I sat on my bedroll in our shared tent. The canvas was apparently one of Moon Shine’s more valued possessions, but it had been made with two regular sized ponies in mind. I kept my head bowed to avoid touching the exterior. Moon had cast a warmth spell, keeping our little green bubble heated against the chill night. I’d discovered that her spellset was ‘softer’ than mine. She focused on utility, a fact that supposedly had saved her life many times travelling in the wastes.

The night had been as black as ever when we reached Lake Fancy. We sacrificed some diligence for expedience when finding a suitable spot to camp. It did not matter much, we gave out no light and her alarm talisman was still functional. Moon Shine was sleeping like a filly wrapped in her blanket. She’d been walking for essentially the full day, not properly resting even in Broken Pillar. Her mane blew in and out of her mouth as she snored. Seeing her sleep so, I found a smile creeping onto my face.

I wouldn’t need sleep for another few hours, so I may as well be productive. As quietly as my hooves would allow, I snuck out into the oppressive darkness. I floated a magical light around the area, trying to find a hidden alcove so as to not wake my companion. To the side, I found a small, pony-sized crater. I didn’t sense anything around, and my shield could come up in a second if necessary.

I’d removed my dress after our encounter with the killer tree; there was no point in risking getting it damaged out here. Hovering the light closer, I inspected my wing. Folded in on my left side like it was, there didn’t appear to be anything wrong. Could it have healed already? I cautiously started to unfold it. Good so far…

Oh, Goddess’ holy nethers!

As I reached the halfway point, crippling pain jolted through my entire left side and my wing clamped down. My world was plunged into darkness as I lost concentration on my light spell, and an uneasy emptiness descended around me.

Moments passed, and nothing happened. I recast my spell with trepidation. Nothing had happened. After the shock of such intense pain, I decided that staying with Moon Shine would be the best course of action. I headed back over, still doing my best to remain unheard. I used my hoof to brush the tent flap aside and resumed my position on the comfortable bedroll. I had to curl up to keep my extremities inside the cramped tent.

“Alicorn?”

Sorry. We did not mean to wake you.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ll have to tell me more about these holy nethers of yours later.”

Three, on the ground!

Thunder, lightning.

Crack.

In daylight, or what passed for daylight in the wasteland, it became clear why the resort had been left alone. The moat was fortified, with a sheer stone wall on the inner side. There was a raised drawbridge, large enough for a single wagon. Chains in the wall indicated that the bridge could be lowered from inside. Our exit was rather easy then; our entrance was another matter entirely.

The water had fared as well as you would expect water to fare after 200 years without motion. The reek was incredible. There were large steel pipes leading into the river, but they were silent. Bubbly scum floated atop the still water, the only movement in sight.

“Alicorn, you notice that?” Moon Shine pointed to the moat with her hoof.

The watery defences? You mentioned those.

She looked at me with an odd expression. “Was that sarcasm? Were you sarcastic just then?”

We have never been sarcastic. I felt rather smug at having outwitted my companion. What have you noticed?

Moon Shine chuckled and regained her composure. “There’s no debris. You’d think something would’ve fallen in by now.” She remarked. Now that she mentioned it, yes. There was nothing floating in the resort’s moat, no scrap or bones or anything. I floated out a Sparkle-Cola while my companion stood in thought. As I floated the cap into my bag, “Aha!”

I turned in confusion to find Moon Shine floating my cap over the water. Before I could voice my protest, she dropped the metal and it began to hiss. Within seconds it had dissolved. “Swimming’s out then.”

You never mentioned anything about the moat being acid.

“Believe me, if I’d known I wouldn’t have come here.” She paced about the water’s edge, her hooves clip-clopping on the stone fortification. “We’re smart mares, right? We can figure this out.” She looked up to the resort. “Things melt when placed in the water. Obvious solution, we don’t go in the water. New problem, we can’t get into Lake Fancy.” She looked up to the decorations on the side of the main building. A large sign, presumably neon, spelled ‘L e Fa y’.

I turned my gaze down to the river. If we could bridge the gap, then we would have no reason to enter the river. I levitated a blade of grass away from its parent plant and dropped it in to have it meet the same fate as the unfortunate bottlecap. A pile of dirt followed it after. I finished the last of my cola, savouring the sweet carroty aftertaste, and tossed the glass bottle in. It floated for a moment, then sank and disintegrated.

I was about to turn away, when I realised something. I stomped at the stone fortification holding the moat in place, chipping some off with my strong hoof. I kicked that pebble in, and it sank straight down. Moon Shine!

I turned to see my companion dipping the end of her spoon in the water. She lost her concentration and dropped it, the spoon sizzling and dissipating as it sank. “Aww, I liked that spoon.” She scrunched her face in his disappointment. “Yeah?”

Do you think we could build a bridge out of the stone holding the moat?

She stopped and scratched her chin. “That would work, if we could do it.” She then shook her head. “But we can’t do it. We’d need dynamite and a team of workponies to move the stone, unless you have an explosion spell in that noggin of yours.” I shook my head. “Still, bridging it is our best option. If only we could use the…” I imagined a light bulb sparking over her head, “drawbridge! We can use the drawbridge!”

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the drawbridge has been drawn. It is inaccessible.

“Not entirely true!” She waggled a hoof in my face. “It is inaccessible legally. What we can do will probably break several old world laws, but I daresay we’re beyond that by now.” I stared at her as she explained her plan. I marvelled at the simplicity of it. “Think you can do it?”

I measured the magical reserves within me. It may leave me drained for a while, but it is certainly possible! As we made our way to the front entrance, I started charging the required spell. I’d never tried this before, but it would work. It had to work!

Pew!

I threw the strongest magical spear I’d ever thrown at the smallest target I’d ever aimed for. In the instant between firing and hitting, I worried that the effort had been for naught. That had been the strongest spell I’d ever cast, and I could already feel my horn ache. Clang! The bolt slammed into the wall, piercing deep into the concrete.

“Nicely done.” The chain holding the drawbridge up snapped and flailed like a dismembered snake. The bridge slacked, groaning against its wooden supports. For once, 200 years of rot were on our side as the failsafes splintered and the drawbridge crashed open. The thud resounded for miles.

Together, Moon Shine and I stood side by side at the entrance to the pre-war relic. Past the bridge was a large iron gate, slightly ajar. There was a skeleton in an old security booth, forever waiting for visitors to show their tickets. We sidled up to each other and made our way forwards.

Moon Shine made to squeeze through the door first, but I stopped her. You may be more perceptive, but anything lying in wait will spot you before you spot it. I, at least, can take a few rounds. She made to argue, but my gaze silenced her. She nodded and stepped back. Powering up my shield, I walked through the gate.

“Welcome to Lake Fancy, madam. May I take your name please?”

Standing to my right, with moss growing over him, was a ghoul: an undead monster that was once a pony. Some stay sane for a time, holding onto something important from their old existence. Others lose their minds upon seeing what they have become. The look in this one’s eyes was different. I couldn’t tell if he was more or less dead than a feral.

“Madam, I must insist. Your name please?” The ghoul’s voice was gravelly and dry.

Well, worth a shot. “Alicorn.”

The ghoul’s empty eyes stared at me for almost too long. Then, be bowed! “Princess! I apologise most profusely, I have been on shift for far longer than regulations allow.” He looked flustered for a moment. “Not that I mind! I would gladly take long hours for a chance to meet you, Princess!” He looked hesitant. “Princess, where are your bags?”

“My bags! They,” a sly grin appeared on my face, “they are with my servant. Come, Moon Shine!” I called back to the gate. A glaring Moon Shine walked through, head held low.

“Ah, you there! I will take you to the servants’ quarters and fill out your brief. You -”

“Actually, the ‘Princess’ here likes to have me at her side at all times.” She leaned in closer to the senile old ghoul. My ears twitched, barely picking up her whispered words. “She’s got a, a-hem, bladder problem. Doesn’t trust nopony but me to help her with it.” It was my turn to glare at her, my eye twitching.

“Ah. Well. Perhaps I’ll send an orderly up with the appropriate materials. I trust you’ll act with appropriate discretion should any incidents occur.” The ghoul leaned in and I saw Moon Shine’s nostrils trying to leap off her face. Hah! Bladder problem.

“You got it, boss. Don’t want to disturb the other residents?” It was spooky how she’d been able to change her accent to almost match the ghoul’s. If it weren’t for her rather distinctive colouring, I could have mistaken her for another mare entirely.

“Right! Well, Princess, please. Would you like to start by inspecting your room, or would you like the tour?” The ghoul held out his hoof, displaying Lake Fancy like a prize. Inside, the décor was significantly, well, fancier than outside. Two hundred years of neglect had taken a surprisingly minor toll. The tiled, twisting paths snaked around weathered stone statues of ponies of all races, leading off into gorgeously curved buildings with carved white stone pillars. There were two long buildings on either side and one even larger, more extravagantly decorated building near the back.

In the larger unpaved areas, long dead grass grew around long still fountains. I could feel a faint tingling coming from them; the water was irradiated. Specifically to Moon Shine, Take some Rad-X before too long. That water’s irradiated, and the source must be here somewhere. It must have been awful to fear radiation.

The ghoul stood there hopefully, waiting for me to give him an answer. “Show me… to my room. I will discover the grounds for myself.”

He bowed, and I saw some of the lichen on his back tear his skin as it tried to stretch beyond its limits. The sound was agonising, but the ghoul remained oblivious to it. “Of course. This way, Princess.” He rose and turned, walking professionally down the center of the ‘street’. I followed, this time with Moon Shine staying at my flanks. She leaned in close to my ear.

“Got a bad feeling about this. That moss on his back gives me the creeps.”

Worry not. Should he turn hostile, we will not hesitate to reduce his brain to fine paste. He did seem a bit inequine, but he was a ghoul. That was to be expected.

“Twilight’s tits, Alicorn, are you blind?” She pointed to the buildings and the statues. “There are turrets in those. You can see the gems from the targeting talismans.” I’d thought those were simple decoration. “If that ghoul turns hostile, these turrets will too.”

Is there no way to disable them?

“I think if you could remove the targeting talisman from one, that’d do it. That’s just on what I know about talismans though.” We were about halfway along the twisting tiles, the ghoul whistling a merry tune through his tortured throat. “They won’t be easy to remove, and if you get caught tampering they could open fire on you.” She clicked her tongue wistfully. “But, if we did manage to get them out, fully operational targeting talismans would be worth a fortune. Just one would be enough to get your cultist out of jail. There must be twenty here!”

And that’s not counting the ones inside. Our conversation was cut short as we reached the large building. The ghoul turned, spoke, and opened the door.

“Welcome to the Fancy House, your highness. This is where you will be staying.” My jaw dropped. This entire building was where V.I.P. guests stayed? The front doors opened into a large, open plan entertaining area, with tables and stools and a raised platform in the middle. To the left and right were spiral staircases, leading up to the first floor. “You should find the facilities most to your liking. The house was redecorated for your visit. Your servant should be familiar with the layout.” He bowed politely, that creaking skin sound battering my ears again. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, thank - actually, there is one thing.”

Five minutes later, the pair of us were exploring an upstairs bedroom with an entire crate of Sparkle-Cola on the queen-size bed. “Good thing you’re not actually a princess, Alicorn.”

I stared at Moon Shine over my drink. Without stopping, I asked, Why?

“A member of royalty drinking common soda? Imagine the outrage!” She pantomimed a screaming aristopony, gasping at the horror of mundane fluids passing regal lips.

Hmph. A real princess wouldn’t allow lesser ponies to dictate what she could or couldn’t do. I looked out of the large, rotten-framed window. Perhaps that’s why we don’t need any. I heard Moon Shine rummaging around the room behind me, and I let her. She knew how to scavenge, after all. What use is there in royalty if they do not serve for the betterment of their subjects?

“You waxing philosophical over there?”

Was I? Yes, I suppose I am. We never had discussions such as this while connected, consensus was always reached within seconds.

“I find that kinda hard to believe.” I turned back to Moon, who was packaging a box of cigarettes into her saddle bag. “All kinds of ponies have all kinds of minds, all different.” She turned to face me, her blue eyes meeting my green. “Makes it hard to get along, but what kind of life would it be otherwise?”

A better one.

She was about to answer when we heard a knock at the door. Moon nodded at me and jumped behind the bed for cover while I raised my shield. We couldn’t afford a single mistake in this place. The knock came again, and I slowly opened the door with my magic.

A rust red robotic pony stood in the doorway clutching a small device. “Greetings, resident.” Its voice was slow, clunky, mechanical. An assortment of pre-recorded messages as opposed to actual speech. “Due to the threat of zebra infiltrators, all visitors must submit to a mandatory identification check. Please present valid proof of identification.” Oh dear.

I froze. What counted as valid identification? Did I need paper? Blood? Magic? I looked back at Moon Shine and discovered that she was swearing and loading her pistol. Okay, she had no ideas either. The robot looked slow and clumsy and lightly armed; it would prove no match for us. If it were to tag us as ‘zebra infiltrators’ though…

“Please present valid proof of identification.” It took two steps forward, completely blocking the door. I looked closer at the robot, could we trick it? It had no face and a glass orb on its head. It shuffled along on metal hooves, and where its mouth should be there was a speaker. I could barely make out the ‘FF Industries’ logo on its side behind the rust. “Please present valid proof of identification.”

There was no way out of this. We would be forced to destroy the machine, and then the resort would turn on us. We would be trapped. The walls were too high to climb, the only exit was the front gate through which we entered. Even if I placed Moon Shine on my back, my shield couldn’t hold against that many turrets. We…

“Valid proof of identification has not been provided.” I charged up a lightning bolt… “Alerting senior member of staff.” …and let it fade. “Searching… searching… senior member of staff located. Alerting Greeter Cinnamon.” I knew little about hotel hierarchy, but I was fairly sure that greeters were not very high up. “Greeter Cinnamon alerted. Be advised that Greeter Cinnamon will arrive shortly. Please remain where you are.”

The robot backed out of the door and waited in the corridor.

“Alicorn!” Moon Shine jumped onto the bed and called my attention. I lowered my shield as she spoke. “That ghoul’s gonna come up here and ask us for I.D., and he’s not gonna be as easy to fool as that robot.”

Right. We need a plan. I looked at her expectantly, and she recoiled from me.

“I don’t know what to do! I was gonna smooze him into giving me access to maintenance, no chance of that now!” She paced frantically, the ancient bed creaking and groaning as she did. I found my hooves moving of their own accord, matching my companion’s nervous habit. I looked at her panicked face and remembered how she looked earlier.

Moon Shine, listen to me. She stopped in her tracks and stared at me with worried eyes. You can do this. The ghoul will arrive and expect identification. You must make him believe that we are a princess and her servant. She tried to look away but I leaned in closer. Do it.

She took a deep breath and stared into my eyes, and I almost thought I saw regret in them.

Then the ghoul arrived, prim and proper and falling to pieces. There was blood seeping out of his neck where the flesh had torn. “Your highness, I’m terribly sorry but there was a problem with the -”

“You dare to hassle the princess with your petty security concerns!?” Moon Shine shouted at the ghoul, marching straight up to his face. Goddess bless her nostrils. “First this robot interrupts her morning meditation, and now you dare to address her directly?” There was a faint glowing of her horn, and I noticed that the light in the room seemed to bend slightly. Was she…

“Miss, protocol clearly states -”

“Protocol is for ponies, she is a princess! Do you doubt your own eyes?” She stepped aside and pointed at me, her angry gaze never leaving the ghoul’s eyes. “Do you expect the zebras to mimic that? You think it possible?”

“Miss, I was only -”

“You have wasted enough of our time! I expect you to tell maintenance to stop their mechanical dogs from harassing us further!” She moved back in front of him, blocking his sight of me. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed my stunned expression. “You will do this now. If you find those slackers have left their posts, as it seems the kitchen staff have done, then you will give me access and I will fix them myself!” That poor ghoul.

“I - miss, I -” He took another look into her blazing eyes. “Yes miss, right away miss. Please extend Lake Fancy’s official apology to the princess. We will make sure she also has one in writing by this afternoon.” He fled back down the stairs and the robot followed him.

A moment passed in which neither of us moved. We were silent. The adrenaline of the moment was draining and we were powerless in its wake. Then, Moon Shine’s ears twitched and she collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever done that.”

What do you mean? You convinced him that you were my servant earlier.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve done that plenty of times, charmed ponies.” She waved her hoof in what I assumed was a charming motion. “I’ve never tried to intimidate anypony before. Not sure if you’ve noticed,” she looked herself up and down, “but I ain’t exactly the most intimidating pony around.” I had to agree with her. When I first saw her, my initial thought was ‘she is not a threat’. “Not like you, you giant pile of mare.”

Yes, I am rather intimidating. I thought smugly. There is a certain security to being the biggest pony around. I looked around the room, taking an odd pride in how small everything was compared to me. Moon Shine trotted over to the stool next to the vanity, resting her hooves as she rifled through the drawers.

“In my experience, that’ll just make you a bigger target.” She paused for a moment, thinking. “Looks like you don’t seem to care though.”

If we fight, we will be hit. That is an inevitability. Hoping to avoid getting hurt is pointless, so we ensure that we are strong enough to take it.

“Whatever works for you. Doubt I’ll ever go that way though.” She gave a slight squee as she levitated two tins of Mintals into her bag. “Makes us a good team though. You take the bullets, and I do what I need to do behind the scenes.”

She had a point. But what if you find yourself alone, without somepony strong? How would you manage then?

She stared straight into my eyes. “How would you?”

The ghoul had returned after five minutes to inform Moon Shine that maintenance had, indeed, left their posts and that he’d given her access to the necessary areas. We’d waited for him to leave before heading down into the restricted access tunnels. For all the finery and extravagance of the resort above ground, the staff received no such pleasure. The steel corridors were furnished with industrial emergency lights and metal shelves, punctuated with duct tape and decay. I felt a tingle in the air and advised Moon Shine to take a Rad-X.

Moon was having a whale of a time, picking through every shelf and box we came across. At this rate, we would have enough caps even without the talismans. Her bags had started to look rather full, so I offered to carry some of the burden. She needed to stay agile, after all, and my strengths required little movement.

We soon came to the hydraulic door leading into the maintenance office. Moon Shine pushed a button and the door slid open, the mechanism hissing in protest. There were no lights on inside, so in unison we cast spells of light and cautiously entered. The interior was furnished in the same style as the corridor: corporate blandness. The office had a desk complete with terminal, a tool closet and a workbench covered in discarded tools. Sitting at the desk was a half preserved pegasus corpse. Without working ventilation systems, there had been nothing down here to rot the poor pony. Bowing my head, I levitated him out of his chair and into the corner of the room. I could almost imagine that he was sleeping as I curled him up. Something was off about him though…

Moon Shine spoke softly. “Right. Yes. Keep watch while I see if I can make sense of this terminal.”

You can use those? Are there any skills you don’t have? I didn’t know why she wanted me to keep watch, there was nothing dangerous down here.

“Barely. I’m a competent user, but don’t ask me to hack anything more complex than a toaster.” She moved the chair aside and started tapping away at the keyboard, green text flying over the screen. Those things confused me, so I turned away and back to my apparent job of guarding. The corridor was as devoid of life as it had been when we entered. The gentle hum of the generators, still working even after all this time, was the only sound accompanying Moon Shine’s work. Suddenly, my ear twitched and I spun my head to see a shadow flicker. I leaned closer to try and make it out…

“Hey, Alicorn? You should come see this.” My attention was broken, and the flicker was gone. Probably just a radroach. I came back to Moon Shine, my hooves clanging against the metal floor. “Read that.” She pointed at the monitor, and I bent down to read.

Dear valued employee,

We are writing to inform you that your request for a leave of absence has been denied. Everypony is worried about their families in these trying times, but we must all carry on doing our duty for Equestria. For some that means fighting on the front lines against the zebra menace. For others, it means manning their post at their job, helping to keep Equestria running smoothly.

We would like to reassure you that there is no problem with the FF Industry’s patented CleanBreath™ filtration system. Maladies that may appear to be radiation poisoning are actually symptoms of Wartime Stress Disorder and will be reported to the Ministry of Morale. We wish you a pleasant day.

Kind regards,

Stonespin, Pony Resources Manager

I stood back up. Moon Shine looked at me expectantly, and I recoiled. “Well?”

What?

“This place didn’t follow regs! They knew that the radiation from their reactor was getting pumped through the vents and they threatened their staff with the M.O.M. if they said anything!”

So?

She looked at me in horror. “So? You don’t care?”

Should I? I looked at the pegasus in the corner, skin rotting away. He died 200 years ago, why should any of us care about that now? But, looking at the corpse, thinking about where he died…

“Yes! No, I…” she sighed, turning away from me. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped. I see these old world injustices, and I get worked up. It’s stupid, I know, I see bad ponies now and I just accept that it’s gonna happen ‘cause it’s the wasteland!” She stomped on the ground, leaving an indent in the metal grating. “But why did they have to do that back then? When everything was perfect?” She looked at me with wide, tearful eyes.

A caring heart is a rare thing. Do not let it break. Share it with others. This was a perfect opportunity. Do you… do you need a moment alone? Don’t waste it!

She sniffed. “Yeah, I think I do.” She got and walked slowly to the door. “I won’t be long. Just need a few minutes to clear my head.” Don’t let her leave now, this is golden! She walked out of the door, her bright yellow tail disappearing into the gloom.

Damn it! That was the perfect opportunity to persuade her into Unity! She was low, she needed acceptance, she needed somepony to comfort her and help her! I could have offered her the Goddess’ love! We could have gone to Maripony, dipped her and she would be one of us! Why hadn’t I taken her? Why had I let her go like that?

I fell to my rump. She’d been upset, and I had found myself unable to say anything to her. She was vulnerable and I was unable to attack her. It had felt… wrong to manipulate her.

I levitated out a Sparkle-Cola, having replenished my supply from the crate. The cool liquid helped me concentrate on the present; there was little point in dwelling on past mistakes. I turned back to the terminal and saw the text ‘back’. I selected that option and a line of dates came up on the screen. There were lots, too many to fit on the screen. I decided to leave the terminal alone, Moon Shine would be back soon to make sense of it. With nothing to do, I took another sip of my cola and looked at the dead pegasus. Strange, I hadn’t left him in that position…

He stared up at me with vacant eyes. I met his gaze. I daren’t move. He just stared at me, unblinking. I began to shift my weight, to charge up my horn. Then, he cocked his head and lay back down. I blinked, and he was still lying down. Not letting the charge in my horn die, I cautiously moved forwards and prodded him with a hoof. I scrambled back as he looked at me, then relaxed as he did.

I tried to reach out to him with my telepathy. Hello? He bolted upright, frantically looking around the room. Are you alright? He stared at me, trying to back further into his corner. It’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you. He stopped shaking and looked up at me, his empty eyes opening wide. I could see the flesh where his skin had retracted. Can you understand me?

He started to move, opening his mouth and taking a step forward, when Moon Shine screamed. I turned to see her in the doorway, then felt a wave of air as the pegasus bolted past me straight at her!

Stop! I commanded.

He stopped. His bony wings were spread and he looked ready to pounce at my companion. He snorted and hoofed the ground.

I said stop. Come back. Sweet Goddess, I hoped this worked. A terrible moment passed before the pegasus loosened and came, standing by my side! Moon Shine looked at the pair of us in terrified confusion.

“...”

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I looked at the pegasus, standing like a guard. Moon Shine found her voice. “What?”

I looked back to her, watching terror be replaced with more confusion. I appear to have found a ghoul.

“I noticed. He, is he going to be a problem?” She didn’t take her eyes off him, and I found myself feeling oddly protective.

No. I don’t think so. If he turns out to be one, then I will put him down before any harm can come to you. The pegasus began to idle, looking around the room.

“Okay. Keep him away from me while I see what I can do about getting those talismans.” Moon Shine trotted back up to the terminal, and I led the ghoul out into the corridor. He followed obediently at my flank.

As my companion got to tapping away at the terminal, I examined my new follower more closely. Whatever colour his hide had been before, it was now a sickly grey. There were patches where his skin had fallen off, revealing dead flesh below. He was large, especially for a ghoul. His head came to just under mine, putting him a full head taller than most other ponies. His mane and tail had both completely fallen away, leaving him looking like an abused doll. His eyes were milky, enough to make me wonder how he could see. He didn’t seem to have any problem as he inspected his surroundings.

A thought occurred to me. Turn around. He hesitated, then turned, allowing me to look at his flanks. As I suspected, his cutie mark was gone too. All that remained was a slightly darker patch of hide, in a rough X shape, where his soul had once been on display. Was there any part of his old self in him now? I found myself turning to look at my own blank flank…

“Found it!” Moon Shine was standing in the doorway, looking pleased with herself. “Turns out you can’t control the robots from here. I was gonna give up, but something in my head told me to keep trying. So I did, and I found out how to disable them!” She must have seen my excited expression, because she carried on with gusto. “All we need is an I.D. card from a security mare. If one of us holds that and opens the back, they won’t attack. We’ll be able to take all of the innards and leave!”

That sounded perfect. Great! Where can we find a security card? She hesitated.

“Well, in security. That’s the only problem.” She frowned as my new pegasus friend skittered about. “That has a separate network to the rest of the resort, for security reasons,” she chuckled at her own joke, “and I didn’t get access to there from that ghoul. I don’t think he can give access there.” The pegasus squishily nudged my side, pointing his nose down the corridor. He seemed rather agitated. “What’s up with him?”

I don’t know. What is it? The pegasus bolted down the corridor, looking around the corner. His wings straightened out as he ran back, and I felt a twinge of envy. He took up position before me in that guarding pose he took before. Faintly, I heard hoofsteps on the metal floor from up ahead. Had he really heard that from so far away?

“Somepony’s coming. Take him into the office. If it’s the ghoul, I’ll talk him away. I hope.” I nodded and led the pegasus back into the cramped old office. Moon Shine pushed the button outside and the door closed, sealing me with my follower.

The only light was that from my horn, and I set it in the middle of the room to stop the shadows from moving. I could hear nothing from outside, the office must have been sound-proofed. The pegasus stared at my light, mesmerised. I moved it left, and he followed left. I grinned as I moved it about, him following it like a foal. What was this pony?

Pegasus! Sit. He sat. Stand. He stood. Speak. He did not.

The door opened with a hiss and a worried Moon Shine walked through. “Alicorn, we have a problem.” She was levitating her revolver next to her, and the barrel was smoking.

What did you do?

“The robot came back. It said that it had reported the incident to Ministry of Morale, and that it had received instructions to terminate the Cadance imposter! It started firing at me when I tried to argue!” Sweat ran down her features and she couldn’t stay still. “We need to get to security. We can shut the robots down from there!”

Do you know the way? She nodded. Then lead on. Come, Pegasus! The three of us ran, galloping through the underground access corridors. The sound of alarms invaded our ears as we passed each ladder to the surface. The route twisted and turned, security was on the other side of the resort! We turned one last corner to find a door marked ‘Security’ and a gun turret in the ceiling. Get back!

My shield jumped up as Moon Shine dashed back and incineration beams scorched the ground where she’d stood. The gun turned its attention to me, and I focused all of my energy on holding the shield. I tried to form the current for a lightning bolt, but the beams took all of my focus to defend against. Just as I was to tell the others to retreat, there was a grey blur running past me. I gaped as the pegasus sprinted down the hallway, jumped off the wall and slammed his hooves straight into the turret!

The turret, while not destroyed, was damaged and confused. It span back around to blast him, giving me the time I needed to conjure a lightning bolt. I loosed it straight into the turret, and the arcane defence fizzled and died. Its targeting light went dead and the gun sagged to the floor. The pegasus stared at me in either wonder or fear, and ran back to my side.

“Okay, you can keep him.” Moon Shine joked. “Come on!”

There were no more turrets actually in security, thankfully. Moon Shine led us to a small office, in much the same pattern as the one in maintenance, complete with corpse. This one was a skeleton in barding, however, not a dormant ghoul. She rummaged through its belongings, discovering a keycard no bigger than her hoof. She swiped it in the receiver on the terminal, and green text flashed across it. She tapped some buttons, went through a few screens, and the sirens stopped.

The silence was deafening. Nopony made a sound, not even the pegasus. Moon Shine stood motionless at the terminal, her hoof still over the button that had cancelled the alert. She started to relax, and the business side of her resurfaced.

“Okay, we can’t stay here much longer. The ghoul from the gate will be wondering what’s going on.” She looked distastefully at the skeleton’s barding. “Hate doing this, but that gear is too valuable to pass up.” She started levitating it off the corpse, then looked to me pleading.

Fine. Get whatever you need from here, I will secure this. She thanked me and set about looting the room. I looked down at the skeleton and the barding it wore. It was designed to fit a unicorn, judging by the horn sticking out of the black helmet. Lifting the corpse to get at the various buckles and straps, I noticed how light it was. There was very little actual protection on this yellow and black suit. I levitated the bones out of the old gear and placed them in the corner of the room, piling them up. I left the skull on top, giving the office a rather macabre feel.

Moon Shine cursed at a locked cabinet and turned back. I offered her the barding. “Great. I’ll get it painted when we’re back in town, Primer has some in the back room.” She took it in her magic, and hesitated. “Could you, y’know, wait outside a minute?”

Why?

“I’m gonna change.”

I do not mind. The equine form is nothing to be ashamed of. She stared at me.

“Alicorn?”

Yes?

“Get out.”

Moon Shine, the pegasus and I all made our way up to the building directly above the security office. This place was significantly less extravagant than the Fancy House, the furniture was cheaper and there were mere lights instead of chandeliers. My bags were getting heavy with all of the knick knacks that Moon Shine was collecting. Was glue really that valuable?

“Okay, I see no reason why this won’t work. I have the card, the tools from maintenance and even the uniform.” She examined her legs in the yellow undersuit. “And if it all goes to shit, at least you’ll be able to see me!” She chuckled, but I didn’t share it. I was feeling uneasy about this. “Yes, well. First we find a turret. Should be easy enough.”

The three of us walked out into the open and were greeted by the resort’s decor. More clouds had rolled in while we were inside, giving the stone architecture a sinister shadow. Without light, the statues turned from old world guardians to reminders of what ponykind was able to inflict. My eyes scanned the courtyard, looking for the sharp red eyes that indicated a targeting talisman. The oppressive gloom was unable to shroud the glare from an earth pony statue’s podium, and I pointed to it for Moon Shine. She nodded and made her way across, floating the maintenance tools and security card alongside her.

I waited inside with the pegasus; there was no need for me to be out there. I found my eyes drawn toward the gate, where the ghoul greeter stood at his post. The blood seeping out of his neck had started to dry, giving him a crimson collar. He did not move, didn’t even blink. His world had been destroyed and he had clung to the thing that kept him stable, the thing that made him who he was: his job. When I gave these memories to Unity, they would not know him by name. They would know him as the Lake Fancy ghoul.

The pegasus nudged me and pointed towards the gate with his nose. Yes, I know. It is rather sad. He did not seem satisfied, continuing to nudge me. I cannot help him! Unity cannot take ghouls; they are incompatible. I ignored his incessant distractions and turned my attention to Moon Shine. She had opened a panel, very cleverly hidden on the statue, and was very slowly picking her way through the interior. I heard a click, and she froze. Seconds passed, and she hadn’t been vaporised. She untensed and hesitantly levitated a small, red talisman from inside the stone. Such a small thing…

She carried it back into our building, and we hid ourselves again. Very well done, Moon Shine. She grinned at me, floating the treasure into her saddlebag.

“Thought I’d tripped an alarm there. I had to cut a wire to shut off the matrix, and all the wires were the same!” She waved her hooves about, presumably trying to emphasise the point. “I’m not sure I can do another one.”

Come now. There is no harm in trying. If you come across the same situation again, then we can stop. I looked into her eyes. Do you know that they are all wired the same way?

She shuffled uncomfortably. “Well, no…”

Then you can try another one. If, after starting, you find it too much of a risk, then we have lost nothing for the attempt. I smiled at her. That is what you do when trying to convince ponies, right?

“Well, alright. I’ll try one more.” I gave her a, hopefully, reassuring tap on the shoulder as she went back out into the gloom. The pegasus was growing ever more frantic, and it was beginning to unnerve me. He kept pointing towards the greeter. Was he worried that he would turn against us?

I looked out of the door to check on Moon Shine. She swiped her card on a reader near the statue’s base, then got her tools out to remove the panel. She may claim to be untrained, but she definitely had a knack. The greeter was as still as ever, vacant eyes glazing over a vacant resort.

He moved.

He moved to the large iron gate. Moon Shine! He locked his hooves into the huge handle and pulled, stretching too little skin over too much flesh. As more of his blood seeped out, the gate opened entirely. Standing in the archway was a pair of ponies. One, a unicorn, was wearing red robes and levitating a clipboard. The other was fully encased. Steel covered their hide from head to tail, with a respirator and visor on their face. At their sides, in a battle saddle, were a shotgun and grenade launcher. My heart fell into an abyss of fear.

They were Steel Rangers.

Missiles on the left!

Down.

Fire!

Moon Shine, get out of there. We cannot fight this! To my horror, she looked at me like I was crazy and revealed herself to them! The Ranger marched straight up to my companion while the assistant conversed with the greeter. If only my ears were better, I could hear them!

“Greetings scavenger!” The Ranger stallion’s magically assisted voice boomed over the resort. “We are the Steel Rangers, defenders of Equestria! Protectors of the meek!” He stepped closer. “Friend to the common. We thank you for your aid in penetrating this pre-war establishment and unlocking the bounty within for the good of us all!”

“By ‘us all’, do you mean me or you?” You go girl. Insult him before he turns us into red mist.

The Ranger let out a hearty guffaw. “Hah! You make a fine jest, my filly. No, this place will be used for the good of all ponykind, as well you must know!” He turned on the spot, surveying his surroundings. His assistant was making her way to him, furiously taking notes. “You have done us a service, and you will be rewarded! Any scrap you have acquired from Steel Ranger property is yours to keep, once you share your knowledge with us!”

Careful. He’s tricking you.

“That’s a -”

The Ranger held out his armoured hoof, silencing my companion. “Oh! But where are my manners?” Moon Shine made an angry, scrunchy face. “You must introduce us to your companions over there!” Goddess help me, he pointed to the building the pegasus and I were hiding in. “My scanners tell me that they are friendlies, so I assume that they are with you.”

Moon hesitated before answering. “My… friends are uncomfortable around Steel Rangers. They had a bad experience with the ones down south.”

“Ah, the mountain chapter. Terrible displays.” The red-robed unicorn facehoofed. “Then I shall do my duty to my order and reconnect with the common ponies!” He boomed his intention far louder than was necessary, and began his march to our hideaway.

“That really won’t be -” Moon Shine tried to buy us time, but the Ranger did not even slow.

“Nonsense!” I searched frantically for a place a hide and instructed the pegasus to do the same. “I will accept nothing less, for I have sworn a sacred oath! The Steel Rangers are Equestria’s finest, and I will not allow ponies to fear us!” A door! It was a step in the right direction. I yanked it open with my magic and fled inside, the pegasus right on my flank. “Worry not, fair citizens! I am coming in!” I slammed the door shut behind me and winced as a mop fell on my head.

“Oh, deary me. Hiding in the broom closet?” I was going to die. His heavy hoofsteps resounded through the wooden floor. I heard him get closer, and closer. “I am going to open the door. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t hurt you.” He was almost here… wait.

“You… promise?” I tried to make my voice higher, tried to disguise the weight that hung on my words. “You swear that you will not harm us?” If he put as much stock in oaths as it appeared…

“I swear that unless you threaten or attack myself or my brothers, I will see no harm done to you.” He sounded genuine, but I’d never negotiated with one of these killers before. “Now, I am opening the door.” I didn’t breath as the doorknob turned. The wooden door opened, revealing the armoured soldier before me. Neither of us moved for seconds. I stared into his visor, and I felt him staring back. His weapons hung at his side, both pointed directly at me. A single grenade would destroy me…

“I will make myself very, very clear.” Gone was his bravado, replaced by a grim determination. “I will follow my oath to the letter. If you do not threaten or attack me or my brothers, I will see no harm done to you.” He leaned in closer, and I pushed back against the wall. “But one slip, one hint that you will cause problems, and I will tear you apart.” He took a step forwards, and I could go no further back. “Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

I stared down at the Steel Ranger, feeling tiny. Yes. He pulled back, and I dropped back to my hooves. After another moment of staring, he turned and marched out. There was much less gusto in the way he moved than before.

The pegasus stared up at me, his eyes wide. His knees were shaking. Shh, it’s okay. Everything is okay now. He didn’t stop shaking, but his nerves were at least calmed somewhat. Gathering myself, I cautiously came out of the broom closet and out of the building. The Steel Ranger was talking to his companion in a low voice, and she recoiled upon seeing me. I saw her magic field around the beam pistol on her side, but the Ranger stopped her.

Moon Shine was standing next to me, looking worried. “I don’t know what their problem with you is, but drink a soda.” I stared at her. “Drink one! They look at you like you’re a monster, and monsters don’t drink soda.” A ludicrous sentiment, but worth trying. I started to levitate a bottle out of my bag, and the Ranger snapped his guns onto me. I froze. Then, I slowly lifted the rest of the bottle out, letting him see what I had. I popped the cap and took my first sip, grateful for the calming, rejuvenative drink. “When we’re done here, you need to tell me what their problem with you is. For now, I’ll give them what they want and we’ll be off.” She started to move back to them, but stopped. “Hold onto this.” She gave me the talisman and I stuffed it straight into my bag. “Don’t want them discovering we have it.”

I stood in the middle of the courtyard with my Sparke-Cola and the pegasus. The Steel Ranger, whose name I’d discovered to be Parmesan, stood at the gate, watching both outside and me. Moon Shine was showing Shortbread, the blue unicorn assistant, how to remove the talismans from the turrets. She’d tried to keep as many as she could, but the angry unicorn had refused every request. My presence had removed all of Moon’s bargaining chips. I was grateful to her quick thinking for having me hold the first one, the Rangers would likely have taken that too had Moon Shine been holding it.

Truth be told, I was actually managing to be bored. I wasn’t trusted to stand watch outside, nor was I allowed to roam free within the resort’s halls. I was incapable of assisting the two unicorns with their technical work, so I simply stood here with the pegasus ghoul. It was odd; I had remained motionless for hours on end while in Unity, but never had I experienced boredom like this. I could not converse with Moon Shine for fear of distracting her, and the pegasus made very bad conversation.

Do you like it here? He stared back blankly. Do you have any way of communicating at all? He sniffed at a patch of dead grass, then recoiled away from it. I glanced at the bottle floating next to me. Want some Sparkle-Cola? His ears perked up and he took the bottle in his mouth as I offered it. He downed its contents in seconds. Oh my, I see I am not the only one who appreciates a good soda. I chuckled, resisting the urge to pet him. Despite how he may behave he was still a pony, not an animal. I wonder if you would like a name. He cocked his head at me. I think Moon Shine would get annoyed if I called you ‘Pegasus’. He hoofed the tiles, clearly agreeing. How about, ‘Death Dasher’? That’s a fierce name! I hadn’t seen him ever look quite so disgruntled before. Fine. I levitated out another Sparkle-Cola and took a sip.

What do you think of Fizz? He looked at me, apparently thinking. He turned his gaze to my soda, then to the sky, then back at me. Then, in a creepy display I had no wish to see again, Fizz smiled. Welcome to the family.

“That’s all of them in the courtyard. I think there are more in the tunnels, but they’re of your standard ‘pop-out-and-shoot-you’ kind. You’re on your own with those.” Moon Shine and Shortbread were walking over to me, and I quickly finished my cola.

“Very well. The Steel Rangers officially thank you for your time. Your name and likeness have been recorded on a list of cooperative citizens.” Shortbread gave the impression of someone who had given that line many times and cared about it never. “Please vacate Steel Ranger property imme-”

Parmesan’s thunderous hooves stomped towards us, his magically assisted voice barely reaching over them. “Raiders!”

Shortbread turned and, for the first time, I saw fear on her face. “What class and how many?”

“Stable dwellers, at least fifteen. We cannot overpower them with just us two, and our tactics are broken by their E.F.S.” I heard worry on the imposing figure’s voice, and I felt wonderful schadenfreude at my enemy’s fear. It was quickly squashed when I realised that the raiders were my problem too.

“Damn it, if we hadn’t been so fast gutting those turrets, we could just leave it to them.” She looked around, assessing the tactical situation. “How long do we have?”

“Minutes at best. I could lay some mines at the entrance, but -”

“But their PipBucks will let them interface with and loot them.”

The two Rangers continued their hurried discussion. They seemed to put a lot of stock on these Stable dwellers. I looked at the Steel Ranger emblem on the stallion’s armour. That sword symbolised the biggest resistance to the Goddess in all of Equestria. There was no way I could do this, no way I would do this! This Ranger alone had probably slain a number of my sisters, and would do so again! But how could I bring my new knowledge back to Unity if I died here? I took in a deep breath, and exhaled.

I can help you.

The two Rangers stopped. “Excuse me?” Shortbread asked, her voice laced with danger.

I can help you. Fizz and Moon Shine too, if you would let us. Moon Shine mouthed ‘Fizz?’ at me, but I ignored her for now.

“We do not accept aid from monsters! Stay out of our way, and -”

“Okay.” Parmesan interrupted Shortbread, gaining an evil glare from the unicorn. “We will accept your aid.”

“Paladin, this goes against every rule in the book!”

“Scribe Shortbread, I’m afraid I must pull rank. I order you to accept aid from this alicorn!” She stuttered and fumed, glaring at him, then me, then back at him. Just when I thought she was about to snap, she adopted a strange calm.

“Okay. In that case, here is my plan.” She quickly explained her battle plan, making extensive use of both me and Fizz. After checking that everypony knew their part, she and Moon Shine made their way into separate buildings to give the rest of us cover. Shortbread did look rather frail, after all. I instructed the pegasus on what to do, and he managed to understand that he was to wait on the Fancy House for my signal. It had taken some effort, but he understood.

That left me and Parmesan in the courtyard. I looked over the Steel Ranger’s armaments, which suddenly seemed much less formidable now that I was having to rely on them. I felt him look me over, feeling the same way. Our eyes locked for a moment.

“The ponies back at base will never believe this.”

Unity will also doubt this tale.

In that moment, I couldn’t help but laugh. He did too, and we shared the calm before the storm. With how this Ranger, how we were acting, was it possible for us to work together? The moment was short lived as Shortbread shouted her command to the pair of us. No, our goals, our philosophies, were too different. For now though, we marched side by side to the closed iron gate. The greeter was still in his place, unwavering.

“Citizen. You should hide yourself; the resort is to be attacked by zebra spies momentarily.” Parmesan’s voice was full of concern, muffled though it was through his speakers. The ghoul nodded quickly and fled to the nearest building. Parmesan turned back to me, “Pre-War ghouls remember the Steel Rangers as the ultimate military authority, next to Applejack or Luna herself. Makes dealing with them, even ferals, much easier.”

I nodded. When we arrived, he mistook me for a princess. I imagine our entry would have been significantly more hostile had he not. We shared a look and nodded.

I had not waited for battle in some time. I had fought, yes. I had started battles. Waiting for one that you knew was going to happen was something else entirely. Savouring each second that passes because you know that they will become precious once the fighting starts. I couldn’t hear the approaching raiders, but Parmesan apparently could. “They’ve hit the bridge. Get ready.”

He shifted his stance and I raised my shield. We stood just five meters from the gate. When it opened, all Tartarus would be let loose and we would be playing the role of Cerberus. The iron barrier swung on its giant hinges…

There was a simultaneous thwump and roar as Parmesan unloaded his weapons into the oncoming swarm, and I accompanied him with magical bolts. Under the ferocious onslaught the attacking ponies were driven back almost instantly, scrambling for cover. They all wore black security barding, and they lacked the ingrained filth of wastelanders. They may not be seasoned fighters, but they were healthy, well-equipped and numerous. In seconds they were firing back with powerful automatics.

Moving in almost perfect unison, the Ranger and I steadily retreated back, slowly allowing the raiders ground in the resort. Bullets ricocheted off my shield and Parmesan’s armour as we slowly gave death back. I was firing fewer and fewer shots as I focused my energy on keeping my shield active, and the attackers were noticing the flickers in my protection. We were back fifteen meters from the entrance, and we shifted our retreat to the right. Hopefully they wouldn’t figure it out…

We were finally back far enough to take cover behind statues. I hid behind a rearing earth pony, letting my shield drop to recharge. Parmesan was still firing from his cover. As the last of the raiders entered the resort, the Ranger started focusing his grenades to the left of them, stopping them from entering too much further. We were doing it…

“They’re trapping us here!” One of the raiders shouted. “Get out, there’s more of them!” Another replied. As one tried to flee back out of the entrance, the iron gate slammed shut. I thought I caught a glimpse of a bright yellow tail flicking out of the way outside. “Fuck!”

Nice work, Moon. I felt a surge of pride and power. I raised my shield once more, stepping out into the raiders line of fire. Fizz, now! I unleashed spear after spear into the assembled ponies. Their armour dissipated the worst of the attack, but it was still enough to disorient. As they staggered about, a fleshy blur slammed into them. I was amazed at how quickly he turned, at how he kept his speed. His unarmed hooves were dealing little damage, but that wasn’t the point.

“Ten seconds!” Parmesan shouted, pushing me to up my game. The Ranger’s suppressive fire was keeping most of them pinned, Fizz’s presence was keeping them distracted. There were some, however, that tried to scatter, and I would not allow it. Lightning flashed from my horn each time one attempted escape. One, two. I felt a dull ache at the base of my horn. Three, four, five. They collectively shuffled to the wall. Six. My vision started to blur. Seven.

From the window above, Shortcake’s head appeared. Floating alongside it was a pair of plasma grenades. She smirked and dropped them into the crowd. Everypony froze as the apples hit the ground. Nopony fired a shot, knowing the battle was over. Seconds passed.

“They’re duds! Atta-” I fired one last lightning bolt at the grenade. It sparked, then exploded in a brilliant burst of pink plasma. I couldn’t shield my mind from the mental screams of the dying Stable ponies. They dug in. They hurt. My shield failed as their minds failed to function in their dying moment. And then, it was done.

Where there had once been more than a dozen pastel coloured, bloodthirsty ponies, there was now a puddle of pink goo and body parts. To my horror, some of the severed legs still twitched. Parmesan approached the dead. He appraised them sombrely, bowing his head. “What a waste of life.” And once again, I agreed with him. Fizz gingerly appeared by my side, nudging me gently. I reciprocated the gesture, comforting the startled ghoul.

Why… why were they like this? They’d had no combat sense at all. No sign of a leader, no synchronisation, nothing.

“The raiders of Stable 29 are a plague that is easily treated. Their overstocked armoury, mandatory fitness regime and brutal political system has led to raiders like these appearing all over Vanhoover.” He poked around some of the melted equipment that remained. “They use their health and equipment to bully their way into other raider gangs usually. But despite all their advantages over the average scumbag, they are still untrained thugs.” He turned and we met visor to eyes. “No match for trained fighters.”

Despite all I had done, it felt uncomfortable to think of myself as a ‘trained fighter’. What happens now?

“Now?” He sighed and walked to face me. Shortbread and Moon Shine had returned from their positions, and were cautiously watching the pair of us. We stood off against each other, neither budging. I knew that, if he so wished, he could destroy me. The powerful ache emanating from my horn further reinforced the fact. He raised a hoof and I tensed. As he removed his helmet, the tension dissipated.

Parmesan was an ugly stallion. He was vomit yellow with a sickly pale green mane and moustache. His muzzle had been broken many times, and his scarred eyes were milky. As he placed his helmet on the ground, he extended his armoured hoof towards me. It took me a moment to recognise the situation. I shook his hoof with my own, and we nodded to each other.

“Never imagined I would fight alongside one of your kind.”

Nor did I think I would do so with one of you.

“For what it’s worth, that magic was very impressive.”

Thank you. Your precision was a marvel to behold.

My ear twitched, and I heard Moon Shine giggle. “Will those two just kiss already?” she whispered to Shortbread. Parmesan had heard too, and the look on the two Rangers’ faces was priceless. I found myself laughing along with Moon Shine at the absurdity of the situation. Before too long, Parmesan joined in and Shortbread marched off in a huff.

“Don’t mind her. She takes her job very seriously.” His voice sounded much richer when he was laughing. “I understand you were about to leave before the raiders showed up.”

Moon Shine coughed conspicuously. “That’s what we were told.”

“I see.” He frowned in apology. “I’m already going to be hit by the book when we get back for not shooting you on sight, so I’d rather not give them more fuel by letting you stay. Before you go, I have a question.” He was looking solely at me, and Moon Shine had the courtesy to not butt in.

Yes?

“What is your name? When I tell this story, I would like to call you something other than ‘the alicorn’.” He chuckled.

I’m afraid I must disappoint you, he raised an eyebrow, because that is my name. I am Alicorn.

Footnote: Level up!

New Perk: Powerful Caster

Looks like that bone on your head isn’t just for show. Your spells are more powerful than before.