Fallout: Equestria - Remembrance

by Pwincess Twiwee

Chapter 1: A New Story Begins

“So this, this is what the war caused.” I said to myself as I ventured forth, making my way to that ruined town in the distance. “So much destruction. It’s amazing anypony survived.”

Humming a tune to myself as I made my way down the road, taking a moment every now and then to the shack that I had just left, watching as it faded farther and farther into the distance as that town grew nearer. Sighing to myself as she stopped, sitting down and taking a moment to look up to the sky with a soft smile.

“I know I haven’t gone far, and this all is a lot to take in so soon, but I hope you’re up there in Elysium father, and that you’re looking down on me proud of me.” I said softly, simulated emotions or not these were more than I could handle.

“Hey there, who you talking to.” A curious voice said from behind me, making me jump before I spun round to face the source. Seeing a young dragon walking up the path behind me, the way she was rubbing at her wings she must of just been flying.

“Just, no one - I guess.” I said softly and turned away. “What’s the big idea, just dropping in like that.”

“Sure seemed like you were talking to someone.” The dragon added. “So, where you going then? Everyone is going somewhere.”

“I don’t know, I just left a bunker. I’ve never been topside before.” I said, looking back at that dragon with a glare.

“Ah, FoB I see.” The dragon said. “Can call me Midas, not my real name but it doesn’t matter.”

“Sweetie. Sweetie Belle.” I said back, gaze of concern and mistrust turning to more of confusion and curiosity. “So, why suddenly stop and talk to me? And what does FoB even mean!”

“Fresh out of the Bunker, and simple, because you’re the only one around for miles, and my wings were tired and I was feeling kinda lonely.” Midas said. “Not to mention, you’re clearly not flesh and blood, so it’s probably safer to be around you then anyone else. What I need you don’t and vice versa.”

“You do have a point.” I said with a sigh and a shake of my head. “Look, I don’t mind you walking with me, or talking with me, but do kind of be mindful that I don’t know you, and I’m not about to be buddy buddy with you out of the blue.”

“Woah, relax there. No need to get servos or circuits burnt out because of me.” Midas said with a laugh. “You’re just a standard android, nothing more, nothing less, you have no value to me - Though you can be of help.”

“I knew it, you aren’t just here to alleviate some loneliness.” I said with a roll of my eyes and a shake of my head.

“Hey, you scratch my back I scratch yours, right?” Midas said with a laugh. “Look, there is a stable near here, I can’t get in there’s some sort of biological lock forcefield thing around the door.”

“What do you want me to do then.” I said sarcastically. “No promises that it’ll let me through.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong my metalic friend, you have nothing biological about you, not even valid life signs, To that forcefield, you don’t exist.” Midas said with a smirk. “Pipbuck, got one from a stable dweller back east, didn’t pick you up till I was nearly on top of you.” The dragoness said, holding her tail in front of her displaying the device.

“Okay, and what makes you think that changes things about the forcefield.” I said with a sigh and grumble.

“Simple, you and this rock here have a lot in common.” Midas said, picking up a rock as we passed it. “And just like this rock, you’ll pass right through that barrier and have access to the stable door.”

“You’ve thrown rocks at the barrier?” I said, looking at her with a quirked brow.

“Rocks, cans, small animals, yeah.” Midas said with a shrug.

“Small Animals, Really.” I said with a look of disgust and disbelief.

“Still a dragon you know, I didn’t hurt any of them, they just kind of bounced off it.” Midas said with a chuckle. “Kind of fun looking if you ask me, maybe you could make a trampoline out of that forcefield, if you could figure out how to make it yourself.”

“But that’s so cruel, how could you do that to defenseless little critters.” I said with a grumple.

“Dra-gon.” Midas said with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. “Geez, you really must be new if you don’t know that pretty much every dragon ever hasn’t exactly been nice, well, minus one - but that’s a special case.”

“You mean Spike, don’t you.” I said stopping, for the first time looking at that dragoness, her amber scales shining in the daylight, piercing blue eyes looking back at me, even her crest looked less like scales and more like a mane. There was something off about this dragon, and it just intrigued me more and more as time went on.

“Yeah, I mean Spike.” Midas said with a roll of her eyes and a huff. “Look, are you going to help me or not. It could mean a good payday for the both of us if you do.”

“Uh, as you pointed out, I’m an android.” I said giving my head a shake. “So, I think you mean you’ll get a good payday, I’ll get nothing because money is of no value to me.”

“You say that now, but give it time - when you get to a hotel and need a safe place to rest where scrappers aren’t going to think you’re a pile of goodies for them to dig through, or you need some more ammo or that new gun.” Midas said with a chuckle.

“Don’t need to sleep, and my weapons systems do not use ammunition nor are they compatible with any available wasteland firearm.” I pointed out, looking back to the large doors on my back. “So again, what would I need with money.”

“Well, you run on some sort of coolant or fluid, right?” Midas asked, an increasingly confused look coming over her face, I guess this might be the first time she has found something in the wasteland that has no need to be selfish.

“Well, I do have my coolant, and my hydraulic systems…” I said, thinking on it for a second. “But they are handled much like your circulatory system, if a leak forms it self seals, though I suppose if a line ruptured that self healing wouldn’t be able to fix it…” Stopping in my tracks and thinking for a moment, in a way, she was right, what if I needed money for those repairs, surely I couldn’t do it on my own with just scrap laying around could I?

“Aha, and there we have it, a reason for you to need money.” Midas said in a matter of fact tone and a very sure look coming across her face. “So, does that mean I can count on you to help.”

“Fine, under one condition, no hurting anypony that might be in that stable.” I said, glaring at her as we started to walk again.

“What ponies? That stable was a abysmal failure.” Midas said with a shrug. “Just an automated signal now that plays a recording every year, something to do with remembrance, why any one would need that beats me.”

“There is an old saying, older than time it seems.” I said softly, looking to that Town as it grows nearer and nearer. “To know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been.” Giving a sigh to that dragon. “And to forget your history, is to doom it to repeat.”

“So, remember the past so that you don’t make the same mistakes in the future? Sounds legit.” Midas said with a shrug. Clearly she didn’t believe in such things, perhaps it was just the dragon way, or maybe there was something in this dragons past she would much rather ignore and forget then continue on remembering.

The remainder of the trip to the township was rather uneventful and quiet, I couldn’t help as we neared the settlement I couldn’t see much in the way of activity, or damage. It seemed rather odd to me straight off the bat, everything I had been programed with told me to expect the rotting remains of society everywhere I look, yet this town looked untouched by both war, and passage of time.

“So, uh…” I said finally, looking to Midas. “What do you know of this town?”

“It’s called Littlehorn, there used to be a school of magic here, one ran by one of the old world princesses for the talented and gifted.” Midas said, giving a yawn and a stretch, clearly bored with all this walking.

“You mean Princess Luna.” I said. “I am aware of the massacre that happened in that school, this township was the population it was serving?”

“Not exactly.” Midas said, looking at me “This town is inhabited by Thestrals, ponies that have very bat like features, the old Night Guard.”

“Oh?” I said, looking at the town again for any activity. “I don’t see anything or any pony up out there.”

“Night ponies, they are nocturnal, its midday, they’re all sleeping.” Midas said with a groan. “Geez, we really need to get you up to speed, I feel like I am foal sitting.”

“You used to foal sit?” I asked, ears perking and smiling at that dragon, perhaps she did have a softer side.

“Yeah, I used to hang around this Tower, a bunch of nut jobs run it, They stuck me in a daycare in my off hours to watch over the foals, something about being naturally very motherly or something like that.” Midas said with a shrug and a slight look of disgust. “I never want to see another drooling face or dirty diaper ever again.”

“Good thing you’re a dragon then, right?” I said with a coy smirk. “Dragons hatch almost like miniature versions of their adult selves, and have a majority of the skills and instincts they are going to need from birth, unlike ponies which have to learn it all.”

“Not exactly, but I am not getting into the birds and the bees of dragons, not right now.” Midas said with a groan before she stopped short in her tracks, I stopped with her and looked to where she was staring, Up in the hills, a structure could be seen, surrounded by a pink haze. “The school…”

“May Elysium welcome them” I said softly and looked to Midas. “You alright? You seem a bit more shaken.”

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Midas said, looking to me and giving a half hearted smile. “Just, all those fillies and colts, It gets to me you know? Young ones with their lives taken from them before they ever really had a chance to live.”

“It is sad, this is true. However, remembering them and honoring their memory is the best thing we can do now.” I said, trying my best to be reassuring. “So, where is this stable?”

“Under the tavern in town.” Midas said with a sigh as we started to slowly walk again. “Even after everything, that megaspell being set off to heal the land, that School still radiates that evil cloud.”

“Perhaps the mountains shielded this area from the effects? Or perhaps there is something more at play in that building, something that helped it come back.” I said, pondering some. I slowed as we walked past the welcome sign for the Town, it was painted a dark shade of blue, the lettering bright white, overlaying a crescent moon, Words saying ‘Welcome to Littlehorn Valley.’

“I feel like I’m walking into a tomb.” Midas said with a groan. “I hate tombs.”

“I thought you said you’ve been here before?” I said, with a questioning gaze.

“I have, but it was dark, and the Thestrals were active and doing stuff, the town is so deathly quiet during the day.” Midas said looking to me. “What, I might be mean and cruel, but I’m not a liar.”

“If you say so.” I said with a roll of my eyes and a shake of my head. “So, if the Thestrals are only active at night, then how do you expect to get into the Tavern?”

“I did a favor for the tavern owner, in exchange he gave me a key to the tavern so I could go to the Stable whenever I want.” Midas said with a chuckle. “Don’t ask, I’m not telling.”

“Wasn’t going to. What you do in your off time is your own business.” I said with a groan and a shake of my head, I didn’t even want to think about what favor she could of given to get such access. “So, I guess you’re going to want to use your ill gotten gains immediately, before the tavern owner can change his mind?”

“How did you guess?” Midas said with a chuckle as she stopped in front of a large wooden building, the only sign on it was that of a beer mug. Giving a shrug thinking maybe there could only be so many that not every structure needed a unique name.

Midas walked to the door, using a key she pulled from a pouch on her satchel to unlock the door, slipping inside quietly before she waved a claw to encourage me to follow. I could smell the scent of alcohol on the air wafting out of the tavern. Giving a sigh I followed.

“Alright, so… downstairs then?” I said quietly, looking around at the empty room, watching Midas sneak around trying to not make much noise at all.

“Yeah, downstairs - right through this do-” Midas said, before she was cut off by the sound of a male’s voice behind us.

“Oh hello there sweet cheeks.” He said, smiling at Midas. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon, looking for another round?” The way he carried himself, the way he talked, I had an idea what he meant but I really didn’t want to inquire further. “And you brought a friend, how lovely.”

“Oh, hey there Nightshade, uh… No, not really.” Midas said, rather nervously. “I need to go visit the stable right quick, and then I really need to be on my way.” Quickly making her way to the door, only to be stopped by an outstretched leathery wing.

“Playing hard to get I see.” Nightshade said with a smirk. “Alright missy, you can go visit the stable, but I expect you in my bedchamber this evening, I need a good wake up call” Moving his wing and clearing the door before he started up the stairs, he kept looking back at Midas with an infatuated look.

“Seems you have an admirer.” I said with a laugh. “Coltfriend or something?”

“Just. A. Favor.” Midas said, running a claw across her face. “Nothing more.”

We made our way down the stairs, and into the darkness that was the basement of this old building, I stopped as Midas lit a lamp and revealed that large gear shaped door. In awe I stared at it, it was impressive, even from the outside. Painted and slighting engraved on the monolith of a door was the number 15, Stable 15.

Midas pointed to the control panel, and then slipped her pipbuck off her tail and held it out to me. “You’re going to need this to open the door and shut down the forcefield.” She said, I could see it in her face that she was begrudgingly giving it to me, there was importance to this little piece of technology, even if she didn’t willfully admit it.

“Alright, well, I don’t see any forcefield now.” I said, looking around, I could see rocks and cans and a few beer mugs near the door, presumably some of the items that Midas had thrown. “Are you sure it’s really there?”

“It’s there, trust me it is.” Midas said, giving a groan. “Could you go before Nightshade gets impatient and comes down here looking for me?”

“Yeah yeah.” With a groan I started to approach the door, I could hear a magical hum and the closer I got the door the more the air started to fizzle and crackle with magical energy. Just a few feet from the door now, I started to see little paw prints in the mud of the floor that all suddenly stopped with a few smear marks, apparently where they had fallen.

“Well, here it goes..” I said, closing my eyes as I impacted the forcefield, at first it provided resistance, but after my head was through I walked through it without any difficulty. “Huh, guess you were right.”

“Yeah yeah, open the door and shut off the system already.” Midas said, getting increasingly impatient with me. Walking over to the yellow panel next to the door, looking at it and then back to Midas.

“First, some answers.” I said, sitting next to the panel and looking at that dragoness.

“Whatever.” Midas said with a groan. “What is it now.”

“What happened to this stable, and what is in it that you want so much.” I asked.

“The stable used an experimental power system, alright? Based on the megaspell framework.” Midas said, giving a growl at me. “They had a breach of containment and the Stable was filled with radiation, all ponies inside died.”

I stopped, and looked at the door, this place was a tomb and I started to have second thoughts about opening that door.

“Alright, next question, what is in there that you want so badly.” I questioned.

Midas had a bit of reluctance at first, before she groaned and shrugged. “Fine, you win, its the power system, the schematics are in the stable still and I have a buyer up in the New Canterlot Republic that is going to pay big caps if I can get it.”

“So, you’re a tomb raider.” I said, crossing my forelegs.

“I am a broker, I sell information, schematics, and technology.” Midas said, anger welling up in her voice. “Sometimes, I have to go chasing after some information or technology, no big deal, it’s all about that next payday.”

“And if I don’t want to let you in? This place is a crypt for all those who died in it, it isn’t right to just desecrate their final resting grounds like this.” I said with a growl of my own.

“What happened in there is a tragedy, just like what happened up in the School was a tragedy, but what is the point of leaving valuable technology locked behind closed doors all for a little bit of ideology” Midas said, starting to plead with me just to open the door.

“Ideology is what separates us from savages.” I said, looking at that panel again, giving a sigh. Maybe there was more that could be gotten out of this stable, maybe I could find out some of the stories of what happened here, and be able to share it with others so that the fate of Stable 15 is remembered, and honored.

“So what, dragons are savages to you then? Because we don’t honor the dead like you ponies do.” Midas said, quite obviously livid with me now.

“No! I mean, kind of, your ways are a lot more savage then how we ponies behave.” I said, facehoofing and sighing. “Fine, I’ll open the door, under one condition.”

“What now.” Midas said, pressing claws against that barrier. I could only imagine what she wanted to do to me right now, if looks could kill I’d be dead and in a million pieces already.

“Two conditions, actually.” I said, to which Midas’ eye twitched, but she had no choice but to accept, not only did I have her pipbuck, but I was her only chance to get in. “First, you can’t hurt me any, and second, we investigate deeper into the stable, and find out exactly what happened.”

“Fine, Now just open the door!” Midas said, starting to lose her temper.

Without delay I levitated up the Pipbuck, pulling a plug from it and plugging it into the door’s controller, causing a plastic panel to lift and a button to illuminate. Looking at Midas, who kept motioning to press the button, I gave a sigh and did as instructed. Pressing the button an alarm started to blare, as the door hissed and banged as it was moved, starting to roll aside before the pipbuck started to click loudly and rapidly, after a few moments it died down and the forcefield dropped.

“Give me that.” Midas said, snatching her pipbuck out of my aura and storming into the Stable. As she walked she put the device back on her tail like before, completely unfazed by the clicking still audible from her pipbuck.

“Uh, isn’t that clicking a bad thing?” I asked, following closely behind.

“For ponies yes, but just like lava, dragons are more resistant to this kind of magical contamination.” Midas replied, as she kept going forward I stopped to investigate in drawers and doors.

“Most of these doors are locked tight…” I commented, sighing softly. “How do you intend to get to the schematics when the stable is locked down?”

“Simple, lift the lockdown.” Midas said with a shrug. “Look, if you want you can chicken out now, I’m not stopping till I get those blueprints.”

“Well, why is the stable in lockdown to begin with?” I asked, catching up and staying close.

“It’s the primary containment protocol, unique to this stable.” Midas said, as she pointed to a window ahead. “Most stables don’t have to watch their radiation like this, but because this thing was powered by a hung spell, the slightest breach in containment would make the whole stable go into lockdown.”

“Well, if you lift it, with the leak still going and radiation still present, wouldn’t it just lockdown again.” I asked, as we neared the window I looked inside, a large spherical chamber, with a bright orange ball hung in the middle, I could feel the surging of magical energy coming from it.

“It’s called a manual override for a reason.” Midas said with a groan. “And before you ask why they didn’t try it, it’s because only the overmare had the key to override a stable radiation lockdown, and was the only one with authority to open and seal doors.”

“So, she was the only one able to move around the stable in a lockdown, she had to brave the radiation to get where she needed to go to clear the stable, or evacuate the citizens.” I said, staring at that brightly glowing orange ball. “She didn’t make it, did she.”

“No one knows.” Midas said, looking through that window as well, but instead of up at the ball, down to the floor, looking to see if she could see any sign of the schematics. “I guess considering the stable is still in lockdown, that she never made it to give the all clear or evacuation orders.”

“Or maybe she did.” a voice over the loudspeakers said. “Why have you come here?”

“For your booty, ante up.” Midas said with a chuckle. “Actually, I was told there is schematics for the stable’s power system somewhere inside, and was offered a very large sum of caps to find and recover it.”

“I see.” The voice said. “As you may of guessed, I am the overmare of Stable 15.”

“But, everypony in here is dead.” I said, confused and slightly alarmed.

“Not everypony.” The overmare corrected. “When the radiation became too much, I was locked into the Stable’s server room, through my pipbuck and a experimental Robronco interface, I uploaded myself into the maneframe of the stable to escape death and the take control of the systems.”

“The manual override?” Midas asked, scratching at her head.

“Not quite, the manual override did not respond to command. The stable stayed locked down and everypony outside of the core shielding perished.” The overmare said, sadness evident in her voice. “That was, a very long time ago.”

“I see.” I said, looking down and thinking to myself. “Well, Me and Midas aren’t susceptible to the radiation like the stable dwellers were, could you open the doors and let us get what we’re here for?”

There was silence, I suppose the overmare was thinking. After a few moments of me and Midas just kind of looking at each other and to the nearest speaker, before we could hear the banging from doors as the locks were lifted. The overmare never spoke, or told us anything more, but she is letting us into her home, into her tomb.

Some time had passed, Midas and I scoured several rooms before heading deeper and deeper into the stable, every now and then I swear I could hear shuffling and the sound of hoofsteps behind us. The deeper we went the more I heard, eventually we found ourselves on the bottom floor of the stable, slightly flooded.

“Oh boy, just what the mechanic ordered, a nice bath.” I said sarcastically, to which Midas chuckled and looked back at me with a smirk. “You knew it was flooded down here, didn’t you.”

“Well, its just pretty common place with this unmaintained stables, pumps go out or filters get clogged, and then the bottom floors start to flood.” Midas said with a shrug. “I’ve been in a stable where the bottom 3 levels were entirely flooded and you had to swim to get around.”

All I could do was shudder at that thought, I may be made as realistic as possible, simulated respiration and all, but the thought that I am made of metals and alloys and what water would do to me was practically a nightmare in itself. Midas however seemed to take pleasure in knowing she could bring the little tin mare to shudder and shake at the thought of the horrors of what mere water could do.

“So, how much farther.” I asked, groaning a little trying to shake that thought of the rust and seized servos out of my head.

“I have no idea, what I was told never said this stable had this many levels, let alone that I would be at the absolute bottom looking for an access shaft up into the power core of the stable.” Midas said with a groan, frustration starting to mount.

“Okay, uh, if I was a secret access corridor into a highly volatile and dangerous power core, where would I be?” I asked, looking around, stopping at a bookcase and looking at it confusedly.

“I swear to whatever gods or goddesses you believe in, if you say behind a bookcase I will sell you for scrap.” Midas said with a growl, staring at me as I looked over the books on display.

“No, its just, the books here don’t seem to belong.” I said, pointing at them “These are children's books, nursery rhymes and such, they don’t really belong in the gullet of a stable, do they? The daycare was 4 floors up.”

“You know, you might be right about that.” Midas said, stopping and looking at the bookcase herself. “Maybe storage? I mean, that’s what most stables used the bottom floors for.”

“Even then, wouldn’t it be stored closer to, you know, where foals would be?” I asked, looking at them closer, reaching out with a hoof to gently pull one from the shelf. A part of me hoped to hear a click and then a panel somewhere open, but it just slipped off the shelf, Tilting my head I flipped through the pages. “Okay, so they are real books, but again, what the hay are they doing all the way down here.”

“Perhaps they are meant as a trap.” The overmare said, finally speaking up. “Or perhaps, as a memento of days gone past, a means of remembering.”

“Remembering...  You’re the pony from the recording, aren’t you.” I said, spinning round to face the speaker. Using my internal holotape player to play the tape, shunting the audio through my vocal processors.

“Yes, that was me.” The overmare said, that sadness even more evident than before. “Glad to know my message did not fall on deaf ears.”

“My father, he listened to this tape every year, it was the last broadcast he intercepted from the stable.” I said, ejecting the tape and using my magic to levitate it out in front of me. “My whole purpose, the reason he made me, was so I could remember, and help others do the same.”

“A noble cause, young filly.” The overmare said, sadness shifting to what could be described as pride. “Your father is a very wise man.”

“Was.” I said, before sighing and looking away. “He passed, just before I left the bunker.”

There was silence, Overmare nor Midas finding any words to say. I could feel a claw on my back and I looked up to see Midas standing over me, a soft smile on her face and eyes glassy with tears.

“You have only just left that bunker, he just passed, and yet you’re still out here like this?” Midas said, softly, before she kneeled down and gave me a hug. “And I thought dragons were supposed to be strong.”

“It’s my purpose, to honor his memory.” I said, giving a weak smile of my own. While I do have emotions, and the thought of all this death and destruction still weighed heavily on me, I still had a goal, and I felt it is the best way to pay my respects to him.

“Aren’t you sad? Mourning him?” Midas said, leaning back and looking at me somewhat confused.

“I am, I already miss him.” I said, looking at that dragoness before giving a brighter smile. “But he made me for this purpose, for this reason, to go against it would be to dishonor him, and the best I could ever do for him, is complete my mission and find out what happened to Miss Rarity and Sweetie Belle, the original, my namesake.”

“Uh… you do know that you could figure that out just by reading a book, right?” Midas said, giving a bit of a chuckle. “There was a pony that wandered the wastelands a while back, she wrote a journal about it all, including some of that history.”

I stared blankly at her for a moment or two, before chuckling myself. “Well, I could just read a book and hear someone else’s rendition of what happened, or I could figure it out myself and find the truths that others may have missed.” I said, before gently pushing Midas back away from the hug.

“Huh, honorable I guess.” Midas said, standing back up and scratching at her head. “Though, it’ll be kind of hard figuring out what happened to Miss Rarity, see, she died in Canterlot, and… Canterlot is kind of, a bit blown up at the moment.”

“Well, that sucks.” I said, thinking for a moment before a smiled “I heard a rumor, my father told me in my early days back when I was just a head… that sounded a lot more creepier than it did in my head.”

“Yeah, I can kinda tell.” Midas said, cringing a little. “Anyway, what did he tell you?”

“That Rarity found a book.” I continued, looking down at my hooves. “And that she did something to make statuettes, it is all a rumor, some through the grapevine so to speak.”

“Yeah, the Ministry Mare Statuettes, everyone knows about those nowadays.” Midas said, looking at me more curiously.

“Maybe a clue about her can be figured out if I collect enough of those statuettes?” I asked, looking at Midas.

“It’s possible, I suppose.” Midas said with a shrug. “I mean, I’ve heard that some weird things happen if you get a whole set together, but there is what, only two known whole sets?”

“Well, then perhaps I need to find one of them and barrow them, it is important.” I said, before looking up at the speaker, which had fallen silent again. “Miss Overmare?”

“Yes, little one.” The overmare responded.

I thought for a few moments, then it hit me and as I stood I took a moment to look to Midas, then back at the speaker. “You’re down here, aren’t you.” I asked. “This is where the maneframe is.”

Midas went wide eyed for a moment, staring at me before she looked at the speaker. “Is that it? The access corridor I’m looking for is in there with you, and you’re hiding from us?”

“Yes.” The overmare replied, a sigh could be heard afterwards. “You see, I am not alone in here, so to speak, the Radiation did something to me before I uploaded myself into this maneframe.”

“You were tuned into a ghoul, like my dad.” I said. “And when you uploaded yourself, your body stayed there, and went feral, didn’t it.”

“Sadly, yes.” The overmare said. “To open the door, is to unleash my former self, and I don’t wish to harm anypony, or dragon, or creature.”

“Is there any way around it?” Midas asked. “I need to get into that core, its the only place left the schematics can be.”

“We could… well, Kill it.” I said with a sigh, the thought made me feel cold and cruel, but it isn’t a pony anymore, it’s just a creature of instinct and violence. “I guess you knew that and decided not to for this long.”

“Indeed I have.” The overmare said with a sigh. “Though, I suppose all stories must come to an end, even mine.”

“Well, you’ll still live on in the maneframe, right?” I asked, wondering if maybe this is why she had never killed her former self before.

“I will, but I will lose my final connection to the real world, my life will become entirely digital.” The overmare said with a sigh. “Promise me, that you will remember me, and that you will remember and honor all those who died here in Stable 15.”

“Of course.” Me and Midas replied in unison.

“Our stories may be over, but yours is just beginning, but you can keep us with you, and let our stories guide you to a brighter future.” The overmare said, before the speakers hissed as a lock released, a large concrete slab on the wall lifting and revealing a door behind it. “Download the data banks, take my pipbuck, It’s all there.”

I sighed, and gave a nod, I had no clue if she could even see me but it felt appropriate. “Yes ma’am, any other requests you have of us?”

“Yes, just one.” the overmare said, a slight glimmer of happiness coming in her voice. “Remember. Remember to stay kind to one another, and to others. To stay loyal to yourselves and to your cause, to show unrivaled generosity and to give it all so others don’t have to.” The overmare paused, stifling a sniffle. “Always be honest, share laughter and good times with all that you meet, and most importantly, be true to the magic inside of you, both of you, you’re both something special. This world needs ponies, and dragons, like you two.”

The air fell silent, Midas and I taking a moment to just soak up all she had said. Smiling at eachother and chuckling some. Maybe she was right, maybe we are something special, something new and unique.

“Oh, and one more thing, just one more.” The speaker crackled to life once more. “Don’t eat pears, they are the devils fruit.”

To which, both Midas and I cracked up laughing.

“What?” The overmare said, admittedly confused. “The Pears are a mean bunch, always trying to one up my family.”

“You were an Apple.” I said curiously.

“Hah, once an Apple always an Apple.” The overmare said. “Suppose I am more an Apple to the maneframe rather than an apple to the core now.”

“That feud ended, a long time ago, didn’t you know?” I said with a chuckle. “The Pears and the Apples made up, was a whole heart warming story, my dad made sure he told me that, the idea that love triumphs over all was something he really hoped I’d take to.”

“Your father was a very smart stallion.” The overmare said, I swear if a smile could have a sound hers would be loudest. “Love is kind, and wise.”

“Yeah, it is.” I said, before chuckling and looking at Midas. “Unless that love’s name is Nightshade.”

“Oh ha ha, very funny.” Midas said with a groan. “Can we get this over with already, to sooner I can get as far away from here as possible, the better.”

“Alright, let’s do this.” I said, giving a sigh as I opened the panel on my back, letting both collapsed gatling lasers unfold. Conduits to and from the weapons starting to glow brightly green as energy from my core dumped into them.

“Holy…” Midas said, staring at the weapons. “That is some… serious firepower.”

“What? Doesn’t everypony carry weapons like these?” I asked, slightly confused as to why I would be designed with such weapons if they are unusual.

Midas sighed and pulled out a handgun from her satchel. “No. Most creatures can’t afford something that heavy, let alone two.”

“I see…” I said. Looking back at the panel. “I suppose the two undeployed collapsed rocket launchers is probably a little overkill?”

“Rocket launc-” Midas said before groaning out and running her claw across her face once more. “Dear goddesses, did your father design a android, or a fricken tank?!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” I said softly and chuckled a bit before smiling and calling out. “I think we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.”

With that, the door slid open. At first there was nothing but darkness on the other side, till we started to hear some movement as something hidden inside started to move and stir. A few moments later, a rotting face peered out from the darkness, only a hint of the original yellow coat still seen, framed by all that remained of a light green mane. The ghoul moved slow, barely able to stumble around.

“Just, a hollow reminder of what I used to be.” The overmare said, that sadness returning to voice. “Please, Dispatch it quickly.”

Looking at the speaker, giving a sigh before spinning up just one of my weapons, looking at Midas who had her handgun raised and aimed at the ghoul, but still hesitated to pull the trigger.

“If this is what happened to you, what about others in the stable, are there more like this?” I asked, barely audible over the whine of the spinning barrels.

“If there are, I’m unaware of them.” The overmare replied. “It may be fruitful for you to stop hesitating, if there are more the noise is likely to draw them in.”

She was right, I closed my eyes and let a burst rip from those rotating barrels, the sound of flesh slumping to the floor had me open my eyes, sighing as I looked at what remained of that ghoul.

“I’m sorry.” I said softly, before I looked up to the speaker. “This must be hard for you.” To which, there was silence, however I could hear the banging of doors behind us as locks engaged.

“Hey, wait, what?” Midas said, looking up at the speaker “We had a deal!”

The speaker remained silent, we looked at each other for a moment before I pulled the pipbuck from the ghoul’s leg, entering into the server room and forcing the door to close behind us, keeping it slightly open with several of the books from the shelf.

“We better make this quick, I don’t like this.” I said, darting ahead and to a ladder the lead upwards, presumably to the core.

Midas nodded, and we both started up the ladder, climbing as quickly as we could, reaching the chamber of the Stable’s core. The air itself crackled and popped with magic, The counter on both pipbucks going absolutely insane from the amount of radiation here.

“I don’t care how resistant you are to this stuff, we can’t stay in here long, Find it and let’s go.” I said, looking to Midas before starting to dig through several of the nearby desks. Every now and then I could hear Midas chew on something before she resumed her search.

“Running low on my meds here.” Midas said with a grumble. “I swear, if we don’t find this and we have to leave because of a few chems…”

“Don’t worry, we’re going to find it.” I said, looking back at her before I flung a drawer open and saw a rolled up piece of blue paper. “Is this it?” I said, levitating it up and unrolling it for Midas to see.

“Uh, maybe?” She said before she sighed and came over, looking at it closely enough. “This is only half of it, where is the other half?” Leaning over and looking into the drawer, groaning at finding it empty.

“Uhm… well, maybe…” I said, looking around, noticing a slightly ajar maintenance panel. Running over to it and groaning as a pile of tools and loose bolts and nuts fell out, digging through them and into the open access panel, before I came across a bundle of rolled blue papers.

“Alright, I think this is it, lets get out of here before you’re roasted alive.” I said. Looking around trying to find Midas, only to notice that she was nowhere to be seen. Starting to look around for her before I saw the slumped mass of amber scales by the desk, running over and taking her in my magic before dragging her out of the chamber, closing a door between us and the core, instantly calming down that mad clicking on our pipbucks.

“Midas, come on Midas, wake up.” I said, gently patting her cheek. “Don’t you do this to me…” Looking down at her satchel, taking a deep breath before opening it and starting to dig through. Finding a empty package for RadAway, looking deeper and finding a few loose pills, I couldn’t tell what they where but I had no choice.

Prying her mouth open and putting the pills, helping her chew and swallow, sitting next to her as she started to stir and wake up. Taking the time to start scooping some of the spilled contents back into her satchel. Humming a soft tune as I carefully tried to put everything back from where I took it from before I came across a photo. I stopped and looked at it, curious at first. It had a dragon and a pony in it, but the head of the dragon was ripped from the photo. In between them a young hatchling, amber in color with bright blue eyes.

“You’re a halfling?..” I asked quietly to myself, before putting the photo in her bag and smiling as she started to sit up and open her eyes.

“What in the world happened..” Midas said with a groan “Why does it feel like I had a herd of buffalo tap dancing on my head.”

“I think you got over exposed to the radiation, but it’s alright, I managed to find some of those radiation pills you were taking.”

“Fantastic, that means you went through my bag, anything else you find in there you aren’t telling me about.” Midas said, glaring a little at me.

“Just… a picture.” I said, shying away a little and giving a sigh. “Sorry, but, I felt like its the only thing I could do to save you.”

“Its fine. So you know then, a part of my messed up chaotic family tree.” Midas said before she finally got fully to her feet. “Well, thanks anyway for the save.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it. Anyway, let’s get out of here.” I said, moving to and starting to climb down the ladder. Once we were both on the ground floor I levitated over the bundle of papers and she looked through them, her jaw dropped and she looked at me.

“This is a gold mine, it isn’t just the schematics, its the specifications, the operating standards, even the shielding matrix, This could have me well taken care of for months!” Midas said excitedly before she chuckled some. “I suppose I owe you another thanks.”

“You can give it to me when we get out of here alive.” I said with a chuckle, and we both headed over and pried the door open and started our way back up.

The remaining climb was rather uneventful, as we neared the top and we could start to smell the fresh air that had blown in through the stable door, the speakers crackled to life once more.

“I am sorry that I did not say anything before, but your comment prompted me to check the internal monitoring systems, You were right, multiple stable dwellers have turned into ghouls and gone feral.” The overmare said, breaking the silence. “Please, do not be angry at me for this, I had to ensure your safety.”

“It’s fine, just, when we close the stable door - Turn that security system back on, keep curious ponies out, alright?” I said, smiling as I looked up at a speaker as we walked past.

“Sure thing.” The overmare said in reply, a bit of relief in her voice.

“And another thing.” I said, stopping and looking around before I saw a camera, looking up to it and smiling brightly. “Don’t ever stop broadcasting your message, remembering things is one of the most important aspects of life, and your message of remembrance gave ponies like my father to hold on to hope, and finish projects, like my construction. You’re still doing an important thing, and helping the world.”

“Thank you.” The overmare said, that relief growing and she sounded more relaxed than ever. “I occurs to me, that you never told me your name.”

“Sweetie belle.” I said, smiling at that Camera, Midas kneeling down and looking up at the camera too. “And she’s Midas.”

“Sweetie belle, Midas, You two take care, and know you’ll be in my mind and heart, as much as I have one.” The overmare said with a soft sigh.

As we neared the door, I stopped and looked back into that stable, smiling softly and then looking down to the pipbuck adorned on my leg, examining it for a moment to see what looked like several apple pastries on the side. Calling out just one last time.

“Thank you, for protecting us and helping us like that.” I said. Looking at that pipbuck closer. “And, this isn’t goodbye, I’ll come back and visit you, I promise.”

“I look forward to that, Sweetie.” The overmare called back.

And with that, we were on our way, taking a moment to seal the door behind us before we climbed the stairs up into the tavern, the sky outside was dark and the tavern was bustling with activity, opening the door I could see over a dozen faces looking back at me.

“Isn’t it my two favorite ladies.” A familiar stallion’s voice was heard. “You’re late.”

“Oh, hey Nightshade… about that.” Midas said, and groaned a little. “Look, I did a favor for you, I’m not interested in you okay?”

“Oh, I got that - My misses would be mighty upset if I chased after another pretty lady.” Nightshade said with a chuckle. “Just days get real lonely without her, and It’s nice to have some ladylike company every now and then.”

Midas stared at Nightshade for a moment, and then groaned and threw her claws up in the air. “So you used me, to cheat on your wife?!” She called out at him, to which he shied away and slowly nodded.

“Well, that’s something I could of gone without knowing.” I said, slipping out of the tavern as quickly as I could and just let Midas alone with him so that they could handle this their own way.

Going to a nearby grassy hill with a clear view of the darkening sky, I just stared up into the abyss above, and wondered if somehow, someway, ponies in Elysium could look up at the same sky, the same stars. Just the thought alone was pretty comforting.

I lost track of time, just staring up at the night sky, maybe even dozing off a little, I guess, Robots don’t really doze off do they? I guess I was slipping in and out of sleep mode, whatever it was - time was going faster than I realized and before long Midas appeared at my side sitting in the grass just idly picking at individual blades.

“Something on your mind Midas?” I asked, sitting up and looking at her. “Things with Nightshade all ironed out and stuff?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Midas said, sighing. “Isn’t it funny, when you think they are chasing after you it’s easy to not feel anything for them, but the moment you know they aren’t chasing you, it kind of makes you want to chase them?”

“So you do like him.” I said, laying a hoof over her shoulder. “It’s normal, I think it’s called playing hard to get, relationships really aren’t my forte.”

“I guess I did, maybe a little, somewhere deep down.” Midas said with a sigh, shifting her gaze to look up at the sky and the stars. “Why in the world of all ponies, the one that ever peaks my interest is the one that’s already taken and is only cheating on his wife with me.”

“Hey, viva la vida Midas.” I said with a smile. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea, you’ll find someone else.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” Midas said, smiling a little “He did give be a bottle of scotch for my troubles, I suppose you don’t drink but it’d be nice if you kept me company for it.”

“Of course Midas, I think after everything we’ve been through today, the only creature up here I think or feel I can trust, is either trapped in a stable maneframe, or sitting beside me about to drown her troubles with a bit of alcohol.” I said with a chuckle.