//------------------------------//
// Savior 
// Story: Waiving Wanderer, Wonderous World 
// by Robipony 
//------------------------------//

The world around you felt warm and calm. Soft fabric covering your body. For a brief moment you thought you were in your room back in PACS-039, then you remembered the crazy ponies and that you had been shot. Their cruel laughter echoing through your skull.

Immediately your eyes opened in fear, to find yourself in a dark room, a warm blanket covering your body. You lay on something that felt almost like a sack of beans which seemed to shift and adjust to your movements. The only lights that illuminated the room were a few flickering Hearth’s Warming lights, which would occasionally reveal a few of the stuffed animals and dolls that appeared to be lining the room. 

Feeling a sharp pain in your shoulder, you looked to see that somepony had bandaged you while you were unconscious. Furthermore, your throat felt dry.

As you lay there alone, you could occasionally hear somepony moving around in another room. You tried to get up, before suddenly noticing a heavy weight around your neck. With the flickering of the lights, you realized that a metal collar was secured around your neck, a chain jiggled with your movements. 

“Was I caught?” You whispered, afraid that perhaps one of those mad ponies had managed to catch you. The fear that Roph might turn you into a shiny… sock, was disconcerting. 

You fell quiet as you heard somepony humming in the other room. From what you could tell it was a feminine voice and immediately the image of the mare who was wearing the pony skull popped into your head. Even as you pondered this, the sound of the humming started to grow louder. 

Trying to pretend that you were asleep, you slumped back into your position, waiting for an opportunity to hopefully escape your captor. 

Emerging from behind a certain was a dark shape, a seemingly large pony wearing some sort of armor, however it was difficult to see in the dim light. As soon as the pony stepped into the room, their humming stopped and they began sniffing the air. 

“Hmmm… seems like my pet is finally awake.” 

The pony walked over to some sort of rock or bag, it was kind of hard to tell in the low lighting, and lay down. Did they have something long hanging off their hindquarters, like a weird skirt or… her tail? It seemed rather long. 

“Well, let’s have a better look at him.” 

Suddenly there was a loud bang as what might have been the mare's tail struck something metal and two bright lights flickered on above, illuminating you and this mare. 

Upon seeing your captor, you were caught by surprise. At first you thought she might have been wearing a suit like the crazy mare you had met earlier, however it soon became very clear that this wasn't a costume. 

On the top of the mare's head, going all the way along to the tip of her fish-like tail was dark gray bony platting, with a dorsal fin like structure on her back. She had a grayish purple coat with pale purple fur extending from under her chin, down her belly to the underside of her tail. What appeared to be a white mane emerged from underneath her bony mantle. From behind her ears were two horns, which were just a slight shade lighter than her body plating, that reached back toward her spine. Her yellow eyes watched you from within their dark gray sclera. Upon seeing all of these features you realized what you were looking at.

This was a monster pony, one of the many creatures that had appeared in the cataclysm with the arrival of the Vermillion Hourglass. And there she was sitting on some sort of big, puffy bag. Your heart froze and your feathers shivered. 

Almost as if sensing your nervousness, the monstrous mare smiled, showing off rows of sharp, deadly teeth. Next to her was a stuffed parasprite doll that was almost as big as a foal as well as an old plate with a few strange looking plants resting on top. 

"Now I know that isn’t your face there pet," the mare spoke, "so why don't you take it off. It certainly would be better for you if I didn't have to."

Sensing that the mare might be hinting that she might try to remove your helmet with her teeth, you figured it might be wise to have it magically disappear. After quickly looking at your hud and confirming that the air was safe to breath, you activated the command to remove it. Gradually the helmet appeared to dissolve as a line of blue energy moved from top to bottom, exposing your face to your captor.

"That's better." The mare purred, before pulling the doll closer.

Seeing this mare face to face, you had to admit that she was rather intimidating, especially considering that she appeared to be maybe a head taller than you. 

"Who are you?" you asked, hoping to obtain some answers from your captor.

This question elicited a gleeful chuckle from the monstrous mare. 

"My name is Runt, the princess of ash," she said, "and the one responsible for saving your life."

As Runt said this, you recalled seeing the thing that moved through the ground. It was then that you made two realizations. One, that the gray substance you had been walking on was ash and two, that this creature was able to move through the ash like an ancient aquatic predator. Memories of old books showing such creatures came to mind with one in particular coming to mind. The shark.

Though she did seem to lack the gills that you had seen in the pictures. How strange. 

It would seem that Runt might have saved you from those crazy ponies you had encountered. She must also be the one responsible for bandaging your injured shoulder. However, despite how encouraging this thought was, you were still fully aware of the collar around your neck. 

"So then why am I chained up?" You asked.

"Isn't it obvious," Runt asked, "I saved you, therefore you are my pet now."

Instantly Runt gave you a look as if this was something you clearly should have known. 

"Now you've been asleep for two days, so eat one of these," Runt said as she brought over the plate with the unusual vegetables and set them down on your bedding, which you now realized was a large, blue bean bag.

The plants in question looked like radishes with black and white stripes. Picking up one of the vegetables you took a bite, a tart taste filled your mouth as you chewed, however it did seem to be high in moisture, which sated your parched throat. Judging from the weird hair like structures on its surface, you guessed that it might be some kind of root. You looked over at Runt who munched on one of the plants happily.

Still you couldn't help but feel a little surprised. You had been unconscious for two days.

Runt chewed on her food. "I would have tried feeding you during that time, however I couldn't remove your helmet, so I just kept you warm until you woke up. Of course, I also had to secure you, my little pet, to make sure you didn't just wander off."

While you were thankful that she had saved you, you weren’t too sure you were fond of the idea of being her… pet. 

“But… what if I don’t want to… be your pet?” you asked.

Runt snickered. “Then I guess you need to earn your freedom.” 

Judging from Runt’s expression, she might already have a task in mind for you to do. Could this have been her plan from the moment she spied you from beneath the ash? 

“What do you want me to do?” 

Runt traced a hoof along the large bean bag she lay upon. 
“Well… the other day, I spied one of my… subjects in an abandoned store. Unfortunately, Miss Merrybelle, as I would like to call her was taken by some… grotesque ponies. If you can save her for me, then you shall be free to… wander or whatever it is you want to do.” 

So Runt did have something planned out after all and apparently she wanted you to go rescue one of her “subjects,” whoever they were from more crazy ponies. 

“That… seems like a tall order,” You said. 

A chuckle rippled through Runt’s throat. “Don’t worry, just follow my orders and you’ll be just fine.” 

Even as Runt said this, you couldn’t help but feel uneasy.





The two of you stood in a building overlooking a few of the other surrounding buildings. Glancing down you could see a structure that had some ponies walking around it. On the front was an old, damaged sign with the only legible word being family.

"That's where those raiders are holding Miss Merrybelle," Runt said, "while I distract them, you'll sneak in and retrieve her."

As Runt spoke, she removed the chain that was attached to your collar.

"Okay, and what just keeps me from running away?" You asked. 

Runt licked her lips. “For one I know the scent of your blood, so I can track you through the ash for miles. Though if you don’t want to help that’s fine… I’ll just eat you.” 

Seeing Runt’s glistening teeth, you were uncertain if she actually meant that or if she was just joking. Still it would probably be unwise to tempt fate. You could try to run with this heavy collar and hope that Runt didn’t catch up with you or you could sneak into the building, evade the raiders and hopefully earn your freedom. 

“Alright, I’ll do it.” 

“Yay!” Runt clapped her hooves together happily. “Then get into position, my little pet and wait for my signal.” 

Without another word Runt jumped from the building’s ledge and dived into the ash below. For a brief moment you wondered if she might be dead, only to peak over and see her bony dorsal fin moving through the ash. 

After activating your helmet and having it materialize over your face, you began to carefully make your way down the buildings levels until you reached the ground floor. While you had been tempted to try to fly down, you recalled what had happened the last time you tried to fly. It would probably be better to try to practice using your wings before flying headfirst into any dangerous situations. 

From the darkness of the abandoned building you were hiding in, you examined the structure that Runt wanted you to infiltrate. The building was itself some sort of store with an alleyway between it and another building. Spying a door in the alley, you guessed that would probably be the safest way to enter the building.

In front of the building were three raiders, all covered with extremely bright paint, spikey body armor and occasionally bones that were of a very questionable nature. As you spied on the raiders you saw a familiar dorsal fin moving toward one of the raiders at high speed. The raider turned a horrified look on his face as he saw the incoming threat.

“Ash lurker!” The raider cried out as he raised his gun and attempted to fire at Runt, however before he could pull the trigger, Runt arose from the ash and chomped down on the weapon, shattering it to pieces. 

With what appeared to be a toothy grin Runt did a backflip, smacking the raider in the face with her tail, before diving back into the ash. 

“Come on! Let’s kill it!” One of the other raiders called out. 

"YEEAAAHHHH!!!" Another bellowed.

Immediately the three raiders began to pursue Runt through the ash, carrying their firearms and weapons that may or may not have been scavenged, street sign posts or pony spinal vertebrae. Once all three of them were far enough away you began to move toward the alleyway. A rusty door with blue paint chipping off came into view. 

Carefully approaching the door, you were pleased to discover that it wasn’t barred or locked. As you proceeded to open the door, your eye caught what appeared to be a bear trap sitting on the floor. While you were glad that you didn’t trigger the trap, you made a mental note to keep an eye out for further traps. 

Carefully you sidestepped the trap and entered the building, quietly closing the door behind you.

Your helmet illuminated the way for you as you moved through the abandoned store, making your path through the building easier. Carefully you moved from shadow to shadow, evading the eyes of the few raiders that were still residing inside the store. 

From what you could gather from your surroundings, this building used to be a small shopping mall. Littered around were a couple cardboard cutouts that sported a pink pony. Sadly it would seem that the raider's had fun either using them for target practice or writing gross phrases in what you guessed probably wasn't tomato sauce.

On the walls there was some graffiti, some clearly of the raider’s making and some that appeared to predate those, sprayed on with paint written in a strange yet coherent manner. Looking at one of the walls, you were able to read one of these old messages. 
The End has Come! It said in yellow and pink letters with a smiley face created from red fluid within the letter, o. 

In the back of the building there was another door with a chain holding the door shut, the chain being wrapped around the doorknob and a metal ring that was secured to the wall. No doubt that was where this Miss Merrybelle was being held hostage. 

Once the raider patrol had walked past, you quietly walked over to the door and quickly examined it. After tugging a bit on the chains you realized that you wouldn’t be able to take them off the door. 

“It’s a shame I don’t have a strong wire cutter.” 

Giving the door a quick look over, you noticed the hinges on the door and an idea came to mind. Pulling forth a screwdriver from your suit, you proceeded to remove the screws from the hinges. Once the last screw was removed the door gave way, the chain being the only thing keeping the door from falling over and making a loud noise. 

Pulling the door aside, you passed through into the room. The room appeared to be a manager’s office with a desk, an old broken computer that somepony had apparently rammed their hoof through the screen and a few file cabinets. In the center of the room was the body of a pony wearing tattered clothes, her head was missing and judging from the smell this had happened maybe a few days ago. There was a symbol of sorts on the garb, however due to the mutilation the body and clothing had received, you couldn't make it out. If this was Miss Merrybelle, then she was dead. 

“Well, that’s unfortunate.” 

Next to the body was a stuffed animal resembling a chimera, its body carrying the characteristics of a goat, a tiger and a serpent. Remembering the collection of stuffed animals Runt had, you took the toy and placed it in your saddlebags, the item magically disappearing into your inventory. 

“Maybe Runt will accept this when I tell her that her… subject is dead.” 

You were about to sneak out of the room when you noticed something strange on the wall. It was a weird blue crystalline structure, which appeared to be resonating with a greenish energy and shadowy essence. As you examined the strange crystal, you could have sworn there were green eyes looking back at you from the reflective structure.

This strange crystal seemed to have emerged from the concrete wall, almost like a plant piercing the soil. 

Whither out of compulsion, curiosity or stupidity you reached forward and touched the unusual crystal with your hoof. As you did suddenly the world around you went dark. 





You sat inside a cafe with a cup of coffee sitting in front of you. The scent of warm coffee filling your nostrils as it wafted up from the white, ceramic cup. The shop's interior was crystalline and shiny, far more pristine than the wasteland you had been in moments before. Even the rooms in PACS-039, weren't anywhere near this beauty. 

While you had never seen this place before, it seemed that the pony whose eyes you were peering through was fully aware of this place. 

As you sat there in the cafe, you heard the bell on the door ring as somepony entered. Looking up from your cup of coffee you saw a strange mare, which while you didn’t recognize her, the pony whose eyes you were looking through did. 

“Amble, it is great to see you.” You said with a voice that wasn’t your own. 

The mare in question appeared to be an earth pony mare with a pale blue coat along with a tan mane and lavender eyes. However, much to your surprise she possessed spiraling, ram-like horns on the side of her head and tan fur around her neck like a fuzzy collar. 

“I’m glad to see you too.” Amble said as she sat down across from you. “How is Irisa doing?” 

“She’s been doing well,” you answered, “after seeing you last Hearth’s Warming her confidence has improved.” 

“That’s good.” 

You took a sip of your coffee. Your… magic, coursing through your horn as you picked up the cup and brought the beverage to your lips. 

For you the feeling of magic coursing through your host's horn was a bizarre sensation, yet for them it seemed completely normal.

“Now while I am happy to be here,” you said, “something tells me that you didn’t call me here to the Crystal Empire to talk. Not that I’m complaining.”

Amble sat there, looking a little uneasy. After taking a deep breath, the strange pony looked deep into your eyes, her gaze coming across as intimidating.  

“What do you know about Tricorn Pharmaceuticals?” 





You blinked as your vision returned to normal, finding yourself back in the room with the body. The crystal you had touched now seemingly dissolving and crumbling away. 

“What was that?” 

Was it some sort of memory from the past or something else entirely? 

As you pondered this, you noticed the icon of a green eye appeared on the top right of your hud. Suddenly the icon began to blink. 

‘It’s a memory fragment sir,’ a feminine voice spoke. 

“Whose that?” You asked, startled by the mysterious voice.

In response to your inquiry the icon began to blink again. ‘You may call me Oracle, when you touched the memory fragment I uploaded myself into your Hoof-pilot.’

“So you’re… inside my suit?” 

‘To an extent I am sir,’ Oracle replied. 

“Hey you!” You were startled to realize that one of the raiders had walked into the room while you had been talking with Oracle. 

The raider was a mean looking unicorn mare with an alabaster coat, pink mane and a bloodshot green eye, an eyepatch covering her left eye. Her body was covered with leather straps and what appeared to be a griffin’s skull that she was wearing as a pauldron. With a smile, the raider held a revolver with her green magic, pointing the firearm at your head. 

“I look forward to using your skull as a mug,” the raider chuckled. Even as the raider spoke it was clear that she wasn’t completely coherent. 

‘Well, it seems that you are in a predicament sir,’ the Oracle said, ‘however I think that if you act quickly you should be able to overcome them.’

It didn’t take you long to come up with a plan, activating your inventory, you pulled forth the wrench that Flint had given you, the instrument appearing in your right forehoof before you slammed it as hard as you could into the side of the raider’s head. 

There was a cracking sound as Flint’s lucky wrench struck the raider’s head, causing her to fall over onto the ground. Judging from the way her chest was moving, you hadn’t killed the raider but had simply knocked her out. The pistol she had been holding tumbled to the ground. 

‘Before the cataclysm, friendship was believed to be the best solution, but now sometimes violence may also be an answer. Especially with ponies like these.’

Curious, you walked over and picked up the firearm. The weapon felt heavy in your hooves. Suddenly the image of a window with a loading bar appeared on your hud. 

‘Allow me to download the application, Aim Checker 3.1, to assist just in case you desire to use that weapon, sir.’

“What are you?” you asked. 

‘It’s complicated, sir,’ Oracle answered, ‘however I can say for certain that I am your friend in this world.’

Hearing this you weren’t sure how assuring this was, seeing as Oracle had just appeared seemingly out of nowhere after touching this strange crystal. 

‘Now I suggest that you move, sir. There might be more of these raiders nearby.’

Taking the gun, you left the room. As you did the unhinged door made a loud creaking sound. Unfortunately it would seem that somepony else had heard this as two raiders turned to face the door. One a really buff earth pony mare and the other a lean unicorn stallion.

“Hey Cutless is that you?” the earth pony raider asked. 

“That ain’t Cutless!” the other raider said as he used his magic to level a hunting rifle at you and fired off a shot. Fortunately you were able to duck behind a concrete structure that might have been some sort of plant holder before the cataclysm. A chunk of concrete flew into the air, as a bullet impacted the structure. 

‘This is unfortunate,’ Oracle said, ‘however Aim Checker 3.1 has finished installing, so this might be an opportune time to use it. If you would like, aim with your newly acquired firearm sir.’ 

With your pistol in hoof, you peaked out from behind your cover. As you did the world around you seemed to slow as one of the raiders moved around the parameter, an axe wielded in her hoof. The other raider was pulling back the barrel on his rifle as he tried to reload. 

Dealing with the closest threat you aimed your pistol at the raider that was charging at you, a digital icon saying 79% showing above her head and a small timer at the top left of your hud, showing ten seconds. As they drew near you fired off three shots at the raider. The first shot missed, hitting the wall behind her, the second shot hit the raider in her shoulder, causing her to drop her axe and the last shot hit her in the head causing her to fall to the ground dead. 

Turning to the other raider, you fired your pistol twice at the second raider. Above this raider’s head was an icon showing 51%. One bullet missed hitting the wall, while the second one crashed into his hunting rifle, breaking the weapon in his magical grasp. 

It was then that two things happened. First the timer on your hud hit zero and the world resumed its normal spend.

“Oh, crap!” the raider barked as his gun fell to pieces. 

The second thing you noticed was the clicking sound coming from your pistol as you pulled the trigger and nothing happened. It would seem that the pistol only had five bullets and was now completely empty. 

You heard chuckling as the raider pulled forth a machete. “I guess we’ll have to play the hard way!” 

As tempting as it was to face off against this raider in hoof to hoof combat you were sure that doing so was more than likely to result in your death then in his. So you did the most logical thing you could think of. You proceeded to run toward the door you had used to sneak in.

"You can run, but I'll still cut you to ribbons!" The raider cackled maniacally as he proceeded to pursue you. 

Running into the room you remembered the bear trap you had sidestepped earlier. Thinking fast, you moved past the trap and pulled open the door before rushing outside. 

"Stop being so slippery you- AHHH! B-" you heard the raider cry as he apparently ran into the trap. 

Looking over your shoulder, you smiled at your clever maneuvering… only to feel something ramming into your side, right as you stepped out from the alleyway. 

You coughed as you fell to the ground and something heavy jumped on top of you. Looking up you were surprised to see the raider you had previously knocked out, who must have been Cutless sitting on top of you.

"Did you really think you'd get away?" Cutless said, a large cleaver made of metal and bone held high with her magic. With a wicked smile, the raider brought the blade down to your neck.

So this was the end, your fate sealed by the raider's cruel blade. Well, at least you had saved PACS-039, so if this was the way you were going to die, then maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Preparing for the end, you closed your eyes.

Suddenly you heard a loud yelp as the weight of the raider on your body was lifted. Opening your eyes you saw Cutless on the ground as a massive creature hunched over her. A beast that you recognized as the very monstrous mare that had saved you. The raider barely managed to let out a squeal before there was a snapping sound and she fell silent. Despite the raider's silence, you could hear the creature before you, still biting into the ponies neck. 

Fear gripped you as you looked on.

"Runt?" You asked nervously.

For a moment, the creature stopped and turned to you, her eyes completely black, blood staining her teeth and muzzle. As she gazed at you, you felt as if you were staring back into the eyes of a fierce predator. A beast higher on the food chain with the scent of blood in her nostrils. Then with a blink it was gone, her eyes returning to their usual size.

After blinking a few more times, Runt's lips turned upwards into a smile. "Oh, hello little pet, did you manage to find Miss Merrybelle?" 

"Finally I'm free!" 

Both of you looked to see the raider that had pursued you standing in the doorway, an annoyed expression on his face, until he noticed both Runt and you looking back at him. Runt gave a growl, no doubt annoyed at being interrupted. Hearing this the raider's face went pale and his ears drooped.

"Excuse me…" the raider coughed before backpedaling back into the building and closing the door. 

Now that the two of you were alone, Runt turned her attention back to me.

"Well, did you find her?" Runt asked excitedly. She might have even looked like a cute filly expecting her Hearth's Warming gifts if it wasn't for her blood stained mouth. 

Remembering the body you had found you let out a deep sigh. "Sadly she's no longer alive."

Runt blinked. "What?"

You nodded. "Yeah, apparently it would seem the raiders killed her."

Hearing this Runt sat on her haunches, looking rather depressed. 

"However, I did find something that might cheer you up," you said as you reached into your inventory and pulled forth the stuffed animal you had found.

Upon seeing it, Runt's eyes lit up. "Miss Merrybelle!"

You were suddenly shocked by Runt's explanation. "What?"

Before you could say anything else Runt grabbed the stuffed chimera doll and began hugging it. A sight that would have been cuter if Runt didn't have blood on her face. Still a part of you couldn't believe that all this time, the subject that Runt had sent you after was a stuffed animal.

"Now that I have you Miss Merrybelle, nothing will stand in our way!" Runt said, raising a forehoof in a wide arching gesture. 

While a part of you was a bit put off by this revelation, you had to admit that it was nice seeing Runt looking happy. Especially considering how dangerous she had looked just moments before.

"Thank you so much for helping me pet," Runt said with a smile.

"You're welcome," you replied, "now are you going to free me."

Suddenly Runt's mood changed from her joyous expression to one that was more sullen.

"Oh, I guess that was a part of the deal wasn't it. You found Miss Merrybelle for me in exchange for your freedom. So if that is what you want."

Runt walked over to you, her mouth opening wider as she approached. For a moment, you were afraid that this monstrous mare's idea of freedom might be eating you. That was until her teeth went around the sides of your collar. Your heart rate seemed to increase as you felt her breath against your neck.

Then with a snap, Runt's jaws closed, her teeth cutting through the metal collar around your neck. Your breathing seemed to resume as you heard the broken collar landing in the ash. 

Runt stepped back, a sad smile on her face. "Well, thank you for your help pet. Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

After whipping her lips, Runt took the doll of Miss Merrybelle and placed it on her back, before she started walking back to her home. 

As you watched the monster pony walk away, you considered what had happened. While Runt was some weird creature and her mannerisms were a little odd, she had proven to be trustworthy and was probably the friendliest pony you had met while on the surface. So while you could just wonder this dangerous world alone, it might be a better idea to stay with this monstrous pony. At least for a little while. 

Looking at your hud, you could still see the indicator on your compass, showing the signal you had discovered two days prior.

"Maybe another day," you said, before you started walking in the same direction as Runt.

As you followed her, it took Runt a moment before you stopped and turned around to face you, her expression filled with caution.

"You're free now," Runt said, “you don't have to follow me if you don't want to."

"I know," You answered, as you deactivated your helmet revealing your face. "However, for now I think it would be beneficial for both of us if we stay together."

Hearing this Runt’s face lit up as her lips stretched into a wide smile. “Yay!”





Now that you were returning to Runt’s home, you had a better understanding as to what her home actually was. It was a secure refuge built out of the remains of an abandoned subway system that might have at one point belonged to some raiders or other ponies that Runt had renovated into her lair. Hence why the cave had a generator that was supplying it with power. Along with the festive lights, Runt had also decorated it with blankets, stuffed animals and other items from the wasteland. 

The plushie toys rested on rusty shelves, cardboard boxes and old wooden crates. All sitting around in a relaxed manner.

Hanging from the ceiling there were a few monitors, their screens black and lifeless, a few cracked and damaged. 

After “saving” Miss Merrybelle it became very clear that Runt’s stuffed animals were in fact her “subjects.” One could say that her cave and the surrounding ash was her kingdom.

Upon entering the living area of the cave, Runt flipped a switch causing the lights to come on, a few around the room still flickering. Perhaps with your mechanical expertise, the wiring could be improved upon.

"Well, you've already been here but welcome to my home." Runt said as she motioned around the room with her hoof.

Now that you were a guest here and not a chained up pony, this lair took on a whole new light. It was warm and cozy, a place that anypony would be proud to call home.

"It's nice," you said genuinely.

"I'm glad you think so pet."

"I'm not you pet," you retorted. 

Runt shrugged. "You might be free, but you're still my pet..."

While you were a little annoyed by this statement, you decided not to worry about it. So long as Runt didn't put another collar on you or try to eat you, you wouldn't mind her calling you pet every once and awhile.

"...And now with you by my side, my reign will be unstoppable!" Runt continued with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Uh, huh."

Yeah, Runt was a little weird, but it didn't seem like it was something you couldn't handle, at least not at the moment.

"Now let me grab us something to eat," Runt said, "tonight we must celebrate our victory in retrieving Miss Merrybelle!"

Upon saying this, Runt walked off into an alcove off to the side, humming as she went. While Runt did this, you decided to make yourself at home, walking over to the large bean bag chair that you had awoken in earlier that day. It definitely looked much more comfortable without a chained collar wrapped around your neck. 

Sitting down on the bag, you could feel your muscles relaxing from your stressful day.

'She seems nice,' a familiar voice spoke into your ear from one of your suit's earbuds. 

"She is definitely less threatening now then she was earlier," you said in a whisper, "why have you been quiet this whole time?"

'I didn't want to intrude sir,' Oracle answered, 'I must admit that I am surprised that you are able to interact peacefully with the Ash Lurker.'

Hearing this, you recalled the couple times that the raider's had encountered Runt. All of them had referred to her as an Ash Lurker. Was that perhaps the name of Runt's species?

"Her name is Runt."

'I meant no offense sir, I was simply trying to mention that most Ash Lurkers like Runt, don't typically interact well with ponies like yourself.'

Well, considering that all the ponies you had met so far were crazy raiders that was highly understandable. Though the way Oracle said that, raised a few questions for you. One was why Runt had treated you differently compared to the other raiders when you first met as well as...

"Are there other ponies here on the surface?" You asked.

'Yes, while many of them are groups of raiders, there are a few settlements where pony kind still lingers.'

"Can you help me find them?" 

There was a brief silence before Oracle answered. 'I might be able to assist you in finding them if that is what you truly wish for sir.'

Hearing Oracle’s hesitation, you had to wonder if there was a reason they wouldn’t want you to go to one of these places. 

At that moment, you were interrupted as Runt returned, a platter holding some of the strange striped plants you had seen earlier as well as another plant that looked like a large, orange, fuzz covered berry. 

"Tonight we shall have zebra roots and furry apples," Runt said happily.

Hearing the names, you were a bit concerned as to the nature of these plants, since you couldn't recall ever hearing about those types of plants before. They certainly weren't anything that had ever been grown in PACS-039. However, considering that you hadn't suffered any side effects from eating the plant that you guessed was zebra root, more than likely they would be fine.

Runt set the platter down on a small table between the two large bean bags, before sitting down on her own bag. 

Having already tried the zebra root, you decided to try out the… furry apples. Picking up the fruit you brought it to your lips and took a bite. While the fuzzy exterior was a little odd, the juicy sweet insides of the fruit was worth it. 

“Where did you find these?” You asked. 

“There are some patches of ash where the plants can grow beneath the surface,” Runt explained, “I happen to know where a few are located.” 

Needless to say you enjoyed the sweet tasty treat. As you chewed toward the center, you discovered what appeared to be a hard, round seed.

“So where’d you get the suit?” Runt asked. 

At first you weren’t sure how to answer. While the two of you seemed to be friends now, could you trust her with the fact that you were from a PACS? Would sharing such knowledge potentially jeopardize the safety of those whom you had left behind? You contemplated it for a moment, so long as you didn’t tell her where it was neither she nor anypony else should be able to find it. So it might be alright.

“I’m… from a PACS.” You replied. 

Runt gave you a confused look. “A what?” 

“A PACS. A Pony Accommodation Containment Shelter.”

Despite your answer, Runt seemed to have no idea what you were talking about. “Never heard of it.” 

Perhaps the knowledge of the PACS had been lost over the years or maybe the Equestrian government had tried to keep it a secret. Of course, it was also possible that Runt just happened to have no knowledge as to what a PACS was. 

“It’s kind of an underground shelter that was designed to keep ponies safe during the cataclysm,” you explained. 

Runt shrugged, clearly not aware of the significance of this. “Fine, so you went exploring and found the weird suit in an underground ruin.” 

“No, I actually grew up there,” you answered, “and it’s not a ruin. It’s a completely functional facility.” 

Runt was about to take a bit of a zebra root, when she heard you say that it was functional. Before she bit into the vegetable she looked back up at you. 

“So you mean it’s actually a secure location and there are more ponies like you there.”

Suddenly you felt as if you might have said more than you should have. Runt examined you sniffing the air. 

“Well… uh.”

You remembered what Oracle had said earlier and for a brief moment you wondered if maybe Runt might turn on you. For a brief moment Runt seemed to be pondering something before looking deep into your eyes. 

“So if this… facility is so functional, why are you here on the surface with the likes of us?” Runt asked, a hint of malice in her tone. 

Well, now you had a choice to make. You could try to come up with some lie or just tell her the truth.

"Be-because it was damaged," you answered, "a fuse on the outside burnt out and somepony had to go outside and fix it. Whoever fixed it wouldn't be allowed to return and I chose to do it."

"So you're stuck out here with the rest of us."

"Yes."

Runt's mood changed slightly from her sturn mannerisms to deep contemplation. You were uncertain if she was still your friend or if somehow this revelation might have earned you an enemy far deadlier than any you had encountered on the surface.

"If you want me to leave, I will." You offered, hoping to sort this out peacefully.

Runt shook her head, a small smile gracing her face.

"No, it's fine," Runt said, "I've just had to work hard for everything I have is all. But that doesn't matter…"

With a hoof, Runt pulled a stuffed elephant close to her.

"You're my pet now and one of my royal subjects. It would be foolish for a princess like me to just throw you out right after such a glorious day."

While you had to admit that Runt's delusions of being a princess was a little odd, you were glad that she still wanted to be your friend.

"So tell me, what is it like to live in such a place?" Runt asked, taking a bite of her zebra root.

From what you could tell any angry or annoyance Runt had before was now gone, replaced with genuine curiosity.

"Well, my parents died due to a small sickness caused by some contaminated food," you explained, "thankfully there were some ponies who took care of me. After that I wanted to help give back to my community and so I trained for the maintenance team."

"I'm sorry to hear that you lost your parents," Runt said sullenly.

"It's okay," you reassured her, "I was young at the time so I don't exactly remember them. Plus there were many ponies that took care of me, so it worked out fine."

You took another bite of your furry apples. Looking back at Runt you noticed that her expression had turned sullen. 

“What about you?” You asked, “Do you have any parents?”

“I have a mother.” Runt replied, her tone turning a little sharp. 

“Okay, what is she like?” 

For a moment, Runt was quiet. You could feel the air around you grow tense. 

“I’d rather not talk about it.” 

Judging from Runt’s mannerisms, whatever relationship she had with her mother must not have been that pleasant. Maybe it would be wise to try to lighten the mood. After all this was supposed to be a celebration. 

“So… uh,” you stuttered, “wha- who is your oldest subject?” 

As you asked the question, you waved a hoof at the surrounding plushy animals. Once the question left your lips, Runt looked around the room, her face growing brighter at the new topic. 

With a hoof, Runt motioned to the doll of a gray pony with button eyes and a few patchwork legs that had clearly been resewn on a few times. 

“My first royal subject was Mister Goodyhooves,” Runt answered, “while he has gone through a few surgeries to help him with his loose limbs, he has been doing well. I found him while investigating a pit filled with garbage. Apparently Mister Goodyhooves loves collecting garbage.” 

You couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that. Your new friend certainly did have a creative imagination. Even Runt seemed to giggle at her statement.

As you finished your furry apples, you discarded the seed on the platter in the center. 

“Out of curiosity are there any settlements nearby?” You inquired. 

“Well, there is the town of Bite Apple as well as the city of New Ponivile,” Runt answered as she finished her zebra root. 

“Would it be possible for us to visit one of those areas?” 

Admittedly you were kind of curious how such a location might be like, even if they were filled with monstrous ponies. Especially if there were no raiders around to cause any problems. 

“It is possible,” Runt replied, “however, that suit of yours would draw too much attention if you have to go anywhere. So you will probably need to find you something else to wear, or at least something to cover it.”

That made sense. Your suit did seem to stand out compared to what many of the raiders were wearing. Perhaps a cloak of some sort could be used to conceal it. 

You nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

“You’d probably also want to stop by the junk pit for supplies.” 

The way that Runt said ‘you’ made you wonder if she had no intention of accompanying you to one of these locations. That was a little disappointing but perhaps over time you would understand her reasoning behind this. 

It was about then that your host let out a yawn and stretched her forehooves upward. 

"The night is drawing near," Runt said, "we should prepare to rest."

Standing up, Runt fetched some blankets and brought them over. With a hoof she set down a couple next to you, one that was gray with a few different patches on it and another that was blue with white clouds on it.

"If you want I can have one of my subjects take care of you. Just to watch over you for the night." Runt motioned to the various stuffed animals around the room.

"Are you sure?"

Runt nodded. "As long as you're nice to them they won't mind." 

Following your host's queue, you looked around the room at the fuzzy toys until you spotted a cute stuffed penguin that caught your attention.

"What about that one?"

"Oh, I'm sure Mister Snugglefeathers would be more than happy to keep you safe." Runt said as she walked over and carefully picked up the penguin plushie. 

Bring it over, Runt set Snugglefeathers down next to you.

"Perfect." Runt smiled. 

Walking back to her bean bag, Runt hit a switch on a pole, causing the lights to dim, before she lay down. Bringing Miss Merrybelle closed, the monstrous pony pulled up her blankets before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. Looking at Runt you had to admit that she kind of looked sweet sleeping there, even if she was well… a monster.

Still it was kind of nice having somepony to share with, even here in the wasteland.

Once you moved into a comfortable position, you closed your eyes and succumbed to the sweet embrace of sleep.