I have to say I have never been a curious pony and even as I hid over the top of Bubble Gum as the multi limbed robot scooted by the office room we hid in, i wondered how I ended up here, but I knew the answer. As we left the trailer and continued on our way my EFS told me that there was a location between us and the bar we were heading to. As we passed by the factory that my Pip-buck named Flim and Flam’s Auto Carriages, Bubble suggested that we take a look inside because finding things to sell would probably help with supplies.

I looked down at the pink shaking ball as she cowered under me, ‘she did mean well…,’ one side of my head told me. The other however felt a twang of annoyance scratching at my insides, ‘she also lead you right into a death trap… again!’

I shook my head and poked it up over the desk to look out the door that the robot glided past once again. We needed to get out before I could say anything to her, but the turrets and the few robots patrolling outside in the showroom were also keeping ponies from wandering in too far, which was also keeping us from leaving. I glanced around the room noticing that the office was once a light blue colored not only in walls and ceiling but in the carpet that covered the floor. Of course the walls were now a sickly gray blue and the carpet smelled of rot and created puffs of dust every time somepony touched it let alone walked across it.

There was a painting on the floor that must have fallen due to the condition of the wall. What was interesting was the small safe that the painting would have hid was looking tempting and had me itching to see what was in it. Considering we haven't had much luck being able to look around apart from the lobby, I was willing to give Bubble the benefit of the doubt that maybe we can get something good from this. I slowly rose and started to creep to the safe feeling my heart pace quicken at the thought of what I could find.

“What are you doing?!” Bubble whispered frantically at me her eyes wide with horror.

I lifted a wing to my lips to shush her. Her expression looked pained and she carefully looked around the desk to check the hallway. I glanced back to it as well and when I noticed the bar on my EFS was still green I knew I was ok, Bubble however didn't know what I did.

‘Think you should have told her idiot,’ the pony said to me as I crept to the safe pulling out the screwdriver and the bobby pin that i had been lucky with so far . I grinned as I started to work the bobby pin but the clear
of the pin had told me my luck was up. I moved to the desk and started to pick through the drawers hoping for something.

Inside were a small box of bobby pins, a set of keys and about 5 bottle caps. The box of bobby pins had 3 left inside which I hoped would be enough. The keys I figured would not fit the safe but I'd try I kept in my muzzle. The caps confused me, “They didn't use caps before the mega spells hit did they?”

Bubble looked as confused by the question as I was by finding caps in a desk that I assume was never gone through since before Equestria was erased. I slid the caps into my saddlebag and quietly crept back to the safe. I tried the key first and surprise surprise… it didn't work. With a aggravated sigh I lifted the screwdriver up and took one of the bobby pins and started to play with the lock. The snap of the bobby pin caused me to grab my head and I felt the growl deep in my throat.

I glared at the safe, “you will not win… surrender to me!” I growled through the screwdriver in my teeth.

“Surrender Zebra scum!” the multi-limbed robot said to me with a boom from its internal speaker. It floated sideways into the room blasting fire at me and as a reflex I stuck my wing up to shield myself. Luckily I was wearing my armor otherwise the fire would have burned deeply. Unlucky that the metal of the armor conducted the heat of the flamethrower almost too well, and in only a few seconds I could feel my skin on my wing starting sting as the metal began to burn it.

Bubbles scream causes the robot to turn and face her, it's buzz saw limb in full view of the filly, which caused her to back peddle under the desk. I had to act fast and I bent down and leaped at the robot, my nicely cooked armor wing hitting the metal and cutting deeply into the bot. My teeth chattered as I felt the metal on metal as my wing slid from the robot causing it to spark and pop. It however didn't go down as its final limb turned to me. I gulped and ducked as the glowing green ball of energy blasted from the energy weapon. I shot a prayer to Celestia as I dropped and spun onto my fore hooves and bucked back with all my might. The power of my kick along with the armor made the robot fly back slamming hard against the wall back into the hallway with a metallic crunch.

I hissed in pain as I quickly moved to pull the armor from my wing to inspect my still stinging wing. The metal heated up enough to cause my skin under my feathers to blister and a few of said feathers to fuse together. It wouldn't hinder my wing but the next time I got to rest I would need to preen and get rid of the dead feather to replace the old ones.

“You are an idiot!” Bubble said poking her head out glaring at me and giving a small stomp of her hooves, “he almost k-” she noticed my wing and trotted over, “are… are you ok?”

I felt the concern radiating from her as she moved close to inspect it, “yeah… it stings but it should be fine… nothing more than a small burn.”

“A… burn?” She asked with a cock of her head before running over to a small personal bathroom. She pointed up behind the door, “hey… help me.”

I rose to my hooves and made my way over and pulled the door just enough to see behind it. I raised an eyebrow at the small yellow medical box with its pink butterflies on it showing that it was from the Ministry of Peace. I then slowly looked down at the filly feeling an odd confusion building up inside me, “how… did you know this was here?”

“Explain later… get now!” She said with a firm tone. I nodded and pulled it down and set it on the floor for her. She instantly moved to the latch and poked it open and pulled out a bundle of medical bandages, a small needle and a red bottle. The bottle I knew from taking one earlier was a restoration potion. She lifted the bandages up and unrolled it, “ok… give me your wing.”

Cocking my head I held out my wing to her laying down so I could do it without straining. To my surprise she began to wrap the bandages around the burn on my wing. I winced but I continued to hold still as she wrapped with ease. When she was done she tied off the ends and I lifted my wing to my face in awe, “How did you…”

“Do that?” She finished setting the supplies back into the medical box. She closed it, her expression falling as she stared at the box, “m… my mommy told me it would be a good idea to learn how to take care of injures.” I winced but she pressed on, “she even found a doll for me to practice on before she let me practice on her when she got minor injuries.”

I could hear the pain in her voice as her eyes started to fill with tears and I felt the guilt growing inside me again, like a monster ready to rip me apart from the inside. I let out a deep long sigh, “Bubble… i…”

She looked up and shook her head, “no… i know what happened, what would have happened if you had not saved me,” she rubbed her eyes with her hoof which, as I watched, made the guilt threaten to burst from my chest. Then, almost like flipping a switch grinned at me, “don't think I missed that prayer to Celestia!”

I stared at her the guilt almost melting away instantly and replaced with a small not in my stomach and a burning on my cheeks, “i… I don't know what you're talking about!” I said gruffly crossing my fore hooves and looking away from her giggles. Her giggles died away and we sat there in silence for a few seconds before she finally broke it with a low but confident tone, “I believe in her as our Goddess… well her and Goddess Luna.”

I knew that the Princesses were just that… Princesses. They died over 200 years ago during the attack on Canterlot. I knew basic history about Canterlot and the attack due to Pegasi and their problem with losing Cloudsdale. I remember something about a pink cloud that melted ponies but I honestly didn't learn much since I was told that there would never be a need to go there. I also heard about using the Princesses as deities that are looking down on us guiding those who believe in them. I however never had any real belief and I have to admit I was confused why I said a prayer to Celestia, but at the same time I knew why I just didn’t want to admit it. I believed that ponies that powerful like the Princesses would not just fade away and be nothing, they instead would become a guiding light for ponies.

I sighed, “so what if I did too?” She looked up her eyes going wide. I looked down and poked a hoof into the musty carpet, “look… I'm not a hard believer but I like to think that there is a reason why we are still around.”

Before Bubble could say anything I moved away and back to the safe. Admitting something like that was pushing my limits of trust. I looked at the safe my mind wandered back to my last talk about religion. I was coming back from a day of training when I noticed my mother walking out of the house with several Enclave officers and the last thing she told me was, “Honey… I believe in you and you need to believe in yourself. If you don't please find something to believe in. I won't be around very much because I'm being called for a special mission.” naturally she couldn't tell me what so that was the last time I spoke to her before my graduation from basic training. Then the only thing I got was a congratulations… I think…

I grabbed my head as I tried to grasp a hold of that memory. No, she told me to become the best and prove that I was her son and not my father's. I stopped and looked at the safe again, “I am the best,” I told it as I slowly set my hooves down.

‘what would she say to what you did?’ the pony asked in my head.

My stomach clenched tightly at the thought but as I turned to look at Bubble who was watching me both concerned and curiously the knot loosened. I couldn't smile at her but I nodded, “she would have told me to run… I'm sure of it.” I looked away from the confused filly and picked the screwdriver up from the floor where I dropped it from the fight and one of my last 2 bobby pins. I worked slowly with the lock and slowly cocked my head taking my time. The click of the safe drew a smile from me and I dropped the screwdriver into the saddlebag along with the bobby pin.

“Who would have said run?” Bubble asked moving up next to me.

I moved my hoof to open the safe but sighed letting my wings droop, “my… my mother…” I was not ashamed or anything for my mother, in fact I loved and looked up to her and her position in the Enclave. It was more of that I still had my mother and I took Bubble’s away without even a goodbye. I tensed at that thought knowing I would never get to talk to my mother again either. What would she think, what would she do?

“You lost the ability to see your mommy too huh?” She asked making my head snap to look at her. She had her head down running a hoof over the medical box she dragged with her. Her hoof gently traced one of the pink butterflies on the yellow metal box. I could feel my guilt and sadness welling up inside me and I felt for the filly. I watched as a tear drip from the tip of her nose onto the medical box with a small
“because of me… huh?”

I didn't care about what I thought or what I felt like anymore, what happened next was me moving without thinking. I scooped the filly up like when I took her to save her life making her
softly. I cradled her and she looked at me with an expression of regret and hurt and I softly smiled at her.

“Bubble… let me be clear…” I began slowly watching her sniff but she listened. I closed my eyes trying to figure the best way to put this, “My relationship with my mother would have been a lot worse if you had gotten hurt because of me.”

‘There was a mare who was going to have your foal,’ an angry voice in my head cried out.

I winced enough that it hurt and slowly set her down and she looked to me, “Split? What's wrong? Is it your wing?” She moved to the medical box, “i have a shot of painkillers in here that should-”

“No Bubble…” She stopped and looked at me and I leaned forward and pressed my head against the safe feeling the cool metal. There was a pain alright as I looked at the situation from a new view, “yes… I'm in pain bu-”

“Better wiped than striped!” the second multi-limbed robot bellowed as it moved into the room.

I didn't give it the time as I spun and jumped at it using my wings to push me faster. I slammed hard into the bot with both hooves as its buzz saw cut into the chest of my armor. The saw stopped spinning just as it hit because the momentum of me and the power of my strike with my hooves into the bot caved in the circular casing enough that I felt a small shock as the life evaporated from the bot. As it slammed into the wall with equal force I felt my guilt building to my heart, “I’m not a good pony!” I slammed another hoof into the bot as the emotions began to build up.

I dropped the bot to the floor and slammed both fore hooves into the bot crushing a few vital components out of it as Bubble watched, “Split… yes… you didn't know… you were lied to.”

I sat hard looking at the crumbled mess of metal, ‘what do you care? You admitted that she meant nothing to you. She was going to ruin your career,’ the pony in my head pointed out.

I grabbed my head, “Because of me her foal will die!” I heard Bubble gasp and I kept going paying her little attention intent on making this pony in my head understand, “She came to me hoping for safety and I shot her down… my career was more important than my unborn foal… and it was not only for nothing but it took me saving a filly to realise what I did!” I felt like the lowest thing in the wasteland placed someplace just above a raider. My jaw clenched and I shut my eyes tightly, “why did i…” My eyes snapped open at the realization, “he played me!”

The way he brought her out treating her like a criminal and putting me on the spot. He knew I'd turn her down to follow my goal without really thinking. I clenched my teeth hard, ‘yeah right… make excuses to make yourself seem like the good guy’ I heard my voice say in my head dripping with venom.

“No… no i…” I was arguing with myself and losing.

‘You didn't want to lose your precious title so you had a mare that needed your help carrying your unborn foal more than likely killed!’ the voice in my head growled.

That was it… i lost… my wings dropped to the floor as my body began to feel like lead. My insides hurt as the gravity of what I had done weighed down on me like the wagon that had crushed that pony we passed on the road. I wanted to be sick, I wanted to hurt myself, I wanted to…

I felt the touch on my exposed wing and I turned to look at Bubble. Her expression of understanding written across her face, “Split…” I was not expecting the tone. I knew deep down that she didn't know the pained I felt but she was willing to listen and at the very least not openly judge me. She leaned on my wing, “Split… if it makes you feel better… if you didn't care… why would you be beating yourself up?”

I stared at the filly for several minutes my emotional storm quieting down and the pony in my head becoming silent. She was right and once again it took a filly I hardly knew to tell me that. I lifted my wings folding them back against my sides. I sighed and smiled to her placing a hoof on her head, “Thank you Bubble… you are right,” I slid my hoof from her head and back to the floor standing and turning to the safe, “let's go see what's inside.”

“Split…” She stood up watching as I made my way to the safe, “are… are you ok?”

I grabbed the safe but didn't pull it open, her question freezing me in place. I looked at my hoof for several seconds before finally getting out, “no Bubble… but… with time and a… friend like you…” I slowly looked back to her watching as she took a surprised step back at that her eyes once again wide, “i will be…. Sooner rather than later hopefully,” I finished giving her a wide grin. I chuckled as she slowly sat down her eyes still wide and turned back to the safe and pulled it open.

Inside the safe was a device that recorded ponies voices and other sounds onto a cassette. Judging by this audio recording, as I have heard them called, it was from before Equestria was destroyed. That was not the only thing however as my eyes noticed the sack of prewar bits, a picture and… my eyes widened and I reached into the safe and pulled out a black case with a lock on it. Written on the case in elegant gold writing it said

I set the case down, seeing a letter written in similar writing on the case that had only one name on it…
… I took the letter noting that it still hadn't been opened yet.

I looked to Bubble who sniffed the case then cocking her head confused, “what the!? It smells… clean… like… clean clean.” She looked up at me then with an angry pout she pushed it, “don't believe me? Smell it yourself!”

I looked at the, now noticing, extremely clean black case then to the letter which was definitely looking like it was over 200 years old. I smelled the letter and instantly regretted that as the stench of time was not kind to the paper. Confused at what Bubble would consider clean coming from this safe having the letter smell like it did I lifted the black case with my armored wing and held it in front of my face and sniffed. I was used to clean air and polished clean steel and this case smelled like it was just bought.

I wanted to open it and I licked my lips pulling my screwdriver to have Bubble pick up the case and bring it to my saddlebag and drop it in. I felt my lower lip stick out and I gave a heartbreaking whimper. I never wanted to open something so badly in my life, even more so than the few gifts I got on my birthdays.

She looked to me frowning, “it's small enough to fit into your bags-”

“I think I could fit a car into these bags,” I interrupted.

Her glare cause me to draw back, “you can open it when it's safer!” She stomped a hoof making me flinch, “not before then Mister!”

I lowered my head, “fine…” I spoke in a low tone that made the sound barely audible even to my ears.

“What was that?!” her head turned and her ears swiveled to me.

I groaned, “I said fine!”

“Good!” She said turning in place and trotting back to the medical container that I noticed she was tying a strap to.

My head snapped up and I looked around confused, “wait… what just…” Her giggle caused me to look at her as she worked. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment at what she did. I reached a hoof up and slapped the safe closed grumbling under my breath sweet promises to ground her or something. I slipped the rest of the things into my saddlebags as well before getting up and looking to the robot I demolished.

I moved over to the robot and started to pull some scrap metal and the spark batteries from it. I grinned as I found the flamethrowers fuel source and popped it out giving it a soft shake before noticing the fuel level gauge on it. It was still quite full so I dropped it into my saddlebag as well.

Satisfied that we got everything in this room that we could I turned to Bubble who was shrugging the strap of the medical box on so that the strap went across her chest and under one leg as the medical box dangled on the opposite side. The box was rather large compared to the young filly looking like a lopsided shell than a box of medical supplies.

I walked close and started to wiggle my wing armor back onto my wing wincing as the stinging as it rubbed uncomfortably inside, “you sure it's a good idea to carry around a big yellow target?”

She looked at it then back, “think of it as armor more than a target… I don't foresee you carrying much in terms of medical supplies.” Her smirk made me glare, “thought so.”

I huffed, “brat…”

She stuck her nose up and trotted to the door, “idiot…” realizing what she was doing I moved quick and dropped my wing in front of her causing her to bump muzzle first into the black metal. She recoiled back rubbing her nose angrily, “ow! W… what was that-”

I put a hoof to her muzzle cutting her off as I crouched low and slowly peeked out around the corner. The hallway to the left which we came from was still empty minus the first robot I took out rushing in carrying Bubble. I got a lucky hit and was able to cut the top of it cleanly off. I knew the door back out into the showroom was the first on the left if we went that way. The hall went further down a little longer and I could see another door on the right. There was supposed to be a way to get to a set of stairs down that hall but the lack of care to the building caused the ceiling to collapse down into it halting any way past.

I slowly swiveled my head to look right past the robot I bucked into the hall which lay in a crumbled smoking heap across the room we were in and took note of a long hallway that seemed to just stop with a large poster of a rather cute yellow pegasus modeling for my new favorite drink looking, what I was sure, like she would rather be doing something else yet still managed to make it look only delicious.

I slammed my head into the door frame as my mind chuckled, ‘she does look delicious doesn't she?’

As an extra precaution I looked at my compass and took note of the 3 blue lights signaling to me that the showroom still had the 2 turrets and one more of the robots in it were not hostile as long as I was not in view. I turned to Bubble the blue light of my compass showing her obviously not hostile as well and gave her a nod, “stick close,” I whispered.

She nodded looking determined and I turned and started to creep out into the hall stopping by both of the downed robots to get the parts from them before continuing on past the door that lead into the showroom and to the door that was on my right. I could still make out the plate on the door that said
written on it when a thought struck me. I looked to Bubble and spoke quietly, “hey… have you noticed a lack of… well… dead?”

Bubble opened her mouth to answer then closed it and looked back seeming confused. After several seconds she looked back concern replacing the confusion, “yeah… you're right…”

I checked the door and like the office we hid in it wasn't locked. I gently pushed her up against the wall with my right wing and pulled my left up to shield myself from anything.

I pushed the door open quickly and held my wing up going tense. Feeling like I was being a bit foalish at my actions but seeing how much this place was trying to keep a bunch of pony free carriages protected I didn't want to take a chance. I slowly peeked up over my wing into the break room noting the size of it and how empty it was.

Bubble peered around the door-frame and looked in as well before smiling, “hey! They have a Sparkle Cola machine!” She ran in and I folded my wings up and followed inside starting to get a feeling like I was missing something and I wasn't sure I wanted to figure out what. This place was lacking in any dead and if I didn't get a great look of the showroom floor, the fact that no pony was dead and just running in gave me a bad feeling.

I went to one of the two refrigerators in the room and pulled it open as Bubble turned to kick the machine only to fall face first when her back legs hit and she moved and the machine did not. Inside the refrigerator was a couple bottles of water, a stable-tech lunchbox and a box of that cereal that Bubble Gum had. My stomach growled and I growled at the realization that I never ate any of the cereal and not only that but I left the rest back in that container.

I reached in and grabbed the box and popped it open instantly. My wing prevented any mess from pulling the bag apart letting the sweet sugary smell in go the air. I plunged my muzzle into the bag and began to eat greedily.

It took several bites for me to realize how good the cereal was. Even with how old the box of cereal was the sugar was just as sweet and the flavoring was mouth-watering. I was guessing by the amount of preservatives in the cereal that it was only a bit stale and still quite good. The artificial caramel flavoring was still quite strong and I was fairly sure I was going be quite strung up until the sugar wore off.

It took me several moments to realize that Bubble was hitting my leg. Prying my hungry muzzle from the bag I glanced down at her trying to give her a questioning look. She sat hard and pointed to the machine, “i can't get anything from it… you have to get it open.”

I swallowed down my mouth full, the pony in my head crying now that half the bag was already empty, and licked my lips, “open it? I have prewar bits remember?”

She frowned raising an eyebrow, “wow… you really are an idiot huh?” I was only half paying attention my muzzle back in the bag. She sighed, “who is going to care if you break it open to get what's inside?”

I was by this point holding the bag up over my open mouth getting every last bit. With my hunger sedated, though not completely, I crumpled the bag up and tossed it over my shoulder landing it into the trash can. I gave my lips another lick and I was thrifty so gently moved Bubble to the side before walking to the machine and looking it over. It was made of mostly steel except the plastic buttons with faded pictures of my favorite drink and a few other flavors I haven't yet seen but wanted to try.

I noticed the hinges on one side of the machine had rusted a bit, while on the other side, which had a lock, required a special key to open. I smiled a little but I wanted to teach Bubble a little lesson first, my thirst could wait a bit as I pointed to the lock putting on my best confused expression, “how. Clearly you need a special key to get it open… I don't have such a key and I can't pick this.”

Her expression fell and her ears drooped, “and… the power isn't working right huh?”

I sighed and jammed the specially crafted blade of my wing into the slight gap between the main part of the machine and the door right next to the lock. I felt the blade cleanly cut into the metal and I pushed shoving my weight into the wedge I created with my wing. With a metallic protest the rest of the door gave and swung open and crashed against the wall swinging on its hinges.

Bubbles looked up about halfway through the process and she gave a happy squeal of delight when it crashed open showing many unopened Sparkle Colas and a strange glowing red bottle. I grabbed the bottle in my teeth and tossed it spinning into the air catching it with my hoof to read it, “Sparkle Cola Rads…” I squinted ,” it's like a buck to the face… with Radishes?”

I glanced to Bubble who just shrugged putting a Sparkle Cola into her medical box, “i don't get why anyone would drink radiation.”

Looking back at it I nodded, “i… agree… but,” I slid the bottle into my saddlebag bag and took the rest of the bottles putting them into my saddlebags bag, “i do want to try it.” after finding a few cans of corn and beans and several cans of applesauce and the couple of bottles of purified water in the refrigerator, I picked up the lunch box with my wing and glanced to Bubble.

She shook her head and I tossed it back and closed the refrigerator door and turned to take in the rest of the room. It seems that the room we managed to get into was kind of a kitchen area with a door that lead into a small cafeteria with another door back into the same hallway we came from but hopefully it would be past the collapsed part of the hall. I moved into the cafeteria and stopped as the skeleton of a pony leaning up against the door like it was trying to keep it closed was the first sign of death so far, and it was unsettling.

Bubble, seeing the skeleton, quickly dashed to it and started to move it so that it looked like it was laying down asleep. The feeling that was building from the lack of dead and only now finding our first sign of dead died away as I watched her. I realized this little filly had more compassion for the dead than I had for any pegasus that I knew.

The memory of Solar Flare and our talk about Steel Wing surfaced. Solar Flare was my only friend back up… no… was he a friend? I had to sit as I pressed a hoof to my head trying to remember any time we talked about anything besides our job. I placed my hoof down a cold feeling deep inside my chest grabbing at my heart and lungs told me that he was nothing more than a pony I talked to. He was always friendly to me but I never gave him the time of day unless it meant our group or giving him his workload for the week.

I looked back to Bubble who was sitting with her eyes closed and lips moving in some kind of prayer, a prayer to Celestia and Luna as I watched her lips move picking out those 2 names. I sat and waited until she finished and walked back to me cocking her head, “what's wrong?”

“how… how can you make me look like the worst pony in the world with just a simple act?” I heard my voice say with a soft grumble.

She took a timid step back, “Split I-”

I stood up and walked past her making the sentence die on her lips before she could finish, “let's keep going.” I moved to the door and pulled it open looked into the hallway and looked to see that on my left was the impossible but the right lead to a stair case. I took a step into the hall and the turret in the ceiling dropped down and turned.

I yelled in pain as I dove back into the room just as the turret opened fire at me. I felt a few rounds bounce off my armored wings and a few off my armored chest but a bullet sank deep into my back leg just under my cutie mark. Standing up and trying not to put weight on my leg I peeked back out into the hall and spotted the turret in the middle of the ceiling just beyond the door.

I heard Bubble Gum whimper slightly at the hole in my armored leg which was oozing blood. She set her med kit down as I looked at her noting that her face was a mix of fear and concentration. I sighed, “No Bubble,” she looked up ready to argue but I cut her short, “the bullet needs to come out first,” the filly closed her mouth instantly and listened. I looked back out into the hall waiting for the turret to spin away from our room to try and get a good shot at it, “being as good as you are I'm surprised you didn't know that.” I shot her a small smile trying to ignore the pain.

Her voice was a little shaky as she spoke, “i… I do… b… but...,” she shook her head to get rid of the shakes, “i have a shot of painkillers that you can use for now,” I looked back to her and she she stared back with big heartbreaking eyes, “please…”

I really wanted to use it, my leg was burning like… well… somepony shot it. I set my hoof down and shook my head but gave her a confident smile, “save it for now tiny.” I turned and crouched low getting ready to spring out, “we may need it for something more serious later.”

Before she could argue anymore I shot out into the hallway heading straight to the wall across the hall and jumped. I gritted my teeth as my injured leg shot me forward and I hit the wall and pushed off it at the turret. My plan was to force the turret to make a complete circle in order for it to get another shot at me. I smiled as it was just bringing it's barrels to bear a little too late. I twisted in the air opening one of my wings and cut the turret down the middle making it spark as my bladed wing cut deep into the metal.

I finished my spin and landed on the tiled floor just as the turret sparked a few more times then popped with a small explosion. I smiled and looked up at the smoking remains of the turret but just as quick as my smile spread it disappeared, “turrets here… I don't like this.”

“This is not the first building I've seen with crazy defenses,” Bubble said walking out and glancing up at the smoking hole.

I spun around at her my eyes going wide, “wait… you mean other buildings are still standing like this and they are still armed?!” her expression told me that she wasn't buying into my act and I chuckled, “sorry…” She rolled her eyes and trotted ahead and up the stairs. I followed behind her holding her back just long enough to peak at the top floor and make sure it was safe.

She trotted ahead of me and i followed behind her, watching what she would do. My attention was drawn away from her however to the large square desk in the middle of what looked like a waiting room. I guess it was a waiting room anyhow by the old rotting couch on either wall and the several comfy looking chairs around small tables with old destroyed magazines and books on them. There were many old and fading pictures on the walls that I supposed were to try and make ponies feel comfortable while they waited.

Bubble managed to wander over to the desk as I picked up a book and cocked my head at the cover, “Increasing your sales figures…,” I said as I read.

I saw Bubbles head pop up over the desk, “what?”

I hold up the book with a smile, “found an intact book,” my inner pony chuckled as her eyes lit up and she jumped down and ran around the desk to me.

I was already lowering the book down to her when she stopped in front of me, “I can have it?” She looked up at me with hopeful eyes, then to the book and back to me. I nodded and she gave a happy little squee trotting on the tips of her hooves before taking the book from my muzzle.

I couldn't help but smile at her as she opened the cover, “like to read huh?”

She nodded excitedly and held it up to me, “can you hold onto it for me?” I gave a small nod and bent down, grabbed the book and dropped it into my saddlebag. As I started to look back she spoke up again, “Split… the thing on the desk is locked.” she said pointing a hoof.

I looked to the desk, “thing?” I could see the soft green glow coming from a terminal facing the 2 heavy wooden doors behind it. I was curious why a receptionists terminal would be locked. I trotted over to and around the desk. I then lifted my leg with my pip-buck and tapped a few keys to start hacking into in.

Bubble moved around the other side and jumped up into the chair looking over me before finally asking, “how can your wings cut into metal so easily?”

I tore away from my work having to shut the terminal down to prevent it from locking me out and lifted a wing so she could see the curved 2 inch light blue sand silver blade along my wings outer edge. She went to reach a hoof up to it but I jerked my wing back, “the blades are special… and… very sharp.” Folding my wing back up I opened the terminal back up for another go, “I'm not exactly sure on the specifics of what they are made from, but from what I have been told it's a magical fusion of steel and… something… very sharp.”

Her eyes widened, “like what?”

I smirked as I found the password to get into the terminal… Hearts… ok. I shrugged and started to scroll through the options but continued to talk to the curious little filly, “well to be honest… I'm not sure.” I watched her face scrunch up in a displeased pout so I smiled and shook my head, “rumors are they are made from a dragon's claws or a special magical metal,” at least that is what I was told when I asked about them.

Scrolling down the random files of meeting times and other appointments, clearly this pony was not very organized as that all of the files were just dumped onto the main screen, I found a selection that opened the doors behind me.

“Which one do you believe?” Bubble asked looking back at my wing.

I clicked the button and stood up tall looking down at her, “personally… I'd like to think that they are made from a metal that was accidentally created and made into these blades. They couldn't reform them so they used them for pegasi with strong enough wings.”

Cocking her head to the side, “strong enough wings?”

I sighed, “Sweet Celestia's sun girl… you really are curious one huh?” She nodded smiling and I shook my head smiling a little myself. I leveled my wing out in front of her and gave her a nod, “go head…,” she looked nervous but gingerly stepped onto my armored wing. Her eyes widened as she fully walked onto my wing and I stepped away from the table holding her up. I couldn't help but laugh at her, “many pegasi say they have strong wings but in truth,” I leaned close with a smirk, “They have nothing compared to mine.”

I turned and gave her a little bounce which caused her to flop onto her flank. I chuckled at her dirty look and angled my wing slightly and slid her down off my wing making her giggle until she came to the floor. She looked up smiling, “can… can I get a ride sometime?” Her tone was innocent but being careful at the same time.

I sighed and lifted my hoof and gently set it on her head and smiled, “we'll see.” I took my hoof off and lifted it up and pushed the doors open and instantly felt a little dizzy at the room in front of me.

The room was shocking to say the least as on one side was a wooden desk with a big picture of this odd looking machine with 2 identical looking unicorn ponies on it. The only difference between the 2 of them was one had a neatly groomed red mustache. There was a broken terminal on the desk with large comfy looking chairs behind it. The chairs on either side of the desk were flanked by 2 large vases with wilted plants in them. Close to the center of the room was a large couch facing a square table. The odd part from that table back the other way was an exact replica of the left side. It looked like someone had a mirror set up between the 2 in the dead center of the room.

Bubble Gum stared at the room, “t… that's… that's normal… is it?”

I swallowed and walked into the room expecting to see a reflection walking beside me as I glanced to my right, “n.. no… it's not.” My attention was caught by something at the desk that was different from the one to my left. I could see the glow suggesting the terminal was working as it illuminated the skeleton of a unicorn laying it's head on the desk.

I swished my tail to the other desk, “Bubble go check that desk out and anything you can find that may help.”

“Right!” She said trotting in that direction.

I moved over to the desk with the skeleton and the working terminal. I glanced down at the skeleton slightly as I moved up beside it, noting the sharp looking vest that he wore reminded me slightly of a certain…

I slowly looked up to the identical picture behind him as the other side of the room and nodded as 2 and 2 equaled one of those twins brothers. Well I assumed brothers anyhow because how often did ponies have identical twins that were not related.

I gently pushed the skeleton to the side to look at the terminal trying not to think about what could have happened to his brother and where he was if both looked as close as the 2 did in the picture. The terminal was unlocked drawing a small groan of annoyance from me as I felt that I could have improved my skill if I had more access to locked terminal. The terminal had an audio file on it along with… I smiled wide at the “shut down security” option and quickly pressed it and waited listening. Thinking that I couldn't hear anything because of most of the security still being a floor below I just shrugged and looked at the audio file for a long moment before giving a small sigh and clicked it.

The voice that came through the terminals speakers sounded raspy, “Flam… I… I'm sorry,” he coughed and waited before drawing a deep raddled breath, “I'm not going to be able to leave here… the… the zebras… they… they did it,” he chuckled slightly, “to think we wanted to put that Applejack out on her tail and take over the Ministry. Even when she sent that gift as a peace offering that,” he broke off for more coughing and I glanced down at Bubble as she walked up and tapped my leg to let me know she was there, her ears back. The silence was long and I thought it was just recording a dead pony before I heard his sigh, “Flam… please… don't be angry with her… or… anypony… we…. I didn’t… help. If anything i… I think we… we made it worse… please forgive me for…. For seal…” he broke away coughing badly, even worse than before.

The audio log cut away during the fit of coughing and I sat down frowning, “it… it was easier when he was just a dead pony…” Bubble leaned up against me and I slid a hoof around her as she looked at the skeleton sadly.

“Th… there is a…” I glanced down at the filly who was pointing at the other side of the room to a door that I couldn't see before and now I noticed was on the other side of the side of the vase. I turned and noticed a similar door on this side which was slightly open. It lead into a small personal bathroom and knew that she was talking about another medical box as I had seen one hanging on the wall by the toilet.

I sighed and scooped her up and with an easy motion slid her onto my wing and tilted her back so she slid onto my back. She gave a small eep when she landed and I looked back, “are you ok?”

Her expression was still heartbreaking as she pawed a hoof at my armor, “its… kinda cold.”

I glances around and smiled and trotted over to a coat hung on the back of the chair of the skeleton pony. It was quite old but as I lifted it I could tell it was built to last. It was a deep brown leather with a felt inside and a picture of a rather cute aqua green mare sitting on top of a carriage that needed no pony to pull it.

I tossed the jacket over my shoulder and smiled, “here… lay it down and lay down on it… should make it more comfortable.” she was already making a small nest with the jacket which used my wings to keep from sliding off. Satisfied with how it looked she stepped into it and curled up.

I went to the first bathroom and opened the medical box and smiled at the 3 health potions inside. The other medical box had another but it also contained a couple magical bandages and a brown bottle with a bold word on it, “Buck.” I placed the Buck into my saddlebag letting Bubble rest up, after hearing the last words of a pony that was dead in front of her she was taking it quite hard.

I was just about to go down the stairs when she finally spoke up again, “Split?”

I glanced back slightly at her, “you ok?”

She gave a small nod, “yes…” She then hung her head and shook it, “n… no…”

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and waited, my head turned as far as I could so I could see her. ‘When had she started crying,’ the pony asked in my head.

She sniffed and looked up, “that… that reminded me of… of my mommy,” the guilt hit me in the stomach like a kick from an instructor during hoof to wing combat. A tear rolled down her cheek as she continued on, “Split… are you going to leave me alone?”

My eyes widened at the question and I shook my head, “Bubble… no… I'd never leave you alone. When we find someone that I trust to look after you… then… then you will be safe and happy becau-”

“NO!” She shouted and my ears flattened back as she started to shake closing her eyes sending tears rushing down her face. She gave a small sniff, “I…. I want to stay with you.”

I stared for a few seconds just blinking at her as my stunned brain started to comprehend what she said. I was definitely the one pony who was least qualified to look after her.

‘Well no,’ the pony in my head said with a sad tone, ‘them raiders would be even less qualified.’

I grimaced and Bubble looked at me confused before I hung my head, “Bubble… I… I am one of the last ponies who should look after you.” Even as I said it I could feel something breaking deep inside me and I continued my head starting to hang down, “I’m not a good pony,” I said and before she could say anything I spilled it all. I told her everything about how I treated ponies when I was selected to become a Wonderbolt, how I didn't care about a mare or the fact that her foal was going to end up dead because of me and she was probably going to be arrested and least because of me. I told her of my training and how and why I was cocky and what the Enclave told us about everything below the cloud. Finally I told her about the foal that died because of me when I went in to save the ponies in the raider nest.

By the time I was done I found that I was sitting down and Bubble was sitting below me looking up to me her eyes wide with… with what? Horror? Please let it be horror… I didn't deserve to have her pity me. I closed my eyes tightly as she stared, I couldn't look at her after everything I said and part of me wished the family I saved would wander in and find her and take her someplace safe.

I felt something push against my nose and opened my eyes to see her hoof gently pushing against my nose. She moved her hoof away and then pressed my nose again and gave me a sad smile, “there…,” I looked at her confused and she closed her eyes while her smile spread, “I reset you… like… like the terminal you hacked…” My eyes widened, “when you shut it down and turned it back on to try again. So now you can try again.”

I have to say now that I thought of myself as a strong soldier that would be able to shake of anything… I was wrong as my vision blurred. I gaped at her my voice small, “w… why… I… I did.”

She shook her head gently, “I can't forget what you did to my mommy… but… but you gave me 2 things in return.” I sat listening as she smiled a tear rolling down her cheek, “you… you gave me your life to save mine… and you gave me another chance at being alive.” That was it… she couldn't hold it back as her smile faded and she started to sob softly, “and… and I… I want to… Stay with… with you be… because… because.”

I didn't need to let her finish and reached out my hooves to her. She looked at me for a few seconds shaking and sobbing softly, but it lasted only a few seconds before she let out a heartbreaking wail and ran into my waiting hooves. Not wanting her to press her face into my armor I gently lifted her up so she could cry into my mane and neck.

I couldn't help but smile as she cried loudly and I just held her and comforted her. My mind and heart felt better that I was able to come clean to the filly and even the pain in my leg was just an annoyance now because I was feeling like a weight had been lifted from me. I made up my mind that I was going to find her somepony that could keep her safe better than I could but, even though I still wanted to find someone better than me, I was going to take my time in searching until I found the perfect pony.

When she finally started to quiet down I lowered her down to the floor where she grabbed her slightly curly magenta tail and dabbed her wet purple eyes dry with small hiccups coming from her. I lifted her medical box up and dropped it into my saddlebag and reached a hoof down and brushed her mane back causing her to look up at me.

“You gave me a lot to think about and while we find you somepony to look after you,” she opened her mouth to argue I raised a hoof to hold her from interrupting and gave her a smile, “i will be making sure that who ever it is, is perfect… that… may be a very long time,” her eyes and smile started to widen and I nodded, “i will not leave you for anyone to just take… I will keep a close eye on you and make sure you're safe until then.”

She leaped forward and hugged my pip-buck leg, “Thank you... ,” Her voice sounded relieved and she let go as I slowly stood up.

I started to walk back into the break room with her at my side, “let's go into that showroom floor and see if…” As we exited back into the hall I turned left and my eyes caught the door at the end of the hall that was strangely missing before.

‘Wasn't it a poster of a Sparkle Cola advertisement?’ the pony in my head asked.

“That… door wasn't there before,” Bubble said moving behind my front legs and peaking out at it.

I didn't know why she was hiding under me but as I looked at the door I felt equally uneasy. I swallowed and started forward, taking care to step over Bubble who moved up to my side. I slowed down letting her move around the downed robots so she could stay close to me as we approached.

Looking at the door more closely now I could see that it was an elevator door and it seemed to only go one way from here… down. With an armored hoof I reached out and pressed the button and the door instantly slid open which caused me to to drop into a defensive stance and put a wing up in front of Bubble to shield her but the elevator was empty and eerily inviting with a warm light which filled the wooden walls inside. The red carpet was on but seemed to be quite clean despite the rest of the building and I don't know why but this made me want to go into it less.

I moved into to elevator and Bubble whined, “d… do we have to go?” She was crouching low as she moved into the elevator with me.

Once we were both inside I lifted a hoof and pressed the button to go down, “I want to make sure we get anything that can help us,” I told her not feeling very confident.

The door closed slowly and the elevator started down which gave me a brief moment of dread as the tight closed space was something I really was not used to. I closed my eyes and took slow steady breaths to keep from going into a panic. I was a pegasus and as far as I knew we liked bug open places to spread our wings, and were a tiny mare like Sunny could open her wings in here easily I could get maybe one wing open to its full length if I moved to one side of the elevator.

The elevator stopped and I heard the doors start to open in which case I opened my eyes. At first I saw nothing but darkness so I glanced up at my EFS and noticed a few red bars directly in front of me. I stepped forward out of the elevator and stretched my wings out taking note of the long and quite wide hall that I stepped into. I waited to see if and robots came at me so I could maybe use their predictable movements to my… my…

My eyes widened as lights flickered to life illuminating the hall all the way down to a door on the other side several wards away. Between that door and me where ponies or at least what I assumed used to be ponies that died and for some fucked up reason now shambled around the hall… or they had until the lights came on and I stepped out and stood there like an idiot.

Every head turned to face me and what came from their muzzles, which was like a scream filed by hunger, was nothing that should have come from them. I took a step back as my brain tried to wrap my head around this, but they were not going to let me and charged.

Bubbles scream snapped me from the terror in front of me and told me I needed to stop them from getting and closer, “BUBBLE! HIT THE BUTTON AND GO BACK UP!” I shouted and charged back.

The first crouched down and jumped at me trying to get a good hit on me before I could react. I however was focused to keep them from getting past so my wings snapped out and I jumped and twisted in the air. Their horrible rotting flesh didn't stand a chance against the blades on my armor as I cut the front legs off of the one that jumped which caused him to fall face first into the concrete floor with a meaty thud. I tried to look and see if he was going to get up but the others were not far behind and I was tackled hard by the next zombie pony.

I normally would have been able to take the hit and fall back with a good recovery but my hind hoof landed on the fore leg of the zombie pony's leg I cut off and I lost balance. The loss of balance was both a blessing and a curse because as I started to fall back a zombie pony bit down onto each of my wings and a third grabbed one of my forelegs into his jaws and tried to crush the metal and leg. I continued back and landed hard onto my back my head hitting the concrete with a smack that sent stars through my vision. I yelled as the zombie ponies tried to bite and rip my limbs apart as a fourth grabbed one of my hind legs and began to try and bite through the armored leg.

I was pinned… I… I was going to die. Sooner or later they would be able to get something off and get to the chewy insides under the armor, but I managed to get Bubble Gum some time to get out and…

“SPLIT!... H… HELP!” came her screen from behind me.

I strained my neck back to look down the hall and I noticed the one I cut the legs off of was wiggling towards the open elevator while Bubble stood leaning next to the controls crying. One more moved around me and started at the crying filly and as I watched in horror I realized she couldn't reach the button.

“No,” I said quietly.

She was going to die.

“No,” my imagination started to imaging what I would have to watch when they reached her.

You failed her.

“NO!” I roared and with my free forelegs hit the one chewing on the other with enough force that he stumbled back and fell onto the one chewing on my back leg. With my legs free I jerked hard and spun to a standing position my wing blades slicing the heads of the 2 biting at them cleanly from the corner of their mouths and straight back down cutting most of their chest open and making them drop, no longer moving. Once I was on my hooves I shot back down the hall and jumped then landed hard onto the crawling and much slower pony turning his head into a mess of goo, brains and blood. I didn't waste time and ran to the other who was now almost into the elevator and I could see Bubble crying frantically, curled up against the far corner. As I got up behind it he turned to look at me with unfocused dying eyes just in time for the my hoof to slam hard into the side of his head and drove him into the wall of the clean elevator.

I continued to slam my hoof over and over against his head until I heard something break and blood and brain matter started to ooze from its nose and ears, then it became still. I drove my bladed wing into the side of his head just for good measure and spun to face the last 2 in the hall, who were now standing and heading in our direction. I growled as my adrenaline was still running through my veins, my heart beating loudly into my ears and charged. I may have took pride in the fact that they stopped and took a step back before I flew between them my wings taking their heads off with ease and sending them to the floor with a flop.

I stood there for a few seconds panting heavily as sweat and blood dripped from my head down my face to the floor. My head was hurting badly and I was shaking more than I thought I could but I saved her… I saved Bubble Gum…

‘Did you?’ the pony in my head asked sending a strong fear through my heart.

I turned quickly and darted the elevator, “Bubble!” I called trying to shout but my breath caught as I seen her curled up facing the corner and I couldn't shout.

Slowed to a stop just before the elevator, ‘no… Celestia no,’ I said moving slowly in, ‘you… you wouldn't take her like-’

She jerked a little and turned to face me her face wet with tears and her eyes growing wide, “Split!” She shouted with relief at me and I grabbed her into a hug. I held her for several minutes letting her cry out the last few minutes of terror so she could calm down. I also needed to calm down myself because after everything I had seen or done the thought of watching her get ripped apart like a cheap birthday present scared me more than anything.

When she finally managed to stop crying, though she shook quite a lot still, she looked up to me, “Split… you're bleeding again,” she moved from my embrace and around to the saddlebag on my side and poked her head into it. After several seconds she pulled out the rest of the roll of healing bandages and pointed to the floor with a hoof, “down.”

I didn't argue and settled myself down and she climbed onto my back and began to wrap the bandages around my head tightly. When she finished she slid off and waited for me to stand up next to me, but I didn't want to as I reached a hoof around and pulled her back into a hug so I could feel her against my cheek. The surprise hug made her jump but she didn't fight or protest, in fact she gladly nuzzled against the side of my head and I could her soft sobs again.

The sensation of fearing for her still lingered inside of me but the overwhelming feeling that she was safe and next to me felt better and stronger than that. I finally managed to force my voice to speak in a low quiet voice, “don't worry sweetie… I won't let anypony hurt you.”

She gave a small squeak and I felt her nod against the side of my head and she sighed softly, “I know Split… thank you.”

We stayed like that for about a minute or so longer until I finally stood up and looked back into the hall, “what are these things?” I asked lifting a hoof and gingerly touching my head. I winced and could feel the bandages were a bit damp by this point. My head swam a little from the hit and I needed to sit down for a second.

“Momma said they are ghouls.” Bubble said moving back from the dead one in the elevator, “ponies that died when Equestria got blowed up but came back from the magical radiation that came from the Mega thingies.”

“Megaspells,” I told her feeling like my head was going to let me stand now and did so. I lifted my Pip-buck and glanced at the radiation detector built into it and took notice that it was still lying quite still in the green. I frowned, “but… there is no radiation here…”

She shrugged and pointed to the opposite door, “maybe… maybe something inside there did it?”

I swallowed hard and looked to her, “think we should continue?”

Her expression told me that she wanted to go back up now but she looked ahead and started towards it, “yes… if… if only to stop anymore from getting out.”

I followed behind her casting glances at the dead ghouls as we passed by them until we reached the other door. When we stood before it I reached a hoof down and gently moved Bubble back behind me before reaching up and opening the door and walking inside.

The room on the other side was massive and filled with all kinds of machinery that I had never seen or heard of. The catwalk that extended out from the door I opened and dropped halfway to what looked like an office having its support wires snapped and dropping it onto what looked like a conveyer belt with odd looking robots with broken glass bowl like things on them with… I swallowed and took a step back as I noticed one of the intact domes still had a brain inside it as it dangled inches from being placed onto the next robot.

I lowered myself down and gestured for Bubble to climb on which she did without complaint, but first reached into my saddlebag and grabbed the jacket so it was a bit more comfortable for her. My idea was going to fly us over the gap to the office and get inside and see if anything was worth taking and possibly see what this was. I wasn't going to leave her as the moving forms of ghouls below told me that I wasn't going to leave her behind again even if it didn't look like they could reach us, that was something I was not going to chance.

When she was settled she gently tapped my neck to signaling she was ready and I opened my wings and just as I was about to jump, my pip-buck started to click softly. I back peddled instantly, “shit!”

“what's wrong?” She asked.

“Well 2 things,” I said sliding her off as I sat making her squeak briefly turning and lifting her up in my fore-hooves along with the jacket wrapping it around her, “first there is magical radiation down there so I need to move a bit faster.”

“And… the second?” She asked curiously.

“That was kind of both,” I said as I lifted into the air, “i need to move fast or you may fall off which I don't want and I don't want either of us to get sick from too much radiation exposure.” She nodded and I took a deep breath and started across the room making my pip-buck click at me. I gave my wings a few good flaps to push myself faster across the room which I glanced down at every now and then to see the assembly line in full. The conveyer belt snaked through the building with robots in different stages of production.

“Could this be used to make more robots?” Bubble asked as we flew over to room looking down at the robots.

I frowned looking ahead now feeling a bit uneasy still, “i don't think I want robots like this to be made,” noticing her confused expression I nodded back to what seemed the end of the production line, “these robots use brains to work.”

She gasped and tried to look back but I pulled her close and hurried across and landed gently on the rest of the catwalk just before the door. She trotted to the door and reached up and tried for the door handle. Clearly whoever made this lower part had not wanted young fillies and Colts to access them. I reached over and opened the door and we went inside.

“Welcome to our robobrain factory!” the voice of a ghoul almost sang as we entered. I pulled Bubble under me and took a battle ready stance as the skinny unicorn-ish ghoul moved past a complete but inactive robobrain with what I could see was a unicorn skull strapped to it. The ghouls didn't seem hostile in fact a glance to my EFS told me he wasn't as he waved a hoof around the room, “production is a little slow recently, but I assure you that we will have our workers moving with some enthusiasm with our…” he half danced over to the robot with the skull and draped a hoof around it and waved his other hoof out, “PRODUCTION GRAND PRIZE!”

I looked lost for several moments then glanced around the room to see what he was talking about. Bubble below me gave a soft squeak and I looked under me at her. She looked terrified but swallowed hard, “s… sometimes ghouls are still ok… well… sort of.”

I looked back at the ghoul pony who was still posing with the robot and cleared my throat, “G… grand Prize?”

He looked at me cocking his head, “oh? You don't know?” he looks to the robot and gave a smile and nods, “quite right! I agree fully Brother!” he let's go of the robot and trots over to a picture on the wall. His horn lights up with a sour apple green color and the picture on the wall becomes enveloped with the same glow and is lifted away and set down. I didn't quite realize I was watching with interest and awe at the magic until Bubble poked my leg. When I looked to her she just rolled her eyes and I gave a weak smile.

I sat down feeling like we were in no immediate danger and put a hoof around Bubble to keep her feeling safe as the ghoul pony worked the safe to open it. I cocked an eyebrow frowning slightly as the pony in my head asked, ‘haven't you seen him before?’

Ghoul pony frowned slightly, “oh… it's not here anymore…,” he looked to the robot for a few seconds and smiled and nodded, “an now excellent idea Flim! An excellent idea!” his horn glowed and something inside the safe illuminated and out floated a weapon that made my eyes go wide. He smiled grinning ear to ear, “this little beauty,” he chuckled as he levitated a sleek black pistol with a long barrel. The grip looked comfy and the trigger was pressed by the tongue. At least that is what I could see from my point of view when it levitated up in front of me, I could see the gold writing on the side of the pistol, “Secret…” the ghoul pony said smiling at my reaction.

I held my hooves up and he lowered it into my hooves where I could see more. The attachment was a silencer and from what I could see the weapon was a 10mm pistol, had a simple clip,which I smiled at as I slid it out and checked that it was not fully loaded, and the condition compared to anything else I have seen was beautiful.

The ghoul pony smiled as well, “this little piece is from our personal collection that we have been building and creating. We will use this one instead of what we were going to use. It was one of our first weapons we received, but Flim thought it best to continue on.”

“Flim?” he nodded and pointed to the pony skull. I looked at it for a long few seconds before my heart sank. I glanced at Bubble who seemed to have come to the same conclusion. I looked back up, “Flam… that's… that's not your brother…”

Something changed in his expression but I couldn't tell as it passed almost instantly, “what are you talking about?” he trotted over to the robot and dropped a hoof over it again and in a song like tune he said, “He's Flim.” he glanced at the robot which I was thinking he could hear it sing to and really thought it was his brother. He opened his mouth yelling in a sing song style again, “AND WE ARE THE AMAZING FLIM FLAM BROTHERS!”

the song was one sided for us and didn't make sense. I felt a little sad as I watched as he started to converse with the robot about certain ponies who may win the beautiful pistol. I looked to Bubble who looked up for a second and I knew what I needed to do. I needed to bring him to his real brother but I wasn't sure how to do that with the way blocked but I had to… I needed to give him real closure.

I stood up and walked to the pony and placed a hoof on his shoulder, “Flim… please… can you meet me back at you original office?” seeing him looking a little confused I stalled, “alone… it's… it's important.”

His face slowly fell into a small frown but he nodded, “yes… give me a moment… I have a way to get up there from here but others are not allowed to know about it.” he levitated the gun up and turned to the singular desk in the room and reached a hoof under it and I heard a click. A door slid open showing a much smaller looking elevator. He turned, “normally this is for my brother and I but he agreed to let you up as well since you seem serious.”

We stepped into the elevator and Bubble ran to me and stood under me as the door closed and it started to rise. I noticed the pistol was still in his levitation field but something was nagging my head, “why haven't you used this until now?”

He chuckled, “well the lock down keeps anyone from going up or down until it's ended and it seems that it was finally lifted by someone since you arrived.”

I didn't want to tell him yet that it was I who lifted it, not until he saw what happened to everything in that time and the thing he really needed to see. When the door opened again we stepped back into the mirror room and he moved into it frowning a little, “this place is a mess… Miss Duster will be getting a letter of complaint for her inability to keep things clean.” he set the pistol on the table in the center of the room before turning to me and frowning, “now… what did you need me for?”

I sighed lowering my head so Bubble could nuzzle under my chin her expression heartbreaking. She gave a sniff and I lifted my head, “could… could you please look over at the desk…” I said pointing a wing to the desk with the working terminal and skeleton.

He glanced over to it then back cocking an eyebrow. He didn't say anything but slowly looked back before walking over to the desk. When he reached the desk he took a step back at the sight his eyes going wide, “w… what… who…,” his tone was scared and was looking for an explanation.

I sighed nudging for Bubble to get onto the couch which she walked to and jumped up into before laying down and curling up into a small ball. I gave her a soft smile and then walked over to the nice ghoul pony my smile fading. When I reached him I could see emotions fighting for a proper place and when I placed a hoof on his shoulder he jumped and looked at me I didn't want to tell him or to show him but if not me then who… Bubble Gum? I'd never put her through that if I could help it.

“Flim… this… this is Flam…” I said in a quiet voice.

The ghoul pony stepped back away from me shaking his head, “n… no… that's,” he looked back to the skeleton. He stared for several minutes before he walked slowly to it his tone telling me his heart was breaking but her couldn't cry because his new body wouldn't allow him to, “I… I guess I always knew.” He slowly reached the skeleton and rested a hoof on its head just under its horn, “so… so the zebras won did they?” he asked me giving a small glance.

I shook my head sitting down, “no… from what I understand from my history books the zebras destroyed Equestria… well most of it and we did equal to them and their lands.” I swallowed hard, “that… that was 200 years ago.”

His eyes widened in shock, “ev… everything is gone? Everypony is dead?”

I shook my head once again but this time I gave a small smile, “no again… ponies have been able to survive if barely… there are ponies out there who that I have seen are fighting with the Equestrian Wasteland to survive along with the horrors that came from its creation.” he looked ready to die as he hung his head close to his brothers skeleton. I frowned but I stood back up and walked over to him, “Flim… he left a message on the terminal for you,” I watched him glance at it, “he told you not to be mad with his or anyone else as his last request and I think I know why.” His gaze turned to me and I placed another hoof gently on his shoulder, “because if you managed to get out and survive the attack he wanted you too…” Looking at his expression I sighed, “well… I'm not sure… to go on? I can only give what I think and thats-”

“No…” The tone was not mad and it wasn't quite sad, full of a hurt that would take years to go away, but not quite sad, “i know fully well what and why he did what he did,” he turned to me and gave a sad smile, “but thank you… Mr?”

I felt a smile spread across my face despite my insides telling me it was not quite the time to be happy, “I'm Splitstream,” pointing to the couch, “the filly is Bubble Gum.”

She peeked up over the back of the couch and he gave her a small smile and a nod before looking back to me his horn glowing, “Well Splitstream!” he said masking his heartbreak rather well as the pistol levitated between us, “i think you have just helped me more than anypony has… you win!”

I looked at the gun then back, “are… are you sure? It was both you and your brothers first gun.”

He nodded and pushed it into my muzzle smiling, “after all… no… we have done… I may not use a weapon for the right reasons. I have much to do now that I am free and much to learn and I fear that a weapon will make that dramatically short.” His tone carried a promise of something that I both felt he deserved but at the same time he thought his brother would not appreciate if they met again. He stepped back and headed to the open elevator door and glanced back, “i have a few ideas… and I will do what I can from here on out.” He turned to face me a small smile on his face, “please come by and visit sometime.”

I took the pistol from my muzzle and gave a sharp nod, “make sure you impress me when I get back.”

He gave a small chuckle and swept into a low bow with a swing of his hoof, “Good sir!” he smiled and looked back up at me, “i always impress.” With that he pressed the button again and the door closed back hiding the elevator once again.

I walked over to Bubble Gum who was not leaning on the back of the couch watching since I mentioned her. I lowered my wing down and allowed her to climb back up onto my back noticing that she had tied the jacket around her as to not lose it. She fixed herself a comfy spot to lay down and I started back out holding the pistol in my teeth.

The gun was light and it's mouth guard grip felt comfortable in my teeth. I only had the 10 rounds in the clip so I didn't want to test the accuracy of the weapon yet, but I really wanted to see how well it shot and if I could even hit anything.

“Will he be alright?,” Bubble asked her tone small and a little shaky.

I turned and gave her a small smile, “you know what… I think so,” she gave a small smile of her own. I looked back into the room as I started to descend the stairs, “it will take him a little while to cope… but I think he can and will pull through.”

She sighed softly, “yeah… I think so too.”

We made our way down to the showroom floor and I got to take a good look around now that the security was down, ‘This would have made a nice place to visit and look around,’ I thought as I exited the door back into the wasteland, ‘but… it still could be… with time,’ the pony in my head said making me smile, “yeah… i guess it could.”