//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Hollow and Alone 
// Story: Fallout: Equestria - Shadow of the Day 
// by Kaciekk 
//------------------------------//

Exhaustion of the past two days came crashing down on SwiftHaze that night. When she woke up, she thought she had never slept so deeply before. She had already fallen asleep before SilverFlash met up with them again. Apparently he didn’t sleep, and stayed on watch outside the inn. 

Now, Haze still wanted to browse the market for supplies. GleamingChance showed her and Ray the way. Flash was following close by. Some ponies stopped to greet him. Haze wondered how he’d earned such a positive reputation in this town. Maybe it was a product of many decades of speaking with ponies here.

“I’ll show you the best place to get armor,” Chance was saying while leading the front.

“Do you think there’s anything I could reinforce my current armor?” Haze wondered. “Like something I could put underneath?”

“Hmm, that might be a good idea,” Chance thought aloud. “Your current armor is good at absorbing blunt force, but reinforced metal would protect you from bullets.

They walked up to a shop with an open front and no windows. It looked as if the wall had shutters which would close at night. In the back of the shop were workstations and stacks of metal. A light grey stallion greeted them inside.

“Ah, Chance, it’s great to see you again.”

“Hey, Cobalt. We’re looking for some armor for my friends.” Chance tilted his head in their direction.

“I need some metal reinforcements,” Haze said.

“Hmm, security armor. Sure, I think I may have something for that. But… it looks like I’ll have to compensate for some wings.” As Cobalt trotted around a counter, he asked, “Have you ever thought of adding padding to your wings?”

“That sounds uncomfortable,” Haze replied.

“Armor isn’t meant to be comfortable- it’s meant to protect,” Cobalt pointed out.

“I’ll consider it.” Haze shrugged.

“What about me?” Ray spoke up.

Cobalt took a single glance at her and said, “Oh, you should be easy.” His head dipped below the counter for a moment. He reappeared with a padded vest held in his teeth. He laid it on the counter in front of Ray. “Here you are my dear.”

The grey Earth Pony returned to the back and searched around the workstations. He brought up some pieces of thin metal form into the shape of a chest piece and shoulder pads. 

“Now, I’m going to have to fit you, and I could apply the metal to your armor, but the labor will cost extra.”

“Oh,come on, Cobalt,” Chance bargained. “Can’t you give them a first time discount? They’re new to the wasteland and could use all the help they can get.” Cobalt seemed to consider that, and Chance continued. “I’ll even give you the wonderglue needed to make Haze’s armor - erm, that’s the Pegasus.”

Cobalt sighed. “Alright, Chance. But only because they’re your friends. I’ll do the assembly labor for free.”

“You’re awesome,” Chance replied. He exchanged a smirk with Haze.


Once they had all of their armor equipped, they exited and found Flash conversing with a sentry.

“I’m not sure. All I’m saying is that we may need to investigate the bodies,” Flash was saying as they approached.

“That’s for mayor Vista to decide.” The sentry shook his head.

“What?” Haze butted in. 

“Politics you shouldn’t get involved in,” Flash warned.

“What bodies?” Haze urged.

“The raiders. They had some suspicious weapons,” Flash informed. “Looks like they came from a specific group that’s not in the greatest relation with South Gait.”

“Sounds pretty vague,” Haze replied. “Can’t you tell us more?” 

“No,” Flash refused. “This isn’t for you to get into.”

“Now, did you find everything you need?” He changed the subject.

“We still need to find a weapon cuff for Ray,” Chance said. “I think I know where we can get one.” 

“Fine. Let’s do that and get out of here,” Flash muttered.

“Why?” Haze wondered. “It’s nice here. I wanna look around.” She was intrigued by how things worked around this town. Ponies acted differently, but they were interesting.

“Well, first of all, I doubt they’ll let you stay another night for free. And there’s no use wasting caps. I can take you back to my place; I’ve got enough room for all of you,” Flash explained.

“Ookaay,” Haze whined.

The four of them continued into the market. Sure enough, they were able to find a cuff that could hold a switchblade for Ray. Haze was feeling much more comfortable with Ray entering a battle. Chance had even got them another discount. Haze was glad they knew somebody who knew how to haggle because she certainly didn’t know what words to say to get a good deal. Maybe she could learn.

As they were leaving South Gait, Haze asked Chance, “So, where did you learn how to barter like that?”

“Oh, it was my mom who always did what she could to save a few caps. Even if some of her methods were unethical. You gotta make sure you’re not being ripped off, y'know?” He sounded nostalgic speaking about his mother.

“Do you miss her?” Haze questioned.

Chance looked away and sighed. “I just wish I knew why she left. Did she not want to be with her family anymore? Did she think I was old enough to live on my own? Or maybe she didn’t want to deal with Clay…”

“What about your dad? Is he still with you?”

“Um, actually, I never met my dad. You see, my mom actually came from the Stable. I think my dad’s still in there, and she left him for reasons I don’t know,” Chance clarified, at least as much as he could.

Haze paused in her tracks. “Hold on. You’re from the Stable?”

“Stable 47?” Ray mused.

“Well, my parents were, but I was born out here.”

“Huh.” Haze started walking again. An idea hit her. “Wait, what if there’s something in the Stable that says where your mom went!”

“What? Why would there be something in the Stable? She left so long ago,” Chance countered.

“Yeah, but they keep records there. Maybe you could find some about your mom,” Haze suggested. “You never know what you might find.”

“And even if you don’t find anything, we’d still be willing to help you find her,” Ray offered.

“C’mon!” Haze poked the Unicorn with the tip of a feather.

“I’ve never been in the Stable… do you think they’d let me in?” Chance wondered.

“I’m sure we could convince them!” Haze assured. 

“But we promised we’d bring back supplies if we went back to the Stable,” Ray pointed out.

“Shit. You’re right. Well, we still have that shotgun, back and Echo’s house.” Haze then asked Chance, “Do you think they have spark batteries for sale in South Gait?”

Chance scoffed. “Yeah, good luck finding one that won’t cost you all the caps you have plus some. It’d be better to find one on your own.”

“Hmm,” Haze huffed. “Well, if we find one, we’ll check the Stable records for anything on your mom.”


They walked for nearly another hour. They zigzagged through the streets to dodge the raiders and radscorpions that inhabited the hills. A new marker popped up on Haze’s map: “Hooverly Hills.” All of the houses here appeared to be pristine mansions. Those with broken gates had rubbage and graffiti defiling their yards.

“I bet it would be fun exploring these houses!” Ray remarked.

“No,” Flash denied. “We aren’t entering any of these mansions. You never know what might be in there. Keep to the path.”

“Aw,” Ray said, disappointed.

A few houses later, they stopped in front of a gate. The scraggly remains of palm trees rose above the fence.

“Hey, I thought we weren’t stopping at any of these!” Haze chided.

“This is his place,” Chance whispered in her ear.

Flash didn’t respond. He only proceeded to unlock the gate. 

“How the fuck do you live in one of these mansions? Did you claim it after the war? You stole someone’s house?” Haze pressed for answers.

“I didn’t fucking steal a house,” Flash snapped. He flicked his nearly hairless tail and continued forward. The rest of them followed.

This house didn’t have any graffiti like the rest of the mansions. Flash must have been protecting it in the past decades. The roof was missing many shingles and the walls had cracks running along them. There were three large doors to the right, which must have been for carriages or sky wagons. Haze wondered who needed three of them, no matter how rich they were. Above the doors were two balconies, and another above the main entrance.

The main entrance was in a small rotunda, with a winding stone staircase inside. There were rounded doorways that entered into other rooms. In those rooms were pristine furniture and paintings on the wall. Haze was bewildered by Flash’s connection to this. Was this really his home before the war? She would have asked, but knew Flash would probably give her another sharp objection.

“Wow, this place is amazing!” Ray squeed.

“Would you like to look around?” Chance offered.

“Oooh, could I?”

“Can I show Ray around?” Chance asked for Flash’s approval.

The ghoul shrugged. “Fine.”

“I’m gonna stay here,” Haze said. She had questions for Flash.

Chance nodded. “Sure. C’mon Ray.”

Ray happily followed after Chance. She gaped at all the paintings on the wall. They passed through the kitchen, which had a large wooden countertop island. The living room had high ceilings and a marble fireplace. While the furniture had seen better days, it was in considerably better condition than Hyper’s home had been. Many of the tall windows had broken glass. Once golden wallpaper was fading and peeling. 

Chance led Ray into a studio, which had less open space than most of the rest of the house. The green walls were nearly completely covered by wall decorations. A couch sat on a risen platform, and on the other side of the room was a large, encircling wooden desk. Many guitars stood in their stands, dusty from lack of use. On the desk was a large, blank computer screen.

“Wow! Guitars!” Ray eyed. “Oh, and drums!” There was a small kit in the corner of the room. “Wait, was Flash a musician?”

Chance shook his head. “Nah. This wasn’t his house. He just lives here now. You like Linkin Pony, right?”

“Oh! Yes!” Ray cheered and hopped over to him. 

Chance clicked on a keyboard and the large screen flickered to life. The screen displayed a large range of colors, more sophisticated compared to the black and green terminals found in most of the wasteland. After searching through a few files, Chance brought up a video. There was no sound, but the video played an image of an older, blue Unicorn. His black and blue mane was streaked with grey, and he appeared tired. He was sitting in the same room; the recording source must have been from the computer itself.

“Wait…” Ray gaped. “I’ve seen him before!”

“Have you heard of CharmingRhythm?” Chance asked.

At that, Ray gasped. “Yeah! He lived in Stable 47! Is… is that him?! I saw him in the photo I found at Hyper’s house!”

“Yeah, that’s Rhythm.” Chance looked to the screen. He seemed intrigued by the older stallion from the past. “This was his house.”

“What? No way!!!” Ray’s volume was above conversation level. “Wait, did he make music here?” She spun around, taking in the site again.

“Yep. This was his studio.”

“This is amazing! How did Flash end up living here?” Ray wondered with bewilderment.

“Actually, Flash was CharmingRhythm’s brother,” Chance revealed.

“No. Way!” Ray beamed. “Oh my goddesses! Why didn’t he ever tell us? I need to go ask him-” Ray nearly bolted out the door.

Chance stopped her by pulling her tail with his magic. “He never said anything because… he gets upset when his family is brought up.”

“But… his brother was one of the greatest musicians in Equestria ever! That’s so cool! He should be proud!”

“And I’m sure he is,” Chance said. “But he also misses his family a lot. He lost everything when the war ended.”

“But- but,” Ray protested. “Can’t he tell us anything?”

“It’s hard getting anything out of him, honestly,” Chance replied. “I’ve had to learn about CharmingRhythm and Linkin Pony on my own. I find it fun learning about the past.”

“Could you show me more?” Ray begged.

“Sure.”



Meanwhile, in the living room, SwiftHaze was interviewing Flash as he sorted through supplies. Flash was mostly dodging all of her questions with short, blunt quips. She tried to ask what the deal was with the raiders at South Gait, but he wouldn’t disclose. She tried something else.

“How did you become a ghoul?” 

“The bombs went off,” was all Flash said. “Radiation changed me.”

“Then what’s the difference between you and feral ghouls?”

Flash sighed. “Something about genetics. Some ghouls’ brains deteriorate over time. Some become feral right after ghoulification, some after many decades, and some never at all. Hard to explain how magical radiation effects different ponies.”

Haze thought about that. She hated the idea of ghouls just turning feral out of nowhere. Was there no cure?

“How many ghouls are here? I haven’t seen any others beside you and EchoBeat,” Haze asked

“Most ghouls are hidden,” Flash told her. “We get some discrimination.”

“Is that why you’re kinda fully covered? And why Echo stays in his house?”

Flash nodded and continued to sort medical supplies. There was the sound of hoofsteps coming up the hall.

“Haze! Flash!” Ray called.

Haze’s ears perked up as the ruby Earth Pony entered the room with a smile.

“Haze, you won’t believe it!”

“Ray, I swear, don’t-” Chance cautioned as he followed after her.

“What?” Haze cocked her head.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ray directed at Flash, almost pleading. He didn’t even turn his head. 

“Say what?” Haze was still confused. Her eyes darted back and forth between the others.

“About who you are and where we are!” Ray stated, still looking at Flash.

Finally he stood up and faced the young mare. “So, Chance showed you?”

“C’mon, Flash. I had to,” Chance said.

Flash sighed. “Yes, this CharmingRhythm’s home.”

“Wait, CharmingRhythm?” Haze had seen that name before. Her mind conjured the image of the plaque on the atrium wall in Stable 47. “Another member of Linkin Pony? How did you end up living in his house?”

Flash turned his head to Haze. She couldn’t read his expression, for his face was mostly covered, and his eyes were in shadows. “He was my brother.”

Haze blinked. “Really?” She stood up. “So you’re staying at your brother’s home because…?”

“My house was badly destroyed from the balefire, so I moved here,” Flash explained.

“Ah, I see,” Haze let out. “So you’re related to one of the original members of Stable 47, and a pony we, or Ray, looks up to- and you never told us?”

“What use would that have been?” Flash spat. “He’s dead. It’s just useless trivia now.”

“Ray, I told you not to bring it up!” Chance rounded on the mare. “Now look what you’ve done; he’s upset.”

“But... you’re the one who showed me.”

“Chance, it doesn’t matter,” Flash muttered. “And Ray didn’t know any better. I’m fine.”

There was an awkward pause. Ray broke the silence. “So, you don’t mind if I look around?”

“No, I don’t mind,” Flash said. “Just don’t break anything.”

“Like there wasn’t already shit broken,” Haze mumbled. Flash glared at her.

“So, did your brother make music here?” Ray asked curiously.

“Ray,” Chance hissed.

“Yes, he did. In his studio,” Flash replied.

“Oh! We were just there!” Ray looked to Chance. “What was that video playing on the computer?”

“Video journals,” Chance told her. “Rhythm recorded them during the war. Flash has allowed me to watch them.”

“Could I watch some?” Ray requested.

“I guess,” Chance shrugged. “They give pretty good insight into what it was like to live during the war. So, they aren’t all happy.” Chance grimaced, and glanced in the direction of Flash, but he was facing away.

“Does he say anything about Linkin Pony in them?” asked Ray.

“Um, sometimes. But I think there’s more about Linkin Pony in the videos they recorded during their tours, or in memory orbs.” Chance explained.

“Oh! I wanna watch some!” Ray grinned excitedly.

“I think I could find some on the computer.”

Chance was leading Ray back into the hallway they had entered out of. Haze was alone with Flash again. The old ghoul was silent.

“Memory orbs, huh? Got any here?” Haze inquired.

“You’d need a recollector to watch them,” Flash said bluntly.

“I brought one with me,” Haze boasted wittily.

“There should be some in the bedrooms upstairs,” Flash allowed. “I’m sure you’re capable of finding them on your own.”

“You’ll be fine on your own down here?”

“I’ve been alone for 170 years, Haze,” Flash replied grimly. “I’ll manage just fine, thank you.”

Haze left him and explored the pristine home herself. She considered going upstairs first, but was interested in what the first floor had to offer. She found the door to the back. Outside was a large yard, with a rectangular pool which now held green, sludgy water. There were blown over lounge chairs further into the yard. She went back inside.

She climbed the stairs to the second floor. At least these stairs would never collapse beneath her. Haze found two bedrooms which appeared to be guest rooms. And then a third... just how many bedrooms were in this mansion?! She doubted memory orbs would be in guest rooms, so she sought a master bedroom. She was sure she just found it. It was considerably larger than the rest of the bedrooms, and even had a couch in it. The walls were lined with many bookshelves and paintings.

At last Haze found a wooden box filled with three memory orbs. She wondered where the fourth one was. The box was labeled “CharmingRhythm.” These must have been his memories. She picked one and set it on the bed. Next she removed the recollector from her side bag. She wasn’t quite sure how to use it, but was determined to figure it out.

She pushed herself up onto the bed, which creaked when she did. She lifted the recollector and placed it on her head. Its metal parts were uncomfortable. She rested her legs underneath her, and stared at the dark orb in front of her. Chance had his horn on the memory orb he found in Hyper’s home. Maybe the crystal on the front of the recollector acted like a Unicorn’s horn.

Haze dipped her head down and contacted the orb with the crown’s front crystal. The world around her faded from existence. Feeling in her legs disappeared, and she was sure she would have panicked if she was awake, but now she was unconscious. Well, not quite

A new reality was replacing what she knew. Feeling came back, but it was in a foreign body. She, or the pony she was in the perspective of, was looking out into a vast wilderness of pine trees. Directly in front of them was a wooden barrier, a blue hoof resting on it. There was a slight chill in the air.

“Rhythm,” a mare’s voice said from behind them. Their vision pivoted around to see a mint green Unicorn standing in a lit doorway. “You’ve been standing out here for a while. Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m fine,” Haze’s host assured. CharmingRhythm.

“Well, why don’t you come in? You don’t want to miss dinner, do you?”

“I’ll be just a moment,” Rhythm replied.

The brown haired mare closed the door. Rhythm looked out into the woods again before entering the cabin himself.

Inside was much warmer, and Haze, or Rhythm, saw the last of the mare’s tail vanish into a hallway. He followed after. In the next room there were two younger Unicorns sitting on a couch, playing a board game. They were both a deep, aqua green color, perhaps twins.

“Gotcha!” The one on the right said.

“Oh come on!” The other replied in defeat.

Haze felt a slight smile form on Rhythm’s face. He then continued into a different room.

Now they stood in a kitchen, which was filled with the smell of something Haze couldn’t describe. Seemed salty, but savory. One more Unicorn was overlooking the pots boiling on the stove. The grey stallion turned around to look at Rhythm. He had black and violet hair, with dark brown eyes that shimmered in the light. He appeared to be about the same age as the mint green mare, but was quite dashing. Haze thought he would have been very handsome when he was her age.

“Hey, Rhyth, where have you been?” He asked.

“Just enjoying the view,” Rhythm responded in a flat tone.

The grey stallion gave them a concerned look. “You’ve been acting off the whole trip. You okay?”

Rhythm sighed. “I’m just disappointed GentleSketch couldn’t come.”

“Well, you know he’s a busy stallion these days,” the other Unicorn reminded. “He’s doing big work with the Ministry of Image.”

Another Ministry? Haze wondered as she observed.

“Yeah, but this is our yearly family trip. He couldn’t take time off for his family?” Rhythm shook his head. “It feels empty here.”

“I know,” the grey Unicorn said, sympathy in his eyes. There was something behind them that Haze couldn’t quite place. Maybe grief. “But you’ve gotta be proud of your son. You know he’s doing great work, and is working with some of the highest ranking ponies in Equestria!”

“I know, I just... we’ve been coming here since we were kids! This is a tradition!” Rhythm stomped his hoof on the wood floor.

The other stallion stepped closer to him. He placed a hoof on Rhythm’s back. “It’s more than just Sketch, isn’t it? I know the war is dragging all of this down... but enjoy the vacation while you can, okay? I’m sure Sketch did everything he could to get off, and is missing us too. He’s an important pony... just like his dad!”

Rhythm smiled a bit at that. “Thanks, Flash.” He hugged the other stallion.

Flash? This was SilverFlash? Haze watched, bewildered. But he looks, sounds and is acting so much different! She couldn’t recall ever actually seeing Flash’s current face, only his dark eyes. And she never really paid attention to the color of his thin tail hair.

“You know I’m here for you,” Flash smiled back as he pulled away from the hug.

At that, the cabin kitchen began to fade. SwiftHaze could feel her own legs coming back. She blinked a few times, staring at the dark orb on the bed sheets. She raised her head, her neck feeling stiff from the weight of the recollector. She took it off.

It took a few seconds for her to regain her composure. She was still slightly dizzy from the odd experience. She had been in a different pony’s body, and had experienced their memory! Yet, she still had her consciousness to observe. She was in awe of the phenomenon. 

Haze pondered for many moments. That was a different Flash she saw. He had been alone for so long that he had changed as a pony. He was cold, and harsh now. But Haze was sure he still had a heart deep down. Afterall, he had been protecting the inhabitants of Stable 47 for many decades. She finally understood why. That’s where his family had lived the rest of their lives. Stable 47 was special to him.

Haze understood what family could mean. Maybe not with her experience with her mother, but surely with her father. Flash had no family left... that didn’t mean he couldn’t find a new one, even if they weren’t related.

At last, SwiftHaze decided what she was going to do next. She was certain to help GleamingChance find his mother. Someone deserved to be with their family. Haze placed the memory orb back and sought out her friends.