can go.

Opening the door with a hoof, the blue pony stepped out of the threshold and breathed in the fresh cool air with pleasure.

The Republic, the town she was born in, was spread out around her. The houses, placed with a certain claim to order, formed the streets that were not very wide, but at least more or less straight. The buildings were mostly wooden and numbered one or two floors, except for the mayor’s house in the center of the settlement, which was reinforced with steel sheets and concrete blocks.

Cosmic turned around and looked at her one-room shack. Not much, but it was enough for her.

Because you live alone, right? If you had a coltfriend, then what would you say?

Dismissing the uninvited thoughts, Cosmic adjusted the carbine on her back and made her way to the west gate, where her squad was supposed to gather.

It was cloudy outside, as always, but there were blue gaps in the endless gray shroud in some places. Cosmic smiled – in the Wasteland, such weather could only be described as excellent. The mood lifted, and the earth pony trotted happily through the town, weaving between the houses.

Without looking, she pressed a button on the player. It was always interesting to guess what kind of song from a small music library she had listened almost to the pieces, would be offered to her by a random selection.

The accordion played, and the pony began to nod to the rhythm of the simple melody.

And then the song itself began^{^[1]}.

Cosmic didn’t know who these Scootaloo and Spitfire, mentioned there, were; it didn’t matter. The song has been written two hundred years ago, and it was striking that the music might even be related to real ponies that lived then. More specifically, pegasi – the mention of wings left no other options.

The first words of the chorus, with the singer’s voice rising quickly to high tones and the drums and electric guitar joining at the same time, made the blue earth pony mentally sing along and almost squeal with delight. And the powerful bit filled her strong body with extra energy.

Shaking her head to the sound of the song, Cosmic walked lightly through the town, looking at everything around her with warmth in her eyes.

Here are the homes of her friends, members of the squad, just good ponies. Here is the house of Silver Star, the mayor, who has the largest family in The Republic. And off to the side, Aunt Grace’s cheese factory, which made the best cheese in the world from milk purchased from neighboring villages.

Cosmic remembered how she and a few other recruits at the time used to guard Grace during her trading trips. Now, a few veterans, retired from the main shift, did that job, and the earth pony herself commanded a much more formidable force than she had as a recruit.

Everyone in The Republic served in some capacity with weapons in their hooves. But only a few continued to do this permanently; the rest returned to the family business or discovered something new according to their cutie marks.

So, Cosmic had a carbine as her own mark – the same one she never left home without. The cutie mark appeared during one of the milk runs, when the earth pony, covering her mates, had shot her first raider. This was the point that determined her future fate.

Many years had passed since then, but Cosmic had no regrets at all.

After all, she liked protecting the town and the other ponies. It was a noble cause in her eyes.

Cosmic walked past a large poster with a stylized image of a gray stallion raising a hoof, from which a rainbow stream was beating, flooding the gloomy background with bright colors. There was an inscription at the bottom:

Vote for Murky Gray! He will take over all grayness!

The earth pony couldn’t help but grin, looking at the well-drawn, proud gray figure.

In the town, the mayor was elected every four years, and this fall it was time for another vote. Silver Star’s only rival for many years has been Murky Gray, the owner of a local bar. He could have had something more valuable in his posession, but everything vital for the settlement was in the hooves of the mayor and his family: an arsenal, a water talisman, keys to a barn with provisions…

Nevertheless, the barpony also had his supporters, who always gave him about a fifth of the total votes. And each time the results were counted, Silver and Murky went to the party with all the ponies and drank together as if nothing had happened.

But that’s true democracy – when we all make a decision that suits the majority, and the rest don't mind too much either, Cosmic thought. And that’s why we, the inhabitants of The Republic, are somehow considered strange ones. As if the absolute power of the Princesses would be more logical.

Yes, Stream and, it seems, another pegasus from New Appleloosa – Calamity or whatever his name is – said that the Enclave has something like our system… Cosmic shook her head. But these are pegasi – they always like to complicate things.

New Appleloosa… A trading town a couple of days away, where the blue pony’s squad, when it was their turn in the rotation arranged by the mayor, took on contracts to escort caravans and brought The Republic such necessary caps – the universal currency of the Wasteland.

It was there, by the way, that Cosmic picked up her record player from a merchant. She had to pay a fortune for the device and a chip with some old songs, but it was worth it. Cosmic even, she remembered, kissed the merchant with happiness. He was clearly taken aback by this… and perhaps also by the fact that Dan’s mouthgrip was rested on his belly – that was what she called her ten-millimeter weapon (another submachine gun was named Nige – also in accordance with the caliber number^{^[2]}).

The earth pony giggled, reliving the memory. Yeah, there was that time…

Since then, she had been collecting music, which seemed to be incredibly plentiful a long time ago, but after the war there was very little left. And when she found or heard any new records, she tried her best to add them in her playlist. The files were very old, but even after so much time, the technomagic maintained normal sound quality in them – and that also made her marvel at the achievements of pre-war Equestria. Achievements that had been instantly erased by incompetence and recklessness.

The song was coming to an end. Cosmic listened to the last chorus and turned off the player. She was almost at the right place.

A small company managed to gather in an open area at the western gate of the town. Cosmic smiled as she saw her entire squad waiting for her before going out for a shift.

Five ponies she had gotten along with once and then worked with on their missions. Earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns – race didn’t matter in The Republic; the most important thing was how the inhabitant presented oneself as a person.

Metal Dawn – a light brown dark-eyed stallion with a black mane. Holsters with intimidating looking revolvers hung from a belt that encircled his armor in front of his saddlebags; clips for reloading were stuffed into pouches on his chest. He wouldn’t even try to hit on me, and in general it would be perfect.

Snow Vision – a white unicorn with a red mane that stood out like a dragon’s crest. Cosmic was always a little scared by the cheerful gleam in his amber eyes – and in moments of battle, she wanted to stay away from him at all. Snow didn’t use firearms, but there were ten knives hanging on his armor – five on each side. And the unicorn could control them all at once with his telekinesis, turning him into a real death machine. It was even more unusual to see his good-natured fun in ordinary life. In addition, he was Silver Star’s cousin nephew, and Cosmic also tried to maintain a good relationship with the unicorn.

Spark Glider and Stream Dash – a pair of pegasi, Dashites who settled in The Republic a dozen years ago. They were the most powerful strike force in the troop – largely because they wore battle saddles with weapons mounted on them: Spark, a yellow stallion with fiery orange hair, that resembled a flame, preferred automatic grenade launchers, and Stream, a blue mare whose mane and tail resembled the "bottom" of a rainbow with their green, blue, and purple strands, liked her light miniguns. Ammunition for these weapons was in serious shortage, so the pegasi rarely entered the battle, preferring to cover their comrades from the air.

Stream Dash’s real name, by the way, was Stream Dust, and she was probably a descendant of Lightning Dust, the general who, according to legend, founded the Enclave two hundred years ago. But Stream had always been disgusted with the way things were done above the clouds – so one night she dyed her mane green to match the legendary Rainbow Dash’s, took weapons from the arsenal, and her coltfriend from the barracks who was also getting angry with the situation. And they both descended into the Wasteland, where they successfully hid from the watchful eyes of the Enclave.

Finally, a white unicorn mare with a crimson mane and dark glasses stood at the edge of the group. Cosmic sighed and looked at her permanent poker face. Nightlight Twister was taciturn, but she was a master with her energy magic rifle. And Silver Star often hinted that his special attitude toward Cosmic’s team was directly influenced by the presence of his own daughter.

The blue earth pony looked back at her comrades. Yes – with such a barrier, The Republic had nothing to fear from either raiders or slavers. That there were other, possibly more dangerous enemies, Cosmic preferred not to think about.

“You’re early,” Metal Dawn snorted.

“The commander’s never late, she just lingers,” Stream Dash said with a pompous look and giggled, pressing a hoof to her mouth.

“That's right,” Cosmic said, getting down to business. “So, today everything is as usual. We get into position, watch the area, change in the evening.”

“Tomorrow we can go for a new contract”, Nightlight said. Everyone immediately turned to her. Still with the same stone face, she added, “The mayor gave us the green light. All the same, the situation is quiet around here.”

“Well, y’never know how ‘twill be t’morrow,” Spark Glider chuckled, adjusting his blue goggles on his forehead. “Maybe one of us ‘ll stay?”

“No," Cosmic snapped. “I need you all. That’s the only way we can be completely sure that we can hoofle the mission.”

“Okay, enough talking,” Metal Dawn muttered and pointed with his hoof at the town wall. “Let's finally get doing work. And then these are already waiting for us there.”

The only bad thing about being a sentry is boredom, Cosmic thought a couple of hours later, walking back and forth along her section of the wall and gazing intently at the Wasteland. As always, no movement, just the wind – the goddamned wind. Well, at least the dust was barely rising.

From time to time, the earth pony’s attention was drawn to a grove of trees about half a mile away. But if no one had come out of there for so many months (although it happened at night, lights were visible there – no doubt the raiders’ fires), then it would be logical to expect that everything would be just as calm now.

Pre-war hard rock was playing in one of her earphones, but Cosmic knew that with her other ear she would be able to hear the approach of danger, even if in some incredible case she missed it with her eyes.

Dust began to rise on the horizon in the distance; bluish flashes shone through the dense cloud again and again. Cosmic frowned: something strange was always a bad sign. She turned off the music and removed the earphone, then took out the binoculars and looked closer.

Soon the dust settled, revealing a lone figure.

Fuck Luna herself with a crescent moon, what kind of scarecrow is that?!

Cosmic lowered her binoculars for a moment, but immediately brought them back up to her eyes to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

No – half a mile from the town, the strangest creature the earth pony had ever seen was still standing.

It was a blue hedgehog the size of a full-grown pony, standing on two legs. It looked as if he was just looking around.

Blue. Fucking. Hedgehog.

What the hay?!

Who put magic mushrooms in my water? a sarcastic thought flashed through her mind. But at the same time, Cosmic understood that she really did see this alien.

And that he saw the village. And was heading right here.

Sweat broke out on the mare’s skin. She didn’t know what to do now. It was unclear whether this strange, materialized hallucination was a threat, and if so, how serious.

Okay, we'll wait.

Cosmic put away her binoculars. Then she slowly pulled the carbine from her back, snapping the safety off, and gripped the weapon with her teeth. The tongue habitually felt the trigger, and the eye clung to the optical sight.

One shot – and the uninvited guest would have a hole in his chest.

But there was something that kept the mare from starting to shoot indiscriminately at anything that moved. After all, she was a defender, not a soulless killer.

The hedgehog was in no hurry. Probably, he was afraid of attracting attention to himself, as well as Cosmic did from his side. Reasonable.

The earth pony let the carbine from her mouth carefully and whistled – first once sharp and high, then a bit lower and longer, with a rise at the end. For the group, it was a signal that she had found someone, but it was too early to shoot. Nor to panic. Instead, they had to sort everything out without haste.

A response whistle sounded from both sides. As she turned her head, Cosmic noticed Metal Dawn and Spark Glider coming at her from the left and the right. She pointed at the approaching hedgehog, which was now clearly visible to the naked eye, at herself, then back at the Wasteland, then in turn at each of the stallions, at the wall below her hooves and at the weapon. Like, I’ll take care of this, and you guys cover me.

The fighters nodded silently in agreement and moved away a little, so that it was more comfortable for them to do the crossfire. And Cosmic continued to watch the unusual alien.

Little by little, he came very close – and headed around the town. With a whistle, Cosmic repeated the order not to shoot (for Snow Vision, that meant not to throw knives), and the stallions on the sides carried the signal further.

And what should I do with this? the mare was thinking feverishly. If there had been another shift here, they would have shot him without hesitation. And they would be right. And just for some reason, I’m doing junk here, playing a good soldier. Oh… everything will depend on what this misunderstanding of nature will do later.

Having gone full circle, the hedgehog froze. He just stood there and stared into space, probably thinking about something of his own.

It’s time, Cosmic decided. This is my chance. Let’s go.

Just in case, she glanced back at the shooters who were covering her, cautiously approached the edge of the wall, stepped over the barbed wire and, clutching with her front legs, hung the hind legs down. Then she jumped down carefully.

As her hooves hit the ground with a thud, Cosmic thought for a moment that her appearance would scare the alien away. But he seemed to be so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the earth pony moving toward him.

Cosmic walked slowly, sneaking, with a loaded carbine in her teeth. Her mouth was dry, and her tongue didn’t slide down the trigger at all. It might be hard to talk with a gun in mouth, but it will be easier to shoot if something happens.

What an idiot he is after all, the mare thought as she found herself right behind the hedgehog. She walked almost silently, and none of them cast shadows under the clouds anyway, so the only way the hedgehog could see Cosmic approaching was if he turned around in time and listened to his sixth sense.

The earth pony released the weapon from her teeth, took it in her hooves and deliberately pulled the bolt loudly.

It seemed to work. The hedgehog turned – and his eyes widened as the barrel of the carbine poked him in the bridge of his nose.

“Well, maybe meow?” he said in an uncertain tenor voice, raising his… paws?

Cosmic had never seen anything like this before. This creature stood on two legs, and the other two limbs had five appendages. And he wore something like white gloves that matched in shape with… the ends of his paws. Even though winter has been over for two months.

The mare gritted her teeth. The last thing she needed was to be distracted by all sorts of stupid thoughts!

“Who are you?!” she snarled, almost pushing the weapon barrel into the hedgehog’s muzzle. “What are you doing here?!”

“Mmm… walking?” he suggested. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Cosmic questioningly.

She was surprised to see that there was no fear in the alien’s eyes – but only confusion, as if he really came here from another world and did not know what the rules were here.

One thing was clear: he was certainly not going to attack first.

Cursing through her teeth, Cosmic took a step back and lowered her weapon.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

The answer was simple.

“Sonic. My name is Sonic.” And immediately a counter question, “And you?”

“Cosmic Valor,” the earth pony reluctantly identified herself. “And now again. What. Are. You. Fucking. Doing here?!”

“This story is a bit longer than you expect. Are you sure you want to hear it here, hmm?” The hedgehog spread his front paws and looked at Cosmic from under his eyebrows.

I wonder what Silver Star will say if I bring this miracle to the town? Cosmic thought. She had already made up her mind, but she was still thinking about what else she could ask the uninvited guest.

“Well, stay where you are!” Metal Dawn’s voice sounded nearby.

Cosmic turned around to see the stallion approaching them with a cocked revolver in his teeth. A rope was attached to his front leg, connected to the trigger of the other weapon, which was mounted in a special clip on his armor. A bit sharper step – and the hedgehog’s head would have been a bloody mess.

“Is this your friend?” asked Sonic, still carefree. “He’s not very polite. And guys… are you seriously shooting with your mouth?”

“Shut up right now,” Metal Dawn said, turning to Cosmic. “What are we gonna do with him?”

“Let’s take him to the town,” the mare said firmly. “If we have to make a decision, then only together.”

“Pfft,” the stallion snorted, but under Cosmic’s menacing gaze, didn’t argue.

Defiantly, he spat out the revolver, inserted it into the same clip on the other side, and tied a string to the other leg. Just twitch, his eyes said, and I’ll shoot you out with full cylinders – you won’t even have time to blink.

Looking up, Cosmic noticed Spark Glider hovering above them. The pegasus was obviously surprised by what was happening, as the two earth ponies were too, but he tried not to show it.

In such a procession: Cosmic in front, followed by the hedgehog and Metal Dawn at the end – they headed for the western gate. Spark Glider dashed away – probably to the mayor, who might allow the heavy doors to be unlocked.

Cosmic sighed and looked up to the sky. Something told her that nothing would ever be like it was before.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. New perk: “Don’t shoot!” – gives you a 50% chance to end a conversation with an unknown person peacefully.

Player: Sonic. New perk: Diplomat – +3 reputation, +10% intellect.

^{^[1]} Song meant: Lenich & Kirya – Scootaloo. Lyrics by Anonymous. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JkCL39l-y_E?si=HLm_p2Sk0fcafLMe

^{^[2]} Nige – nine, Dan – ten.

Chapter 3. The Very Strange Tale of the Blue Alien

View Online

“What are you doing here? Are you a spy?”

Fallout: Equestria, chapter 22

“What are you saying you’re doing here?” the mayor’s voice rumbled.

Sonic sighed quietly. He thought that very few ones would take his confused explanation seriously from the first time.

There were ponies all around. There was no meeting hall in the town, so for lack of a better one, everypony who could, crowded into Murky Gray’s bar. However, almost the entire population of The Republic had gathered to see the newcomer, so the street outside was also filled with a crowd of onlookers. After all, it wasn’t often in their rather monotonous lives that such surprises happened.

Surrounded by a mass of mares and stallions, Sonic sat on a stool at the bar, swinging his legs. Next to him, as the one responsible for his appearance in the village, stood Cosmic. Across from them towered Silver Star – a powerful-looking middle-aged white unicorn with a faded gray mane, wearing a cowpony hat with a horn cutout. It was rumored that the hat had been made from the skin of the raiders he had once eliminated. Cosmic wanted to cringe under the mayor’s sharp gaze – but the hedgehog didn’t seem to care at all that his fate was literally being decided now.

“I already told you. In the world where I came from… however, that’s not where I was born, but it doesn’t matter… now trouble came. An evil scientist, Dr. Robotnik, nicknamed Eggman, has long wanted to establish his sole authority over the entire planet. We fought off his previous attempts, but this time he tried something new.

“Eggman discovered a base with an old secret project called ‘Shadow’ – its essence is that scientists of that world once captured a hedgehog like me, but black, named Shadow. It seems they tried to study him, but one day they got tired of it, and they just froze him. Eggman freed Shadow and forced him to serve him. On his orders, Shadow stole Chaos Emeralds from me and my friends – powerful artifacts that can be combined to form the Master Emerald, giving absolute power over the universe… and disappeared. Meanwhile, Eggman has created a new army of robots and is about to take over the Earth…”

“Earth… is that the name of your world?” asked the mayor. “Ridiculous name for a planet, don’t you think?”

“I don’t give a damn,” the hedgehog shrugged. “Well, that’s it… Since my friends and I were out of Emeralds, we decided to look for other artifacts whose power we could use against Eggman. If necessary, then in other dimensions.

“My friend Tails invented a detector to find such artifacts. And in searching for the most powerful one, the device pointed to your world,” Sonic looked up at Cosmic and Silver Star, “the world of ponies.”

“Wait…” the blue earth pony interrupted him. “How did you know about the ponies before you moved here and found us?”

“You won't believe it anyway,” the alien shook his head with a grin.

Silver Star frowned. A shiver ran through Cosmic’s skin. The mayor could be very convincing when he needed something. Answers to questions, for example.

Sonic apparently decided not to run into the unicorn’s heavy hoof – or, more likely, telekinetic grip – and hurried on to continue.

“The thing is, Tails created a neural network that sifted through all sorts of information on the Internet and somehow (honestly, I’ve no idea how it all works) recons… tried to reconstruct the reality where she should have gone.” The hedgehog sighed heavily and drooped. “It painted a world full of friendship and magic, where ponies enjoy life under the rule of an alicorn princess, and order is guarded by six keepers of these artifacts – Elements of Harmony.”

Sonic closed his eyes and shook his head again.

“Nothing like where I ended up.”

The alien’s slip of the tongue didn’t escape Cosmic’s ears. He obviously knew something – something that he was trying his best to hide from them. Though… maybe he just really misspoke.

Silver Star gave a short whinny.

“It seems to me, kid, that’s right, your net did think of it. Just missed it by a little over time. By about two hundred years.”

Sonic jerked his head up and stared dazedly at the mayor.

“But how…?” the alien’s voice sank. “It can’t have been that long…! How’s that possible…?”

“Somehow, as you can see,” the unicorn replied. “Your friend probably knows better how it can be there. You’d better tell me this: how did you get here yourself?”

“With this.”

The hedgehog untied the pouch he was carrying with him and took out… a ring. Outwardly, it was an ordinary trinket for which a few dozen bottle caps could be obtained from a not too greedy merchant. But Cosmic was already familiar with the truth: not everything is as it seems at first glance.

She noticed a strange look on the face of Metal Dawn, who was standing off to the side in the crowd, when he saw the ring. The stallion seemed to be thinking hard about something, hypnotizing the round metal rim with his eyes.

Cosmic had no time to develop an idea of her own.

“I won’t demonstrate the process, they are one-time,” Sonic explained, taking off the ring. “But in general, it goes like this: I imagine in detail the place where I wanna go, and I throw the ring. It expands to suuuuuch a size…” – he spread his forelimbs to the sides – “no, even bigger… and then the portal is ready, all you have to do is walk through it.”

The hedgehog became sad again.

“I tried to imagine your reality in the best possible way, but… it didn’t help.”

Suddenly something clicked in Cosmic’s brain.

“Elements of Harmony…” she muttered and turned to Sonic, getting more and more angry. “You mentioned the artifacts that you have never seen before! How, Celestia, could you find out what they are called when all you know is that they are fucking somewhere in the Wasteland?!”

The alien was taken aback by such pressure. Ponies’ gazes shifted first to angry Cosmic looming over him, then to himself.

Then the hedgehog shrugged and smiled disarmingly:

“The neural network prompted. Think of it as some kind of magic.”

“Let’s say,” muttered Silver Star, “let’s say that everything you said is true. Of course, we can’t help you with your search because we don’t know a damn thing about your Elements and what they’re supposed to do. What are your plans? What are you gonna do now?”

“I don’t know,” Sonic breathed. “I think I’ll stay here for a while, and then I’ll go wherever my eyes look. If I can’t find any artifacts, then I’ll go back to my world, and we’ll try something else… There’s almost no time left. I must act quickly. And this may be the only thing I can do.”

“What can you do?” The mayor narrowed his eyes. “Specifically?”

“Run faster than sound. If any of you saw blue flashes today, it was me. That’s the trail I leave behind when running. Of a blue lightning.”

“Huh. Interesting… But I think I’ve come up with something better than you, sitting on our necks.” Silver Star’s hoof pointed at Cosmic. “Tomorrow you’ll go with her squad to New Appleloosa. Perhaps you’ll learn more about what you need there.”

“Uh… what?"

Cosmic was surprised, to say the least, by what happened. Scrolling through the events of the day in her mind, she realized that she hadn’t even remembered Nightlight’s words about a new contract when she wanted to "capture" Sonic. Ooh, why is she doing this…?

“Well, you brought him to us – now you have to take care of him,” Silver Star remarked reasonably. “Besides, there’ll be an opportunity to check how he is in a real case. Whether he can only run or do something useful…”

“Maybe I didn’t say it quite right,” Sonic said. “I meant that I could move faster than anything else. Faster than bullets. Faster than missiles. And knock them off their original course. Unless, of course, they were self-guided. I don’t think it’ll work for lasers, but I can get to everyone in the battle before I show up. The only downside is that I have to rest later. More like a day or two. Although the energy in my needles has no limits, the rest of my body is the same as any of yours. I may want to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, or sleep. I don’t wear armor, so a single bullet can kill me. My entire defense is speed.”

“I see…” the mayor drawled. “And what about your personal qualities?”

He looked at the alien searchingly.

“How would you react to, let’s say, a cowardly escape? Or injustice before your eyes, when you can change something? What will you choose in a moment of danger?”

“After I settled on Earth, I tried to bring justice,” Sonic said, looking away. “But Tom… a human I befriended… once told me that it’s not the hero who chooses the moment, but the moment that chooses the hero. And I’m sure I’ll be able to figure out when that moment comes.”

The hedgehog looked into Silver Star’s eyes.

“I’ve never left anyone. I caused problems, got into adventures… but I never gave up. And when I saw something bad, I tried to fix it. Believe me, I won’t hide. It’s just not my style.”

There was a moment of silence in the bar. The only sounds were the pounding of hooves and the creaking of floorboards.

“Well…” the mayor said after a moment’s thought. “Then it’s decided. Have a good trip.”

And he turned around and headed for the exit. The crowded ponies began to part before him.

“Wait!” Sonic exclaimed suddenly. Silver Star turned around. “May I ask… what’s the name of your world? I mean, the whole world. More than this Wasteland of yours.”

“Equus. According to legend, Equestria got its name from that word.”

“And what does it mean?”

“I dunno. But I hope it’s something good.”^{^[1]}

Clouds were gathering over The Republic, and it was growing darker by the minute. Another day in the heart of the Wasteland came to an end.

Cosmic continued her shift until the end, but without a drop of the positive mood she had in the morning. The mayor’s order to take that blue weirdo with them on the mission was an unpleasant surprise for her. But there was nothing she could do.

At the top of the town wall, rare torches were lit, which dispelled the darkness of the night at least a little. When it rained, they would be extinguished and taken away. Cosmic had only heard of night-vision devices in the tales of the merchants; according to the tales, the mysterious Steel Rangers possessed this technology. In the village, a supply of flares and incendiary rounds was stored in case of an attack under the cover of darkness. However, restocking them would be problematic.

Metal Dawn tried to impose and escort Cosmic to her home, but she refused. Now Sonic, who had been shown around the town during the day, was trotting behind her, chewing carelessly on a piece of cheese given to him by Grace.

“Why did I get involved with you…?” Cosmic said, turning into a side street. “Couldn’t you have shown up in New Appleloosa or Manehattan…?”

“Well, it’s not my fault that you had an apocalypse here,” the hedgehog spread his hands and took another bite of the cheese head. “Listen, I tried to imagine Ponyville the way it was supposed to be, but such horrors opened up in the ring that I decided to try something else and… –“ Sonic rubbed his nose with his finger, “– it seems I accidentally imagined the landscape from the second part of ‘Cutie Re-Mark’^{^[2]} –”

“What a…? You!”

Cosmic pinned the hedgehog to the wall of the nearest house with a single movement. The alien wriggled convulsively and tried to breathe, squeezing the hoof pressed against his chest.

“What! Are! You! Hiding from us?!” the mare shouted in his face. “Tell me!”

“Let go…” croaked Sonic. “I’ll… tell… everything…”

Cosmic jerked her hoof away, and he fell to the ground like a sack, clutching his chest and trying to catch his breath.

“What I hate most,” the earth pony said in an icy voice, “is when I’m not told something. And that’s what you’re doing right now.”

“Believe me… it’s too serious to… tell you or anyone else… right now. You’ll definitely… know everything, I swear… but later,” Sonic stood up. “When the time is better for this.”

Cosmic said nothing. Silently, she turned around and continued on her way.

The hedgehog, rubbing the bruised place, moved after her without meeting a shout: ‘Don’t follow me!’

Although the mare wanted to yell at the uninvited guest and send him back to the Wasteland. She was angry, and only the self-control she had acquired during the service prevented her from saying everything she was thinking.

Also, a part of Cosmic understood that the hedgehog was really her area of responsibility from now on, and so she should just take it and do what she was told.

They reached the right house at dusk. The earth pony pulled the door handle and went inside, barely resisting the urge to knock Sonic with this very door.

The alien stood at the threshold for a while, apparently not daring to go in, then he got over himself and stepped into Cosmic’s apartment.

She had already turned on a spark battery lamp mounted on the ceiling with a button by the door. The room was flooded with a steady white light. Ignoring the hedgehog, the earth pony proceeded to the chest in the far corner of the room and began to undress.

Sonic watched as she took off her weapons and armor, looking around the simple decor of the house.

Rough plank walls and floor – it was immediately clear that they were built as it turned out, the main thing was that they should stand. In each wall there was a window, barred with thick wire; under the one opposite the entrance there was a table and a crude stool. Two chests: the big one Cosmic was standing by, probably for weapons; and another, smaller one in the other corner, maybe for her personal things. Finally, a low bed with a crumpled sheet and a huddled blanket against the side wall.

The interior, matching the place.

Cosmic unloaded the disassembled armor together with the saddlebags on the floor, took out of the chest and spread out an old, battered oilcloth and began to clean and lubricate the weapons on it, still ignoring Sonic.

He sighed, put the rest of the cheese in his mouth, walked to the back of the room and sat down on a stool to watch the pony work.

“It’s humble here,” he remarked, obviously trying to start a conversation.

“As it is,” Cosmic snapped. Sonic was silent, forcing her to fill in the pause herself. “Luxury makes no sense in the Wasteland. Either too many resources have to be spent on it, or it can be created, but at the expense of durability or safety. No one here will dare to do either… unless, of course, they can think of something.”

“Will you tell me what happened to your world?”

Cosmic wanted to tell the annoying hedgehog to back off, but words full of pain seemed to fall from her lips all by themselves.

“A long time ago there was a war between ponies and zebras. No one remembers who started it first, but it seems that they didn’t share something with each other. Gradually, the fighting grew fiercer, new weapons were invented… until the appearance of megaspells, capable of destroying everything for miles around with their explosion.”

“Like atomic bombs…” Sonic whispered, receiving another sharp look from the earth pony.

“And once they were used. Equestria was turned into ruins and infected with magical radiation, and the survivors began to fight for leftover food and clean water.” Cosmic shook her head. “I just hope that we struck back by taking those striped bastards with us to Tartarus.”

“And…”

“I don’t like to talk about it. And remember, I have a gun in my hooves. And it can shoot sometimes.”

Sonic fell silent, but after about a minute (the mare had just finished with Argument and took up Nige), he spoke again, “Maybe you can tell me about yourself? And then to spend the night under the same roof with a stranger doesn’t appeal to me somehow…”

“Then go back to the Wasteland! What are you clinging to?!” Cosmic exploded. The hedgehog stared at her in amazement. “You came yourself, gave everyone here a headache, and now you’re bothering me with questions! Shut up and buck off!”

Sonic hung his head, got off the stool, shuffled to the opposite corner and sat on the floor, hugging his knees.

At the sight of this, something inside Cosmic trembled, and she felt ashamed of her outburst of anger. She suddenly realized that the hedgehog was also a victim of circumstances; but perhaps much more was demanded of him than of her. And at the very least, it was not entirely fair to blame him.

She put Nige in the chest, picked up Dan, and said:

“Okay, I'll tell you. But only if you tell me your story.”

“Nice,” Sonic said. “So, where to start… well, probably with the fact that in one of the worlds lived a tribe of Hedgehogs who helped the tribe of Owls fight the Echidnas for the Chaos Emeralds. But the forces were unequal, and there was almost nothing left of our tribes. Fortunately, the Master Emerald, made up of all seven artifacts, was safely hidden.

“I don’t remember my parents. Since childhood, I have lived on a warm tropical island, where I romped and ran for fun. I was cared for by Long Claw, the last Owl who knew the secret of the Emeralds.

“And one day…" the hedgehog’s voice was full of pain, “I made a mistake. Long Claw told me to hide my powers, but I didn’t listen… and we both paid for it as a result.

“One day I was once again running around the island at my usual transonic speed. And when I returned to the house…” Sonic breathed heavily and covered his eyes with his palm. “We were attacked by echidnas. Long Claw gave me rings and a map of the neighboring worlds and told me to run. I wanted to stay with her… but I couldn’t. And I… ran away to the Earth.”

The hedgehog paused for a moment to recover from the heavy memories, then continued.

“I spent ten years there, living in the forest and hiding from prying eyes. You have no idea how lonely I was there. To entertain myself, I began to follow the life of one man. His name is Tom Wachowski, and he’s a cop, and he also has a beautiful wife, Maddie. In fact, they became my family without even knowing it themselves.

“Then I… gave away my presence in that world. I just snapped and started running in circles around the baseball field, speeding up each time. So… I threw away some of my power, blacked out the entire West Coast.

“Some people started chasing me, and I broke into Tom’s house to hide. And got him involved in all of this. But we made it out. And I used a ring to throw Eggman, who was chasing us, onto a planet full of mushrooms.

“I thought he would stay there forever, but he was able to call Knuckles, the last of the Echidnas, to his side. They came after me again – and almost caught me, but –” Sonic grinned “– Tails saved me. That little two-tailed fox tracked me down just to warn me of danger. And it just so happened that he became my new companion.

“Meanwhile, Eggman learned about the Master Emerald from Knuckles and decided to find it so that he could take control of the universe all by himself. Tails and I set out to find the Emerald so that Eggman wouldn’t get it. The Doctor tricked Knuckles and, when they found the Emerald, subdued him, gaining power over matter itself. However, we were able to return the Emerald and defeat Eggman… or rather, we thought so.

“But he came back – even stronger and angrier than before. And then Shadow showed up… and everything went wrong. You know the rest. Now I’m responsible for the whole world… and maybe –” he sighed “– for the whole universe.”

“What the hay is going on there,” Cosmic chuckled. She was listening so intently that she completely forgot she was cleaning the weapon, so she began to rub the half disassembled submachine gun with redoubled energy. “Things are usually much simpler here: you’re born, see enough of the Wasteland horrors, make foals if you’re lucky, and then you die. Mostly from disease, radiation, or bullets. Few ponies live to old age here. Well, nothing great has happened in a long time. Our battle was two hundred years ago… and as you already know, there were no winners.

“I was born and grew up here in The Republic. My dad was a unicorn and worked in an armory, but his main passion was all sorts of tech stuff like StealthBucks, hacking modules and other ‘defurculators’… which, by the way, the town was getting good caps for. My mom worked in the kitchen – and died of dust fever when I was little. And a few years later, when I got older, Dad was bitten by a radscorpion that had slipped into the town unnoticed.

“I was left alone, and I had to look for something to do with my life, because I still didn’t have a cutie mark. I’ve been attracted to guns since I was a filly, and while Dad was busy with some other technical crap, I played with pistols and rifles. Luckily, I didn’t shoot anyone around me.

“And that’s why I decided to go into security. Silver Star was against it (of course, it’s always unpleasant to lose a profitable source of income!), but I managed to convince him. Since then, I have accompanied ponies on trading trips and stood on the town wall to prevent possible attacks from the Wasteland. In so many years, raiders came here only twice – but on the way, you need to keep your eyes open, so as not to be robbed.

“Later, I gathered a group of ponies I could trust. By the way, don’t mess with unicorns: they are relatives of our mayor… Sometimes we’re allowed to take third-party contracts that also bring caps; and tomorrow we’ll go just for such one. Because there’ll always be a need for those who can replace your breasts with theirs and fire enough bullets in response so that you don’t fucking die before you pay off.”

Cosmic put Dan in the chest, wiped her mouth and hooves with an oilcloth, folded it in half and threw it in the same place.

“I see…” said Sonic and looked at the door. “Hmm, I don’t understand: don’t you have any locks at all?!”

“We used to,” the mare shrugged. “But the keys were such a hassle that… And the mistrust between us was just too great… In the end, we gave them up. After all, there are only a few of us here – a hundred and a half at the most, everyone knows everyone, and everyone is in the public eye. A thief is always found – and banished to the Wasteland. And there haven’t been any cooler crimes in a long time – and there are no opportunities here. But!” she lifted a hoof. “Residents who have cutie marks vote for all punishments. And the decision is made by the majority. However, there has never been a time when someone was spared despite all the evidence of guilt.”

The earth pony got to her hooves.

“Okay, enough chatter for now. Let’s have a snack.”

She went to the dropped saddlebags, rummaged through one of them and pulled out two apples. She tossed one to Sonic and bit into the other with pleasure.

For a while, the only sound in the room was soft chewing of jaws. Finally, when only a core remained from Sonic’s apple (Cosmic had eaten hers whole), the hedgehog asked again, “Really? I mean, bottle caps are in use here, right?”

“Yeah. Somehow –” Cosmic moved her hoof, choosing the word “– historically happened. So, what’s up?”

“Turns out that you buy almost all the food? I was shown pots of soil in one of the buildings today, and it even looked like something was growing there, but this is clearly not enough for everyone, is it?”

“Right,” Cosmic admitted. “Almost nothing grows here: the earth is contaminated with radiation, the rains don’t come that often, and the wind just blows sand everywhere. You must buy – and believe me, it’s not cheap at all. You have just gobbled up fifteen caps that the ponies of The Republic have earned with their honest labor. You’re going to end this?”

Sonic looked at the apple core in his hand (the pulp had already begun to turn yellow) and threw it back. Cosmic caught the rest of the apple with her mouth on the fly and crunched it in one bite.

“I hope they showed you where the latrine is,” she said, approaching a smaller chest. “Just in case, I say, so that there are no surprises here.”

“Walk through half the town,” Sonic got sad. “Um, yeah, in this respect, I liked Green Hills a lot better…”

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

“Who else is there…?” Cosmic muttered.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Sonic asked with interest.

The earth pony shook her head.

“Cosmic? Can I come in?” Metal Dawn’s voice came from outside.

“You know I’m not alone here,” the mare rolled her eyes.

“I hope you’re not tongue kissing there?”

“Dawn, are you really a… dawn, or pretending?”

“He can take a little walk.”

And you’re stubborn, Cosmic thought and looked at Sonic.

He spread his hands, as if to say, they say, this is your business, not my concern.

The earth pony went to the door and opened it. Metal Dawn, standing at the threshold, barely managed to jump away, or she would have hit his face.

“What do you want?” Cosmic asked in displeasure.

“May I come in?” the stallion asked.

He was without armor and saddlebags, but at the same time wearing a belt with holsters. And one of them was not empty. And it seems that Metal had stopped by Murky’s bar for a couple of drinks before coming.

“Just be quick.” Cosmic stepped aside, letting him pass. “I’m not gonna look at your face all night.”

The stallion went inside and glared at Sonic with disgust. He made a facepalm (the mare almost thought "facehoof" out of habit) and stomped to the exit.

Metal Dawn watched the hedgehog go and slammed the door behind him with a kick of his hind hooves. And then he turned to Cosmic.

“What are you doin’?” she asked. “You want me to kick you out of the team? The fact that you fucked me a few times while we served together doesn’t mean anything. I have no feelings for you, and you know it perfectly well. And that doesn’t make you any better. Just the opposite.”

“And who do you run to if not to me when it’s time, huh?” His voice was deep and threatening. “To Snow? Or maybe to Spark? Or both at once? Oh yes, it must be so exciting to be wrapped in wings…”

“Don’t be silly.” With each passing second, Cosmic disliked this conversation more and more. “I hoofle it all myself. And you go sleep it off. After all, we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“In The Republic, you know, there are so few ponies…” the stallion spoke unexpectedly charmingly. “To resist external enemies, we need to increase the population. And there’s only one way to do it… wouldn’t you like to do it yourself, hmm?” His tone became harsh again, “Or do you wanna suffer the same fate as Life Bloom?”

“What’s he got to do with it…?” Cosmic groaned and looked at Metal Dawn not even with disdain, but with pity. “You know, in other situations I wouldn’t mind having foals. For example, when I get bored with security. But not now. And not with you, you drunken bastard. Go away. Otherwise, I’ll tell Silver Star everything. What do you think he’ll do to you?”

“No, you won’t tell anyone,” Metal Dawn shook his head with a grin. “You will be ashamed to expose yourself in front of everyone as a weak filly who can only hide behind others…”

Suddenly his grin turned evil. He slapped the button on his holster with his hoof, tossing the gun away, and caught it in his teeth.

The muzzle of the revolver rested against Cosmic’s neck. Immediately, powerful hooves landed on her back, pinning her to the floor.

The mare took advantage of this – she fell sharply and rolled to the side. Having lost his balance, Metal Dawn fell to the ground – but immediately jumped up with an angry growl through the weapon clenched in his mouth.

Meanwhile, Cosmic was already at the chest. Open the lid, snatch out the necessary – and now the ten-millimeter pupil of a much faster firing gun was looking at the stallion. And most importantly – loaded too.

He seemed confused. But Cosmic was more than determined.

Drilling Metal Dawn with a look that didn’t bode well, she took a step toward him. Then another one, coming very close… and drove her hoof into his face with all her power, knocking the revolver out of his grip along with a couple of teeth.

The stallion was thrown a few steps away; he fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

“You’ll regret this…” he hissed (after all, not the most important teeth were knocked out) and, with a bloody mouth, picked up the revolver and trudged to the door.

It swung open – that was Sonic, apparently, who had decided to have a look at the noise.

Metal Dawn pushed the hedgehog aside; he finally turned, giving Cosmic a look full of malice, and disappeared into the darkness of the coming night.

Sonic looked at the mare. She was breathing heavily, clutching a submachine gun in her teeth, and looking somewhere into the void.

“Can you… explain what’s going on here?” the hedgehog suggested calmly.

Cosmic dropped the submachine gun from her mouth (fortunately, it didn’t fire) and just fell on her stomach, spreading her hooves. She wanted to scream about how sick she was of it all, but she had no strength to do so.

And most importantly, she no longer felt safe with her team. If, of course, they were complete.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. New perk: Sherlock Hooves (level 1/3) – you notice small but probably important details, but are not yet able to build your own theories based on them with far-reaching conclusions.

Player: Sonic. The quest stage “Ask about the Elements of Harmony” (+1000 experience) has been completed. Added a new stage “Determine the location of Elements”. New quest perk: Truth for Truth – during a dialog, you have a 20% chance to gain a temporary bonus of +1 reputation.

^{^[1]} "Equus" means "horse" in Latin.
^{^[2]} This refers to the final, 26th episode of the 5th season of the MLP: FiM series.

Chapter 4. Judgement

View Online

So back at your castle when you said, “I trust you”, you meant “I DON’T trust you”.

MLP, 6/6

The morning is never a good one.

Especially when it starts with a scream. And someone else’s, with that. It sounded like it was right next to an ear.

“Aaaaaah!!! My rings…!”

Cosmic mumbled something sleepily and rolled sideways, falling off the bed.

“There are none! Who could have done this…?”

Swearing under her breath, the earth pony threw the blanket back on the bed, sat down on the croup, yawned, and rubbed her eyes with the tips of her hooves.

“What else have you got there…?”

“Rings! They’re gone! Almost all of them! Someone took them away with the bag!”

The mare finally blinked out of sleep to see Sonic kneeling, almost in tears, over the golden rings scattered on the floor. There were only three of them – instead of the impressive stock that the alien had shown everyone in the bar yesterday. And the thin belt on which he wore a bag of portal activators was, as Cosmic noticed, lying at Sonic’s sleeping place – empty and now useless.

“Weeeell…” the mare drawled in a calm voice. “I definitely don’t like it.”

She rose to her hooves and walked around the room. Carefully examining every inch, she found the fourth ring near the slightly open front door.

Someone was here at night while they slept like logs: Cosmic – from a psychological shaking, Sonic – from new impressions. Someone who was aware of why the hedgehog needed his rings, and who was also able to sneak up on other ponies and… other creatures.

But everything points to me. How ironic. You just can shit yourself with laughter, thought the earth pony and added aloud:

“No, I don’t like it at all.”

But I know it wasn’t me. I was asleep, damn it, horn to my ear! But who then? Come to think of it, it could have been anyone! At least half of The Republic is immediately under suspicion…

Then a hunch came to Cosmic. The rings were scattered, as if someone had unhooked the bag in a hurry and didn’t realize in time that he was throwing away the evidence. Which means…

She opened the door with her hoof and ran past Sonic onto the street of the sleeping city flooded with the lingering morning twilight. She turned her head, looking for any trace that the criminal might have left behind.

Nothing. It was impossible to read any tracks in the dust. Only another ring lay alone on the ground a few steps away from Cosmic’s house.

The fifth – and, as it seemed, the last one.

“Hey, guy, you’re making me a pretty good cash now," said Murky Gray, wiping the glasses.

“I don’t think I’m that happy about it,” mumbled Sonic, who was sitting at the same place at the counter as yesterday.

The bar was full again. The morning news of the theft had stirred up the whole village. Led by the mayor, the ponies searched the entire Republic. Silver Star personally inspected the homes of Cosmic and other guards.

The spot of blood left on Cosmic’s floor after a fight with Metal Dawn also didn’t go unnoticed.

“How did this get here?” the unicorn asked menacingly.

“Well, I was arguing with one” – she replied calmly – “about weapons. About comparing the effectiveness of a submachine gun versus a .44 caliber revolver at close range.”

Silver Star just snorted angrily into his mustache and ordered the search to continue.

But no one found anything. Apparently, those scattered rings were the only mistake the thief had made.

Naturally, the squads’ departure had to be delayed. Cosmic was furious and cursed Sonic in her soul, her curiosity that outweighed her caution, and an unknown intruder who made unpleasant adjustments to their plans with his act.

“So that’s what we have,” Silver Star said. As at yesterday’s meeting, he stood in the center of the room, surrounded by a crowd of ponies. “No one saw or heard anything, and besides, there are no tracks. And you,” his gaze lingered on Cosmic, “somehow managed to oversleep the moment when someone broke into your house.”

“I was exhausted for the day,” the earth pony shook her head. “Well, the order to take a hedgehog on the mission has become quite a mess.”

“By the way, I didn’t enjoy all this shit either, you know,” the mayor replied. “From what we’ve found out – and we’ve found out nothing at all – I have no idea about who could have done it. Except for one, but I don’t want to believe that even for half a hoof.”

“Let me guess…” Cosmic said, understanding what he was getting at.

“It could have been you.”

She had expected something like that, but however, the mayor’s remark disgustingly cut her soul. Do they really think that…?

A whisper ran through the crowd. The audience looked at Cosmic in horror and confusion. The mare found Metal Dawn with her eyes. But he turned away immediately.

“Yes, I realize that it’s probably nonsense, but this is all we’ve got,” the mayor continued. “I’m sorry, and I apologize to you, but… I have to put the question to a vote.”

There was a dead silence in the bar. The glass slipped from Murky’s hooves and bounced off the counter, shattering with a deafening clang.

Against the backdrop of this silence, Silver Star’s words were especially chilling.

“Who is in favor of convicting Cosmic Valor of stealing the rings and sentencing her to exile from The Republic with confiscation of her home and property?”

Something snapped inside Cosmic. What was happening seemed wrong, like in some kind of nightmare from which it was impossible to wake up. Are you all conspiring here, or what…? Oh, Celestia… just don’t…

Eighteen ponies lifted a hoof up.

Cosmic glanced at Metal Dawn again. After last night’s incident, she expected him to condemn her, even if it was just like that, but it didn’t follow. The stallion closed his eyes and lowered his head. He didn’t seem to enjoy this humiliating vote either.

Looking around the audience, Cosmic felt an incredible relief. It was the first time in her memory that someone was acquitted. But at the same time, it was also the first time that it was impossible to prove someone’s guilt.

The mayor also breathed a sigh of relief when the results of the investigation became clear.

“So, Cosmic, you’re found innocent. That doesn’t mean I don’t have suspicions about you – Discord, I have them here for everyone!” The ponies became quiet and cowered at these words… especially those who voted against Cosmic. “But you can go. And while you’re on your way, I’ll go through everything here… and bring this scoundrel to the surface, no matter what it takes!”

Cosmic couldn’t help but smile at Silver Star’s menacing look. Now she was recognizing The Republic’s leader again.

While the "quick investigation" was going on, it was already past noon. There was no sun, so the time was shown by the PipBucks of the pegasi and Nightlight. Cosmic sometimes thought of asking for one for herself, but she understood that Silver Star would refuse, and all the stocks from her father’s workshop were sold many years ago. And she would only use a locator and a targeting spell, successfully replaced in life by ears and eyes.

They moved out much later than planned, and Cosmic was nervous. New Appleloosa was two days away at the team’s usual pace, and halfway there they had set up a shelter for the night was equipped in a destroyed building. And so, they didn’t have time to get there before dark.

They walked in silence. The morning’s incident had a depressing effect on everyone. Moreover, since the offender was never found, it meant that he or she was still among the town’s inhabitants. Or – Cosmic stubbornly banished this thought – even among her squad.

But it couldn’t have been me, the mare thought. I don’t walk in my sleep… Although no matter who you ask, everyone will say it wasn’t him or her and suspect the others. And there’s nothing to quibble about: everything was too well planned.

Obviously, others had similar thoughts. Metal Dawn and Snow Vision, who were leading the march, squinted at each other, Spark and Stream soared above, covering everyone from the air, and Nightlight looked at the world through her dark glasses with her usual stony expression.

And only Sonic, walking beside Cosmic in the middle, didn’t seem to share the general gloom. He had calmed down quickly after losing the rings, and now he was turning his head, taking in the landscapes of Wasteland with his eyes. Sometimes he broke into a run, circling the crippled, poisoned land like a real blue lightning, as if he still couldn’t believe that this world had failed his expectations.

But for each such ring, you can get a hundred, or even half a thousand caps! Cosmic thought. Oh, of course, the thief must have known what they were doing, otherwise it all wouldn’t make any sense. But wandering through the worlds? She jerked her head. I wouldn’t dare. There is another, much more attractive option – to sell them. If you spend one on a demonstration, then you can get enough caps to last for ten years or more. But again… where and to whom to sell and then what to do with such a big piece? That is, if they don’t kill you instead of paying…

Suddenly, a hunch came to mind that almost made Cosmic to stumble out of the blue. The mare kept walking, staring into the void in front of her, and her heart was pounding wildly with excitement.

New Appleloosa! If you wanna get rid of something, it’s only there! Damn, they even do business with slavers, and there are plenty of regular dealers as well. Surely there’ll be someone smart and rich enough to buy such a rarity.

But fuck me the Canterlot ghoul… It turns out that the criminal is one of us!

She glanced furtively around the group, mentally trying on each of them. It was unpleasant for her to suspect those with whom she had been guarding other ponies and fighting side by side for several years; it left a nasty "aftertaste" in her soul.

But Cosmic had no choice.

The pegasi? Oh, no, they’re not like that. During their years in The Republic, they always did their best – so they were even allowed to wear their PipBucks and mine the door of their house before leaving! For the sake of short-term gain, they certainly won’t want to lose their credibility… Or will they, and are they sure that their reputation will protect them?

Snow…? I don’t know here. A strange one, to be honest. I’m afraid to mess with him in a good way, so he also knows how to do things with knives with telekinesis, so just turn off the light. Shady dealings behind the mayor’s back? Yeah, that’s easy. Holy shit, I hate to think about all this… but I have to.

Nightlight? Same thing, just replace the knives with a laser rifle. In truth, she’s worth being afraid of even more. And certainly no one will ever know what her plans are. To a direct question, she will simply remain silent, staring at you through dark glasses. And pray that she doesn’t pull the glasses down on her nose and look you in the eye.

Metal Dawn… Cosmic’s teeth clenched. What the fuck are you?! How should I treat you?! Okay, let’s pretend for now that nothing happened… But still, still, still…!

“Hey,” Sonic’s soft voice brought her out of her thoughts. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” she breathed back, recovering from the stunning discovery. “It’s okay. Come on, keep moving. We have to get to the campsite by nightfall.”

Sonic fell silent resentfully. And now Cosmic didn’t care at all what he thought of her and of everyone else.

Of course, they didn’t get there in time.

Twilight fell quickly, as if a great light bulb had been turned off on the other side of the clouds. Cosmic didn’t believe the Pegasi Enclave could also control the sun in addition to the clouds: hardly any of them had enough power to replace Celestia.

It was still a few miles to the "transit point", but no one wanted to walk in the dark. Who knew what filth might jump out from behind the bushes.

By this time, the Wasteland had visibly changed. It was no longer a windswept and sand-covered expanse – instead, the party entered a sparse grove of dead trees, blackened by infection and time.

Sonic’s teeth chattered at the sight of this place. The ponies showed no emotion. They knew everything would be all right, for some of them would be on guard.

Without saying a word to each other, the ponies amicably gathered firewood, and long-dried twigs were well broken with a ringing crunch. A fire was lit, filling the grove with warmth and light. The pegasi’s PipBucks began clicking dispassionately.

Spark and Stream volunteered for the first watch. The rest settled around the fire, unpacking the rations they had been given. Some of it was canned food from two hundred years ago: beans from Metal Dawn and corn from Cosmic; Snow took out a box of "Sugar Apple Bombs"; Nightlight took a packet of dry noodles from her bag and, after covering them with spices, filled it into a tray with water from her flask. Snow opened the tins with a knife and began to eat first, levitating the others’ food over the fire.

Sonic got a package of petrified lollipops, and the hedgehog crunched contentedly on a pre-war treat.

“You seem really gloomy now,” he said with his mouth full. “You look like you’re all bitter enemies here and have hated each other all your lives. You might as well grab a gun.”

“Well, there’ little to be happy about,” Snow chuckled, picking up another piece of sugared apple with magic and swallowing it with relish. “We never found out who stole your stuff, so I want to suspect everyone around here. And to find out directly…” He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “We trust each other too much for that.”

“It was better to keep an eye on your things,” Nightlight said.

“I’m sure you’re all good ponies… well, for the most part,” Sonic said, getting a disapproving look from Metal Dawn. “And you seem trustworthy to me, too. I know it couldn’t have been one of you. Therefore…”

Cosmic’s eyelid twitched at his words. She could barely keep herself from blurting out her suspicions at the top of her lungs. The unresolved conflict cut her soul like flesh. This is so not right! So wrong…! It shouldn’t be like this! But there was nothing she could do about it. For now.

“…maybe you can tell me how your troop was gathered in general? And what do your… what are they called… cutie marks mean?”

“That’s possible,” Snow replied. “Cosmic?”

The unicorn took the food from the fire and telekinetically distributed it to its owners.

Cosmic winced as the hot tin burned her hooves. As always, she had to wait a little so as not to boil her tongue.

Metal Dawn didn’t touch his can right away either. But Nightlight pulled a fork from her bag and began greedily devouring the noodles.

Even the pegasi came closer to the fire, attracted by the conversation and delicious smells.

Great, Cosmic decided. Just five minutes of storytelling.

“Not much to tell,” she shrugged and blew on the steaming corn. “I didn’t even think that it all started with me. Did I ever tell you that I loved playing with guns when I was a filly? Well, the cutie mark didn’t appear for a long time anyway. I somehow finished school in the village, managed to try all the jobs we had there, but none of them suited me. And with nothing to do, I volunteered to guard Aunt Grace’s caravan when a pony on the regular shift got sick. The mayor was against it, so I had to prove my fitness by shooting at banks. As it turned out, it worked. And he was put in there with me,” she pointed to Metal Dawn, “also a rookie back then. To protect me, so to speak, from the attention of any rabble from Wasteland.”

“At that time, I already had a mark of my own,” the stallion said, turning sideways to the fire. On his flank, partially hidden by the edge of his armor, there was a… sunflower. “My parents grew food for the town, but their work, like in the case of Cosmic, wasn’t my passion. I always wanted to try something –” he grinned, and Cosmic shivered under his gaze “– sharper.

“In that campaign, we were attacked by raiders. Few – only four, but then they seemed like an army to us. Bouncer, the old soldier who was with us, was shot first. I started firing back, covering them and Grace, and Cosmic pounced on the raiders like a bear, with a carbine at the ready.” He grinned. “Well, we fought back. Both having the cutie marks ever since.”

“But the two of them weren’t enough for a separate team,” Snow Vision continued, looking up from Apple Bombs. Cosmic and Metal took advantage of that and started eating themselves. “Nightlight and I also had nowhere to go, and Uncle Silver called us one day and said we were joining them – or we’re talking about what we’re going to do with our lives right now, and we’ve been doing that our whole damn lives.” He chuckled. “Considering that I got my mark when I learned to juggle knives for fun by throwing them with telekinesis, I didn’t have much choice.”

“I see,” Sonic grinned and turned to Nightlight, “And you?”

Cosmic frowned. This story was the most painful for her to hear.

The unicorn with a crosshair as her cutie mark looked at the hedgehog silently through her glasses – and returned to the noodles without answering. Snow grew sad, too, and continued the story.

“It happened the day when the radscorpions got into The Republic.” Sonic looked back at Cosmic – and saw the pain in her eyes. “Several ponies were stung, but” – the unicorn sighed heavily – “not all of them had time to be given the antidote. Sorry, Cosmic, if that… Well, of course, no one wanted to deal with those critters – everyone just screamed, ran, and hid. Nightlight was just practicing with a laser rifle she had stolen from the armory. She ran to the noise and killed all the radscorpions in a crowd of terrified ponies with several accurate shots, without hitting any of the inhabitants. After that,” Snow looked at his relative with pride, “they were definitely afraid to approach her for anything other than business.”

They chewed in silence for a minute. Then Stream came up to the fire. The ropes of her battle saddle were spread apart so that she wouldn’t shoot anyone with her machine guns.

“Since then, a few years had passed before we showed up in The Republic. Spark and I have the usual pegasi cutie marks, and we can’t boast of anything interesting here. Well, like…” She turned around and showed Sonic an elegant light-blue flank with a picture of a tornado that lifted and twisted a lot of small grey dots. “Unless you consider as such a hurricane of spent shell casings, lifted into the air by the force of a single pair of wings.” The pegasus mare laughed. “Yeah, there were times… And Spark has only a yellow spark piercing a cloud as his own mark.

“For that matter, we’re deserters. They’ve been looking for us for a long time, but fortunately they haven’t found us yet. Maybe they just forgot over time, or maybe they got stupidly lazy, because as we later calculated from what others told us, a couple of fighters escape from the Enclave every year. And they can’t get enough Wings to hunt them all. That’s what our troops are called, by the way, in case you didn’t know.

“We were looking for a settlement to get away from the Enclave and join the locals faster. And The Republic has been a godsend to us. Silver Star promised us such golden mountains if we stayed…” She shook her head with a grin. “He was such a liar, of course, but we don’t regret anything. This is our home now. Our new homeland.”

“Stream, we have guests," PipBuck hissed on her buck in her partner’s voice.

“Copy.”

Stream lifted her hoof and, pressing a couple of buttons, looked at the screen of the portable device. The locator showed a scattering of red dots around the place where the group had been forced to stop. And they were getting closer.

The remains of the dinner were immediately discarded. Everyone grabbed their weapons and, without a single extra word, formed a circular defense.

Everyone… except Sonic.

“So… what should I do?” asked the hedgehog, stomping confusedly at one point inside the circle.

“Keep your head down,” said Metal Dawn.

“Quiet. They’re close,” the Spark Glider’s whisper rang out in the darkness dispersed by the fire.

“Huh. I didn’t sign up for this,” Sonic muttered. His eyes glittered, reflecting the flames, and a gambling grin played on his lips. “It’s action time.”

“Where are you –”

Cosmic turned around… but immediately froze, stunned in place.

Blurred by speed, a blue lightning flashed past her, electrifying her fur and dazzling.

The dark silhouettes of ponies seemed to be the figures of demons beyond the reflections of the fire. Leaping out of the circle into the black, Sonic clearly caught the stench that came from the uninvited visitors of the night of revelations.

Raiders. A faceless word hiding all those who abandoned to survive in the Wasteland. It meant nothing to Sonic. After all, the bad ponies in the cartoon stole someone else’s magic, did all sorts of evil things, and just wanted to take over everything. Can’t the creepypasta comics, which the hedgehog barely touched earlier, before throwing them far away, be closer to the truth…?

Or can they?

The needles spat sparks into the night, and the body jerked as if from an electric shock.

No, he can’t let that happen! Not now, when he’s just made friends in this world!

Sonic swung sideways, running up to the nearest of those who surrounded the squad. The pony seemed to stand motionless in place, as if time itself had slowed down. Wincing at the smell, the hedgehog saw in the pale reflection of his own power trail a leaky, bloodstained armor and the handle of a sharpened shovel clenched in the attacker’s teeth. A nasty combination – both in appearance and in consequence.

He rushed aside. The other raider was very young, but Sonic almost threw up at the sight of his cutie mark. “Yeah, that guy looks like he came from a broken home…” A teenage pony held a gun in his mouth, aimed over the bushes directly at Cosmic.

The hedgehog paused for a moment, standing opposite him and looking him in the eye. The pony was just beginning to close his eyes from the sharp blue glow behind Sonic. But the weapon was still pointed in the same direction as it had been before.

“No, that won’t do. Choose a better job for yourself, boy!”

Sonic grabbed the chin of a young colt, pulled his jaw down, drew out a slobbered weapon and threw it away into the black. After that, he dusted off his hands in thick white gloves with disgust.

“Oh, well, what shall I do with you, huh…?”

The decision came quickly and suddenly.

A coil of rope was tied to the rump of the disarmed young raider. Sonic grimaced as he imagined why the attackers needed it. But he immediately cheered up: it’s not every day that you get a chance to use you enemies’ own resources against them.

Let them find out for themselves what happens when you sneak up on peaceful travelers in the dead of night.

Cosmic froze, watching the chaotic dance of blue flashes. Like a disembodied spirit, the hedgehog was flickering here and there, doing something with unimaginable speed. There were no screams or sighs behind the crackling of the static discharges; but most of all, the mare was struck by something else.

The raiders weren’t shooting. And according to the positions of the red marks on Stream’s PipBuck, they were being pulled into a pile. And only the Princesses knew what the hay Sonic had started all this.

Metal Dawn fired. The roar of the revolver made Cosmic’s ears pop. And realizing what had happened, the mare broke into a cold sweat.

“Don’t shoot!” she yelled belatedly, blaming herself for her slowness.

Sonic said that in his superfast mode, bullets wouldn’t be a hindrance to him, but still…

I’ll deal with you later, she mentally promised Metal Dawn and took Last Argument in her teeth once again.

Suddenly, the "light show" stopped – as suddenly as it had started.

Spark Glider turned on the flashlight on his microcomputer. And Cosmic barely held back an expletive from what she saw.

In the bright white beam, Sonic was standing with one foot on a rotten stump. And nearby was a neutralized group of raiders. Seven ponies in dirty homemade armor were bizarrely tied to each other and in addition to the trees, forming a strange, unbelievable installation.

Their mouths were not gagged. But the raiders were silent. They must have been dazed, like Cosmic’s team, by the unpredictable thing that had happened.

“Behold the power of the blue justice!”

Sonic raised his hand over his head. His pretentious pose looked so ridiculous against the backdrop of the Wasteland that Cosmic – yes, probably, like everypony around – freaked out again.

“Step back,” Stream said.

Her saddle cables clicked softly.

“Uh… why?” Sonic didn’t understand, but took a couple of steps back anyway.

Cosmic sighed. The naivety of a hedgehog would be enough to fill a couple of cisterns and water a small town, making the inhabitants helpless against the dangers of the post-war world.

The pegasus mare chewed on the tips of the cables, trying them on – and then opened fire.

The rattle of bullets broke the tense silence. Bright flashes of gunfire from the unlit side of Stream seemed to be the eyes of a monster hiding in the darkness. The screams of the raiders, caught in their own trap, could be heard… but they faded away immediately.

Blood splattered the ground and trees. It was as if someone had blown up a bag of paint nearby.

Red is the only color that could be missing in a random picture of the Wasteland.

A couple of seconds – and the bursts stopped. The blowing wind brought the pungent smells of blood and gunpowder.

Sonic’s jaw dropped, and his eyes became like two elongated saucers.

“You…” the hedgehog’s voice broke. He looked like he could barely hold back the nausea. “You killed them! Why?! They had no time to do anything to us anyway…”

“You mean it would’ve been better if they had?” Nightlight said quietly, and Sonic shut up, still looking at the fresh corpses with glazed eyes.

The unicorn mare reattached the rifle to her back with telekinesis, approached the hedgehog and stood opposite him. Their eyes were on the same level – the very element of trust that Cosmic realized she had missed yesterday.

“I’ll tell you how it could’ve been,” Nightlight continued. “If we hadn’t killed them, they would’ve killed us, then raped, dismembered, and eaten the corpses, and taken all of our belongings and weapons. With their newfound firepower, they would’ve taken a couple of villages – or invaded our Republic. And the town would lose its best fighters and resources for defense, so the defenders would have a hard time if they’re attacked. But the main thing is that we’d not be able to ensure the safety of the trade caravans. The town would earn less caps, and the inhabitants would begin to starve – and eventually they’d die themselves, or die too, but already as raiders. So, by killing them,” she waved her hoof towards the massacre, “we thereby saved ourselves and another one or two hundred ponies.” A hoof rested on Sonic’s chest. “Including your fucking ungrateful ass.”

She walked back to the fire. Everyone else in the party just stood there, not knowing what to say or do.

Cosmic looked at her can of half-eaten corn – and threw the food far into the darkness with a powerful kick. Her appetite was completely gone. It was necessary to get out and look for another campsite.

Sonic put his head in his hands and sat down on the ground where he was standing. Stifled sobs could be heard from him.

Stream Dash came up to the hedgehog and stood beside him.

“This ain’t kinda superhero movie for kids, hedgehog,” she said softly. “Strike first – or the Wasteland will eat you up. Gobble you up whole.”

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. New perk: Pokerface – you remain calm even in stressful situations. This gives you +5% stamina and +2 stealth.

Player: Sonic. New perk: Blue Justice – Lightning mode has been upgraded to level 2, which increases movement speed to +3000% and reduces stamina consumption to -60%. When encountering enemies, requires 30% less action points for activation.

Chapter 5. Contract

View Online

– You can get anything you want here!
– If’n you got the goods to trade for it.

MLP, 4/22

The faint, diffuse light shone through the slightly opened shutters, and the room was dark. Sonic had strictly forbidden to open them any further, so the squad members left the hedgehog here and went on their way.

Of course, the first thing Sonic did was to open the heavy shutters on the windows, which had once been put up by Cosmic’s fighters to protect the building that had become their unofficial base outside. But the view of the Wasteland was so bleak that the hedgehog slammed the shutters back down – and now sat on the cluttered wooden floor, hugging his knees and staring into the darkness before him.

It smelled of dust, mold, and dirt. The building had clearly not been actively used in a long time.

There was only one way to explain the presence of a dilapidated two-story building in the middle of nowhere – transportation. But there were no railroads nearby (the nearest one was a few miles to the north, connecting Ponyville to New Appleloosa), and Cosmic said the house might not have been a station, but an inn on the road between the towns. At least that was suggested by the spacious lobby, which, judging by the tables and counter, served as dining room and bar at once. There were also several rooms on the second floor, untouched by time and weapons.

They had reached this place late at night. After the encounter with the raiders, no one wanted to stay there until morning, so they decided to make up for the lost time before they started their trek. With the flashlights on their PipBucks, Spark and Stream, along with Nightlight, demined the approaches to the hut – and immediately mined back once the others were inside. Cosmic said it was usual for them to do that.

These ponies were clearly crazy. Just the wacky, complete lunatics! But they really knew how to survive out here.

The rest of the night went by quietly. Suddenly the building had a working latrine, which was a miracle by local standards, though Cosmic said the water still smelled of magical radiation. Having gone there between periods of restless sleep, the hedgehog saw Metal Dawn on duty in the hall from the inner balcony on his way to his room. The stallion was leisurely pacing from side to side with a revolver in his teeth. Sonic shuddered; a shiver ran down his spine. Yeah, he didn’t want to know what that pony was thinking.

On the upper level, there was a corridor with several doors; the far end of it seemed to have been destroyed at some point, so it was littered with rubble and debris for protection. It was quiet here too. Only Cosmic, Metal Dawn and Sonic himself were in separate rooms – the latter two were empty for the moment, and the blue earth pony was probably asleep. No sound came from Snow and Nightlight’s room either.

As the hedgehog approached the door behind which the pegasi were, he heard muffled groans and paused, lost in speculation. But then he rolled his eyes, shook his head, and finally went to himself.

The night was coming to an end, and it would be good to get some sleep before tomorrow.

As it turned out later, in vain.

“…But why without me?” Sonic asked, his voice ringing with resentment. “I don’t understand…”

“Let’s mentally go back to the day before yesterday and remember the impression you made on The Republic,” Cosmic replied. She looked slightly sad – obviously it was still not easy for her to make such a decision. “I almost shot you out of caution. What do you think the guards on the walls of New Appleloosa will think?”

“But I'll be with you! They know you well.”

“Us, yes,” Nightlight said. “Not you. And that might raise some questions for us.” She slowly lowered her dark glasses to her nose and looked at Sonic with hypnotic red-pink eyes. “And we don’t want that, do we?”

The unicorn mare’s eyes, so bright in the morning darkness, flashed with a strange, unknown power. The hedgehog gasped, swallowed, and took several steps back. His knees trembled.

Nightlight grinned out of the corner of her mouth (it looked just as creepy with her glowing eyes), calmly put her glasses back on, and walked back toward the exit where the others were already gathered.

“Trust me, it’ll be better,” Cosmic said, correcting the carbine on her back. “I’ll be sure to ask what you’re looking for. But for now, we must get the contract. And on the way back we’ll come here and get you.”

“Okay…” Sonic looked anxiously at the doors through which everyone started to leave. “But… you’re not gonna booby-trap the whole –”

The memory receded.

The hedgehog pounded his fist on the ground, clenched his teeth and groaned. Why is it always so hard?! Why can’t they just show a little more trust?! What the hell is wrong with this place?!

Everything’s wrong. From the fallen bombs to the showdown between Cosmic and Metal Dawn. And the barrage of plasma mines around the house where Sonic was left.

“How am I supposed to look for the fucking Elements?!” he shouted in frustration, jumping up and kicking the wooden wall of the house. Then he hopped onto one foot, grimacing in pain and holding his sneaker over the bruised area.

A thought came to him, why don’t I just run around in my favorite style and blow up all these mines, get free and keep looking?

Sonic sighed, let go of his leg, which was shooting pain into his bruised fingers, and rested his forehead against the solid wall. Then he stepped back and began to bang his head against the boards.

“Think! Think! Think…!”

After a dozen blows, his skull was throbbing with intense pain. Sonic slumped back against the wall and slid down, exhausted, to sit on the floor.

A white-gloved hand touched the string around his neck, where he now wore the remaining rings. And at the same moment, the despair faded a little, and somewhere in the back of his mind, a faint hope flickered.

“Yeah,” Sonic said quietly, “I guess I gotta do this now. Tails said he needed some time to fine-tune the detector, but... Damn me John Wick, it’s been already two days! If Eggman hasn’t struck yet, we’d better hurry.”

He untied the string and took one ring off, then put the others back.

A second later, the room lit up with golden light.

New Appleloosa was something like The Republic – or vice versa? The town, notorious for its ties to the slavers, was built around railroad tracks and consisted entirely of old railroad cars, whereas in Cosmic’s hometown they barely made up a quarter of the outer wall. And one could only guess how the wind had carried so much metal so far into the Wasteland – at least here all the iron was in its proper place.

The guards on the walls were quite serious – Cosmic noticed with a trained eye that the one above the gate had a lever shotgun and a sniper rifle. Last time it had been a hunting carbine and a weak rechargeable laser rifle. The arsenal must have been updated a few months ago.

“Who’re you?!” yelled a stallion with a shotgun from the wall of train cars.

A rookie on the shift, probably.

“Ivory, tell your partner to learn those who come here to work!” Snow Vision shouted back. “And give him a kick in the ass so he learns to aim properly!” At Cosmic’s chuckle, the unicorn explained, “He kept moving the barrel from one of us to the other, like he couldn’t decide. Though had to pick the second most important target and led him, since the other one has a sniper rifle. Sorry, Stream, but when I said target, I meant you”.

“Come on,” the pegasus mare waved her hoof and ruffled her colorful mane. “Being second ain’t so bad. Especially,” she nudged Spark lightly with her flank, “after the coolest pegasus in the Wasteland.”

Spark Glider smiled silently and playfully nuzzled his marefriend.

Cosmic snorted: even after what they’d been through yesterday, the two of them had been enjoying themselves for half the night, keeping her awake with their screams. The pegasi were clearly planning to take every bit of happiness they could get.

Meanwhile, on the wall, the guards were squabbling. Finally, they stopped bickering, and a sniper pony named Ivory waved down: open the doors, then.

The heavy steel gates, much stronger than those of The Republic, swung slowly inward. Everyone was required to surrender their weapons at the entrance. It was standard procedure, but it was still painful to see the rifles and battle saddles that had served the troopers faithfully for years unloaded and locked in crates at the ground sentry; Snow Vision had his knives taken away. It was as if a vital part had been torn from them.

Disarmed, the mercenaries entered the town.

It was almost dusk, so the motley group wasted no time and headed straight for the highest tower in the settlement, which was no less than four train cars high.

Cosmic remembered the saying of the local sheriff, Railright, which he had once uttered over a glass of apple whiskey, “Al’ roads lead t’ New Ap’loosa, an’ al’ roads in New Ap’loosa lead t’ the Turnpike Tavern.”

At least he wasn’t wrong about the latter.

The tavern greeted the group with the sound of voices and the smell of sweat mixed with cheap alcohol. Due to the late hour, the place was packed, but some ponies, seeing them enter, rushed to clear one of the tables where the mercenaries sat. That’s what reputation means, Cosmic thought with a grin.

The radio was playing music, barely discernible over the general din. As always – DJ Pon-3 sounded everywhere in this fucking Wasteland.

Snow went to the bar to get drinks for everyone, as well as to arrange to stay overnight. That shouldn’t be a problem – the group usually rented an entire floor at the top of the tower for the night. They couldn’t afford to stay any longer – Silver Star demanded an accounting of every cap spent. But there was usually no need for a longer wait: there was always a merchant, or even a few, willing to hire guards for their caravan. Especially such… representative ones.

“Heh, how long d’you think we’ll have to wait for someone to offer us a contract?” Stream Dash asked with a chuckle.

The pegasus mare leaned back, remembering belatedly that she was sitting on a scrap metal banquette, and flapped her wings a few times to keep herself in place.

“Until tomorrow, at least,” Metal Dawn said with a hoof wag. “We can’t be so lucky to get hired every time we go out. There aren’t many merchants in the Wasteland, and they don’t have so many caps that things can come together with enviable regularity.”

“There’ll be some here soon,” Spark Glider grinned, resting his elbow on the tabletop. “We’ll finish this quickly an’ go t’ sleep. An’ then…”

He leaned over to Stream’s ear and whispered something that made her laugh and blush at the same time.

“An hour, give or take,” Cosmic said. “Not as soon as we’d like, but it should be done today. Provided, of course, that the pony who’d hire us has the payment with him.”

Nightlight remained silent.

“Oh, who in their right mind would show that many caps at once,” Spark said. “If he doesn’t pay half up fron’ t’morrow, we’re just not goin’, that’s all.”

Snow returned to the table and levitated his drink.

“All right, it’s a deal,” he said, distributing the drinks with telekinesis: a glass of apple whiskey for Metal Dawn, brogue for himself and Nightlight, and some kind of cocktail for the pegasi. Cosmic accepted the bottle of cider with a smile. She wasn’t much of a drinker; besides, she was the one who had to negotiate the hiring. “We have the fourth floor all to ourselves. There’s enough room for all of us, as the third floor is already occupied.

“By the way,” the unicorn lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Apple Whiskey hinted that one of his merchants is lookin’ for some guards to get back to Manehattan. And we might fit in here…”

“We’re a mercenary unit, not a goodwill mission,” Metal grumbled, sipping his whiskey. “They’re the ones who should be coming to us for work, not us.”

“Come on,” Stream said cheerfully, taking a swig of her poison-green drink through her pipe. “What’s wrong with doin’ something ourselves so we don’t have to sit around until we run out of caps?”

“Good evening,” someone’s voice sounded nearby.

The whole company turned to the beige unicorn who came directly to their table.

“And for you as well,” Cosmic nodded. “What are you interested in?”

“I’m a merchant from Manehattan,” he replied. “My name is Monterey Jack. I’d like to hire your troop for protection on the way to Tenpony Tower.”

“Cosmic, you’re up,” Snow grinned.

The blue earth pony got out from behind the desk and stood in front of Monterey.

“Great. I’m Cosmic Valor. Let’s go somewhere where we can talk terms.”

The merchant tilted his head in agreement.

They pushed through the evening rush of customers and sat down at the bar, which had become suspiciously empty.

“So… why us?” Cosmic began, sipping some cider. “We have powerful weapons by Wasteland standards, which automatically makes our team not so cheap. Why did you choose us?”

“And how many other mercenary groups do you see in this room right now?” Monterrey circled the ponies gathered in the tavern with his hoof. “Besides, I can’t wait much longer. My cargo –” he chewed his lips excitedly “– is quite perishable.”

“Oh?” Cosmic raised an eyebrow. “And what is that, may I ask?”

“Cheese. I sell cheese.” The unicorn turned slightly so that the earth pony could see the slice of cheese as his cutie mark. “I used to guard caravans like you – I worked for the former owner of a cheese shop in Tenpony. Later, the business passed to me, and now, as you can see, I’m the one who employs you.”

“Oh, then you must stop by The Republic on your way!” exclaimed the earth pony. “Our Aunt Grace’s cheese is so good, just hoof-licking!”

“Actually, I only wanted to visit a few familiar farms on the way…” Under Cosmic’s judgmental gaze, the unicorn added, “Although... in principle, I’m willing to consider the suggestion. After all, a little more variety wouldn’t be a bad thing. I’ll let you know tomorrow if I think about it.”

“And… what happened to the previous owner of the shop?” Cosmic tensed involuntarily.

“Illness,” Monterey Jack replied dryly. “It was my foster father. It just so happened that he had no one closer to him than me, and so I was mentioned in the will. Where else could I have gotten my cutie mark?”

“Sorry,” said Cosmic and changed the subject, “Let’s discuss the terms of the contract?”

“Okay.” The unicorn also seemed a bit relieved to get to the point. “What’s your price?”

“Well…” the earth pony looked thoughtfully, “about eight days travel to Manehattan, a supply of food and water, ammunition that we might have to spend… Total basic cost is two thousand. Plus,” she raised a hoof, emphasizing the importance of the addition, “surcharges in case of encountering a special enemy (every encounter!), as well as serious injury or… loss of someone from the party. Each item is determined separately, not to exceed half of the contract value, and added to the total.”

“Special enemies? Are you talking about the alicorns?” Monterey raised his eyebrows.

“Not only that. Steel Rangers, for example, are no fun to deal with, are they?” Cosmic gave him a stern look. “Unless you have some kind of conflict with them or anyone else in the Wasteland.”

“One thousand two hundred.” The trader looked back with cold calm. He didn't look like one to be broken so easily. “And surcharges only in case of real force majeure – no more than five hundred caps for each. And I’ll decide what counts as a real emergency.”

“Two thousand, or find another squad.”

“One and a half. And I’ll settle for extra seven hundred and fifty.”

“One thousand eight hundred plus one thousand. And that’s the final offer.”

“All right, I’ll do it!” Monterey pounded the table. “Full payment up front, huh?”

“And how did you want it?” Cosmic leaned toward him. “We take risks for your own safety – and would like to receive a decent reward for it. Especially since security – along with information – is one of the most important intangibles in today’s Equestria. And often the most important.”

“I understand,” the merchant nodded. “Wow, I see you mean business!”

Cosmic pulled a crumpled piece of paper with printed text and a pen from her saddlebag.

“When dealing with such sums, and especially with the lives of the ponies entrusted to us, contracts on words aren’t worth a cap,” she said, taking a pen with her teeth and writing the agreed amounts in the blank spaces.

Then she unfolded the paper and slid it and the pen to Monterey Jack.

“Sign here.”

“I’ll read it first,” the unicorn frowned and began to run his eyes over the lines, holding the sheet with his hoof.

Cosmic waited, leaning against the counter and sipping her cider.

“So… where’s the clause about compensation if it’s your fault that I can’t deliver the shipment or part of it to Manehattan?”

“It’s in the small print on the back,” the mare sighed.

It’s a bit of a freak, this thoroughness. It’s just metal circles – something immeasurably less valuable than life.

“Let’s see…” He turned the sheet over – and almost choked with indignation when he read what was written there. “What?! You’re crazy! Ten caps per kilo?! So my… so my goods cost more than a hundred on average…!”

“Sign,” grinned Cosmic and finished the bottle in one gulp. She set the empty one aside, where it was immediately picked up and taken away by a barpony named Apple Whiskey. “After all, you want security or not?”

Giving the head of the mercenary squad a look that said, ‘What do you think?’, Monterey took a pen between his teeth and wrote his name below the text of the contract. Cosmic immediately folded the sheet back and put it in her bag – along with the pen, which she politely asked to be returned.

“I hope I don’t regret this,” the unicorn grumbled, getting up from behind the counter.

“We’ll do everything that depends on us,” Cosmic replied diplomatically… and suddenly she remembered something and called to him, who was about to leave, “Wait! There’s one question… not about the contract.”

“Hmm?” Monterey sat back in his seat. “You wanna use me as a source of information? Learn some terrible secret of the Wasteland to get out of a purely formal treaty relationship?”

“Something like that.” Cosmic lowered her voice, “Tell me, have you ever heard of artifacts called the Elements of Harmony?”

“What?” the merchant seemed confused. And at the same time, like he was about to laugh. “Is this a joke?”

“I’m sorry if my ignorance hurt you so much,” Cosmic said venomously.

Monterey covered his eyes and shook his head slightly, holding back a laugh.

“It’s just… I grew up in Tenpony, the place where the Ministry of Arcane Science was located before the bombs fell, so everyone there knows the history of pre-war Equestria…” he waved his hoof in the air, “in more detail than… in other places. Of course, I’ve heard of the Elements. But…” he narrowed his eyes, “we didn’t agree to be open with each other… for free, did we?”

“Of course,” the mare rolled her eyes and placed ten caps on the counter. “How could I forget.”

“Thank you.” The unicorn scooped up the caps, not letting Apple Whiskey, who thought Cosmic wanted to order more, do so. “So… it’s a fairy tale.”

The earth pony blinked.

“W-what?”

“Legends say that the Elements are the artifacts that embody the six basic ponies’ virtues… I can’t tell you exactly which ones. They were owned by Celestia, and after Princess Luna returned from her thousand-year banishment, this honorable duty fell on the shoulders of six young fillies, the same ones who later became the heads of the Ministries. But unfortunately, no one knows what happened to them after the war. Neither the Ministry Mares themselves, nor their Elements. So I’m inclined to believe that the artifacts were destroyed by megaspells along with Equestria.”

Cosmic exhaled in disappointment. The unicorn’s words had given her very little new information, and what was there wasn’t happy. Monterey Jack would definitely call Sonic's campaign pointless and two hundred years too late.

But wait a minute… If Sonic went to Equestria to get the Elements, did he and his friend from that world actually find the trail of the artifacts? Does that mean they’re still out there somewhere?

“Okay. Thank you,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, I was just, uh –”

“…broadening your horizons,” Monterey said mockingly and stood up again. “Yes, sometimes it can be useful. I’ll see you tomorrow. Cosmic Valor.”

She waited until the trader had gone up to the living quarters and whispered after him:

“Celestia’s horn up to your ass.”

A few hours later, only Snow Vision, Metal Dawn and Cosmic herself remained at the table. Contrary to even her own expectations, the troop leader had allowed herself to order another drink – and now she was rocking back and forth on the banquette, her ears bathed in the gradually fading hum of the voices of the ponies who had come here first of all to relax.

The news of the contract had lifted the troop’s spirits. Everyone was more cheerful and seemed to be more friendly. Goddesses, even Nightlight smiled slightly as she recognized the terms Cosmic had negotiated. Basically, the six of them would supply the city for almost a month in the next week. Yes, Silver Star might hide some, but most of the caps would go to food and the needs of the inhabitants. What could be better than knowing that your work benefited so many ponies? Cosmic couldn’t imagine.

Pleasant thoughts, soaked with cider, warmed the soul more than any blanket on a frosty day. She didn’t want to go anywhere, everything around her seemed like a magical fairy tale in which the earth pony was the main character, easily overcoming all the obstacles. Even the unpleasant incident with Metal Dawn and the humiliating trial yesterday morning had been forgotten for a while.

Life was seen as worth living, and there was still time to be happy.

At some point, Cosmic found herself alone at the table with Metal Dawn. The stallion looked at her, perhaps waiting for her to stop daydreaming out there and give him her precious attention.

Consciousness briefly cleared. Cosmic looked around - there weren’t many ponies left in the bar, and Apple Whiskey had dimmed the lights. It was time to hit the hay.

“Maybe we go for a little walk before bed?” Metal Dawn suggested as Cosmic tiredly got up from the table.

The mare gave him a long look, then shook her head:

“No, Metal, I won’t go along with that. I’m not gonna be alone with you from now on. Sorry, I’m really tired. I should probably go to bed. Are you coming?”

“Um… not yet,” he brushed it off and finished his whiskey. What number so far? Cosmic thought. “I’ll stay here for a while. And you go if you want. Tomorrow, we gotta go out.”

“Good night,” said the blue earth pony, yawned and went with a heavy step to the stairs.

As she climbed the metal bars, she turned back. Metal Dawn was sitting at a table in the far corner with a figure in a dark cloak.

I hope he doesn’t lose all our caps, Cosmic thought. Somehow she was sure that her fighter had just decided to play cards for the night. Although there had been several groups of players sitting in the hall earlier, looking much nicer.

She shook her head, stifled another yawn, and went to the floor where the others had settled.

A new day was waiting for them tomorrow.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. New perk: Master of Trade – now you can earn 20% more caps and get a 10% discount on all purchases.

Player: Sonic. New perk: Waiter – in the inactive mode, you can store unused energy; the amount of additional resources does not exceed 25% of your current energy reserve. Gained +1000 experience. New quest perk: Ring Power – you can now keep a portal open for several minutes.

Chapter 6. Shootout

View Online

– Remember when we talked ‘bout doin’ this the right way? Well, this. Ain’t. It.

Fallout: Equestria, chapter 19

“Wow! What an arsenal you have there!”

Monterey Jack watched with deep respect as the troop donned the equipment they had left at the entrance to New Appleloosa. Indeed, to an outsider, the sight of six ponies in armor and weapons – two of them with carefully polished Enclave rifles, three with magazines, and the remaining one with knives…! – was impressive. Getting involved with them was an almost certain death sentence. The many raiders and slavers who had underestimated their power wouldn’t let lie – there were only more rotting bones in the contaminated ground.

Monterey himself was armed with an old pistol that was about to fall apart. Cosmic even wanted to give the trader Nige or Dan for the duration of the trip. But there was no guarantee that the unicorn from Tenpony would not accidentally kill half the group in a real fight.

So let him go with his weapons and leave the bulk of the work to the group. That’s what they get paid for…

“Now I’d like to see the payment,” Cosmic brought him back down to earth and checked that the submachine guns could be taken out in one move.

Monterey Jack sighed and reached into his saddlebags.

“Yes, of course… Here. Exactly one thousand eight hundred.” A couple of weighty sacks went into the mare’s pack. “I spent the whole night counting them.”

“Hopefully it’ll be exactly that much when we reach our next destination. By the way, what do you think now?”

“I don’t mind,” the merchant shrugged. “I’ll take some cheese to try it out, sell it, and then I’ll see if it’s worth a permanent cooperation.”

“You’ll see – you won’t regret it.” Cosmic watched as the unicorn harnessed himself to his cart loaded with packages. “Shall we move out?”

“C’mon,” Spark Glider said, pacing impatiently. “We’ve al’ been waitin’ here.”

The heavy gates slowly opened, and the caravan finally entered the Wasteland.

The cloud cover above them was light and thin today, but without a single gap. Cosmic bit her lip anxiously, staring out at the dull, lifeless landscape; the weather suggested that things might not be as easy as expected.

A few hours later, however, the earth pony began to think that she had worried for nothing.

The clouds had darkened during the day, filling with water for future rain, but they held no surprises for the travelers. The road to The Republic was as dull as the second half of the party’s journey to New Appleloosa: nothing but twisted tree skeletons, wind, and dust.

It can’t be that good, Cosmic mused, walking in the middle of the formation to the right of Monterey, who was pulling the cart. Have they all fallen asleep here or what…? Or maybe? What if this skirmish in the grove pays off the limit of incidents for this stage as well? That would be great. Even if we can’t get Jack to pay for the extra caps, it’s always nice to come home in one piece. I wish we had an AutoDoc in town, I heard there was one at Helpinghoof's clinic in Tenpony… but then again, where do we get biogel for that…".

However, there was another surprise: the client suddenly turned out to be quite a pleasant interlocutor. Cosmic even turned off the music in the earphone to avoid doing three things at once. Until then, she was used to just listening to the player while looking around for threats.

“…How did a town like yours end up in the Wasteland?” Monterey asked. They were still talking quietly after a grudging remark from Metal Dawn, who was to their left; Stream and Snow were in front, and Spark and Nightlight covered the back. “I mean – with such protection… And how do you even live there?”

“Well, somehow,” Cosmic grinned. “To be honest, we can hardly imagine it ourselves. After all, just like New Appleloosa, The Republic didn’t appear out of nowhere. Just three old cars and some other debris – probably from an airplane – lying in the middle of nowhere, all abandoned. I think they were thrown there by some hurricane from a megaspell explosion.

“Many years passed, and these remains of civilization were stumbled upon by ponies who had fled Ponyville when it became a raider base. Using telekinesis and some of the tools they took with them, they built a wall out of train cars and scrap metal from an airplane and used the trees around the place for houses. Now there’s at least half a mile of clear space around The Republic, so no one can get up there undetected.”

“What do you live on? It can’t just be mercenary work and cheese, can it?” the merchant remarked.

If he had grinned or said it any differently, Cosmic would have shot something off him.

The earth pony covered her eyes and exhaled slowly. I’m calm… he didn’t mean anything bad… calm.

“The refugees from Ponyville knew a lot of things: how to grow plants, how to cook, how to operate machinery… including guns,” she continued, seemingly unfazed. “Everyone here has been through security, so everyone knows how to hold a gun. For a long time, the new town had a steady income from technical devices, which allowed us to expand the arsenal of defenses against attack.”

“Y’bet!” Spark put in, and Cosmic turned to him in displeasure. “Everyone’d like t’ have s’ many weapons an’ their own water talisman.”

“Even so!” Monterey Jack wondered and shook his head slightly. “Well, that explains a lot…”

The blue earth pony gave the pegasus an angry look – after all, water talismans were real treasures by the standards of the Wasteland, not to be told to the first people they met – and turned back to the merchant.

“Like what?”

“How you survived. There are no water sources nearby, are there? Basically,” Monterey looked into the darkening evening sky, “all life in Equestria is built around talismans now. Tenpony, Fillydelphia, Hoofington, Stables, they all depend on clean water, and those who don’t have access to it (like the Ponyville’s raiders or New Appleloosa before they got mixed up with Red Eye) either die out or start raiding, wreaking more havoc on the already exhausted Wasteland.

There was a bitterness in the unicorn’s voice at the last words, as if he wanted to change everything, to make the cruel world a little better and kinder.

Why "as if"? Everyone would.

Everyone who sane and doesn’t profit from the misfortune of others, Cosmic corrected herself ironically. Yes, and they probably think that their actions will change life for the better. Red Eye, for instance…

And what about me? What’s my purpose, my reason to exist in this world? I don’t know… She lowered her head. All I know is how to protect other ponies. And I do that by keeping things the way they are. And all I have to do is do my job in a way that doesn’t make me feel bad. Let others change the world, not me. I can only keep them alive to do it.

Cosmic looked back at Monterey Jack’s cart. One of the packages caught her eye, a cylindrical shape that stood out from the others. Like the tube the mare’s father had packed the blueprints for the devices he was assembling.

“What’s that?” she hoofed at the unusual object among the bags of cheese heads.

“Where…?” Monterey turned to see what Cosmic meant.

His eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched for a moment.

Hmm, and you have something to hide, hunky?

But he replied as easily as the troop leader herself answered the veiled taunt about the jobs of The Republic’s inhabitants:

“Nothing… just some cargo I’ve been assigned to deliver. I don’t know what’s in it. And I wouldn’t advise you to find out. Sometimes keeping things secret is the best solution.”

He looked again at the sky, which had gone from its former dark gray to almost black. Stream and Spark had lit the flashlights on their PipBucks, just a little, to break up the horrible darkness in which nothing could be seen within spitting distance.

“How much longer?” Monterey asked, not addressing anyone in particular. “I’d like to get to sleep as soon as possible so that we can reach your Republic tomorrow.”

“Calm down, only ‘bout a mile t’ go,” Spark glanced at the PipBuck locator. “We’ve got a good spot, so ‘ll spend the night there. Just gotta clear al’ the mines…”

“What…?” the merchant was stunned.

But it was the last thing he had time to say before everything turned into a deadly mix of events.

Cosmic’s back went cold under the armor. A gust of wind ruffled her mane, which stood on end from the growing sense of danger. Her body became a compressed spring, ready to straighten at a moment’s notice to fend off the attack.

The earth pony looked around quickly, tossed the carbine from her back and grabbed it with her teeth. Wait a minute, where…?

A revolver shot boomed deafeningly, and the white light of the PipBuck froze, pointing upward. There was the sound of a body falling… and the rustle of spread wings on the ground.

“Stream!!!” Spark yelled and took to the air.

WHOOSH! – a forty-millimeter shell from his automatic grenade launcher ripped through the air, hurtling toward the ground. The rocket-propelled grenade exploded in a flash of flame, showering everything around it with scalding dirt, including the body of the light blue pegasus mare. But it missed its real target.

It rumbled again, and Stream’s flashlight went out. A barely audible whistle signaled that Snow had released his knives, ready to slice the attacker like a cabbage. But another shot and a quick scream left no doubt as to the outcome of this momentarily unequal struggle.

Cosmic snapped out of the stupor she had been thrown into by the sudden attack. Two of those she was responsible for had just died before her eyes! She had to, she just had to do something!

“Drop everything! Get away!” the mare shouted through the carbine in her mouth, grabbing the stunned Monterey and dragging the trader away from the battle.

Another explosion sounded, and a wave of heat knocked Cosmic to the ground. Cold, nasty dirt poured into her mouth. Cheese wrappers began to fall from the overturned cart with a thud.

BANG! BANG!

The scream came from above this time. The flare of the Spark Glider’s flashlight swooped down from the black sky and disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the cart. Pink laser beams flickered as Nightlight tried to aim at an unknown enemy in the darkness. One passed right in front of Cosmic’s face, and the mare recoiled to avoid friendly fire.

Monterey started to get out of the harness in a hurry. But lying on his side was uncomfortable, and he stayed where he was, trying again and again to leave the dangerous place.

Cosmic stood next to him and aimed her carbine at the light of the PipBuck lying there. The main thing was to destroy the threat, the rest could be dealt with later.

Her tongue habitually found the trigger. Doo-doo-doo-doo-doom! – a line of bullets tore through the darkness, making her teeth ache from the recoil.

BANG! BANG!

The white spark faded, and the battlefield plunged into darkness. Nightlight stopped firing – another body fell to the ground.

Cosmic stood alone against the unknown who, remaining invisible, had destroyed her squad in a matter of seconds and nearly killed both her and Monterey Jack. Who, how, why – it didn’t matter now. She needed to do whatever she could to prevent the stranger’s plan from being carried out.

She kept firing bullets from the carbine into the space around her. The magazine emptied; the mare pulled it out and threw it away, knocking the spare from its mount with her hoof. On the fly, with a swing, put it in, pull the bolt…

Slowly, how slowly! Cosmic was suddenly burned by the thought that she wouldn’t be in time. That the attacker knew her every step, saw every movement – while she couldn’t see him. And she was powerless to do anything about it. All her training, all her combat experience crumbled to dust in the face of this stealthy and therefore terrifying force.

And the next moment – WHAM! – a powerful blow knocked the carbine out of Cosmic’s mouth and threw her to the ground.

Her jaws exploded in pain, and her mouth filled with the taste of copper. Knocked out teeth rolled across her tongue like hard, slippery pills.

The sound of a blow – and Monterey, trying to throw off the tight hindering harness, fell unconscious.

Cosmic spat and reached for Dan’s holster hanging at her right side, but immediately screamed in pain as a heavy hoof came down on her front leg, pinning her to the ground. Another hoof rolled her onto her back and rested on her armored chest.

The mare’s eyes accustomed to the darkness, and she could already make out the outlines of objects in the surrounding sea of black. Cosmic looked up – and stared at the one who had just taken several lives and looked like he was about to kill her as well.

Metal Dawn was looking down at the blue earth pony.

“You…” she breathed out, unable to say anything else.

Her body was numb again, tears welling up in her eyes, a huge lump in her throat making it hard to speak. No, not like that – preventing her from screaming. For a long, long time, Cosmic gulped air, holding herself on the verge of hysteria. The stallion stared at her unblinkingly, looming over her like a rock. A rock that, when it fell, crushed everyone the leader cared about. Metal Dawn himself could no longer be counted among them.

Finally, it got easier to breathe. The veil of tears that had covered her eyes receded, and the lump in her throat disappeared. And then came the anger. Anger at herself for not being able to stop him. And at him for ruining the lives of everyone around him in an instant, most of them irreversibly.

“What the hay?!” Cosmic darted out from under the stallion’s hoof, but he pressed harder, using all his weight, and the mare stayed where she was. Her eyes were filled with rage. “Sick bastard…!”

“I’m sorry, Cosmic,” Metal Dawn said in a low, husky voice. “I had no choice.”

“What’re you talking about?!” the blue earth pony roared, struggling to free herself. But the stallion held her down. “We were only supposed to guard that fucking cheese merchant! He paid us fairly, and the next caps were to be spent in The Republic! So why are you –”

“You think this is about the caps?!” Metal Dawn roared back, punching Cosmic in the face. She jerked her head and looked at him again with a hateful glare. “You don’t understand a damn thing about what’s going on and why all this…! I have a lot of caps now, but what’s the use?”

His voice trembled, ready to break into a scream.

In Cosmic’s head something clicked.

“So it was you…” she whispered and continued, raising the tone more and more, “It was you who stole Sonic’s rings to push them quietly in New Appleloosa! You’re the one who got me convicted for something I didn’t do! Tell me, did you get those ponies to vote for my expulsion? Oh, and I believed you… Although… after you came to my house and tried to rape me…”

“Shut up!”

Another punch. Blood flowed from Cosmic’s broken nose.

The earth pony laughed.

“You know nothing!” Metal Dawn hissed as he leaned closer. His eyes glittered angrily in the night. “Yes, I stole the rings from that blue fool, but do you really feel sorry for him? He’s nothing to the Wasteland, an empty place… I bet he won’t last a week here…”

“Why?!” Cosmic shouted in despair, clenching her eyes. “Why didn’t you condemn me to turn all around from yourself…?”

“’Cause I loved you, stupid idiot!” he punched her in the face. A splash of saliva mixed with the flowing blood. “Yes, I wanted caps, lots of caps – but only so we could be together! We’d build a spacious new home, settle everything… Discord, I’d even pay off my debts to Silver Star and Murky…! We! Could! Be! Happy!”

Something wet and hot slapped Cosmic’s cheek. She opened her eyes to see Metal Dawn crying.

“No, Metal,” she shook her head. “It’s not love, it’s just a desire to dominate and possess… whatever, but not what you think it is. And yet, why…?”

“I was ordered to. I had no fucking choice!” He stomped the ground next to Cosmic’s head with a free hoof. “Offered me a deal when I sold the rings. Gave me a thousand caps and a zebra invisibility cloak as payment and promised another five thousand when I finish and come again…!”

The stallion’s voice sank to a whisper and immediately rose to a shout.

“I agreed. I didn’t know then that it would turn out like this…! And now,” he finished hoarsely, pressing his hoof harder into Cosmic’s chest, “I have to kill you too. Sorry, Cosmic. I am not this way – life is this way.”

The mare suddenly noticed the rope tied to his knee. In a holster at his side, a revolver, attached to his leg, was pointed directly at Cosmic’s head. One move – and the earth pony would be gone, just like her team.

“No, Metal. It’s all you. Just the way you are,” she said before he could remove his foot and rolled away, gathering all her strength.

Or rather, she tried to.

BANG!

The shot rang out just above her ear. A red-hot poker burned right through her left shoulder. Cosmic howled in pain and rolled onto her side. Circles of light flashed in front of her eyes – so tightly she squeezed them shut. Now every movement made her head spin; the earth pony was almost unconscious from the unbearable burning.

Something warm ran over her skin under her armor. Blood. It was her blood. To replace the blood she had spilled when she punched the face of her failed rapist.

She could barely hear the hoofsteps of the assassin approaching her through the veil of pain that dulled her senses. Swish… swish… swish… stopped beside her again. But this time, Cosmic had neither the power nor the ability to affect anything.

“I could take the opportunity to play with you,” a whistling whisper sounded above her ear. “But I’m afraid I don’t have any more time. The slavers will be here soon, after that Tenpony sucker. But they won’t be interested in a wounded, bleeding mare. I’ll ease your suffering. But first…”

His hoof came down on Cosmic’s saddlebag. First one, then the other.

“This is not to leave the good things to the guests. And to keep you from healing yourself. I’m sorry, Cosmic. You forced me to do this. Consider it your punishment.”

The earth pony didn’t see – but she knew that the revolver’s dark pupil was pointed at her again. Metal Dawn had fired nine shots, which meant he had three bullets left. More than enough.

So this is how it’s going to end…?

Cosmic tried to get out of her seat, but her strength left her completely. Instead of the throbbing pain in her shoulder, tiredness suddenly came, piled up like a love-starved stallion and took over not only her body, but also her soul. She didn’t want to fight anymore, it was pointless.

Already falling into a saving oblivion, Cosmic had time to notice out of the corner of her eye how the blackness exploded, a pale blue piece of light rushing towards her.

A gunshot rang out. The world ended.

Note: 50% of the next level.

Chapter 7. A New Goal

View Online

— I’m afraid I fucked up again.
The tiny machine bobbed closer.
— I’d disagree with that. Why don’t you put the gun down and tell me about it?

FoE: Project Horizons, chapter 23

The double doors of the house were wide open. From a small hill, a huge orchard could be seen. The trees there were blackened and bare, and must have once grown apples.

Amazing, Cosmic thought. And they’re still growing somewhere. Otherwise, every month or two, a container of fruit wouldn’t arrive in The Republic – somewhat rotten, but still fresh by the standards of this world, which has been in a coma for two hundred years, frozen by radioactive eternity. An expensive treat, of course; the earth pony wondered how much cheaper the apples from this orchard were sold? Though it didn’t seem as if the caps were being paid off back then.

Cosmic pushed the unwanted thoughts away and turned her attention back to her Argument, which had its butt in the ground. Under the trigger guard was a dry dead stick (there were no others here) that seemed to be so easy to press on both sides to make the carbine fire. Of course, she could have broken off the spoon and pulled the trigger with her hoof, but something stopped her. Maybe it was respect for the weapon she got from the town’s arsenal, which had been a faithful companion for years.

A pity it had to end like that.

Cosmic’s ears pricked up. From the top floor came some kind of bustle and two ringing voices. Surely Sonic and his friend were tinkering with that thing of theirs again. Self-taught technicians, damn them... While she was up here fiddling with a carbine and a stick, because all the fucking weapons in the fucking Wasteland are designed so that only a fucking unicorn can shoot himself with them.

Yeah. She fucked up. Lost everyone she ever got close to. Four dead and another turned to the dark side. The Republic may survive this blow, but will Cosmic? Will she be accepted after her failure – or forced to respond for what she’s allowed to happen?

No matter. She had already condemned herself.

Her shoulder ached, and the mare wrinkled in pain. She had no more healing potions, and the last of her bandages were wrapped. There was still food – thanks to Metal Dawn, who hadn’t crushed or taken all the luggage of his dead comrades, screw him, – but not much, and the water in the flasks was running low. In a couple of days, he would have to go somewhere else to replenish his supplies – New Appleloosa, for example… or The Republic.

Cosmic shuddered and tears filled her eyes. No, no, she wasn’t ready for that yet.

And she probably never would be.

She put the muzzle of the gun into her mouth. Images of the night before last flashed before her eyes.

The night her world had been shattered.

“Cosmic…! Cosmic…!”

The voice came from somewhere far away, growing louder and then fading. But the earth pony couldn’t remember who it belonged to. Someone vaguely familiar…

The pain returned. A sharper one where her shoulder should be, and a slick, pulling pain in the rest of her body. Cosmic groaned, and the rim of a glass bottle touched her lips, wetting them with a bitter liquid.

A healing potion. Just what she needed.

So Metal Dawn didn’t trample everything! came the thought, breaking through the shroud of pain and becoming a life vest for the consciousness that floated to the surface. Praise the holder…

Cosmic put her mouth to the bottle and gulped down the potion greedily. Warmth immediately began to spread through her body and the pain eased slightly. Her eyes opened. Someone was looming over her, holding the vial of medicine. It was too dark to see exactly.

Night. Still night. So not much time had passed.

We could try to catch up with Metal Dawn and—

The bottle emptied, and someone’s hand moved it away. Cosmic leaned back, tried to breathe – and then realized who was fiddling with her.

“How did you… how did you get out…?” she said with difficulty.

Sonic shrugged – the movement was obvious from the silhouette.

“All I had to do was clear a path about a hundred meters from the wreck, right? So, I looked for some trash, and then I just started throwing it in front of me, moving forward. But,” he laughed awkwardly, “there wasn’t enough trash to go around, so I –”

“Don’t tell me you… Oh, Goddesses!” Cosmic closed her eyes and groaned again – but this time, clearly not in pain. “You threw our supply of canned goods into a minefield?!”

“What was I supposed to do?” parried the hedgehog. “Sit there and wait for you – I’d have gone crazy! Besides, you were gone for a long time, and I got worried. And when I had almost cleaned everything up, I heard gunshots and flew straight here! But no…” he shook his head, “I wasn’t in time. My speed wasn’t fast enough.

“Well,” he added after a while, “I guess we’ve got bigger problems than condensed milk splattered on the ground anyway.”

“How long… am I here…?” The voice disobeyed Cosmic again.

“Dunno, I don’t have a watch,” Sonic waved his hands. At the angry look, he hastened to correct himself, “Two or three hours, no more.”

“Was… was there anyone else here?”

Metal Dawn was talking about the slavers, about them coming here soon and taking over Monterey. But she’s still here. What had happened while she was unconscious?

The sensation of blood under the armor returned to her brain. Cosmic barely squinted at her left shoulder – it was wrapped in something. Thank the Goddesses, Sonic had found enchanted bandages in her saddlebags and used them for their intended purpose.

“Yes, some guys came here…” It wasn’t visible in the darkness, but judging by the tone, the hedgehog was clearly grimacing. “Whah, how the hell they smelled... Oh, let’s start at the beginning, okay? Well…”

“…Get away from her, you scum!” Sonic shouted, running as fast as he could to where the gunfire had come from earlier.

In the darkness, he could see well enough to see who was standing over whom and whose bodies were lying around. In those moments, he wanted only one thing: to save Cosmic while it was still possible.

At full speed, Sonic slammed into Metal Dawn, who was just beginning to turn his head at his appearance. A revolver bang – the bullet hit the ground near Cosmic’s ear. The collision sent the hedgehog and the stallion flying in different directions like bowling pins. Sonic immediately jumped to his feet, ignoring the pain in his body from the sensitive impact, and turned his head to look for his enemy, but there was no one there now.

The hedgehog blinked dazedly, unable to believe his eyes. The enemy had just been here, but suddenly… vanished? What was this invisibility? Could it be that those ponies had invented stealth during the war…?

Dumbass. Of course they could have! And they probably did! But… how am I supposed to fight him now?

He suddenly broke into a sweat as he fully realized what had happened. He found himself face to face with a pony who had gone mad and who was invisible.

And who had two revolvers.

And behind Sonic, there was only a wounded, bleeding mare.

The needles in his neck quivered with a sharp wave of foreboding. The hedgehog barely had time to jump aside when a bullet whistled where he'd been standing a second ago. Panic crept up from the depths of his mind.

No! Cosmic…! Sonic clutched his eyes shut, nipping the tears in the bud. I gotta protect her! By all means…

And he did the first thing that occurred to him.

Started running…

…around Cosmic.

The world blurred – it felt even despite the night’s darkness. There was a blue glow at the edge of his vision – a reflection of the trail he had left.

He remembered Earth, where he’d started running circles around the baseball field out of loneliness and hopelessness... and what it had led to. So now he was trying to find the line he had crossed and not to cross it again, so that Cosmic wouldn’t get hurt accidentally. After all, he was still a blur to the eye that saw in normal time.

The hedgehog didn’t pay much attention to the thunder of another shot. And when the bullet, illuminated by his electric plume, became visible and flew towards him in slow motion, he simply grabbed it with two fingers without stopping and threw it away into the darkness.

Another second of running – long and dragging, like caramel… third one… fifth…

Why don’t you shoot? Sonic grinned. You’re chicken, ain’t you?

Just then, a new insight cut through his consciousness.

The hedgehog tried to brake and was thrown out of the circular trajectory like a bean out of a centrifuge. He screamed as he flew but was silenced by his nose on the ground. Loose chunks flew in all directions; Sonic was dragged about twenty meters before he stopped.

His mouth filled with dirt; his body felt like it had been run over by a roller. Spitting and shaking, the hedgehog got to his feet and staggered back to Cosmic. When he reached the mare lying motionless, he looked back and stared into the darkness.

He was expecting something: a shot in the back, in the face, or at Cosmic, but nothing happened. The landscape around him was dark and silent – and, as it had been after the recent skirmish with the raiders, it smelled of gunpowder and blood.

The assassin who had just shot the squad had escaped.

Sonic froze, unsure of what to do. Run after him? But where? Which way? The pony had disappeared, vanished into the night as if he had never existed. So the only thing left to do was to save those who might have survived.

The hedgehog looked at the mare and gasped as he found himself sitting in a pool of blood beneath her, slowly seeping into the ground.

His heart was pounding, and his breath was catching in his throat. The alien was clearly not ready for such horrors.

“Now, Cosmic, now…” he fumed. “So, where did she keep healers here…?”

With trembling hands, he opened one of the saddlebags of the blue earth pony and shoveled everything out. It was all wrong! A burst tin can, some crushed food packets, a broken flashlight (oh, he wished Metal Dawn had a light like in a stallion’s ass…), an armor repair kit, but absolutely nothing in the way of medical supplies.

The hedgehog groaned in frustration and shook out the other bag. Bottle shards, a bag of caps, a blister of pills crumbling to dust, an intact flask of water, and… there it was! – a bag of bandages and two saved healing potions.

Without hesitation, Sonic tore open the package and began to wrap Cosmic’s shoulder. The bandages got wet quickly, but a few layers later, the bleeding seemed to stop.

Sonic picked up the potion bottle and moved closer to Cosmic’s head to bring her around and make her drink the medicine – when he suddenly heard voices and footsteps approaching. Somebody was on the way here, and not alone. It couldn’t end well after what had happened.

The unicorn, harnessed to a cart that had fallen over sideways, groaned and stirred, holding his head. Sonic looked at him, at Cosmic, then at the potion in his hand… and closed his eyes, tormented by inner contradictions.

Why is it always so complicated?! Why do I have to choose who to help and who not to help?! Especially when another option is to save myself! Why?!

On the other hand, the pony didn’t look hurt too badly. It seemed he was just knocked out during the fight. Which meant that…

The voices were getting closer. There was no time for anything else.

Sighing loudly, Sonic grabbed both healing potions and rushed to the cart. Quickly untangling the harness from the lying unicorn, he jumped inside and burrowed into a pile of wrappers that smelled deliciously of cheese.

Stomp… stomp… stomp…

Closer and closer…

They stopped. Very close.

Sonic began to breathe quietly through his mouth so as not to give himself away. Something told him that he wouldn’t be happy to come face to face with these ponies. Even if he considered that they wouldn’t be able to catch him.

This was about something else.

Cosmic… If he tried anything to defend her, he could very well get himself killed and her as well. The way the meeting with the raiders had ended had dampened his excitement; it seemed much harder now to do justice. After all, taking on murderers and psychos wasn’t like stealing a truck from bank robbers with them inside. It required… something more than just the desire to uphold justice. Something important that Sonic doubted he had in himself.

It’s easy to show off when you feel immortal. And simply impossible when that confidence is shaken.

“…Aha, there he is!” There was an unpleasant voice almost right above the hedgehog’s ear. A muffled thump and a painful groan from the unicorn merchant. “You’ve had enough? You’re coming with us. We don’t care who you are, only how many caps you can bring. And your horn makes you even more valuable.”

Another blow and the prisoner cried out in pain. He must have been hit on the horn with a hoof.

“Holy shit!” said another of the villains in a hoarse voice. “Look at the security this asshole signed up for! Fuuuuuuck… and the pegasers too… I ain’t wanna meet the guy who killed ‘em all!”

“Look!” A third voice, a bit younger than the other two. “There’s a survivor here! Even bandaged herself before she passed out… Eh, too bad she’s gonna die, but I could‘ve gone with her…”

“You can have a good time while she’s alive,” the first one said. “If you’re not afraid of getting blood all over you.”

“Shit!” A clatter of hooves on the ground: the pony jumped aside. “You should have warned me!”

“Let’s just finish her off,” huskily said the other. “We can’t take her with us anyway.”

“Alright,” said the first. “Sawed-Off, shoot. There’s already blood everywhere…”

“Do you want to waste a bullet on a mare that can die on her own?” shouted another voice. Obviously that was the merchant. “You guys are idiots.”

“Shut up!” Another blow and a moan of pain. “Put something in his mouth, eh? He’s talking too much.”

“Hey, let’s take it all for ourselves?” the husky suggested with a chuckle. “There are suuuuch weapons in here, how ‘bout ‘em, Sawed-Off? And we could use some extra food…”

“We ain’t get paid for this,” the first one, obviously the leader of the gang, reminded them. “We can’t carry all this stuff. And what are you going to do when you run out of ammo for one of these things? Someone’s going to take it and smash your face in with it… No, let’s get this off first.” There was a nudge and a moo in response: the trader was already gagged. “Then we’ll go back and get what we need. Okay?”

“Yeah,” said the husky. “Let’s go then? Hey, Sawed-Off, you got a shot at her yet?”

“Back off,” said the third. Sonic shuddered as he heard the click of a gun being set to fire. “I’ll shoot her and then we’ll go…”

No! You wouldn’t dare! Hedgehog bit down on his gloved hand so the chattering of his teeth wouldn’t give him away. Someone, stop him…

“C’mon, that asshole was right: it’s just a waste of a load,” the leader said, and I think he kicked the merchant again. “If we’re lucky, we’ll come back in the morning and clean this place out. Cager, hold him. And you, Sawed-Off, help us put our bracelets on him…”

For some time, there was fumbling, interspersed with soft cursing and clanking. The prisoner didn’t seem to resist the chains at all. Holy Keanu, he didn’t stand a chance! And even if Sonic had intervened, any one of those three could have finished off the merchant. And then both the hedgehog and Cosmic could have been hurt.

Sonic was shaking – too much for him to dare go into super speed mode again. For the third time that night. Without replenishment. Without a normal, relaxing rest.

He’d run from the abandoned building and those laps around Cosmic on sheer drive, powered by fear for the fate of the mare he’d taken in. But now the adrenaline had worn off and there was nothing left to feed his inner motivator.

Damn, it’s like hiding from echidnas! thought the hedgehog, almost gritting his teeth in helplessness. If only they would go away soon…

At last, the vague rustling stopped, and hoofsteps could be heard moving away. The chains jingled melodiously with each of them.

It was only when the sound of the stranger’s presence faded into the distance that Sonic breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed exhaustedly into the cart. But he immediately shook his head, jumped up, got out of the pile of cheese wrappers, and ran back to Cosmic.

She had to be brought to her senses.

“When did they leave?” the earth pony asked, breathing hard from the stabbing pain in her shoulder.

As luck would have it – as luck would really have it! – Metal Dawn had stomped out all the painkillers. Not just hers, but everyone else's as well. Furthermore, as Sonic had reported after checking the bags of the dead team members at her request, the stallion had destroyed half of their healing potions and supplies. The rest, no doubt, he had taken with him. Along with all their caps and Pegasi combat drugs, the only dope the mayor had tolerated in The Republic.

Silver Star will kill me. And then he’ll find Metal Dawn and kill him, too. With sticking a shotgun halfway up to his…

Sonic shrugged.

“Two hours, maybe. I don’t know!” He shook his head. “I lived without a smartwatch for so many years, and then I forgot to put it on, and that’s it…”

“What are you talking about…?”

It was hard to talk. The words weren’t forming into a meaningful sentence in her brain, and her jaw felt like it was getting heavier and wouldn’t move. It’s from the blood loss, Cosmic thought lazily. Fuck, if Nightlight were alive, she’d do something… about this… Damn you, Dawn, for killing our medic!

“Never mind…” Sonic brushed aside, but immediately became serious. “Are… you okay?”

“Can’t you see?” A faint grin touched the earth pony’s mouth. “I’m doing my best not to die. Oh Goddesses…”

It was only now that Cosmic began to realize the horror of what had happened.

“Nightlight… Snow… Stream, Spark…” She breathed more frequently. Her eyes were fixed on the black night sky. “They’re all there… And he’s got them… He’s got them…”

The mare let out a howl of pain – not physical, but mental – and clattered to the ground, sobbing. She couldn’t even lift a hoof to wipe away her tears, so tired and injured she was. She screamed – releasing all the despair that had gripped her when she realized her comrades were gone.

At all. Completely. Forever.

Cosmic didn’t believe in some kind of ponies’ paradise or wherever souls were supposed to go after death. The Wasteland didn’t leave any room for faith.

Sonic sat next to her, holding the blue earth pony so she wouldn’t accidentally hurt herself. He didn’t say anything – perhaps realizing that words couldn’t fix anything here.

Finally, Cosmic fell silent. After she had cried out some of her pain, she only sobbed quietly while the remains of something salty and wet oozed out of her eyes and flooded her face. Soon that stopped as well.

No. I must… survive. I don’t wanna… leave… like this…

Catching her breath, she turned back to Sonic:

“Listen, have you seen… my gun here?”

“This?”

He put something in her hooves. Something very familiar.

Yes, it was her Argument. Cosmic tensed and, catching herself, pulled the bolt of the carbine with her teeth. It didn’t seem to be broken. But there was only one way to test the weapon in action – by shooting. The earth pony didn’t want to attract anyone’s attention right now.

It was lucky that Metal Dawn hadn’t arrived in time and that the slavers had been too lazy to search her and take Nige and Dan away. At least if the carbine jammed, she’d have something to shoot back with.

“You can get something yourself. For protection,” she said, gripping the gun tightly and running her hoof lovingly over the worn gold letters on the barrel: LAST AЯGUMЭИT. “And kick me when they’re back. I wanna know in advance where to shoot. Until then, I’ll –”

…sleep, she wanted to finish, but her strength left her.

Her consciousness slipped back into darkness.

Cosmic awoke to a stinging kick in her side, right where her ribs were resting against her armor. As soon as the mare opened her eyes, Sonic immediately removed his foot. Cosmic wrinkled her nose as the movement tore away a crust of dried blood beneath her armor.

Her shoulder still hurt, but not as badly as it had at first. Her head was surprisingly clear – as clear as it could be, of course.

Cosmic grinned and gripped her carbine more comfortably, preparing to take it in her teeth and fire back.

Sonic touched her healthy shoulder gently.

“Wait – he seems to be alone out there,” the hedgehog said quietly, peering into the darkness as she did, where she could hear someone’s slow hoofsteps.

“Hide,” Cosmic whispered back.

If the slavers had decided to send only one of them to get the stuff, they had made a big mistake. Because the mare they were about to waste a shot on had not only survived, but was now armed.

And if only one of them remained and the other two were put down, the life of another scum wouldn’t be a significant loss to the Wasteland.

Cosmic put the carbine aside for a moment, lifted herself up on the ground with the hoof of her good leg, unhooked her saddlebags, shoved her surviving belongings into them, and tucked the bags under her back. Then she picked up her weapon again, but now she was sitting instead of lying down. It was definitely more comfortable.

“One more step and you’re dead,” she said as the unknown pony stopped at the overturned cart and grabbed the mouthgrip of her Argument.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sonic crouching on the ground behind the bodies of Spark and Nightlight. With any luck, the hedgehog would remain a mystery to this lonely guest. For some reason, Cosmic didn’t think there were many ponies who needed to know about the blue alien.

“Easy,” the irritated voice replied, and the mare was surprised to recognize it as Monterey Jack. “Or I’ll shoot you.”

In the faint glow of his horn, a shotgun could be seen aimed at Cosmic.

Blimey… We’ve obviously been hocked for a pile of caps. Me, to be exact.

With telekinesis, Monterey put the cart on its wheels and unloaded the scattered cheese wrappers into it. Then he turned his head to look for another, whispered a curse, and walked straight toward Cosmic.

She raised her carbine but was in no hurry to shoot. It seemed he didn’t want to kill her now. The shotgun was meant to be a tool for conversation, not murder.

“Now tell me…” Monterey said, his voice trembling with restrained rage as he jammed the double-barreled weapon into Cosmic’s neck. “What. The. Fuck. Was. That?!”

“One of my troops turned out to be a traitor,” the earth pony grumbled. It was hard to stay calm when your life literally hung on someone else’s trigger. “He somehow managed to turn invisible and used the darkness to shoot everyone else, leaving you to the slavers who happened to be nearby. He tried to kill me as well, but only wounded me. And then he ran away. Sorry, I don’t know much more than that myself. His last villainous speech –” Cosmic chuckled, blinking away tears “– turned out to be… quite rambling.”

“Arrrgh… Damn it!” the unicorn stomped, throwing the shotgun aside in frustration. Then he sat down on his croup and wrapped his front legs around his head.

What the hay is going on here…?

A new piece of the puzzle fell into place in the earth pony’s mind.

“Does it have something to do with that tube you were wearing?” she asked randomly. “That’s what you were looking for, isn’t it?”

“It doesn't matter,” the merchant said hoarsely. “You can’t help me anyway. Except return the contract fee. You and your damn crew didn’t fulfill it.”

“Look in the bags,” Cosmic sighed, pointing her head behind her back. “It would be too painful for me to do it myself.”

“You’ll be patient,” Monterey threw at her.

He got up and walked around behind her. Cosmic felt the magic lift her up, then put her back on the lighter bags. Contrary to expectations, quite gently: the wounded shoulder didn’t even raise the tone of its painful whine. Despite his anger, the unicorn was no sadist.

“I should be able to get more compensation from you for my lost cargo,” he muttered, walking back to the cart with his caps. “But this stupid contract only gives me ten caps per fucking kilogram… and what was missing weighed a lot less than that. You owe me two… no – three caps… Cosmic Valor.”

Said in a contemptuous tone, the earth pony’s name sounded like bitter sarcasm.

“Consider it your force majeure fee,” the mare grinned wryly. “I won’t ask for a thousand because…” she closed her eyes, struggling to say it, “yes, I screwed up. I didn’t even think it could turn out like this! And… how did you get away from them? And what, you don’t even try to go through anypony around?” she returned the taunt back.

Monterey Jack sighed heavily and seemed to make a facehoof.

“They’re all dead. I had help, and I… Fuck, I just tried to rob a unicorn filly that just came out of a Stable a few hours ago, and she hit me with it, threatening to shoot me if I even put a couple of holes in her. If it didn’t work out with her, I wasn’t an idiot to mess with a mercenary squad leader right after that. Even if she’s injured.”

“From a Stable? Really?” Cosmic’s eyebrows raised. “I thought all these shelters were abandoned for long…”

“Apparently not,” the merchant said venomously, strapping himself back into his cart. “You’re on your own. I’ll try to get to Tenpony myself somehow. Thanks a lot for protecting me.”

“Wait,” the mare called to him, then wrinkled her nose as her shoulder reminded her of a cascade of unpleasant sensations. “What was in that tube?”

“I don’t know,” Monterey snapped. “I was just supposed to deliver it. That’s the end of it, and I’m out of here. You’re a pretty good target now, you know. And a very profitable one, with all the stuff that’s left over,” he pointed with his hoof in the direction of the corpses. “Anyone around will be hit. So goodbye.”

“There’s one more thing. Do you happen to know if there are any merchants in New Appleloosa who buy up all kinds of… rare artifacts?”

“Mm-hmm.” He was about to leave, but stopped and turned back. “Why do you want it?”

“I think it might have something to do with… well, everything that’s been going on.”

“Basically, there’s this one guy,” Monterey began to remember. “I don’t know his name, I’ve only seen him a few times. He always sits in a dark cloak against a wall somewhere in the Turnpike, but he leaves at the first sign of trouble, and then you can’t find him. He’s a shady one, I wouldn’t risk messing with him. But they say he pays a decent price for some items, especially pre-war ones. I don’t know who he sells them to. Nopony knows…”

“Thank you,” Cosmic replied, spreading herself tiredly on the ground and putting the bags under her back.

This short conversation exhausted her completely.

The merchant turned and walked away, dragging a creaking cart of cheese behind him.

The mare waited until he was far enough away before turning to Sonic, “That’s it, you can come out now. And… do you have any more healing potions? I’m kinda feeling a bit –”

“The last one.” A bottle hit the hoof of her healthy leg. “The rest broke. All of them.”

“Oh, I get it.” With a leg around the potion, Cosmic drank it, but with almost no taste. “That bastard, may he rot in Canterlot, figured everything so that none of us had the slightest chance… There was one thing he miscalculated,” she grinned, turning her head to Sonic. “That you would come. Although…” she shook her head sadly, “that doesn’t make it any easier.”

“You’re not just going to lie here until you get better, are you?” hedgehog asked. “Maybe we can go to your base when you’re better?”

“Are you kidding?” Cosmic snorted. “There are so many plasma mines around that I’ll never go there. Even if, as you say, there’s a corridor there now. It’s just…” She sighed. “That place will remind me of the guys now. And that hurts twice as much.”

“I’m sorry,” Sonic lowered his eyes. “Maybe you have another place in mind?”

Cosmic thought about it. The healing potion cleared her head a bit, which was again covered by a fog of pain, so it was not too difficult to think of an option.

“You know, there is,” she said. “There’s a town called Ponyville, a few hours’ walk from here. It’s a shithole full of raiders now, but from what I’ve been told, it’s where –”

“…where Twilight Sparkle got her start in learning the magic of friendship,” Sonic finished for her.

“You… from… where…”

The mare’s anger returned, the same anger she’d felt after the hedgehog’s revelations at Murky’s bar. Her soul was stabbed again by the feeling that something was being kept from her.

“I’ll tell you everything, okay? But when we get to a safe place. I think the time for you to listen to it is almost upon us.”

Tell it to me, quickly! Cosmic wanted to demand… but there was no strength left for objections.

Instead, she yawned and continued, “There’s an abandoned farm nearby. We can go there. Actually, there’s nothing there but garbage… but it’ll be fine for a few days’ rest.”

“Good,” Sonic nodded. “Then get some rest and we’ll be on our way.”

…As the light began to fade, a casual traveler would have seen a strange sight: a blue hedgehog and a blue earth pony were walking together through the Wasteland. The mare’s left foreleg was slung over Sonic’s shoulder, and she was waddling on three hooves.

Dawn was coming… if one could call it that. Another gray, cruel day under a cloudy sky.

A tear rolled down her cheek and fell, soaking into the contaminated ground.

When she and Sonic arrived, Cosmic had just collapsed and lay unconscious all day, her body recovering from the blood loss. The healing potions had done their job, but in such small quantities, they couldn’t heal someone all at once.

And they certainly couldn’t heal a soul. Repeatedly shot with a .44 caliber revolver.

When she regained consciousness, Cosmic was left alone with the thoughts that tormented her. The realization that she could have done things differently – for example, not taking Metal Dawn with her, bringing his aggressive advances to light, or keeping a closer eye on him instead of talking to Monterey – hurt her more than the bullet that had gone through her shoulder, perhaps scratching the bone.

Now there was no turning back. She just couldn’t bear such shame.

She didn’t deserve to live while her friends died because of her foolishness. It was only fair, in her opinion.

Goodbye, Wasteland, Cosmic thought, crying silently with the muzzle of her carbine in her mouth. I couldn’t change you for the better. I hope Sonic will be more successful in it.

The hooves pressed down on the stick that pulled the trigger…

“What the heck are you doing?” a stern voice rang in her ear.

“AAAAH!”

Cosmic shrieked in surprise and released the barrel of Argument from her mouth. The wand snapped with a crack; the weapon fired a short burst that buzzed next to the earth pony’s head and bounced off the roof.

Breathing heavily, the mare stopped her faltering gaze at whatever it was that had distracted her.

Hovering at her level was a sprite-bot, a flying balloon with wings and a loudspeaker. Usually bots played pre-war music – not the kind the blue earth pony listened to, but pseudo-heroic stuff that sounded like a misplaced and ridiculous belch of the past amid the post-apocalypse, – but this one was silent. And seemed to be watching Cosmic intently.

“Think again. You might be making a big mistake,” the same voice continued from the loudspeaker.

“You’re just a sprite-bot,” the mare muttered, staring dazedly at the hovering metal sphere with her eyes wide open. “You can’t talk… Well, of course,” she exhaled suddenly, pointing her weapon at the sprite-bot. “Who are you? What do you want from me? Where the hay did you come from?”

“Cosmic?” Sonic’s face peered cautiously out of the house. “I heard shots…” He looked at the carbine. “Wait, what are you…” And then the hedgehog saw the sprite-bot. “What the hell is this?”

“Call me Watcher. Basically, my main job is to keep an eye on what’s going on in the Wasteland. These sprite-bots are proving to be a very useful tool.” There was a slight chuckle.” Sometimes I intervene to make a difference, to help someone, or to prevent someone from acting rashly. Your case seems to fall into the latter category.”

“What’s the case?” Sonic asked incomprehensibly and turned to Cosmic, who held a weapon in her hooves. “Wait, you’re not gonna –”

“Apparently not.” The mare carefully put down the carbine and leaned it against the wall of the house. “What can you do to help me? You won’t get my troop back anyway. And you don’t have any food, of course.”

“There’s always another way,” the sprite-bot replied. No – someone who’s been running it. “You must find your virtue to guide your actions. Perhaps it will become your new reason to exist… which I can see you need now.”

“I don’t know,” Cosmic shook her head. “Everything seems so meaningless… I have nothing left that matters. Fighting comrades, together with whom we went through so much? Murdered by a traitor among them. A profitable job and a good reputation? No one will hire me to guard a caravan now. My home? Would I be accepted there after what happened?”

She sighed and looked at Sonic. “The only thing I can do is help him find the Elements of Harmony to save his world. And for this one, there’s nothing left anymore.”

“W… what did you say?” the voice from the loudspeaker asked in amazement.

“Elements of Harmony. You know something about them?” Cosmic looked at the bot expectantly.

“N… no, nothing,” Watcher said deafly after a pause. “Just that they disappeared with their hosts when the world ended.” His tone dropped almost to a whisper, as if it physically hurt him to speak on the subject. “They were the best ponies in all of Equestria…”

“Tell me more,” the blue earth pony begged. “Please.”

“Twilight Sparkle. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash. Rarity. Fluttershy.” There was an undisguised bitterness in Watcher’s voice. “The six Ministry Mares who had been put in charge of Equestria during Princess Luna’s reign. But even they couldn’t stop this world from collapsing under its own evil.”

“You can see that,” Cosmic remarked. “Not even a single pony, not even six can do that. But you still haven’t given me a reason to live for Equestria… or what’s left of it. I don’t think even your virtue can make a difference. All the shit that’s going on here will stay here, and I’ll just die. Better that,” she glanced at the carbine, “than by the raiders’ hooves or starvation.”

“So you’re nervous about food?” Sonic said, laughing and waving his hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right here!”

And he immediately ran off, vanishing in the distance with a blue spark.

“Wow,” muttered Watcher, turning the sprite-bot around to follow Sonic. “I’ve never seen a creature like that before…”

“You know, neither had I until recently,” Cosmic hummed. “He came to us in The Republic, said he was from another world and was looking for the Elements of Harmony, showed us his portal rings, ‘cause of which a part of my group was killed… Anyway,” she sighed. “We’re outcasts now. So we have to find a way to survive.”

“Do you want revenge on… somepony who did this?”

“Of course I do, dammit!” She slammed her front hoof into the ground. “I’m gonna make that bastard answer for everything! He’d fired his revolvers a total of eleven times, so he’d get at least eleven bullets from Argument. If only,” the mare grinned wryly, “somehow, miraculously, I manage to find him. ‘Cause he’s wearing an invisibility cloak! And I didn’t expect anything to go wrong…”

“Don’t let your anger get the better of you,” Watcher warned. “Try to understand what you wanna do, not your inner demons.”

“To restore justice,” Cosmic said. “It’s either me or him. I still don’t absolve myself of responsibility for the oversight that cost so much. But if I find Metal Dawn and punish him for his crimes, at least I won’t be ashamed to return to The Republic. That course of action will be understood there… hopefully.”

“Well, good luck on your hard way… Cosmic, right?”

“Cosmic Valor,” the earth pony corrected and picked up the carbine again. “If you make a joke about my name, I’ll have your bot for scrap metal.”

“Not even gonna,” said Watcher.

And the music returned. The sprite-bot was no longer under anyone’s control. Spinning in place, the metallic wanderer of the Wasteland turned and flew away, broadcasting something sickeningly heroic.

Cosmic waited until he was out of sight, then took one look at the weapon in her hooves and, like Monterey, kicked it away.

Damn it – after such an incredible rescue as she’d had that night, she wasn’t ready to die either.

Dust rose in a cloud in the distance. Cosmic looked up and saw a familiar blue trail heading toward the farm. And apparently, the hedgehog was now carrying something.

The mare got to her hooves and went to pick up the carbine lying in the dust. When she came back to the entrance of the house, Sonic was already standing on the doorstep with a heavy, even if it looked, box on his shoulders.

“Huh,” he exhaled and threw the container to the ground. Then opened the lid with his foot and pulled out one of the cans with a yellow and pink label. “Take your order – Condensed Fluffy Milk with Love. Ministry of Peace, 1031 Harmony Era. Shelf life unlimited…”

Cosmic snorted at the ridiculousness of both the situation (a hedgehog bringing a two-hundred-year-old can of milk to a pony just to keep her from shooting herself) and the can’s label. And in the next instant, the mare was overcome with hysterical laughter.

She was rolling on the ground, hammering on it with her hooves – and tears were streaming from her eyes at the same time. The remnants of grief for the lost former life.

The outburst of emotions ended as suddenly as it had begun. Cosmic sat outside for a while to get her thoughts in order and to look at the huge orchard of dead apple trees, then she put Argument on her back and went into the house.

The first floor was so full of dust and debris that she didn’t want to stay there for long. Even when the injured earth pony reached the farmhouse, she found the strength to make it to the second floor before passing out. When she woke up, she found that Sonic hadn’t wasted any time either.

The stairs creaked slightly. Cosmic entered a spacious room on the second floor (the other rooms were rubble or destroyed) and sat down in the corner, putting the carbine next to her.

Near the window, a small, even compared to Sonic, yellow fox with two luxurious tails was fiddling with a large, like a packed backpack, and with the look of a terribly complex device. Cosmic even looked at her own tail – her dark brown hair was tangled and looked as lame as possible. It might need to get washed as well.

Sonic sat at the table, busy with an ancient terminal. Surprisingly, this product of past technomagical developments still worked, even though there was no power anywhere. After the "eternal" canned food, it didn’t seem impossible anymore. The spark batteries might not be completely depleted.

“How you doing?” Tails (that was the fox’s name) turned to the mare. “Is everything… alright?”

“No,” Cosmic replied shortly. “But that’s none of your business. Never mind. I…” she sighed. “I’ll manage. Probably.”

Tails looked at her carefully and then, apparently having drawn some conclusions of his own, nodded and went back to work.

Sonic said that the idea to bring the fox with his detector had come to him when Cosmic and her team had left the hedgehog alone and were on their way to New Appleloosa. There were still rings left, but there was nothing to do, especially since the main mission was at a dead end. And Tails was just the one to help them find a more precise destination.

He’d just have to get his strange, bulky equipment up to date.

“Whoa…” Sonic said, keeping his eyes on the terminal. “Look, there are audio recordings here… Well, let’s repair the damaged ones… and now…”

He pressed a button. The room was immediately filled with disturbing, menacing music, heavily laced with interference. The deep, squeaky voice of a singer sounded.

Rise up, my loved Equestria,
Rise up for…

“Shut down!”

“What?” Sonic was surprised and turned to Cosmic. “Why?”

Against the evil Zebra force…

“Shut down, I said!”

“Alright.” He pressed the button again and the music stopped. “Uh… can you explain what’s wrong?”

“Damn you…” Cosmic swore floridly. “I hate old war songs. They are here like ghosts from the past – reminders of what happened two centuries ago that we could have prevented, but for some reason did not. I hate feeling guilty every time for our ancestors who let it happen.”

She rested the back of her head against the wall.

“Maybe it was right, maybe it wasn’t – it doesn’t matter now. The whole world, all of us, made two big mistakes. I’ll tell you now, and you’ll know what they were. One day, we and the zebras decided to throw some megaspells around, either thinking it wouldn’t make much of a difference or, on the contrary, wanting to make a difference, and accidentally burned the whole world to the ground. What was left after that, you can see for yourself. And then the worst happened. We. Have. Survived.”

Sonic said nothing. He turned back to the terminal screen, scrolled down the file list, and started a randomly selected record.

The first chord was long, harmonious, and majestic. Cosmic fought the sudden urge to stand up. And even more – to raise a hoof to her temple in salute.

And then the song itself started.

The Harmony light, which is shining in darkness,
Is bringing salvation from oppressing chaos,
With moonlight and sunshine to brighten our path now.
A beautiful era is waiting for us!

Praised be the homeland, our beloved Equestria,
For magic of friendship a secure stronghold!
Forever guarded by Luna and Celestia,
Praised be our land, we are safe from Discord!^{^[1]}

Cosmic didn’t notice as she began to cry again. The sounds of the measured, majestic melody touched some strings in her soul, and it was impossible to ignore it.

And from Fillydelphia to Cloudsdale
Our fields and our gardens have stretched far away.
Alone in the whole world, you stand one and only,
For each single pony a dear native land.

Wiping her eyes, the mare looked up and away. The window showed only an unsightly present, a legacy of an even worse past, but the song gave hope that beyond those gray clouds, a better future awaited Equestria. With sunshine and rainbows.

It must be an anthem, Cosmic guessed. Composed in those distant times when there wasn’t even the stench of war here.

So let tiny spark in our souls get blazing,
And then it will never go out again!
And stronger than troubles is our solid friendship –
It was so, it is and will always remain!

As the last chorus sounded, Cosmic blinked away the remaining tears and took a breath. It turned out that listening to the anthem, she didn’t dare not only to move, but even to breathe. Sonic and Tails looked shocked as well.

I must survive, a thought formed in her brain. I must find my virtue and change things for the better. Otherwise, the Wasteland will remain the Wasteland forever – with only a pale shadow of the order and law needed for normal life.

Were there other ponies with the same goals? I think so, yes. But all of them are clearly long dead – and most of them probably didn’t die of their own accord. Are there any now? I don’t know. But if there are, their time may not have come yet.

Unlike mine.

Late in the afternoon, the three of them sat on the floor of the terminal room, drinking condensed milk that Sonic had brought straight from the tin. The canned milk was thick and sweet – just as it was supposed to be. Gosh, I wouldn’t mind living in that Equestria where they make this stuff, Cosmic admitted admiringly.

“So, what are you gonna do now?” she asked the two aliens, who were more different from each other than ponies of different races, but were still on the same team. “You’re probably running out of time, aren’t you? And you’ve been sitting here for so long…”

“Well, not exactly…” Tails glanced sideways, and it didn’t escape the earth pony’s attention.

“Sonic, you promised to tell me everything,” she turned to the hedgehog with a determined glint in her eye. “Every last thing, no secrets. It’s time. Otherwise, I’ll no longer cooperate with you anymore.”

“Good,” Sonic sighed. “Then here’s the biggest secret of all: your world is fiction. Equestria is made up.”

“Uh… what do you mean?”

It didn’t feel like some kind of revelation. It felt more like an… unfunny joke.

“In the world where Tails and I came from, there’s a cartoon show about the ponies,” the hedgehog explained. “A series of drawn and voiced stories about the kind of world I’d expect to see here. Where there’s no war, and everyone lives in peace and harmony, and when some villain shows up, the Mane Six get together and fight back…”

“And how did you get here if this world is fiction?” Cosmic asked snidely. “Do the rings allow you to go anywhere at all?”

“They do,” Tails nodded seriously. “I researched them once and came to the conclusion that they’re connected to space within the Multiverse –”

“Let’s not get off topic,” the earth pony interrupted him. “So you mean to say that you came here – to the invented, as you say, world – to find artifacts and take them with you, which are also invented, yes? That’s the craziest shit I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“But I’ve seen your country on TV! And this place didn’t look so…” Sonic hesitated, choosing a word, “wild! Where are your ideals of friendship? Where have they gone?”

“Equestria is gone. And friendship too. All that’s left is stupid, soulless magic that, like before, only unicorns have. And one simple but clear rule: kill or die. And be glad if either happens quickly.”

“And what about you and your troop…?”

“Now I don’t even know,” Cosmic lowered her gaze. “Maybe it wasn’t even a friendship, but just a cooperation for survival, based on the assumption that none of us would shoot at the others for his or her own good. And we carried weapons as if for such an occasion.”

She thought for a moment and then added, “By the way, what is TV?”

Five minutes later…

“Twilight Sparkle became the supreme ruler of Equestria? Huh. I’ll never believe this. She’s not even related to the Princesses. Then war would break out for the throne, and the Zebras would never miss a chance to seize the moment. The end would be shit anyway.”

Half an hour later…

“…Well, let’s say you convinced me.” With the hoof of a healthy leg, Cosmic rubbed her shoulder, which was hurting again. “Although it’s a load of crap, honestly. And tell me, if everything was so happy there, even with five alicorn princesses, why’s everything so bad now?”

The hedgehog and the fox looked at each other.

“We don’t know,” Tails said. “Maybe something happened one day, and this reality started making its own rules.”

“Eh, if only another episode had been the starting point…!” Sonic slammed his fist down and grabbed his head. “We’d be here in a normal, peaceful version of the future…!”

“You still have the rings,” Cosmic remarked in a colorless tone. “Why didn’t you just –”

“I tried!” shouted the hedgehog, jumping to his feet. “I told you – I tried Ponyville first, but it turned out to be almost destroyed, covered in blood, shit and corpses! If I had imagined another place, it wouldn’t have made any difference! Somehow it had become! Just! Like! Here!”

He was breathing heavily, standing with a look of rage and despair on his face and his fists clenched. The rage left him as quickly as it had enveloped him; Sonic swayed and fell back onto his butt, then covered his face with his palms.

“And what then?” Cosmic asked quietly. “Actually, I wanted to ask you what you plan to do now. How’ll you search for these Elements? And why’re you not in a hurry?”

“When you left me in that house,” the hedgehog replied, pulling his hands away from his face, which was frozen in tired sadness, “I had been in this world for almost two days. For Tails, it was only ten minutes before I called him.”

“Eleven and a half,” the fox said, and shook his head. “I don’t know what this is about. I can only think that time passes much faster here… But it’s for the best. It means we’ll have time for everything.”

“Oh, yeah.” The earth pony was no longer surprised. “Well… and?”

“I need at least a couple of days to calibrate the detector,” Tails said, waving his hand towards the device. “The energy field here is quite unstable, although the artifacts’ signatures are clear. But the variation in parameters is still too great. Both in direction and range.”

“You’ll obviously need an escort,” Cosmic said. “You don’t know a damn thing about anything out here.”

“You cannot move much yet,” objected the fox. “Your wound –”

“I’ll be back to normal in two or three days. Thanks to the healing magic… But I have my own business that’s more important to me.” She gritted her teeth. “To find Metal Dawn and make him answer for everything.”

“Maybe he went back to New Appleloosa?” Sonic suggested. “To get a payoff from that merchant? And stayed there…”

“You know, there’s something in that,” Cosmic admitted, and grinned. “Probably drinks our and given caps… Oh, I feel, he will eat the bullets by all his holes – for 5.56, nine and ten millimeters at the same time…”

“Watcher…” Tails said suddenly. “I’m haunted by something in him. There’s something strange about him – some secret he doesn’t want to reveal about himself. And that reaction to the mention of the Elements…” He looked at the mare. “Before you go, can you please call him in for another talk? I really wanna track his signal and find out where he’s transmitting from. Maybe that brings us closer to an idea.”

“Will do,” Cosmic grinned and looked out the window again at the gray, dim sky.

She had a goal now. Life made sense again for a while.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. Stealth skill increased to 50%. New perk: Thirst for Revenge – when you take damage, your stamina consumption is reduced by 20%, your damage threshold is increased by 1, and when your health is below 25% of maximum, enemy attacks deal 30% less damage. These effects last until the opponent is killed.

Player: Sonic. New perk: A Sapper for Yourself – each of your items has a 50% chance of being dropped on a mine. New quest perk: Breaking the Fourth Wall – you can convince enemies that they or you do not really exist.

^{^[1]} Lyrics by Dragonshy, translated from Russian (imitation of the national anthem as the Equestrian one). The original is here: https://tabun.everypony.ru/blog/Poetry_blog/29119.html

Chapter 8. Thunderstorm

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— I didn’t want to! I-I didn’t mean it. They m-made me do it! I-I didn’t want t-t-to hurt h-her!

Fallout: Equestria, chapter 38

Rain was gathering over the Wasteland.

Dark gray clouds, denser than usual, puffed out their bellies, ready to burst with a flood of water. The air smelled of smoke and freshness; if one sniffed, a faint hint of ozone could be detected. A distant rumble announced that the storm was near.

A lone blue mare in blood-stained armor, laden with weapons, wandered across the lifeless plain. Her left shoulder was covered in bandages brown with dried blood, and she limped slightly on that leg. But her eyes were burning with determination to finish the route and fulfill the promise she’d made to herself.

If only that bastard is there, Cosmic thought – there was nothing else to do anyway. Then I wouldn’t have to chase him all over fucking Equestria. But he could tell everyone his version of what happened, and it would be my word against his. But I have the truth on my side, while he’s a dirty liar, a thief, and a murderer. He has to answer for everything.

If Metal Dawn isn’t there, it might be better in some ways: at least I’ll have an easier time convincing the town’s ponies that I’m right. I can’t stay there for long, though. There won’t be enough caps for a night’s lodging, or even enough to drink myself to death in grief. But in the meantime… oh shit!

The blue earth pony broke into a sweat and froze for a second.

He might as well have gone to The Republic! What to do, what to do, what to do…?

Frustrated, she kicked the ground with her hoof.

In the distance, the railroad tracks and the sprawl of New Appleloosa around them could already be seen. The town looked especially unfriendly in the gray weather. The first raindrops pattered softly on the ground, and the rumble of thunder drew nearer. A chill wind ruffled Cosmic’s mane and blew into her face, as if to force her to turn back and abandon her quest.

Discord I will, she decided, and continued on her way, with only a short distance to go.

It was too late to change anything. The only thing to do was to keep going.

The guards on the wall had stopped walking when they saw her and were now standing with their weapons pointed forward. Cosmic recognized them: Ivory and another who had met the squad on their last visit to the town.

The welded steel gate was about fifty meters away when the soft sound of the beginning rain was broken by the rumble of a shotgun blast. A fountain of wet earth sprang up at the mare’s hooves; she immediately took a step back and stared at the ponies pointing their guns at her.

She was being shot at. As if she were a raider, this cancerous tumor of the Wasteland. By the same ponies that had let her and her comrades in a few days ago without much conversation.

Cosmic’s insides were definitely torn. No, it still happened…

But it was too late to retreat.

“What are you doing?!” she shouted through the wind. “Ivory, I’m talking to you! Let me in! I need to talk to the sheriff, this is important…!”

“Yer outlawed for shootin’ yer squad!” A bullet from the sniper rifle slammed into the ground. Much closer, barely grazing her hoof. - Get outta here or we’ll open fire on ya! Sheriff Railright’s order!”

“He couldn’t –”

Ugh, of course he could: he’s the authority here!

Cosmic decided to change tactics.

“It was Metal Dawn who told him that, right?! He’s lying! He’s the one who killed th–”

The bullet whistled near her ear, almost causing the mare to bite her tongue in surprise.

“Ah won’t warn ya ‘gain!” Ivory had to shout over the thunder. The rain was already pouring down from the sky in thick streams, soaking everyone to the skin. “Next bullet t’ the head! Get outta here!”

“Whatever, shoot!” Cosmic stepped forward. “Just remember: if you kill me, you leave the real criminal alive and free within the walls of your town! And I have nothing to lose! There’s no one left! So shoot me, I’ll even be glad you did! Well, what are you standing there, eh?”

She waited for the shot. Waited for the pony sniper to be true to his orders and pull the trigger, interrupting her suffering from the losses that had weighed down on her with a heavy, almost unbearable weight. She waited for relief from the pain that was shooting from her wounded shoulder straight into her unarmored soul.

But no shot was fired.

“Drop yer weapons!” came the yell of a pony with a shotgun instead. “All weapons!”

In the sky, lightning flashed.

The assault carbine and two submachine guns fell to the dirt. The other’s telekinesis picked them up and carried them away.

The doors of the town began to open.

“You!”

Cosmic stood stiffly at the door of the shabby carriage, pointing a hoof at the one inside.

Metal Dawn looked up. There was a half-empty bottle of apple whiskey on the table beside him. Several more lay on the floor.

The stallion’s eyes widened when he saw Cosmic; he seemed to sober up in an instant. With an awkward swing of his forelegs, he fell off the stool and tried to scurry away, but the blue earth pony pounced on him and began hammering him hard in the face with her hooves. He struggled to get away, but not much succeeded.

“You… bastard… do you even know… what you’ve done?!” the mare shouted at him as she continued to hit him as hard as she could. Metal Dawn’s face was almost completely covered in blood. “You have… killed… our comrades! Without our squad… The Republic… was almost… left… without defense! And you’re here… drinking… caps… taken… from… them…!

“ENOUGH!!!” yelled sheriff Railright behind Cosmic’s back.

A shot rang out, nearly deafening both fighters. Flinching at the same time, they froze where they were and turned around.

Railright, a gray pony with a coal-black mane, spat out a revolver – the very familiar .44-caliber revolver! – and looked sternly at the two clashing mercenaries.

“Well, well…” he said, shifting his gaze from one to the other and back again. “So each o’ ya claims that the other’s the murderer an’ that one’s jus’ a victim…”

“He wounded me in the shoulder!” Cosmic shouted and pointed at the lying Metal Dawn again.

“I also have a piece of flesh torn out of my leg!” He lifted the left hind leg that was wrapped in bandages (much cleaner than the mare’s).

“You shot yourself to avoid suspicion…!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

That had an effect. Well, at least he didn’t shoot at the ceiling again, otherwise we would’ve gone deaf, Cosmic thought.

“Well, if the confrontation can’t be passed in the normal way…” the sheriff’s voice was soft, deep, and ominous. “…then Ah’ll have t’ resort t’ other methods. Like... questionin’ both o’ ya at once.” His eyes narrowed. “For the beginnin’”.

Metal Dawn was lying on the floor, pinned by Railright’s hoof behind his neck. The sheriff’s left hind leg was on the interrogated’s privates, and from time to time Railright increased the pressure to add weight to his questions.

Cosmic sat nearby and listened. She had no pity for her former comrade. The rage that covered her eyes was gone, too – in its place, a cold blue flame of calculated, deliberate hatred burned in the mare’s soul.

And the earth pony wanted to know what had driven the stallion to this crime. It wasn’t just the caps. There was something else, something much more important. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have talked so much while standing over wounded Cosmic.

Outside it was pouring rain, providing an atmospheric backdrop to the ongoing action. The claps of thunder made her squirm from time to time, bringing a feeling of slight fear that combined with a carefully concealed nervousness in the mare’s soul. She was... uncomfortable being here. But she couldn’t leave either. She had no right.

Not until she knows everything from beginning to end.

She wanted to know why her fighters had been killed and why she had nearly shot herself. Maybe it’ll give her life a new meaning… after she helps Sonic and Tails, and they return to their world.

So she won’t make the same mistake again.

“…Who ordered ya their team?”

Railright pressed harder, both on the neck and somewhere lower. A long groan of pain with a hint of wheezing echoed through the carriage.

It didn’t take long for Metal Dawn to "float", while Cosmic answered questions clearly, telling the truth as she knew it. The hardest part was getting around the point about the existence of Sonic and the rings; but that part of the story interested the sheriff the least, so it wasn’t much of a problem.

The hoof on Metal Dawn’s neck relaxed a bit.

“I don’t know his name!” the light-brown stallion howled, trying to catch his breath between sentences. “He’s… wearing a hooded cloak… dark… Sitting on the Turnpike in the far corner… offered… to make some money… I agreed…”

“Why?” The pressure was back on. “Jus’ cuz o’ the caps?”

“I was forced!!!” Metal Dawn screamed, sobbing on the floor, blood and tears smeared on his face. “I didn’t have time to… think… anything… before… he stuck something in my leg! It was a syringe of something… He said it was poison and I had three days… to do what he said…”

“But he was not after us, was he?” Cosmic coldly inserted. “And a certain tube that Monterey Jack had with him. Right?”

“What kinda tube?” Railright turned to her.

Cosmic explained.

“So the merchant was the target, an’ ya were jus’ c’lateral damage…” the sheriff muttered, stomping so hard on Metal Dawn’s colthood that he screamed in unbearable pain… until the hoof on his throat turned the scream into a wheeze. “How ya got four o’ them shot?

“Night… I decided to take advantage of the darkness… I was given… a zebra cloak of invisibility… I had to act quickly so that... the pegasi with their PipBucks, where they could see my mark, couldn’t… react in time… I waited for the right moment… threw the cloak on… next thing y’know what happened… I couldn’t shoot her ‘cause…”

Don’t tell him about Sonic! Cosmic mentally begged. She still thought it would be better if New Appleloosa didn’t know about this new temporary resident of the Wasteland.

However, Metal Dawn himself wasn’t happy about including the blue hedgehog in his story. Didn’t want to bury himself any deeper.

“…’cause the slavers came just as this one had led them there… They were to take the unicorn, and no one’d ever see him again… I took the tube and ran away. They weren’t supposed to know about me.”

“Y’know what was inside?” Railright asked another question.

“Yes.” Metal Dawn licked his lips, which were stained with blood. “Some blueprints… I didn’t understand a damn thing about them, to be honest. I had two days left, so I thought I’d just take the load to that pony in cloak and get him to give me the rest of the caps… and the antidote…”

“An’?” the sheriff tilted his head slightly. “So yer wounds, supposedly from the battle, are really fake?”

Metal Dawn closed his eyes. Even though he had a break from the "special methods", it was obvious that he was having a hard time talking about it. About his deception that had somehow come out.

“Before I got to town, I” – his face twitched – “shot myself in the leg… added a few more scratches and wrapped myself in bandages. I wanted to give the impression of a miracle survivor…” He grinned crookedly. “So I did. Everyone believed me – even you, sheriff. Even you.”

“Ya seen that merchant since you got back?” The pressure was on again.

“Ahhhh… hhhh… hrr… not so much…” Metal Dawn’s eyes bulged with pain. Cosmic thought that once this was over, his testicles would hardly function at all. “Yes… yes, yes! Last night… oh-oh… when you left me here… I put on the cloak and slipped unnoticed past the guards at the entrance. We met behind the Turnpike… or rather, not like that…”

He breathed heavily, apparently remembering another unpleasant moment for himself.

“He appeared suddenly, out of the darkness… I had no time to do anything before he injected me again. My body stopped obeying me and I found myself on the ground. He leaned over me, took the tube… and told me the poison wasn’t real!!!”

Metal Dawn burst into tears.

“His poison… was… a fucking fake! To make me… do… what he needed!!! The asshole even thanked me for my work…” He started to calm down again. “I blacked out and when I woke up I found a bag full of caps next to me. He didn’t even take the zebra cloak away from me – so much he didn’t seem to care about me after I had done the job… It was still night, and I could easily return to the carriage unnoticed.

“Since then,” the stallion turned to Cosmic, “I’ve been sitting here waiting. Waiting for him to come back. To kill him. To make him pay for the way he used me! Everything that happened is his fault! Not mine! A-argh…”

“Oh, really?” Railright raised an eyebrow as he continued to test the strength of the interrogated’s body. “Ya agreed, an’ that was enough. Ya shot, an’ that’s what finally brought ya down. So don’t be happy. Ya’ll answer t’ the full extent o’ the law o’ New Ap’loosa.”

The sheriff looked at Cosmic.

“O’ course, Ah could turn him over t’ The Republic an’ let ya deal with him, but Ah don’t think either of us wants that headache. Besides,” he leaned toward Metal Dawn, “that piece o’ shit might run off on the way.”

Straightening, Railright raised his head. His eyes were full of determination.

“So we’ll take care of it ourselves. Here an’ now.”

He whistled, and one of the guards on duty outside peered into the carriage.

“Call here Crane an’ Apple Whiskey,” Railright ordered. “Tell ‘em it’s important an’ urgent. Eh,” he shook his head as the pony in the raincoat nodded and sped away, “if jus’ Calamity were here…”

“Calamity?” Cosmic asked, remembering the familiar rust-brown, red-haired pegasus. “And where’s he, by the way?”

“T’gether with Li’lPip, they went t’ an abandoned Stable not far from here.” At the mare’s confused look, he explained, "Li’lPip, the unicorn filly from the Stable. Not this one, the other, near Ponyville. Calamity shot her a while back, mistaking her for a raider. Still, they found a way t’ be friends.”

A raider, Cosmic thought, glancing at Metal Dawn, who was curled up on the floor. He acted like a damn raider that night. Actually, the only difference between us mercenaries and them is that we demand caps for what we do.

Suddenly she remembered Monterey Jack’s words to her after he had escaped from the slavers.

“They’re all dead. I had help, and I… Fuck, I just tried to rob a unicorn filly that just came out of a Stable…”

Was it really her? For the first time in her life, faced with the Wasteland’s abomination, the Stable dweller didn’t hesitate to help an unknown pony who was in trouble with her.

And in return, he betrayed her.

We’re all raiders at heart a little, the mare thought as she watched Metal Dawn, huddled and breathing heavily, waiting in fear for his fate to be decided. There is this virus in all of us. The only difference is who can resist it.

Suddenly, Metal Dawn roared and jumped to his hooves. Before Cosmic could think of anything, he pushed himself off the ground and lunged at Railright!

The mare leapt from her place to help the sheriff…

A shot rang out, causing her to slow down and the other guard to rush in.

Railright pushed Metal Dawn’s body away from him, a pool of blood beginning to spread underneath, and rose from the ground, looking down at his red-stained clothes with disgust. A revolver lay nearby, finally turned on its former owner.

“Well, so it’s over,” Railright muttered, hoofing away the blood that hadn’t had time to dry, and turned to the guard, who was staring at the wild scene with a stunned look on his face. “Make sure the body’s removed. But discreetly. No need t’ spread rumors.”

And then he turned to Cosmic.

“Stay the night? Anyway, yer cleared of all charges. Sorry for the way it turned out. Until you came, I had no... op’tunity t’ look into everythin’ in detail.” He looked at the body the guard was now dragging away. “All o’ his caps are yours now. Ya can pay for dinner an’ a night at the Turnpike if ya want.”

Cosmic nodded silently. The adrenaline had worn off, and now she wanted to sleep more than anything else in the world, and before that to take some painkillers, because her shoulder reminded her of itself again with a pulling pain. And she could eat something tomorrow.

For today there were more than enough impressions.

The steady hum of the bar flooded her ears, blinding her attention. There was nothing to think about, nothing to concentrate on.

Cosmic Valor sat and sipped her whiskey.

She had a lot of caps now: Railright’s decision, approved by the barpony and the local telekinetic, had given her all of Metal Dawn’s possessions, including the revolvers (though the sheriff had promised that she would only get the guns when she left) and the zebra cloak. Cosmic didn’t know if she would use it: the pain of the memories began to tear at her soul at the first sight of the large robe of translucent fabric with a small red crystal on the clasp.

Nothing else kept her here. The crime for which she longed for retribution was a thing of the past, as was the pony who had committed it; nothing stood in the way of Cosmic’s return to The Republic. Especially since there was no rush to offer new contracts: her reputation as a mercenary had been thoroughly damaged.

But if she went home right away, Sonic and Tails would be left alone with the Wasteland. Dammit, they didn’t even have weapons! She tried to give them Nige or Dan before she left, but the hedgehog didn’t agree. “It’s not our way,” he insisted. “There’s nothing here anyway, so the raiders should avoid this place. And if they do come, then –”

…then you’ll probably die, Cosmic thought grimly.

No, she couldn’t let them die for nothing. The mission of these two was important to them in its own way – just as it was important to her to get justice.

And she wouldn’t be welcomed home with open hooves. After all, she’d lost her team; and the town’s population, as Metal Dawn had pointed out when he’d started hitting on her aggressively, wasn’t exactly large. After a failure like that, she’d only have to guard the wall, nothing more. Half of the caps would go to the treasury one way or another, under Silver Star’s hoof. And soon Cosmic might be set up with someone, so she could finally stop fooling around and do what she was meant to do: give the town a new offspring.

And there’s no way to get outside the walls anymore. Unless she runs away forever, like Life Bloom. But that would be even worse because her heart would still ache for home.

And so the home will wait a bit longer.

She was about to call over Apple Whiskey and order another drink when she noticed a mysterious-looking figure in a dark cloak in the far corner where the spark-battery lights could barely reach. The stranger was sitting alone at a table, with only an empty glass in front of him. Who was he? How long had he been here? It all seemed like a mystery shrouded in darkness.

But Cosmic began to guess. Goddesses, she began to guess everything.

She literally stared at the strange merchant. He turned his head in her direction… and Cosmic realized that he, too, understood everything. It was as if something invisible had passed between them, forcing them to remember the recent past and make logical connections.

In a silent exchange of glances (though Cosmic couldn’t see the face of the merchant under the hood), perhaps half a minute passed. The earth pony didn’t even notice that the barpony was asking her something.

Meanwhile, the cloaked pony stood up silently and slid along the wall towards the exit. Obviously, he understood that he wouldn’t gain anything here today, but that the problems could come easily.

But Cosmic wouldn’t let him go just like that.

Turning to Apple Whiskey, she realized that he was just wondering what she was staring at.

“Uh, nothing…”

Refusing a refill (any more and she’d be sick), the mare paid and headed for the door. Trying hard not to break into a run.

She’d have to be smarter to unravel this tangle.

Cosmic followed the strange merchant down the rain-soaked street. He glanced back a few times, but neither of them increased their speed, which should have been reason enough for a chase. Running through the mud, and even a little drunk, Cosmic was clearly not happy about it.

The blue earth pony had no weapons with her. However, she didn’t care. She had the truth on her side – and a passionate desire to get to the bottom of things so that all those involved in the collapse of her life would be punished.

The merchant she was following looked back again – and suddenly darted away, disappearing between the carriages.

But Cosmic was ready for that.

In a leap to the next street, she saw the back of the pony that had started this whole mess with the attack on the troop and Monterey Jack.

The alcohol in her blood didn’t bring rage (though it should have), but the certainty that whoever was being chased wasn’t going anywhere. Wouldn’t make it in time.

Cosmic’s body, compressed like a spring, straightened and threw her in a powerful leap forward. A few such crazy jumps – and now she was right on his tail.

Grab him by the clothes and drag him into the lane. Hoof him by the neck against the wall of the carriage. Like Railright to Metal Dawn.

“Wh-what… Who’re you?” the merchant gasped, kicking his legs in a vain attempt to break free.

He didn’t seem to know how to kick; Cosmic easily dodged his hooves, which came so slowly at her face,

(all my defense is speed)

and her armor protected her from the rest of the blows.

“Don’t play dumb,” the mare hissed through clenched teeth. “I know a lot about you. Like the fact that you ordered that fool Metal Dawn to kill my comrades!”

She pressed harder, but it wasn’t as if the merchant was about to faint from lack of air. He just couldn’t speak properly – but he was still swinging his legs around quite a bit.

“But there are things I’d like to know from you,” Cosmic continued quietly, with a threatening tone in her voice. “For example, what is this tube you sent him to steal from Monterrey? What kind of blueprints are there that allow you to kill anypony? And who are you? Who are you working for? Answer me now!”

A bolt of lightning illuminated the scene, burning out all shades to white and gray blue for a moment. Thunder rumbled, creating a dramatic background to the scene.

“I… nothing…”

“Who are you working for?! Name!”

Cosmic was no longer afraid of being heard: the thunderstorm safely masked all sounds.

“Ly… ra…” the merchant exhaled… and suddenly collapsed under her hoof.

Too much, Cosmic thought and removed her hoof. The cloaked body slid down the wall into the dirt.

Dude, if this is some kind of ploy to get my attention so you can break out and run, you’re clearly overplaying.

The merchant showed no sign of life.

Uh-oh… Maybe I overdid it a little?

Cosmic cautiously leaned toward him – and with a sharp movement, she knocked the hood off his head. And then recoiled, collapsed onto her rump in a puddle by the opposite railcar, gulping for air.

The merchant in the cloak was a ghoul! Rainwater dripped down his dried, ulcer-covered skin. What’s more… sucking Celestia’s horn, he was a cyberghoul! One of his ears had been completely replaced by a cybernetic implant; metal with a tangle of wires also ran down his neck to somewhere under his cloak.

And strangest of all, he was dead.

Because ghouls don’t fucking die! In a way, they’re already dead – so they’re as immortal as alicorns! And even more powerful: you can kill alicorns like normal ponies – but with ghouls, you have to rip off their heads at least!

The merchant, however, was dead.

But I didn’t… I mean, you can’t strangle them because they don’t fucking breathe! I couldn’t have killed him! But then it turns out…

Cosmic thought about it, and she really didn’t like what she had come to.

…someone did it? From a distance? Someone just… switched him off?!

The name the mysterious cyberghoul had managed to shout popped into her mind.

Lyra… who’s she? Why does she, whoever she is, need all this?

I have to find out. The mare looked at the corpse once more. All these deaths mustn’t be in vain. Spark, Stream, Nightlight, Snow… and even Metal Dawn and that ghoul… it all must be for something.

I want answers. And I’ll get them.

Meanwhile, I gotta get out of here. I’ll spend the night at the tavern, then I’ll be out of here by dawn. The only question is when they will find the body. And explaining about another dead pony – no, no way, thanks.

Then Cosmic noticed that something had fallen out of the ghoul’s cloak. Leaning over, she saw that it was a plastic card with embossed numbers and some kind of drawing. Humming, Cosmic picked it up and put it in her saddlebag.

Thunder rumbled.

The flash showed a drenched earth pony weaving through the puddles between the carriage houses.

The corpse of the cyberghoul remained in its place.

Note: 50% of the next level.

Chapter 9. A Way to Nowhere

View Online

— Hey, can I have that globe? You’re not using it, right?

MLP, 2/10

Watcher listened intently to Sonic’s story. The sprite-bot hovered in one place, bobbing up and down, and remained deadly silent.

Cosmic sat next to the hedgehog at the farmhouse door, a carbine in her hooves as usual. The wounded shoulder hardly bothered the mare anymore. After taking the things Metal Dawn had stolen from her murdered comrades, as well as his revolvers, ammunition, and zebra cloak, she bought food and clean water and galloped away from New Appleloosa until a cyberghoul merchant’s corpse was found in a narrow, dirty alley and tied to her. She’d had enough unfair accusations lately.

Tails (whose full name, as it turned out, was Miles Prower) stayed in the house, where he fiddled with his detector in the surviving room on the second floor. During these few days of forced inactivity, the fox was able, according to his own words, to adjust it more or less accurately, so that the location of the Elements could be pinpointed to within a few kilometers. As he assured himself: when their group gets closer to the right point, it will be possible to say even more precisely.

“…And now we have no idea where Shadow is, and Master Emerald with him,” Sonic sighed in frustration. “That’s why we need the Elements of Harmony to defeat Eggman.”

Watcher was silent for a long time. Then the speaker of the sprite-bot burst into a harsh, staccato laughter.

“That’s it? Don’t you need the crowns of the Goddesses for the full set? No, guys, there’s nothing for you here. Go back to your world and find some other way.”

“But why?!” Sonic shouted. “Is the whole problem that I and my crew aren’t ponies?”

“If only that were the case… To use any of the Elements, you must embody one of the six most important virtues in this world: Kindness, Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, or Magic, which is a symbiosis of the other five. And only true friendship, which can awaken all six, can activate the Elements. So it’s not so much artifacts as personality traits that could bring this fractured world together. And I’m sorry, you’re not exactly their bearers.”

All the while Watcher was reciting his monologue, a feeling of… wrongness was maturing within Cosmic. As if she had been deceived about something before.

And when the sprite-bot fell silent again, she realized what it was.

“Wait,” the mare blinked. “You said you knew nothing about the Elements! Only that they disappeared. Or not?”

Her tone became threatening, and as if unintentionally, she pointed the Argument’s sights at the hovering bot.

“What else have you lied about?”

“I didn’t know your targets,” Watcher replied. It was hard to tell what emotion he was feeling right now. “And even now I’m telling you: forget it! This is not for you. No one in the Wasteland can help you find them. And if by some miracle you do find the right path… believe me, there are less painful ways to end your life.”

“You know something…” Cosmic muttered, staring intently at the sprite-bot. “Fucking Celestia’s tail, you know everything! But you’re making a fool of yourself here… Well, fuck you!” she suddenly broke into a smile. “We don’t need your help. And all your threats mean nothing. For now,” she added after a moment’s thought.

Watcher didn’t answer. Music played again from the metal hull of the bot, and it flew away, driven by a long-forgotten algorithm.

“Well, let’s go check on Tails, shall we?” Sonic suggested.

“Let’s go,” Cosmic sighed and got up. “And why did I suddenly no longer like your idea?”

They entered the house and started climbing the stairs.

“We have no other options yet,” muttered the hedgehog. “We need some kind of trump card to win. Eggman is strong enough to blow up half the planet before we can take him down…”

They had just entered the second floor when Tails ran out of the room.

“You won’t believe this!” he shouted. His eyes were wide open, and he looked terribly excited. “The directions matched!”

“What?” Cosmic asked, as he and Sonic went into the room. Tails ran back in after them. “What are you talking about?”

“Elements – and Watcher!” the fox quickly explained, pointing his finger at a small screen on his device, where two beams – pink and green – were moving far away, to the left edge, almost merging into each other. “The signal is coming from the same place where they are stored! I’ve checked the possible transmission range – it’s all right!”

“Good,” the earth pony said glumly. “How far is that?”

“Um… about… four days,” Tails said, doing some mental math. “For us, of course. Sonic can run that distance in a few minutes…”

“I’d have to sleep four days to get back to normal,” the hedgehog grumbled. “And there’ll be nowhere to sleep.”

“I doubt Watcher will accept us with open hooves,” Cosmic nodded. “So we need a plan: how to convince him to give you the Elements.” She looked sternly at the two aliens. “You’ll give them back when you win, right?”

“Uh… sure,” Sonic scratched the back of his head and looked away. Cosmic frowned. “Yeah, absolutely,” he saddened.

“But… really, how are you gonna use them?” the mare thought. “There are only two of you – and, as Watcher rightly pointed out, you’re not ponies.”

“There are more of us!” Tails said, beaming with joy. “The rest of the crew is waiting on Earth. There’ll be enough Elements! We’ll just have to match them with us… eh, if I had more rings, I could go back and run a neural net…” he rolled his eyes dreamily.

“Okay,” Cosmic summarized. “We leave tomorrow. Now we have a reserve of food, so the problem is solved. And also,” she grinned, “I’ll give you two guns anyway.”

Time dragged on like a giant conveyor belt: as monotonous and boring. If there weren’t occasional changes of scenery, it would seem like they were walking in an absolute void. And in a way, that was not far from the truth.

It was the third day of the new small group’s journey. The travelers had bypassed the Everfree Forest and were now moving deeper into the radiation-infested, barren lands. The groves of blackened trees became less frequent, replaced by low rocks jutting from the desert. The gloom of the cloud cover was depressing, but had it ever been any different?

One good thing was that there was no reason for anyone to come here. Stopping for the night in a flat area with no sign of shelter, Cosmic feared that she would have to face the raiders again. She had enough ammo now, but what could she do on her own…? Tails didn’t count, and Sonic… he was just lucky that one of the attackers had a rope and there were trees around. But would he be able to do anything in an open area? Perhaps a distraction for a while.

That was partly why she’d given them weapons. She wasn’t willing to part with the two submachine guns, so Sonic got Nige and Tails got Metal Dawn’s revolvers. It took a few hours to explain the basics of firearms, but it was still something the mare could do to keep them from being completely defenseless.

Both times, however, the night passed peacefully. On duty near the fire, Cosmic peered intently into the darkness, anticipating any danger. But not only was there no enemy pony, not even a radscorpion for miles around. The apocalypse had taken away any sense of these places being inhabited by anyone.

Convenient to sit alone in the middle of nowhere with a view of the rest of Equestria.

Tails paced ahead with a huge detector on his back, barely bigger than he was. A small compass was attached to the fox’s arm, which he used to control their direction. He could have avoided carrying the bulky device, but when Cosmic asked him directly, he replied that he didn’t want the detector to fall into the wrong hands… or rather hooves. The earth pony agreed that this was reasonable.

Sonic was completely depressed. It was obvious that such boring, unfulfilling journeys were not to his liking. But with a sigh, the hedgehog realized that safety was the most important thing now – and after recent events, it seemed like a generous gift.

In the morning, a lone sprite-bot flew over their camp without even turning in their direction. It didn’t mean anything in itself, but in light of their last conversation with Watcher, it was alarming.

To break up the routine, Cosmic started a conversation about something that was bothering her more and more as they got closer to their destination.

“What makes you so sure you’ll be able to use the Elements when you get them?” She turned to Sonic. “You must have the qualities Watcher mentioned, right? How do you know that your team, whatever the others are, are the right ones?”

“I don’t know,” the hedgehog shook his head sullenly. “I just hope so. Although… Knuckles has never lied to me, so he might as well be the Honesty. Tails…”

He looked ahead at the fox who was bravely walking at the head of the group.

“He’s been following me the whole time, first to warn me, then to help. I guess that’s what Loyalty is.”

Sonic thought for a moment.

“Kindness is probably Cream… Laughter could be Cheese… Amy… I don’t know, maybe Generosity… But Magic… friendship…”

He stopped talking, thinking hard about something.

“Are you referring to yourself?” Cosmic chuckled.

“I don’t know!” alien snapped, shaking his head again. “I’ve never thought of myself like that before. Yes, I can be immodest and say that it was me who basically gathered them all, but –” he sighed “– that would be unfair to them. I mean, they’ve done a lot for me, too.”

“It's just that I can’t be a bearer of any Element,” Cosmic said. “Kindness of me so bad – I can only shoot out of mercy… Also, sharing with someone is sometimes so hard for me. I’m pretty good at hiding the truth. Fun… well, you saw me almost shoot myself out of grief! Loyalty… what kind of loyalty am I if I’m wandering around with you guys instead of going back to my hometown? I have no magic because I don’t have a horn…”

The earth pony frowned.

“And friendship… If I ever had the illusion of friendship, Metal Dawn had clearly destroyed it.”

“Hey…” Tails’ voice came from ahead.

Cosmic turned away from Sonic and almost ran into the fox. He stumbled and stared at the sky behind the small group with his mouth open.

“What is it there…?”

Cosmic turned around… and her jaw dropped as well.

A swarm of sprite-bots was coming toward them. Their coherent buzzing grew louder with each passing moment. Dozens of metal bugs flew in a sparse army from the populated eastern part of Equestria, filling the air a few to a few dozen meters above the ground. Like a flock of crows, ready to feast on the bones of unlucky travelers.

Cosmic thought about it – and the bots closest to them started to dive!

The first one crashed to the ground a few steps away – and exploded, sending a cloud of dust into the air! The flying debris slashed the mare’s cheek, blood splattering on the sand beneath her feet.

“Run!” she screamed and sprinted away, trying to escape the rain of sprite-bots filled with explosives.

Sonic and Tails followed. The hedgehog went supersonic in surprise and disappeared into the distance with a blue-white glow. Tails broke away from the surface, spinning his tails frantically, and flew forward, dodging the diving bots.

Another explosion came close, and the shockwave knocked Cosmic to the ground. The fall knocked the air out of her lungs; tears welled in her eyes. Nearby, the shockwave hit again, and her eyes and nose were covered with earth dust. Cosmic coughed and blinked, trying to get to her feet. Her ears were ringing from the constant explosions.

Suddenly, she was pinned under her stomach by a pair of hands. Another pair grabbed her back, and the earth pony felt herself being pulled upward, and her legs felt light. Blinking, she saw Sonic and Tails pulling her away from the gunfire. The hedgehog and the fox clenched their teeth in exertion; Sonic’s legs and Tails’ tails blurred as they moved at unimaginable speeds.

Cosmic turned and was stunned: a sprite-bot, with the outline of embedded dynamite bombs behind its metal speaker grill, was falling directly on top of the three of them. Time slowed; the mare’s scream of terror stuck in her throat. She saw, with all the clarity of keen perception, the inexorable approach of death in the form of a bug-like robot turned into a shrapnel bomb.

For a brief moment, the support of a pair of arms was gone. A familiar blue silhouette jumped up and kicked the sprite-bot aside with a precise kick, then darted back toward Cosmic.

She followed the metal bug’s flight until it hit the ground in the distance.

A new explosion started time at its usual speed. Cosmic broke free of the aliens’ grip.

“I’m okay! I can walk!”

They nodded silently and flew away from the swarm of suicide bots, each in their own way. Cosmic followed at a wide gallop.

There were still a lot of sprite-bots around. After the earth pony almost fell again while dodging them, something told her to do something else. She grabbed Dan out of the holster with her teeth, slipped the safety off with her hoof as she ran, turned to face another “robot bomb” and fired a line at full speed. The sprite-bot exploded in mid-air, raining shrapnel down on the mare that bounced off her armor.

After destroying another one, Cosmic reloaded. Pulling the empty clip with her teeth, knocking in motion the full one out of its holder on the armor, and then driving it into the mouthgrip with her second hoof, pulling the bolt with her tongue – all without slowing down. There was no time to stop.

The sprite-bots exploded all around them, close enough to be frightening, but none of them flew at anyone else in the group. Either it was harder to control them all at once than whoever did it had hoped, or…

Cosmic even stumbled from the guess that came to her mind. Still, she managed to regain her balance and galloped even faster.

…or really didn’t want to kill them. Even with the explosive filling of the “shells”.

Ordinary dynamite doesn’t really explode that much, the earth pony thought. Plasma grenades wouldn’t have left any flesh on us – we’d just have turned to green slime. Or gas grenades… Ah, what the hay…

There was no time to think on the run. So Cosmic concentrated on two things: running forward at full speed, saving her skin, and from time to time turning around and blasting the new flying robot with a line from a submachine gun.

Everything was jumbled in her mind. Soon Cosmic realized that she could no longer hear the explosions (has she gone deaf…?) and slowed down her run. And turning her head and throwing an alarmed look back, she stopped altogether.

There was almost nothing left of the sprite-bot army. The Wasteland was riddled with craters and scorched metal debris. It looked like an army of Steel Rangers had passed through here, destroying everything in their path.

Sonic and Tails also stopped running – and approached Cosmic, breathing heavily from the unexpected run.

Looking closer, the mare spotted the last and only remaining sprite-bot. It had descended to the pony’s level and was slowly drifting toward the small group. There was no music coming from it (as there had been from the others during the attack, Cosmic noticed) – which meant that the villain who had been controlling them was still “in touch”.

Watcher.

The earth pony snorted angrily.

No one else could. He was the only one who could intercept the control of these things, and also knew where Cosmic, Sonic and Tails were going and why. And was cold-blooded or reckless enough to do such a thing.

Metal Dawn looks sucks, the mare commented to herself. Sucks a big and thick pin.

When the sprite-bot came within a few paces, she drew her assault carbine from her back.

“Stop right there!” she shouted and took aim at the robot, clenching the weapon in her teeth. “Not a foot closer! Or I’ll shoot!”

The winged metal bug obediently froze, swaying in place in the air.

Sonic and Tails also drew their weapons and pointed them at it, allowing Cosmic to free her mouth, leaving her carbine dangling from the belt around her neck.

“Watcher!” she said threateningly. “What the hay was that just now?! Are you out of your mind or what?!”

“You should not continue on your way!” roared the bot’s loudspeaker. “You don’t even know what you’re getting into! Before it’s too late, I repeat: forget it! Otherwise, I’ll have to destroy you in a more unpleasant way!”

“What could be more unpleasant than being torn apart by a whirlwind of fire and metal shards?” Cosmic hummed with affected indifference.

Dark humor had never been her strong suit.

“You’ll find out if you don’t stop!” the sprite-bot screeched. “You can still turn back. There are secrets that must not be revealed to the unwanted.”

“Let me guess,” Sonic interjected, “one of those mysteries is the Elements?”

“Exactly. You already know too much. Suspiciously much. More than I’ve even told you. I wonder how you can know so much – but I cannot allow you to reach the end of your chosen path.”

Watcher was silent for a moment, then added with a sigh, “So farewell.”

And the sprite-bot darted straight for them.

Reflexes worked faster than reason. Cosmic pushed the aliens aside and jumped over. There was a deafening rumble behind her as the bug robot crashed to the ground. Her ears rang: Cosmic hadn’t had time to clamp them shut before the explosion. The back of her body was scorched with heat, and small shrapnel was embedded in her legs.

Staggering, the mare stood up. But then her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground again.

After almost being killed once more, she deserved at least a little rest.

Was saving one world worth the same chance for another?

Weaving forward on humming hooves, Cosmic wondered if the mission she had undertaken with the two aliens was really worth it. Watcher, whoever he was, really wanted them to give up their plans – and was willing to do absolutely crazy things for that.

Mare wondered: why did this “Mr. Incognito” need the Elements at all? If they were as powerful as he said they were, they could be used to return Equestria to its pre-apocalypse state! How did they get to him, anyway? And why’s he just sitting on them without using them?

One possibility is that he stole them to prevent anyone from using them. But then there is the suspicion that he might have been involved in dropping the bombs himself. But what would he gain from that…?

There were so many uncertainties that Cosmic just shook her head in frustration and told herself not to think about it. There were already so many things in the Wasteland that trying to understand them made her brain swell. The same caps as money, for example. What was it? Where did it come from? And why? No one knows. And if anyone did, they were long dead.

The earth pony liked the other possibility much better and believed in it more. What if Watcher had kept the Elements to himself, protecting them from those who might set their hooves on them? It would be hard to find even one pony who embodied any kind of virtue, and there would be six! Maybe that’s why a new team of bearers hasn’t been assembled yet. And when everyone who wanders into these parts is treated with such “hospitality”…

Although Watcher was probably just scared. What’s more, he was in panic! Which he tried to cover up with anger. And on some level… he was right in his actions. To him, the three of them were not so different from the raiders in their desire to take even temporarily the priceless powerful items he kept. But they didn’t kill indiscriminately or eat other ponies. In other words, they were smarter – and therefore more dangerous.

Cosmic sighed. There was too much she didn’t know to say for sure. One thing was certain: they weren’t exactly welcome here.

But maybe she could get Watcher to open up to her.

The main thing was not to be killed.

“…I think it’s here,” Tails’ voice came to her.

The mare raised her head and stared at the huge mountain that was only a few miles away. Busy with her thoughts, she didn’t notice that they were almost at the end of their journey.

“Stand by,” Cosmic said, touching the carbine on her back. “The last thing we need is another rain of sprite-bots.”

“But anyway, it’s at least an hour to go…” Sonic grumbled and suddenly looked somewhere in that direction. “Look, there’s one flying over there!”

“Where?”

Cosmic immediately threw Argument off her back, grabbed it in her teeth and lay down, aiming in the direction the hedgehog had pointed. Sonic and Tails also drew their weapons.

Indeed, a winged robot was approaching the group at its usual tortoise speed. It was just only one, and it didn’t look like some new, elaborate plan to destroy them. Rather – Cosmic smiled, cherishing the hope that flamed up in her mind – a proposal for negotiation.

Which proved once again that Watcher wasn’t some kind of crazy asshole. He must have had a mission of his own.

Still, it was worth being cautious.

“Stop there! We don’t trust you!” said the mare, rising to her hooves again.

Speaking with a weapon in her mouth had become a habit.

The sprite-bot froze obediently, half a dozen paces away from the squad. There were no explosives to be seen inside its metal hull. But, Cosmic thought, that didn’t mean they weren’t really there.

“Neither do I,” Watcher parried. “How do I know you’re telling the truth about your goals?”

“Let’s be honest.” Cosmic put down her weapon. “None of us has any reason to lie to each other. We each do what we think is right. But you already know everything about our intentions. We know nothing about yours.”

“I can’t tell you that,” the sprite-bot replied sharply. “It’s too valuable information to trust to just anyone. Especially some like you… overly knowledgeable.”

“We mean no harm,” Tails stepped forward, holstering Metal Dawn’s revolvers. “We won’t give your artifacts to anyone, but without them, it would be much harder to save our world… since no one’s going to save it yet. After all, let’s just meet and talk!”

“Yes, you don’t look like those who would act out of self-interest.” At these Watcher’s words, Cosmic looked away: the mercenary’s past was making itself known. “I can even believe that your goals are truly worthwhile. But I can’t give them to you. Because I have my own purpose. And it outweighs all others for me.”

“It looks like we’re at an impasse,” the earth pony said, looking at the sprite-bot. “And no one’s going to back down, because everyone has their reasons. And to bring it to a fight…” she shook her head. “I guess once was enough, right?”

“Yeah, what the hell was that all about?!” Sonic cut in, waving Nige around. “I didn’t think that even in a ruined Equestria, the first time I almost died was from a kamikaze drone attack!”

You’ve almost died at least three times before, Cosmic thought, but remained silent.

“What do you mean by that?”

Judging by his tone, Watcher was deeply puzzled.

The mare seized the opportunity as the last straw.

“Let’s meet and talk it over. We’ll tell you something new that you didn’t expect, and in return you’ll explain your intentions. Agreed?”

Sprite-bot was silent for a long time. Cosmic was completely exhausted, waiting for his answer.

A lot depended on Watcher’s decision. If he refused, they would either have to fight their way through and almost certainly die, or return with nothing: Sonic and Tails – to Earth, and the earth pony herself – back to The Republic. That didn’t bode well either.

Finally, Watcher said, “All right. I’ll let you meet me in person – but you must promise not to go any further than I allow. You got that?!”

The question sounded threatening. Cosmic even swallowed nervously at the growl that slipped into Watcher’s voice.

“Y-yes… we promise,” she said.

Fuck Celestia, what have I gotten myself into?!

“You too!” thundered the sprite-bot, turning to Sonic and Tails.

The aliens glanced at each other. Then the hedgehog looked back at the robot and nodded.

“Of course.”

“We promise,” the fox added.

“Then I’ll wait for you on that mountain – you can probably see it for yourself. My home is the cave at the top. And yes, beware of pegasi. The Enclave is on the prowl.”

“What? How…” Cosmic exclaimed, but music poured out of the sprite-bot, making it clear that the conversation was over.

The mare turned and looked at the mountain in the distance. Its peak was lost behind a dark grey veil of clouds. It didn’t look too high for the Enclavers to get down there.

If we had Stream with us… or Spark… We could have easily fought back when encountering those flying bastards…

The memory stabbed painfully into her soul. Like a poisonous thorn with bitterness oozing from its tip.

This is no time for self-pity. Cosmic put the carbine on the safety and hung it on her back again. They wouldn’t approve of that. They're gone, but I’m still here. And I have a duty to protect – above all.

She turned back to the aliens. And someone here really needs me.

“Well, let’s get to our destination,” she told them. “I don’t want to spend the night here when we could be attacked at any moment.”

“What the hell is this Enclave anyway?” Sonic asked, kicking a small stone and sending it in a low arc into the distance. “There was nothing like this even in the G5…”

Before he left, Cosmic asked the hedgehog to tell her more about the universe her world was supposed to be – but for some reason it didn’t. Or it did, but… somehow it went the wrong way.

She herself thought that the infamous fifth generation, which Sonic had said fans on Earth had been arguing about for years, had not yet arrived here. This Equestria was still too much a part of the G4 he had described for it to have shed its past. That included the Elements of Harmony their little team had been searching for.

“Wake up, Sonic, this isn’t the show!” Tails waved his hands. “This is completely different! The Mane Six aren’t coming to the rescue with their rainbow powers! Right now, it’s up to us to be the Mane Six!” He looked back at Cosmic and seemed a little confused, but continued, “Mm… counting our remaining team on Earth. After all, did I understand correctly that you –”

“Later, Tails,” the hedgehog interrupted, closing his eyes and holding his palm forward. “The important thing is that I still have the rings.”

He gently rubbed the four small gold-plated circles that hung from a lanyard around his neck.

“If we manage to convince Watcher, will you go straight home?” Cosmic asked. “To save your planet from that Eggman?”

“Yes,” Sonic nodded and grinned. “That’s what we’re gonna do.”

“But what about the fact that, as you have discovered, time passes much faster here? Let’s say you find and defeat your enemy in a day – but what if it takes, say, six months in Equestria? I don’t think Watcher would like that very much,” the earth pony chuckled, the corners of her mouth curled up. “And he might think that we’ve deceived him.” She waved a hoof in the direction the sprite-bot had gone. “You’ve seen what he can do when he’s angry.”

“Yeah, that’s a problem,” Tails scratched the back of his head. Suddenly, he looked up. “Wait a minute… What if, say, someone activates the ring and stays here? What if we keep the portal open all the time? After all, when two worlds touch, the passage of time should be the same at the points of their intersection, to come to some common denominator… but only to what…?”

“I don’t think so,” Sonic shook his head. “These portals don’t last very long, and then they close anyway. But time, it seems, and it’s true, while the worlds are connected, begins to flow the same –”

“Talk later,” Cosmic interrupted them, pointing to the mountain. “We have to go. To finally complete the first part of our mission.”

And not die while we prepare the second, she added mentally.

She had no right to die. At least not until she figured out everything that was going on here.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. Skills: Firearms – 100%, Survival – 75%. New perk: Run 'n Gun – reduced accuracy penalties for shooting on the run or jump with firearms or energy weapons.

Player: Sonic. Skill: Survival – 25%. New perk: Arm Strength – your physical abilities have increased; you can now even carry an adult mare for a while. New quest perk: Mutual Aid – you don’t let your companion die; there is a chance that in the future he or she won’t let you die too.

The quest stage “Persuade Watcher for a personal meeting” has been completed. Added a new stage “Get to the Cave”.

Chapter 10. Behind the Fourth Wall

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— It… it’s not us, is it? We’re not the right group of friends either. We can’t bring Equestria back. You’re still looking.

Fallout: Equestria, chapter 21

A few days ago

“…Does it say there, in your show… what finally happened to the Elements themselves?” Cosmic asked.

The aliens’ account of the events in cartoon Equestria was longer than she had expected, and much more rambling. The earth pony had already guessed that the end would be as positive as possible, but the hedgehog and the fox had only reached the Friendship School in the eighth season.

Sonic sighed and bowed his head:

“In fact… they were destroyed.”

Something must have flashed across Cosmic’s face, he added immediately, “At least as they existed before. Actually, there’s still quite a long part of the story…”

It took a while to retell the main plot of the ninth season. Breathlessly, Cosmic listened to how King Sombra, who had literally appeared out of nowhere, had destroyed the Tree of Harmony along with the Elements; how the remains of the Tree had been transformed into a beautiful palace (damn, another one – after the Castle of Friendship!); how the villains from the previous seasons, who had been taken out of the storyline, had returned under new leadership – but had been defeated. Now for sure.

But there was one thing that stuck out to the mare about the whole story.

“I mean, the new Tree wasn’t shown there? And the Elements were thought to be irretrievably lost? But –” she pointed her hoof at the aliens “– did you come here to get them anyway?”

Sonic and Tails looked at each other and shrugged.

“We don’t know what’s going on,” the fox replied. “There’s supposed to be a tenth season in the comics, but we don’t know about it.” He looked back at the device by the window. “But the detector is pointing somewhere! And the signature of the energy it’s picking up is similar to Chaos Emeralds! What else could it be?”

“Um… Grogar’s Bell?” Cosmic suggested.

The villains’ main tool in the finale was a powerful artifact designed to store magic. It must have been left somewhere?

“It’s unlikely”, the hedgehog shook his head. “It would have been hidden somewhere in the dungeons of Canterlot Palace…”

“…And the device points in a completely different direction,” Tails continued. “Besides, something must have survived from that time. Why not think that the Tree created new material forms for the Elements? And somehow, they miraculously survived the apocalypse because they were inside a mountain dozens of miles from any populated area?”

“It all sounds....” Cosmic twirled her hoof, searching for a word, “fantastic. But… yes, not impossible.”

“And the way Watcher reacted confirms that they still exist!” Sonic pounded his fist into his palm. “Which means we can get them. Whatever it’s gonna take.”

Tails had to abandon his device after all. Sharp fragments from a nearby explosion of a sprite-bot had pierced the detector, making its electronics unusable. It seemed unusual to Cosmic that such a machine could work without magic, unlike the terminals of this world. Even though, in essence, those were just different forms of primordial energy.

By the time the three of them reached the bottom of the peak, it was already getting dark. The cloud cover was not as thick here, so they could catch glimpses of the setting sun through the gaps.

The light Equestria has lacked for two centuries.

It’s not forever, Cosmic comforted herself as she climbed the narrow, steep, stony path up the mountain. The pegasi cannot hide behind the clouds for eternity. One day someone will come who has the power to change everything. And then good will rise again. But unfortunately, not now.

The path Watcher had indicated could hardly be called a walkway. It was more like a series of ledges they could theoretically jump off without breaking their necks. Cosmic even joked to herself that it was about time she grew a pair of horns on her head. Sometimes being a pony wasn’t very comfortable.

If anyone wasn’t suffering from the steep climb, it was Tails. He circled above on his tails, keeping the rest of their little group safe, picking them up when they stumbled on a ledge or didn’t make it to the other side of a gap, or holding them up when they went over a ledge. The mare was grateful for the fox; it warmed her from the inside out in the bitter mountain wind.

Tails hadn’t left them for a second since Sonic had brought him here, trying his best to help. If he were a pony, Cosmic thought as she jumped over a not-so-wide gap, the Element of Loyalty would definitely be his.

The problem was, there might be a pony somewhere who had that trait. And that one would be better suited to be the keeper of the artifact.

After all, we’ll find out when we meet Watcher.

“And why did he… have to live… so high up?” Sonic muttered and followed Cosmic over to the other side. It was harder for him to jump directly, so he climbed over and grabbed the ledges on the rock.

“It’s safer this way,” the earth pony shrugged. “The same as when Long Claw sent you to Earth. Harder to reach, harder to hurt.”

“And harder to use…”

The hedgehog was clearly referring to his epic quest to find Master Emerald.

“Also true.” Cosmic looked at the rapidly darkening sky. “We have to hurry. Otherwise, we'll fucking fall. Or the Enclavers will shoot us.”

She honestly didn’t think the pegasi would spot them in the dark, but she still respected Watcher’s words. If he’d warned them, he must have really wanted to see them.

“For sure he has – we survived his attack, didn’t we? And we stayed on our way. It’s not a bad idea to meet such freaks, if only to find out how they did it. Unless, of course, we were really meant to be killed.”

She lifted her head and looked at the sky. It would be dark in a little while.

Was it her imagination, or was there a winged figure in the sky? A brush stroke of invisible ink on gray paper.

“Quiet!” she whispered to her companions. “Hide!”

They lurked behind the rocks, gazing anxiously at the impenetrable shroud not far away.

But a minute passed, and another, and still no one appeared in the sky.

And there was no way to guess whether it was a good or bad sign; whether no one was really following them, or whether they had already fallen into a trap.

Cosmic took a breath.

Either way, they would find out on the way back.

“Alright” she said quietly. Her heart was still pounding, demanding more, more air, but the mare tried to overcome the excitement that was tearing her up inside. “It looks clear. Keep going.”

And on they went.

Gradually the slope became steeper, and they had to literally climb up the path, crawling on the rocks to keep from falling. Darkness had almost completely engulfed Equestria; Cosmic could barely see the ends of her own hooves. But she didn’t stop climbing, knowing they were at their destination and remembering what they’d been through on the way.

They had no right to give up so easily.

After all the horrors of the recent past, dying while climbing a mountain seemed like a silly and unfunny joke.

With each passing meter, the breathing of the three throats got harder and harder. The muscles whimpered with the effort; the body no longer wanted to move. But the ghost of hope still loomed, forcing her to lift her hooves time after time and take the next step. Cosmic hadn’t even realized that this climb would take so much out of her. Maybe she shouldn’t have climbed the peak after a day’s trek, hoping to find shelter at the top – or maybe she was just tired of being afraid. Especially of something that hadn’t shown itself yet.

Sonic and Tails looked tired as well. But at least they didn’t faint. And it was obvious why: one was a damned spark battery on maximum power, and the other just could fly.

The mare even calculated how long the fox could resist in an aerial battle against a pegasi squad. And it had to be said, Tails definitely had a chance to escape.

Sonic would simply roll down the mountain and scamper across the Wasteland.

The earth pony tried not to think of herself that way.

When Cosmic suddenly found a flat and relatively spacious area in front of the gaping entrance to the cave instead of another uphill section or an abyss, she let out a sigh of relief and rolled onto her side. She needed to catch her breath at least a little after such a marathon of adventuring.

And the hardest part was keeping her eyes from closing.

The aliens stood nearby, waiting patiently. Sonic shuffled faintly from foot to foot. Here, above the lower edge of the clouds, the moon shone dimly, colored by the haze of the upper part of the veil. A pale light with a bluish cast fell on the rocks. The mare suddenly saw the silhouette of a horned pony’s head on the moon’s disk and shook her head, chasing away the strange vision. Come on, nonsense…

Finally, Cosmic looked at Sonic and Tails, who were waiting for her to recover, and got to her hooves with a groan.

“All right, all right, I’m up. Let’s just g–”

And then from the dark yawn of the cave, a head peeked out.

The words immediately stuck in the earth pony’s throat. She couldn’t even breathe as she looked into the huge green eyes staring back at her. Only by a miracle she managed to keep from wetting herself.

A sharp green crest gleamed in the moonlight, harmonizing with the pale lilac scales.

The three travelers stood face to face with… a dragon!

Until now, Cosmic had only heard of dragons in the legends of ancient Equestria. During the war, these creatures were used heavily by the Zebras, as the ponies couldn’t cope with them. Most of the dragons died in the battles, and the rest were left to their fate.

And now one of them was staring at the mare and the two aliens who were frozen in place.

“Well, hello, Cosmic Valor,” a voice said. Not as low as the mayor of The Republic, but still powerful in its own way. “Nice to meet you. I am Watcher. And now I shall try again to prove to you that your journey here was a mistake.”

He opened his huge mouth, studded with yellowish, sharp teeth, and sucked in air. Sonic and Tails were almost pulled in, but they grabbed onto each other and managed to stay in place, thanks in large part to the fox’s spinning tails.

That’s it. We’re done, Cosmic thought distantly. All other thoughts had been blown out of her head, leaving only emptiness. That must have been what the end felt like.

Now he’ll breathe fire and we’ll all be here…

“Spike?!”

Now it was the dragon choking on air. Watcher coughed, spitting out small bursts of green flame. Cosmic hurriedly stepped back so she wouldn’t accidentally get hit.

“How…” the dragon wheezed continuing to cough. “How do you… know… my name?!”

“So…”

In Cosmic’s head, as if the gears turned. If accepting what the aliens told was true, then…

“…that you were Twilight Sparkle’s assistant?”

“How?!” the dragon roared in anger. He had already gotten over his cough. “How do you know that?! Are you spies or what…?”

“We’ll explain everything to you,” Cosmic said quickly, before they all got really fried. And not in the figurative sense. “Just, please, calm down. And if you don’t mind… can we go inside?”

Spike glared at the newcomers for a moment, then blew a puff of acrid black smoke from his nostrils and grumbled, “All right. But swear that you will not move a single step further without my permission!”

“I swear,” the earth pony said immediately and looked at her companions.

“We too,” they sighed.

“Come in.”

Spike removed his head and hid in the cave.

Cosmic, Sonic and Tails looked at each other and followed him.

A small tunnel led them into a spacious hall with a ceiling that lost itself in the height. Despite the fact that it was night outside, the room was flooded with light: a green flicker on one of the walls of the terminal screen, and a faint glow from a spark battery on top – hardly more powerful than in Cosmic’s home.

But what caught the mare’s attention and amazed her were… the books. Tall bookcases made of old wood lined the walls – and each shelf was densely packed with books, many times more than in The Republic’s library. Some of the titles caught Cosmic’s keen eye, and she remembered her father vividly. He wouldn’t have missed a chance to go through all this treasure.

Sonic and Tails were drawn to something else. The two aliens were standing by one of several piles of gems scattered on the floor, whispering animatedly about something.

Also in the room was a huge round bed with a pile of pillows and blankets – as Cosmic estimated, just the size of a dragon. Opposite the entrance, a tunnel could be seen off to the side, leading further into the depths of the cave.

I wonder what’s in there that made Watcher so nervous? Oh yes, of course. Elements. How could I forget. He must have them somewhere – so why not…

“So…” The dragon flapped his wings and lowered himself onto the sleeping spot near the terminal, looking around at the guests with a menacing gaze. “I’m listening. I’d like to know what else you know about me. About me, about the Elements – and about Equestria, for that matter.”

Cosmic smiled slightly. Oh, that’ll be fun…

“I suppose it’s fair to begin with the fact that our whole world is fiction. Then,” she looked at the aliens, “they’ll tell you all themselves.”

What happens when you suddenly find out that everything around you that seemed so tangible and close, including yourself, your friends, and your past, turns out to be unreal?

Cosmic had experienced this before. However, she didn’t feel particularly linked to Equestria that Sonic and Tails were talking about, so her brain had somehow accepted the idea very easily. Well, it was fiction – so what? She’d still have to find something to eat tomorrow and something to shoot back with.

But for Spike it was different.

The first time, he didn’t believe it. The second time, he didn’t believe it either and filled the room with a low, growling laugh. It was only when the two uninvited guests began to recall some very sensitive incidents that something changed in Spike. The dragon ordered them to be silent and sank into thought for a long moment.

Cosmic even tried to breathe quietly so as not to disturb him. And it was bad timing – she wanted to go to the toilet more and more after the long crossing. But she held out and looked around the room as if nothing had happened. She noticed that Sonic was looking more and more at the passage in the back wall – and the mare didn’t like it.

Please, don’t do anything stupid! the mare mentally pleaded to the blue hedgehog, who could be expected to do anything.

Suddenly she heard some kind of sound coming from the dragon and turned to him. Spike sat with his paws around his snout and trembled slightly. Listened carefully, Cosmic realized that he was… laughing.

“So many years…” the dragon murmured softly, with unexpected bitterness in his voice. “So many years fighting the usual villains, then trying to stop the war… Then I stayed here and tried to do something to give the ponies of the Wasteland some hope… And for what?!” he suddenly shouted, and the mare guessed that it wasn’t laughter – but tears. “To find out that it was all just a show?!!! An amusement?! Maybe someone is watching us right now, huh?! Hey, come on, hello?!”

He took his paws away from his face and turned his head to look for the other “watcher”. Cosmic suddenly realized what a mockery of fate this must have seemed to the dragon.

“But how… How… How…?”

“Hey, but the show ended with Twilight’s reign,” Sonic said, seemingly not understanding what it was that had Spike so upset. “There was no war with the zebras, and especially not this,” the hedgehog waved his hand in the direction of the exit, “for those who watched MLP. And the new generation doesn’t say anything about the end of the world either…”

“You think that makes me feel better?” roared the dragon, staring at his interlocutors. There were still tears in his eyes, but he didn’t want to sob openly in front of everyone. “I too thought that Twilight’s coronation would be the end of all troubles and that we would have another thousand years of peace,” he hissed. “But I was wrong – we all were!” He shook his head. “The beginning of the end was when Twilight had to… step down from the throne.”

“What? How? Why?”

This time it was the hedgehog and the fox who were stunned.

Cosmic sat silently on her haunches, ready to absorb every word. Her worldview was just missing a little information about Equestria’s forgotten past.

“It’s because of the spell,” Spike explained with a sigh in response to the uncomprehending stares. “Twilight was a researcher, and she always remained one. Her passion for learning new magic continued even after she became ruler. One day, she decided to perfect a spell she’d first stumbled upon as a unicorn… teleportation with lightning, it seemed. But…” the dragon’s voice trembled, “the experiment failed. Something went wrong, and instead of traveling from Canterlot to Ponyville… she burned her wings.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, holding back the tears inside him. Cosmic stared at him with her eyes wide open; wet streaks ran across the earth pony’s face. The world of friendship and magic that Sonic and Tails had created for her was crumbling in these moments. And worst of all, she would soon learn exactly how it happened.

“It took a huge toll on the Princess of Friendship. She was so depressed about what had happened that neither I, nor Celestia and Luna, nor even damn Pinkie Pie could comfort her! Celestia healed her wounds so that not even a scar remained and was ready to give Twilight new wings… but she didn’t feel like an alicorn anymore.

“She had grown as big as the other princesses, but after everything…” Spike sobbed. “She started to shrink back down to size. And about a month after it happened, she had turned into a regular unicorn.

“Depressed, Twilight abdicated her throne. Celestia and Luna had to cut short their vacation on the Silver Shoals and return to Canterlot to rule Equestria once again.

“The Princess of Friendship wasn’t stripped of her title or even her allowance, but Twilight still stopped calling herself that. She retreated to Ponyville, the place where she had first learned about friendship and where there were those who could truly support her. She had a castle there, but she no longer felt entitled to live there. At her request, the town rebuilt the Golden Oak Library (in Twilight Sparkle’s name, of course), where she took up residence. Just like old times.”

Spike fell silent; it was obvious from the way the memories tortured his soul. Cosmic couldn’t find the words to express her sympathy, so she just stared at him with a look of astonishment and despair. She had never imagined that fate would be so cruel to the heroine she loved.

“Gradually…” Spike continued. His voice trailed off and the dragon had to clear his throat before he could speak again. “Gradually, Equestria began to develop. Technological advances took over town after town, and new science centers, laboratories, factories, and power plants sprang up. But Ponyville remained much the same as before, and that allowed Twilight to recover, little by little.

“But the Friendship School she had founded began to decline. Fewer and fewer students went there when they saw what had happened to their former idol. Moreover, all the other races began to leave Equestria because of the problems in their own countries. It was a vicious circle that could not be broken.

“The school was eventually closed; Twilight didn’t really care what happened to her brainchild. Friendship Castle fell into disrepair, and even the Mane Six felt uncomfortable there. But even worse, they no longer understood why it was there. Finally, Starlight… Starlight Glimmer, whom Twi had once put in charge of her school, teleported the Castle to Baltimare, where they promised to take care of it.

“You may already know what happened next. New weapons began to appear, Equestria began trading gems with Zebrica in exchange for coal, and after a while both sides got greedy, and one day,” the dragon grinned wryly, “there was what the Zebras called a casus belli with the hostage-taking by their pirates and the rescue operation by the Wonderbolts. The Zebras invaded to take over the borderlands, Celestia was convinced that the war would end with our quick victory…” He shook his head. “’We’ll reach Roam in five days…’ Oh, Goddesses, how naive that was…

“And it was all downhill from there. The gas bomb at Littlehorn School, Celestia’s abdication in favor of Luna, the creation of the Ministries (which, by the way, helped Twilight finally get her mind off the past and back to her magical studies), the assassination attempt on Celestia, and the bombs falling and killing everyone and everything… I just wanted to say, ‘Twi, we’ve fucked. Everything. Up.’"

Spike looked up at Cosmic and her companions. His eyes were dry – but there was such pain in them that the earth pony’s heart skipped a beat as she looked into them.

“We failed to hold this world. No one could hold it. And eventually it slipped from everyone’s hooves and shattered into tiny pieces. And for two hundred years, there was no pony to put it back together.”

“Sounds like one of those fan theories…” Sonic snorted, but corrected himself under Spike’s angry glare, “…which certainly explains what we’re seeing. But it feels,” the hedgehog frowned, “like everything the writers have created since season three, or even season two, has just been… reset! It’s like it never happened.”

“I liked Shining Armor the best in the cartoon,” Tails said thoughtfully, turning to the dragon. “Was he actually here at all…?”

“Sure he was,” Spike grinned, and Cosmic breathed a sigh of relief that they’d managed to get him out of the depression they’d driven him into. “I even have a memory orb with a recording of his conversation with Twilight. I can show it to you if you’d like.”

“The orb of what?” Sonic misunderstood.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, there aren’t many unicorns among us,” the earth pony said ironically. “Not a single one to watch this recording.”

“And there’s a recollector too,” the dragon sighed.

“I’ll explain everything to you later,” Cosmic promised the aliens and turned to the owner of the cave. “But what happened to you? How did you end up here? And Elements… You wanted them stored somewhere safe, didn’t you?”

“I was helping Twilight. Ever since she was Princess Celestia’s apprentice… then when she became a princess herself… even when she became the leader of Equestria… and finally when she was the Ministry Mare…” The dragon’s eyes became hard again. “But I can’t tell you why I’m here. It’s too important. I can’t take that risk. And… since you already know about the Elements, I’ll tell you this: they stopped working. The old Six were no longer the ideals of their virtues… and the Young Six – the best of the first graduating class of Friendship School – never became them.” He sighed. “I guess the point is that after the Tree was destroyed, the power of unity among all the ponies was enough to produce an effect comparable to the use of the Elements – that’s why they defeated Tyrek, and Cosy Glow, and Chrysalis. And then… when the war broke out, that was all gone, and the new artifacts hadn’t grown yet. But more importantly, there weren’t the right ponies to use them.” Spike pointed a giant clawed finger at Cosmic. “And you won’t be able to. So go away. There’s nothing for you here.”

“Where does this passage lead?” Sonic asked casually, pointing to a nondescript tunnel in the far wall.

Cosmic tensed. Please, just don’t…

“NOOOOOOOO!!!” Spike roared as a blue, blurred silhouette darted toward the passage and disappeared into the darkness.

The dragon flapped its wings and soared into the air. Cosmic locked eyes with the cave master – nothing good was coming for them now.

“YOU SWORE AN OATH!” he roared. “SO THIS IS HOW YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISES?!!!”

He sucked in a breath of air, and the earth pony realized with a glimmer of consciousness what awaited her. There was no fear, just doom and a distant annoyance that it had to end so stupidly.

A jet of green flame burst from Spike’s throat and hit the ground – where the mare had just been standing. Cosmic opened her eyes, squeezed shut by the attack, and found herself being held by Tails, who was hovering on his tails on the very ground just off to the side. The fire the dragon spewed was indeed hot, its warmth reaching Cosmic’s skin. She jerked her shoulders and slipped out of Tails’ grip; yeah, she didn’t want to get hit like that.

“Cosmic, they’re here!” Sonic shouted from the other room of the cave.

Elements? So they were really here the whole time…

The fire was out – Spike turned his head towards the mare and the fox, apparently not wanting to set fire to the bookshelves behind them.

“STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!!” he shook the cave again with his roar and flew towards the passage he had squeezed through, folding his wings for a moment.

In the next instant, the green flame spewed by the dragon could be seen there.

Cosmic froze, not knowing what to do.

On the one hoof, she was really afraid: Spike was really terrible in anger, and it didn’t seem right to end her days as a pile of ashes. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, that’s all! And in a way, the hedgehog deserved what he got – after all, it was only after his appearance that the blue pony’s previously well-established life began to crumble before her eyes.

But on the other hoof… Sonic had saved her life back in the Wasteland. He hadn’t let her die so she could repay her debt to Metal Dawn. And after the elimination of her old team, the hedgehog had become her first real friend.

Cosmic gritted her teeth. No matter what it would take – but she’d made her decision.

And she galloped towards the passage.

Tails landed on the ground and ran after her.

The tunnel was longer than it looked at first glance, and Cosmic was nervous as she raced into the next room, especially when the green flashes kept flickering. At one point she almost tripped over a thick cable – obviously running from Spike’s terminal to the other side of the cave.

But what she saw made her stop abruptly at the threshold. Tails dodged at the last moment, flying up on his tails to avoid hitting her back, and stared dumbfounded at what was in the next room.

This place was even larger than the dragon’s own room and was obviously located in the center of the mountain. The hexagonal chamber was flanked by maneframes, some of them humming softly in hibernation mode; insulated wires snaked everywhere, and the crystals that lined the floor and walls gave off a faint glow. Cosmic’s eyes even went wide at the sight of this technomagic splendor.

And then she saw it. In the center of the hall, a huge supermaneframe stood in a column of steel and amethyst, reaching far up into a circle of clear, dark sky. It was too high up here for the cloud veil to work effectively. A bright white star rose just above the pointed top of a marvel of arcane technology that had been created by someone.

From the base of the supermaneframe, like the rays of the giant star, six transparent platforms protruded, on which, resting on velvet pillows, were six pieces of jewelry with gems of various colors and shapes.

Cosmic’s breath caught. These gems looked exactly like what Sonic and Tails had described!

Elements… so that’s what they were…

And Sonic and Spike were running around the most important treasure in post-war Equestria. The hedgehog ran in circles around the hall, dodging flashes of green fire and transforming into blue and white sparks as usual. The dragon maneuvered delicately, trying to keep his wings from hitting the spire of the central maneframe, and from time to time exhaled downward jets of flame; his target was clearly Sonic. The tongues of fire were at least pony-high on the floor and walls – Spike had made sure to leave the machinery intact.

And that kept the dragon from sizzling the “threat”.

“Sonic, you idiot!” Cosmic shouted, her voice echoed off the walls.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, YOU MARE!!!” Spike replied, firing another bolt of fire.

It didn’t hit Sonic, of course. The hedgehog suddenly came out of super-speed mode on the other side of the hall and threw something into the air, then immediately darted away, dodging another bolt.

In the light of the green flame, a ring – one of the four remaining – glittered golden. Cosmic watched in fascination as the portal opened: the ring grew larger than any door, and another dimension became visible through the transparent membrane. It seemed to be some kind of room… but the earth pony couldn’t get a good look inside.

New creatures, unknown to Cosmic, began to come out of the portal. But from how they looked, one could tell that they were playing with Sonic, so to speak, for the same team.

A hedgehog girl with pink needles, wearing a red sweater and carrying a huge sledgehammer behind her back. And she’s pretty… flashed through the mare’s mind.

The red… beast with the angry look was obviously Knuckles, who Sonic had told her about. So this is what Echidnas look like? I didn’t know…

And finally, from the other world, stepped into the cave… a rabbit? That’s all Cosmic could make out of her long ears and yellow-brown fur; the guest was wearing a light, colorful dress. But in her hands, she was carrying… something the earth pony didn’t even know the name of. The closest she could come to describing it was a blue mushroom with eyes that made the sounds of a baby.

“Hush, Cheese,” the rabbit girl murmured in a soft, pleasant voice. Was she talking to that… mushroom?! “We shouldn’t… Aaaaaaahhhh!” she screamed, noticing Spike, and slipping behind Knuckles’ back.

Sonic stopped running from Spike and rushed towards… his friends? Tails pushed Cosmic away with sudden force and hurried towards them as well; the mare rubbed the shoulder she’d hit against the wall with a sigh and stepped into the hall as well.

Even Spike stopped breathing fire and hovered in the air, looking at the uninvited guests with disgust.

“You…” he growled. Smoke rose from his nostrils. “So this was all your plan to sneak in and take the Elements from me!” He looked around at everyone and stopped at Cosmic. “And you… Do you realize that by helping them, you’re betraying Equestria? Betraying the legacy of all those ponies who gave their lives so that it could be reborn?”

“But for now, Equestria is dead.” Cosmic shook her head. “And if we don’t help these creatures, their world will suffer the same fate. And then…” She looked sternly at Sonic. “They promised me they’d return the Elements afterward.”

“Oh, you found them!” the pink hedgehog girl exclaimed, hugging Sonic and Tails. “And so quickly! We were just starting to worry about you…”

“Who’s that, Sonic?” Knuckles asked, staring at the dragon. “If that’s our main opponent, I’d like to take him out as soon as possible…”

“YOU WON’T GET THE ELEMENTS!” Spike thundered, spreading his wings. “I’VE BEEN GUARDING THEM FOR TWO HUNDRED YEARS, NOT TO BE TAKEN BY A BUNCH OF UPSTARTS WHO DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO USE THEM!”

The aliens looked at each other. Cosmic had a strange sucking feeling inside, as if something they had completely forgotten had been revealed. Something important, something they’d paid attention to before.

Spike chuckled suddenly.

“Really? You don’t even know that you’re supposed to be the bearers of the virtues? And yet you showed up…” The dragon chuckled again, this time threateningly. “And how were you going to make the magic of friendship serve you, huh? Do you guys have any idea who you are…?”

“Well....” Sonic stepped forward. “We’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve been through a lot together, and in a lot of trouble. It may not compare to Twilight and the Mane Six, but it means a lot to us.” He looked back at his friends. “And I know for a fact that we have among us the Elements of Honesty,” – glanced at Knuckles – “Loyalty,” – now at Tails – “Kindness…” The hedgehog’s gaze flickered between the pink and the rabbit. “Laughter…”

He sighed and bowed his head.

“And I so wish I could be the Element of Magic – my own, special, pure energy… But now I realize that we’re not the right ones. After all, we’re not even ponies.”

“So you haven’t decided which of you should represent which Element…” Spike muttered and flapped his wings to get lower. “And what are you going to do now, huh?”

“Listen!” Cosmic stomped forward, drawing attention to herself. “Yes, we’re at a dead end. But maybe there’s still a way out, a way to resolve everything?” She turned to the dragon. “Can you give them something more powerful than just an instruction to seek their virtues? If not the Elements themselves… at least something?”

The dragon hesitated for a moment.

Different feelings had to be fighting inside him. On one side was anger at the (let’s face it) brazen invasion of his home. On the other (or so Cosmic hoped), a genuine desire to help, as he had helped the blue earth pony before; as he had been helping the Wasteland ponies for two hundred years; as he was helping Twilight Sparkle when he was young. Well, and maybe a wish that everyone would go away and leave him alone to keep watch at the terminal.

Finally, he replied:

“All right. I think I know what you want.”

And, pushing himself off the floor, he took off.

Cosmic lifted her head and followed him with a glance.

Spike flew over to a glass case mounted high on the wall, almost impossible to see from the entrance, carefully opened the flimsy door and carefully removed… six statuettes of what must have been those ponies. Ministry Mares. The former bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Reaching back down, he lined up all six figurines on his huge palm. Purple, orange, pink, blue, white, and yellow. Cosmic would never have guessed that these colors could have any meaning.

“After the Elements,” the dragon said, pointing to the statuettes, “these are the most valuable things in Equestria. There are only seven of these sets, and I can only guess how far the others might be scattered. These are not just figurines; unlike ordinary crafts, they have their own magic – and so can serve as a ‘lighter’ version of the Elements, so to speak.

“I want you to find what remains of the Tree of Harmony in the Everfree Forest, near the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters, where Stable 101 was built before the war. The Tree had kept Equestria in order with its magic for centuries… until it was destroyed – for the first time, I believe. Later, a palace was built from its fragments, and a new Tree grew inside it – with the same Elements, since their bearers remained the same. That’s where the artifacts were taken. But now… I don’t know what’s there. Most likely, the palace has been destroyed for years, and there are raiders and Red Eye’s soldiers around. Maybe there’s nopony there and the Tree stands untouched – I don’t know. And I want to find out. And you,” Spike pointed at the group gathered in the cave, “are going to help me. And if you can, try to reactivate the Tree. I think the statuettes should work,” the dragon gave himself a wry smile, “if, of course, you’ve decided who represents which virtue by then. If you really do.”

“How’ll we keep you informed?” Cosmic asked – and nearly facehoofed. The answer was obvious.

“By the nearest sprite-bot. I’ll take whatever results you get and send another bot with a section for light cargo. And you will return the statuettes to me,” the dragon added with pressure. “Otherwise, you’ll get another rain of steel parasprites.”

So that’s what those bugs are called… was the first thing Cosmic thought.

And then the wheels in her head spun faster.

The Everfree Forest… The uncharted territory where, according to radio reports, the supreme leader of the slavers was stirring up something. What if this quest becomes just another suicide attempt?

But there was nowhere to run.

“We agree,” Cosmic sighed. “At least there’ll be a new purpose.”

“And what about Dr. Eggman?!” exclaimed the pink hedgehog girl, turning to her kin. “Sonic, you said that –”

“I’m sorry, Amy, but things have changed,” he said. The hedgehog girl sobbed; Sonic walked over and hugged her. “We can’t get the Elements – but Eggman doesn’t have the Emerald either. Besides, this world’s going through worse times than Earth. We gotta do something to help it.”

“How long has it been in there? A few hours?” asked Cosmic sharply. “And here – two weeks! Your Eggman is not going anywhere. And what’s he without the Master Emerald? Cannot someone take over the world alone…”

“Well, he almost did once,” Sonic countered. “But, yeah, he’s far from all-powerful on his own…”

“Remind me again, why do we have to do what you say?” Knuckles asked Spike. The echidna looked… to put it mildly, angry.

“Because someone,” the dragon looked at Sonic accusingly, “broke the word he gave when he entered this cave. Either that,” Spike gritted his teeth, “or I’ll crush you into a pancake. And burn what’s left.”

“He’s not kidding,” Cosmic interjected. “Believe me, it’s serious.”

“We need a plan,” Tails said. And already to Spike, “Can you please give me the exact coordinates of this place?”

“Sooo… and none of you have a PipBuck, of course,” the dragon said.

“This one?”

The fox opened a small bag that was attached to his belt with all sorts of technical things and took it out… PipBuck! A little scratched and with a broken flashlight eye, but it looked like it worked.

Cosmic went cold. Goddesses, she knew where this PipBuck came from!

“You… you…” she stammered, pulling the carbine from her back, and pointing it at the fox. Tails staggered back a few steps, clutching the device in his hands. “You dared to… search the… corpses of my comrades!”

She clenched the weapon in her teeth, fumbling with her tongue for the trigger…

But a powerful blow from the dragon’s tail threw the mare against the wall. Cosmic slammed into one of the shutdown maneframes and slid down, groaning. Argument rattled across the floor, released from her mouth grip.

“No one is allowed to shoot here!” Spike growled, leaning over the earth pony. “If you damage anything, two hundred years of my hermitage will be for nothing! TWO HUNDRED! FUCKING! YEARS!” he shouted directly into her ear.

“Why…?” Cosmic shook her head and came to her senses. The dragon’s last words made her ears ring wildly. “Why are you here? What are you guarding so preciously?”

“That’s none of your business, mare. But believe me, it’s more important than all your lives put together. More important than the lives of every pony in Wasteland.” Spike gave her a faint smile. “It’s hope.”

“Hope for what?” Cosmic grinned in disbelief. “That Equestria will be cleansed of radiation and Taint in no time, and the pegasi’s cloud veil will be fucking blown away?”

When she saw Spike’s eyes widen, she frowned in bewilderment. “Wait… really?! Really?!!!”

The dragon stared at her in silence for a few seconds, then sighed doomedly.

“Okay. You’ll know. But a bit later. And no one else can know.”

“W-why?”

The mare struggled to get to her hooves and hobbled back to her weapon. She didn’t feel like anything was broken, but her legs were a little shaky.

“Because anyone can get the information, you fool!!!” Spike exploded again. “The Enclave, the Steel Rangers, the alicorns – all of them! Alicorns in general are fucking telepaths! I cannot allow the fate of all of Equestria to be in the hooves of any of them! I! CAN! NOT!!!”

“Wow,” Cosmic raised an eyebrow and strapped the carbine to her back. “Now I see why all the secrecy –”

“I hope so,” the dragon exhaled angrily and turned to the others. “Let’s go. There’s nothing left for you to do here.”

He waited until all the aliens had left the hall and ducked into the next passage. Cosmic sighed and limped after them.

At the entrance to the tunnel, she turned and looked again at the hulk of the central mainframe.

So it wasn’t the Elements that the dragon was guarding…

If this machine really is capable of healing Equestria… well, that changes everything. Then Spike’s aggression was justified. Even the attack of those… as Sonic said, “kamikaze drones”.

If Cosmic had such a thing – even without being able to use it – she wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who dared to hurt “her precious”. So, Spike was right. And she should have died on the way up. That would probably be fair.

Sighing, Cosmic left the hall.

The maneframes near the walls were humming softly.

“You never used it before?” Spike asked as the earth pony pulled on the wired black crown of the recollector.

“Nope,” Cosmic shook her head slightly and adjusted the device on top of her head. “And where would it be? No, there was one in my father’s workshop, and I even put it on sometimes to play princess…” Her eyes clouded for a moment, and a faint smile touched her lips: Cosmic remembered the past. “But we didn’t have any memory orbs that I could do research on. And when my father died, the mayor sold the recollector for three wagons of greens. That should have been enough for the whole winter.”

The mare was sitting on the far side of the hall, leaning against one of the piles of jewelry. Sonic and the others huddled by the terminal, watching the Wasteland through the sprite-bot cameras. Cosmic didn’t look there; she was still angry.

And just to distract herself from the unpleasant thoughts and feelings, she asked Spike to show her the memory orb the dragon had mentioned in their conversation.

“Then the feelings would be new to you.”

Spike flew away for a moment and returned with a translucent bluish orb in his paw. There was a light smoke swirling inside the sphere – apparently a magical form of memory.

“You’ll just be inside… some other pony.”

The dragon carefully placed the orb into the recess at the top of the recollector. Cosmic chuckled, imagining what it looked like from the outside now. The sight of a “princess” with that orb on her head was imperceptibly changing into the image of some ancient goddess.

“You’ll feel the same as she did, but you won’t be able to read her mind. Looking through the memory orbs, the differences in race and gender are probably the most striking. Many unicorns are willing to enjoy others’ memories for days, it becomes a kind of… entertainment.”

“Of course, they have a horn to do it without that thing…” Cosmic sighed, touching the recollector with her hoof. The thing on her head was quite heavy, and just uncomfortable as hell to wear. “Actually, it’s not a good thing to spy on others. Even if they allowed it themselves by recording their past.”

“Then why would you look through this orb?”

Cosmic smiled slightly.

“Sometimes the past is worth to be touched.”

Spike nodded and pressed a button on the recollector.

And in that instant, the familiar world dissolved.

<========ooOОOoo========>

After a new picture seemed to assemble itself out of dots in front of her eyes, Cosmic wanted to blink. Just so she could adjust. But she could not. The body her mind was in didn’t obey her. She was just a helpless witness of what was about to happen. Whatever it was.

This pony (mare – at least the genitals felt the same) was standing in front of a huge, almost wall-sized screen, like a giant terminal. It really was a terminal, for the keyboard case was inconspicuously tucked away to the side. On the screen, a circle made up of bars was rotating, and a cursor was flashing at the end of the sentence “Waiting for connection…”

A black camera looked down at the body owner from above. It looked like this pony was about to make a video call.

I wish dad was here. I’m sure he’d appreciate all this splendor. I wonder where… Oh, Celestia, that’s…

The most unusual thing about the new body was… the horn. It was as if Cosmic – or whoever she was now – had a hard, but also sensitive stick growing out of her forehead. Cosmic suddenly wondered: what would it be like to cast magic with that? At least holding a carbine would be possible without using the mouth. And it wouldn’t be a problem to add submachine guns too…

The mare bit her lip. The display had been flickering for about twenty seconds, and the pony was clearly nervous. She jerked her shoulders, hidden under a light navy cape, and Cosmic suddenly felt a slight pain in her back: two aching points just to her sides. Exactly the echo of another, much stronger pain.

Wings! This pony didn’t have wings, but she knew how to use them!

Waiting until the connection was finally made, the unicorn mare lowered her gaze and looked at her hooves. The lavender skin looked harmonious against the pale yellow walls and white marble floor.

It was Twilight Sparkle. The second pony in a thousand years (after Princess Cadance) to receive wings from the outside – and the first to lose them.

Cosmic’s soul prickled with pity and compassion. The pony whose body she was in would never be able to fly again. Probably, for an alicorn or a pegasus, the loss of their wings would be like being a unicorn without a horn. That’s why Twilight wore clothes – so nopony would see that her wings were gone.

Cosmic had seen some ponies in the Wasteland who’d had their horns chopped off with a shovel or sawed off with a hacksaw by raiders. They could no longer use magic – and felt damaged by that. And even the slavers valued earth ponies much cheaper than unicorns.

She wondered how any of the Wasteland’s alicorns would behave without wings, and then the screen came to life.

The Princess of Friendship looked at a handsome unicorn in a red dress uniform with a dark blue mane and a shield-shaped cutie mark with a six-pointed star in the middle. Even through the monitor, he exuded a sense of power and confidence; in the back of Cosmic’s mind, it even flashed that she wouldn’t mind sleeping with him. Maybe more than once.

Behind his back, the richly appointed chambers were visible. Bookshelves, furniture – everything was made of shining blue crystals. Even the walls had their druses protruding, shimmering in the daylight. No doubt it had cost more than The Republic and the two Appleloosas combined.

Another character from the past. Shining Armor, ruler of the Crystal Empire and brother of Twilight Sparkle.

“Shining…” the lavender pony murmured, stuttering. “I…”

Something about their relationship was clearly not as Sonic had described it, the earth pony thought. Or what was going on in Equestria at the time.

The white unicorn bowed his head.

“Hey, sis. I know why you’re calling: Cadance and I have already received a letter from Princess Luna. And before you say anything… Believe me, we’ve given it a lot of thought – and we’ve decided it’s safer for us… and for the Empire.”

What are they talking about? Okay, wait… So the recording was made in wartime…?

“But… but we must stay together!” Twilight said almost pleadingly. “Our countries, yours and mine! Ever since the Empire returned… We’ve always been friends!”

“And that’s true,” Shining Armor nodded. He, too, was obviously sad and uncomfortable talking about this (though still unclear to Cosmic) subject. “The Crystal Empire is indeed closely related to Equestria. But you know… have you ever thought that we’re being kept in a secondary role… on purpose?”

“What do you mean? Princess Celestia would never –”

“Are you so sure? We may not see our future apart from Equestria, but –” he lifted his chin “– the Empire is not a puppet. And we are entitled to our own interests.”

“Then let me remind you of something, BBBFF,” Twilight said in a similarly dignified tone. “We are going through a difficult time. We need every gun, every bullet, every magical amulet we can find. It will take several years for Equestria to overcome the crisis of going to war. And we need cooperation now more than ever!”

“I’m sorry, but no,” Shining Armor shook his head. “All you need is cheap weapons and resources, which you do not have. But it doesn’t work like that, Twi… Yes, if it were that simple… You see, the crystal ponies don’t like this war. Not at all. And even though most of them are for Equestria… none of them want to get directly involved.”

“But you can’t do that! There’s a signed treaty –”

“Sometimes,” the unicorn sighed, “you have to choose between fulfilling your obligations to your allies – and to your own nation. I would never want that option, of course… but what if Equestria loses? The Zebras would probably want to hunt down those who supported you… Damn – we’re even glad we haven’t given up on Stalliongrad, the griffins, or the changelings yet! And in the worst case… we’ll need something to defend our home with.”

“So you won’t change your mind?”

“No.” Shining’s tone became emphatically official, as if the unicorn were reading a decree. “The Crystal Empire suspends the lend-lease of weapons, gems, and food to Equestria. From now on, the war is primarily your problem.

“However,” he raised a hoof, cutting off his sister’s objections, “we will still protect the southern lands from the Windigos and the possible return of King Sombra.” He sighed again. “Though I’m not sure Equestria deserves that anymore.”

“What are you talking about…?”

Twilight was about to cry. At least the burning in her eyes felt very realistic.

It was as if Cosmic herself had been kicked in the ass from The Republic.

“The Crystal Empire will remain neutral in your conflict. That’s the compromise we decided to make for our future.”

“I see.” Twilight sobbed, but when she looked back at her brother, her voice was calm and steady, “How is Flurry Heart…?”

“She and Cadance are fine… as well as they can. This war is getting to everyone’s nerves, and it’s my duty as a father and husband to protect my family from its influence.”

“Can I see them?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Shining Armor shook his head. “Flurry is with her art teacher, and Cadance has gone for a walk in the garden. And I have a few more meetings and business appointments today. So… let’s wrap it up, Twily. And, uh, if you don’t mind, don’t call here again. As you can see, neither of us would be happy to have this conversation right now. And for your own safety. After all, zebras can tap even such secure channels.”

“Shining… You’ll still be my BBBFF no matter what, right?”

“Yes, sister,” the unicorn grinned sadly. “I can promise you that.”

“You know… I wish there was a seventh Element of Harmony.”

“And what is it?”

“Justice.”

<========ooOОOoo========>

The memory shattered and Cosmic was thrown back into the real world.

Floating back into her body was like squeezing into a tight but cozy enclosure. Like a snail crawling back into its shell.

A strange emptiness formed in her forehead, as if what was there before wasn’t there now. Probably the same thing unicorns experience when looking through the memory orbs of earth ponies.

However, there would be no more pain in her back at the site of the lost wings. It was actually unbearable, and Cosmic had no idea how Twilight dealt with it.

So this was like being a princess…?

Cosmic groaned and opened her eyes - to finally blink enough to get used to the semi-darkness inside the cave. Spike’s face loomed in front of her as he pulled the memory orb out of the recess and began to remove the recollector from her.

“BBBFF…?” Cosmic squeezed out, recovering from the memory.

Her body still didn’t obey her well. The mare wondered if she would have to adjust to herself after each visit to another mind…?

To be honest, it was a bit scary.

“Big Brother – Best Friend Forever,” Spike explained and took off, stowing the orb and device in a box on the top shelf. “A foalhood nickname Twily had given Shining. When everything went down, it was her last attempt to keep in touch with her brother. But as you can see, it didn’t work. The Crystal Empire distanced itself from the war with the Zebras and focused all its energies on maintaining internal order. No one knows what’s happened there since the bombs fell. No one – in all of Equestria. Maybe it even disappeared for a thousand years…”

The dragon sighed heavily and glided down, landing on the ground next to Cosmic.

“Or… they were completely wiped out by mega spells. Though in that case all Windigoes should be dead too – otherwise I don’t understand why they haven’t taken over half the world in two hundred years of our sluggish civil war.”

“Eh, if only there really were a Seventh Element…” the blue earth pony muttered.

“Yeah, we certainly do need a little justice right about now,” Spike nodded. “And actually… you know, there were not five branches on the Tree of Harmony, but eleven. And the existence of six basic virtues didn’t mean there weren’t others. Courage, Justice, Wisdom, Repentance, Sincerity, Mercy – all of them could have their bearers. Perhaps they still do. They’re just not the ones that have been chosen as the primary means of reviving Equestria. But they can be of great help in everyday life.”

“Still – what are the maneframes in this room for?” Cosmic asked, nodding toward the dark corridor.

“Gardens of Equestria,” the dragon replied deafly. “The most important – and last – superspell developed by Twilight Sparkle. No one else in the Mane Six knew about it. Sunburst and Starlight had helped Twilight with the implementation, along with the other scientists. Sunburst programmed the central Crusader maneframe, and Starlight helped develop the magical matrix. After all, she was a very powerful unicorn and knew magic better than most.”

“And you’re looking for the right ponies to activate the spell…”

“For two centuries now. But that” – Spike closed his eyes – “has proven to be a nearly impossible task. You’re the first non-bearer pony to learn the secret. Despite my best efforts to keep it safe,” he grinned weakly. “You were very persistent. I hope you won’t use this knowledge for your own ends. Because if you do, it will be the end of everything, and Equestria will always be the way it is now.”

“I won’t,” Cosmic whispered. “Now I realize that you had the right to kill us when we came here. I didn’t know… I didn’t know anything…”

“At least you’re not John Snow,” Sonic’s voice sounded above her ear.

Cosmic turned around. The hedgehog and the fox walked over to her and Spike and sat down next to them. Tails felt very, very uncomfortable because he was wearing the PipBuck from the pegasus that Metal Dawn had killed.

“Go away,” the mare said, turning away. “I don’t want to see you. After what you did… By the way, when did you manage to do that…?”

“When you and Sonic were burying them,” Tails replied. “While you were lying there unconscious, he told me everything, and I asked him to get me one of those… PipBucks. I… I just wanted to study the technology… thought we could use it… and we did! Cosmic, I… I didn’t mean to hurt you that much, but…”

“You looted the corpses of my comrades,” Cosmic said without looking in his direction. “This isn’t something that can be easily forgotten and forgiven. Maybe I can, but… I’ll need time. A lot of time. By the way, whose the fuck is this? Stream’s or Spark’s?”

“Spark’s,” Sonic said with a sigh. “I couldn’t get that thing off Stream’s leg. It was firmly attached…”

“Yeah, Spark Glider was a real badass… But he also was a good friend. Like… like all of them. Except for one…”

“I didn’t think I’d find myself in a situation where my fourth wall would be broken after… Pinkie Pie left,” Spike changed the subject. “That was… unexpected. And made me think.”

“But you’ll continue to guard the place, won’t you?” Cosmic asked.

“Yes. I’ll probably invite some of the other good ponies I’m watching here soon. With any luck, I’ll find at least one or two bearers.”

“And… here’s something else I wanna ask…” The earth pony looked into Spike’s eyes. “What do you know about a pony called Lyra?”

“About whom…?” The dragon hesitated. “Wait, I seem to remember something… Lyra… Heartstrings, did you mean her? It’s just that she lived at the same time as Twilight… she was… a musician, I think… yes, played the lyre with her telekinesis…”

“Do you know what happened to her? Well, when –”

“No. I don’t know," he shook his head. “After all, she was kind of a… background pony back then. Why do you remember her now?”

“Well, there’s one thing…”

Cosmic briefly recounted the history of her investigation up to the meeting with the cyberghoul in New Appleloosa.

“…Someone must be behind all this, right? And then there’s that merchant… where did he get the cybernetic implants? What was in those blueprints he was supposed to pass on? And who ‘turned him off’? It’s all very strange. And I just want to find out so I can finally put this mystery out of my life.”

“Basically, ponies can live that long. And you know one way they can.”

“As ghouls?” Cosmic raised an eyebrow. “Well, anyway, what does that give us? We don’t know anything else. It might even be different Lyra.” The earth pony yawned. “Things could have changed so many times in two hundred years…”

“If she knows that you survived, she’ll try to get to you,” Spike said and looked towards the cave’s exit. “It’s almost daylight now. Do you need more rest, or are you leaving now…? Cosmic? Cosmic…”

But she was already asleep, leaning against the wall.

Spike looked at the sleeping mare for a while, then gently picked her up with his paws and carried her to his bed. After that, he carefully laid Cosmic down and covered her with a blanket.

She only moved slightly in her sleep. And smiled.

Purely and joyously – as if she had seen in her dream the renewed Equestria of the future.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. Survival skill increased to 100%. New perk: Stone wall – 25% increased blunt resistance.

Player: Sonic. New perk: Bullet Dodger (level 1/3) – increased evasion by 15%. Bonus: Bullet Dodger (level 2/3) – increased evasion by 30%.

Items obtained: Twilight Sparkle statuette (1 item), Applejack statuette (1 item), Pinkie Pie statuette (1 item), Rainbow Dash statuette (1 item), Rarity statuette (1 item), Fluttershy statuette (1 item).

The quest stage “Get to the Cave” has been completed. Added a new stage “Find the Tree of Harmony”.

Chapter 11. Not Gonna Die

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So long as I kept moving and didn’t dwell.

Fallout Equestria: Heroes, chapter 18

Sometimes, just when it seems that the goal has been achieved, everything turns upside down. Initial plans fall apart, and victory – so close but suddenly out of reach – turns into defeat. First of all – in the struggle with circumstances, which, no matter how strong the will of the one who is going, usually take over.

The meaning of the former aspiration is lost, and in order to somehow justify the effort spent, you have to choose a new goal – depending on what you get in the end. Sometimes the only option left is to logically continue the previous mission.

Because to give up when the path has taken you so far is to surrender. To retreat shamefully, devaluing all previous efforts and hardships.

Only cowards and losers agree to this.

But heroes keep going, and one day they’ll end up somewhere.

“…Is that a mushroom?!” Cosmic asked, looking at the strange creature in Cream’s hands.

Light blue in color, with a drop-shaped head with a yellow ball floating above, and a red bow tie, it looked at the earth pony with its blue eyes, squeaking and wiggling its limbs. It also had little pink wings on its back.

“This is Chao,” the rabbit girl replied in a soft, high voice. “His name is Cheese. He’s my friend. We lived together in our world until we heard about what happened on Earth. I wanted to go there and join Sonic’s team, but my mother was against it. And then… Tails contacted me and invited me to join him. Cheese likes adventures,” she smiled sweetly and let the Chao out of her arms. He flapped his wings and floated in the air. “And I just couldn’t say no.”

“Cream, I was the one who convinced you!” Amy said as she approached them. “You’re always afraid of everything! Unlike your pet,” she added with a smile.

Cosmic looked at the hedgehog girl.

“So you two knew each other before?”

“Huh! Of course we did!” Amy crossed her arms over her chest. “We’re all from the same world. Many different tribes live there, and while the owls, hedgehogs, and echidnas were at war, the others lived normal lives. Often, they even joined together.”

“But wait…” the earth pony frowned. “Sonic said that hedgehogs and echidnas almost disappeared in that war…”

“That’s right – almost,” Amy sighed, clasping her hands. “Sonic was the only one with his powers, so he was sent to a safe place. But gradually, things calmed down and we could return to a peaceful life, joining the rest of the tribes.”

“So you were actually gathered by Tails, not Sonic? But why do you think Sonic’s in charge?”

“Well, it’s just like in MLP,” Tails replied, walking over to them. On his left arm was a “trophy” PipBuck with a loaded map. Sonic and Knuckles were sitting off to the side, bored. “After all, the Mane Six’s friendship had been predestined by Rainbow Dash, who had performed a Sonic Rainboom that had given them all cutie marks. Twilight Sparkle led the team later.”

There was a flap of large wings, and Spike hovered over the group.

“Are you ready? The sun will be setting soon. You’ll need to be able to see where you’re going without being caught by the Enclave. So now would be the best time for you to go.”

“Tell us…” Cosmic turned to the dragon. “You only gave us this mission so that we wouldn’t get discouraged and still have a purpose, didn’t you?”

Spike hesitated, and with a last flap of his wings, he landed on the floor of the cave.

“No… And yes. As you can see, the Elements are too important to me to just give them away. These statuettes…” The dragon’s gaze clouded over, no doubt he was remembering the past. “They’re priceless in their own way, but –” Spike grinned “– there are seven sets of them in Equestria, not just one. Of course, it’s hard for me to part with them, even temporarily, and I expect to get them back in a few days… So in a way, yes, I’m giving you this job just to get you off my back. But at the same time…”

Spike sighed heavily.

“The Tree of Harmony?” Cosmic recognized. “Was there anything left of it? Considering Red Eye’s been burning the Everfree Forest like crazy lately.”

“That’s the problem,” the dragon replied sadly. “I don’t know.”

“And in all these years, you haven’t even —”

“I’ve tried! But none of those who went into the forest ever came back. They all died either on the way, encountering alicorns, griffins, Steel Rangers or just bandits, or in the forest itself, facing whatever lived there.”

“Wonderful,” Cosmic said wryly. “And that’s why we should definitely go there. Excellent plan. Reliable, man, just like a PipBuck.”

“Like a Swiss watch,” Sonic chuckled from his seat.

“About that thing in the forest…” Tails said, looking at Spike. “You mean Ursa, the manticores and the poison joke? Or…”

“Well, star creatures and manticores can be found in the Wasteland itself,” the dragon said. “You’ll have to avoid the plants first. There are some that like to spit spores… And the blue ivy that was there two hundred years ago has mutated into a much more dangerous ‘killing joke’.”

“How’s that?” Amy asked, tilting her head to the side.

“The same ivy, only its touch does… something to every pony. Different every time. Anything at all,” Spike emphasized.

There was a long silence while the alien team digested what they had heard.

Finally, the silence was broken by Cosmic, “Besides, there must still be Red Eye’s soldiers snooping around as if they were at home.”

“Who is this guy?” asked Knuckles, who was listening to the conversation with Sonic from the other side of the room. “It’s not the first time I’ve heard that today… I don’t like him anymore.”

“This is the leader of all slavers in the Wasteland,” Cosmic grinned unhappily. “He seems to be in Fillydelphia, but at the same time he’s doing something to the forest… I only know about him from radio reports and conversations I overheard in New Appleloosa. That town, by the way, owes him a water talisman that is so rare in Equestria, and they have strong trade ties with him. And Old Appleloosa is a slave-trading outpost in that part of the Wasteland.”

“I want to kill him now,” Knuckles muttered, slapping his spiked gloved hand on the ground.

“If only it were that easy…” the earth pony shook her head. “I think someone would have done it a long time ago. But this asshole relies on fucking alicorns, and he’s got a lot of griffins working for him… No, no chance. And besides…” She sighed. “This isn’t our war anymore.”

“Right,” Spike’s low growl sounded, and Cream shrieked in fright. “Not yours, and not theirs. But both your wars with Lyra and Eggman can wait. All in good time.”

The dragon looked towards the exit of the cave, beyond which the pale twilight was fading, and Cosmic caught herself.

“Yeah… we should go.”

Soon the group gathered at the passage outside.

Leaving the cave meant returning to a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where life was worth as much as a pony carried in saddlebags, plus a bounty on the head in rare cases. And sometimes it was nothing. And no wonder no one was in a hurry to take the first step out of the dragon’s lair: neither those who had already been out there… nor those who had come straight into the cave from another universe.

“Good luck,” Spike finally told them all.

Cosmic nodded and was about to be the first to leave the conventionally hospitable dwelling when suddenly…

“Wait!” Sonic shouted and all eyes turned to him. “I have an idea. A way we can do this faster and safer.”

“And how?” Cosmic asked, turning around.

The blue hedgehog smiled indulgently and lifted the lanyard with the remaining portal rings around his neck.

“Knuckles, Amy, Cream,” he said as he untied the lanyard and removed one of the last three rings. “You’re new to this world, and it’s not a very peaceful place. I think it would be safer for you to go back for now, and then when we” – he looked around at Cosmic, himself, and Tails – “come down and get far enough away from here, I’ll open another portal (‘cause I know what the room looks like, and I can visualize it), and you’ll come back to us. But…” Sonic frowned. “You don’t have any more rings, do you?”

“We’ll have to look. What happened to yours?” Knuckles asked.

“They were stolen,” the hedgehog sighed. “I’ll tell you later. So you agree?”

“And how’ll we get away from the Enclave troops if they find us?” Cosmic asked. “Well, you, of course —”

“I can just roll down. The round shape allows me to remain unharmed, so nothing will happen to me. Then I’ll run across the Wasteland.” Sonic looked at his fox friend. “Tails could fly away on his tails.” And glanced at Cosmic, smiling again. “And you have a zebra stealth cloak.”

The earth pony suddenly realized that everyone was looking at her now. And while the new aliens from Earth stared at her with amazement, Spike did so with apprehension and wariness.

“You could have slipped past me then…” the dragon said in a muffled voice. “And I wouldn’t have noticed…”

Now he’ll breathe fire again, a thought flashed through Cosmic’s mind.

“No,” the mare shook her head, “I wouldn’t do that. I really do want the best for Equestria, but…” She closed her eyes with a sigh. “It’s so hard to believe in something that’s been dead for so long.”

“We have to believe,” Spike replied. “Believe and hope that there will be a day when we get our sunshine and rainbows back.” The dragon looked at the corridor leading out. “It’s almost dark. Time to leave for you. Take care of these statuettes.” The figurines were now in Cosmic’s saddlebag. “Each of them, even when separated, gives strength, and all together… probably allow to do the impossible.”

The earth pony said nothing. Just nodded goodbye to Spike and walked silently out of the cave onto the narrow platform.

Behind them the portal opened, through which some of the aliens went back to Earth. To the world that could still be saved.

Though… maybe Equestria wasn’t finished either?

However, that was no longer Cosmic’s concern.

After all, there were other ponies besides her. Why shouldn’t one of them try to change the world for the better?

Someone who’d be a greater hero.

She just wanted to survive. And to have a purpose that was worth staying alive for. At least for tomorrow. And then she’d see.

As they descended, darkness fell. The waning moon had risen in the sky, but its faint light shining through the tattered fabric of the clouds gave almost no visibility.

Cosmic would wonder what was causing the moon and sun to rise now, Sonic thought. If everything was as it should be, what powers were Celestia and Luna using? And for what purpose, if days and nights could indeed change naturally? Was it just to maintain their own power? Or was the talisman the Goddesses had given Twilight in the ninth season still lying around somewhere, working?

The hedgehog shook his head and jumped over a small dip, concentrating on the descent again.

It was too complicated and confusing. How many unsolved mysteries had the fourth generation left behind… and many more had been created by the fifth…

Sonic looked back at Tails and Cosmic, who were following. The fox could not jump that far, so he used a tailswing to keep from falling into the abyss, just as he had during the climb.

But there was no sign of the blue pony. And not only because of the darkness, which was necessary for cover.

Even on the upper platform, Cosmic donned Metal Dawn’s cloak, instantly becoming invisible and inaudible. Tails confirmed the same after failing to find her mark on PipBuck’s locator. Indeed, the cloak’s stealth mode was absolute, and the mare actually regretted that during the war, the ponies hadn’t been able to fully copy the Zebras’ technology.

With the tools he had borrowed from Spike, the fox removed the PipBuck and placed the device in Cosmic’s saddlebag. That way, she could find the aliens when they were all away from any possible Enclave surveillance. If the estimates were correct, the cloak would easily hide the dead Spark Glider’s mark from the minicomputers in the pegasi’s armor.

But still, he and Tails could be easily detected. So they had to get down and out of here as quickly as possible. Having learned from his encounters with Dr. Eggman, Sonic knew when to retreat. He simply used that knowledge as he saw fit.

It was still much easier to go downhill than uphill. The hedgehog’s eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, and now even the faint glow of the moon was enough to see where to put his foot or where to jump.

It seemed that everything would go on like this, without any problems. At least until they reached the Everfree Forest.

Sonic stopped and looked at the sky again. It was impossible to tell under the cloud cover – what if a pegasus was flying up there now, looking out for “intruders”?

But no matter how hard the hedgehog looked into the night, there was no movement. Perhaps those who were supposed to be on duty near the mountain preferred to sleep rather than hover in the air.

Sonic turned away and took a few more steps…

And then a bright light struck from the right.

“Aaaaaaah!” the hedgehog screamed and covered his eyes with his hand.

A voice, amplified by loudspeakers, whipped around his ears.

“STAY WHERE YOU ARE! SURRENDER! DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID AND WE’LL KEEP YOU ALIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR INFORMATION…!”

“Tails, run…!” without waiting for the pegasus to finish speaking, Sonic commanded…

And jumped.

No, not forward. Because Cosmic would still need the path for her descent, and the missiles the mare had warned them about could destroy the only way down for non-flying ponies.

But sideways, straight at the voice, curling up into a tight ball in one motion. White, itchy sparks flew from the needles.

And then an explosion ripped through the rocky slope behind him. Sonic didn’t see it – he only felt the shockwave pushing him far away and down.

Spinning the wheel at breakneck speed, he rolled down the steep, almost sheer slope, bouncing on the twists and turns of the path that wound around the mountain. The energy from the needles sparked, bursting outward, forming a shield that absorbed the strongest blows.

And the hedgehog himself thought about not vomiting as soon as he landed.

BOOM! BOOM! BANG!

Sonic wondered if it was him hitting the rock so hard, or if it was the sound of the rocket hits. But there wasn’t a thing to be done. All he could do was hope that his friends would survive.

“STOP! YOU WON’T GET AWAY…!” came from above.

So Tails was still alive, running through the air from the pegasi. But how long would the fox’s tails be able to help him? And suddenly, their speed wouldn’t be enough to outrun the pursuit?

Sonic gritted his teeth and began to roll even faster.

Still. They had no other plan. Nor did they have time to think of one. If they all went together, half of the group would be gone by now. This way, there’s a chance that at least one of them could make it out. If they were lucky, all of them.

But there was no way to be sure.

Finally, the bouncing stopped and there was only a flat surface under the needles. Sonic immediately stopped spinning and straightened up to his full height, looking up at the sky.

Somewhere high above, bright red laser beams and red flame trails from missiles were glittering. Tails was flying – somehow managing to dodge the hits, even without Sonic’s speed and reaction! Hedgehog mentally applauded his friend. Tails had a real knack for dodging things.

Suddenly, one of the tracks of the inversion trail pulled down, heading straight for Sonic. And a couple more followed.

“Uh-oh,” the hedgehog said, doing what he did best.

He sped up.

The air thickened again, blowing a solid chill across his face and out his arms to the sides and back. A familiar bluish glow blurred at the edges of his vision.

Racing through the night desert much faster than the wind, Sonic allowed himself a victorious grin. He was back in his element.

Rockets rumbled and exploded far behind him. And then a scream of pain and despair came from above, causing the hedgehog to slow down and lift his head again. And so he froze.

Shots from ray guns and rocket launchers continued to rain down on the small target in the night sky. Only now it was no longer hidden in the darkness.

The small light, which the pegasi kept shooting at, was falling, rapidly approaching the ground.

“Tails!!!”

Sonic immediately sprinted to where the unexpected firefly the fox had briefly transformed into was about to fall. More blasts rumbled behind him, far behind the speed of the blue lightning that was cutting through the Wasteland.

Halfway, the light went out, but the hedgehog already knew where Tails would land. A little less than half a mile – that was how far they had traveled from the mountain. Not a great distance for a creature as fast as Sonic.

It’s all about timing. And not accidentally pulling Tails sideways at the speed of sound.

“Hang on, Tails! I’ll get you…!”

Just don’t miss by slowing down a split second too late.

He’ll make it. He has to make it.

Tonight he won’t lose the friend he brought into this world. A friend with whom he’s been through so much in a matter of months…

Because friendship is magic. And at the right moment, it can do anything.

“Catch…!”

He could already see the silhouette of the fox flying down like a broken puppet. Tails had stopped shooting for a while, and instead of fire, his yellow fur was smoldering for some reason.

Sonic slowed down just before his friend fell – enough so that the pull wouldn’t hurt Tails too much when he flew right into his hands, and the fox’s acceleration wouldn’t slam the hedgehog into the ground.

But even so, it didn’t work to hold on to him.

Sonic stumbled, dropping his trapped companion, and smashing his nose into the ground. Tails flew off to the side and rolled away, hitting the ground hard with each bounce.

Spitting up sand dust, Sonic jumped to his feet and ran to his friend’s still-lying body.

“Tails! Can you hear me?! Wake up, Tails…!”

And then, after running up to the fox and starting to shake him up, Sonic was horrified.

What he thought was smoke from smoldering fur was in fact that. One of the two tails was almost gone; pale wisps of smoke with the smell of burning hair rose from the rest.

“No…” the hedgehog whispered. He couldn’t believe what had happened. “Tails…”

Somehow he put out the rest of the flames and leaned over to the fox’s chest. His friend was breathing, deep and almost inaudible; there was a steady but faint heartbeat beneath his ribs.

Tails was alive. But unconscious, whether from pain or something else.

Just like when they had run from Eggman in the snowy mountains of Siberia…

“No… Tails…” Sonic shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. “I didn’t wa—”

The laser plowed into the ground at their side. Seeing the pink glow through his closed eyelids, Sonic opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

Gripped by grief, he had completely forgotten about his enemies. But they were obviously not going to let their targets go.

A rocket shot cracked deafly. A bright point of light blossomed in the darkness and flew down, leaving a clearly visible trail.

An explosion boomed, scattering dust and ash in all directions.

But those the pegasus stormtrooper had been aiming at were no longer there.

With the unconscious Tails on his shoulders, Sonic ran across the Wasteland. Somewhere he hoped they wouldn’t get caught.

I’ll save you, Tails. Just live… The hedgehog stared into the darkness with determination. I promise we’ll get out of here. We’ll help Cosmic… and then figure out how to defeat Eggman.

For some reason, he believed their mission in this world wouldn’t be over even if they got out of the Everfree Forest.

The Equestria they had entered was a terribly imperfect place. And it just needed help to become better.

…The Everfree Forest was a great wall of tall trees, sharply delineating it from the flat surface around it. The dense foliage made it difficult to see anything more than a few steps away, and there seemed to be little light coming through the treetops.

The forest already looked like an unattractive place from the outside, and it was even more unnerving to have to go deep into it soon. The grass and bushes looked the most ordinary, but Cosmic knew that this impression could be deceiving. Especially when one considered the poisonous spores and the killing joke.

The six of them (seven, counting Cheese) stood not far from the edge of the ancient forest, peering into its green semi-darkness. They had only a short way to go before the dark branches would close over their heads.

The last – and most important part of the way to the forgotten Tree of Harmony.

…Cosmic found the hedgehog and the fox near morning, a few miles east of Spike’s Mountain. While the aliens took the fire from the Enclave, the earth pony walked down the path, used her tools to put on a PipBuck (her fillyhood in the workshop had finally come in useful), and trotted off in the direction in which the two friendly marks had fled faster than the wind. The pegasi circled the Wasteland for a while, but then apparently decided it wasn’t worth the risk, and headed back behind the clouds.

Tails was unconscious, his body covered in scrapes and bruises. But after a drink of healing potions, the fox regained his senses and even managed to get to his feet. Luckily, nothing was broken, otherwise they would have needed unicorn healing magic immediately, which would have put an end to their plans. They’d have to go to The Republic… and they wouldn’t be welcome there.

The hedgehog and the fox still had the weapons Cosmic had given them, but as they fled, they… didn’t use them. The fire was coming from only one side, and the other didn’t even try to shoot back.

“Are you out of your mind?!” the earth pony shouted when she found them – hiding behind a random rock that also served as a shelter. “What did I give you weapons for?! This is the Wasteland, idiots, you need to know how to defend yourself!”

“Sorry, Cosmic, but… we’re not like that,” Sonic replied, standing up. The submachine gun still dangled in a holster at his side. “We’re not used to all this, and… we’d probably have a hard time killing anyone. Even to save our own lives.”

“Damn… what the hay are you thinking about?!”

“We shouldn’t… be like them,” Tails said in a weak voice and tried to sit up. It didn’t work, and he remained lying on the spread blanket from Cosmic’s things. “We must… give a drop of goodness… to this world. Otherwise… it will… remain this way forever.”

“And we can do something, too,” Sonic added. “For example, they never caught up with me. Remember how I alone disarmed those raiders,” he shuddered, “until your friend machine-gunned them. And he,” the hedgehog glanced at Tails, “can handle any of the local machines. And you don’t know the others like we do. Although” – Sonic scratched the back of his head – “that’s not very good either, but still… Eh. Just trust us. Please. It’s not that hard, is it?”

“Your kindness cost him his tail!” Cosmic replied, pointing a hoof at the fox. “And for us it may cost the mission!”

“But no one’s paying you for this trip?”

“I think we owe Spike for not killing us,” the mare said. “And” – she looked down at her hooves – “I just need some kind of purpose right now. I don’t want to go home without finding out what’s going on. But I don’t know how to go about it. So I need some kind of intermediate step to figure out what to do next. And a hike in the woods suits me just fine.” Cosmic stroked Tails’ chest with a hoof. “The main thing is that you should survive until then.”

…Now Tails stood with the others, slightly wrapped in bandages, probably mentally preparing to storm this “Area 51”, as Sonic had said at one of the campsites. The fox had argued back then that it was something between Chernobyl and Aokigahara… whatever that meant. Cosmic was still not well versed in what the two were saying about the world they came from. And the “Area 51” that Tails had told the bewildered mare about was firmly associated in her mind with Hoofington, a remote town in the southeast of Equestria.

The journey to the northern edge of the forest had taken the same four days as the one from the abandoned farm to the dragon’s mountain, mainly because Tails could no longer fly and was limping. Cream had tried to talk to him, but the previously cheerful fox had only replied that everything was okay, and he was fine. Cosmic decided to just give him time; after all, losing the tail that made him fly was like a pegasus losing a wing or a unicorn losing magic. A loss to be accepted and realized. Or to try to get it back in the future.

Smoke rose above the fence of trees, carried by the wind from the southeast. If this was indeed the work of the hooves of Red Eye’s minions, the small group had another reason to be cautious.

Because it’s one thing to meet ponies with guns. It’s quite another to encounter ponies with flamethrowers.

“Are w-we s-sure w-we h-have t-to go that w-way?” Cream asked, wrapping her arms around herself. Cheese, hovering on his wings, hid behind her.

“Yes,” Cosmic replied stiffly. “We have a mission, and we must complete it. According to the map,” she looked at the PipBuck’s display, where the right marker Spike had loaded was located, “the Tree of Harmony is almost at the center of the forest. If this were the Wasteland, we wouldn’t have to walk more than a couple of hours. But as it is,” she shifted her gaze back to the trees, “I don't even know.”

Sorry, Spark, the earth pony thought belatedly. The PipBuck of her dead comrade was almost physically burning her leg. But I need it now. And you… Sorry, but you’re gonna have to… gosh, how can I put this…

“Okay,” she sighed. “Let’s just do it.”

Cosmic was the first to get up from her seat and step into the forest. The others followed her, one after the other. Amy and Cream were at the back of the group.

Although it was a clear day outside, the forest seemed to be in a permanent twilight. Most of the trees were straight, but many were twisted, sometimes into the most unthinkable shapes. Cosmic even had to shake her head and blink – the dark, uneven trunks sometimes bore the faces of terrifying creatures.

Spike told me that Pinkie Pie dispelled those apparitions with a laugh on their first trip into the forest, the earth pony remembered. She looked back at the aliens following her and could barely keep from sighing heavily. What could I do about their long faces? Anyway, this is neither the time nor the place to have fun.

Indeed, her companions looked like they’d taken a pill of seriousness. Even Sonic remained sullenly silent as he made his way through the thicket, untouched by radiation and fire.

The nearest balefire bomb must have fallen far enough away, because the PipBuck on the mare’s leg remained silent, registering no background increase. From that point of view, it was even safer here than anywhere else in the Wasteland. But “safety” was a relative term. And the main thing was not only to avoid the aggressive flora, but also the arsonists – or Red Eye’s regular soldiers. Still, it would be unpleasant to catch a bullet or a laser beam… though less unpleasant than being burned alive by incinerator jets.

Remembering what Spike had warned her about, Cosmic tried to watch where she stepped. She avoided bushes as well as flowers: it wasn’t clear what those plants could do. But even if she walked on normal grass, she couldn’t be sure that it wouldn’t suddenly try to grab the travelers by the throat.

Or…

“Quiet!” the earth pony whispered, raising a hoof.

The group instantly halted.

Standing still, Cosmic listened intently to the rustling of the forest. Something about them was different now. As if someone was creeping through the same thicket as them.

With a mental curse, the mare turned on the PipBuck’s E.F.S., the Eyes-Forward Sparkle locator. The black and green display immediately highlighted a cluster of dots, automatically zooming in on the map.

Cosmic looked back at her new team. There were six of them besides her…

PipBuck showed six friendly green dots nearby.

And one red.

“Danger!” she yelled as a creature jumped out of the bushes and landed in the middle of the group, flapping its small, useless wings a few times.

Right in front of Knuckles.

Staring him straight in the eyes.

Cosmic threw Argument off her back in one motion, caught the weapon in her mouth, and pressed an inconspicuous button on the side of the PipBuck.

Time surely froze around her, and the world before her eyes blurred, jerked by a pale green filter that came out of nowhere.

Welcome to S.A.T.S. – Stable-Tech Arcane Targeting Spell, the green writing appeared above.

Cosmic knew what PipBucks did, but she had never worn one before. As a result, her first entry into S.A.T.S. sent her into a momentary stupor. An indescribably short moment – during which all the participants in the scene barely moved, but the charge bar in the lower right corner of the view had shrunk by a third.

Finding this or that companion with a glance, Cosmic was amazed how sharp and clear the outlines of his or her figure became at the same moment. Cold sweat broke out on the mare’s face as the numbers appeared – the probability of a hit.

No – she wouldn’t shoot those she was walking with. No way. Never.

She’s not Metal Dawn.

The stupid device just didn’t understand what it was offering.

Cosmic found the “uninvited guest” with her eyes. It was a strange creature that looked like a snake with the head of a chicken. Where these halves joined, small leathery wings protruded from the sides, unable to hold it in the air. Around the small monster’s head, a square of scope appeared. The inscription there said:

Cocatrix. 31%.

About to press the trigger with her tongue, the earth pony stopped.

Thirty-one percent. Less than a one in three chance. So in the other two, she would miss.

Or hit one of her teammates.

No.

Cosmic took her tongue away from the trigger.

She won’t do that.

Besides, she’s not alone now. And she can rely on those around her.

The spell’s charge was over. The world returned to its usual colorful appearance – and time sped forward again. At the speed of the bullet, Cosmic should have fired, but didn’t.

Knuckles took a short swing and struck the cocatrix with his hand in a spiked white glove. With a wild shriek, the creature soared into the air and flew away in a perfect arc. Its wings flapped helplessly in the wind.

And that was a different matter.

Cosmic raised her carbine and, squinting, fired a short burst. The shots rang deaf and strange in the forest and seemed to be absorbed by the surrounding trees. A falling cocatrix exploded with blood and fell into the bushes.

A horrible screech ripped at her ears. Cosmic turned to see Cream staring at the spot where the defeated monster had disappeared, hands over her mouth and eyes wide in horror. Cheese was hiding behind her back, shrinking into a ball.

The other aliens barely had time to react either.

Sonic with Nige and Tails with Metal Dawn’s revolvers looked comical – only now the hedgehog and the fox had drawn their weapons.

The earth pony raised an eyebrow at the sight of Amy. The pink hedgehog had literally pulled a huge red sledgehammer out of nowhere – and was looking around for a threat.

And only Knuckles stood there, breathing heavily, fists out in front of him.

“Are you okay?” Cosmic asked the red echidna as she put down her weapon.

“Yeah,” he replied, looking down at his hands. “What… what is it…?”

“What happened?” Sonic was alarmed.

“My… hands…” Knuckles’ fingers were still clenched. “I can’t… unclasp…”

Cosmic came closer and took a closer look. And then fell on her haunches, gasping for air.

Knuckles’ gloves – at least in the area of the spikes on the knuckles – were no longer white.

They were gray. Like stone.

“Let me help,” Sonic said, and before Cosmic could understand, he grabbed one of Knuckles’ fists and pulled with all his might.

The echidna roared in pain. The earth pony’s blood even froze in her veins for a moment. And that guy is scary when he gets angry, a thought flashed through her mind.

After a few minutes, one of Knuckles’ palms gave way and somehow unclenched. Sonic and Amy gasped when they saw what their friend’s hand had become. The tips of the fingers were straightened, but the metacarpal and lower phalanges remained stiff, turned to stone.

“I can’t… feel my fingers,” Knuckles whispered. “Though…”

He walked to the nearest tree and, with all his might, cracked the trunk with his other, still clenched hand.

The crack sounded louder to Cosmic than the shots from Argument. Splinters flew in all directions. As Knuckles backed away from the tree, the mare nearly choked on the air at what she saw.

There was a dent about twenty centimeters deep in the trunk, with unevenly broken edges. There were visible cracks running around the tree.

Echidna calmly pushed the trunk with a straightened palm, and the tree snapped in half and collapsed into the thicket.

“Well, that’s not bad,” Knuckles said. Then, looking down at his still-clenched second fist, he added, “Can somebody help me?”

Sonic went to his friend’s aid.

And Cosmic turned around to see Cream sobbing over the tortured cocatrix, and Tails standing next to the rabbit girl with a hand on her shoulder. Her pet Chao was hovering nearby with a sad look on his face.

“Why…?” Cream sobbed. “It wasn’t his fault… We were just supposed to drive him away…”

“Shh, shh…” Tails said, standing behind her and gently massaging her ears. “It’s over now… We can’t change anything…”

“No… it doesn’t have to be like this… Why?!” She suddenly shouted and turned sharply to Cosmic. The earth pony even twitched a little at the sight of those big round eyes, frozen in incomprehension and horror. “Why do you have to be so cruel?! Why can’t we just go where we need to and not kill anybody?!”

Cosmic looked at her – and saw Sonic. But a little earlier one – just a few days after they’d met.

The hedgehog had been looking at the fresh bodies of the raiders he’d captured. Right after Stream had fired that fateful machine-gun blast.

And of course, Cosmic remembered what the pegasus mare had said back then.

The earth pony moved slowly towards Cream – but passed her, stopping a little in the distance.

Without turning around, she spoke, “This isn’t a superhero movie for kids, girl. Strike first, or the world will eat you up. With your guts.”

“If that’s the case… so be it.” Cream turned away and closed her eyes. “I’m ready to die knowing I didn’t hurt anyone.”

“We’ll get through this,” Tails whispered to her. “We’re not gonna die now. And we won’t die later. Maybe someday… but for now, it doesn’t matter.”

Suddenly, all eyes turned to Sonic, who was humming a simple tune as he leaned against a tree.

“What?” the hedgehog asked, surprised by all the attention. “Don’t tell me you don’t like Skillet.”^{^[1]}

“Then rather Green Day,”^{^[2]} sobbed the rabbit girl and cried again.

Cosmic shook her head.

Damn, I really don’t understand these aliens.

They encountered the arsonists two hours later.

Smoke from the fires slowly covered the sky as the group moved deeper into the forest. The smell of burning was getting stronger and stronger, so Cosmic soaked the remaining bandages in water from the flask and hoofed them out to everyone. Sonic helped the mare to put the same bandage on her nose – so that she could take the weapon’s mouthgrip in her teeth.

Gradually, the crackling fire began to be heard – and bright red reflections began to appear behind the trees ahead and slightly aside.

If this continues, what will be left of this place? Cosmic thought. What will Red Eye turn the Castle of the Two Sisters into? What is this “Cathedral” that PipBuck says is in the heart of the forest now? And what happened to the Stable Spike was talking about? Or is Equestria heading toward a point where there’s nothing left of the past?

All these questions remained without an answer. Unless to consider the blowing of an unusually warm wind and the increasing noise of the fire to be such.

And then the red marks appeared on the E.F.S. Cosmic stopped the group again to assess the situation.

Four. Moving from the center of the forest to the northeast. Right in front of their small group. Leaving only fire behind them – and thus blocking the way for the mercenary mare and the aliens.

It’s possible to wait here until the enemies have passed. The fire would die down at some point – but it would take too long…

With a heavy sigh, Cosmic took out her carbine and reloaded it.

It’s needed to go around them. From the side they’re coming from.

“Attention,” said the mare. It was difficult to speak clearly with a gun in her mouth, but she more or less managed it. She just had to speak louder and slower. “Four enemies at five o’clock. Let’s go around them from the east before the fire blocks our way… Hey, what are you looking at?”

“Well, you said five o’clock…” Sonic replied, pointing his thumb behind his back and a little to the right.

“No, I meant there…!” Cosmic spat out her carbine and pointed her hoof to the left, but immediately made a facehoof. “Oh, Celestia, how many hours you have in a day?”

“Twenty-four,” Tails muttered, frowning, then brightened, “And it’s sixteen here, isn’t it?”

“Right,” Cosmic grinned. “There’s no time to explain – let’s hurry up…!”

But then the unfriendly marks on the locator froze, and two of them continued on, while the other two turned toward the group, cutting off the way to the east.

Cosmic roared.

“Spread out! Weapons to fight! Surround them while we can! Come on!!!” she yelled, and the aliens who had been frozen in place began to spread out in a semi-circle, covering the enemies from the north.

Cosmic grabbed Argument with her teeth again, tilted her head, and took a stance. Then she began to sneak slowly between the trees, glancing at her E.F.S. from time to time.

It was time to meet at least someone with full power.

A shot pierced the tree next to Cosmic’s head. The earth pony jumped aside and hid behind a neighboring tree trunk, keeping an eye out for her opponent.

“Come on, show up, asshole…” came the stallion’s voice. “It’ll be easier for you. It’s not as bad to die from a bullet as from fire, is it?” He laughed briefly.

I’ll finish you off myself, Cosmic thought and peeked out from behind the tree.

A unicorn of dirty-white color in good-looking armor approached her, not afraid of anything. Next to him floated a new rifle, which he levitated with his magic. And judging by his grin, he was very, very confident.

“Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…” he said in a raspy voice and stopped. “Catch the pony by her toe…”

Cosmic held her breath as the rifle began to move away from his head, coming closer to the trees around the mare.

“Where are you then? Maybe here?”

The gun flew around a nearby tree and fired into the grass.

The stallion laughed again.

“Or here?!”

The rifle aimed straight at Cosmic.

There was no more delay. The earth pony emptied at least a third of her magazine into the weapon hovering above the ground and sprinted without looking back, running in an arc around the enemy.

“Aha!”

A burst of magic flew into the tree at Cosmic’s side, raining splinters down on her.

“You won’t get away!”

Another discharge went over her croup, scattering the bushes behind her.

“Take that!”

Cosmic threw herself to the ground, and another white flash of energy cut through the air above her head.

The earth pony jumped to her hooves, turning to face her enemy… and found herself standing right before him.

The unicorn stood a few paces away from her, a battered rifle floating before him, but still seemingly able to fire. An ugly grin froze on his face.

“There you are,” he said. “Didn’t take long to track you down. You wanna tell me why you came to the forest, or can I kill you now? Or maybe you’d like to have some fun for the last time?”

“I’ve heard that Red Eye pays this price for unicorn slaves because he can’t get hard with earth ponies,” the mare snapped back through Argument’s mouthgrip. “Or am I wrong and he’s experimenting on you to give you some brains? And you’re just a failed attempt, then?”

“What d’you know anyway,” the stallion frowned. “Yes, I didn’t fit into some of his plans, but this job – armed escort – is also okay.” He grinned again. “And while your friends are being roasted alive, I’ll just shoot you in the head.”

His gun pointed at Cosmic again.

“Not before… you see… this!”

In one fell swoop, the earth pony pulled something round out of her saddlebag and hurled it at the unicorn. The white glow of telekinesis enveloped the object, and it flew aside…

But Cosmic had already entered the S.A.T.S. The targeting square froze on the enemy’s face. Technomagical arcane software estimated the chance of a hit at ninety-four percent.

Three bullets tore through the unicorn’s head, turning his face into a bloody mess. Before he could fire, he fell to the ground like a sack. A rifle fell next to him, released from his telekinetic grip.

Something hit one of the trees and rolled back under Cosmic’s hooves.

An apple. An ordinary green apple. Which Red Eye’s soldier mistook for a grenade.

Picking up the apple and hiding it in her bag, the earth pony ran on.

Judging by the location of the markings, her friends were definitely in need of help.

Cosmic was right. Even together, the aliens couldn’t do anything really significant against the three remaining pony enemies. And it wasn’t just that the colorful beasts had weaker weapons. On top of that, they had almost no combat experience. That is, in real conditions.

The two groups had managed to split up – and were now facing each other separately.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were dodging the flamethrower jets fired back and forth by the two earth ponies. Another enemy – with a battle saddle – barely loomed over Amy and Cream as they huddled together. The hedgehog girl clutched desperately at her sledgehammer, but the sight of the pointed gun barrels must have been depressing. Cheese was nowhere to be seen – perhaps he had managed to fly further away and hide.

Cosmic shifted her gaze from one to the other and back again. Trying to decide who needed her help more.

But it wasn’t hard to answer that question.

She galloped toward the terrified girls who were about to be shot and stopped sharply beside them. The carbine in her teeth was aimed right at the enemy’s head.

He still hadn’t fired – and wasn’t even too scared by Cosmic’s arrival. He probably found it amusing or enjoyed talking to his future victims.

Cosmic came right in the middle of their dialog.

“…Why…?” Cream asked with tears in her eyes. A bruise spread across her cheekbone – probably from a hoof blow. “Why do we have to be killed? Why can’t we just go on our way, and that’s it…?”

“This is our forest,” the brown earth pony replied in a harsh voice. He stood, turning slightly so that both rifles mounted on his saddle were pointed at their targets: one at the frightened animals, the other at Cosmic. “You don’t belong here. This is Red Eye’s territory now. And you” – he squinted at the mare – “are a threat. And a threat” – he grinned – “must be eliminated.”

“This isn’t right!” the rabbit girl squealed and stomped her foot. Wetness spurted from her big, open eyes. “No one should ever hurt another! That’s not why we live! All of us – and you too!”

The mare’s attention was drawn to a strange yellowish glow that suddenly broke through the material of her saddlebag. Jumping up, Cosmic peered through the gap that appeared for a moment to see what the hay it was.

Glowing was a statuette of Fluttershy, a yellow pegasus mare with three butterflies on her cutie mark. The Element of Kindness, the memory of which was encased in a small figurine.

“Really?!” The stallion with the battle saddle laughed. “The whole fucking Wasteland lives by the same laws! Why should I make an exception for you?”

“Go away,” Cosmic growled. “Put away your weapons and go. And tell your buddies to stop it. Let them burn what they want… just not us. And no one else.”

“Ha! Fuck me if I’m an alicorn…!”

He clenched the ropes controlling the guns with his teeth.

Cosmic’s tongue tensed on the trigger.

Let him just try to shoot…!

Suddenly, flexible bluish vines broke out of the ground right under the stallion’s hooves and – neither he nor Cosmic had time to notice – tightly wrapped themselves around him up to all four knees. The brown earth pony twitched to free himself, but in vain. The plant held him very firmly.

And then something happened.

A bone popped out of his forehead, with a sharp edge pointing upwards. Blood gushed from the wound, flooding the stallion’s eyes. Large flaps of skin on his back were ripped off at once and immediately flung into the air, a skeleton of bone beginning to grow underneath.

His mouth twisted in a silent scream. But the cry of pain was not to be heard.

Because the stallion was already dead.

Cosmic nearly vomited when she realized what the killing joke had done to her enemy.

He had indeed become an alicorn. But only technically, outwardly, formally. The horn was clearly the top of his spine, piercing his brain through and out of his forehead. And the skin on his back turned into improvised wings.

But the brown earth pony could neither fly nor cast a spell.

The plant gave him what he had unintentionally asked for. But in return, it took something he wouldn’t let go.

The wings made a single, final downward flap, and the stallion fell into a rapidly spreading pool of his own blood.

Cosmic looked at Amy and Cream, staring horrified at the image, then glanced down at her bag. The yellow glow of the statuette had faded.

“Don’t look there,” she said, stepping between the girls and the fresh body. “Better look for that… Chao. It’s not safe here.”

And then, without turning around, she rushed to help Sonic and the others.

They were now standing around the two flamethrowers, breathing heavily. The grass was burning, the fire was licking at the roots and trunks of the trees, and in some places blue ivy was writhing in its death throes. If the battle continued, the flames would eventually consume them all: arsonists and aliens alike.

That’s probably why Sonic didn’t go into speed mode, Cosmic thought as she ran. It’s always scary to get burned. Even if you know the wind will blow everything away.

Noticing the mare running up, Sonic grinned.

“Come on guys, this is our chance!” he shouted, and the fox and the echidna looked at him questioningly. “Tais, distract them! Knuckles, do what I do!”

Cosmic slowed down, for at the hedgehog’s words, another glow began to shine through the bag.

This time – purple.

She opened the flap – and barely held back a surprised curse.

Now Twilight Sparkle was glowing. The Element of Magic… and Friendship.

The one that had united the Mane Six for nine seasons and a little more else.

Just as the flighty blue hedgehog had gathered his friends around him.

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then suddenly, things went so fast that Cosmic had no time to do anything.

Jets of flame hit where Sonic had just been standing. But the hedgehog was no longer there: for a moment, he seemed to dissolve in the air, turning into a pale blue lightning. And when he came out of the acceleration, he literally rode the red earth pony with a flamethrower, pulling something out from under his belly.

At that moment, the stallion was about to re-bite the cables that controlled the barrels of the incinerator on his battle saddle. And as Sonic, having released something in his hands, rolled off his back and jumped as far as he could, the arsonist, who had just begun to turn toward the hedgehog, shot.

A fireball exploded where the earth pony had stood. There was a heartbreaking scream, the cry of a living creature being burned alive.

The stallion didn’t even have time to fall down and try to knock the flame away. It killed him too quickly.

Sonic sat wide-eyed next to the smoldering patch of grass, staring at the pony that was now dead only because of him.

In fact, when the hedgehog had jumped off the flamethrower’s croup, he had disconnected the tank of flammable liquid. The fuel spewed out – and went up in flames. Taking one life and saving others.

By then, Tails and Knuckles were dealing with the last opponent.

He shot fire at the echidna, but Knuckles immediately jumped aside. Meanwhile, Tails picked up a rock and threw it at the stallion’s head. The pony turned around – and that was his biggest mistake.

Because the next second, Knuckles’ stone fist smashed into his face.

Blood splattered. The flamethrower flew a few paces away and fell to the grass at the edge of the forest fire that he had started.

Knuckles walked over to the stallion and stood over him. When the echidna spoke, there was only cold anger in his voice.

“I hate and despise those like you. But do you know what I hate even more?” And suddenly, he shouted out, “When… someone hurts… my friends!!!”

Cosmic was no longer surprised when another statuette sparkled.

Orange. Applejack. The Element of Honesty.

Knuckles put his foot down to kick the knocked-out pony into the fire…

But then something happened that no one expected.

A small figure darted past Cosmic and, slipping between Sonic and Tails, clawed at Knuckles’ dazzlingly clean – by Wasteland standards – white shoe.

As the echidna turned, she stepped around him and stood between him and the downed pony, looking Knuckles straight in the eye.

“We’re not going to kill him.” Cream’s voice trembled – but now it was no longer with fear, but with rage. “The others weren’t enough for you…? And then what? Do you hear me?! Then what?! No… no, no, we can’t… we can’t do that! Otherwise, why…? How are we supposed to fix this world if we’re not better than its inhabitants?!”

Knuckles drew in air to answer her sharply… but suddenly exhaled and slumped his shoulders.

“All right. We won’t,” he said quietly. And added, “But he’s gonna burn up in here anyway. We gotta get him someplace safe.”

“Then do it!” Cream shouted and grabbed the flamethrower pony by the front leg. “Help me!”

Sonic, Tails and even Amy joined them.

And all the while, as the aliens worked together to drag the last surviving enemy out of the burning grass, Fluttershy was glowing in Cosmic’s bag.

Soon the squad reassembled and moved away from the fire to a safe distance.

“Everyone okay?” Cosmic asked.

“I think so…” Sonic replied, looking around at his friends. His gaze stopped on Cream, who was rubbing her face. “Though… wait a minute…”

“I’m fine…” the rabbit girl squeezed out. The huge bruise on her cheek was screaming, “What in heaven’s name are you talking about?!” “Really, you shouldn’t…”

“Damn, I’m out of bandages…” Cosmic muttered, looking through the inventory on the PipBuck.

The mare glanced disapprovingly at Tails, who was still wrapped in the healing rags burned a little by the flamethrower.

And then her jaw dropped. The fox was unrolling one of his bandages, the cleanest looking one.

“Here you go,” he held the bandage out to Cream. “There’s still a little magic left in it, so it should be enough for you…”

“Thank you,” she sobbed, pressing the rag to her cheekbone.

Cheese, hovering nearby (he had managed to hide before the battle and then reappear), nodded in agreement.

The glow again. White this time. Rarity. The Element of Generosity.

Cosmic felt her head start to clear. All thoughts faded into the background at once, replaced by an important, simple, yet stunning assumption.

The blue earth pony opened her mouth to speak it out, but suddenly everything came to a halt. So close, the realization of something crucial had dissolved before it could be put into words. And now it just pulsed in the background at the edge of consciousness.

Until the next time.

“Come on, don’t be sad,” Amy said. She had managed to put the sledgehammer away unnoticed. “We’re all alive and that’s all that matters. You’ll see, everything will be fine! We’ll all go home, defeat Eggman, and then have a party and invite the whole of Green Hills!”

And she laughed merrily. Like bells rang over the forest.

Cosmic felt her soul truly warmed by the inadvertently given hope.

Pink glow. Pinkie Pie. The Element of Laughter.

Five out of six. So many figurines had shone from the set.

And the blue earth pony still had a vague idea of what that meant.

But she kept silent because she had not yet formulated it for herself.

When the time came, they would understand. Magic doesn’t happen out of nothing.

It was several miles to the destination on PipBuck’s map when they reached the edge of the remaining forest. There were only vast fields of charred stumps, and some buildings were visible on the horizon. This was probably Red Eye’s secret citadel, the so-called Cathedral, built on the site of the former Castle of the Two Sisters.

But Cosmic and the aliens hadn’t signed up to reveal the terrible secrets of the slavers’ leader. Besides, the closer they got to the castle, the more ponies and even griffins were walking there. There was simply no way to hide from them in the open. Except under a zebra cloak – but it could only hide Cosmic or two, at most three of her companions. Crossing this scorched earth together was out of the question.

So the group took a detour, for the sun was still high, hidden by the clouds. Tails had told them that the Tree of Harmony had originally stood in a cave at the bottom of the narrow, deep gorge that surrounded the castle on three sides. But in the ninth season, thanks to the efforts of the Young Six (as Sonic noted, created by the scriptwriters, apparently, on the principle of greatest diversity), the remains of the tree sprouted through the ground and turned into a small, majestic palace, topped by branches with pink leaves. And by all accounts, it was within the walls of the citadel.

There was definitely no way to get there from above. In theory, it was possible to get into the gorge through one of the streams that ran through the forest. They just had to find out which one.

They had to go halfway around the castle before they saw a crevice about ten meters wide, with a small stream at the bottom. Tails oriented himself, calculated a rough route, and the group cautiously descended into the ravine. The slopes were rocky and almost steep, so they had to go down one at a time, very carefully.

“I’m sorry. If I could fly, I’d take you all down one by one,” the fox said grumpily when it was time for him to go down.

“Never mind that. It’s not your fault. Forget it,” Cosmic replied. She had to go last.

They continued to walk along the bottom, and some of them – like Sonic and Tails – happily jumped over the rocks that popped out of the water here and there. It wasn’t deep at all: Cosmic barely got her hooves wet. And instead of drowning, there was the danger of slipping and hitting a rock with their temples. So they walked not too fast, but not too slowly either: the thought of spending the night at the bottom of the gorge, or even in the forest at all, sent shivers down their spines. Along with the destination marker, Spike had added a few other places to the map that he thought might be useful. One of them was closer to Ponyville and was marked as Zecora’s Hut. Cosmic hadn’t even imagined that zebras had once lived in Equestria, almost on par with ponies. Apparently, the whole thing was about that very “almost”.

The group waded against the stream, and as time went on, the flow of water began to die down. Or rather, the opposite, to bud.

Soon they came to a spring that flowed from under the rocks in the wall of the deepening canyon. Cosmic remembered to refill their flasks, as supplies were running low after the long journey, and after a quick drink and snack, they all continued on. There was not much time left before evening.

Now they walked on dry ground. The wind howled frighteningly between the close walls, forcing them to pick up their pace. But it was no longer three or four, but at least ten Cosmic’s heights up to the former level. Add to that the eternal darkness that reigned below (even though the trees that blocked the light had been cut down a long time ago) – and it was simply the perfect setting for a horror story. Just about such a group of travelers going to an even more sinister place.

After a while they came to a fork in the road. One of the branches of the gorge ran somewhere to the northwest, and perhaps actually served as a road from time to time for the ponies hanging around in the forest. The other ran due east, toward the Two Sisters’ Castle. PipBuck’s navigator showed an arrow pointing in the exact direction of the destination, and the locator still assured that there was not a single soul along the way.

Just a fabulous daydream.

In the last few miles, the gorge began to widen. On the one hoof, this was good: the almost sheer walls put less pressure on the mind. But on the other hoof, it became more and more likely that one of Red Eye’s minions would accidentally look down and see the unwanted spies. And then the whole mission… oh, hell with the mission! their lives! – would be in danger.

Finally, the distance counter on the PipBuck’s display showed that they had arrived.

“And… what is this?” Cosmic asked, coughing.

The whole company was standing in front of… something. As if there was a hole in the vertical, angular rock, tightly sealed with a translucent, shimmering all colors of the rainbow material that looked like magical crystals. The earth pony walked over and poked at it with a hoof. Hard… and seemingly almost unbreakable.

They spoke softly: the sound carried well in all directions. Up above was one of the buildings of the Cathedral complex. Apparently, it had been built on the site of the former Palace of Harmony, which had once grown from the shards of the Tree.

Tails also picked at the solid material with his finger.

“Some kind of crystal…” the fox muttered. “Maybe the Tree wanted to protect itself from something.”

“And I think I know from what…” Cosmic sighed. “Well, how do we get inside now to see if there is anything left at all?”

Suddenly, the saddlebag where the statuettes were shone so brightly that the earth pony involuntarily covered her eyes with her front leg. And then, confused and with a strange haste, she began to take the statuettes out one by one.

It was only then that she noticed the inscriptions on the bottom of each figurine. “Be Pleasant”, “Be Smart”, “Be Strong”, “Be Unwavering”, “Awareness! It was under ‘E’!”… and, of course, “Be Awesome”.

On the stone floor of the gorge, six small ponies, also made of stone, were lined up in a row. Five of them were glowing brightly, so bright it hurt to look at them. All except Rainbow Dash. The light seemed to emanate from the figurines themselves, as if there was a piece of a good soul in each of them, eager to share its glow.

The gears in Cosmic’s mind definitely clicked. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

“These figurines…” she began. “They… are you!” The mare looked around at her companions. “You can be the Elements after all!

“Kindness.” She looked at Cream, and the rabbit girl took Fluttershy, hesitating for a moment.

“Magic.” Sonic picked up the lavender alicorn princess with a slightly embarrassed smile.

“Honesty.” Knuckles twirled Applejack in his hands with surprise.

“Generosity.” Tails nodded, accepting the figurine of Rarity.

“Laughter.” Amy rubbed a small Pinkie gently against her cheek.

“And —”

“…Loyalty,” an unfamiliar voice said from behind them.

All turned immediately to the one who had just said it. And Cosmic even took aim at him from the carbine that immediately turned out to be in her mouth.

It was a black, upright hedgehog – just like Sonic, but a bit taller and… older, or something like that. The mare even glanced at one, then the other, to make sure she wasn’t imagining it. But the two hedgehogs didn’t look that much alike; at best, they looked like an uncle and a naughty nephew. But in reality, they were hardly related at all.

The black hedgehog wore the same snow-white gloves as the members of Cosmic’s new team. White sneakers with red soles clearly hid some extra features. Behind his back was a large black backpack – but the mare had her eyes on something else.

On the hedgehog’s belt, large rectangular sword scabbards hung on either side, dangling almost to the ground. It looked as if there were several slots with spare blades in each. The hand grips also had triggers on them for some reason. On the back of the scabbards were strange devices the earth pony had never seen before. Some kind of valve with a long, narrow cylinder attached to it; a few more of those were mounted in holders.

Cosmic had no idea what this wonder weapon was or how this stranger would use it. All that remained was to find out his name and whether he was hostile.

Although… she seemed to know who it was.

“Shadow?!”

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. Skill: Stealth – 75%. New perk: Cool-blooded – accuracy bonus when firing while standing still (+30% by default) is multiplied by 1.5, and accuracy loss from shooting behind your back (-40% by default) is halved. Only affects shooting without using S.A.T.S.

Player: Sonic. Skill: Survival – 50%. New perk: Bullet Dodger (level 3/3) – evasion increased by 45%.

^{^[1]} Reference to the chorus of the song Skillet – Not Gonna Die.
^{^[2]} Reference to the last line of the song Green Day – Peacemaker.

Chapter 12. Ghosts of Past

View Online

– Your friendship, and the friendship of future generations, will always be safe within these walls.

MLP, 9/3

“Yes, it’s me,” Shadow replied to the gasps of surprise from the other aliens. “It wasn’t easy to get to you.”

A red silhouette darted forward, and in the next instant, the black hedgehog was pinned to the wall of the gorge by his throat. With a hand in an unbending spiked glove.

“How did you find us?!” Knuckles growled. “Tell us!”

Shadow grinned.

“With the help of –”

His hand slowly found the side pocket of his backpack and pulled the zipper. Knuckles froze, looking the hedgehog straight in the eye.

“…this.”

They all gasped in unison. Only Knuckles clenched his teeth tighter; his gaze at Shadow was even more disgusted.

The black hedgehog was holding a large and obviously heavy emerald, the cut of which made the stone walls sparkle even in this dim light.

“Of course, Master Emerald…” the echidna muttered. Suddenly, he snatched up the stone and threw it behind his back. “Get it, Sonic.”

The blue hedgehog caught the Emerald and, with Cosmic’s silent approval, placed it in her saddlebag.

“Can’t you let me go after all?” Shadow panted. “I’m not gonna hurt you…”

“You said so yourself.”

The gloved hand yanked away from his throat, and the black hedgehog fell heavily to the bottom of the gorge. Bulky scabbards and cylinders clattered against the stone.

“Why did you do that, Shadow?” Tails asked. “Why did you steal the Emerald?”

“It was Eggman who ordered you to do it, right?!” Knuckles interjected, looming over the new alien.

“I… didn’t realize much,” Shadow replied. “Eggman unfroze me, that’s true, and I’m grateful to him for helping me come back to life… but when I heard of his plans, which also involved me, I wanted to stop him.”

“And so you stole the Master Emerald from us?!” The echidna sneered. “Who here would believe you –”

“Wait, Knuckles,” said Cosmic, and he turned to her with disapproval in his eyes. “Let him speak. We’ll decide what to do with him later.”

“I thought it was really about the Emerald. But when I stole it and hid it, I found out…” Shadow shook his head sadly, “that it was just a shell.”

“What are you talking about?” Knuckles frowned.

“I went back to Eggman, to keep an eye on him, and if possible, to anticipate his next move… And then one day,” the black hedgehog looked up at the others, “he told me how he’d escaped from Green Hills after your second battle. And then he showed me what he’d used to do it.”

Shadow grimaced.

“Dr. Eggman had all seven Chaos Emeralds.”

There was silence in the gorge for a long moment.

Sonic was the first to break it.

“But how…?”

“You’re lying!” Knuckles kicked Shadow in the face, sending him flying a few steps away. “That’s impossible! I put that Emerald together from the shards back then…!”

“Remember what happened when Sonic gave up his superpower after his victory?” Shadow sat up and laughed, wiping the blood from his lips with his gloved hand. “The Emeralds flew away – and were picked up by Eggman instead. Who used them to teleport himself to the abandoned base where his grandfather had frozen me before he died.”

“But why…?” Tails muttered, looking at his palms. “How could my detector have missed them…? Turns out we came all this way for nothing…?”

The fox turned to Sonic and Cosmic. There were tears in his eyes – the despair of a scientist whose theory suddenly came crashing down.

“Well, he didn’t miss them,” Shadow chuckled again. “Because then I stole them, too. Look at this!”

He reached into the other side pocket of his backpack and pulled out a handful of colorful jewels. Which, however, he put back immediately.

“But –” he sighed heavily “– not before Eggman used them to create Metal Sonic. Basically, he’s like you or me, Sonic… only robotic. Steel, blue and ruthless. Eggman wanted to send him after you… but when I stole the Emeralds, he sent him after me. And the robot even caught up with me… not far from your base. Luckily…” Shadow smiled. “I had the rings.”

“How many are left?” Knuckles asked, approaching the black hedgehog.

“A few. Some I took from the lab after I was freed – they were mine, some I created with Emerald while hiding from Metal Sonic. I could have made more, but I didn’t. There wasn’t enough time.”

“What’s that hanging on your belt?” Tails asked. “Some kind of weapon?”

“The ODM from Attack on Titan,” Shadow grinned pleasantly. In response to misunderstanding looks, he explained, “Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. There are cables with sharp tips embedded in the hilt of my swords that shoot out and hook me to something. And the maneuvers themselves use gas from cylinders. I’ll show you someday when I get the chance. But I hope it never comes.”

“And why did you follow us?” Cosmic came forward, lowered the carbine. “What if your goal is to hunt them down,” she circled the group with a hoof, “and put this… Metal Sonic on them?”

“I’ll just…” Knuckles swung his leg again for a kick, but the mare stopped him.

Shadow shook his head and laughed.

“No-o… That might have been Eggman’s plan, but it wasn’t mine. I decided right away that I wouldn’t sign up for that shit. As it is… I’d rather be with you than with him. Especially since, unlike you, I’m more or less familiar with this world.”

“How?” Sonic wondered. “There was no mention of war in MLP G4… Or is it one of Starlight’s alternative universes?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Shadow sighed and pointed his finger in front of him. “I think there’s something going on here…”

“What…?”

Knuckles stopped as he saw Applejack figurine glowing brightly in his unbending hands again.

All six statuettes were glowing now. No one said a word as Shadow walked over and picked up Rainbow, which was standing alone on the ground.

And then a stream of light shot out of each statuette – so bright it was impossible to see with an unprotected eye. And all of them: lavender, orange, pink, blue, white, and yellow streams converged on the crystal wall that closed the passage to the cave.

There was a dazzling flash… and all was over.

Cosmic pulled her hoof away from her face and couldn’t hold back a gasp of astonishment. The others were also stunned by what had been revealed to them. Only Shadow didn’t seem surprised by what he saw.

The crystal barrier was gone, as if it had never existed. And on the other side of the passage (which reminded the blue earth pony of the tunnel to the maneframe in Spike’s cave), in the middle of a not very spacious cavern of gray-blue stone, stood it. The Tree of Harmony.

But it was different from Sonic and Tails’ stories. Time and wars had taken their toll: only the fossilized blue branches sticking out of the ceiling reminded of its former glory and the once beautiful palace that had grown out of it. And everything else had turned into a pile of tarnished rubble.

The Tree of Harmony was dead. Apparently for many, many years.

One by one, the travelers entered the cave. They cocked their heads, looking around the cold, dark walls, as if they couldn’t believe that the purpose of this part of their journey and a familiar place of power from the animated series was in such a condition. Even Cosmic’s heart shrank slightly at the image of such desolation.

To dispel the half-darkness, the mare turned on the flashlight on her PipBuck. The bright white beam splashed across the ground, highlighting a few skeletons scattered around the cave.

“Look, there are some remains here…” she murmured, pointing to the bones that had turned white with time. They had been here for a long time. Probably from the war. “And all different… This is a pony, here’s a griffin… some other crap – also like a griffin, but closer to a pony… something strange again – as if a pony and a bug had been combined… The large bone is probably a yak… And a dragon, judging by the wings.”

The earth pony turned to her companions.

“Has anyone figured out what all this means?”

“Pony, griffin, dragon, yak…” Shadow spoke up suddenly. “A hippogriff and a changeling… Aha. I think I know who those six were.”

Sonic and Tails looked at each other.

“Are you thinking the same as me?” the fox asked.

The blue hedgehog nodded.

“Just explain it in a normal way for once!” Cosmic exclaimed. “What did you all understand, looking at those bones for a second?!”

Shadow gave her a sneering look.

“Well, it’s probably worth starting from afar here –”

“Damn, I know that Equestria is fiction! They told me. Say it!”

“Then I’m even more surprised that you haven’t figured it out for yourself,” Shadow sighed. “For all intents and purposes, the Young Six from the last two seasons were here. I think they gave their lives trying to protect this place. But they didn’t protect it from everything, as we can see.”

“And now we’ve come after them?” Knuckles grunted. “And more importantly, what can we do about it? And this,” he spun Applejack figurine on his palm.

Suddenly, all the statuettes glowed again, and rays of light streamed from them toward the rubble.

“Stand in a half circle!” Cosmic ordered, shielding her eyes from the light. “Come on!

Lined up in a curved chain, the aliens held stone figurines and, like flames from flamethrowers, directed their glow at the dim stones.

But instead of building into something new, the remains of the Tree began to… disintegrate. Shards of the branches spattered from the ceiling – and the cave itself seemed to tremble as the ruins in its depths were engulfed by the blinding rainbow.

The ground shook violently, and Cosmic stepped in place to avoid falling. A rush of air blew from the bright glow in the place of the Tree… and then something happened that no one expected.

The glow that had converged from the statuettes to a single point began to fade. There was nothing left of the stones on the floor… but something new had appeared in their place.

The rock suddenly cracked, and instead of the former crystal Tree, an ordinary tree with pink leaves began to sprout from the ground, shrouded in the remnants of the shimmering light. After growing several meters high, it stopped… and all the figurines went out again. Now completely.

“Umm… And what was it now?” Cosmic stretched. “Now it’s just… a tree?”

“I think I understand…” Tails muttered, scratched his nose and raised his head. “It’s the new Tree of Harmony from G5! And that means…” The little fox shrieked. “Does the fifth generation really have such a prehistory…?”

“Why not, maybe,” Shadow snorted, lightly stroking Rainbow figurine with his fingers. “And by all story rules, some creature – I don’t know, a Tree spirit or something – should appear out of nowhere and explain everything to us.” The black hedgehog waved his hand for effect. “And if not, then it’ll be quite in the FoE spirit (excuse the pun) and we’ll have to guess everything on our own…”

And just as he said this, a purple glow appeared under the grown tree, with white sparks of light flying in all directions!

Oh, what’s that again? It’s like some kinda fireworks day now! Cosmic almost roared, covering her eyes and turning away. The shimmering figurines alone were enough for her.

The lilac cloud glistened with brilliance for a few seconds. It flickered again, but there was something else in its place.

Or rather, someone.

A lavender pony, as if made of light, stood in front of the group. A crimson strand was clearly visible in her straight blue mane, and her entire body seemed to glow from within in the same pleasant, warm hue.

A unicorn, Cosmic thought at first… but as she looked closer, she gasped. No – an alicorn! But not an evil and emotionless telepath like the followers of the self-proclaimed Goddess, and not so huge.

No, she was some other kind of being… But what kind, if she wasn’t even material?

The memories of the orb seen at Spike’s place stirred in Cosmic’s mind. The memories of someone else.

That lavender skin was vaguely familiar to the blue earth pony. And now, standing with the others and looking at the phantom alicorn, the mare realized that she knew who was in front of her.

Twilight Sparkle. The almighty Princess of Friendship, captured in this image before she lost her wings and became a Ministry Mare. More precisely, the spirit of the Tree of Harmony from the blue hedgehog and the fox’s stories who took her form.

The ghostly Twilight tilted her head to the side and smiled.

“Hello, unusual creatures… and pony,” she said, and her voice rang out, echoing through the cave like many little bells. “It had been years since anyone had visited here, for this place had been sealed. However,” the alicorn looked at the Mane Six figurines in the aliens’ hands, “you were able to find the key and get the Harmony.”

“Are you… the spirit of the Tree?” Tails asked.

The pseudo-Twilight sighed.

“Yes. The Tree has a mind of its own and strives to maintain peace and order around it using the magical foundations of this reality.” She sighed and lowered her head. “Strove. The challenge Equestria had faced long ago had proved too harsh, and Harmony couldn’t bear it. Gradually, so much hatred spilled out that the Tree sank beneath it, unable to withstand the chaos.”

“Do you know whose remains lie here?” Cosmic asked, circling the bones on the ground with her hoof. “Were they the successors of the Elements?”

The ghostly alicorn nodded.

“Yes. At the very end of the war, when there was little hope of a successful outcome, the Young Six, as you call them, managed to band together and come here to use their friendship to give the Tree strength against the darkness that was overtaking Equestria. At the same time, a troop of zebras was sent into the Everfree Forest – perhaps to find the star metal, which they believed was cursed, and destroy the place from which they saw the threat. Yes, there was such metal in the forest – some of it still lay in a lost hut, and some of it had been taken from the Castle of the Two Sisters, which had been turned into a Stable. But the zebras didn’t know this and were just wandering around at random… and accidentally stumbled upon a group looking for the Tree.”

Sonic and Tails’ eyes widened as they realized what happened next. Cosmic pursed her lips, Knuckles cursed, Amy gasped, and Cream put her hands over her mouth and sobbed. Cheese flew around his hostess and squealed in fear, hiding behind her again.

“During the battle, they almost completely destroyed the Crystal Palace that stood above this place,” the pseudo-Twilight continued with a sad tone in her voice. “Even though its walls could protect against bullets, they weren’t able to withstand grenades endlessly. The enemies were more numerous, and the Young Six decided to retreat. But they were surrounded and driven into the gorge. They fired back and held the passage into the cave, but it was clear that they wouldn’t last long. Almost all of them were wounded and exhausted, and they were running out of medicine and ammunition. So,” she looked up, her eyes shining brighter than she herself, “they called upon the greatest weapon they had.”

“The magic of friendship,” Shadow sighed with a groan.

It was as if he’d grown tired of the unpredictable force that had always come to the rescue of the Mane Six in Sonic and Tails’ stories.

He obviously knows more than he’s saying, Cosmic remarked to herself. And made a mental note to talk to the black hedgehog when they got out of this damned forest.

“Right,” the ghostly alicorn replied. “The power of their spiritual union had awakened the remnants of the Tree’s magical power, and it had honored the common wish of the new bearers of the Elements to protect them by creating an indestructible crystal barrier at the entrance to the cave. By doing so, the bearers were saved from their enemies – but had to stay here for a long time. And they were no longer able to get out on their own.”

The spirit of the Tree moved forward, and the group involuntarily parted in front of her.

“The next day, the bombs fell, and it was even more unsafe to go out. They died here a few days later, of wounds, weakness, or thirst.”

The pseudo-Twilight stopped in front of the skeleton of a pony.

“Sandbar.”

Next, she approached the remains of a griffin.

“Gallus.”

Now the dragon.

“Smolder.”

And the yak.

“Yona.”

She crossed the cave and stood over the hippogriff.

“Silverstream.”

And the changeling.

“Ocellus.”

She looked up at the aliens and Cosmic watching her. And they saw in the ghost’s eyes the immense sadness she had lived with for so many years.

“By shutting themselves up here, they had escaped the zebras – but they had lost any chance later. The Tree had been too weak to give either of them a chance to survive.”

“So… what’s been up with you all these years?” Amy asked.

“The Tree was inactive. Having given up all its strength for protection, all it could do was watch – and scream silently in pain.” The pony ghost turned away. “Two hundred years of screaming that no one heard.”

“That’s… awful!” Cream exclaimed.

“But now you have come,” the pseudo-Twilight raised her head, a look of hope on her face, “and awakened the Tree with the magic you brought with you. For these statuettes” – she looked at the figurines again – “are only a faint echo of the real magic of the Elements. The rest was provided by you.”

“What?! And Shadow too?!” Amy looked wide-eyed at the black hedgehog, but he didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

The alicorn nodded.

“All of you. The friendship that binds you together stretches across the worlds, and with it, you can overcome any obstacles.” She sighed heavily again. “At least I would like to hope so.”

“Is there a seventh Element?” Cosmic cut in. “Or… then what is my role here? Is it really –” the mare grinned unhappily “– just as a guard?”

“Depends on how you look at it. There are many virtues, and each is important in its own way. If you serve your own, that role is no less important than the others.”

“As always,” Cosmic shook her head. “It’s clear that nothing’s clear. And… that’s all? We are no longer needed? What’s gonna happen to you now if it’s still the same shit out there?”

“As I said, you’ve been invaluable in helping the Tree rise from its former wreckage. Now I have enough power to find a safer place.” The ghostly Twilight smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine. Equestria will be reborn… and sooner than you all think. Thank you so much for everything, and… goodbye.”

And in another flash, the lavender pony vanished into the air.

The new Tree glowed again… and disappeared as well, leaving only a hole in the ground, torn open by roots.

The cave was now empty. Except for the aliens, Cosmic, and the old bones lying on the floor.

But what had made the cave a sacred place for centuries was no longer there.

“And… where is it?” asked Sonic, the first to recover from the shock. He pointed with his white-gloved hand to where the tree had just stood. “No, but did you see it? Did you see it…?”

“Somewhere else in Equestria,” Shadow shrugged. “The Wasteland’s big, but there must be some islands where it’s peaceful, right? Maybe there’s one to the east…”

“Why there?” Cosmic looked at him.

“Too long to explain,” the black hedgehog grumbled. “Now we should decide what we all are gonna do.”

“I suggest we go to our temporary base and think about it there,” the earth pony replied. “And on the way, it would be good to give the statuettes back to Spike, because he threatened to mince us if something happened…”

“Yeah, and then Littlepip won’t see them…”

The familiar name immediately brought back Cosmic’s uncomfortable feeling of something being hidden from her. She didn’t know that unicorn mare from the Stable that Monterey Jack was rumored to have tried to rob – but that wasn’t surprising. The strange thing was that this pony was known to a damn trickster who had just arrived in their world himself.

Cosmic gritted her teeth. Why did everyone always know more than her?

It was… unfair!

The next second she found herself leaning over Shadow, who she threw to the ground and pressed her hoof against his throat.

“Tell me! How do you know her?! How do you fucking know everything, even more than they do?!”

“Cosmic, don’t…!” Sonic shouted and rushed towards them, but he was stopped by Knuckles, who was also watching tensely what was happening.

“Ask me if I know Tyler Durden as well…” Shadow wheezed.

Cosmic pressed harder.

“I’ll explain everything to you…” the hedgehog coughed. “Just let go…”

“Uh… guys?” Amy’s voice was heard. Suspiciously quiet and pale. “Don’t you think now’s… not a good time…?”

“Yeah, you better listen to her. Otherwise, it could end very badly.”

Cosmic broke into a cold sweat. She froze, eyes wide open, still standing over Shadow.

This was bad. This was very, VERY fucking bad!!!

Slowly, very slowly, she removed her hoof from the hedgehog’s neck and turned around.

At the entrance to the cave stood an unknown stallion with a sniper rifle on a battle saddle, puffing on a cigarette. Two more – with light machine guns – stood at his sides. All barrels were aimed at those inside the cave.

And the picture was completed by a unicorn peering out from behind the others’ backs, levitating a frag grenade.

“Drop your weapons and come out with your hooves up… or paws… whatever.” The stallion took a puff, then took the cigarette, and flicked off the ash before releasing a cloud of smoke. And smirked. “Resistance is useless. Red Eye would probably be happy to talk to you.”

He spat out the cigarette and rasped it with his hoof.

“And then you’ll be dead anyway.”

Note: 50% of the next level.

Thе quest stage “Find the Tree of Harmony” has been completed. Added new stage “Return the statuettes to Spike”.

Chapter 13. Straight Ahead

View Online

– If we had a few hours, I could tend to that, but…

Fallout: Equestria, chapter 7

They all froze, not daring to move.

Cosmic looked hatefully at the ponies aiming their weapons at them. Why is it that whenever it seems like things are finally going to end well, there’s always some asshole to disprove it?!

“So, do we surrender?” Sonic asked quietly, raising his hands just in case. “Or are there some options?”

And where’s your vaunted speed? Why are you still standing here? Cosmic wanted to hiss, but after thinking for a moment, she just sighed helplessly.

Despite his naivety, he wasn’t an idiot now. After all, a gang of poorly armed raiders in the forest was one thing… and a combat unit blocking the only way out was quite another.

Even if Sonic ran up and pulled the pin of the grenade in the unicorn’s magical grip, the explosion would just pile them up with rocks here. And Red Eye’s soldiers would never let them out alive.

Which meant they needed another escape. And the mare seemed to know who could help them.

She turned her head and looked intently at Shadow. He met her eyes and nodded. Surely, he understood too.

Cosmic nodded back and turned to the others.

“Go with Shadow through the rings, I’ll cover you,” she said quietly, getting into a low stance. If only she could grab her carbine in time… “Whether I’m an Element of Justice or not, I won’t let you get hurt. Security saves not only ponies.”

“But what about you?” Amy gasped.

“I’ll be right behind you. Don’t worry about me.”

Cosmic took a cautious step forward. The ponies with guns tensed in their positions.

“Let’s hurry up, your talk makes my head ache,” said the stallion with the sniper rifle. “And without any…”

“Shadow, now!”

The hedgehog instantly threw out his hand with the ring in it. As it jumped out of his grasp, it grew in size and the pale, glowing eye of the portal opened.

“Get out!” Cosmic shouted to her companions – and then jumped away from the hole in space.

At that moment, machine guns hit the spot where she had just been standing. Rolling over, the mare redirected the fire from the aliens to herself, got back on her hooves, and dashed around the portal from the other side to join the others.

At least, she really hoped that she would make it in time and that it wouldn’t close.

Several bullets scratched her armor. As she whizzed behind the portal, Cosmic didn’t see the funnel going anywhere else – only what was actually on the other side of the swollen ring. So it only worked from one direction?

As she jumped inside, she heard the thud of a grenade, followed by the rumble of a single sniper shot.

The earth pony landed heavily on something soft – it seemed to be grass (Cosmic had shut her eyes before jumping). An explosion rumbled: the fuse of the grenade thrown by the unicorn had gone off, but the shockwave lasted only a moment, and only a few shards hit the armor.

The portal had closed in time. Otherwise, they’d have been scattered all over here as well.

Cosmic opened her eyes and looked around.

One thing was clear: they were still in the Everfree Forest. The day was drawing to a close, and it was already quite dark beneath the treetops. At least they hadn’t accidentally fallen into the thicket of killing joke…

“Everyone okay?” asked the earth pony, rising to her hooves.

And then she was startled to see everyone looking at Cream.

The rabbit girl stood there with her eyes wide open (she gave every pony a head start in that regard) and her mouth ajar, a thin red trickle coming out of its corner. Slowly, she took her hand away from her belly, and the blood was clearly visible on her white glove.

“Cream!!!”

The rabbit’s eyes rolled back. Sonic immediately leapt up to her and gently laid her down on the grass. A red stain spread around the wound on the left side of Cream’s belly.

Cosmic didn’t move for a second, as stunned as the aliens.

That bastard with the sniper rifle hadn’t missed after all.

Then the numbness left. Cosmic took a deep breath – and in her head the commander of the squad appeared in the plan of action.

“You!” She pointed a hoof at Tails. “Take it all off!”

The fox blinked and then, realizing what the earth pony meant, began to rip off his bandages.

Jumping up to Sonic and Cream, Cosmic took an armful of rags from Tails, which must still have some of the healing magic left in them, and slipped them to the hedgehog.

“Press! On both sides!”

Suddenly, the mare raised her head and listened. From somewhere off to the side (about Equestrian three o’clock) came hoofsteps and voices:

“Who’s there?”

“Must have a look…”

“Fuck your ass with Celestia’s horn!” Cosmic groaned and turned her gaze to the PipBuck’s display.

The locator showed six approaching red dots.

Zooming out, she determined where Shadow had taken them all. The northern part of the forest, sloping slightly to the east. Literally a few miles from the exit to the Wasteland north of Ponyville.

Nice. At least one of them will have a chance to avoid a fight.

“Hold it!” Cosmic hoofed Sonic the holder with the three remaining potions. “Give her one now, the rest – later! Get out of here. Our base is that way.”

After checking her compass, she stretched out her leg. Then she looked at the frozen hedgehog, who was pressing bloody bandages to Cream’s wound and staring blankly at the rabbit, and grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Get out of here!” she shouted in Sonic’s face, and the hedgehog seemed to come to his senses. “Give her one potion! Run back to our base – as fast as you can!”

Sonic stared into space for a few moments, then nodded silently and took the holder. Putting Cream on his knee, he grabbed one of the bottles with his free hand, tore the cap off with his teeth, and poured the purple liquid into the still rabbit girl’s mouth.

Then he slipped the last two potions under his arm and, picking up Cream again, stood upright with her in his arms. He took a step in the direction shown, another, a third, accelerating each time, and then the familiar blue lightning flew off and disappeared into the dense forest.

The statuette of Twilight Sparkle, dropped by the hedgehog, lay on the grass.

Cosmic picked it up and tucked it into her bag. The others put their figurines in the same place.

“And we –” the earth pony grinned wryly and took the carbine from her back “– will follow. And if necessary, we’ll fight.”

Sonic raced across the Wasteland with the unconscious Cream in his arms. He had never run so fast before – the wind blew so hard into his face that he had to squeeze his eyes into narrow slits. But at the same time, he held Cream in his arms as if she were the most precious thing he could have, trying to move as smoothly as possible so as not to do her any more harm.

This little rabbit shouldn’t have come into this cruel world. Why did Sonic even think it was worth coming here to look for replacement artifacts, and instead of going back and finding another option, he had dragged first Tails and then the whole team here!

All the trouble they got into in this horrible parody of Equestria was his fault. If he’d made a different decision to begin with, none of this would have happened.

Cosmic wouldn’t have been condemned for something she didn’t do.

Metal Dawn wouldn’t have shot up her team… though it’s debatable, he seemed to have his own motives.

Tails wouldn’t have lost his tail because they wouldn’t have gone to Spike.

Nor would they have ended up in this forest – and Knuckles’ hands would still be intact.

And finally, Cream wouldn’t have been hurt.

It was all because of him. He and only he, Sonic, was responsible for everything that had happened.

I’ll save you, Cream, he mentally whispered, trying to make out the dilapidated two-story building in the pre-dawn twilight. I’ll fix everything. I promise, you hear me?

But she didn’t hear. Fighting against air resistance and the limits of his speed, Sonic couldn’t even check if the rabbit was breathing or not. And his fear for her fate made him speed up even more.

Finally, in a split second, the right house appeared in front of him – in the middle of the desert. There are mines all around! the hedgehog remembered and veered slightly away from the direction to slow down smoothly without disturbing Cream. But even so, he ran a hundred yards of inertia before he could turn and follow the path cleared of deadly gifts to the door of the building.

It was dark and quiet inside, but that didn’t stop the hedgehog. He flew up the stairs to the second floor, went into the first room he could find and carefully placed Cream on the bed. The bandages he’d used to cover the wound were soaked with blood – and it looked like the blood hadn’t stopped yet. Grunting, Sonic pulled a holder of healing potions from under his arm and poured them one by one into Cream’s mouth. He was tempted to pour one directly into the wound, but the hedgehog wasn’t familiar enough with the magic of this world to do that.

Nothing happened for a minute or more, and Sonic began to lose hope. But then the rabbit’s chest lifted slightly and lowered again. Her breathing became calm and even, and some of the muscles that had been frozen in tension relaxed.

Unable to believe his and her good fortune, Sonic lifted the bandages. The sight of the torn flesh was still disgusting – but now blood was hardly oozing out. And soon it should stop altogether.

Putting the bloody rags back in place, the hedgehog exhaled with incredible relief and sank to the floor beside the bed. After the hellish sprint of a dozen miles, Sonic’s legs no longer held him up.

Griffin! They had a fucking griffin!

A shot rang out, and the tree trunk next to Cosmic’s head exploded in a cloud of splinters. The mare ducked, then looked to the sky and fired a short burst from the carbine clenched in her teeth. Missed. But at least she made the enemy twitch. Meanwhile, she crouched down for a low start and, pushing off with her hind legs, covered the distance to the neighboring tree in one leap.

She hid behind the trunk and sat on the ground for a few seconds to catch her breath. Then she ejected the empty clip and loaded a new one. The second to last. And, after a moment’s thought, she set the safety to single shot.

That way she’d be out of ammo by the end of the battle. And it would be a long way to get more…

If only her little band could survive now.

…They didn’t get far. The path traced by Sonic was clearly visible, and Cosmic almost missed that they were all exposed to the pursuers. At the last moment, she noticed a silhouette against the darkening sky between the tops of the crowns and ordered everyone to spread out.

A firefight ensued. Taking advantage of the fact that the griffin couldn’t strike from above all at once, Cosmic shot one of the five enemy ponies. Another was wounded by Tails, and the one who had dropped out of the fight, to the aliens’ horror, was finished off by his own.

Both groups split up. Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were left alone with their opponents. And Cosmic and Shadow took on the latter.

The griffin, hovering above the forest, was also reloading her huge anti-machine rifle. The earth pony could see the sharp tips on the wings of the enemy. If she hit with one in flight, Cosmic would have no leg or head.

But the mare wasn’t about to be hit by a direct attack. Someone else had to do it instead.

A rope whistled through the treetops beside the griffin. She only had time to turn her head before there was a hiss of gas and a nimble black figure with rectangular swords flew past.

Shadow jumped onto a branch and grinned at his stunned opponent.

“Banzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai!”

The battle cry echoed across the forest – and the hedgehog, shooting off the rope and puffing again from the cylinder, jumped lightning fast.

Cosmic didn’t even try to understand these aliens anymore – she just took advantage of what they were doing.

The griffin miraculously dodged the slashing blow, almost hitting Shadow with her pointy wingtips. The clip was finally in the anti-machine gun, but the barrel of the giant weapon still stared into space.

Cosmic had a few moments to take aim. And when the griffin’s silhouette came into view, the mare fired. Immediately, she changed position again and rolled over to a neighboring tree.

The enemy’s wing twitched: the bullet struck the sharp tips of her feathers. But that delay was enough for Shadow to change direction again and fly back, swords drawn.

Cosmic’s eyes widened as the griffin dodged the blow. She flapped her wings and flung the hedgehog away. The mare’s heart tightened at the sight of the clumsy body falling slowly between the trees, blood splattering as if seen through the S.A.T.S.

No! Shadow…!

Distracted, the earth pony herself had missed the moment when the griffin slung her weapon behind her back and spun downward, straight at her.

Death seemed imminent. The rows of blades on her opponent’s wings glistened in the last daylight. And Cosmic found nothing better to do than to activate the sight spell on PipBuck.

Time, already flowing slower than usual, almost froze. The earth pony’s Argument was aimed right at the griffin’s chest. The spell estimated the chance of a hit at ninety-one percent. And the numbers kept rising.

But before she took advantage of this temporary bubble and fired, Cosmic had time to notice that something was moving fast (even with this slowdown!) from the side. And without a second thought, she pulled the trigger.

The bullet again bounced off the pointed wingtips and into the void. The blades were getting closer and closer…

Black lightning flashed from behind the griffin – and her neck exploded in a fountain of blood and shards of flesh. The massive body slammed into the mare, throwing her off, and she rolled across the grass, stopping only when her back hit a tree. Argument slipped from her teeth and flew somewhere in the grass.

Groaning, Cosmic pulled herself up and looked around the battlefield. The griffin was sprawled on the ground; there was nothing left of the back of her neck and head. And to the fresh corpse, Shadow approached, covered in blood, both his own and that of others, clutching his broken swords and breathing heavily.

The black hedgehog looked at his blades, shook his head, pulled the levers on the handles, and the flat, rectangular blades fell from the hilts. Shadow snapped the bindings on a few new ones, then looked at the defeated griffin, then at Cosmic, and suddenly stretched into a string and slammed his right fist into his chest, his left hand tucked behind his back.

“Shinzou wo sasageyo!” he shouted and then, unable to bear it, he laughed.

“Why are you laughing?” Cosmic muttered and went to pick up her carbine. “What does that even mean?”

“’Let’s give our hearts.’ The motto of the fighting squads from one anime…” Shadow shook his head with a chuckle. “I know a lot of interesting phrases. For example, ‘Ah, shit, here we go again’, ‘Wait, it’s illegal’, or ‘Hoofington rises’.”

Cosmic gave him a stern look before she picked up her carbine, shook it off, and took it back with her teeth.

“Let’f go helf fe oferf.”

The two of them crept towards the sounds of gunfire and blows.

But the other members of the group seemed to be doing quite well on their own.

Knuckles pummeled the disarmed enemy with his stone fists. The pony struggled weakly, but it was obvious that he was already out of his mind.

Amy hid behind a tree to avoid the gunfire. But after waiting for the stallion with the shotgun to come closer, she jumped out and smashed him in the face with her sledgehammer. The brown earth pony fell with a shake of his head and never moved again.

Still, the firefight between Tails and the last enemy continued. Apparently, the fox was about to run out of ammunition for his revolvers, and the Red Eye soldier came out of hiding to finish off the alien. But when he saw Cosmic and Shadow approaching, he suddenly got scared and decided to flee. The mare shot after him but didn’t pursue. She had enough to worry about.

“You alright?” she asked the hedgehog.

He’d already shaken off most of the blood, but the scratches from the griffin’s blades on his chest looked quite deep.

“I’m fine, at least I won’t bleed to death,” Shadow said. “We need to get to Sonic and Cream. How far is it to where you sent them?”

“A few hours from here,” Cosmic said after checking the PipBuck. “But that’s a long time. She urgently needs a doctor, preferably an experienced one… How many rings do you have left?”

“Eight,” the hedgehog took a handful of rings out of his backpack and looked at the blue earth pony. “Are we both thinking the same thing again?”

“Most likely,” she nodded and held out a hoof. “Give me one of them. We’ll go straight ahead.”

The portal flashed open and closed again, disappearing with the ring into oblivion.

But Cosmic and the aliens were no longer in the forest.

Sonic fell asleep with his back to Cream’s bed, but he woke up as soon as the entire small group rushed into the room after a cry of “Over here!” from Amy, who had found them.

“You’re here!” The hedgehog jumped to his feet, but immediately fell back down helplessly. “You made it out!”

“How’s she?” Cosmic asked, standing at the door with a carbine in front of him.

“Alive, but unconscious,” sighed Sonic and turned his gaze to the motionless Cream. “She doesn’t seem to be bleeding much anymore, but… we need a good doctor right away. Any ideas?”

“From where?” Tails waved his hands in the air. “We’ve only been in this world for a week…”

“Well, but we have the one who was born and raised here,” Shadow smiled and looked at Cosmic. “Let’s ask her. Where shall we go: to New Appleloosa or to Tenpony?”

“What…? How do you…?” Cosmic gasped.

No doubt, the black hedgehog was acting as if he had lived in the Wasteland before. Or at least pretended to know that part of post-apocalyptic Equestria well.

“No time for questions now,” Shadow said abruptly and firmly. “We need a plan. And we await your orders as our leader!”

Cosmic opened her mouth to answer him sharply… but immediately closed it again.

After all, the black hedgehog was right. After only an hour in their company, he immediately recognized who was leading the group’s actions. And was ready to obey to ensure their survival. And so was everyone else.

And though Shadow himself was aware of the nuances of life in the Wasteland, the world was clearly a closed book to others. A book with blank pages.

And only she, Cosmic Valor, could give them all the information. And thus have a key influence on the final decision.

“I have someone in mind who can help,” she said. “But I’ll have to think it over.”

“Just remember, we don’t have much time,” Shadow reminded her. “Eggman has probably finished preparing his attack by now…”

“Shadow, time passes much faster here,” Sonic said wearily. “Since you joined us, Eggman hasn’t even had time to go to the bathroom. So that’s not the main problem right now. Unlike…”

He glanced at the senseless rabbit girl Amy was fussing over.

“Shut up, you!” Cosmic cut them off. “You disturb my thinking.”

The aliens obediently shut up. And the mare went back to thinking about options.

New Appleloosa was two days away. Eight to Manehattan. In that time, Cream could die a hundred times from infection or improper care. Wipe herself with Luna’s tail, they didn’t even have clean bandages left for proper dressing.

They could, of course, ask Sonic to run with the rabbit in his arms again, but that might just as well kill her. And the hedgehog wouldn’t be able to carry the mare that far…

What to do, what to do, what to do…?

The idea suddenly hit her. It was so simple and ingenious that the earth pony was out of breath. For a second, she stared dazed in front of her, as if afraid to scare away this indescribably pleasant feeling, and then exhaled with relief.

We’re saved. If all goes well, I may even find the answers to some of my questions.

Looking at Shadow again, she couldn’t resist a tease.

“You’re thinking the same as me, aren’t you?”

“Huh?” He didn’t understand, but then he did. And frowned unhappily, “Stop, are you serious?!”

“Yes,” Cosmic nodded. “Sorry, but I have no other plan. However, this one guarantees us a favorable outcome – and maybe it will move me a little bit to solve all the crap that’s been going on around me for almost a month.”

“What? What do you mean?” Knuckles asked, sitting with Tails against the wall.

“Same thing,” the earth pony smiled. “I need half of your rings, Shadow. And… you know, it’s kinda hard to say no to a mare with a gun, don’t you think?”

With a curse to himself, the black hedgehog reached into his backpack for the rings.

Get used to it, Cosmic thought, looking at him. You recognized me as your leader. So please obey my orders. Especially those you have no arguments to dispute.

Dr. Helpinghoof’s clinic in Tenpony Tower in Manehattan was the only more or less decent medical center in this part of the Wasteland. The treatment cost a lot of caps, but it was the best one could get for the price. So it wasn’t surprising that all the ponies with problems of one kind or another flocked here.

Most of these were gunshot wounds, but there were also slash and stab wounds, as well as head injuries, broken bones, and gangrene. Nor was it without contamination from the ubiquitous radiation or even Taint. There was also a drug-addicted patient in the clinic now – she was too fond of Party-time Mint-als.

But everyone got help one way or another.

If they were willing to pay for it.

…Darkness fell behind the thick glass of the window, turning the office into a grim and gloomy place where one wouldn’t want to spend even a few minutes. But the white unicorn with the luxurious red mane sitting at the desk didn’t seem to care. By the light of the lamp, he was reading a book thoughtfully. Judging by the average word length of about twelve characters, it was someone’s serious work on magical medicine. And the unicorn was literally lost in his study, oblivious to anything around him.

Even a strange rumbling behind him didn’t make him turn around.

But then came a sound that the host of the room knew well.

The sound of a bolt being pulled.

The unicorn turned sharply in his chair, almost falling to the floor, and stared open-mouthed at the blue earth pony standing across the room, the glowing circle of the portal closing behind her. And at the assault carbine she was holding with her hoof.

“What the…? Who are you?” he muttered. “What are you doing here?”

His gaze traveled down the barrel of the carbine.

“How did you get the gun past the guards?”

“Life Bloom,” she said quietly. “Don’t you even recognize me?”

“You…”

The unicorn looked closer – and his eyes opened even wider.

“C… Cosmic? Cosmic Valor? Is that you?! What… how are you… what are you doing here…”

“I have no time, Life Bloom,” the earth pony interrupted him. “I need your help right away. Well, I mean, not I, but… Anyway, never mind.”

“How did you get here?”

“You’ll never believe it,” Cosmic grinned, but immediately became serious, “Get ready. You have five minutes. Don’t make me force you. And I don’t care that you’re a unicorn. I… I need you. Right now. Or rather, not you, but your skills.”

…Everyone turned to face the door as two sets of hooves clattered down the hallway and Cosmic entered the room, along with a unicorn slightly taller than herself. The bags at his sides dangled as he walked, not the best attached, but they were packed to the rafters.

“Cosmic? Who’s that with you?” Sonic asked, still keeping Cream’s peace by the rabbit’s bed.

“This is Life Bloom,” Cosmic pointed at the guest of their temporary base. “Assistant from the Helpinghoof’s clinic in Tenpony. We grew up together in The Republic. Life Bloom, and this” – she circled her leg around the aliens – “is my current squad. Just don’t ask questions, okay? The main thing right now is to help Cream…”

But the unicorn had already jumped up to the bed, dumping the bag contents.

“How long ago was the injury? Any healing potions used?” he asked, ripping off the dirty bandages and examining the rabbit’s wound.

“An hour and a half ago,” Tails replied. “Cosmic gave Sonic the remaining three potions before we got out of the Everfree Forest…”

“The Everfree?!” Life Bloom turned around with a stunned expression. “But it’s…” Looking at the blue earth pony, he sighed heavily and muttered, “Alright, that’s for later… Now, can everyone please get out of here? Cosmic, stay, you will help me. And put your gun down somewhere, okay?”

“But –” Sonic tried to object.

“Of course,” Cosmic nodded, put the carbine away and pointed clearly to the door.

The aliens, looking at each other, one by one reached for the exit.

As the door closed behind the last of them (it was Knuckles), Life Bloom turned to Cosmic and shook his head in astonishment.

“I swear, you really amaze me.”

“Yeah? And how’s that?” the mare snorted, helping to lay out everything needed: tools, bandages, tampons, as well as syringes and bottles of medicine and alcohol.

“I think that was a rhetorical question…? Give me a flask of water. We need to wash the wound, then remove the damaged tissue…”

In the white glow of telekinesis, the flask flew to Cream and, leaning forward, splashed water, which did not immediately fall on the wound, but was also shrouded in the glow of levitation.

With Cosmic’s help, the unicorn lifted the rabbit and gently washed the wounds on her belly and back.

“It went right through… I’m surprised the internal organs are intact… Still, sometimes it’s better to have one super-healing potion than three regular ones…”

When finished, Life Bloom squirted more peroxide from a bottle onto the damaged flesh, sterilized his scalpel with alcohol, cut off the purple flaps that protruded in all directions, and pointed his glowing horn at the wound.

Cosmic saw an incredible thing happen: the torn flesh, fused as it was by the effects of the healing potions, took on a regular and natural structure, and the skin gradually converged to the center of the wound.

About a minute later, all that was left of the once terrible wound was a rather deep scar. It was as if the bullet had pierced Cream’s body a month or two ago.

The glow of the horn faded, and the unicorn raised his head, breathing heavily after the spell.

“F-fuh… It’s done for the first time,” he exhaled. “Let her rest for now, but then another procedure is needed… I’ll have to look in here again. You…” he glanced at Cosmic. “You’ll bring me back, right? Dr. Helpinghoof won’t be happy if he doesn’t find me at my workplace in the morning…”

“Sure,” Cosmic waved her hoof, but then pointed it straight at the unicorn. “But I’m coming with you. There’s something I need to find out, and I hope I’ll learn at least a little bit in Tenpony Tower. While I’m gone, they’ll take care of Cream,” she swung her head at the door. “For my part, I promise to answer any questions you may have. Well… and I’ll ask you some of mine. We haven’t talked in years, have we?”

“Okay,” Life Bloom said quietly and sat down on the floor. “And by the way, that’ll be two hundred and fifty caps.”

“Take it.”

Cosmic opened one of her bags and used her teeth to pull three small bags out of it, which jingled softly on the floor.

“You can keep the change.”

“Do you have so many caps that you can afford to throw them around?” Life Bloom raised an eyebrow as he took the payment. “Became a mercenary after all, huh? Must be a lucrative business, I guess?”

“Both yes and no… Oh, it’s complicated,” Cosmic sighed and sat down next to him. “And these… I just robbed the one who robbed me. Well, not exactly robbed… and not exactly me… Are you sure we need to discuss it here?”

“All right, we’ll talk in the Tower.” The unicorn rose to his hooves and looked curiously at the blue earth pony. “I’m very interested in how you’re going to get us there. From a technical point of view, of course.”

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. Skill: Medicine – 25%. New perk: Action Pony (level 1/3) – you get 25 action points extra in S.A.T.S.

Player: Sonic. New perk: Magic of Friendship – when you or any other party member’s health drops below 30%, all party members (including you) receive a significant increase in damage resistance. Bonus: Shattering Space – Lightning mode has been upgraded to level 3, which increases movement speed to +4000% and reduces stamina consumption to -65% (followed by a 12-hour cooldown that increases consumption to +130%). When encountering enemies, requires 50% less action points for activation.

Chapter 14. Answers to Questions

View Online

Inquiring ponies want to know.

FoE: Project Horizons, chapter 23

“You can stay at my place for now,” Life Bloom said, opening the steel door with magic and stepping inside. “Please.”

Following him, Cosmic entered the apartment – and stopped, looking at the simple decor.

Nothing superfluous: a table with a working terminal, a bed – perhaps a little wider than would be enough for someone living alone; at the side wall – cabinets with books and medicines.

But there was something here that caught the mare’s eye.

To the left of the entrance, a map of Equestria was riveted to the wall, looking pre-war, but with a lot of crayon markings that made it look current. But even that didn’t catch the blue earth pony’s eye. There were two small flags pinned to the map. The inscription next to one read, “Manehattan”, and the other was…

Cosmic blinked to make sure she wasn’t imagining it.

“The Republic.”

“…Also, I have a bathroom, so you can… Cosmic?”

Life Bloom came over and stood beside her.

For a while, the two looked silently at the flag that marked their home.

Then the unicorn sighed and shook his head.

“Yes… sad, of course. But I don’t regret anything.”

“It’s probably easier to find partners for your liking here, right?” Cosmic snorted unhappily, remembering all the talks in The Republic about Life Bloom and his… preferences.

“What? Oh, you mean that…” he jerked his head and laughed quietly. “Amazing how easy it was for everyone to believe that. And even now I can’t wash it off…”

“Wait, what?” Cosmic frowned, turning to him. “What do you mean?”

“I imagine what my father told everypony about me after I left… How’s he there, still running the village?”

“Y-yes, but… what’s this got to –”

“He never understood me,” the unicorn continued, staring at the wall. “Nor anyone else, to be honest. Neither in the family… nor in the whole Republic. Maybe you too, I can’t remember. They all saw me as the new head doctor of their small town. Someone who would fix their bruises from hoof beats, pull light bulbs out of their kids’ mouths, or help them throw up after a bender at the bar. That’s all they wanted from me. But infinitely less than I wanted from myself.

“I told my father many times that I wished I had studied more, that the city had more books in the library than guns in the armory. But he didn’t listen. Didn’t want to listen. Neither did my mother… nor any of the other relatives. You know,” he looked up, “I still think they were secretly jealous of me. Of my desire for something new, while they’d been surrounded by the same things all their lives and had enough of it. So it was easier to tell them that I liked stallions than to try to convince them of the need for change.”

“Wait, so you –”

Cosmic looked at him in confusion.

“Exactly, Cosmic! In that respect, I am the same as you, but my goals and ideals are completely different. You spend all your efforts to survive – I seek to explore. To discover the world. To learn new things. Including helping other ponies.

“And look at this!” he pointed to a bookshelf with his hoof. “This is where I gained access to the new knowledge I’ve been missing. Twilight Sparkle’s Library gives me unlimited opportunities to learn, with so much information saved from the apocalypse that I couldn’t even study in a lifetime on my own! And in my spare time, I work to spread it throughout the Wasteland, hoping to lay the foundation for a new, beautiful world!”

Life Bloom sighed sadly.

“Unfortunately, the process is going too slowly. Many aren’t interested in the whole thing. Most ponies seem to be the same everywhere… But I could at least bring this ray of light to my home township… if I could get some support. And with a mayor like my father, The Republic will never prosper. Sometimes I even think, just for fun, that I wish Murky would finally take power for the first time in twenty years.”

“That’s never gonna happen,” Cosmic shook her head. “Life Bloom… I’m not the same filly with a carbine on my ass who dreamed of defending the town and upholding justice. I think I’ve changed more in the last month than in my entire life. And I do understand you, Life Bloom. I do now.”

The unicorn, who had been staring at the wall, turned his head and looked intently at the blue earth pony.

“Well… all right,” he finally said. “I hope you’ll tell me how things are going. There’s very little information about that part of the Wasteland here. And… I’m sorry, of course, but you have a very strange team. I thought there was supposed to be at least one Republic pony. Snow Vision, for instance. How is he, by the way? He was the only one I remember who didn’t disdain my ideas. Even if he wasn’t very supportive…”

“He’s dead,” Cosmic replied. “And believe me: I really don’t want to tell this part of the story. But it seems I’ll have to.”

“So…” muttered Life Bloom, looking sad and thoughtful again.

There was an awkward silence, broken only by the low hum of the terminal.

Then the unicorn coughed and waved to a side door.

“The bathroom is that way. Don’t waste too much water, it’s expensive. And I should probably get back to my work now.”

Life Bloom listened to Cosmic very carefully. When the earth pony got to the part about Metal Dawn’s betrayal, he asked her to stop for a moment and sat silently on the bed for a while, eyes shut and teeth clenched. Then he came to his senses and asked her to tell him more.

“Well, that’s how we got out,” Cosmic finished her story. The only thing she didn’t mention was that Spike did have the Elements of Harmony. “I haven’t been to The Republic since, so I don’t know what’s going on there now. I think Mayor Silver Star has gone mad with worry… or…” She sobbed suddenly. “Or declared us… all… dead…”

And she burst into tears, covering her eyes with her hooves.

The past didn’t leave her. Again.

The unicorn staggered for a moment at the sight of the crying mare, and then apparently did what he thought was right – moved a little closer to her and gently stroked her head.

And that was the last straw that finally broke the dam of emotions that Cosmic had been unconsciously holding back all this time – even as she cried for her slain comrades in the Wasteland and at the abandoned farm. Both times, her feelings had not been fully expressed.

The mare clung tightly to Life Bloom, nuzzling her face into his chest, and cried out loudly.

“I… we… all the time… since everything… ch-ch-changed… I… go on… and everyone around me suffers…”

“It’s not your fault, Cosmic,” the unicorn replied, continuing to stroke her mane. “You couldn’t foresee everything. On the contrary, even from the most difficult situations you have always come out in the best possible way. It’s just that… no pony can control circumstances. Only Discord was able to do that… You can only act in them, one way or another.”

“That’s just it, Life Bloom!” Cosmic slammed her hooves into his chest. “I cannot change anything myself! Some black streak: no matter what I do – the bad catches up with me again and again! And it’s not just me, but everyone who’s with me! And I can’t do anything to get out of this vicious circle.”

“You know, at one time, even the Princesses couldn’t do that.”

Cosmic found nothing against it. And immediately, she almost calmed down – at least the sobs became less frequent and quieter.

Life Bloom sat next to her. And didn’t move away. Perhaps for the first time since leaving The Republic, Cosmic felt safe. Under someone’s sensitive protection. And this pleasant feeling warmed her heart and filled her soul with peace.

But the wounds still didn’t heal. No “Hydra” could help, let alone Med-X and simple potions.

“Life Bloom,” Cosmic said, no longer crying. “And you… had somepony for all these years? Remember, the last time you treated me, I admitted to checking you out… well, before you left the village…”

“No,” the unicorn replied simply. “I’ve never reciprocated with anyone here. To be honest, I never had time. I put all my energy into working and educating myself to help other ponies. I never had time for anything else. And why do you ask?”

“I’m so tired, Life Bloom,” the earth pony sighed. “Tired of being strong and leading everyone. What if I’m making it worse? This isn’t what I wanted when I took charge of my first squad…”

“Here you can be yourself, Cosmic. You can give yourself a break. You really need it right now.”

“Thank you.” Cosmic buried her face again in the fur on his chest. “And you don’t get tired of your work?”

“Sometimes it feels like I’ve reached the limit of my strength, and my efforts will lead to nothing,” the unicorn shrugged. “But only for the rest of the day. In the morning, I wake up thinking that nothing I’ve done has been in vain. And so I’m back in the fight, saving lives and bringing a better future.”

“You’re lucky: at least you have a purpose in life. And I’m –” Cosmic shook her head “– no longer sure of mine.”

“What was it?”

“Protecting ponies and upholding justice…” The mare grinned crookedly. “That’s funny. I tried so hard to bring my own light, and now that justice has fucked me in every hole. Well, I got what I deserved.”

“Once again, it’s not your fault. Look back – how many ponies… and not just ponies you have already saved, already protected?” Cosmic lifted her head and looked him in the eyes, as if grasping at straws, and Life Bloom continued, “Sometimes you have to look at the successes as well as the failures. Even if sometimes they don’t seem to mean anything.”

“Thank you, Life Bloom.” Cosmic snuggled up against him once more and closed her eyes. “What you said… it really means a lot to me. Thank you. Eh, I’m so tired…”

Her breathing evened out and became deeper. The unicorn gently stroked her back, but Cosmic just fidgeted with her head on his chest, choosing a comfortable position.

Life Bloom smiled slightly. After waiting for the earth pony to fall asleep, he got up and carefully laid Cosmic down, then covered her with a blanket.

And went back to the table where an unfinished book was waiting for him.

“Is it here?” Cosmic asked as they walked up the wide corridor of the Tower to the door of the cheese shop.

The mare had omitted Monterey Jack’s name in her story yesterday, referring to him simply as “the merchant”, but this morning it was as if she remembered him again and asked directly. Life Bloom replied that Monterey had been executed a few days ago for attempted robbery in the Wasteland, which amounted to raiding. Did Littlepip really come here to demand an answer from him? Cosmic thought in amazement.

She felt ambivalent about this unicorn filly she had never even seen with her own eyes. On the one hoof, the blue earth pony was impressed by Littlepip’s determination. But at the same time… if she was happy with the verdict, Cosmic had nothing to talk to her about.

When asked about Littlepip, Life Bloom was silent, and Cosmic decided to close the subject.

As for Lyra Heartstrings, the unicorn didn’t know anything either, but he promised to look for information in the local library, which also served as a data center.

In the meantime, after asking Dr. Helpinghoof for a few hours (there wasn’t much to do with patients anyway), Life Bloom led Cosmic to the shop that Monterey Jack had owned until recently.

Heavy metal shutters were down on the inside of the storefront, and a sturdy lock and “CLOSED” sign hung on the door. Luckily, Life Bloom had got the keys somewhere.

With a soft creak, the square casements opened inward. It was dark and silent inside, but the unicorn shone his horn and found the light switch.

A bright white light flooded the room, making Cosmic blink for a second.

And when her eyes adjusted, she saw a depressing sight.

The refrigerators where the cheese was stored were without power, with muddy puddles spreading out from underneath them. A pile of cheese heads in the display case, which had apparently been the hallmark of the place, had crumbled like a house of cards; some of the pieces lying on the floor had clearly been hoofed. Some of the merchandise, judging by the smell, had already begun to rot. The cash register was untouched, but clearly empty. Monterey Jack had to pay for his own execution and burial as well.

“What do you look for here?” Life Bloom asked, while Cosmic walked around, seeing the same picture of decay everywhere.

“I don’t know. Something,” replied the earth pony. “Monterey had something to do with all of this. First of all, I wonder how he came to have the blueprints that Lyra so desperately needed. This unicorn was hardly the simple merchant he seemed to be.”

“I used to come here sometimes,” Life Bloom muttered. “His cheeses were really good.”

“Sure – for caps like these.” Cosmic just snorted when she saw the penciled price tags.

“This is Tenpony Tower, baby. Nothing is cheap here.”

“Hey, look, what is this?”

Walking behind the counter at the far end, Cosmic stopped in front of a panel that blended in color with the wall and was almost indistinct in outline. It took a closer look to see that there was something here.

“Let’s check it out,” Life Bloom said, standing next to it.

His horn flared, and the panel, moved by telekinesis, slowly slid aside. It hasn’t moved since long before Monterey, Cosmic thought.

Behind the false wall was a real door – solid, metal, painted silver. On it was a relief drawing of a hexagon with the moon in the center and some pictograms on the tops. Looking closely, Cosmic was surprised to see that they were the cutie marks of the Ministry Mares, familiar to her from the statuettes.

On the right side of the door was a slot where something seemed to be inserted. But definitely not a simple key – it was about the width of a hoof.

“What is it?” she asked.

“The sign of the O.I.A.,” Life Bloom replied. Seeing the incomprehension on Cosmic’s face, he deciphered, “The Office of Interministry Affairs. An organization from the Great War. I only found vague references to it in books… I don’t know what they actually did there.”

“We have to open it somehow,” the earth pony tapped on the door.

“I don’t have the right keys.” The unicorn levitated a bunch of keys and rattled them. “And with magic, I’m afraid I can only damage the lock, and then only C-4 explosives will help us.”

“Wait a minute…” Cosmic muttered and turned on the sorting spell in PipBuck.

The strange card taken from the сyberghoul’s body in New Appleloosa was displayed by the device as the “O.I.A. Pass Card”. On the rotating greenish image, Cosmic could now make out the numbers 0174 and a pattern exactly like the one on the door.

“I think we’ll need this,” the mare said, pulling the card out of her bag.

“Where did you get it?” Life Bloom stared.

“From that ghoul merchant who contracted Metal Dawn… Well, it doesn’t matter, okay?! Now step back.”

Cosmic carefully took the card with her teeth and inserted it into the slot.

Nothing happened for a while, and the mare already thought that nothing would work, when suddenly she heard a sound that instantly dispelled all doubts.

The click of the lock opening.

Cosmic pushed the door, but it didn’t move.

“Maybe it opens by pulling?”

“I don’t think so,” Life Bloom shook his head. “Otherwise, only a unicorn with very strong magic could open it. Let’s try together.”

Pushing harder, they managed to open the heavy door.

And found themselves in another small, cluttered room.

Life Bloom’s horn illuminated the mess. The cabinets against the walls were lost behind stacks of documents and folders piled on the desk, where a terminal stood – probably working, just turned off. Cosmic couldn’t help but notice several sealed tubes against the far wall. Just like the one Metal Dawn had taken from Monterey Jack.

The unicorn found the light switch again. But apparently the spark battery in the ceiling lamp had died or gone bad, because nothing happened.

“Try turning on the terminal,” Life Bloom said. “Maybe that’ll make it a little brighter.”

“How long can your horn light up?” Cosmic asked, walking around the table, avoiding the piles of documents.

“Half an hour for sure. Maybe an hour. But then I’ll have to recover, and new patients may arrive in the meantime. So, let’s try to find what you need as soon as possible.”

“Got it.”

Life Bloom started to fiddle with the documents, and Cosmic sat in front of the terminal, illuminating it with her PipBuck. Surprisingly, pressing the power button caused the pre-war device to blink and bring up a loading screen.

With the O.I.A. emblem and a password field.

Well, of course, how could it not?

The mare had no idea what the code combination could be. But while playing in her father’s workshop, she had learned about one of the terminal’s features: two extra pins under the back cover. If they were short-circuited, the password was automatically reset. Apparently, the pre-war ponies were really stupid to have such a "back door" made for them.

But who knows – maybe the security of the Office was much tighter.

And indeed: inspecting the inside of the terminal in the light of the PipBuck’s screen, Cosmic found no evidence of an additional unlocking system. She knew from her father’s technical books and magazines that it was possible to connect from PipBuck and look through the configuration files for the password, but first, that could take hours, and second, Cosmic herself had no experience with PipBucks. So that option was out.

The only thing left was to pick a combination at random. And in this case, they only had four tries.

“Life Bloom, please try to find the name of who worked here,” the earth pony said to her companion. “I doubt that this place was just used as a wastepaper storage, since the terminal was placed here.”

“Well, wait…” There was a rustle of papers being shuffled. “Try ‘Gizmo Poindexter’. He might’ve been some kind of technical expert – some research protocols are signed with his name… I wouldn’t be surprised if he had something to do with the blueprints in those tubes.”

“It fits. The last name, I mean. Seems he was as confident as anyone that he wouldn’t get hacked. Thank you.”

After gaining access, Cosmic began to scroll through the list of files.

Most of them were text records and a few corrupted audio files that could not be recovered. And what might be interesting in them? Probably something work-related as well.

With a hoof under her head, Cosmic began to leaf through the notes, which were a kind of work diary. Most of them were about projects and prototypes, labeled with abracadabra of letters and numbers, and the mare had stopped going into all the technical details – many of which Gizmo had, of course, kept quiet about because of a gag order mentioned in one of the entries.

But the last entry, dated May 13th, 1032, in the pre-war calendar, caught Cosmic’s attention the most.

Entry 261

A new batch of blueprints for projects Sunshine, Rainbow, and Whirlpool has arrived from design offices #44, #67, and #72 respectively. These will soon be transported with O.I.A. stuff to the sites for practical implementation.

Sunshine – May 14 at 12 p.m. – Long Grass – to Stable Pi.

Rainbow – May 15 at 3 p.m. – Dazzling Shine – to Stable 88.

Whirlpool – May 17 at 2 p.m. – Lyra Heartstrings – to RC-13.

“Bingo!”

“Did you find something?” the unicorn asked as he approached the terminal.

Cosmic pointed at the last line.

“It’s the same name I heard from Watcher. A pony who lived two hundred years ago and, as it now turns out, worked for this Discord’s O.I.A., whatever it was… And now, someone with the same name is terrorizing the Wasteland for some blueprints, disabling cyberghouls from afar! What an incredible coincidence, don’t you think?”

“There’s something to it.” Life Bloom rubbed his chin. “On the other hoof, it could really be a coincidence. Or, for example, someone imitating a pre-war image. Either way, it has no bearing on what you’re going to do. Doesn’t it?”

“Well, after that incident, she obviously got her blueprints,” Cosmic sighed. “But with the witnesses, there was a bummer. I have survived. And she probably knows about it from somewhere. And if so, she’s quite capable of sending someone after me. But then,” she grinned wryly, “she’d have to take us all out. Me – and that whole motley crew.”

“I wonder what the names of the projects mean…?” Life Bloom muttered, looking at the terminal screen.

“Does it matter?” Cosmic pressed the off button and the room went completely dark again. “The main thing is that now I know a little more about who is the cause of my troubles. And I’m one step closer to dealing with her one day.”

The mare stepped out from behind the desk, and it was just in time for Life Bloom’s horn to light up again to keep her from bumping into the stack of folders.

“Alright, let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough of these fucking secrets.”

Soon they returned to Life Bloom’s apartment, where Cosmic had left her things. The unicorn didn’t allow her to take Last Argument to the Tower, but he didn’t know about the loyal Dan. Besides, an assault carbine was much more necessary for the aliens, who were actually unprotected in the middle of the Wasteland.

As the two packed their bags and prepared to return to the abandoned house surrounded by a minefield, Cosmic asked, “Do you think we could have… well, been together if you hadn’t left?”

“I don’t know,” Life Bloom shrugged and used his telekinesis to shift the load onto his back. “No, I guess not. You and I are too different, and… I’ve never really been attracted to you. Besides, you weren’t very interested in my desires either.”

“Okay, I don’t care.” Cosmic sighed and snapped her bags shut with her hoof. “Thank you, Life Bloom. For helping Cream… and me too, to be honest.” She grinned. “I think I passed out at the worst possible moment last night…”

“You’re wrong,” the unicorn shook his head with a slight smile. “You looked very… cute. And I just couldn’t help taking care of you. You really… really needed it.”

“I hope you’re not gonna charge me for it?” the mare asked mockingly.

“No. Never.”

Cosmic looked at Life Bloom – and suddenly she was breathless as she saw Snow Vision in him. Coming from the same extended family, the two were much alike in appearance – but so different in mind and occupation.

He sure beats Nightlight at medicine, the earth pony thought.

Metal Dawn, who had visited her on the evening of the day the adventure began, had asked her which of the team she would prefer in his stead. And between Spark and Snow, Cosmic would probably choose the latter. Yes, the knife-wielding unicorn scared her a bit during the battle… but something attracted her, too. However, she’d never had the chance to talk to Snow about any of it, let alone go any further.

And Spark Glider had a girlfriend of his own. And as they said in fairy tales, “they lived happily ever after and died on the same day.” How, this cruel world decided.

Wasteland always twisted fairy tales in its own way.

And now it was as if Cosmic found herself alone with one of her lost companions. As if his ghost stood before her and smiled kindly.

And she did something she never expected to do.

She walked up to Life Bloom and kissed him on the cheek.

The unicorn blushed slightly.

“Really, you shouldn’t have –”

He faltered as their eyes met by chance.

They were standing quite close to each other, so Cosmic could smell his scent. Perhaps for the first time in a long, long time, all the things she was used to fighting for receded into the background, fading away somewhere in the distance where they hardly mattered at that moment.

And unable to hold back any longer, Cosmic leaned forward and sank her lips into the unicorn’s. He unexpectedly responded to the kiss, and the earth pony closed her eyes in pleasure.

The stowed bags flew off their backs and headed for the corner of the room. So did the armor, which in an instant became an unnecessary and hindering obstacle.

Cosmic’s world narrowed to the sensations her body transmitted to her brain. There was nothing else: just a soft bed, herself, and Life Bloom.

Time, which had shrunk to an unbearably pleasant point, flowed again.

“…Well, that was not bad,” Cosmic grinned, stretched out on the bed, and looked at Life Bloom. “I see you’ve held back a long time.”

“You know there is nothing between us, right?” asked the unicorn lying beside her. “It was good for me too, but… I’d like to keep my lifestyle. What happened now doesn’t change anything in our relationship.”

“Yes, working is more important to you than anything else,” the mare quipped.

“I feel like I belong here. Something incredible would have to happen for me to break away and go to the Wasteland. Like you, for example,” Life Bloom added.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Cosmic sighed. “It’s time for me to go back. And you promised a repeat treatment for Cream.”

“Of course,’ the unicorn nodded and sat down with his hooves on the floor. “Let’s not take too long, then.”

Twenty minutes later, they were all cleaned up. Life Bloom even combed Cosmic’s mane with magic after the shower. “So you don’t look like a raider who’s reached the benefits of civilization,” he joked afterward.

Cosmic just smiled gratefully and took the ring she had taken out of her bag with her teeth.

“Well, let’f gho,” she said and tossed the ring into the air with a flick of her head, at the same time imagining a spacious hall of the abandoned building.

The portal opened and the two ponies went through it together.

When they found themselves far from Manehattan, the scene before their eyes was completely different from what they had expected.

Knuckles was strangling Shadow, holding him by the throat above the ground. The echidna’s fingers couldn’t bend anymore, so he had to wrap his straight palms around the hedgehog’s neck on both sides. But because of Knuckles’ immense strength, the effect was noticeable. Shadow was gasping for breath, dangling in a literal stone grip.

“…What are you doing?! Stop it!” Sonic yelled, standing nearby with a nine-millimeter Nige in his hand.

But the barrel was looking past: apparently, the blue hedgehog wasn’t ready to shoot his friends.

“Think about it, Knuckles: if that were the case, why did Shadow help us in the forest?” Tails agreed, also clutching one of the revolvers he had been given.

“To pretend to be our ally, sic Metal Sonic on us, and then help him take us down!” The echidna growled and shook Shadow, causing him to shake his feet helplessly in the air. “You’re not the Element of Honesty – how do we know you’re not lying? What if you are Eggman’s agent after all…?”

“Please don’t!” Amy wailed, running around them. “Stop it, please…!”

And then a burst of gunfire hit the ceiling.

The aliens all shut up at once and turned their attention to the new arrivals.

“What’s. Going. On. Here?” Cosmic asked sternly, letting go of Dan’s mouthgrip.

“So… just figuring something out,” Knuckles muttered and released Shadow under the mare’s stern gaze.

The black hedgehog fell to the ground and grabbed his throat, trying to catch his breath.

“Are you fucking crazy?!” the earth pony hissed, glaring at Knuckles with anger. Life Bloom helped Shadow up, apparently intending to examine him as well. “You’ve had enough of other enemies, now you’ve decided to kill each other?!”

“He is suspicious,” Knuckles said stubbornly.

“I bet.” Cosmic looked back at Shadow, who just nodded gratefully at Life Bloom. “But first, I trust him – as much as I can right now. And secondly, I want to ask him about it myself. In the meantime,” the mare leaned closer to the echidna’s face, “keep your stone fists to yourself, okay?”

“What’s that smell?” suddenly the unicorn’s voice could be heard.

“Huh?” Cosmic turned around and sniffed.

It didn’t seem to smell anything special. The air had the musty scents of dust, crumbling plaster, old wood… and something else.

Something the earth pony hadn’t smelled the last time she’d been here.

Opening her nostrils wide, she suddenly realized what that faint smell was.

The smell of rotting.

Life Bloom turned her head to determine the direction in which the smell seemed to be stronger, and slowly walked across the room…

And stopped right in front of Knuckles.

“What?” he grumbled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Where is this from?” Life Bloom pointed at the echidna’s petrified knuckles.

“A cocatrix,” Cosmic replied briefly.

“Fuck…” The unicorn swore surprisingly foully. “Can you feel your fingers?”

“No.”

“For how long?”

“Since then… And what?”

“Oh, all clear. Necrosis of the soft tissue.” Life Bloom turned to Cosmic and explained, “Fossilization has stopped the blood flow to the directly affected areas of the metacarpal and the more distant phalanges. Hence the necrosis, which has already begun to turn into decomposition. And only the stone layer, behind which healthy tissue begins on the other side, saves the body from spreading gangrene and sepsis.” The unicorn shook his head. “But still – it is urgent to amputate his fingers.”

“Cut? No way!”

Knuckles put his hands behind his back.

“Then I’m not responsible for your health after you pick your nose and your head rots,” Life Bloom said calmly. “Now I’d like to get back to your friend. Can someone please help me…?” A glance at Cosmic. “…someone with fingers? Working, of course.”

“May I?” Sonic volunteered, putting away his submachine gun.

Life Bloom nodded, and they started to go upstairs together.

“Take my carbine on the way back!” Cosmic called after them.

The blue hedgehog showed her a ring made of two fingers with the rest sticking out - another fragment of alien culture – and winked. Then he and Life Bloom disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

“Well, and we will eat,” said Cosmic, sat down on the floor and began to unpack her bags. “All this research has made me terribly hungry.”

While they ate lunch (Knuckles was helped by Amy, to the echidna’s embarrassment), the earth pony told them what she had learned in Tenpony Tower. To Sonic and Cream, they decided to tell them later.

“Now, to get to this Lyra, I have to go I don’t know where and look for I don’t know what,” Cosmic muttered at the end. “Just what is this… what’s the name… RC-13?”

“Research Center?” Tails suggested.

“Well, that fits… But neither where it is, nor what that bitch is doing there, we never found out. Then there’s the Whirlpool, whatever it is…”

“I think it’s closer to Hoofington,” Shadow whispered. His voice was still a little raspy from Knuckles’ grip. “There’s a hotbed of all the scientific stuff in Equestria…”

Meeting Cosmic’s eloquent gaze, the black hedgehog sighed.

“I’ll tell you all about it. Let’s at least wait for Sonic…”

“…And here we are,” the voice of a blue hedgehog came from the stairs, and everyone turned in that direction.

Cosmic blinked, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. But it was not a mirage: between Sonic and Life Bloom, carefully supported by the hedgehog’s hand and the unicorn’s telekinesis, the rabbit girl was coming down the stairs, even though she looked thinner and gaunt, but happy.

“Cream!”

Tails and Amy immediately rushed over to them and ran up to hug their friend.

Sonic went over to Cosmic and handed her Last Argument. The mare clutched her trusty weapon: without it, she felt naked even in her armor.

Life Bloom beckoned Knuckles after him, and the two headed back upstairs.

The rest of the aliens surrounded Cream, talking excitedly about something – probably how worried they were about her.

Cosmic stood aside and didn’t interfere. She was just happy to see the happiness of somebody else, so genuine and untainted.

Soon, Life Bloom and Knuckles returned. The echidna looked particularly grumpy, looking down at his stone fists with clipped fingers in confusion.

“So that’s it?” the unicorn said, stopping next to Cosmic.

“As it turns out,” she sighed. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for us. Really. I… I just had no one to ask for help. I don’t even know how to repay you.”

“Nothing is needed,” Life Bloom said with a smile. “Just promise me that you won’t get into any more serious trouble.”

“You know I will, one way or another.”

“I know it. That’s why I’m asking. Maybe when this is over, you’ll come back to The Republic and help make things better.”

“We’ll see,” Cosmic snorted and pulled out the last of the rings she had borrowed from Shadow. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

The ring flew up, spun in the air, and habitually transformed into a funnel that pierced the room.

Life Bloom moved toward the portal, then, as if forgetting something, turned to Cosmic and kissed her. Then he stepped through the portal and disappeared from the dirty old hall.

The mare looked silently at the place where the funnel had been for a while. Then she brushed a drop of unwanted wetness from her cheek and approached the aliens.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but we have a few unanswered questions. You promised, Shadow. Remember?”

“Yes, of course,” the black hedgehog replied and looked up at the others. “Let’s go upstairs, it’s more comfortable.”

“Let’s go," Sonic grinned and was the first to run up the stairs before anyone noticed. He waved halfway up and then ran off in a blurred silhouette.

The group went up to the second floor and settled into one of the rooms.

“Make yourselves comfortable, ‘cause this is a long story,” Shadow said, sitting down on the bed and taking off his backpack.

The others sat on the floor and Cosmic leaned her shoulder against the wall in the corner.

“I think we should start with this.”

The black hedgehog took something out of his backpack and showed it to everyone.

Cosmic was surprised to see that it was a book. And even in appearance, it was much better made than the pre-war Daring Doo stories or the Wasteland Survival Guide by Ditzy Doo from New Appleloosa.

The cover depicted a short gray unicorn filly with a light brown mane against a backdrop of old houses and Canterlot Peak in the distance. The pony was wearing a blue stable-issued coverall with the number 02 on the collar; a PipBuck screen glowed green on her leg. And in front of her was a sprite-bot – at least very similar to the ones Watcher had used to talk to Cosmic and the aliens.

And at the top, in an empty space, was a stylized inscription.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. Skill: Science – 50%. New perk: Cool Hacker – you get additional attempts for picking a password. Bonus perk: Sherlock Hooves (level 2/3) – you can make intuitive deductions based on a small number of facts.

Player: Sonic. New perk: Not selected.

Chapter 15. Loyalty

View Online

– After that big old send off Ponyville gave me, I just didn’t have the nerve to come home empty-hooved. I couldn’t come home a failure.

MLP, 2/14

“…So, is that Littlepip?”

Cosmic looked slightly surprised at the pony on the cover of the book that Sonic, Tails, and Amy were flipping through with interest. Honestly, she hadn’t expected the unicorn who’d found the courage to leave her Stable to look so… ordinary.

Four more volumes lay stacked on the floor next to the bedpost. Cream was absent: the rabbit girl had gone to another room to rest.

“Ayep,” Shadow nodded expertly, sitting on the crumpled bed. “A PipBuck technician from Stable Two, who’d been out in search of Velvet Remedy, the other unicorn mare who’d left their shelter. The next day, at Watcher’s behest, Littlepip cleared Ponyville of raiders and was shot by Calamity the pegasus as she approached New Appleloosa –”

“Calamity?!” Cosmic’s head buzzed with all these connections. “I know him! We met a few times at the Turnpike Tavern…”

“Really?” The black hedgehog raised an eyebrow. “Hmm… Well, then maybe you know some of these names, huh? SteelHooves, Xenith, Monterey Jack, Spike…?”

“Monterey? He was executed a while back. Spike’s the one we went from to the Everfree. You think we’d have gone there on our own?”

“Wow!” Shadow suddenly jumped. “So we’re at chapter twenty or twenty-one now! I mean, we’re still in the main timeline!”

“What are you talking about?” Knuckles asked.

The black hedgehog sighed.

“If there is Equestria, then there is a cartoon series it was created for. Likewise, if there is Fallout: Equestria, there must be a book to match it. Simple enough, right?”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Cosmic frowned. “So you’re saying that not only the history of my world, but ALL THIS SHIT AROUND THERE” – she hoofed a circle, clearly referring to more than just a single room – “is also fiction?!”

“Umm… yes?” Shadow shrugged. “And why are you so surp–”

“So the war and the apocalypse and two hundred years – TWO HUNDRED FUCKING YEARS! – of darkness and violence and all the crap that I and the other ponies have to live through is just someone’s fantasy for fun?! How could anyone even think of that?!”

“Earth isn’t perfect in many ways,” Tails said quietly, and Cosmic turned to him. “Humans are always fighting for something, and in normal life they sometimes do no better than the same raiders. And they have to build mental shelters to stay sane, imagining someone else feels even worse than them. Just a way to convince themselves and others that all is not lost. And nobody thinks about some of the consequences. Do you understand, Cosmic? They know what happens in such worlds, but they think they’re not real, created either to change the plot for the better… or to be destroyed completely. I’m sorry, but that’s how it works. The reality we were once trapped in.”

“But this is all real!” the mare shouted. “I’m real! Ponyville is real! Spike’s Mountain, Tenpony Tower, New Appeloosa and Canterlot are all real! I’ve seen all of it! How can what is there not be there?!”

“That’s the problem,” Shadow replied. “There are all kinds of worlds in the multiverse. Absolutely. And they all exist at the same time. And those who live in them, most often, cannot choose which one they wanna be in.”

“But… how did you know that we were in this… pony Fallout?” Knuckles asked. “If you’ve been unfrozen just for a week?”

The black hedgehog grinned. Just like Sonic, the earth pony noted… but in a decidedly more mature way.

“If I was frozen, it doesn’t mean I was unconscious. Dr. Gerald Robotnik had managed to connect my mind to a computer before the project to study me was abandoned. It felt horrible at first: I was floundering around in this virtual prison that didn’t even have a proper operating system, and Robotnik hibernated me to keep me from going insane.

“The computer had been connected to the local network, and when it was linked to the Internet twenty years later, my consciousness awoke from its long slumber.” Shadow shook his head with a smile. “You can’t imagine living thirty years in a stream of pure information, eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while the capsule kept my body alive. I was able to study human culture from the inside, learn several languages, and certainly keep up with the latest trends. And I didn’t ignore the MLP fandom, and with it, a little later, Fallout: Equestria.”

“And you didn’t get… ‘washed out’ during your online life?” Tails asked in shock.

“Fortunately, Robotnik made sure that my identity was securely protected from being overwritten. And so,” the black hedgehog grinned, “I now sit before you with an enormous wealth of information in my head, including about this world.”

“Where did you get the books?” Knuckles asked.

“Ah,” Shadow waved his hand, “I stole them from some brony’s house along the way. He also had a printed ten-volume edition of Horizons, but I didn’t want to carry that heavy stuff…”

“So there are other books about this universe?” Cosmic asked.

“Lots of. Even I cannot list them all. And in each one, something changes a part of the Wasteland – or the entire Wasteland at once.

“Littlepip (or Stable Dweller, as DJ Pon-3 calls her) wanders back and forth, trying to find her virtue. Blackjack, or Security Mare from Stable 99, hangs around Hoofington, hoping to get rid of her guilt, like Luna in Season Five. Puppysmile, also known as Pink Ghost, is on her way south on Route 52 in search of her mother. Murky Number Seven, a pegasus with broken wings from Fillydelphia, wants to get freedom. Silver Storm, aka Hired Gun, who’s terrorizing Caledonia’s raiders, is just trying to avoid making mistakes. It sucks, of course, but she’s trying anyway.

“There are many kinds of characters, Cosmic. And the most important thing is to find out if you are the protagonist of your own story.”

“Whoa!” Amy’s strained exclamation was heard.

Cosmic turned to see her and Sonic – both blushing intensely for some reason – staring at one of the pages of the second volume, while Tails sat a bit away, flipping through the third book with interest.

“Oh, you stumbled upon chapter 20.5?” Shadow laughed. “Well, come on, come on… share your impressions later… with me or each other…”

“I don’t understand…” the fox muttered suddenly. “Does Equestria really have sixteen hours in a day, not twenty-four? That’s what it says here,” he pointed to the book, “but in the later seasons of MLP, I remember the usual twelve o’clock watches. Do you know why, Shadow?”

“Uh, I’ll try to explain it as a fan theory…” The black hedgehog thought for a while, then continued, “If there were eight-hour clocks everywhere in the first years after Luna’s return, that means that it had been common for a long time, maybe centuries, so it couldn’t have gone away quickly. On the other hand, before the war, Equestria had developed contacts with other countries and races… I bet on the griffins – that the twenty-four-hour division came from them. I guess it was more convenient, but it didn’t have time to replace the old one before the apocalypse. And then it was up to the ponies to decide how to count.

“Although it was naturally easier. The humans had gotten tired of dealing with all the lore of the show when they made it for kids. So one day they’d just dropped some of it and gone back to their usual counterparts.”

“I see,” said Tails and turned to the mare. “And what do you think, Cosmic…? Uh, Cosmic?”

The earth pony froze, looking at the PipBuck screen in shock.

“What’s up?” Shadow asked anxiously.

Instead of answering, Cosmic silently turned her microcomputer toward them.

The black hedgehog and the fox stared at the screen. There were obviously time settings open on the device. The cursor was on the “Format” field, where two lines were displayed in a drop-down list: 16:64:64 and 24:60:60.

The first of them was active, and the side window displayed a note, “A time format widely used in Equestria (the only official one until 1007). Based on a binary system (derived from 2² = 4 pony hooves), now used in Stables 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128, as well as in some settlements.”

“Got it,” Shadow nodded and explained to Cosmic, “Littlepip is from Stable Two. Of course, she will use her usual time.”

“I can’t figure out what’s real here anymore,” the mare whispered and sat down on her haunches with her head bowed. “It’s like the world around me gets rewritten every moment…” She looked down at her hooves. “What if I’m just a character being directed by some writer? And all my actions… all the things that have happened to me… are just someone’s fucking fantasy…?”

“Keep it simple,” Shadow shook his head. “After all, every character has the illusion of free will. Yes, it’s a little frustrating to realize that the way you see the world is put into your head by someone outside, but within the limits you have, you can determine your own actions.”

“I still don’t get it. Equestria was destroyed… for fun. My team was killed… for fun…” Cosmic lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. “How should I feel when my life and my world are destroyed just because someone out there wants to have fun?”

“Every story goes through several stages. And if things are bad, it’s not the end. Things will get better one day – but only if the protagonist doesn’t give up. And by all accounts, that’s you, Cosmic.”

Shadow leaned over and took the fifth volume of Fallout: Equestria from the stack. Then he placed the book in front of Cosmic.

“After you read the epilogue, you’ll find out what will happen to Equestria ten years from now, when (not ‘if’, but exactly ‘when’!) Littlepip succeeds. Believe me, things will be better than they are now. It’s already predetermined – from the author’s standpoint. But not at all certain from here. After all, if the universe is being destroyed… maybe it’s just to show how it can be rebuilt.”

“Wait… do you hear that?”

Cosmic strained her ears.

From somewhere below came a knocking. Something was tapping insistently on the door of the building.

“Wait here,” said the mare and took her Argument with herself, heading for the exit. “Shadow, follow me.”

The black hedgehog made a surprised face but said nothing as he joined her.

They walked down the stairs to the hall and came to the door of the house. The steady knocking was clearly heard from outside.

Listening closely, Cosmic recognized a faint mechanical whirring. And damn it – she knew who (or rather what) it belonged to.

“Stand aside and open the door on the count of three,” she told the hedgehog, standing in front of the door with the carbine in front of her. “One, two… three!”

Shadow leaned back against the doorjamb, grabbed the old wooden handle, and pushed it open.

The door swung open, and Cosmic found herself face to face with the sprite-bot, flying freely into the house.

“Well, hello, Watcher,” the mare said. “Long time no see.”

“I was looking for you,” the sprite-bot replied. “I was able to follow you through the forest for a while, but then you seemed to disappear. I didn’t expect you to return to your base after avoiding all my eyes in the Wasteland.”

“Neither did we. But we had to. Otherwise, we’d all just die. As it is… I think you owe me now, Spike. How about that, huh?”

“I don’t think either one of us is in a position to dictate terms right now. Can you tell me why you think that?”

“Because for us, breaking into your cave and what we experienced in the forest were not comparable. Not so much in the nature of those things, but in their consequences.”

“But did you find out anything? There was a moment when the Elements glowed briefly, and… Could you lower your weapon? Please.”

Cosmic hesitated but released her carbine anyway.

“The Tree is safe now. That;s all you need to know. You can leave this problem behind.”

“Very good, then.” Judging by his tone, he wasn't satisfied with that answer. So he continued dryly, “Then I’d like my statuettes back.”

“Oh, with great pleasure!”

Cosmic reached into her saddlebags.

“Open the rear panel of the sprite-bot. There’s a compartment for extra batteries. Put the figurines in it.”

“How do I open it?” Cosmic snorted, arranging all six statuettes on the ground in front of her. “Do I look like a unicorn?”

“May I try?” Shadow raised his voice as he approached the robot.

“Who the hay are you?” Watcher asked.

“Just a friend.” The black hedgehog picked up the rear panel and snapped it off. “Done, Cosmic. Load those flügegeheimens in there.”

One day I’ll start taking notes after you, Cosmic thought to herself and loaded the figurines one by one into the cavity inside the sprite-bot. Shadow closed the panel – and then Cosmic grabbed her weapon and slammed it right into the hovering robot!

“What are you doing?!” Watcher shouted.

The earth pony continued to swing the carbine. The sprite robot tried to dodge the blows, but Cosmic remained accurate even without S.A.T.S.

“Are you crazy?!” The robot flew out of the open door and hovered some distance away. “You want me to stop helping you?!”

“Helping?!” Cosmic yelled, pointing the barrel of the carbine at the sprite-bot again. “You are the cause of all our recent troubles! If we hadn’t gone into that forest, we wouldn’t be in such despair now! You are the cause of Cream’s injury, so I had to drag a doctor right out of Tenpony Tower! Knuckles lost his fingers in a collision with a cocatrix! Dammit, Tails got one of his tails burned off when we came down your mountain, so he can’t fly on them anymore! We’re just pawns for you to move around the Wasteland at your command! You’re playing with ponies, pretending that you’re doing this for the good of Equestria, when it’s only to satisfy your own personal desires!”

Shadow’s words about the gray unicorn filly suddenly came to her mind.

“You sent Littlepip to clean up Ponyville just because your left heel told you to, didn’t you? Of course, it’s so heroic to send a weak, naive pony right out of the Stable to fight a bunch of enemies! You can cover yourself with your duty to protect the Elements as much as you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re just a manipulator who’s forgotten how to value the lives of others!”

Spoken out, Cosmic breathed heavily and looked at the robot with hatred. Only the knowledge that she had to return the borrowed figurines kept her from firing.

The sprite-bot swayed silently in the air.

He’s thinking up excuses? thought the mare, but then a voice came from the loudspeaker again. Now it was soft and ingratiating.

“You are not right, Cosmic. At least not about everything. Yes, I can’t leave my home, and I can only rely on the ponies I’ve decided to trust. But what can I do? The Wasteland is a cruel place. I can’t be anyone’s guardian spirit; all I can do is give tips and advice. You can’t blame me for sending others to their deaths, for even without that, any of them could be killed at any moment.

“You may not believe it, but you’ve had a great influence on me, Cosmic. Since our meeting, I have decided to open up to the ponies again and lead them to save the Wasteland. These are not empty words – I really do want to change this world for the better! And inspired by your example, I have allowed Littlepip to travel to meet me in person. She’s now on her way from Tenpony. She too has been wondering if I’m playing with her…

“And I can answer her and you at the same time: in the least possible way. I sincerely wish you to survive. Because the Wasteland needs ponies like you. And if you’re endangered, it pains me to know it. I have watched so many of Equestria’s defenders die over hundreds of years that I cannot bear to lose more.”

The sprite-bot fell silent. Cosmic stared at it, speechless. She hadn’t realized what could be so important to the omnipresent Watcher.

She thought of Littlepip again. If Shadow was right and the events were unfolding as in the book, then the unicorn filly had gone to Spike as the story told…

So she, Cosmic, is the cause! She influenced someone else’s line – according to Shadow, even the main one at the time!

A protagonist then, eh? she grinned to herself. Well, that means I have to find my story’s point.

“I have to warn you,” Watcher said suddenly. “As compensation for the inconve... for my miscalculations. I’ve noticed lately that sometimes the sprite-bots seem to be controlled by someone else. Sometimes I couldn’t access a robot’s functions because it was being used at the same time. Or I would suddenly lose control of the bot: it was being hijacked from outside. And my knowledge of programming in pre-war languages developed by Sunburst and Button Mash is not enough to mount a defense. So, I’m asking you… be careful. Lyra may be looking for you. Don’t let her intimidate you.”

“She won’t,” Cosmic grinned. “Well, goodbye?”

“Hopefully, see you later,” came from the loudspeaker.

Then music played from the sprite-bot, and it flew away over the mined area around the house.

“Why do you want to go there?” Shadow asked, watching Cosmic while she was packing. “If you don’t plan to stay there anyway. Maybe better to be thought dead while you’re looking for Lyra?”

“No,” the earth pony replied sharply. She pulled the bolt of her carbine, clicked the safety off and slung the weapon across her back. “I’ve put this off long enough. The Republic needs to know that I survived. The only bad thing is that in the eyes of the townspeople, my troop’s death will be linked to me anyway. Because Metal Dawn is no longer here to answer to everypony.”

“That’s it! Think, Cosmic! What if they kill you…?”

“But why?” the mare snorted mockingly and adjusted her saddlebags. “The Republic has a small population, every pony counts. They might not let me out, but I can deal with that. I may spend the rest of my life inside the walls made of old carriages, but I have a purpose now, and I won’t let anyone get in my way. Anyone or anything. Even the mayor.”

“So what are we gonna do? I mean, we’ve decided to stay with you until –”

“Anything you want.” Cosmic waved her hoof. “You can go back to your world and fight Eggman, or whatever his name is… You have the Emeralds now, and you may not stay with me forever. Everyone around me lately can’t really boast of having a smooth life. Some of them will never say anything else. And will never do.”

“Cosmic,” Shadow said softly. “Remember, you’re talking to the Element of Loyalty, chosen by the Tree of Harmony. And I’m telling you, we’re not going anywhere, but we’ll be waiting for your return. And if anything, we’ll be ready to come to your rescue.” He grinned. “Sonic can get to you in a matter of minutes…”

“Then wait.” The blue earth pony slipped the magazines into the pockets of her armor and took a few steps towards the exit. Then she turned and looked at the black hedgehog. “A one-way trip takes two days. If I’m not back in five, rush to my aid. Although… I think it will be too late.”

“Cosmic, I… must tell you something. It’s very important. Something… about your town.”

The mare didn’t like the change in Shadow’s tone. It was as if the black hedgehog wanted to tell her some very unpleasant secret.

“And what, then?”

“It was mentioned in the book, too. Near the end. About eight weeks after Littlepip had left the Stable, so about a month from now…” Shadow sighed heavily and finished, “The Republic will be destroyed by raiders.”

“What?!” Cosmic’s eyes widened. “How?!”

“I don’t know the details. The author didn’t go into that much… They’ll slaughter the entire adult population and take the foals to Ponyville. Three young ponies will escape and follow them. And when the survivors are in a firefight with the raiders, that’s when Littlepip and her crew will find them.” The hedgehog lifted his eyes to Cosmic. “But where you are in this whole story, I dare not predict. So, I beg you… don’t stay there. Come back to us soon.”

…And now, with a sinking heart, Cosmic neared the village that stood in the middle of the stony desert.

From the outside, The Republic still looked sullen and unfriendly – but if before there had been something native and recognizable about its deliberately serious austerity, now the town seemed to bristle with the anticipation of battle.

Cosmic took out her binoculars and looked at the guards on the walls. They were the same ponies that had been filling in for her squad during their travels. More than that, they had looked to the blue earth pony and her troops as an example to follow. Right now, however, she couldn’t look them in the eye. Not only because she had condemned them to the front line of defense by not discovering Metal Dawn’s plan in time, but also because their former ideal had been defeated.

But there was no other choice. With a heavy sigh, Cosmic shoved the binoculars into her bag and walked towards the settlement, head down and hooves barely moving.

She was spotted, and clearly from afar. “Hey, that’s Cosmic…!” the mare heard somepony shout. But she felt that the guards’ mood was definitely not friendly. The town was obviously going through some really tough times.

It’s not my fault, the earth pony reminded herself. It’s Metal Dawn’s.

“Stop!” yelled one of the guards, a dark stallion with a grayish mane and a white nose. “We have orders not to let anyone in unless confirmed!”

What a paranoia? Are the raiders coming more often?

“You can see it’s me!” Cosmic replied, stomping her hoof on the ground. “So what’s the problem?”

“We thought you were dead!” blurted out the yellow mare standing on top. “The entire Republic cried at a recent meeting! Mayor Silver Star has already ordered that all your houses be turned over to the town!”

“What?! How could he…”

Cosmic bit her tongue.

It was actually a common practice. “We need more ponies,” the mayor always said. But new families needed a place to live, and housing had long been a particularly acute problem in the Wasteland. And certainly no one would leave an empty house unoccupied just because the owner had gone, uh… to the moon. That would just be irrational.

“You’ve been reported,” the white-nosed guy, who had obviously been running somewhere, returned to his place. “They’ll come for you soon. Wait here for now, we’ll open the gate later.”

A pit opened in the blue pony’s stomach.

The foreboding of something bad she had gotten as she approached The Republic grew stronger by the minute. It wasn’t so much what was going to happen to her, but rather the general feeling of distress that hung over the village.

Finally, the white-nosed pony looked down and waved his hoof, apparently giving permission to open the gate. There was a clang as the bolt slid out, and the heavy steel doors opened reluctantly.

Cosmic let out a loud sigh as she saw the ponies come to greet her. It was as if the mayor had made a deliberate effort to pressure her before he even faced her in person.

At the village entrance stood two young white unicorns: a stallion with a bright scarlet mane and a filly with a blue mohawk. Both had assault rifles floating in front of them, aimed at Cosmic. And while the stallion hid his eyes and pretended not to care, his companion stared at the blue pony, seemingly on the verge of pulling the trigger.

And besides, Cosmic knew the filly had her reasons.

After all, she knew both ponies currently standing in the gate.

Sky Bloom, the youngest son of the mayor. Life Bloom’s and Nightlight Twister’s brother.

And Skyshine. The younger sister of Snow Vision.

Both had relatives who served in Cosmic’s squad. And now lay in a mass grave in the Wasteland.

I have no guilt towards them. Although… okay, shit, I’m guilty on some level. But there’s nothing I can do about it. So that’s it, let it go already.

“Cosmic Valor,” the unicorn filly literally spat out her name. “Mayor Silver Star wants to see you right now.”

“I’m sorry, Skyshine,” Cosmic said quietly. “I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?!”

Depressed by this visit, the earth pony didn’t react in time.

Next thing she knew, she was on the ground, and Skyshine was leaning over her, pointing her gun at Cosmic’s head.

“My brother is dead!” the unicorn wailed, spitting saliva in her face. “Along with everypony who was with you! And you’re the only one who miraculously survived! And now you’re just fucking sorry?!”

“Skyshine, don’t…!” the filly’s companion shouted, but all he got in return was an angry look.

“And you shut the fuck up! Did Snow mean nothing to you?”

“Skyshine, I’m hurt too! But we can’t give in to our feelings right now! Think of the town! What will happen if you open fire first?”

The filly was silent for a while, gritting her teeth. Cosmic even thought she might go crazy, but apparently the voice of reason still prevailed over Skyshine. She let go of Cosmic with a loud gasp and stepped back but didn’t move her machine gun away.

“Get up,” she said, looking down at the blue earth pony. “We were told to bring you as soon as possible. And unarmed,” she pointed at Argument.

Cosmic reluctantly pulled the belt of her carbine from around her neck and removed her submachine gun from its holster. Skyshine magically picked up her weapon, and the three of them finally made their way down the main street toward the mayor’s house.

Cosmic first noticed how empty the place was. Ponies looked out of the windows at their little procession but didn’t go outside. The wind blew dust and scraps of paper along the path. It’s like the whole place is dead, the earth pony shivered.

Closer to the center, two armed stallions stood on either side of the street, each guarding a poster on a house wall: on the left, “Vote for Murky Gray!”; on the right, “All Power to Silver Star!”

The ponies stared at each other tensely. And it looked like they were about to turn their guns on each other.

As Cosmic passed by, she noticed that the lower right corner of the left poster had been torn off (she must have mistaken it for a scrap), and the right poster had definitely been tried to cut across with a knife. And now both sides seemed to be making sure that neither of them broke the fragile truce.

“Guys… what have you done…?” muttered the mare.

Was everything she’d seen here due to this coming vote? Which, moreover, was still three or four months away? Why had everything been peaceful for the last twenty years, and now it was as if everything had gone out of control?

And what if that’s all… because of me…?

Cosmic was distracted from a new round of introspection by that they had finally arrived.

The mayor’s house looked like a real fortress against the background of wooden buildings. The first floor was made of concrete blocks and covered with steel sheets, the second floor consisted of two railroad cars placed side by side, and the third floor was built of wood. The entrance was closed by heavy metal-clad doors, and the windows had bars. Descended from the Appleloosa refugees who had fled to The Republic, Silver Star was clearly wary of the inhabitants of his town.

Skyshine magically opened the door and stepped back, allowing Sky Bloom and Cosmic to enter. As she did so, she couldn’t resist poking the earth pony in the flank with Argument’s muzzle. Cosmic gritted her teeth in humiliation but remained silent.

The house was bright: the lights were on even in the daytime, and behind one of the doors the generator rumbled. On the side, behind a screen, was a real electric stove – a remnant of pre-war Equestria. The ruling family obviously didn’t skimp on themselves either.

But Cosmic didn’t care what the town’s well-earned caps were used for. At least for the time being.

At a huge table in the middle of the spacious room sat Mayor Silver Star. And silently looked at Cosmic from under his frowning bushy eyebrows.

“I’d like to say that I’m glad to see you, but I’m afraid I can’t,” the mare said. “Maybe you tell me what the hay you’ve been up to while I’ve been away?!”

She waved her hoof at the door, behind which the town stood frozen in suspense.

“I wish I could say I’m glad you’re here too, Cosmic Valor,” the mayor said, getting up from his chair and walking toward the earth pony. She even took a step back – Silver Star looked so angry. “But I’m afraid I won’t be understood. You realize that you’ve come at a bad time.

“Do you want to hear what’s going on?” He jerked his chin toward the barred windows. “I’ll tell you. At first, they were just worried about you. But it’s a long way to Manehattan or any other city, so they thought you’d just be stuck somewhere.” He gritted his teeth in anger. “But that all changed when the news came from New Appleloosa.”

Oh, I see Railright did what he promised.

She realized that the sheriff had done it without a second thought, just to let them know she was alive. But apparently that had become the catalyst for The Republic.

“I was reminded of the fact that I dared to accuse you of thievery before you left,” Silver Star continued. “The town is basically split in two. Those who support Murky (and that’s about half the people these days) believe I ordered Metal Dawn to kill you, and the others stood up for you and died. And my allies” – he glanced at Skyshine and Sky Bloom – “believe you killed them all because they’d found evidence of your guilt.” He tilted his head aside. “And what do you think I should do now that you’ve shown up, huh?”

Cosmic stood silently, biting her lip as she thought about how to answer.

Just like that, I will definitely not get out. So, I’ll have to go all-in.

“We are on the brink,” the mayor continued. “Every day, the ponies of The Republic wake up with the thought that any random shot could start a massacre. And this is your fault. Because I have nopony else to blame.”

“I don’t know about you,” Cosmic muttered slowly, “but at least I found the strength to come back. Kept, for that matter, my loyalty to this place.”

“Take your loyalty and shove it up your ass!” Silver Star slammed his hoof down on the table. “All those fine words don’t mean a damn thing when they collide with reality. What should I do now? And what’s going to happen in the fall? If things aren’t settled before the election, no matter the outcome, the town will drown in blood!” He stood up and began to walk around the room. “For the first time in the hundred years of The Republic, we are about to kill each other.”

“We have to survive until the election,” Cosmic said, and he immediately turned sharply towards her. Aha, he’s triggered, so. “Raiders have been plaguing the Wasteland especially hard lately. And I know that sooner or later they’ll turn their attention to The Republic.”

“Oh, really?” Silver Star snorted with malicious sarcasm. “Why don’t they dare to attack now, then? And besides, do you think you can shift my focus with that?”

“Listen to me!” the mare stomped impatiently. “I suggest you stop bickering about me and unite the town against the real threat! Then you’ll be re-elected, and the ponies will stop glaring at each other like wolves!”

“You think I don’t get it?! You think it’s that simple? Don’t we have other problems?” The mayor stopped and stared at Cosmic. “Do you know that the caravan we sent in your absence was attacked on the way and had to return? Grace is lying all covered in bandages, and there are not enough caps in the budget to buy food for the next month! And our supplies are only enough for a week!”

“Grace?!” The blue earth pony was horrified. “What happened to her?”

“Two bullets in the flank and one in the chest,” Skyshine hissed. “Two of our guys were killed covering her!”

“Shine,” the mayor cut her off, “please don’t interfere.”

The unicorn filly snorted angrily but remained silent. And Silver Star turned back to Cosmic.

“So, how do you want me to deal with that, eh? In this tense situation?”

“If it’s just a matter of caps,” the earth pony replied, “then here you are.”

With her teeth, she pulled a heavily jingling sack from her bag and threw it at the mayor’s hooves.

“It’s several thousand here, I didn’t count. But I’m sure it’ll be enough for the time being.”

“Where did you get them?” he asked, levitating the sack to the second floor. “Was the contract that lucrative?”

“No. It was Metal Dawn’s fee for killing my squad.” Silver Star even coughed nervously at Cosmic’s calm words. “After the bastard was shot in New Appleloosa, I got his money. That’s all. Just the law of the Wasteland.”

“And speaking of the Wasteland,” the old stallion interrupted. “Remind me again: what’s the most valuable resource of a growing village?”

“Ponies,” Cosmic replied, remembering an old truism, but immediately frowned. “What are you getting at, Mr. Mayor?”

He glared at his younger relatives.

“Get out.”

“But Uncle…!” Skyshine protested.

“I said get out!” Silver Star roared.

The unicorn filly made a hurt face but headed for the door, not forgetting Cosmic’s weapon with her. Sky Bloom looked sadly at his father and obediently followed Skyshine.

As the thick doors closed behind them, Silver Star continued, “Here’s the thing, Cosmic. You don’t have your own team anymore, and it’s unlikely another team will take you on voluntarily. And even if they do, you’ll probably no longer be a commander. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. The town has lost several important ponies in recent weeks. Who knows how many more will die. And the new generation is not so eager to make up for those losses. So…” he paused, “I have to make a decision that may not be pleasant for one pony but will benefit the future of others.”

Hay, no! Cosmic twitched as if from a blow.

The mayor’s voice grew hard as steel.

“You must stay in The Republic.”

I knew it…! So, there’s only one thing left to do: go ahead.

“Why should I obey you?” The mare raised her chin. “If I’m such a nuisance to you, just shoot me and be done with that!”

“If you die now, you won’t do any good!” Silver Star bellowed back. “This way you’ll be of some use, you fool!”

Suddenly he jumped up and hit her in the face with his hoof.

Or rather, he wanted to. Cosmic reflexively ducked under his leg and habitually grabbed it to throw him over herself…

But he seemed not to care about her intentions.

Silver Star leaned all his weight on the earth pony, pinning her to the floor. Cosmic was disgusted to feel something hard against her stomach.

“For all the deaths The Republic has suffered,” he whispered in her ear, “you will repay us with foals. As many as we can squeeze out of you.”

His taut end moved a little lower. Cosmic held her breath.

“And it doesn’t matter from whom exactly.”

The mare’s mind suddenly flashed back to how Metal Dawn had tried to get the same thing from her at gunpoint.

No!

Cosmic roared with effort. She lifted the stallion slightly above her and then kicked him below the waist with all her might.

Silver Star gave a yelp and rolled onto his side, cursing at her.

“Maybe… they wanna throw you down for a good reason,” Cosmic said, breathing loudly, and before the mayor had time to recover, she rushed to the exit.

She swung the massive door open with her shoulder, leaped past the young unicorns who were dazed with surprise, then snatched her assault carbine from Skyshine’s magical grip with her teeth and raced for the gate.

Fuck this. Shadow was right. Nothing good is coming my way here. I’ll try to do something with raiders, but it’s not exac–

A heavy blow to the back of her head knocked all thoughts out of her mind and caused the world before her eyes to blacken and fold into a point.

Fuck. I forgot I was dealing with unicorns.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. New perk: Mighty Kick – damage from your bare-hoof kicks is increased by 50%. Now you can break sturdy and reinforced doors with your hind legs and stun enemies for a short period of time. Or knock away their most valuable possessions.

Player: Sonic. New quest perk: Lore Knowledge – you have been spoilered with events of the near future, causing you to maneuver within it. But you shouldn’t even try to change anything.

Items given: Twilight Sparkle statuette (1 piece), Applejack statuette (1 piece), Pinkie Pie statuette (1 piece), Rainbow Dash statuette (1 piece), Rarity statuette (1 piece), Fluttershy statuette (1 piece).

The quest stage “Return the statuettes to Spike” has been completed. Added a new stage “Save The Republic”.

Chapter 16. The Price of Loyalty

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The town of Broccoli was protected by a group of local guards and a couple of squads from the Hired Hooves; not a real army, since nopony was supposed to threaten the town.

FoE: Pink Eyes, chapter 15

Cosmic didn’t move when the heavy basement door opened. Sky Bloom placed some two-hundred-year-old army rations and a couple of water bottles on the floor. It made sense: in a way, prisoners weren’t supposed to eat fresh fruit (considering how much it cost on the Wasteland). It was still a shame, though. Especially since those tasteless briquettes had probably been bought with the caps she’d brought to town.

Her body was ready to straighten up like a spring, to fling the blue earth pony at Sky Bloom, to wrap her hooves around his throat and hold him in front of her as a shield. And as a hostage to get out. But Cosmic knew that Skyshine, standing on the other side of the door, wouldn’t miss. The blue-haired unicorn had good shooting teachers.

Cosmic didn’t move even when Sky Bloom gave her a furtive look, sighed heavily and went outside. A key turned in the padlock. And then two sets of hooves clattered up the stairs.

Only then the mare exhaled and silently slid down the wall she had been sitting against. And raised her head to look at the slumbering or equally lethargic aliens.

She could see how the captivity affected them. Even the always cheerful Sonic and the lively Amy had wilted over the days and stopped reacting to anything. Cream spent most of her time in oblivion, sometimes crying quietly in her sleep; Cheese seemed frozen in the corner next to her like a strange, tear-shaped statue.

Knuckles and Shadow, on the other hoof, seemed to be thinking hard all the time, either coming to their own conclusions or planning their escape. Occasionally, one of them got up and started walking around the room. Cosmic measured time by their steps: she was also stripped of her PipBuck and her weapons.

She couldn’t remember waking up here herself, but she could clearly imagine the day when her friends had suffered the same fate.

The basement of the mayor’s house was the perfect place for a town jail. The entrance was guarded by a hoof-thick door welded of overlapping steel sheets, and the plank walls and floor kept the inside from freezing. The place even had its own latrine, a sewer pipe that ran deep underground.

There was no light, but sometimes the glow from the lamps on the first floor seeped through the door window, so the prisoners didn’t suffer complete sensory deprivation. Although Shadow was probably the only one for miles around who knew such words at that moment.

It was the seventh day since Cosmic had come to her senses in the semi-dark basement. At first there was a bad headache after that blow, then it seemed to get better. Cosmic had nothing with her – no armor (thoughtfully removed while the earth pony was out), no weapons for cleaning to keep herself occupied. There was nothing to write on the walls except her own shit, even though it was pointless, and the mare never liked to talk to herself. So she was bored and cursed herself for the decision to go back to the village.

But at least they weren’t trying to fuck her anymore. It felt like Silver Star had just decided to keep her here until the election. What would happen then, Cosmic didn't want to think about. There was a great danger that The Republic’s ponies would be at each other’s throats regardless of the outcome of the vote.

However, if Silver Star wins again, she will probably be killed. And Cosmic guessed who will do it. Skyshine. With the mayor’s permission, the unicorn would be able to avenge her lost brother and the town on the brink of doom. And she would certainly be happy to take that chance.

So it was better for Cosmic that Murky Gray win, even if it seemed unlikely. The gray stallion has gained a lot of supporters in the meantime – and if he wins, he will probably spare Cosmic. But even then, a quiet life will no longer be possible.

And if the votes are evenly split…

Cosmic shook her head, banishing undesirable thoughts.

Actually, it wasn’t that lonely here. Sometimes Sky Bloom visited her – probably when his cousin couldn’t see it – and they managed to talk a little. From him, Cosmic learned what was going on in the town.

One afternoon she heard an explosion. As Sky Bloom later told her, it was one of the mayor’s supporters who blew himself up while demining the vacant pegasi’s house. The building didn’t survive, of course. Neither did the pony, whose death further inflamed the already turbulent situation.

The Republic was on edge.

Suddenly, Cosmic’s ears heard some kind of movement. An icy claw of panic stroked her heart. Has it really started…? the mare thought, jumping to her hooves and looking at the door, behind which there were sounds of blows and screams.

The noise came closer – and she was shocked when she recognized the voices!

Shadow seemed to have followed her into town to save her.

And screwed up.

The door swung open and those Cosmic shared food and adventure with were herded into the dark basement. Knuckles wanted to kick someone, but the butt of a rifle hit him in the head and knocked him to the ground. Shadow was pushed in next; Tails and the girls went in themselves. Last of all, Skyshine levitated Sonic inside. The blue hedgehog was unconscious, the red plumage of a dart protruding from the short fur on his leg.

“Bastards!” Knuckles yelled at the closing door as he scrambled to his feet.

The lock clicked, and the echidna slammed his fingerless hands against the solid steel. The blows echoed with a metallic thud.

“Come on, stop it,” Shadow told him, sitting on the floor in the corner near the exit. “We’ve lost. Just take it.”

“Daaaamn…”

Knuckles gave the door one last kick, then walked back to the far wall and leaned against it, resting his head on his forearm.

Cream and Amy were tending to Sonic. He looked the worst of all: battered and bloody – but still alive. Alive after all. He hadn’t even been shot with a bullet, just a tranq dart.

It seemed that the town’s arsenal had become more diverse recently than Cosmic had thought.

The blue earth pony sat on her haunches and hit the ground with her hooves.

“For Celestia’s sake, why?! Didn’t you have enough sense to stay out of this shithole?”

“Well, sorry, I couldn’t just leave you here," Shadow snapped at her. “Am I the Element of Loyalty or what?”

“And what’s the price of your loyalty…? Yeah, as well as mine.” Cosmic waved her hoof around the basement. “I also thought that everything was okay here…”

“Never mind. We’re already in a deep hole. Now we must think how to get out.”

“How did you guys get here anyway?” asked the mare.

“We were spotted as we approached,” Tails answered. “Shadow tried to dig a tunnel, but he hit a rock, so we had to go on our own. But we didn’t have any invisibility cloaks or StealthBucks. The guards found us. We asked them to let you go, but they turned us down. Sonic and Knuckles disagreed… Eventually the guys simply got fed up and opened the gate and grabbed us. Sonic was neutralized with a dart so he wouldn’t run away… and that caused us to surrender. Knuckles and Shadow could move almost as fast – but what was the point if the girls or I got killed? We tried to fight back…” He shook his head. “You saw what happened. We just got ourselves trapped.”

“And now we have no chance to get out of here,” Cosmic finished sadly for him. “At least until the raiders really come. And then, hopefully, we’ll be released at least to help the inhabitants survive the attack.”

“Even with the reception you got, you’re still gonna fight for them?” the black hedgehog asked her.

“Being an asshole is no crime, Shadow. And certainly, no excuse to be doomed to die just because somepony destined you to. So separate the terms. My loyalty is not to Silver Star or Murky Gray – it is to The Republic.”

“You realize you can’t change the basic plot, right?”

“The future hasn’t been written, Shadow. There’s no fate but what we make for ourselves. I can at least try.”

…More than three weeks had passed since then. Cosmic hadn’t lost track of time, thanks to the aliens who kept her from shutting down and ignoring everything. If she’d stayed alone like that, it would have been a sure way to go mad.

Surprisingly, the books hadn’t been taken away from them, so they had gone through all the volumes of FoE together, making a complete timeline. There were no exact dates in the novel, and the day (or rather, night) of the attack on The Republic could only be roughly determined. But time passed inexorably, and each day Cosmic felt more and more like she was on pins and needles. Apathy and boredom from the longread did their work, killing hope for the future and the will to fight.

Cosmic no longer cared about Littlepip and her crazy odyssey to bring sunshine and rainbows back to Equestria. She no longer cared about Life Bloom’s orientation. And she cared even less about her own fate which she had ultimately ruined by coming to her hometown.

…It was another day of waiting to happen. Late evening actually: the rations Sky Bloom had brought with him turned out to be dinner. The company was fed twice a day, and always at different times, so it was hard to tell what time it was.

But now time seemed to have stopped. The minutes turned into a sticky syrup that washed over Cosmic’s clouded mind. The taste of pre-war food lingered in her mouth; her legs were stiff from sitting in the same pose. Thoughts rattled lazily in her head; freed from the shell of words, they formed into an abstract regret.

Then a sound came from above.

It wasn’t a single mine blast followed by the clatter of collapsing planks as it had been nearly a month before. It was a far more powerful explosion, sending vibrations through the walls. And then there was the sound of ripping metal.

As if not the house was blown up, but the outer town wall.

Cosmic lifted her head – and noticed that the others were waking up or coming to their senses. A string tightened in her heart, ready to burst.

And as the mare looked at each of the aliens, she realized that what they had waited for and feared had come. But… what was it?

Slumber faded, leaving determination and eagerness in its place.

Another explosion shook the room, making the floorboards creak. After the dust settled, there was a jagged crackle of gunfire.

Cosmic sprang up and dashed for the door. Hooves pounded on the dull iron panel.

“Open up! What’s going on in there? Hey! Open…!”

She turned and kicked at the door with her hind legs. It made a metallic clang, but of course it stayed closed.

“Damn you all! Are we just gonna stay here like this?”

“Did you expect something else?” Shadow asked unhappily. “Just feel like Edmond Dantes, mare…”

Suddenly, somepony stomped on the stairs and the key went into the lock.

Cosmic immediately turned to face the door and took a step back, ready to leap aside. However, anyone could come in now.

The steel door was pushed inward, and Sky Bloom entered, all their weapons floating in front of him. Cosmic easily recognized her Argument, submachine guns, Metal Dawn’s revolvers, and Shadow’s swords. On the unicorn’s back was his own assault rifle.

“Sky Bloom! What the hay’s going on up there?!” the mare asked.

“Dunno!” he replied sharply. “The town is under fire! Seems like grenades and rocket launchers…”

“What?!”

“That! Whoever they are, they’ve already blown up one railcar and are about to destroy the gate! If we don’t hurry, we’ll all be dead!”

Sky Bloom gave everyone their weapons with telekinesis. Cosmic lovingly stroked her carbine with her hoof and hung the belt around her neck. Nige went to Sonic as before, Tails took the revolvers, and Cream hesitantly twirled Dan in her hands. Amy pulled the red, intimidating sledgehammer out of nowhere, and Shadow quickly secured the ODM to his belt and checked the blades.

“Here. I’ll help.”

Cosmic’s armor appeared in front of her. Quickly, with well-honed movements, not a single one of them unnecessary, the mare slipped into the straps. Sky Bloom magically helped tighten the buckles.

“Let’s go.”

The unicorn magically lifted his assault rifle and waved for everyone to follow him up the stairs. Cosmic and the aliens followed.

The house seemed empty. A light on the first floor was flickering, as if the generator was running erratically.

Running out into the street, Cosmic stopped and opened her eyes in disbelief, staring open-mouthed at what was going on around her.

Several houses were burning; the flames from the fires dispersed the darkness. Bodies lay on the ground here and there. The earth pony’s heart clenched as she recognized one of them as the white-nosed sentry.

Fallen, the name came to her mind. His name was… Fallen Leaf…

And indeed, lying on his belly with his legs tucked under him, the young stallion really did look like a fallen autumn leaf from a distance, black with dirt.

Cosmic looked around The Republic and couldn’t believe her eyes.

Ponies hid around the corners. Peered out of the windows of the surviving buildings. Climbed to the rooftops.

And it was as clear as day.

They were ready to shoot not only at the invisible enemy attacking them.

But at each other as well.

The low spit of shotguns and machine-gun bursts could be heard from the side streets to prove it. Another explosion came from the right and a new column of flame and debris rose above the houses.

Cosmic froze for another reason. So did everyone else.

Skyshine was standing in front of them, her rifle drawn. The unicorn’s mane was disheveled, and her eyes burned with hatred. The barrel of the weapon pointed straight ahead, somewhere between Sky Bloom and Cosmic.

“Freeze,” Skyshine hissed. An angry look flickered between the two ponies in front of her. “I didn’t expect this from you, brother. I thought I could trust you.”

“Don’t be silly, Skyshine!” Sky Bloom called out. “We’re here for help! Where’s Dad?”

“Mayor Silver Star is with the others, defending the wall. I should be there too, but I thought I’d follow you in case you did something… unexpected.” Her lips curled into a smirk. “And I wasn’t wrong.”

“Now is not the time, Skyshine! The town needs every defender it has! Cosmic has more experience than both of us, she can help…!”

“I don’t care. You are a traitor, brother.” The muzzle of her rifle was pointed at Sky Bloom. “And you must die with them.”

The white glow of magic touched the trigger. Disbelief and belated terror froze on Sky Bloom’s face.

Cosmic tensed her hind legs to leap forward…

But before she could blink, a familiar bluish glimmer flashed past.

Skyshine’s weapon flew aside, slipping out of her telekinetic grip. And the unicorn herself was sprawled on the ground, belly up.

Sonic stood over her, his needles glistening in the firelight. Now he did look like a real “blue justice”.

“Enough fighting,” said the hedgehog, looking down at the recovering Skyshine. “You’re not helping anyone with that.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Cosmic said. “We have to find out what’s happe–”

Her voice was drowned out by the roar of a nearby explosion.

A cloud of flame rose over the western part of the town, and a column of gray-black smoke erupted into the sky. There was a distinct smell of burning in the air.

“Our fuel storage!” Sky Bloom shouted and coughed. “They destroyed it…!”

“Oh, fuck,” muttered Cosmic and turned to the others, also coughing. “Why are you frozen? Get out of here!”

Along the main street they ran to the eastern gate.

Three ponies galloped toward the explosion site. Cosmic and her motley companions paid no attention to them.

Another sign of how bad things really were.

A large number of townsfolk were gathered at the gate; everyone had some sort of weapon. Some had brought crates of ammunition from the armory, and they were lying on the ground here and there like full-fledged members of the gathering. A few ponies had climbed on top of the crates, peering down at what was beyond the wall. The rest just stood still, all guns pointed at the gate.

Two more explosions rang out at the other end of the village.

“Hey, it’s Cosmic…!” a whisper went through the crowd.

Many began to turn around, and the blue earth pony felt uncomfortable.

Mostly because all these “defenders” of The Republic were now doing nothing but staring at the closed gate.

They might as well shoot at me instead of the enemy…

Cosmic gritted her teeth. Inside her, anger began to grow.

“Why are you standing still?!” she shouted. “Do I have to teach you all how to fight?! Quickly launch the flares! At the same time, each of you take a grenade between your teeth! On my command, if you see anything, throw it over the wall to cover as much area as possible!”

“Why should we obey you?” Some stallion pointed a rifle at Cosmic. “You shouldn’t even be here!”

“But I am here,” the mare replied coldly. “And now let me help you defend the town! After all, that’s what you need, right?”

“Let me hit him.” Knuckles twisted his stone hand expressively, looking at the stallion with disgust.

“We must not fight each other!” Cosmic continued. “But with those who threaten to kill us! So let’s put aside our differences and stand together, a united front!” She stretched a hoof forward. “Well, do you agree?”

Ponies began to look at each other. Time was passing, filled only with crackling fire and the dancing orange glow. And every second could be the last to anyone.

But more and more of the crowd turned back to Cosmic. And there was a grim yet proud determination in their eyes.

“Fuck you,” the stallion spat out and looked at the gate. “Come on, do what she says!”

“Look, there’s a flash –” one of the watchers shouted.

And in the next moment, a wall of fire and the shockwave of the explosion threw Cosmic away from the gate and onto the ground.

Her consciousness faded briefly. When her senses returned, all she could feel was pain. Her skin ached with burns, and her croup throbbed from the impact with the ground.

Groaning, Cosmic moved. Her body refused to obey, like it was made of wood.

Where… came a lethargic thought. That’s… I’m…

Turning her head slightly, she looked over to where her friends had been.

They’d also been knocked down by the explosion, but they’d gotten away easier than Cosmic. And now they were hiding behind crates scattered everywhere, with Sky Bloom driving them on.

Cosmic looked at the gate and caught her breath.

The heavy steel plates were torn to shreds, hanging from their hinges with a fringe of twisted metal scraps. It seemed that one of the ammunition boxes had exploded nearby as well: the fence off to the side was no longer there either.

And then Cosmic saw them.

Out of the night gloom, ominously lit by the fire, the raiders were making their way toward the town.

A mob of ragged, ghastly-looking armed ponies ran through the blown gates, shouting and hooting. They scattered, firing indiscriminately at everything.

Cosmic covered her eyes and held her breath. If she pretended to be dead, she might fool the raiders, who were obviously stoned out of their minds.

A bullet grazed her armor. The shot had missed, so the plan must have worked.

The screams and laughter faded as the raiders moved deeper into the settlement. In return, the cries of pain and despair of The Republic’s residents joined the hellish cacophony.

Now. It’s time.

Cosmic abruptly jumped to her hooves. Black flies danced in front of her eyes, but the mare ignored them. She grabbed her carbine and blew the head off the nearest attacker with a short but precise shot.

The blue pony felt a rage boiling inside her that gave her strength. As soon as she spotted one of the raiders, she fired and killed him mercilessly. The raiders’ armor was poor, so a few bullets were enough to pierce it.

But there were too many of them.

Everything got jumbled in Cosmic’s head, remembered only in blurry fragments.

A blue electric flare flashes off to the side – that’s Sonic dodging one of the attackers’ blows.

BANG! BANG! That’s Tails lurking behind a crate, sending his opponent to Tartarus.

A mare’s body flies aside as Knuckles uses his stone fists.

“How do you like that, Elon Musk?!” Shadow slashes through the neck of one of the raiders as he hovers on ropes above the burning village.

“K-keep aw-way…!” Cream babbles, standing with the submachine gun in front of the approaching enemy, then squeezes her eyes and pulls the trigger.

CHAWK! Amy crushes someone's face with her sledgehammer.

Ponies are shooting. Ponies are running. Ponies are falling… and dying.

But at least the people of The Republic weren’t shooting each other now. They had a common goal again – to survive by fending off an attack of unprecedented power.

Running past the bar, Cosmic even spotted two former adversaries, Silver Star and Murky Gray, firing back-to-back at their enemies. Both were wounded, but they continued to fight.

Foals, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. Shadow said the raiders wanted to take the foals away to torture and then sell them… Bastards! If I see them, I won’t let them get away!

Cosmic kept running, glancing around. Both to be the first to notice if she was about to be attacked, and to prevent the thirty-eighth chapter of Kkat’s book from happening. To make a difference, to prevent at least one death… if she could.

The wall of carriages and steel sheets that the ponies of The Republic were so proud of (though secretly jealous of New Appleloosa, which had a much stronger perimeter) had ceased to exist. Some of it had been blown up by grenades and rockets, some broken by the hooves of raiders as they stormed the town. The rest had collapsed by itself.

And now the Wasteland around the burning village could be seen from almost anywhere.

But where did the raiders get those weapons…?

As Cosmic turned her head, killing another enemy in the process, she finally saw what she was looking for. And all thoughts of how such an attack could have been staged instantly vanished from her mind.

Three ponies in burnt and bloodied armor were dragging more than a dozen foals into the Wasteland. Some of the little ones struggled, being pushed along with kicks and curses. The rest looked unconscious as the raiders carried them on their backs.

The solution followed at the same moment.

With an angry growl, Cosmic sprinted towards them. Her strong legs pushed off the ground, carrying her young, wiry body forward. The blue earth pony had exactly three targets in front of her eyes, and she paid no attention to what was happening around her. It just didn’t fit into her universe.

A sideways blow to her chest knocked her to the ground. The mare plowed through the sand with her muzzle and only slowed down when her head hit the wall of the house.

Cosmic had time to hear a shot before her mind dissolved in the blackness.

…Just a moment of nothingness - and now someone was already shaking her by the shoulders.

“Cosmic…! Cosmic…!”

She opened her eyes.

Painful burns and the ache of her tired body didn’t let her concentrate. The right side of her chest felt like it had been hit with a hammer. Before her eyes everything was floating, and the words came as if from behind a membrane.

Cosmic blinked. The blurry silhouette above her took shape, revealing itself as Sonic, now looking down at her with concern.

“When you ran, you were shot, but your armor stopped the bullet…” the hedgehog explained confusedly. “The one who shot you was taken out by Tails, but you were lying there, and we –”

Memories exploded in her mind like a sharp flash, and Cosmic opened her eyes abruptly.

Our town! Raiders! I must…

She tried to stand up. Her head was spinning, and a nasty lump of nausea rose to her throat. Cosmic swallowed, pushed away the hedgehog who tried to help her, and squeezed her eyes shut for a second, regaining her balance.

Looking forward again, she saw three distant figures in the approaching dawn, running away into the Wasteland.

I must stop them…

She leaned forward and grabbed her Argument with her teeth. Pointing it in the direction of the retreating ponies, she took a step…

…but immediately fell again, crushed to the ground by someone else’s body.

“Don’t you dare!” Sky Bloom’s voice hissed in her ear. “Those are our guys! They survived and went in pursuit of those –”

“In pursuit…?” Cosmic muttered through the carbine in her mouth and let go of her weapon, causing Sky Bloom to dismount.

Then she realized what he meant – and turned in horror to see her hometown.

And screamed.

Almost nothing was left of the village. The outer wall had been gone at the height of the battle, and the houses were now nothing more than smoldering ruins. The only exception was the mayor’s house: the third, wooden floor had burned down, but the lower ones (the carriages and the concrete blocks) were only covered in soot. Amid the devastation, ponies lay shot or burnt. Some of them looked as if they had been eaten.

The Republic was destroyed completely.

As Cosmic continued to scream, she fell onto her croup and wrapped her forelegs around her head. Tears streamed from her eyes.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! NOOOOOOO…! WHY?! Why…?”

Sky Bloom stood nearby, not looking up. And around her, one by one, the aliens began to gather.

“I’m sorry, Cosmic,” Shadow whispered. “That was inevitable.”

“WHY?!” she wailed, turning around. “Why is it that whenever I try to do better, everything goes wrong?! Why can’t those damn writers come up with a good story about us?! Why?!”

“I don’t know!” replied the hedgehog sharply. “Why are you asking us?! Do you think we’ve been watching all that stuff being created on Fimfiction and Equestria Daily and then being spread around the world from there?! We didn’t create this reality, and we aren’t empowered to change it! But we can see the crumbs of good that have been put into it! In a few hours, Littlepip will spot those raiders and The Republic’s ponies! Her team will eliminate the raiders, free almost all the foals from Fluttershy’s Cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville, and then send them to New Appleloosa! Almost everypony died here – but they… but they’ll survive! We will survive, Cosmic, just as we have now! Think about it! Just think…! And you’ll see,” he exhaled tiredly, “that life doesn’t end here.”

“G-guys…” Sky Bloom muttered. “W-what are you two talking about…?”

“Just don’t ask questions,” Cosmic waved her hoof. “You won’t understand anyway.”

She rose and staggered off in a random direction.

“I need to be alone.” Her voice sounded muffled, as if through a layer of absorbent cotton. “Don’t follow me please.”

Her hooves kicked up the dust that had mixed with the ashes overnight. Cosmic didn’t look back; she knew no one would follow her.

A while later she lifted her head to see what part of the destroyed settlement she’d come to. And a chill ran down her skin, overriding the burning.

Surrounded by dead bodies in the small square in front of the charred hulk of a bar were two living ponies. Silver Star and Murky Gray.

The mayor was lying on the ground, carefully covered with a blanket that was heavily stained with blood around his chest. Dried red trickles were also coming from the unicorn’s mouth. There was no doubt that the long-time leader of The Republic was on the verge of death.

Murky, on the other hoof, looked almost unharmed except for a bandaged leg and bruised body, but much more depressed. The barpony sat with his head bowed on the doorstep of his home, a shotgun in his hooves, its stock smashed to dust.

“D-did… anypony else… s-survive?” Cosmic asked softly, approaching them.

Murky Gray turned his head.

“No,” he replied in a colorless voice. “Only Sky Bloom and those three… We tried to do something, but…” The stallion circled the image of the massacre with his leg. “As you can see, it didn’t work. All those ponies chose to protect us instead of saving themselves. And we had no choice but to accept their sacrifice.”

“And…” The name took more than a second to come to mind. “Skyshine?”

The barpony pointed somewhere off to the side.

Cosmic looked there and saw the white unicorn lying among the other bodies.

Her acid-blue mane was half-burned, and a few strands of hair had been torn out. Her horn was broken; its white tip, with its spiral groove on the side, lay in the dust like some beast’s fang. But the filly’s face was forever covered with a contented, soft smile.

Rest in peace, Skyshine, Cosmic thought. You fought honorably… and you deserve a rest. Unlike me.

“C-kh… Cosmic? Is that you?” came the weak voice of the mayor.

“Lie down! You cannot talk!” said Murky. “I didn’t put that much healing potion in you just to have you die!”

“Look around, Murky…” Silver Star pulled up the corner of his mouth in a bitter grin. “Everything we… created… and maintained for so many years… is now destroyed. Nothing… no one’s life… makes sense anymore. Neither mine… nor yours. Mine especially.”

“And mine too?” Cosmic asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” he sighed and coughed. Bloody droplets flew from his mouth in all directions. A little recovered, he turned his head back to the blue pony. “Cosmic… sorry…”

He started to cough again.

The mare covered her eyes. On her tongue, the salty taste of tears mixed with the sharp taste of ashes.

“I forgive you,” she whispered. “You did what you thought was right.”

“One more thing… Murky,” the mayor called in a fading voice.

His horn glowed faintly in the twilight.

Murky Gray looked up at him.

“Die, you bastard!” Silver Star growled in sudden fury.

The barpony’s eyes widened. But it was too late.

The pistol the mayor had levitated with his last ounce of strength shot Murky in the back of the head. The gray stallion collapsed to the ground. His head was now nothing more than a bloody mess.

Cosmic froze, staring in shock at another corpse at this death party.

Silver Star grinned – no longer desperately, but victoriously.

“Goodbye… Cosmic Valor…” he exhaled and closed his eyes.

The only one left alive in the square was the blue earth pony.

Feelings were gone. It was as if some relays in her brain had burned out. Without any emotion, Cosmic wandered off at random – and soon ran into the smoky wall of the bar.

Her legs gave out. The mare sat on her croup with her back against the wall.

She wanted nothing more. Neither to live, nor to die… nor to remember.

A few things were scattered nearby. When Cosmic angled her eyes, she saw her record player, which had unknowingly appeared here, and a wireless earphone lying next to it. The other one was a little further away and had apparently been crushed by someone’s hoof.

Obeying some hidden desire, Cosmic picked up the surviving earphone and stuck it in her ear. Her hoof pressed the play button.

If there was an escape from reality, at least it was to a world worth it.

The intro of an electric guitar started to play. Cosmic recognized the song but couldn’t remember its name. The record player didn’t offer her that title very often.

Meanwhile, the stallion’s voice sang in her ear.

The candy wrappers scattered by the night,
And stars will laugh on heaven.
Shoot, my black pistol, many, many times
As cold and serious weapon.
Celestia, I don’t want to exchange
My love just for the kisses.
If you’ve a meeting not with me arranged,
You may go – I’ve no wishes…

We watched turning on the lights,
Kissed each other the whole nights.
But don’t tell me little white lies, basta!
I want nothing, I don’t wait.
Break the plates, I pay today.
And I’m leaving like a lonely gangsta…

I know all your secrets, light and dark,
Your passwords and card number.
But I need neither money nor the hearts:
I’m gangsta with no gamble…^{^[1]}

Gangsta… The word sounded pre-war. Like “raider”, but more attractive.

Could there be anything good about raiders – besides the reason that made them do horrible and disgusting things? It seemed not, but… What if the bad thing that makes the raiders what they are were taken away? Wouldn’t that make Silver Star… or Skyshine… Littlepip or Blackjack, whoever they are… or maybe Cosmic Valor herself?

What was pre-war Equestria like? Probably a lot better and kinder than the Wasteland, if there was room for love, even if it was tainted by jealousy, as in the song. And one didn’t have to worry every day about the lives of friends, which were much harder to find here.

For the first time, Cosmic thought that she really wished she could have lived in that peaceful era. Even if the ponies had been as stupid then as they were now for allowing the war to happen.

It doesn’t have to be like this. Bringing the apocalypse to our world was a mistake. A terrible, huge, unimaginable mistake! And an unfixable one… Or not?

Cosmic lifted her head and looked out at the burnt ruins of her hometown. Then the blue pony’s eyes filled with pain again, and she slumped back down.

If by some miracle Littlepip can change the Wasteland, I’ll help her. I don’t know how, but I’ll try. I’ll do better. Smarter. And no one – no one! – will ever die around me again.

The chorus (“…we watched turning on the lights…”) was repeated a few more times, and the song ended. As the last chord sounded, the mare turned off the player.

“Cosmic…” Sky Bloom’s soft voice came from beside her, and she turned her head.

The unicorn was standing nearby, something floating in front of her.

The PipBuck! Cosmic realized, taking a closer look.

“I found it at Dad’s house. He must have given away the rest of your things, but he decided to stash this one…”

“Thank you,” the blue earth pony murmured, taking Spark Glider’s PipBuck with her teeth and pulling it onto her leg. Sky Bloom, who had left for a minute to get tools, returned with a tech kit, and helped tighten the fasteners.

Turning on the device, Cosmic was surprised to see a yellow incoming message icon flashing in the corner of the screen. What the…? she thought, using the buttons to point at the stylized envelope.

The PipBuck blinked, highlighting the text of the message, along with the address of the sending terminal and the date. The sequence of four numbers meant nothing to Cosmic, but the date made her frown in confusion. Twenty-five days ago? When I was already captured…

She pushed away the unpleasant memories and read the text.

Hi Cosmic,

I’ve been poking around the library and after a few days I came across something that might interest you. Remember the entry where Gizmo specified where to send the blueprints for the projects? Well, I found a wartime database with coordinates of all Stables and research centers. I even had to use the ID card you left behind to access it. I was going to give it back to you, but I figured you’d come back for it if you needed it.

You’ll find all the data in the attached file.

Good luck with your search.

Life Bloom

There was an attached document icon at the bottom.

Cosmic found her lips curving into a smile.

“Sky Bloom,” she said, and the unicorn turned to her. “I think I know where we’re going now. Will you join me?”

“What else can I do?” he sighed. “There’s nothing left for us to do here anyway.”

A gloomy dawn rose over the ruined town. But Cosmic thought that even in this endless shroud of clouds, she could see rare glimpses of sunshine.

Note: Level up.

Player: Cosmic Valor. Skills: Survival – 100%, Stealth – 100%. New perk: Armored Hide – bullet resistance increased by 15%. Bonus perk: Dealy Criticals – +40% to critical damage of any weapon.

Player: Sonic. Skill: Survival – 75%. New perk: Faithful Friend – your presence gives an additional 5% damage resistance to all squad members.

The quest stage “Save The Republic” has been failed. Added a new stage “Find Lyra”.

^{^[1]} The translated and a little ponified version of the song Gangsta by the Russian band Маяковский (Mayakovsky).

Fallout Equestria: The Blue Lightning

by dsmith

Chapter 1. Stranger in Wasteland

Chapter 2. The Republic

Chapter 3. The Very Strange Tale of the Blue Alien

Chapter 4. Judgement

Chapter 5. Contract

Chapter 6. Shootout

Chapter 7. A New Goal

Chapter 8. Thunderstorm

Chapter 9. A Way to Nowhere

Chapter 10. Behind the Fourth Wall

Chapter 11. Not Gonna Die

Chapter 12. Ghosts of Past

Chapter 13. Straight Ahead

Chapter 14. Answers to Questions

Chapter 15. Loyalty

Chapter 16. The Price of Loyalty