Chapter 6: The People of the World
With the location marked on my Pip-Buck, I made my way west to the town known as Fetchway in the Foggy Forest, also known as the Double Eff, as Maamsir had told me. I mentioned before that Maamsir gave me some barding (which was just some old black barding to go over my Stable jumpsuit with metal plates in it to help stop a bullet), but what I didn't tell you about was my weapon. A basic revolver; nothing special like Brandy's. However, the way I was expected to fire it was pretty unique.
Maamsir had given me a special strap to go on the fetlock of my right foreleg. It had a special holder designed for small guns, like a pistol or, in this case, a revolver. The idea was that I stand on my hindlegs, using my new 'feet' for support, aim my right foreleg, then fire with my left. To put the gun away, you flip the strap to the outside of your leg, then flip the gun so that it aims upwards when you stand on all fours. Obviously turning the safety on.
As I followed my Pip-Buck's map, I had plenty of time to think about all that had happened to me recently. I was still curious about last night. I honestly had little recollection after falling out the wagon. I knew something unnatural happened to the wolves. Some kind of magic... and a blue shield... As I followed the marker on my Pip-Buck, I asked Suki about last night.
"I don't remember much, but I remember I killed a bunch of wolves. How? Maamsir seems to think I used some magic spell. Was that you? Did you kill the wolves?"
They were out to eat me, but I'd still feel guilty about killing a creature that was just hunting to survive. So you could imagine my irritation when Suki stayed quiet.
"Please? If we get attacked again, I'm gonna need to be able to do that again."
No response. She was trying my patience. And I was getting sick of it. I shouted "Suki, this isn't a game! What if someone dies because you didn't tell me something? Can I save Ella with that magic? I know there's something you're not telling me!" Still no response. "Do you want Ella to die?"
"I made her a promise..."
"Who? Who did you promise?" But I knew who. She deserved to be addressed.
No response. I'd had enough.
I turned around, then threw my hat on the ground. "A-Applebuck??"
"If you can't help me, then you're useless! You promised my Mom what? That you'd abandon me when I need you? That's not what friends do, Suki! Why don't you answer my questions? Who are you!?"
"I can't... I promised, Buck. I promised Honey that I would protect you. But I..."
"You what?"
No response.
My emotions got the best of me, and I started to walk away. I didn't need her. At the very least, I didn't want to be around her right now. I knew guilt would follow soon, though.
"I love you, Bucko." I stopped Immediately. It wasn't Suki I heard. I turned and ran to my hat, clutching it in my hooves. "Say that again, please!"
"I love you, Bucko." I would never forget that voice for as long as I lived. "Please, Buck," Suki's voice returned. "put the hat back on, and I'll explain." She sounded so defeated. I imagined a pony bowing their head in shame while saying that. If she was just trying to protect me, then she didn't deserve this. Guilt followed sooner than I thought it would.
I placed my mother's hat atop my head, and the world faded.
oOo
My eyes were closed. I tried to open them, but they wouldn't budge. I heard a familiar, constant hum, and my body felt wrong. It was smaller, lighter. Maybe even weaker. I was standing, yet my legs were just like my eyelids - Immovable. Finally, my eyes opened on their own, and despite my emotions, they refused to cry.
I was in the Stable, in front of a mirror in our quarters' bathroom, where facing back at me wasn't my own face. She was yellow-coated, with a brown mane covered by a brown stetson, and eyes as magenta as mine and my father's. "Hello, Applebuck. My baby boy." My mother's weak, baggy eyes closed as I felt her facial muscles form a sweet smile.
"I'm speaking to you post-mortem. By now, you should be familiar with Tsukumogami - Suki. Ever since Pop died, she's been spending every day sitting on my head. And only a year later did she think I was ready in the eyes of my father to know about all this. Now, my baby boy, it's your turn. Suki has made the judgement call, and has presented herself to you. Now, she sends you my final message.
"For nearly 200 years, Suki has been aiding Applejack's descendants, as well as Applejack herself. Now, it's your turn. There's no point in trying to convince anyone your hat's alive. They'll just think you're crazy. Instead, let Suki be a friend. She knows your every thought, and helps you make decisions. Don't worry, she doesn't care about your not-so-obvious crush on that Brandybuck kid; it's not unlike her to tease, though.
"I'm going away now, and it was Suki's idea to use this memory as a last message to you, seeing as we know I'm gonna… well…"
She sighed. "My final advice to you, babes? You must find those whom you will call your family. Suki will tell you more about this later. For now, please, just do one thing for me in my absence."
She closed her eyes and just rested them for a moment. My mind yearned for her to continue. Not being able to move was killing me, but I could feel that she was weak. It brought back unhappy memories from not too long ago.
Finally, her eyes, feeling like they were made of lead, opened, and she faced the mirror again. Slowly, she asked her final request. "Please, have a good life. Live life with your friends and family in the Stable. And look after them. And let them look after you. I love your father. And he loves you, Bucko. Never forget that."
My Mom's weak face smiled again. She placed her hoof on her reflection, then a tear fell down her cheek.
"I love you, Bucko."
The world started fading again, but it faded back in. This time, I was on the floor of the bathroom, balling my eyes out.
"If you were ready, the memory would have ended there, AB. But you forced my hoof."
I didn't care what she said. Finally my body was acting how I felt, and the release from the tears felt right. It was over soon, as my Mom sniffed, then started looking in the mirror again.
When my Mom faced it, a unicorn faced back. "I will look after the boy, I promise." The unicorn that looked back spoke with Suki's voice. She was a snow white unicorn with a beautiful purple mane, dark blue eyes, and light blue eye makeup.
My mother gave a warm smile, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Please, don't show him that unless you're sure he's ready. Please, keep him out of danger."
I promise."
"An-"
"And show him the Virtue of Honesty, I know, darling. I have it all under control. Believe me, Hun, life was more complicated above ground. I think Applebuck will be just fine."
My mother removed her hat and hugged it. She thanked it softly and sincerely, as my world faded one last time.
oOo
I awoke on my back, with Suki resting uncomfortably behind my head. As I regained sense, emotion flooded through me. As the tears fell from my face, I clutched Suki in my arms and rolled to my side, weeping into my hat.
Suki had the respect to wait a minute before talking to me. "And there you have it, AB. I only spoke to you during the attack so I could save you. You weren't ready. You still aren't."
"But I've learned so much since then! I'm a Wastelander now! Please, Suki. I need you."
"No. You need your mother. But she's gone now. And you won't find her in me. Go about your mission, AB. Pay off your debt and wait for Ella to get better. Go home, then I'll reconsider."
"Could you at least tell me what happened with the wolves?"
No response.
I sighed. I sat up, and rubbed the tears from my eyes. I sighed again, louder. I knew what I had to do next. Fuck it.
I got to my hooves and looked around, bewildered. "Wait... what was I doing here?" I asked in faux surprise. "Why was I crying on the floor? I think I had a weird dream about my mom and a weird mirror unicorn with a voice I've never heard before! I wonder who she could be. Oh well. Guess I'll never know, because it's not like there's anyone around to tell me."
"W-what on earth are you-?"
"Woah! What's that voice? A spirit from the forest or something? Nah, must be my imagination."
No response. Except a small giggle. "Oh, fine. We'll start fresh when you're ready, AB. For now, just pretend I'm not here.
"Yes, Ma'am! I mean... who's there?"
It was done. I understood Suki didn't want to break her promise to Mom. And I made her. I didn't understand why I wasn't ready in her eyes, but I respected her choice. If not for her, then for Mom. I would drop my silence the second I stood hoof in R7, though. If Suki could show me my mother's memories, I wanted to see more.
***
Fetchway. Or, rather, the chain link fence surrounding it. The town was stationed in a far less foggy section of the forest, with an unwelcoming fence blocking any entrance except a front section guarded by a pair of ponies with side mounted weapons like the Steel Rangers, one pink male and one blue female.
I approached the two ponies, then they promptly stopped me with a pair of barrels aimed at me. I sat on my haunches, held my forehooves in the air and said, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I'm just looking for someone."
The female guard dropped her weapon and spoke. "Looking? I would say that you've found someone, no?" The pony laughed. Her male friend wasn't as friendly as her.
"Shut it, Dice. Who are you looking for, Stable Dweller?"
"What makes you think I'm a Stable Dweller?" I asked. They couldn't see my jumpsuit under my barding, so what gives? His friend was quick to approach. "Well just look at you! Even if you ignore the Pip-Buck, you can spot a brand new Stable Dweller by how clean their coat and mane is! Though you must not be that new. Is that a zebra stealth cloak? Who'd you kill to get that?"
"A friend lent it to me. They stole it from a zebra because he stole a necklace from them. He's who I'm looking for, actually. I was told he was here."
"Hah. We've got a few zebras living here, kid," said the buck. "Zebras, pegasi, ghouls. Even the odd zony and pebra. Most Surface Dwellers despise them, but Fetchway is a bit more friendly than that. But step out of line and you're in for it. Got it?"
I nodded furiously. His gun was very threatening.
"Oh, lighten up, Rolly! The kid's not gonna do anything stupid. Are ya, kid?" As kind as she seemed, I definitely got a sense of 'you better behave, or I'll kick your ass' from that last part. Again, I nodded.
I didn't know what a ghoul was, but the mention of pegasi reminded me of my talk with Ella yesterday. I asked about the sky, and whether or not the sun ever shone. Much to my disappointment, I was right. The few pegasi not living on the clouds that blocked the sun were a tiny piece of the Wasteland population, so I was told to consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon one of the few places that housed a few of them.
I asked where I could find a zebra wearing the same cloak as me, to which Dice directed me to a saloon called the Three Horseshoes. I was told I probably wouldn't find him there, but that the Barpony might know him, as she supposedly knew everyone in this town. I thanked them for the info, and set off for the saloon.
***
Fetchway was decently sized. Not a utopia, but certainly not cramped. I passed many houses and buildings of various uses. All made from the wood of the trees that were cut down to make room for the town. The idea of turning a tree into a home was still weird for my Orchard Worker mind to wrap around. And trying to forget my experience at Golden Oaks library wasn't easy.
The people here were nothing like Knife Bite and her henchponies, though. Clean were their manes and coats, and most didn't bother wearing any form of clothing. And 'people' was definitely the right word. Not just ponies, but the odd zebra, gryphon, as well as a few others likes donkeys, and horses, and such. A few even waved at me, noticing a newcomer in their home.
Eventually, I was in front of the Three Horseshoes. With my hat, my gun, and the whole western feel of the town, I felt like a real cowpony from a prewar film. Buck Eastwood, they should call me! I certainly didn't feel like it when I stepped into the Saloon.
When I stepped through the two little doors that didn't quite reach the floor or the ceiling, my eyes were graced with the sight of many creatures stirring inside the saloon. Some gryphons were arm wrestling in a corner, a pair of ponies were smooching in another; most creatures more or less kept to themselves though, like an elderly buck with only one hindleg, sitting at the bar. The Barpony however, looked fairly chill. She was a pink pony with a jet black mane. She reminded me of what Brandy might have looked like if he were born a mare. The mare held a mug in her hoof, whilst using a cloth in the other to clean it.
"Afternoon, stranger! Don't recognise ya 'round these parts!" High was her voice, with a cool, cowpony-ish accent to it. I exchanged greetings with her as I sat at the bar.
"My name's Applebuck. I'm looking for a zebra called Zulu. You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"
The Elderly Buck on my right spat into a bucket. "That son of a bitch! He's not welcome in this community! Thievin' bastard ought to be shot!" he said.
"In not so many words," the Barpony said, "Ah'd have to agree with ya, Dad." She turned to me, "Mah name's Petal, Mister Applebuck. Sorry tuh say the zebra you're lookin' for skipped town a few days ago. Used to live in Ponyville, but spent the past week with us. Turns out the thievin' bastard was just that. A thief. If you're lookin' for 'im, I'd greatly appreciate getting mah forty caps worth uh booze back from 'im."
"Funny. A gryphon from the forest sent me to hand him in for another theft."
"Maamsir? What'd he steal from them? That gryphon helps people! The audacity of that zebra!"
"Yeah!" the Elderly Buck agreed. "Maams hooked me up with a false leg a few years back. Until that striped bastard stole it from me, along with those booze. Didn't even say why he wanted it! I bet he just wanted to see me struggle."
My opinion on Zulu was diminishing. Clearly his book wasn't as good as his cover. "He stole a special necklace from them. If it helps, this cloak of mine was stolen by Maamsir from Zulu. Maams saved my friend's life, so I have to pay off that debt.
"Yep. That sounds like Maams, alright," said Petal. "They'll do anything to help someone, but don't think fer a second they'll do it for free. Still..." She leaned over the bar and eyed me up, spending longer looking at my legs. At least, I hoped it was my legs. "It seems ya don't just owe Maams because uh yer friend. Might Ah ask what your story is, sir?"
I guessed it was story time again.
After a good hoof full of minutes, my story was told to the Barpony and the Elder. Judging by the silence in the saloon, it was told to just about everyone else but the two ponies still smooching in the corner. Did they even need to breathe?
"Now all I need to do is find Zulu and that necklace and bring 'em back to Maamsir."
I heard a chuckle from my left. A sneaky... pony? zebra? of sorts had sat next to me without my noticing. She had a crimson red coat, amber eyes and unshorn hooves, as well as a sharp face, like Zulu's. Also like Zulu, she had stripes. Which was odd because she also had wings.
"One does not simply find Zulu," she said. Unlike Zulu, she had an Equestrian accent, not at all exotic like his. "I would know. The thieving so-and-so is my half-brother."
Half brother? That's when you only share one parent right? "Excuse me for asking, but, you're a zebra, right?"
"Pebra is the technical term."
A what now? My Stable Dweller brain couldn't figure that one out. Thankfully, she elaborated.
"You see, a zony is a zebra with a pony father - a zebra with pony traits. Whereas a pebra is a pony with a zebra father - a pony with zebra traits. In my case, my mother was a pegasus, and my father was a zebra. The same father as Zulu's."
I was starting to understand. I asked the pebra her name. She told me her name was Mixen. She said she had a score to settle with her brother too, so she invited me to her house, saying she might have an idea where to find him.
After a questioning look to Petal, she assured me that I wasn't going to be kidnapped or put into some creepy dungeon in this mare's home.
I thanked Petal again for helping point me in the right direction, and apologised for not buying anything. Hey, I would have loved a drink after last night, but I was capless! When Mixen and I left our seats, a pony hastily walked through the saloon doors with a grim look on her face.
"Guys!" she shout-whispered. "I don't mean to start a panic, but Silver Eyes is headed straight for us!"
Very quickly, everyone in the saloon hid under their tables. When I looked to my new companion, I found that the pebra had already disappeared somewhere. Petals pulled me over the bar and hid me beneath it before I even had a chance to question who the hell Silver Eyes was. No sooner did I hear the sound of metallic hooves at the door, then as the door opened I heard Petal exclaim: "Mister Silver Eyes, sir! What an unexpected pleasure! Ah am honoured by yer presence!"
"A Stable Dweller with a stetson was let in here not too long ago, so say Dice and Roller. Where is he?" The voice was unfriendly. And he sounded like he had a cough in his throat. Even still, no matter how he sounded, his voice had a confident authority in it. My old manager Loveberry was very good at doing that voice.
Petal looked in thought for a moment. This buck was bad news. I hoped the twenty minutes I had known her was long enough for her not to sell me out to him.
I heard the pony walk up to the bar. "Can't say Ah've seen any Stable Dwellers 'round here, sir. Not one that was wearing a stetson anyhow. May Ah ask why you need him?"
"You remember that group of Stable Dwellers a few days ago?"
"Yes, sir."
"The few that escaped would have gone to whatever nearby settlement the rest of their Stable went to. I was near New Appleloosa when we found them, so I checked there. No one. Here was my next best bet. I'm after that stetson, specifically, Petal."
"'Fraid to say there ain't no refugees here, sir. And pardon mah askin', sir, but what makes the hat so special? And if Ah spot this pony, where to should Ah send him?"
"Why I need the hat is none of your business," he said sharply. "And I don't care about the pony. Kill him if you have to. Or tell me where he is so I can. Just get me the hat. I need it at all costs."
I heard the front doors slam open, followed by a voice. "Silver! Good news! You remember that zebra that stole that memory orb of yours? I just got word from HQ. They say they found him snooping around the building."
"Good, good! Is that stripe in chains with the others?"
"Aye, sir."
"Excellent. Then let's be off. I'll deal with him myself along with those Stable Dwellers."
"You mean the Security Ponies, sir?"
"Brandy!" I whispered to myself far too loudly.
"What was that?" Silver asked.
Panic grew on Petal's face. "Uh, uh... brandy!" she exclaimed. "On the house! Ah know yer a busy buck, Mister Silver Eyes, sir, so a shot of brandy would help yuh let loose a bit!"
Based on her progressively nervous smile, I figured Silver Eyes was staring her down.
"Thank you," he said finally. "But I think I'll be on my way. I'm gonna show that stripe what for," he laughed.
"Heh heh, yuh don't mean a red eyed zebra with a big butt do you? 'Fraid to say he owes me money, sir."
"Hah. Zulu's mine, Petal. I'm afraid you're just gonna have to kiss your money goodby-"
*CLUNK*
I accidentally knocked a bottle over, and my heart rate spiked.
Petal quickly replaced it. As she leaned near me, I noticed she was nearly in tears, sweating heavily. She rose and gave Silver Eyes a nervous smile. "C-clumsy hooves, heh heh."
She backed up to the wall as Silver Eyes leaned over the bar. For the first time, I saw his face. He was a silver coated pony with no mane and an extremely bad skin condition, along with, of course, silver eyes. His sclera appeared yellow, glowing dimly. I figured the radiation did something to him, which would explain his voice, skin and eyes. I wasn't concerned with his looks however, as his neck turned and he faced me head on.
He stared right into me. After a few seconds, however, he pulled back, as he was. It was about then that my last seconds of invisibility were up.
"Keep an eye out, Petal. In fact, I'll pay that zebra's debt tenfold if you turn in that hat. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Metallic hoofsteps again, as the silver pony finally started for the exit without so much as a word. About thirty seconds after he had left, the same mare who announced his arrival, announced his departure.
Just about everyone in the saloon let out a sigh of relief. I got up from the bar, Suk- I mean, my totally not magical hat, was still under my dark green cloak. (It's not like I could wear the hood and the hat at the same time!)
Petal pulled back my hood and hugged me. "Holy shit, ya have no idea how lucky ya are to be alive, right now. I think ya owe Maamsir a drink for lending you that cloak." she whispered to me.
As we departed our hug, she assured me that no one gave a damn about his offer. No life in this town was worth a bit of booze.
"And look on the bright side," I jolted as Mixen reappeared from nowhere. "Now we know where my brother is - Silver HQ. As well as your 'Brandy' friend, apparently. I'll show you the way!"
Brandy. I prayed he and Dad weren't with them. I prayed they were safe with everyone else in Junction R7. I realised the first convoy was probably there by now, fixing up the place and turning it into a town like Fetchway. If Ella and I weren't there by the time the second convoy got there, we'd be classified as missing, and they might risk Dad and Brandy's lives with a search party. We were on a time frame.
Not wanting to wait a second longer, Mixen and I thanked everyone for their loyalty in not handing us in, and we made for Mixen's house for supplies.
***
I won't say much about Mix's house, as there isn't much to say. We grabbed a few things like her twin pistols for her 'battlesaddle', as she told me they were called, as well as a map and compass. I told her such things were redundant, as we could just use our Pip-Bucks, but she reminded me that she obviously didn't have one. Easy to forget when nearly everyone you've ever met wore a Pip-Buck 24/7.
Soon, we were off. Silver HQ was stationed not far from Fetchway. A little north-east, so Mixen told me. On hoof, about an hour's trot. Thankfully, we were using the 'safest mode of transportation' to get there before Silver Eyes did. Despite my apparent safety, I was still screaming.
Mixen was soaring low in the sky. We couldn't fly high for fear of being shot out of the sky by some random Wastelander, which was apparently a very real threat, meaning we weren't travelling as quick as one would like. We would only have about twenty minutes to find the others, get the necklace, and leave undetected before Silver arrived. Assuming he wasn't in a rush. If he was…
I could have really used some of that confidence Dad always said I should have. If not for our mission, then for the my fear of heights
As Mixen flew, she held me damsel style while I screamed like one. I still got woozy looking at the sky, so you can imagine my fear of being closer to the sky, on top of the fear of dropping to the ground.
To distract myself, I asked Mixen about her and her brother. She told me she didn't like her brother sometimes, but promised her mother - his adoptive mother, that she'd look after him. It was hard holding to that promise, she told me, as Zulu had a tendency to get himself into trouble. His father didn't raise him well, hence his thieving, but Mix's mother hoped she could correct him with 'pony morals.' Clearly, she either wasn't trying hard enough, or was just plain wrong.
"I love my brother. I really do. But he makes it so hard sometimes."
I never had a brother. Or a sister. The only things close were Brandy and Ella. And neither were with me right now. I looked to my new friend. Hm. 'Friend.' I had known Mixen for all of five minutes before we decided to go on an adventure together. Was this fate? Mom told me I needed to find those I would call my family. I felt a degree of responsibility to do well by this new 'friend.'
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
She chuckled at that. "No, I don't think so. I'm sure back in your Stable everyone knew each other and their moms, but up here, family is tight. When it rarely exists."
"That's not how my Stable worked at all! Back home, I had two really good friends and my Dad. Everyone else was either a stranger, an acquaintance like the chefs or barbers, or people you just know but not well enough to be friends. I had no idea life on the Surface would be so simple as 'trust the right person or die.'"
"Hah. You think there's anything simple about this life, AB? I'm sure you'll find out in years to come. Assuming they do come at all. 'Cause you're right: you trust the wrong person, and you could end up with your head on a pike. But that's why we stick together right? Hey, I've only just met you, but if you can help me kidnap back my brother, you'll officially be my friend." She smiled at me.
"'Course, for all you know I might want to kill you in your sleep. Heh heh heh. Hell, I can drop you right now! But that trust is all up to you. For all I know, it could be my head on a pike."
The mild threat on my life wasn't welcome, but I did see her point. It was the same point DJ-PON3 made all that while ago. Putting your trust in people is hard. I would trust Ella and Brandy with my life. But they weren't here anymore. I asked myself if I could trust this pebra. The answer was: of course not. At least, not yet. It was a leap of faith. But she was on the other side of this cliff with me. So all things considered: what the hell. Might as well jump together.
***
Over the next half an hour, I asked Mixen more questions. Specifically about Silver Eyes; who he was and what it was he did. First off, that metallic stepping? He was wearing full-body armour. Made of a sort of bluey, purpley, silvery metal; it was supposedly indestructible. His goal? To understand it, apparently. Though not much was really known about the buck, other than that his skin condition was 'ghoulification' and that he was over 200 years old, but judging by his interest in my hat, I wagered he was after its magic.
The purpose of Silver HQ was to act as a hub for scientific research into arcano science and other technologies, where clients could even commision things like the reparation of a savanged Pip-Buck for example
Silver and his company, apparently, weren't evil. They were just bad news, and not the kind of company you'd want to be on the bad side of. I could easily just wander to the front desk and talk to the receptionist without any trouble. Assuming Silver Eyes wasn't there to see my hat. Unfortunately, I wasn't a client. I was just a thief, stealing what was neither mine, nor theirs.
We soon arrived. The plan then, was to rescue the ponies and necklace we came for, leg it back to Junction R7, drop off the necklace to Maamsir and pick up Ella at the same time. Say goodbye to Mixen, then go back to R7, then we all live happily ever after. Simple, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Silver HQ was, according to Mixen, an old college campus. Abandoned, even before the bombs. It was a little while away from the edge of the forest, so Mixen decided we should walk the rest of the way.
Mixen was a known client here, so she said. When we entered the main entrance, we ran into an orange-coated, cyan maned receptionist, who she claimer was her friend. The receptionist looked up from his magazine, and gave Mix a look.
"I thought the boss said he doesn't like zebras, Mix."
"Well, it's a good thing I'm a pebra then, isn't it," she grinned. The receptionist wasn't impressed.
"Mix, I won't refuse your service, but I think you'd best get out of here. I don't need to remind you that being a pegasus is dangerous enough. Being a pegasus and a zebra is just asking for some bigot to put a bullet in your head just for being yourself. And who's your friend?"
Mix nudged me forward. "My name's Applebuck. I'm looking for a zebra?"
The receptionist sighed. "Zulu and the others are locked in the basement," he told me simply. He looked to Mix who gave a pleading look. He sighed heavier.
"And whatever you do, don't steal this key that I'm placing on the desk." He did just that, then went back to his magazine.
Mix leaned in, removed the magazine, stared him in the eyes for a moment. "Which way?"
He stammered, blushing a little at the closeness. He pointed. "Take two lefts then a right…"
She smiled, leaning in closer. Then smooched him lightly. I figured that was a zebrican way of saying thank you.
They departed, then the pebra walked me away as the beet red-faced buck grunted and went back to his magazine.
"Old boyfriend?" I asked her as we made our way to the basement.
She blushed slightly (or it could have been greatly. Couldn't really tell with the red fur). "Teppie and I go way back," she told me. "He wound up working for Silver Eyes after his last place went kaput. The pay's not bad, so he tells me. Every now and again, we like to catch up. If you catch me." She winked and nudged me.
"The buck is very easy to toy with."
I didn't know how to respond to that. I wondered if pegasi were any better at doing it than earth ponies or unicorns. I should try one someday, I thought.
My lewd daydreaming was interrupted by a door to the face.
"Oblivious much?" Mixen chuckled. We had reached the basement. As I rejoined Equestria, she unlocked the door, holding the key in her wings. I was pretty impressed she could do that. But then, for all I knew, all pegasi could do that.
We stepped through into the pitch black room and hit the light switch. Broken. On went my Pip-Buck lamp as we trotted down the stairs. I called out 'hello', expecting nothing in return. When I heard a sharp "Hello?" from a corner, I nearly fell down the stairs. I recognised it!
I carefully ran down the stairs to the sound of the voice. The basement was mostly full of old boxes, papers and other basic sciencey equipment. The sectioned off corner with the ponies chained to the wall was one hell of a juxtaposition. There were half a dozen ponies in Stable jumpsuits, one of which was the voice I had heard - Cuff, the unicorn Security Mare who nearly busted us when we first left the Stable. Next to her was Zulu. As Mixen approached her brother, I ran to Cuff.
"Cuff! It's me, Applebuck! I'm here to rescue you!"
She looked me up and down with suspicion, then looked to Mixen. "Cheating on your girlfriend?"
"Ella's not my girlfriend!" My face burned a little. "And she's staying at a Surface Dweller's place. My friend here's just here for that zebra. Where's Brandy?"
"Not here. He got away with your dad and the others. They're probably at R7 by now."
Phew. One less thing to worry about. He was safe. Cuff and the others on the other hoof…
I examined her shackles. They weren't gonna budge. I tried the chains at the wall. No luck.
I heard a sharp CLINK from Mixen's direction. The clever pony had thought to bring a pair of bolt cutters with her! Just as she got Zulu's second chain off however, we heard the basement door begin to open.
Out went my lamp, and I hid behind a box. I don't think I need to remind you about Mix's sneakiness.
I heard clearly the sound of Teppie pleading with someone, saying he didn't do anything. Whoever was with him spoke no words. It was hard to see in the dark,
but the metallic hoofsteps were enough to assume who Teppie's tormentor was.
As Silver Eyes locked Teppie in a set of shackles, I readied my revolver. I leaned on top of a cardboard box and took aim at the glowing eyes of the ghoul. It dawned on me that if I didn't miss, this would be my first kill. I didn't consider it murder. But if he lived, these ponies could wind up dead in this basement for all I knew. I sobered up. Re-aimed. And as much as I hated it...
*BLAM*
*PTANG*
Damn. I hit his armour. Still, Silver grunted, but before he even bothered to question what had happened, he was bolting in my direction.
I dived off to the side just as he crashed into the box. Quickly, I repositioned and held the revolver to the back of his head. Milliseconds before I pulled the trigger, he ducked.
The bullet went into the wall, and half a second later, Silver spun, smacking me with his armoured hoof. As I was sent into the wall, he got his first good look at me, and his yellow eyes shot open, glowing like a dimmed version of the brewster wolves.
"Her hat!"
My head hit the wall. Very quickly my world faded. Couldn't I go to sleep without passing out lately?