//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: The Next Steps // Story: Fallout: Equestria - Shadow of the Day // by Kaciekk //------------------------------// The sky above was already growing dark, but the shapes of the buildings in the distance were still well defined. OrchidRays began galloping down the slope, away from her friends. “Hey Flash! Guess what!” Before she could even make it to the foot of the hill, she stumbled on the rocky path. She lost her balance and tumbled a few times on her side. Concerned, SwiftHaze fluttered down where her friend had fallen. “Are you okay?” Haze asked briskly. Ray pushed herself up. She patted off some of the dust that covered her Stable suit. “Yeah,” she replied, only slightly dazed. She didn’t even seem fazed. Haze breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she wasn’t hurt. Both GleamingChance and SilverFlash met with them. “Did you find anything?” Flash inquired. “Not really,” Chance grumbled, discouraged. “We got those photos,” Haze pointed out. “Yeah, just photos. No hits where she could be at now. I should have expected that much.” Chance shook his head. “That shit is from the past. Not gonna help us now.” “Well-” Ray attempted to speak next, but Chance wasn’t finished. He spoke over her. “I guess I could try one last time to get any details out of my gang.” “Wait, wouldn’t they have told you all they know yet?” Haze asked. “They aren’t transparent like that, unfortunately. But I do really need to speak with them if we’re going to search. Better if they know I’m leaving...” Chance’s thoughts were swirling. “I-,” once again, Ray attempted to speak but was interrupted by Haze. “Well, I hope you’re alright with doing that by tomorrow, unless you’re planning to convince your gang to let us stay in their base overnight.” Chance grimaced. “Yeah, that’s not happening. Guess we’ll have to camp out here somewhere.” “Yes, Ray, what’s wrong?” Flash addressed the young mare. He noticed her giving a pouting expression. “I- we wanted to tell you something,” She said hesitantly. She looked at Chance and Haze. “Right? Can I tell him?” Haze gave her a nod, which made her perk up with excitement. She faced Flash. “Well, we just wanted you to know- we looked through the archives- oh, about Chance’s mom! And it turns out CharmingRhythm and Heartfelt are his several times great grandparents!” Flash’s dark eyes widened as he took that in. He turned to Chance. “Really?” “You guys are practically family!” Ray added briskly. Chance looked away, somewhat abashed. “Eh, I’m still not certain about that. That is a lot of generations between relations.” “Chance, I don’t care how distantly we are related, I’d still call you family,” Flash replied sincerely. “Thanks, Flash,” Chance said. “Thank you for letting me know this,” Flash glanced at Ray and then Haze. “It’s good to know their memory lives on in at least one pony I know.Yes there are probably plenty more in the Stable, but I may never meet them. Anyway, it’s even more special because I’ve already known him for several years.” “So, um, are we going to camp out for the night?” Chance attempted to segue, although awkwardly, as if he didn’t like being the subject of conversation. “But where?” Haze wondered, examining the terrain. “Is there anywhere safe?” “Actually, that tunnel that leads to the Stable would be a good spot,” Chance suggested. “But what if there’s bugs in there?” Ray protested. “Uh, Ray, there’s bugs out here too,” Chance pointed out. “What, scared of a few bugs?” Haze teased. “She was stung by a radscorpion,” Flash said bluntly. “She’s allowed to be afraid of bugs.” Haze bared her teeth and turned to face Chance. “What about the light in there? Wouldn’t it bother us?” “We can stay in the dark part of the cave,” Chance replied. “I can keep a lookout while you sleep,” Flash offered. “Are you sure?” Ray asked. “We could take turns keeping watch.” “I’m a ghoul. I don’t need to sleep as much as you do.” “You still need to sleep some,” Chance commented. “When was the last time you slept anyway?” Flash didn’t speak and ignored eye contact. “Seriously, Flash?” Chance criticized. “I’ll be fine,” Flash assured. “You need your sleep. I’ll keep watch. And that’s that.” “Fine,” Chance mumbled. The group returned to where they just came, accompanied by SilverFlash this time. Before entering, Haze took a glance at the city beyond. Sections of the city were illuminated by clusters of lights under the skeletons of the towers. Which one was South Gait? The central tower also had lights on, which made it stand out compared to the rest of the skyscrapers. They settled on the floor of the cavern with sleeping bags and blankets. Low amounts of light entered the clearing, bouncing off the walls from the lamp at the Stable door. The rocky floor was chilly. “It would be nice if we had a fire,” Haze remarked. “I could find some wood,” Flash offered. Even before receiving a response, he dipped out of the mouth of the tunnel. “It would have been nice if we could have actually stayed in the Stable overnight and not out here!’ Chance ridiculed Haze. “But you just had to be so stubborn to not stay in there any longer. We could have had easy shelter.” “Hey, I’ve been sheltered my whole life and I’m sick of it!” Haze defended. “You’re taking your safety for granted,” Chance said. “So what if I am? There’s plenty of ponies that aren’t safe and need help. I’m willing to risk my safety to do that.” “You don’t get it do you?” Chance contended. “You’re caught up in your fantasy of being a hero, when in reality it’s a hellscape out here.” “He does have a point,” Ray noted quietly. “I mean... you know what happened to your dad.” “Actually, no, I don’t!” Haze snapped with growing aggravation. “They never found him. He just went missing and never returned.” “Well, in that case, maybe he’s still alive out here!” Ray remarked. A small spark of hope lit in Haze’s heart. “You think so?” “Probably not,” Chance countered. “Seriously?” Haze harped on him. “Hey, I’m just being realistic,” the Unicorn shrugged. “If he didn’t come back, he’s most likely dead. I’m sorry.” “Your mom’s been missing and you don’t think she’s dead,” Haze argued. “Because I’ve had evidence that she isn’t,” Chance said. Then he stood up and began pacing around the cave. His magic grabbed a few rocks from the floor. “What are you doing?” Ray wondered. “If Flash is building a fire, we may as well make a pit.” Haze watched him set the stones in a small circle. “I don’t get why you are being so snippy with me,” Haze said. Chance sighed. “You’re being ungrateful for what you had. You had a safe home, easy commodities, education, a mom who cares about you.” “Pft, please,” Haze replied. “You saw how my mom acts! I can’t deal with that for the rest of my life. I had to get out of there. She’s so controlling and nosy.” “Maybe she’s just being protective because she doesn’t want to lose you like she did your dad,” Chance suggested. Haze hesitated for a moment, then continued to argue. “Eh, I don’t know. She was controlling even before Dad went missing.” Ray just glanced back and forth between them. She raised her blanket up to her muzzle and shrunk down as if to hide. “But you don’t get it. She does care. Can’t you appreciate that instead of completely pushing her out of your life?” “Hey, just because we’re related doesn’t mean I owe her anything. I’m allowed to not like my mom.” Chance groaned in frustration. “I’m just trying to get you to see another perspective. You’re going to have to learn it’s not always you first, especially if you want to help ponies out here.” Haze huffed stubbornly. She didn’t get the point of seeing her mother’s perspective. It wasn’t like it was going to help her in the wasteland. Shortly after, SilverFlash returned with a bundle of wood in his magic. Chance gestured towards the stone circle he had made. Flash thanked him and placed a few logs into the circle. “And how are you exactly planning to light it?” Haze questioned. While she had a lighter with her, she was more interested to see if they knew what they were doing. Flash raised his head up and his horn began to glow. A magic orb appeared just above the stack of wood and suddenly exploded in a small spark. Magenta fire engulfed the logs and quickly transitioned to orange. “Fire magic!” Ray observed. “That’s so cool!” Unicorns just think they can do everything, huh? Haze scrutinized. I mean there’s got to be a limit to their magic, right? After Flash’s return, Haze and Chance had ceased their arguing. They just settled, ready for sleep. But Haze’s mind was racing, thinking of everything Chance had said and more. To top it off, the ground was hard and uncomfortable. Haze wished for a memory orb to distract her from her surroundings and thoughts, or at least a drink to calm her down. Instead, she played some audio from her PipBuck. Linkin Pony wasn't doing it for her. They weren't known for a wide selection of soft, calming music. Haze chose Sapphire Shores. The long gone mare sang sweetly into Haze's ears, lolling her to sleep.  “So, uh, do we stay outside of their camp or...?” SwiftHaze mused. The four ponies were on their way to the camp owned by GleamingChance’s gang. Grey morning light lit their way. “I’m not sure,” Chance admitted. “If they threaten you, I’ll be there to defend you,” SilverFlash assured. “I’m sure I can stand up for myself, thanks,” Haze disregarded. “Clay isn’t afraid of picking a fight in his place,” Chance commented. “Oh, he sounds like a wonderful guy,” Haze muttered. Chance just grimaced. “They know what happens when they mess with me,” Flash asserted. “We’re all going in, and they aren’t setting a hoof on either of the girls.” Haze wondered what he meant by that. What exactly was Flash capable of that terrified a gang of raiders? Was it his fire magic, or ability to levitate several ponies? The group entered into an almost abandoned neighborhood. The gates of mansions were bound together by chains. Sharp, spike traps on the ground deterred ponies away from certain areas. Haze saw a large, domed building peak over some of the mansions. They kept following the road towards the odd shaped building. The mansions gave way to a long, open road that led the way to the large structure. It looked like a theater of sorts, with a huge, once white arch covering it. Most of the seats of the bleachers were taken out, possibly destroyed by explosions. In the clearing and on the stage were shabby wooden structures. The raider camp was in this old amphitheater. As they neared the entrance, Haze’s PipBuck marked the location. “Applewood Bowl.” “This place looks awesome!” Ray exclaimed. “Not awesome with raiders around,” Flash scowled. Ray disregarded that. She gasped, “Oh my gosh, I bet Linkin Pony played here!” “Several times, actually,” Flash added, with a sudden uplift in tone. “Really? That’s so cool!” Giddy, Ray shuffled her hooves with a squee.  Ahead of them, a raider was galloping up the stairs of what was once an aisle. The group stopped at the platform above the stairs as the raider mare reached them. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” She spat. At that moment, she recognized Chance. “Why are these bitches here? Chance? You better have a good explanation.” “I do. But not for you,” Chance muttered. “I need to talk to Clay.” “After being gone for over two days?” “As if that mattered,” Chance said. “We’re going. Get out of our way.” Chance began leading them down the stairs. The orange mare glared at them as they passed her. Flash gave her what was essentially a death stare. The arch loomed above them as they entered the clearing below the stage. A few raiders were mumbling to themselves as they watched the group pass through. Chance trotted up a wooden ramp to the stage. Haze saw the brown Unicorn that had confronted them days before. “GleamingChance,” the Unicorn muttered. “You got a lotta nerve to show back up here... with Stable mares! Tell me you’ve got a good reason for this.” “Did you take their stuff yet?” a different raider hissed. “We should chain them up,” another said. “We could have some fun with them.” Haze didn’t want to know what that meant. Immediately she, begrudgingly, hoped that meant torture and not something else. “They’re my friends,” Chance asserted with his chin high. “You’re fucking kidding me,” the brown Unicorn snickered. “I knew you were soft, Chance, but this soft? Stable dwellers? You’re fucking with me, right?” He levitated a pipe pistol and aimed towards them. “Don’t try anything,” Flash barked. He brought out his own weapon, a sword. “You know he’s not welcome here,” the Unicorn sneered at Flash. “Clay, it doesn’t matter who’s in your fucking camp. We need to talk. Now,” Chance said. “Oh?” Clay raised a brow and put his pistol down. “Last time I ask this: What do you know about my mother?” “Huh? What do you mean? What else is there to say about her?” Clay wondered. “I know you know where she might be. Would be great if you told me,” Chance replied, his voice rising. “Where is she? Where’s that fucking letter you got?” “Not for you,” Clay claimed. “Piss off.” Chance levitated a piece of paper out of his saddlebag. It was the photo of his mother. Clay’s eyes widened. He held a hoof out, but Chance snatched it away. “Where did you get that?” Clay demanded. “From the Stable. With their help.” Chance pointed his head towards the mares. “You can have it if you give me the letter.” “Hmm... I don’t know,” Clay considered. “How about this and some caps?” Chance bargained. He took out another sack of jangling caps from his bag. He displayed it to the older brown Unicorn. “Chance!” Haze hissed in her friend’s ear. “You can’t give away all our caps!” “Don’t worry. I planned this. There’s still more. That box at the house wasn’t everything I owned,” Chance whispered. Haze just gaped. Clay scrunched his nose stubbornly. “How many are you offering?” “Fifty.” “Make it seventy-five,” Clay countered. “Sixty and this photo. That’s it,” Chance replied. He reached for his bag to fish out a few more caps. Clay huffed. “Fine.” He motioned them to follow him. They entered behind a wooden wall. There were mattresses on the floor and a short table. Under the table was a safebox. Clay pulled it out, punched in a combination, and opened it. He levitated out a piece of paper and passed it over to Chance, who proceeded to unfold it. “Wait, you’ve never seen a letter from your mom?” Haze wondered. She glared at Clay. “Why the fuck would you keep something from him.” Chance’s face contorted as he read. “The letter wasn’t for him. She addressed it to me,” Clay explained. “She didn’t say where she was, only that she’s staying within the Mahoove desert area,” Chance said. “Yes, but I never said where the letter came from,” Clay disclosed. “A Talon delivered it from Phoenix City.” Chance’s eyes widened. “So that’s where we’ll go.” “Hold on. You’re not actually planning to go look for her?” Clay pressed. “Yes, I am,” Chance answered confidently. “You guys never offered to help me find her, but these mares have. I’ve decided to leave the gang to search for my mother.” As Clay gawked, another raider spoke. “Well, it’s about fucking time. I knew it would happen at some point. Like we even need a weak sucker like you in our gang.” “Chance is smarter than all of you put together!” Haze spat. “But he’s not tough,” the raider argued. “To survive you need to be more than tough,” Flash rumbled in a low tone. “You need to be smart and calculated. Outsmart your enemies. That’s how Chance survives.” “Okay,” Chance groaned. “Can we stop talking about me?! We’re leaving.” “If you do ever find Wisteria, you are free to come back and tell me,” Clay said as they were leaving. Chance only responded with a wave of a hoof. The group of outsiders were flanked by raiders as they exited the camp. Each of the raiders had their weapons pointed to the ponies they were escorting. Haze kept a close watch on them. They were led through the amphitheater’s yard and out of the entrance pavilion. They continued walking forward without speaking. At last GleamingChance breathed a sigh of relief. “That went better than I was expecting. Although Haze could have easily made it worse.” “What did I do?” Haze squawked. “You were provoking them!” Chance shot back. “Flash was doing it too!” “So what was in the letter?” Ray asked out of nowhere. “Eh, some things I rather not talk about,” Chance muttered. “You see... my mom may have had an affair with Clay.” Haze grimaced while Ray wondered “What does that mean?” but nobody answered. “So, it was sort of a love letter, eh?” Haze inquired. Chance laughed awkwardly. “Not exactly. She had some choice words for him. Like yeah, she missed him but not enough to come back here. Clay’s kind of a jerk.” “I’m confused. Was it a good letter or a bad one? Towards Clay,I mean,” Haze questioned with a raised brow. “Kind of both. Not my deal. He could have just told me where it came from.” Chance shook his head. “What’s a Talon?” Ray asked, once again out of nowhere, recalling what Clay had said. “Griffon mercenary,” it was Flash who spoke. “Don’t see them much around here. They work more towards the east.” “Anyway... how exactly are we getting to- what was it? Phoenix City? Last I checked I was the only one of us who can fly,” Haze noted. “Flash can fly,” Chance mumbled. “Huh?” Haze gaped. “How the fuck does a Unicorn fly?” She glared at Flash who was keeping up the rear. “Self levitation?” Ray guessed. “Correct,” Flash answered. “Not that I do it frequently.” “Well, in that case, let’s just have Flash float us there!” Haze said sarcastically. “I never said I was going,” Flash grumbled. “What, why not?” Ray pleaded. “Actually,” Chance turned to face Flash. They all ceased walking. “I was wondering if you could keep watch on my gang while I’m gone. Never know what they’ll do without me to keep them in check.” Flash nodded in agreement. “I was thinking of that. Not sure how they’ll act when I’m not around.” “Of course you couldn’t because you wouldn’t be here to see!” Haze quipped. Flash only groaned. “But... we’ll miss you if you stay behind,” Ray lamented to Flash. “You’d be so much help, and we could always use your guidance!” “It’s been a long time since I’ve ventured out of the city. Not sure how comfortable I’d be,” Flash explained. “Besides, I’m sure Chance can offer enough guidance for all of you.” “Still, how are we getting there?” Haze exclaimed with raised volume. “We could get a wagon,” Ray suggested. “I saw a few on the sides of the streets. But we might have to fix one up. Haze could pull us to be faster!” “Imma what now? I never agreed to this.” “But you are the fastest of all of us,” Chance pointed out. “If you get tired I could take over for you for a bit!” Ray offered. “Well, where do we get a good wagon?” Haze asked begrudgingly. “You’ll probably want one with a roof,” Flash said. “I think I know where you might get one.” “I’m sure CharmingRhythm had some! I mean, what were all those large doors for at his house?” Haze remarked. “Those were wagon doors, right? Sky chariots? Carriages?” Flash blinked. “Those aren’t Pegasus drawn... or pony drawn for that matter. They have parts that are hard to come by, and after all this time, I highly doubt they’re safe to use. Too heavy to pull anyway.” Haze huffed. “Is it far from here?” Chance inquired. “Shouldn’t be too far.” “Then I guess it wouldn’t hurt checking,” Chance said. He looked to Haze for approval. “Fine,” she allowed. After an hour of hiking, a marker appeared on SwiftHaze’s map. It read ‘Hackamore Carriage Company.’ Out in a lot were the remains of old chariots and wagons that had been destroyed by age and balefire. As they approached the building, Haze noticed many of the large glass windows had been smashed in. “Hmm, that’s not a good sign,” she commented. “Could have been from the megaspell blast,” Flash observed. “There could be vehicles in better condition inside. They didn’t even need to go through the door and instead entered through one of the broken windows, careful not to tread on glass. Inside was a showroom with more carriages. Some of them seemed to be missing parts. Haze stopped as she heard a sound ahead of them. A metal barrel dropped out from the ceiling and clicked. Magical energy suddenly began firing at Haze’s group. In a panic, they all scattered and hid behind vehicles. “What the fuck is that?” Haze hissed. She tucked her wings in after feeling a laser strike the end of a feather. “Turret,” Flash said from behind a different vehicle. “Must have been security to prevent thefts.” “But it looks like there’s already been thefts here!” Chance noted. “These carriages have been looted!” “There might be enough parts to salvage between them to get a working wagon,” Ray surmised. “Ugh! Not with this bitch shooting at us!” Haze snapped. Flash pulled out his revolver and poked his head out from behind cover. He attempted one shot at the frantic turret, but missed. A few lasers burned holes into Flash’s hood. He recoiled and grunted in pain. “Use your magic!” Chance ordered. “Lasers against lasers doesn’t sound like a good idea!” Flash argued. “Might cause an explosion.” As they bantered, Haze pulled out her sniper rifle and positioned it within her hooves. She took a peak, but was instantly pattered with laser shots. They stung at her skin, singing the fur. A few more seconds out there and it could have burned holes into her flesh. “Need to distract it!” Haze murmured. Ray, who was sitting next to Haze, raised her metal forehoof up. She waved it over the top of the wagon they were behind. Magic lasers fired towards her. Her prosthetic leg prevented the shots from causing any pain. Haze was sure she could get a clear aim on the turret herself, but she needed to be quick. She brought up S.A.T.S and targeted the metal turret. She pulled back the trigger with a hoof and the whole gun recoiled with a powerful BANG. The turret exploded into sparks and metal bits. “Thanks, Ray,” Haze sighed. “Nice shot!” Ray beamed. “I know, right,” Haze cooed, not even admitting to using S.A.T.S. “Blitzkrieg is pretty sweet.” She raised the rifle closer to her face. “You named your gun?” Chance pondered as he stood up. “Blitz... Oh, did you name it after HyperBlitz?” Ray asked excitedly. “Maybe...” Haze smirked. “I thought being related to him was nothing special to you!” Ray teased. “I guess being out here has helped me appreciate the past more,” Haze admitted. Flash was scrutinizing the sniper rifle as Haze harnessed it to her side. “That was JumpingJolt’s.” “Huh?” Haze let out. “The gun. It belonged to Hyper’s son. When he was in the military...” Flash explained. His eyes had grown distant. “Well, I promise to take good care of it,” Haze told him. “I…” Flash seemed lost. “Can we keep moving?” “Right,” Haze said. They continued into the showroom and examined the vehicles still left intact. Most were more sophisticated than a simple wagon, with high-powered components to operate them. “Looks like someone’s already been here and looted the place. They stole the regulators and batteries out of most of these,” Chance observed a carriage with wires hanging out of a square hole on the side. It looked as if the panel had been pried open rather than being removed by proper tools. “Oh, what about this one?” Ray announced.  The three other ponies gathered around her. Sure enough, it was a simple wagon with a roof, however it had very open sides. Ray attempted to push the wagon from the front, but it took force to get it to move a few meters.  “The wheels are stuck,” Ray noted. “I bet if we can oil them they’ll be good as new and this wagon will be super easy to pull!” She peered around the showroom. “There’s gotta be some oil somewhere.” Ray went off in search of oil while the others stayed on the showroom floor. Chance circled around the wagon to inspect it. Haze looked quizzically at the harness. “Is this thing capable of flight?” “Well, I was thinking more of you flying low and pulling it on the ground,” Chance said. “Sounds boring,” Haze murmured. “Vehicles used for flight usually have flux regulators to provide lift,” Flash explained. “This one doesn’t seem to have a compartment for it. Although I’m sure we could add parts to make it more aerodynamic.”  There was a scream from a room beyond. They all froze. It was OrchidRays. Haze galloped towards the source of the scream. She burst into what seemed to be an office and nearly collided with Ray. She had been staring in horror at a corpse on the ground. Haze’s nose scrunched from the vile stench of decay. Flash stepped into the scene. “A ghoul…”  “How can you tell?” Haze exclaimed. “It just looks like a rotting corpse!” As Flash stepped forward, Ray shielded her eyes with a hoof. Flash prodded a hoof at the sprawled out pony body. Haze cringed at the grotesqueness.  “These wounds look like they’re from magical energy weapons,” Flash analyzed. He pointed to large sections of the flesh that had been cut away in smooth craters.  “From the turret?” Haze mused. “No… too large for that.” “The Enclave uses energy weapons,” Chance brought up. Flash nodded. “I was thinking of that.” Silently, Ray left the room to search somewhere else. “What would the Enclave want with… whoever this was?” Haze said. Curiously, she noticed a terminal on a desk and reached for it. “There’s files on here that are relatively new. Maybe there’s something in them that will explain what happened.” She downloaded the files to her PipBuck to look at another time. At last Ray had found some oil. As she applied it to the wheels, Haze watched in admiration. Ray wasn’t always quite there, and didn’t understand a lot of things, but Haze was grateful for her creative thinking. Once done, Ray suggested that Haze try to pull the wagon. They pushed the wagon out into the lot. The harness felt awkward to wear, especially how Haze had to angle it around her wings. Pulling the wagon while filing was quite easy. It was as if she was pulling nothing at all, only the harness felt uncomfortable. Haze hoped that adding in a few ponies wouldn’t feel too much different. While Haze was continuing practice, she noticed SilverFlash on the other side of the lot floating the corpse they had found. He was burying it. Someone had to pay respect to the lost pony. As much as they butted heads, Haze wished that Flash would come along with them on their journey. GleamingChance met up with them after looting the building. He had found a few medical supplies and some tools for crafting. Unfortunately he reported all of the vehicles with spark batteries had been stripped clean of their valuable contents. They would still have to get a battery from the Steel Rangers to pay back SpinningNote. SwiftHaze wasn’t sure she was ready to face the wasteland beyond the city. Of course, nobody could ever be ready for the unknown. She was glad she had some friends along with her. She may have been outside for a few days now, but this is where her real adventure would begin.