“Knowing BJ, she’s probably having a drinking competition with a robot somewhere by now.”
What was I doing in Hoofington of all places? What happened while I was stuck in that damned cage Aquila put me in? How long was I even out? All of those questions were running through my head as I slowly walked down the broken-up road that led toward the looming city in in the distance. I wasn’t moving very fast, I wanted to run, but thanks to my E.F.S. I knew that would be a bad idea. On each side of the road, somewhere out in the vast field of bones, red lines were showing up on my E.F.S. From the occasional growl or cry, I had a feeling it was Ghouls.
How long has it been since I’ve worried about ghouls? I didn’t see them often in New Pegasus, and even if I did, they didn’t bother me much. My armor and weapons were capable of taking care of the monsters. Now though, I was without armor or weapons and just to add the cherry to the shit storm cake, my magic was almost useless. I could use my telekinesis, but not much else. Whatever Aquila did before I took over my body again was making it hard to pull on my magic. It almost felt like she cast too powerful of a spell and now I was left with a small amount to use. Either that or she was blocking my magic right now. Either way, it wasn’t going to get me out of this place or back to my friends.
I tried to think of everything I could remember what I heard about Hoofington since I left Stable 28, but sadly I never paid much attention when it came to talking about the place. I remembered Aura said it was evil or something like that, others said you could make your fortune here or die trying. None of that was helpful, but the one thing I did remember about Hoofington, was a mare they called Security. From how the radio ponies talked about her, she seemed to be a pony like myself, one who helped others. Though that didn’t mean much, DJ Pon3 and Mr. New Pegasus both bent the truth a little to put me in a better light. This Security pony could just be a nutjob who just happened to like killing monsters while drinking and singing shanties.
“Guess I’ll have to find out for myself what this ‘Security’ is like if I happen to run into her while I’m here,” I said quietly as I worked my way down the road. “What I really need is a weapon and some armor, hell caps would be nice too.”
The was the problem with what Aquila had done. I had nothing, even less than I had when I left my home. And if being unarmed, magically disabled and NAKED, was bad enough, it was starting to rain and get colder. More than anything I needed shelter and a way to get back home. I needed to find out what Aquila did while I was stuck in that cage. Really, I just needed to see Aura and tell her how sorry I was for what I did, then tell her everything I learned from Aquila’s…better half. I couldn’t try to kill myself again, that would only lead to Aquila taking me over once more. I couldn’t have that, and I couldn’t let her do whatever it was she was planning, she was up to something. Why else would she send me this far away?
I sighed then checked my Pip-Buck to see if the map would help me at all. My eyes went wide as I brought it up. There were at least fifteen locations already on the map. Mom never came here while she had the Mark II, so if the locations in Hoofington were marked, that meant only one pony could have been here before and the Mark II’s memory must’ve kept the information stored in it even with a new user. Sweetie Belle was the only pony apart from Mom, and myself who used the Mark II outside of Stable 9. She must’ve visited the locations a long time ago. The Mark II even updated the names of some of the places as the years went on. I still have no idea how they knew to do that. But I had to be right because I’m sure that a town far off the map from the others wouldn’t have been called ‘Meat Locker’ back during the war. At least I hope it didn’t.
I started to look through the locations closer to me, seeing if there was one that would be helpful. The closest Location on the map was ‘Megamart’ and just down the road from there was a town called ‘Chapel’, another called ‘Flank’, and a few others. There was even a couple of stables marked on the map. The one that seemed to be the closest was ‘Stable 99’. From what I could tell, Sweetie Belle herself had visited these locations during her time here. I was tempted to go check out the old stable since it was only half a day walk away. If the stable was abandoned, I might be able to at least find armor and weapons in it, at the very least have shelter for a while. But the problem was, from where the stable was located, if it was occupied and I couldn’t get in, it was too far to come back this way, at least safely.
“Dammit, I guess I’ll have to either head to this Chapel place or the Megamart,” I said, then yawned. Damn I was already tired and I’d only been in control of my body again for a couple of hours. I sighed and started walking again, maybe if I was lucky I could make it to some kind of shelter before it gets too late or before I pass out.
“Come on Shadow you can do this,” I said as I pushed on still doing my best to keep myself awake. I really didn’t want to sleep right now, because I know what I’ll see when I do. I could still feel Shining Star fighting under the pillow I placed over his face, see the fear on Night Blossoms face as her throat was cut by Wind Thrasher, feeling my friend’s fangs sinking deep into my flesh. I don’t want to relive those memories.
So, I kept going, following the road and keeping my eyes out for enemies as best I can. That was getting easier as I slowly left what my Mark II decided to call ‘The Boneyard’ and found myself closer to the mark on my map that was set at Megamart. I just hope that it’s not an old mall that’s overrun with ghouls, or raiders. Even if I didn’t have any of my caps, it’d be nice to find somepony that can help me even a little. Maybe if I was lucky somepony would know how I could get home.
While I thought about what to do, I figured I could at least see if anything was being reported by DJ Pon3 right now. I wish I could listen to Mr. New Pegasus, but his signal didn’t go this far. So, I flipped on the station and listened to a mare sing a song I hadn’t heard before. I kind of liked it, the mare had a beautiful voice and she sounded like she’d been preforming her entire life. I wonder why I hadn’t heard this song before, I mean yeah, I don’t listen to the radio that much, but I’d heard a lot of repeats so far. This had to be new, sure enough when DJ Pon3 came on he confirmed my suspicions.
Same as ever, he came back on with his in your face booming voice, “Hello Wastelanders, that was a newer song by the beautiful and talented, Velvet Remedy who recorded that new song for you here at my studio in Tenpony Tower. Now, you all know what time it is, that’s right it’s time for the News! Let’s start with what’s going on closer to home, at least for me that is. Tenpony is still surrounded by Red Eye’s thugs, keeping our scavengers and traders from getting in or out. Now, don’t you all worry about good old DJ, they’re mostly blowing a lot of smoke and some hot air. But even with Red Eye’s goons knocking on our door, I’ve still managed to get a visit from a wonderful Toaster Repair Pony once again, she doesn’t seem to have much of a problem getting past those slavers.”
He chuckled to himself for a moment, like the rest of us were missing some kind of inside joke. Then he continued, “Out in the Hoof, it looks like things have gone from bad to worse, Security herself still hasn’t been seen around the city and factions of all kinds are starting to make more trouble for the ponies around there. Just like in my earlier report, I’m advising everypony to stay away from Hoofington if you can.”
“Great, wish I could stay away, but I have no idea how to get home!” I yelled as he continued.
“Lastly, I have news from New Pegasus. I reported three days ago about a powerful magical blast being spotted closer to the San Palomino Gorge. The reports at the time were that The Courier was spotted at the center of the explosion of magic and she hadn’t been seen since. Like Security from the Hoof, nopony knew what happened to her or where she went. After three days, news has reached me through my friend Mr. New Pegasus, that The Courier may have been killed in the blast. Her companions have been seen traveling back to New Pegasus, but the little mare that became a hero to most isn’t with them.”
He was silent for a moment and when he started talking again, I could hear a bit of sadness in his voice. “Sorry Children, but old DJ’s feeling mighty guilty. Over the past few weeks I haven’t been very fair to The Courier because of some of her actions, but I’ve recently found new evidence about why she did what she did. The Town she destroyed, Appleton, was a mistake. The weapon used was something she thought was a toy or a prop gun. She was about to die from injuries she took from Pride and wanted one last act of defiance before she met her maker. She did try to stop the weapon from going off, but was too late to stop it.”
He paused again then took in a deep breath and continued, “The second time she used that powerful weapon was her idea and one I’m sure now she regrets. I still don’t have all the information on what led up to the destruction of Mill City Tower, but I do know that she wasn’t in her right mind at the time. A friend of hers almost died because of The Enclave, someone she loves with all her heart and at the time she thought that friend didn’t survive. Now I know this doesn’t excuse her actions fully, but, I do know that sometimes we all make poor choices.”
I heard him sniff again, like he was trying not to cry…DJ being sentimental? That was strange, but I couldn’t think about it much, because he continued. “We all remember what I reported not long ago with The Stable Dweller and Arbu. Now, The New Pegasus area may have lost a mare who was forced into doing things she may not have been ready for. I gave her the name Courier, I may have forced this pony into trying to do good, to do better, to help ponies when all she may have wanted was to live a normal life. After starting her on that path, I didn’t put much faith in the young mare who bore the Duster of Equestrian Express, who helped save Cartwheel from raiders, the mare who gave it her all to protect ponies she’d never met before. I do hope you’re alive and well Courier, I hope the reports about your death are false, and if you’re still alive I want you to know, you have my respect and my apologies for not believing in you. I’ve watched the good you’ve done for New Pegasus and the ponies around that area, I’ve even watched as you helped The Enclave work out a truce with The Kingdom and more. So has Mr. New Pegasus, he believes in you too and if you’re still alive, I hope that one day I can meet you, so I can get the true story about who you are and why you fight from your own mouth. Good luck, safe travels, and let the Goddesses watch over you…”
I was taken aback as DJ didn’t even announce his next song, he just cut the transmission of his live feed and started up an older Sweetie Belle song without even a goodbye. I was even more shocked that he recanted his other reports about me being dangerous to The Wasteland. If I ever get out of Hoofington, I think I’ll take him up on his offer. I’d like to give my side of the story for once and let the ponies across The Wasteland know the truth, my truth, not what others think is the truth. One day, I’ll get my story out there for everypony to hear, that is if I survive this place and Aquila. That was what I had to deal with right now, so I kept on moving.
As I walked down the road I noticed a building set just off the road. From what I could tell by my E.F.S., no pony was in the small place, but from the look of it, it was only recently unoccupied. I moved closer and saw a sign over the building saying ‘Pony Joe’s’ and my Mark II kindly dinged, words in my E.F.S. confirming the location. I heard thunder in the distance and a few more drops of rain started to fall on my muzzle as I got closer to the place. I sighed again and figured it’d serve as a place to spend the night at least.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside the building. My nose was hit right away by the smell of death and decay as soon as I passed the threshold of the small building. From what I could tell, the place was clean, at least to what a Wastelander would consider clean, but by the smell I had a feeling that somepony had cleaned this place up a little and not too long ago. I did my best to ignore this however, and as soon as I stepped inside rain started falling harder outside. I was going to have to deal with the smell for now. I took a moment to check the place out.
One thing I never did often since I left my stable was scavenge for stuff. From what I knew of most ponies that lived in the Wasteland, scavenging was part of survival. I’d been lucky in my travels and never really saw a need to. A good chunk of what I gathered before now had been fed to me on a silver platter. But now, I needed anything that would help me while I was out here. I started looking through anything I could, trying to find loot. While I was searching around I found bits of this building’s past. The building turned out to be a restaurant, though nowadays food service would be a problem with the destroyed tables, smells of decay and mold and death, can’t forget about death.
I checked the cash register first, and found nothing. So, I moved on to the cabinets and apart from a couple of rotting packets of food, a can of cram, and one prewar bit, nothing was worth taking. Even the pre-war bit wasn’t worth much. A small bag of bits could be sold at most merchants for a few caps, but it was mostly worthless coin. From what I knew, they were mostly used to get Sparkle Cola bottles out of old vending machines. I still took the bit just in case, and moved to check under the tables, in a broom closet, under the counter, and even in the stove I found in the back. Nothing at all, I guess ponies had already looted this place a long time ago. I was about to give up my search when something glinted from just under the stove.
Bending over I saw that an old security baton was lodged under it. Using my magic, however painful, I pulled it out and looked over the long metal stick. It looked like it came from a stable, but I couldn’t tell which one. It’s in terrible shape too, but it could still be used to hit something if I needed it to. Luckily for me, Aquila had acquired a satchel while she was using my body, so I had a place to store my few treasures…okay one gold bit and a rusty almost broken baton may not be ‘treasures’ to most, but to me it was better than nothing.
I made my way back to the front of the restaurant and decided to use one of the booths to serve as a bed for now. I noticed as I made my way back to the front that there was a little blood on the floor that somepony missed when they were cleaning this place and I shivered. Whatever happened here, I didn’t want to know. So, I settled down in the booth and closed my eyes, but I didn’t sleep. I needed rest, but sleep wasn’t something I was going to let happen. I’ll just close my eyes for a bit and try to think of a way to get home.
***
“Mom can you tell me one of your stories tonight!” Shining Star said to me as he jumped up and down at the kitchen table.
“I guess I can do that,” I said smiling. I got up to follow my son back to his room, then everything changed, my son was struggling under the pillow I was holding down over his face. His little hooves were trying to hit my forelegs away as he struggled to breath. My heart was racing as I pushed down harder, doing my best to hold back the tears as my son’s life slowly slipped away.
(CRACK…BOOM!)
“NO!” I screamed as I jumped up from the booth, the nightmare I was just having still fresh in my mind. I looked around trying to figure out where I was, then it came back to me, I was in Hoofington. Lightning flashed again just outside the cracked windows as a storm raged on outside. Another loud boom filled the night a moment later. I noticed then that I was freezing, a draft was coming in, dropping the temperature in the small building. I shivered then got back to my hooves trying to see if I could find anything I could use as a blanket, with no luck.
I shook my head still trying to forget the memory from that fucking cage Aquila had me trapped in. I could tell myself until I was blue in the face that it was all a dream, none of it was real, but my mind could remember every detail from that place and it felt real enough. As the wind howled outside and the lightning struck echoing thunder across The Hoof, I noticed something strange. A small thumping noise coming from the back of the restaurant. I pulled the shitty security baton from the satchel and slowly made my way to the back.
Peaking around the corner and turning on the Pip-Light, I checked to see what was going on. From what I could tell, nopony was there, then I saw the back door shaking with each thump. I lifted the baton higher in my magic as the door shook again, then said, “Who’s there!”
The thumping stopped as a high-pitched giggle came from just outside the door, “Hehehehehehehehehehehehe!”
“I warn you, I’m armed in here!” I said taking a step back from the door. I waited for a moment, but no pony said anything. “Hello!”
Nothing happened. “My minds still playing tricks on me,” I said as I sighed and started to put the Security Baton away.
(Crash!)
The window in the front of the shop blew apart as somepony came crashing through it. I twisted around and saw somepony getting up from the ground. It was a mare in torn leather armor, she was covered in small cuts from crashing through the window and she looked like she lost her mind a long time ago. She smiled at me and giggled insanely as she limped toward me.
“Hehehe, I’m so hungry, aren’t you hungry!?” she said, moving closer to me.
I noticed that one of her forelegs looked like she’d been chewing on it. Some of her flesh was even missing and her leg looked infected. I took a step back as I said, “I am, but I don’t have any food.”
She licked her lips and giggled again, sending a chill up my spin. “I see plenty of food, hehehe, you have plenty of flesh on you.”
“Stay away from me,” I said, lifting the baton.
She pulled out a rusty hunting knife, “It’s okay, I can make it quick, I’m…so hungry!” then she charged me…well tried to. That bad leg of hers made her move slower than I’m sure she could’ve before.
I dodged to one side as she attacked, my magic bringing the baton around to crack her in the back of the head. She pitched forward, her face meeting the edge of the counter. A sickening crack filled the room followed by a spray of blood. The mare fell to the ground, her knife sliding away from her body. I picked it up with my magic dropping the baton at the same time my magic still crippled, backing away from her.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you!?” I asked as the mare twitched then slowly turned her head to look over at me. I shuddered as I saw her ruined face. Her nose had been smashed in and a few of her teeth were knocked out. one eye was swollen and looked ready to pop right out of her head.
She tried to say something through a shattered jaw, “H…gry,…ysuhs.” Then she tried to get up, but something was very wrong with her. She only got one hoof under her before she fell again and giggled through her bloody muzzle. I took the knife she dropped and jammed it into her good eye, putting an end to her giggling and her suffering.
Ripping the knife out quickly, I backed away from her still twitching body. I sat back against the wall shivering from the adrenalin rush. I closed my eyes letting it pass, ignoring the wind and rain coming in through the now shattered front window. After a few moments passed, my body started to calm down. I took in a deep breath then got back to my hooves. “Okay Shadow, you can’t keep moping around like this. You need to get home, somehow. I’m the Courier for Goddess’ sake, I can get through this.”
I moved over to the body of the strange mare and started to see if she had anything I could use. Sadly, the mare didn’t have much on her, no food, no meds and her barding was useless in the state it was in. She did have some caps though, about fifty, but hell I had none, so every bit helps. I looked out back at the raging storm and sighed. “Guess I have no choice, no telling when this is going to let up and I really don’t want to stay around here.” Before I left I picked up the baton I dropped and put it into my satchel.
I walked out into the pouring rain looking down and my pip-buck setting a marker on my map for the icon labeled Megamart. Ignoring the rain, I started to make my way down to the road, keeping my eye on my E.F.S. After the encounter with that strange mare, I wasn’t going to take any chances. It was one of the smarter things I’ve done so far, I hadn’t even gone a full mile when no less than ten red bars showing up on my E.F.S. I stopped when they did and pulled the baton and knife out of my satchel, ready for anything. My head throbbed a little from my magic’s weakened state, but I ignored it.
My blood went cold as I heard that same chilling giggling coming from down the road. This time from multiple throats. Lightning flashed in the distance and sure enough I could just make out the silhouette of at least ten ponies in the distance. I moved off the road slowly, keeping both my weapons ready in my magical grip, the painful part of the headache passing. I started moving slowly, unsure what I was going to do if these ponies were like the mare I killed back at Pony Joe’s. I made my way slowly toward where the ponies were, keeping off the road so they wouldn’t see me.
As I moved closer I could just make out one of them speaking over the wind and rain. “Where did Wiz get off to this time?” I felt a bit of Déjà Vu as memories of an encounter much like this, when I first left Stable 28 hit me. The Raiders I killed and later found their friends hunting me.
Another stallion giggled to himself then made a slurping sound like he was sucking something wet through his teeth. “Hehehe, no idea, she said she was hungry. I think she went hunting.”
The first stallion growled, saying, “We’re all hungry, that doesn’t give her an excuse to go off on her own! Even with Security missing, we still need to stick together!”
I lowered myself down more, watching as they walked by on the road. Lightning flashed again in the distance, illuminating them again. I could see even from here, that they were almost as disheveled as the mare had been. Most of them in ruined leather armor, except the one in the front who had metal armor on, he must be their leader. Out of all of them, he looked better than they did at least and seemed to have most of his wits about him. They were almost past me when the leader pony stopped.
A mare in the group looked around for a moment then back at the leader saying, “Hehehe, boss what’s with the hold up?”
He looked around for a moment then said, “Somepony’s here.”
“Lots of ponies here boss,” one of the others said, giggling insanely, “Got a bunch of us followin’ ya.”
He turned around and slammed his hoof into the ponies face. “I know that shithead! I meant somepony else!”
The pony who the leader hit giggled more. “What’s got your panties in a bunch boss!?”
My eyes went wide as I watched the leader pony slam his hoof into the other again and again, saying, “I’ve warned you time and time again to keep your muzzle shut!” He kept stomping until the other pony’s head was nothing more than a puddle of goo and bones, then he chuckled a little to himself, moved his muzzle down and ate a chunk of the pony’s brain, I felt my stomach turn witnessing that and I almost threw up. “Time to eat everypony, but make it fast.”
I had to put a hoof over my muzzle as every one of them descended on the twitching body. Thank the goddesses for the dark night, because I could barely make out the sight of them ripping flesh off their dead companion. Even when the lightning flashed in the distance, they were mostly shadowy silhouettes. Nothing could be done about the sound though, I listened as flesh was ripped from the body, ponies chewing on meat, and that insane giggling in between bites.
The leader took a few small bites himself, but let the rest of his horde feast. While they did he started looking around as if he was searching for me in the distance, it was then that I noticed, as lightning flashed again, a Pip-Buck on his foreleg. That realization hit me right as his eyes locked on my position. He started to chuckle as he slowly walked off the road, “Hahahaha, what an unlucky day for whoever’s out there. Why don’t you come out and join us, there’s plenty to go around, I promise.”
I knew I couldn’t hide from him, not with that Pip-Buck he had on. So I said, “No thanks, I’m not much for eating the flesh of ponies.”
He chuckled to himself again. “I was like that once, but I have to admit, it’s grown on me over the past couple of weeks. I’ve even managed to keep most of my sanity, unlike most of my companions here. Now come on out of there and tell me who you are. You sound like a young mare to me, we could use some new blood.”
“I’m just trying to get to Megamart, I don’t want any trouble,” I said, still trying to keep myself out of his sight.
“Megamart huh. Not much there right now after the attack on Security a few days ago. What’s your name sweetheart?” He asked as he slowly made his way closer to me.
I’m not sure why, but I didn’t really feel comfortable giving my name to this stallion, so I lied, “Silver Snip, why?”
“Silver Snip, it’s nice to meet you, my name’s Ditch, I’m the leader of this small band of what ponies around here call raiders. I’d be willing to let you live if you come with us and join my crew. I do have room at the moment seeing as how my companion here decided to come down with a case of stupidity and death,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m sorry…Ditch? I’m not looking to join any Raiders today, just leave me alone and be on your way, I won’t tell anypony what I saw,” I said.
He laughed again, and said, “I’m afraid that you only have two choices, either you join us, or you become tomorrow’s lunch.”
One of the mares broke off from her meal and walked over to her boss, “Boss, maybe she knows where Wiz is.”
“Good point Jest,” he said looking back toward where I was hiding. “I may have a third option; my wife Wiz went off ahead of us and we haven’t seen her for a few hours. If you know where she’s at, or even where she was heading to, I’d be fine with letting you leave. She’s going a little mad sadly, but I love her dearly and I want to make sure she’s okay.”
I could feel myself shiver as I thought about the crazy mare I killed, “I…I’m not sure who you’re talking about.”
I really didn’t want to deal with these nutjobs right now. I would’ve teleported away, but I didn’t know the area at all and I don’t even think I could deal with that spell right now. Ditch seemed to sense something was wrong because his chuckling stopped as he said, “You have no idea huh? Strange, because I’m getting a feeling you know exactly who I’m talking about, I can hear it in your voice.”
“I didn’t see any mare, not alive that is. I wanted to stop for the night in a small restaurant on my way down here, but it looked like a fight broke out. There was a dead mare in there so I decided to keep going.” I lied hoping they would buy it.
“Brown coat and an Orange mane?” he asked.
“Yeah that’s sounds like the mare I saw,” I said deciding to keep the lie going by adding another. “Somepony wrote something in her blood on the wall, said something like, ‘Don’t mess with Security’. I’m not from around here so I have no idea who that is, but I took it as a sign not to linger.”
The mare from before took a step back from her boss saying, “Security boss, I thought she was missing? We should get out of here before she finds us!”
The Boss pony didn’t seem like he was buying it however, in fact he looked enraged as he took a few steps forward, “Security huh? Funny because what I know about that mare she’s not one to kill one raider and leave a message like that behind. I’m thinking you killed Wiz, and now you’re trying to keep us from killing you.”
Okay I’m done with this shit, I took hold of my weapons again and jumped out from hiding. The leader pony was ready however, he moved his foreleg with his Pip-Buck up and blocked my attack, the baton broke as it cracked down on the hard casing of his Pip-Buck. I took a step back shocked for a moment as the metal shaft of the baton flew into the night. The Leader just grinned at me saying, “Hello there!”
He slammed his hoof into my face, throwing me back a few feet. I rolled as I landed and came back up with the knife I took off Wiz, grinning a little as he advanced on me. “You know at first I was scared of dealing with you strange raiders, but honestly I don’t see much of a difference between you or the ones back at home.”
He grinned like a mad pony, and said, “You have no idea what you just got yourself into. In Hoofington we eat ponies, all ponies that aren’t one of us. You my dear, look like a delicious treat!”
“Maybe, but I think you’ll find me a little harder to take on than you think,” I said, acting more confident than I felt. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do. I got lucky with the raiders in Cartwheel, and then I had help from Sapphire and Stardust. I slashed the knife at his face, but he jumped back then twisted around and tried to kick me in the face. Luckily for me it was still raining and he slipped on the ground and losing his balance.
I took the opportunity to run like a little bitch. Yep, that’s right, Shadow Star the Courier, so called hero of New Pegasus is going to run away from a bunch of crazy cannibal raiders. Aura would call this a tactical retreat, but I called it what it really was. I was a scared mare who knew I couldn’t risk fighting all of them with no armor and an old knife. I only got as far as the road before a shot rang out, a bullet ripping through my rear leg. I screamed as I fell to the ground, blood spraying the ground as the bullet tore through me.
“Kill this bitch so we can get out of here!” I heard the Leader pony say.
I tried to pull on my magic to cast an expulsion spell, but yet again, nothing happened. I knew I was fucked now, I twisted around as I heard some of the raiders running toward me, giggling like mad ponies. One jumped for me, and I jammed the knife into his eye. I ducked under another’s clumsy attack and slashed his rear hooves as he landed, then I stabbed another pony when he got too close. A bigger stallion grabbed me around the neck trying to strangle me, I slammed my Pip-Buck into his face. He screamed through shattered teeth, letting me go as he did.
I twisted around so I could stab him while he was otherwise distracted, a hoof came around and caught me in the throat. I was thrown back gagging and hacking for air as I fell to the ground. One of the raiders landed on top of me giggling madly as he started to strangle me. Another opened his muzzle getting ready to rip into the flesh of my foreleg. I tried again to activate one of my spells, but my stupid horn didn’t seem to care that I was about to die and be eaten. Nope, my horn wanted to go on vacation, have a few drinks, meet a nice mare or stallion, have a little fun. It didn’t seem to care about the mortal danger I was in right NOW!
The pony who was about to bite my leg was only an inch away when something slammed into him throwing him back. Before I could even register what happened, a curly red tail wrapped around the neck of the pony on top of me. His eyes went wider for a moment as the tail tightened around his throat and his grip on my throat slackened. For a moment I couldn’t figure out what was wrong until I saw blood flowing down his body. Then I saw what looked like razor wire that was worked into the tail digging into his flesh. His body flying off mine as, whoever, just came into save me throw his body away.
I coughed and looked over to see a mare with a cream-colored coat and red stripes on her body, a bushy main and tail, attacking the Raiders. She had hoof claws I could tell and moved like a demon. She used one of her hoof claws to decapitate a mare who tried to charge her. Before the body even hit the ground, the mare bucked a stallion so hard, his face caved in on itself. She laughed as another pony tried to slam a pool cue into her, but she ducked under it then gutted the pony, his guts falling to the ground in a heap as he screamed in pain.
As the mare slaughtered the raiders, I got back to my hooves, picked up the knife and ran to assist. At least my magic was able to still hold my weapons. I jumped on the back of another pony knocking him to the ground. As he fell I buried the knife into his skull. The mare looked over at me as the stallion fell and grinned. “Nice one kid,” then she twisted around and sliced through the neck of another pony as he tried to charge her.
I turned to find where the leader pony went, only to see him aiming a rifle right at the mare who was finishing off the last of his friends. I started to yell, “Watch out!”
I was too late, by the time I opened my muzzle, the leader pony fired. The mare was just turning to see what I was saying when the bullet went through her head. She collapsed like a sack of potatoes, her blood joining that of the ponies she killed. The rain was letting up now and only a small drizzle was coming down as I looked at the body of the strange looking mare who saved my life, only to die trying.
I rounded on the leader pony who seemed to be the only one left alive, “Why the hell did you do that!?”
“Do what!? Hahahaha, take out that bitch? She killed my companions, what should I have done!?” he said aiming the rifle at me, his muzzle on the bit trigger. “Now it’s your turn!”
“Goddesses damned fucking asshole! I hate it when they shoot me in the head!” I heard the mare say from behind me.
The raider boss and I both looked to see the mare getting back to her hooves, a pink glow coming from the hole in her head. She started to choke then gag and cough until she spat a bloody bullet to the ground. What the hell is she? I’ve only seen one pony who can take a bullet to the head and live to tell about it and that was my uncle. He wasn’t even made out of flesh and blood so he made sense. If I was scared, the raider pony was even worse. He dropped his rifle and pissed himself as he took a few steps away from the mare who was popping her neck glaring over at him.
“You’re that Reaper,” he said.
She smiled and made a little bow, and said, “Rampage at your service, I’ll admit you’re a lot better off than most raiders around here. I don’t know if you’re really lucky not to be as far gone as the rest of these guys or really unlucky because you ran into me and shot me in the head.”
“What are you?” I asked taking a step back as well.
She looked over at me for a moment. “Quiet kid, let me deal with this shit eater first,” she said, then looked back at the leader. “I’m gonna go with unlucky, because…” she lunged at the stallion who tried to turn and run, but he wasn’t even close to fast enough. She slammed him into the ground then started to pound his face into the ground as hard as she could. “I really hate it when ponies do that! Do you know how much it fucking hurts!? No? It feels like THIS!”
His face was already nothing but a bloody smear on the ground, but she kept on ramming his head into the ground until it shattered into a bloody pile of goo. She sighed then got off the leader pony’s body and sat back. She pulled a tin from a bag she had and popped a couple of pills or something into her muzzle and chomped down on them. I was about to take another step back when she spoke again.
“What’s your name kid?” she asked as she looked back at me.
“Who me?” I asked, shaking a little as I watched the mare go from a killing machine to calm in a matter of seconds.
“You see any other fillies around here?” she asked, her pink eyes seeming to look deep inside of me.
“Silver…Silver Snip,” I said, still using the fake name of my dead mare friend.
One of her eye brows went up, “What’s your real name?”
“That is…” I started to say, but she cut me off.
“Listen, my head hurts and I’m not in the best of moods right now. I can tell that you’re lying. I don’t know why you think me knowing your real name will matter so much, but I hate being lied to,” she said.
“How did you survive that bullet to the head!? There’s no way any pony can live through that!” I said trying to change the subject.
“Long story and most of it I don’t even know or understand. Let’s just say that it’s impossible to kill me, trust me I’ve tried every way I can think of to do it and nothing sticks. Now what’s your name and why is a filly wandering this close to Pony Joe’s during a storm at night?” she said sounding tired.
“Fine, it’s Shadow Star or just Shadow, I really don’t care,” I said. “and for why I’m out here, to be honest, I have no idea, I woke up here a few hours ago. I was trying to find a place where I could find somepony that could help me get back home,” I said.
She laughed, “You chose a shitty place to wander then kid.”
I frowned, “I’m not a kid, I’m an adult I’ll have you know…Rampage…what kind of name is Rampage anyway?”
She laughed again. “So you’re just a shrimp then, and I chose my name since I don’t remember what mine used to be. It fits my lifestyle. Now why are you out here.”
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” I said with a sigh, sitting down a few feet away from her.
“Try me kid…I mean Shadow…I’ve seen some fucked up shit over the years and even more so while traveling with my friend Blackjack,” she said getting to her hooves. You can tell me about it while we walk.”
“Thank you for the help and all, but do you think you can point me in the right direction to find someplace where I can find a pony to help me get home?” I asked
“I’m not sure if somepony in Megamart can get you home, but I can at least show you the way.”
I got up as well but hesitated. “You’re not just tricking me into following you so you can do something to me later are you?”
Rampage laughed again then shook her head. “If I wanted to do something to you Shadow, you’d be dead already.”
She started to walk down the road, the bodies of the fallen raiders forgotten. I followed asking, “Then why did you help me?”
“What, would you have rather I left you to the raiders?” She asked.
“No, I was just wondering why you came to help. From what I’ve heard about Hoofington, ponies around here don’t do that often,” I said.
“Most won’t, or some will only to make you a slave after and others would join in to help the raiders so they can eat you,” she said with a laugh. “But I helped because I saw what I thought was a filly in trouble. I don’t like it much when foals are being hurt, I try to help them whenever I can. Honestly you’re lucky I came alone.”
“I would’ve been fine if I had my armor and weapons,” I said with a sigh.
“Where you from anyway?” She asked.
“New Pegasus,” I answered.
“New Pegasus huh? I heard that place is kinda nice, shit I feel sorry for you being all the way out here,” Rampage said, her pink eyes looking over at me.
“New Pegasus is nice mostly, but it has its problems just like everywhere else in The Wasteland,” I said.
“Yeah I’m sure, but comparing a place like New Pegasus and Hoofington is like comparing a paper cut to jumping into a wood-chipper,” she said with a laugh. “Trust me I’ve tried it, not a fun feeling.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “Sure you did.”
“Shadow you saw me get shot in the head, right?” she asked.
“Yeah, and I can’t explain what I saw, but there has to be some trick to it,” I said.
“Not really, just a rock shoved into my gut that keeps me alive. It’s a pain in the ass too, been trying to die for I don’t know how long now. Nothing takes sadly,” she said with a laugh.
“That’s kind of morbid,” I replied.
“You have no idea. So, tell me about you, how’d you end up in this shithole?” she said as we walked. “And don’t lie to me, I’ll know, if you do lie, I’ll bite an ear off.”
I sighed. “Okay, but you won’t believe me,” and as she laughed again I started telling Rampage about myself…
***
“Okay, you’re right, that story does sound way too fucked up to be real,” Rampage said as we got closer to a huge building with ponies going in and out, “But you didn’t lie to me. So, this thing inside you sent you all the way out to Hoofington, why?”
“Wish I knew, I have no idea what she was doing with my body while she was using it,” I said. “I just want to get home and make sure my friends are okay.”
“I get that, but if you’re friends are as tough as you make them sound, I’m sure they’re fine. That griffon friend of yours sounds like she’s tough,” Rampage said as we made our way down to what had to be Megamart.
“She is, but she also has a tendency to do stupid stuff when someone she cares about is hurt,” I said.
“Now that is something I’ve seen a lot lately. Blackjack will jump into the stupidest situations to keep her friends safe, even me and I can’t die. It’s annoying to be honest. She thinks just because she has mechanical legs and is the famous Security Mar, that she’s invincible. It’s like she forgets that she nearly died only a few days ago,” Rampage said as she pushed past a stallion who was looking at weapons set up on a table just inside the huge complex.
Following I asked, “Wait, your Blackjack friend is that mare being called Security? I’ve heard about her in New Pegasus a couple times, though I don’t know much about her. I don’t listen to the radio much to be honest, I get sick of hearing the things I’ve done, getting praised by DJ Pon3 and Mr. New Pegasus.”
“You sound like Blackjack, she hates that shit too, I think it’s funny. So what strange name did Dj Pon3 give you?” She asked.
“The Courier,” I said then ran into Rampage’s rear.
She’d stopped moving when I said that, she’s turned to look at me saying in a dangerous voice, “The Courier? The Psychotic pony who killed hundreds of ponies in a town she blew up and did the same thing to a tower in the Midwest Courier?”
I just rolled my eyes. “Yes, and in my defense, I didn’t mean to kill the ponies in Appleton, the weapon I used I had no idea what it did. The second time it was against The Enclave when I thought they killed my Griffon friend.”
For a moment I thought Rampage was going to do to me what she did to the raiders, then she smiled and shrugged. “I’ve done worse so has Blackjack. It’s The Wasteland, shit happens,” she said.
I was taken aback by that. “Seriously, that doesn’t bother you at all?”
She just chuckled to herself before saying, “Oh don’t get me wrong, what you did is still stupid and demented in a small way, but worrying about it can’t fix it. From what I can tell, you’re not the kind of mare who wants to cause wanted destruction on ponies who are just trying to survive. Though I can say that DJ Pon3 doesn’t hold you in his high graces anymore.”
For some reason that made me smile. “Good, because I don’t really care what he thinks about me. As long as he’s not going out there and telling stories about me then I don’t care what he thinks.” Then I remembered the broadcast earlier, “Well, you may be wrong, he reported something about me a little while ago and it sounds like he’s okay with me again…damn it.”
“One thing I can say about him, he doesn’t lie, he only reports on things he believes to be true,” Rampage said as she pushed past a few more ponies who were in her way, then turned sharply to her right walking toward a yellow mare. “Hey Bottlecap, got a second?”
The mare looked over at us, I could see that she had three bottle caps for a cutie mark. “What do you want Rampage? I thought you went off to find BJ?”
“I did, but then I ran into this shrimp being attacked by Raiders near Pony Joe’s. She’s trying to find her way home and I figured if anypony knew somepony who could find her transportation It’d be you,” Rampage said with a cocky grin.
She looked Rampage over. “Goddesses you stink, and you’re covered in blood and guts again. Couldn’t you have at least washed some of that off before you came into my place?”
Rampage just laughed. “Thank you, and no, the rain stopped before I got a chance to shower. Now can you help Shadow or not?”
Bottlecap finally looked down at me. “I’m not normally in the business of helping lost fillies find their way home. Especially stable ponies. Which stable did you wander out of because I know that there aren’t any active ones anywhere near The Hoof.”
I was about to ask why she thought I was a stable pony then I remembered the Mark II. I sighed saying, “Stable 28 is where I grew up, but I’m not from a stable per-say. Also, I’ve been away from my stable for over two months now and I’m not a filly dammit…I’m just short!”
Bottlecap laughed. “Damn, she’s a cranky one isn’t she?” she said as she looked back at Rampage.
“Been fine around me,” Rampage said with a shrug. “Now c’mon, I know you know somepony that might be able to help her, I don’t have a lot of time to stick around here, I still need to find out why Blackjack’s been gone for so long.”
“Knowing BJ, she’s probably having a drinking competition with a robot somewhere by now,” Bottlecap said before looking back at me and sighing. “Follow me to my office…Shadow was it?”
“Yeah, Shadow Star, but everypony just calls me Shadow,” I said.
“Don’t worry Shadow, you’ll be fine with Bottlecap, but if you need a place to stay for a few days, head to Chapel and tell Charity that I sent you,” Rampage said turning to leave.
“Thank you for the help Rampage, but is there anything I can do to repay you?” I asked before she could leave.
She looked back over her shoulder asking, “Think you could kill me?”
That took me by surprise, but I ignored what I felt about her odd request and shook my head. “I don’t think so,”
She shrugged, “Then I guess there’s nothing I need from you. Good luck Kid…I mean Shadow.”
“I hope you find your friend,” I said as she pushed her way through the ponies again.
When she was gone Bottlecap led me to a small office, sitting down at an old desk then took a moment to look me over. Finally, she sighed and leaned back asking, “So where are you from and how do you intend to pay for your trip home?”
“New Pegasus, and I’m not sure how I can pay for the trip home, but I’ll do whatever I can to pay for it,” I said.
Her eyes went wide at that, “Wait a second, you’re from New Pegasus? How the hell did you get all the way out here and why?”
“It’s a long story, best way to put it, I was taken here by somepony and dumped not far from that old restaurant,” I said, I wasn’t going to bother telling her about what really happened. Rampage had a hard time believing me and she’s fucking immortal.
“Slavers? Or did you piss off some Enclave pony, or were you part of a caravan?” She asked.
“None of those things, I’m just a mare who works as a Courier for Equestrian Express,” I said, not thinking the name of Box Tape’s courier business would mean much out here.
I was wrong, Bottlecap’s eyes went wide as she said, “You’re that Courier? A little shit like you worked for Old Box Tape and has been going around helping the ponies in that area?”
Okay, having Rampage know about me was one thing, now this mare knew who I was just by the name Equestrian Express. I cocked an eyebrow, asking, “Why do you think I’m The Courier? Do I look like a mare who could go around blowing up cities and taking down raider camps?”
She looked me over again. “Not really, but that doesn’t mean much to tell you the truth. As to how I know you’re her, that’s because I know that Equestrian Express hasn’t had a courier before ‘The Courier’ for almost a year. My father used to do business with Box Tape back in the day until one day the old buck just couldn’t find anypony to take a job with him due to the raiders around his town. Then one day we hear about some mare in one of his dusters taking down that same camp, later we start hearing all kinds of stories about this mare saving ponies or blowing up towns and later a tower and more. I keep up with all the news feeds I can. Makes for good business if you know what’s going on around The Wasteland.”
“At least you’re not calling me a crazy pony or want me dead,” I said with a sigh.
“I don’t, but I know there’s a price on your head from The Enclave and a few Steel Rangers,” Bottlecap said.
“Wait, I have a bounty on my head?” I asked, then thought about it. “Okay, maybe that’s not too much of a shock. I have pissed off The Enclave more than once and a few Steel Rangers as well. Honestly I’m surprised that I haven’t had any problems with bounty hunters yet.”
“Normally you would,” Bottlecap said leaning back in her seat. “From what I’ve heard about the bounty, both of them, some group has made it known that if any bounty hunter tries for the bounty, they’ll kill them.”
“A group of ponies are protecting me?” I asked.
“I don’t know much about them, all I know is that they are renegades of The Enclave. They must be tough ponies to scare away anypony from taking on a twenty thousand cap bounty.”
My eyes went wide. “Twenty thousand!?”
She laughed, “That’s just the one from The Enclave, they want you dead or alive at this point. The one from the Steel Rangers is forty-five thousand, but you have to be taken to them alive and all the way out to Los Alicorn.”
That took me by surprise, not the Steel Ranger bounty. Sure, I didn’t know that Wolfsbane had that many caps, but it was The Enclave one that I couldn’t understand. Dad’s the head of the council. He leads Stratus and Nimbus, also he was in charge of overseeing The Crystal Empire and the Twin Cities. They couldn’t put a bounty on my head without me knowing, unless… “When did the bounty from The Enclave start?”
“Three Weeks ago, around the time you destroyed that tower in Whinnieapolis,” Bottlecap said with a shrug.
“Damn, so it wasn’t recently,” I said, I thought that maybe dad figured I was gone after Aquila took over and thought that having me killed was the best way to save The Wasteland. Morbid, but effective, he was thinking about the ponies in The Wasteland and not just his own daughter or feelings.
“Why do you sound so disappointed?” Bottlecap asked.
“Because, I know the High Council pony for that area. He’s a friend of mine and he wouldn’t let any of his pegasi put a bounty on me. Unless it was done three days ago,” I said.
“Why does three days or three weeks matter?” she asked.
“It’s a long story, but if this was set up three weeks ago, then who put out the bounty?” I asked.
She turned away from me in her chair and started to rummage through a file cabinet behind her. After a few moments passed she pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it on the desk. “Here it is, take a look for yourself. Honestly I didn’t see a need to post this thing around here since you were so far away.”
I looked down at the paper laying in front of me, I saw a very nice drawing done of me right in the middle of the paper, wanted poster I guess, though the picture did show me with my long pony tail still. On the top I saw in bold letters,
Wanted
Dead or Alive
Reward: 20,000 Caps
I took in a deep breath and continued to read the rest of what was written under my sketch.
Shadow Star
A.K.A. The Courier
Crimes: murder, treason, theft, massive destruction, terroristic activities, possession of dangerous items, torture and being extremely annoying.
Known to be traveling around The New Pegasus area, but has also been seen near the Twin Cities and The Kingdom.
Shadow Star is extremely dangerous and known to travel with a freelance griffon, a rogue dashite, and a monster bat pony.
She is to be taken dead or alive and her body to be brought to any Enclave Skyport near New Pegasus for Verification. Payment will not be given out if her items are not with her body. If the requirements are met, ask for Sergeant Winter Frost or Captain Strife.
If she is taken in by a dashite alive, that dashite’s crimes will be forgiven.
I slammed my Hoof down on the wanted poster. “Goddesses fucking DAMMIT! Of course, it’s Winter Frost, that fucking Pegasus just can’t leave well enough alone and where does he get off putting up a reward like that?”
She shrugged, “No idea, I don’t know much about this Winter Frost. The other pony however, I know her well. Captain Strife is a mare who runs some of the black ops missions for Thunderhead, though she’s only been around that cloud city for a couple of years. Originally, she’s from Stratus, comes from a long line of ponies who’ve run things in that city. Her father was one of the High Council who died in Mill City Tower if I remember right.”
“So, she’s working with Winter Frost to take me down, because I killed her dad? Okay, at least she has a good reason, Winter Frost though, he just hates me because I locked him up in some cells in the basement of an Alicorn’s Lodge home. Oh, and I did kill most of his team and humiliate him when he tried to kill me a few weeks back,” I said.
“You locked him up in…an Alicorn’s…Basement? And you lived to tell about it?” she asked sounding shocked.
“Oh, the Alicorn I know isn’t bad,” I said with a wave of a hoof.
She cocked her eyebrow at me. “I’ve never met an Alicorn who’s not brainwashed or crazy, normally they’re both.”
“I’ve never met any apart from the ones at Frosty Summit. Violet is kind and helps ponies. She said she used to be controlled by something called The Goddess I think, but some amulet she was sent to retrieve for her freed her from it.”
“Really? I had no idea it was even possible for any of them to be freed from the control of Unity. Well, if you happen to see any around here don’t expect them to help you with anything apart from trying to make you one of them,” Bottlecap said.
“Hopefully with your help I won’t have to worry about it,” I said.
She leaned back in her chair again tapping a hoof under her chin as she thought. After a moment she said, “The problem is that it’s very rare for traders to even go to New Pegasus. I know one caravan who makes the trip, but they won’t’ be back this way for at least another month and a half, maybe longer. With Red Eye’s slavers in Fillydelphia and the Alicorn problems near Canterlot and Maripony a lot of ponies don’t like making the trip. Even if they did, most of the land between New Pegasus and even Canterlot is either mostly unpopulated land with a lot of dangerous monsters or run by half mad tribal ponies. Even if I knew a caravan who would make the trip, it would take you at least a month or more to make it there on hoof.”
“What about flying? Isn’t there some Dashites around here who could get me there on a Skycarriage or something?” I asked.
She laughed. “First of all, the only dashite I know around here is a friend of mine named Glory and she can’t go flying off anywhere anymore. Thunderhead doesn’t make Dashites very often so they’re rare. Even if you could make it to Manehattan you’d still have a hard time finding one. The other problem is, you don’t just find sky carriages lying around. Lastly, The Enclave around here wouldn’t let you get away with flying one, they’d shoot you down before you got past Flank.”
“So, what you’re telling me is, I’m screwed?” I asked.
“Well how did you get here? Why can’t you just use that same way to get back home? Even if you were taken here by somepony, I’m sure a mare like you could find a way to use that mode of transpiration to get home,” she asked.
“I was teleported here,” I replied.
“Sure you were,” she said laughing. “I may not know a lot about magic, but that’s a long way to go for somepony to just teleport.”
“Trust me, I was, and it’s too long and complicated to explain. Let’s just say that I can’t go back the same way,” I said with a sigh.
“Then I don’t think I can help you, I might be able to get you as far as Manehattan but that’s it…unless…” she broke off what she was saying and started to dig in the filing cabinet again.
“Unless what?” I asked.
She finally seemed to find what she was looking for and pulled out a huge book. She placed it down on her desk, opened it and started looking through the pages, finally she stopped on one and smiled a little. “Unless you don’t mind working with a slightly mad and strange stallion and his equally strange crew.”
“How mad and how strange of a crew?” I asked.
“Well he’s mostly harmless, same for his crew, unless you’re in a fire fight with him, then you’d better hope the Goddesses love you. He’s a Sky Pirate that calls himself Captain Gunny. He has a couple of loose screws and talks in the third pony, but he’ll do just about anything for the right price. He’s the only other pony I know who’s made trips to New Pegasus and even Los Alicorn in the past, isn’t scared one bit of The Enclave, alicorns, ghouls, monsters, you name it. He’s also a pony of his word, if he makes a deal with you and you don’t double cross or lie to him, he’ll get you home,” she said with a smile.
“There’s only one problem, I don’t have many caps, hell I don’t even have my guns or armor. How can I pay this stallion to get me there?” I asked.
“That’s the best part, you see Captain Gunny owes me about five thousand caps right now for goods. He’s been avoiding me because he’s had bad luck with getting loot over the past couple of weeks. If I can get him to agree to get you home, I’ll forgive his debt,” she said shutting the large tome.
“And you’re going to do this out of the goodness of your heart?” I asked, skeptical of such a kind gesture.
She laughed again. “Hell no, I’m just going to hire you to deliver a few things for me. Finding a good courier is next to impossible around here and with recent events, I can’t get some of my goods delivered to Chapel. Also, I’ve had a few things stacking up that I need brought to a few towns out that way. A package to a small settlement near Manehattan called New Appleloosa, two letters for a couple of ponies in The Kingdom, and a few things I meant to send out with that caravan going to your area. If you do this for me I’ll pay your way home by forgiving Captain Gunny’s debt, I’ll also throw in a few weapons and some armor to help keep you safe.”
That was the best thing I’ve heard all day. I smiled and said, “Deal, so when can I leave with this Captain Gunny?”
“Last I heard he was headed for Flank, but he should be back around here by tomorrow or the next day. I’ll put out word that I found him a way to pay off his debt to me. I’ll set it all up then send him to Chapel, I think you should go there to first make this delivery for me and see about finding a place to sleep for the next couple of days,” she said.
“I don’t see anything wrong with that, though I’m not sure how I’m going to carry all this stuff on my own,” I said.
“Oh, don’t worry about that Shadow, what I need you to bring to Chapel isn’t big and the rest of it I’ll have loaded onto Captain Gunny’s ship when he gets here. You’ll have to go southeast first to get that one delivery done in New Appleloosa, but it shouldn’t take long, I’ll leave a manifest on who’s expecting the deliveries and which package or letter goes to who,” she said.
I shrugged. “Sounds fine to me, so who’s the pony I need to find in Chapel?”
“Funny you should ask. My friend Morning Glory, Blackjacks Marefriend. I’m sending her some meds to help a couple of her friends who’re sick right now. Though I have to warn you, Glory looks like a famous pony at the moment thanks to killing joke,” she said with an ever-growing smile.
“Really? I didn’t know Killing Joke did that,” I said.
“Neither did I, but let’s just say that she has to keep her face hidden from The Enclave right now because of it, that’s the killing joke part. If you need to find her, either check Star House just outside of town and let her know that I sent you or check with a filly named Charity in town, she Runs the General Store. Or maybe just go right to the Store, it’s easier to find and safer.” Bottlecap said, getting to her hooves and heading to the door. “Now let’s go get you some weapons and armor.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said, getting up and following her out. As I pushed open the door to her office, I saw her glance at the Mark II.
“I was going to ask you before; what kind of Pip-Buck is that? I’ve never seen one like it before,” she asked.
At first, I didn’t want to say anything about the Mark II, but she’d already done so much to help me. So, I decided that a little trust couldn’t hurt, “It’s a prototype created by Stable-Tec. There’s only three of them in all of Equestria. I was told by a ghoul who was helping with this, that it was being used to test some things that were being put into what was called a Delta Model Pip-Buck. Some of the things built into this were used for the Delta Model, but he said that that model wasn’t ever put into circulation because of the Megaspells.”
“That’s amazing! How’d you get your hooves on something like that? Are you interested in selling it? I know a few collectors that would pay a huge amount for something like that,” she said.
“No, it’s not for sale and to be honest, I really don’t want anypony to know I have it. A lot of bad things could happen if this fell into the wrong hooves. It’s one reason The Enclave are after me, same for The Steel Rangers. As to how I got it, my mom left it for me when she left my stable years ago,” I said as she led me down an aisle.
“That’s too bad, but I can understand. Can you at least tell me a couple of the features it has?” she asked.
“Why do you care?” I couldn’t help asking.
She shrugged, “I know one mare who has a Delta model, I just want to see what the difference is between that and the one that was used to test its features.”
“Well I don’t know everything on it really. I haven’t taken the time to learn all I can,” I said as she led me to a weapons table. “I know it has a built-in broadcaster, it’s hacking software is better than any Pip-Buck I’ve seen or heard of, it’s impossible to steal. Hell, you can’t even get it off unless you know how and I know that all three of the Mark II’s are…” I stopped talking as something about my Mark II came back to me.
She looked back at me asking, “Are what?”
“Nothing…I just forgot something about them that I’d rather keep to myself,” I said.
“Come on, it’s not like I’m going to tell anypony,” she said.
“It’s not like I don’t trust you, but this information is secret and I don’t want to risk anypony knowing about it, not even you,” I said.
“OH fine, be that way, well let’s get you outfitted,” she said turning to the merchant to see about getting me what I needed.
As she did, my heart started to race, because I just remembered a key feature in The Mark II that no other Pip-Buck had. Something that Rusty told me about when I first went to Trotston. The Mark II’s were all linked through the M.A.S.E.B.S. towers all over Equestria. One pony with a Mark II could communicate with another from anywhere, as long as there was an M.A.S.E.B.S. tower around. I’d already seen a couple in the distance as I walked here with Rampage. I could get a message to my friends!
“Shadow what kind of weapons do you like to use?” Bottlecap asked.
I smiled as I turned back to the mare and started to tell her what I’d need to get home…
***
An hour later I was making my way toward the marker on my map for Chapel. I had a new set of Combat Armor that was reasonably strong, an okay Shotgun, a .45 caliber pistol, and an old Zebra Sword that was in very good condition. Plus, enough ammo to keep me safe for a long time. I felt a lot better than I had when I first woke up. Bottlecap also made sure to get me some food just in case I needed it and a fresh canteen filled with clean water. Megamart was far behind me now and according to my map, I’d be in Chapel soon.
I’d waited until I was far from the huge building packed with merchants to test my idea with the Mark II. I wanted to make sure I talked with at least Byte, so I could tell them where I was and how I was getting home. That’s if my friends were still alive. I was still scared that something bad happened to them while Aquila was in control. That good Aquila told me that I would get memories of what happened to my body while she was using it once I took over again, but so far, I’d seen nothing.
I saw a small path that led off the road and up toward a ridge that overlooked a destroyed town not far away. So, I headed up to it so nopony could see me while I contacted my friends. Once I was done with that, I could finish my mission to Chapel. I know that there’s another thing in that town I may be able to do while I’m there, if mom’s notes were right about Uncle Striker and his research on Falling Shadows and where he left it.
I was almost to the top of the ridge when I decided to sit down next to a small rock. My E.F.S. wasn’t showing me anypony was up here and this spot was harder to see from the road. I lifted my foreleg and used my magic to go into the Broadcaster tab. I’d never seen or was told how this was done, but I had a feeling that if I tried hard enough, I’d figure it out. Sure enough, it only took me a moment to find a section under the Broadcaster that said ‘Mark II inter-broadcast channel link’
I clicked on it and watched as both of the Mark II’s showed up on my screen. I selected Cookie Bytes Mark II and opened the channel. Text flew by in my vision as the connection was made…
Attempting to connect with Pip-Buck Mark II AB…
Connection found, checking signal of M.A.S.E.B.S. tower’s…
Signal Moderate, Towers 112, 37, 69 and 40 aren’t broadcasting properly…
Signal Strong Enough to make audio communication and location if needed…
Broadcast open, you are now on an open channel with Pip-Buck Mark II AB…
I took in a deep breath then let it out slowly and said, “Cookie Byte, this is Shadow Star. Are you getting this?”
It took a few minutes for something to happen. At first, I wasn’t sure if the message was even going through until Byte’s voice echoed out of my Mark II, “Shadow! Is that really you? Or are you still that bitch Aquila trying to play tricks on us!?”
“It’s me Byte, I’m alive and mostly well,” I said, feeing relieved as the young mare’s voice echoed out of my Mark II.
“Prove IT!” she demanded.
“How? It’s not like I can show you or anything,” I said.
“Likely story, I can’t trust who you are until you prove it to me, until then this line is closed,” she said.
“BYTE don’t close the connection I’m not sure how long it will take me to get it back!” I yelled into the Mark II.
Before she could answer me, I heard Stardust’s voice in the background. “Byte who are you talking to?”
“I’m not sure, she said she’s Shadow, but how can we know?” she responded. “HEY LET GO OF MY HOOF!”
Stardust’s voice sounded closer now as he said, “Shadow? Is that really you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes it’s me, now can you two stop with the suspicion and let me talk?”
“I’m not sure Shadow, it’s hard to know if it’s really you or Aquila. Isn’t there any way you can prove you are who you say you are?” he asked.
“No, I mean Aquila has all my memories so it’s not like I can just use something I would only know kind of thing,” I said, then slammed my Pip-Buck against a rock. “Dammit, this is bullshit, fucking stupid ass bullshit, that bitch just had to make my life even harder than it already IS!”
“Oh, well that works, yep that’s you Shadow,” I heard Stardust say.
“Huh, what do you mean? What did I do?” I asked.
He laughed a little. “From the short encounter we had with Aquila and another with Aura, she’s not much for cursing like that. I’m glad to hear your voice again.”
Whatever, if that made him trust me then I’ll work with it. “I’m glad to hear yours too. Is everyone okay?”
“For the most part yes, Aquila didn’t do much to us when she found us right after she took over. Aura had a run in with her yesterday, but for some reason Aquila ran away,” Stardust said.
“IS THAT SHADOW!?” I heard Wingnut yell in the distance then he got closer, seeming to ignore Byte’s protests. “Shadow you’re alive!?”
I chuckled a little. “I’m okay Wingnut, where are you guys at?”
“Let my hoof go Wingnut you little bug!” Byte yelled.
“In a minute Byte,” Wingnut said. “We’re at the Shadow Talon’s new base in Freedom. Aura’s been sending her griffons out to find…Aquila, after what happened with Stable 28, she’s pissed.”
I felt my heart sink as those words came though my Mark II. “What happened to Stable 28?”
“LET ME GO!” Byte said, then the sounds of wrestling came from the Mark II and finally Byte continued. “If you two want to talk to her then just talk, don’t pull my forehoof up and hold me down! It hurts, and you’re pushing me into the dirt, and I DON’T LIKE IT!”
“Sorry Byte,” Stardust and Wingnut said in unison.
I can hear Byte sigh “Stupid bugs,”
I facehoofed. “Stable 28 dammit!”
It took a minute then Stardust said, “Aquila destroyed it, we just found out a couple hours ago.”
No, that can’t be right. Why would she go after my old home? There’s nothing there that should interest her, unless…she wanted to hurt me, to make me pay for fighting her for so long. It took me a while to find my voice again, when I did, I asked, “Did…anypony make it out?”
Byte answered this time, “Only about twenty, maybe a little more, we’re still trying to find out everything that happened.”
A lump stuck in my throat as I asked the next question, the one I feared most. “Milkshake…Balefire?”
“They made it out, both of them did. Right now, the Shadow Talons are helping them get to Freedom, but they’re shaken and scared,” Stardust said.
Even though my friends survived the crazy bitch in my head, still that was still a lot ponies who died and for what? After the fight to save my home against The Unchained Talons and my crazy former Overmare, only about three hundred ponies were left. They were just starting to get back to a normal stable life, now most of them were gone. Ponies I grew up with, killed by Aquila, just so she could make me pay.
“Shadow, I know that’s hard to hear and I’m sure a lot of other things are going to be hard to take, but right now we need to help you. Where are you at?” Stardust asked.
Before I could answer, the voice I thought I would never hear again came through the speaker, “What are you three doing? There’s work to be done, I heard a rumor that Aquila was spotted near Coven.”
“Aura!” I yelled, feeling tears of joy that she was okay fall down my face.
“What was that?” Aura asked, her voice getting closer.
“It’s Shadow, she got control of her body again from the sound of it,” Wingnut said.
“Cut the connection!” Aura said, anger filling her voice.
“Aura it’s really her,” Stardust said. “I checked, unless Aquila’s gotten a lot better at acting.”
“HEY PUT ME DOWN!” I heard Byte say, I’m guessing Aura picked the filly up.
“Listen if this really is Aquila acting like she’s Shadow, I promise I’m going to find you and rip your throat out you psychotic murder obsessed she-devil whore!”
“Shut the hell up Aura,” I laughed a bit as I said that, “it is me, Shadow. Now put Byte down and please let me TALK!” I yelled.
“OW!” Byte said, I’m guessing Aura dropped her.
“Are…you sure it’s her Stardust?” Aura asked.
“Yeah, I’d stake my life on it,” Stardust said.
I heard Aura let out a long sigh then her tone changed, now she sounded tired and sad all at the same time. “Shadow…you’re okay?”
“I’ve been better, but yes I’m fine,” I said.
I could hear in her voice that Aura was holding back sobs as she said, “I thought I lost you.”
“You almost did, if it wasn’t for Uncle Ori, I don’t think I would’ve made it out of the cage I was put into by Aquila,” I said quietly.
“I don’t mean that, I’m talking about that fucking note. Don’t get me wrong, I understand what you were thinking at the time, but it doesn’t matter right now. When we see each other again, we are going to have a long talk about some trust issues. Not just with me either, Wind Thrasher wants to rip your head off for lying to her, but that can wait. Right now, I’m just glad you’re alive and Aquila isn’t controlling you anymore. Where are you, I can come get you,” she said.
“I know…and I’m in Hoofington, near a town called Chapel,” I said.
“You didn’t just say Hoofington, did you?” she asked sounding concerned.
“Yes, I woke up a few hours ago on an old highway near a bone ditch. Thanks to the help of a few ponies here, I’ve been able to secure a way back to New Pegasus.” I said.
“Shadow, you have no idea what it’s like out there, that town is crazy! Trust me, I’ve been there before, I lost Trip Wire there. I’m coming to get you, don’t leave Chapel, it’s one of the safest places in that area,” Aura said.
“Aura No!” I said. “I told you I found a way back, I don’t want you flying all the way out here. I’m safe, I’m alive and I can take care of myself,”
Stardust chuckled a little. “Shadow, you may be able to take care of yourself, but even I know that Hoofington isn’t a place you want to be, let alone trust anypony to just get you home.”
“He’s right Shadow,” Aura said. “Unless you know the right ponies to talk to, you could end up being taken by slavers. There are a lot of them around there all selling ponies like you to a mad pony named Red Eye. I can’t just let you trust some random pony to get you home. I’m coming to get you.”
“Damnit Aura, NO, stop treating me like a foal. I didn’t just hire some random pony to get me home. A mare named Bottlecap who runs Megamart out here set it up. From what I can tell, she’s a trustworthy pony,” I yelled.
“Bottlecap set it up?” Aura asked. “Well that’s different, if she’s helping you then I guess you’re right about one thing. Still I don’t like the idea of you traveling across The Wasteland by yourself with some random pony. I can get there in three or four days if I travel light, can you at least wait until I get there so I can keep you safe on the way home?”
“The Stallion will be leaving in a couple days, you may just miss us and I have to make a stop in New Appleloosa to make a delivery for Bottlecap, that’s how I managed to get passage home. If you really have to come here then at least meet me there or in a town on my way back,” I said.
She sighed then gave in. “Fine, but New Appleloosa is further than Hoofington. I know a town near Canterlot. It’s about fifty kilometers north west of there. If you’re heading toward New Pegasus from New Appleloosa then you should fly near it. I’ll meet you there.”
“How will I get ahold of you once I arrive?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find you, just get there as fast as you can,” Aura said.
I smiled a little, I may not like the idea of her thinking I can’t take care of myself, but it was also very sweet of her. I could understand where she was coming from. She was scared that something was going to happen to me after what happened over the past few days. So, I said, “Fly safe, and if everything goes well, I’ll see you all soon.”
“You too,” Aura said, then she raised her voice. “Stardust, go find Solstice and tell her I need to see her. Wingnut tell Wind Thrasher to inform Grim what’s happening…”
Her voice faded as she walked away from Byte’s Mark II, when it was gone Byte sighed, and said, “It’s been nuts around here after you got taken over Shadow. Your uncle told us what he did to help you, but most of us didn’t believe it.”
“I can understand why, I’m still having nightmares about what I saw in that Cage. How are you holding up Byte?” I asked.
“I’ll be fine, I’ve been able to help The Shadow Talons make this place a proper base and they’re already taking contracts. Well, the ones who aren’t trying to help Aura find you that is. Vi’s been a big help, it’s like she was born to run a Talon Company. She’s taken away most of the business from The Unchained Talons who are now working out of Crimson Canyon,” Byte said, sounding tired.
“So, The Red Talons are dead then? The company itself I mean,” I asked.
“Yeah, from what I’ve heard, Gina and Archer Aka Apollo are leading them. They’re strong, but unorganized. The Shadow Talons are doing everything they can to keep it that way, but that’s a story for another time. You need to worry about getting home, Aura needs you…we all need you…New Pegasus needs you. Things have been starting to go a bit array around here after the news went out that The Courier was killed,” Byte said.
“What kinds of things are happening?” I asked.
“The Romans pushed further into the area, The NLR lost two more bases and are now blocking the advance of the Romans near Riverpoint. We’ve been hearing that The Hidden Sands Steel Rangers are also attacking the NLR and New Appleton has been making life hell for us too,” she said, letting out a long sigh. “Just get back here and show everypony that you’re alive and help us.”
“I’ll do my best Byte, stay safe and let me know if something happens, I’ll be sure to make it so you can find me if you need to. I’ll keep the Mark II’s location to yours open,” I said.
“Okay, Rusty showed me how that feature works. I’ll contact you when Aura is leaving too. Stay safe Shadow,” Byte said, and cut the connection.
I sighed again then got back to my hooves. I was about to head back down the path to the road when I noticed something poking out from the top of the ridge. Figuring it couldn’t hurt to look into what was up there, I went to check it out. The top of the ridge wasn’t much further, it only took me a minute or so to reach it. At the top, I found an old camp site. It was small, just a single tent that looked like it was starting to rot, a fire pit, a few scraps of cans of Cram and some rotten food.
“Hello? Is anypony up here?” I asked as I drew my new shotgun and slowly advanced.
Nopony answered, so I trotted over to the tent and looked inside. A single bedroll for two was still set up in one corner, a forgotten satchel in another corner, a rotting map lying next to the bedroll, and a few more cans of Cram sitting near the map. I wrinkled my nose as I walked further into the small tent, it smelled like death in here. I looked closer at the bedroll and saw a few spots of blood on it and a black feather.
Picking it up, I looked at it closer, saying to myself, “This is a griffon feather. I wonder if a talon company from around here was using this as a place to live. It would explain so much Cram being around here.”
I wandered over to the satchel and picked it up slowly. There was a small picture sewn into the bag. It looked like a wire connected to a mine, under it the initials T.W. were sewn in as well. My eyes went wide as I remembered seeing that picture before, it was a cutie mark, Trip Wire’s cutie mark. I dropped the satchel as I realized where I was and who the black feather belonged to.
“This is where Aura lost Trip Wire,” I said as I looked around the tent more. Now that I was inside the small strip of canvas, I noticed a recorder sitting next to the tent flap and a small mat set out with tools on it and pieces of another energy weapon, half assembled. I picked up the recorder and checked it and found a recording inside it. I pulled it out then checked the satchel and found another recording inside and a few plans for some new weapons Trip Wire was working on.
I wondered to myself why Aura left this all behind. Was Trip Wire’s death really that hard on her that she couldn’t even take a few things to remember her by. I looked down at the recordings and made a decision. I popped the one from the satchel into the Mark II and let it play, as I looked around the camp.
A sweet voice started to play as I walked out of the tent. “Hey brother, it’s me Trip, I know you’re probably still pissed as all hell that I decided to run off with Aura after she was kicked out of The Red Talons the other day. Also, I know you don’t like the idea of me traveling here to Hoofington like this, but I know I can set up a good trade route out here. Aura told me about a mare that would love to have another Caravan that goes from Hoofington to New Pegasus. Her name is Bottlecap and she’s agreed to set something up for tomorrow. Listen brother, don’t be mad at Aura for this trip, it was my idea not hers and as much as I know you don’t like me falling for a griffon, just remember that you can’t help who you fall in love with.”
She went on after a moment. “I’m making you this message so you can try and calm down a little and because I love you. I also love Aura and I don’t care what she is, so please be happy for me. I’ll be home in a couple of months and by then I’m hoping you’ll get this message. I’m sending it out with the caravan that’s leaving tomorrow, after our meeting with Bottlecap. Just remember that I’m still your little sister and that I love you. We’re the only family we have, and I’ll always be there for you just like you always are for me. So please, I hope you’ll be happier once I see you again. Also, I left the plans for that new energy spear in your lab, DON’T YOU DARE MESS WITH IT! I’m planning on finishing my project when I get home, the one I gave Aura was just the prototype and I want to give her the new one once I have time to finish it. So, keep it safe for me. Anyway, I have to go, I love you Tariff, and I’ll see you in a couple months.”
The recording cut out and I felt a fresh wave of tears coming to me as I pulled it out and tucked it into my new saddle bags. She must’ve died not long after making this. Tariff never got to say goodbye to his sister, he never got this last message from her, he lived for all these months thinking that Aura was the one who made her go to Hoofington. I sighed then sniffed and said, “I’ll get this to your bother Trip, you have my word.”
The camp didn’t have much apart from a couple of bottle caps and an unopened bottle of Sparkle Cola. I was just finishing up when I noticed the small mound of dirt a few meters away from the camp. My heart started to race as I realized what it was. I moved closer to it and saw I was right, a small sign made out of a piece of wood had fallen over from the head of the grave, it read, ‘Here Lies Trip Wire, a pony who was loved.’
I ran my hoof over the small pile then used my magic to press the plank back into the ground. I sniffed again then said a small prayer to the Goddesses, finishing by saying, “Don’t worry Trip, I’ll also take good care of Aura for you. I hope you look down and see how much better she’s doing. I’m sorry you had to die so that I could find my soulmate, so thank you for loving her. Rest in peace.”
I went back into the tent and gathered the tools I found, and the pieces of the energy weapon Trip was working on and put them in my saddle bags too. Once that was finished, I started working my way back down the path. As I did, I put the second recording into my Mark II and listened to what I guessed was Trip’s last words. Before I pressed play though something about the camp was bugging me even as I walked away from it.
Aura said that Trip was attacked and raped by Raiders, but if that was true, then why did the camp look like Aura had only taken time to bury her lover and run? Maybe the Recording would help, I started it up.
Again, Trip Wire’s voice echoed out of my Mark II, only this time she sounded weak and like something was wrong with her. “Hey Aura, I know you said to get some rest, but I can’t seem to sleep. I think that food we were given by those pegasi traders was a little rotten, because I can’t seem to keep my food down now. Also, my head’s hurting really bad, and I keep hearing things.”
She started to giggle, a giggle that sent a chill down my spine as she said, “Hehehehe, it’s funny because normally I can’t stand watching you eat that Cram stuff, but now I think it looks good. I can’t seem to keep the apples down so I might try some of your food.” I heard the sound of one of the Cram cans being opened followed by a slurping sound and more giggling.
“That’s not bad, a little chewy, but I think I can get used to it…maybe I need something fresher…hehehehe. Strange, my foreleg won’t stop itching, no matter how much I bite it!” she said, then I heard a sound like flesh ripping a little. “Oh look…I’m bleeding…I can’t even feel it…why am I so hungry now? So…hungry.”
The sound faded as Trip Wire seemed to walk away from the recording, leaving it running. I looked down at my Pip-Buck and saw the recording was two hours long. So, I used my magic to start speeding up the recording. I heard nothing but dead Air. Then somepony spoke, but it was too quick to make out, so I rewound until I found the spot. It was two minutes before the recording ended.
“Trip? You still awake in there? I finished the meeting with Bottlecap and she’s willing to work with you, but she wants to meet you first once you’re feeling better. I picked up some meds that I think might help your fever and the stomach pain,” Aura’s voice said distantly.
I heard hoofs walk by the recording and Trip saying, “Hehehe, You’re…back…griffon.”
“Trip? What’s wrong and what happened to your foreleg? It looks like an animal chewed on you,” Aura said, her voice filled with worry.
“I’m…so hungry, please make it stop!” Trip yelled, her voice getting more insane sounding. “I know…I’ll eat YOU!”
“Trip what are you doing…STOP!” Aura yelled, as the sound of talon hitting flesh then a body hitting the ground. “What the hell Trip Wire, what’s gotten into you…No just stay down, something is wrong with you, just lay down so I can take a look…TRIP NO!” the recording ended there.
I was at the bottom of the path now and about to get back on the road as the recording ended. I was shaking as I processed what I just heard, Trip hadn’t been attacked by raiders at all. From what I could tell, she’d gotten sick and she was acting a lot like the raiders I ran into near Pony Joe’s. If that was true, then what happened to her? How did she die? I took the recording out of my Mark II and slipped it into my new saddle bags. One thing was for certain, Aura was going to have to tell me the truth about what happened to Trip Wire. Worse, I needed to find out from somepony around here what kind of things were wrong with the raiders in this area. Because as crazy as the one’s I’ve met are, they at least had their wits and they didn’t crave pony flesh, not like the ones here. So, I pushed on, toward Chapel.
***
The rest of the trip to Chapel went without much incident, apart from the rain that started to fall again. Unlike in New Pegasus where the rain helped cool you down from the dry heat of the area, here the humidity got worse. My combat armor didn’t breathe like my duster and barding did. By the time I reached the small town I felt like I was swimming in my own sweat even with the rain falling hard on my mane and face.
The first thing I noticed about Chapel was the church, its high steeple visible from half a kilometer away, there was a river that seemed to border the dark foreboding city of Hoofington. The city itself made me uneasy, but I’m not sure why. I felt as if something deep inside the dark place was calling to me, begging me to come to it. It wasn’t a cry for help though, no, it felt like a predator stalking its next meal. I had to rip my eyes away from the sight and keep heading into town, down the muddy streets and dark buildings. It wasn’t a big place, but Chapel did have a kind of charm to it. I wanted to go look at the church, wondering what Gods or Goddesses they worshiped, but I kept my distance. From the look of the place, something bad happened there recently. Honestly the whole town looked like it’d seen a small battle.
I did my best to ignore it and started heading for the building Bottlecap told me to watch out for. “She said it was an old post office being used as a general store,” I said to myself then I spotted the building not far from the church.
I walked over and pushed the door open, a little bell rang as the door struck it. I walked in and almost stumbled into a blue stallion. He stopped and took a step back. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there,” he said, his eyes downcast.
I noticed right away that he was not much taller than I was, maybe a few inches, more the height of a normal mare than a stallion. He had a light blue coat and a darker blue mane with a desperado hat on his head. His cutie mark however was very strange, it was the symbol for male with twenty-one dots under it. I stepped out of his way saying, “It’s my fault, I should’ve been watching where I was going.”
“It’s quite alright…my mind’s been…in a fog as of late. Are you new around here?” he asked.
“You could say that, I’m making a delivery for Bottlecap. Are you the stallion who runs this place?” I asked.
He smiled a little, but didn’t seem to have much humor in him at the moment. “No, I was just checking on something I’m waiting for. Charity said it hadn’t come in yet, unless you’re the one who has our order.”
“It’s possible, Bottlecap said it needed to be here today. It’s for a mare called Morning Glory, but I have to deliver it here with the pony who runs the store,” I said. “I’m Shadow Star by the way.”
“P-21, and Morning Glory is a friend of mine, you must have what I was sent to get,” P-21 said.
“Who’s this, and why is she tracking mud into my store?” A filly’s voice said from behind the counter.
I looked past P-21 and saw a yellow filly standing on the counter. Then I looked back at where I’d dragged mud into the shop. I blushed saying, “I’m sorry, it’s been raining for a while and I didn’t realize I got so much mud on my hooves. I’ll clean it up though.”
She gave me a skeptical look. “Were you raised in a barn or are you just stupid? Wipe your hooves before you enter a building.”
“A stable actually, but like I said, I’ll clean it up you have my word,” I said, walking back to the door, opening it and whipping my hooves on a welcome mat I hadn’t noticed on my way in. Once that was finished, I looked around and saw a broom next to another door and used my magic to pull it over to me. First, I used my magic to move the bigger chunks of mud off the floor and throw it back outside, then I swept the rest away as best I could.
When I was done, P-21 said, “Well at least you’re polite.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Normally I’m not, but I do try to clean up the messes I make.”
The filly laughed too then jumped off the desk and walked over to me. “I’ll say this, it’s not every day some random mare comes in here and doesn’t ask me where the owner is or to fetch my parents. So, thank you for that.”
I shrugged. “I travel with a couple of kids myself and they’re smart little shits, though to be honest, I didn’t know you were the owner, I just guessed when you said ‘Who is this mare and why is she tracking mud into my shop.’”
“You got a point, so are you here to buy something or are you just here to breathe the free air?” she asked, jumping back onto the counter then behind it.
“I have a delivery from Megamart, Bottlecap sent me,” I said, reaching into my saddle bags and pulling out a package. “I was told it was for Morning Glory,”
I set it down on the counter and she opened it quickly. “Sure is, and a couple of small things I asked for,” she said, then took some of the items inside which looked like medical equipment, put them into a bag then looked over at P-21. “Got my caps?”
The blue stallion just sighed then tossed a small bag of caps onto the counter. “Yeah, Glory said that should cover it and a little more for getting it to us so quickly.”
The filly counted them for a moment then picked up the bag, jumped back onto the counter and gave it to P-21. “There you go then. So, how’s Scotch doing?”
I just sat there watching as P-21’s face went from sad looking, to painful. “Glory said she’s doing better, but anything can happen at this point. But she has hope.”
The filly smiled a little. “I’m glad to hear that, well P-21 you should get back.”
“Thanks for the help Charity, I’ll let you know if anything changes,” P-21 said, heading for the door. “It was nice to meet you Shadow.”
“Likewise…” I replied, then my eyes went wide and I looked back at the filly. “Wait you’re Charity?”
The filly laughed. “Sure am, I’m guessing my reputation as a fair and brilliant shop owner is spreading.”
“No, it’s just a strange mare named Rampage said I should look you up if I ever came into Chapel,” I said.
P-21 who was just about to walk back into the rain looked back at me asking, “You know Rampage?”
I shrugged. “I wouldn’t say I know her, it’s more like she saved me from some raiders a few hours ago. She’s the one who introduced me to Bottlecap.”
The small stallion shut the door then asked, “Where did you run into her? Also did she have another mare with her? A white unicorn with robotic legs, kinda stupid, drinks too much, and has a sex drive that would make a stallion blush?”
Wow that was a lot, I frowned then said, “No, it was just her. She told me she was looking for her friend Blackjack, she said she’s Security.”
I heard Charity facehoof. “Oh, great another fan of that moron.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m a fan, honestly I don’t know much about her apart from the fact that DJ Pon3 talks about her on the radio sometimes, when I do bother to tune in,” I said.
“Huh, I thought everypony around The Hoof knew about Blackjack,” P-21 said.
“Me too, hey Shadow, have you been living under a rock or do you just not know how to use that Strange Pip-Buck of yours? If that’s the case, I’ll buy it off you. I’ll give you a thousand caps for it,” Charity said.
“It’s not for sale!” I said glaring at the strange filly. “And I’m not from around here, I’m from New Pegasus. I don’t listen to the radio often because I’m sick of hearing that damn radio pony talking about me like I’m some kind of hero, or a monster, depending on what day it is. Hell, he even gave me the name The Courier!”
P-21 didn’t seem to know my other name thank the Goddesses, he just laughed a little. “What is it with DJ giving funny names to mares he thinks are heroes? First Security, then The Stable Dweller, and now The Courier. I mean you all do have names. Don’t worry though, you’re not alone, Littlepip The Stable Dweller doesn’t much like her nickname either.”
“I’ve learned to embrace it,” I said with a sigh.
Charity finally spoke up, and when she did her voice was quiet, almost like she was scared. “The Courier? But the reports said you died.”
I remembered hearing that myself, “Yeah, I heard.”
“It’s strange because DJ Pon3 reported that since the incident when you vanished in a blast of red magical light, you haven’t been seen since,” Charity said, her eyes looked like she was in a daze. “I have to tell Racer and Tide! They’re still crying in my back ROOM!”
“Wait who are Racer and Tide, and what are you talking about?” I asked as the filly jumped down to run to the back.
“I’ll explain in a minute, be right back,” she said, then vanished through the door, a second later she poked her head back out the door and said to P-21, “I thought you had to get that medical stuff to Glory!”
“She’s right, once again it was nice to meet you Shadow. Before I go, do you have a place to stay here?” he asked.
“No, not yet, I was going to ask Charity before she ran off,” I said.
“Well I’d like to hear more about what happened when you met Rampage, she’s a friend of mine, mostly, still if you’re up to it. Head up to the big house on top of the hill. I’m sure Glory would like to meet you too,” he said.
“Thanks, I’ll think about that. I’m waiting for Bottlecap to get me a ride home anyway,” I said.
“Well, hope to see you soon Shadow,” and with that, he limped out of the shop. I noticed as he went that he has a leg brace on. I guess he must’ve gotten hurt recently.
Before I could think about it more, I was tackled to the ground by a filly and a colt. The colt saying, “Is that really you Shadow!?”
I looked up to see two young faces inches away from mine. “Um…do I know you two?”
The filly gasped then looked over at the colt. “Racer! We forgot to introduce ourselves!”
They both jumped off and stood up straight, the filly was a deep blue with a teal and pink spiraled mane, the colt had the same coat color as the filly, but his mane was black and yellow. They both bowed then the colt said, “I’m Racer, this is my sister Tide. It’s an honor to meet you Courier!”
I felt a little strange to have two foals I’ve never met bowing to me. “Hey now, there’s no need to bow or anything, I’m just a normal unicorn.”
Tide’s eyes went big as she said, “No you’re not, you saved our friend two months ago.”
“I did? I’m sorry, but I don’t know anypony from this area and I don’t remember ever meeting you two,” I said.
The colt punched his sister’s foreleg. “See, I told you we should’ve told her where we come from first!”
“You did not!” she yelled rubbing her foreleg.
“Okay, no yelling or hitting you two!” Charity said from on top of her counter again. “Give her a moment to breathe and tell her where you’re from before you confuse her more.”
“Right,” Racer said. “We’re from Little Hoof, you saved our friends Honeysuckle and Wingnut from Cazadors.”
Now I understood why they were acting this way. “Oh, now I get it, you’re one of the orphans from Little Hoof. How the hell did you two get all the way out here?”
Tide looked down at her hooves and started to get teary eyed. Charity just rolled her eyes saying, “They were captured by slavers a month or so back. They were being brought to Red Eye. Their caravan was attacked by some tribal ponies I think. They escaped then managed to get a ride with traders coming this way.”
“Yeah, Tide and I liked them, until we found out that they just wanted to sell us to some ponies who think they’re royalty, as, what they called, serfs. We managed to escape again, then ran into The Crusaders. They got us here to Charity who’s been helping us make a new life for ourselves,” Racer said.
“How’s Wingnut doing?” Tide asked as I tried to ponder what I was just told.
“He’s fine, well he was the last time I talked to him. He’s in Freedom with some griffons I know right now,” I said. “You two were taken by slavers…in New Pegasus?”
They both shrugged, Tide saying, “Yeah, it happens sometimes, though normally we have no problem escaping. Wingnut was supposed to teach us how to remove bomb collars, but he got his cutie mark and was sent away.”
I remember him telling me how most of the foals in Little Hoof learned how to remove Bomb Collars to keep slavers from taking them. I had no idea how bad those kids had it, and how smart they were too. I looked at them both and smiled. “Well at least you’re safe now right?”
“Yeah, Charity’s a good filly and nice as long as you’re not eyeing her stuff,” Racer said.
“I’m right here you know?” Charity said with a sigh. “Now, why don’t you two go to the back and help the others. I’m sure Shadow has more important things to do.”
“Do we have to!?” Tide complained.
“Yes, now go,” Charity said with a sigh.
“Fine…” Racer said with disgust.
Before they could go however, I stopped them and gave them both a hug. “For luck, my friend Stardust always says that a hug can fix a lot of things. I’ll be sure to tell Wingnut you two are okay, same for the Mayor if I ever get a chance to visit Little Hoof again.”
“I’m glad you’re okay Courier, New Pegasus needs you,” Tide said cutely.
I did my best to smile, I couldn’t destroy their image of me, they wouldn’t understand that what New Pegasus needed was for somepony to put a bullet through my skull. So instead I said, “You two stay out of trouble okay?”
“Okay,” Racer said. “Come on Tide, let’s see if there’s any more snack cakes left!”
Tide went to run off, but she stopped then looked at me saying, “If you get a chance you really should go to Little Hoof. I’m not sure what’s going on there since we left, but the last time I saw The Mayor, he was acting strange. It’d be good, I think, for him to see you again.”
“It’s funny, all they’ve talked about since they got here a few days ago was how great The Courier is. Stories about how you helped their friends escape death, how you took in one of them when he was kicked out of their little town, how you’ve done everything you can to keep their home safe. They seem to think you were sent here from The Goddesses to help keep fillies and colts safe from the bad things in The Wasteland,” Charity said.
I just shook my head. “I just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. Honestly, I’m the lucky one when it comes to Wingnut. He’s helped me out a lot over the past two months and he’s become like a little brother to me. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
“You know it’s not every day a pony like you would do that for some foals,” she said with a knowing grin.
“I couldn’t just let them get hurt…I’ve been there. I don’t want any foal to grow up in pain, not like I did,” I said.
“Thought you were from a stable?” she asked, pointing at my Pip-Buck.
“I was raised in one ever since I was six, but I was born in The Enclave. Far north in The Crystal Empire…it’s a long story,” I said.
“Sounds like it,” she said, then her eyes went wide. “Wait you’re Enclave?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I was just born there, I haven’t lived there for twelve years. Like I said, it’s a long story. Let’s just say that my mother ran away from them when I was very young.”
“Smart,” Charity said.
“Yeah, she is,” I said with a sigh, wondering if Mom managed to watch the memory orbs yet and if she was ready to believe that I was who I said I was.
“So, enough of this wishy-washy stuff, I’m here to run a business, do you need something or did my bossy older sister just send you here to be a mail pony?” Charity said.
I was going say something about Bottlecap being her sister then I saw the resemblance and the sense for business and decided not to bring it up. “I do need a couple more things, but sadly all my caps are back in New Pegasus.”
“Come on, you must have something to at least trade. I’ll even give you a fifteen percent discount, since you helped those foals,” Charity said. “Also, who leaves their caps behind when they go on a trip?”
I couldn’t help laughing at the offended tone she took when she said that last part. “I didn’t have a choice in the matter, and no, I had nothing before Bottlecap gave this armor and some weapons to me as payment for doing a few jobs for her. Even then, all I really need are some bobby pins and a new screwdriver.”
“Ah, you like to fiddle with locks huh? P-21 likes to do that kind of thing too,” Charity said. “How about this, I can give you the bobby pins and the screwdriver, all I’ll ask is that you don’t tell a soul I gave it to you. We’ll call it a donation to a good cause.”
“Why would you do that for me?” I asked.
She shrugged, and said, “I’m not called Charity because it’s cute, I like helping other fillies and colts when I can, and you seem to do the same. But don’t think I’ll always have crap you can just take. I have my limits.”
I smiled. “Thank you Charity.”
She waved a hoof then jumped back down from the counter and started to look through a box. “Just don’t make me regret this,” She said as she came back up and tossed a box of bobby pins and a screwdriver at me. “There you go, I hope it helps.”
“Thanks again,” I said as I put the stuff in my saddle bags. “Do you, by chance, know where I can stay for a couple of days? I’m waiting on a transport home. Bottlecap said I should stay here.”
“Well, I’d offer you a place here, but after the attack, I don’t have room. But I overheard P-21 offer you a room, head over to Star House and see if Glory or any of them have room. On the bright side, I’m sure they won’t charge you,” Charity said with a grin.
“Thanks, I guess…well from the look of it, the rain is letting up. I should head over there now,” I said, turning to leave.
“Hey Shadow,” Charity said. I turned to look at her, “Watch your step around here okay. There are a lot of bad ponies around right now and a unicorn like you will attract their attention.”
“Can do, see you later Charity,” I said then headed out the door.
It didn’t take me long once I was out of the post office turned trading post, to find Star House. It wasn’t that far outside of town and easy to spot now that the rain was mostly gone. I was interested to meet this Glory pony after what Bottlecap told me about her. I was also interested in finding out what she meant when she said killing joke made her look like a famous pony. I also just wanted a dry spot to sit down and try to figure out what happened over the past few days while Aquila had my body and why I could barely feel the crazy bitch.
I made my way up to the door and knocked. A mares voice echoed from inside. “P-21 get the door! I don’t want to answer it looking like THIS! P-21…where are you…P-21? Lacunae? Are you really gone too!? Why do I have to do everything around here!?”
I was about to rethink my idea of staying here when the door was thrown open and I found myself face to face, with Rainbow Dash!
[FOOTNOTE: LEVEL UP!]
NEW PERK ADDED!
Courier Rank 1: You’ve traveled your entire journey as a Courier for Equestrian Express. So long in fact, that Ponies even in Hoofington and further have heard your name. Due to your Reputation you now gain a small discount at certain venders and get +15 to your Barter skill with every Rank in this Perk.