Thanatos' Creed

by Shadowflash

Tenpenny Tower

Rainbow Dash trotted alongside Aeron and Jericho, looking over the scenery around her. Buildings were on the precipice of collapsing, roads were cracked and worn with odd metallic ‘objects’—as Dash decided to call them—covered in rust and grime, and the dull yellows and grays barely gave any contrast to the Wasteland.
Smoke ascended to the sky in the distance and merged to create a sickly overcast above. The sun was barely peeking through, down upon the desolate wastes, and where it was visible, it seemed to be setting. The Pegasus stared upwards, looking to Aeron. He seemed to be content with his surroundings, but Dash beyond curious to where exactly she was.
"So, what is this place, again?"
"The Capital Wasteland," Aeron answered bluntly.
"...That's it?" She gave a displeased look to him, and he just chuckled.
"What you saw back there sums up what happens here. There’s quite a lot of gruesome things out here, and eventually, you’ll experience it all," Dash wanted to push him for more, but decided to not pressure him into saying what else was 'gruesome'.
They walked together for another couple of minutes, Dash's eyes slowly moving around the awful scenery once more. She spotted a few houses in the distance, all in varied states of ruin, few of them still, more or less, standing and even fewer that resembled houses. She immediately shook the thoughts out of her head and looked back at Aeron.
"So... what exactly are those things you carry?" The pegasus gestured a hoof to Aeron's weapon, then eyed Jericho's.
"Guns," Jericho answered, grunting slightly.
"Guns?"
"They're firearms,” Aeron explained. “I use a Chinese assault rifle which fires a five-point-five-six millimeter ro–"
"Whoa, whoa. Just give me the basics...” Rainbow interrupted Aeron. “Giving me a headache..."
"...Alright. It's an assault rifle, which means it fires small projectiles really fast. Fast enough to kill a man, anyways," Aeron explained simply.
"Okay... and Jericho has a...?"
"Combat shotgun. Same thing, only fires eight smaller pellets. It shreds through armour. Or flesh, your choice," the pegasus shivered at the thought.
"How can you be so...'cool' with killing? Doesn't it... affect you?"
"It's life, here; you get used to it,” Aeron replied dismissively. “Honestly, I've killed so many idiots I've lost track."
Jericho grunted in agreement, but Dash just gawked.
"Are you kidding me?! Back where I come from, none of that would've happened!"
"Well, you're not home, now are you?" Jericho chuckled.
No... No, I'm not... Rainbow let out a sigh as a heavy weight was placed upon her mind. I wonder what the others are doing. Maybe they know I'm gone and are trying to get me back! Yeah, that's it! Or, maybe they’ll just think I’m resting, hiding from the storm... She tried to be optimistic about her situation, but was soon flooded with negativity. No... They probably haven't noticed... Even if they did, they’d never be able to get me back from this place.
"Why so glum, Dash?" Aeron asked, crossing his arms.
"Just... thinking about home. I don't want to be here," she admitted.
"No one does. But, we’ve got to live with it," Aeron stated.
"That's encouraging..." Dash deadpanned.
Aeron thought for a moment. Brutes like Jericho were nice to have around when the bullets started flying, but Aeron was always the strategist. He liked to plan, strategist, optimize their damage and create a plan that would work flawlessly.
If she can fly, I could put her to use as a scout, so we’d know what’s ahead of us. Alongside that, making good use of her flank from the sky, or rooftops would be handy... But, getting her alliance . . . She doesn’t even believe in killing, let alone squashing a bug... Unless...
"Well, there may be a way to get you home," Aeron spoke smoothly.
"Oh, and what's that?" Rainbow looked up from her deadpanned state.
"Well, I've heard rumours of a book that can transport things or people to places they desire the most. We can ‘work’ together, try to find it, and send you home. If you catch my drift," Aeron smiled lightly, not making eye contact with Rainbow Dash directly.
"What...? No! I'm not being your toy to kill... whatever you are!" Rainbow blustered, and Aeron just laughed.
"We're humans, and the term you're looking for is 'people'. Anyways, if you don't want to get home, then you're welcome to live out in the dust of the wastes and probably have another friendly encounter with raiders," Aeron knew he had her now, letting a small grin creep onto his face.
He has a point... If I stay out here, I'm a sitting duck! But, if I go with him, I'll have to.... to hurt these things, these 'people'.... Her options were thin and limited. The chances of her getting home could be slim, even nonexistent, but she was always one to take a chance. Not wanting to feel another Raider creep up behind her again, she let out a grunt.
"Fine. I'll 'team up’ with you two... But don't expect me to like it." Aeron smiled, and Jericho let out a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” She glared over to Jericho, and he just shook his head.
“Nothing,” he responded simply.
"Good,” Aeron stated. “Now then, we've arrived where I wanted us to be. Our home, and our 'base of operations', if you will," Aeron gestured his arn outwards to a large tower, which jutted upwards from the barren plains.
The tower ascended high into the sky, stopping just below the clouds. Its exterior was ornately decorated; it could have passed for a tower in Canterlot, once. Unfortunately, it was now much like the buildings Rainbow Dash had passed before dilapidated and on the verge of collapse. But, the many metal sheets that surrounded one side of this building suggested that it was under constant repair.
The structure was also surrounded by tall concrete walls, creating a perimeter for whoever might reside within. The walls were laced with barbed fencing the same kind used a lot in the Equestrian training camps which suggested that this tower clearly considered itself important, and wished for no intruders.
Rainbow Dash stared in awe, as Aeron continued. "Tenpenny Tower. A fine accomplishment of Allistair Tenpenny. Too bad he's dead."
"'Tenpenny Tower'? And what do you mean 'he's dead'?" She questioned.
"Well, let me start with the former," Aeron began. "Tenpenny Tower has been here and survived since the year 2077. At least, that's the farthest the building could be traced back to. It was originally a hotel for the wealthy to live in at the time. When a Mister Allistair Tenpenny came from his Commonwealth Cove up north, he took it over and repaired it to live its former dream housing the rich, keeping out the poor."
"Unfortunately, when I came across this beauty, he was denying entrance to some ghoul named Roy. Roy was quite wealthy and wanted to live there with his friends. But, Allistair was quite the bigot—someone who really hates a set group of people—and tried shooting them. Feeling the need to beat the shit out of that old coot, I helped Roy plan a massacre to kill every resident inside. Was quite the experience.”
"Now, it houses wealthy ghouls and anyone wanting to take refuge who can afford the rent. I live here with Jericho and Roy doesn't really charge us. Does that answer your question?" Looking over at Dash, he could see the disgust and confusion on her face.
"...You kil "
"Don't even start. They were all assholes, anyways. Besides, a bigot is a bigot, and the less we have of those, the more this world can move on," Jericho grunted, cutting off Dash.
"Uhg. Well, what's a ghoul, then?" Aeron chuckled.
"You'll see," He smiled again.
She nodded, furrowed her brow and stayed silent as they all made their way to the tower's main entrance. The entrance was far less grand than the rest of the building, being built out of rusted scrap metal and salvage. Barbed fencing surrounded it, though a forbidding presence made Dash uneasy.
Aeron moved to the side of the door, pressing a button on a white box mounted to the wall there. The door slowly creaked open, the sound of sharp metal screeching against a metallic surface echoing through the wastes. Dash’s ears flopped down at the sound in annoyance. Once the door fully opened, the group made their way into the courtyard of Tenpenny Tower.
The courtyard wasn't as pleasing to the eyes as Dash was hoping. There were cracked tiles from what looked to be a marble floor, a dried up fountain, dirt, grime, and sandbags spread out everywhere. At the right of the courtyard was a small mass of rusted bed frames with destroyed beds upon them. Rusted springs jutted upwards from each mattress, and it made the mare cringe at the thought of sleeping on it.
Still following Aeron and Jericho, they made their way around the dried up fountain, and to the real entrance of Tenpenny Tower. A dirtied red carpet lead to a dark green door, which was surrounded by yellow stained marble pillars. Everything on the walls leading to the door was either breaking, broken, cracked, or destroyed.
To think these guys think this is an 'accomplishment'? It looks awful, Dash continued forward, though, as Jericho opened the door for Aeron and herself.

Alhazred... Abdul Alhazred... G'yeth, Abdul Alhazred... G'yeeeeeth... It has come, Abdul. The Fallen Angel has come for you, Abdul... Hear my cries, Alhazred. Hear them before it takes you away from me, your most faithful. Alhazred... Abdul Alhazred.
Four... Fifteen...... Fourteen... Fifteen... Twenty... Twenty-three... Fifteen... Eighteen... Eighteen... Twenty-five...
Alhazred... I await your command... Alhazred Abdul Alhazred. Four, nine, five. Four, nine, five.

"Welcome to Tenpenny Tower's main lobby. Grand, isn't it?" Aeron was the first to speak as Dash gazed around at the sights before her.

The room was lined with many pillars supporting its upper floor, which was cut out to display the bright ceiling, illuminated by the rusty chandelier, which still managed to hold up an array of lights. Two staircases led to the upper floor in front of Dash, along with an elevator between them. At her right and left were two doorways: the right labeled "New Urban Apparel" with "The Federalist Lounge" beyond it and the left labelled "Boutique Le Chic" followed by "Café Beau Monde".
Dash continued to look over the interior of the building, proceeding forward with Aeron and Jericho. She could see a few rooms up the staircase, and could tell many more were above. Unfortunately, the pegasus's eyes fell upon something... vile. Her magenta eyes grew as wide as saucers, seeing a beast before her. Its shape was similar to Jericho and Aeron's, but its skin was cracked was rotted, was veiny, and was lacking the same decency. Its hair was nonexistent, its eyes hollow, its lips gone, and its nose caved in. This was truly a monster.
"GAAAAH!" Dash screamed, flying behind Aeron and Jericho. As courageous as Dash wanted to be, that was just too much for her.
"Why I oughta..." The 'thing' spoke with a raspy, low tone, drawing a gun similar to Aeron's, only brown and slimmer.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there!" Aeron raised his hands to stop the thing as it aimed its gun through Aeron and to the pony.
"Last thing I need is another bigot in here, Aeron," it grunted.
"Roy, stop it. She's new here. Kind of like me, when we first met, remember?" Aeron tried to reason, but 'Roy' continued to aim his gun at Dash.
She peeked her head out, seeing his sickly-coloured face a hideous mixture of blue, white, and blood red flesh. Whatever this “Roy” was, it was far from pleasant, and wanted to kill her for being scared of it. What kind of po... person does that?
"Fine. That's your only chance, you equine fuck," Roy slid his weapon around his back, letting it hang from the sling.
Aeron let out a sigh. "Listen, Roy, she'll be taking one of the empty rooms upstairs. Fine with you?"
Roy nodded. "Sure. As long as she doesn't freak out around the others."
Aeron nodded, walking to the elevator between the staircases, and gestured for the blue pony to follow. Trotting away quickly, she found herself in a rust bucket of an elevator. It had a somewhat of a lustrous look to it, but was a very dull attempt at making it appear so.
Aeron pressed a button in the elevator and its doors rolled shut, leaving Dash staring into the eyes of her own reflection. No scars, cuts or bruises on her body, or face. Her mane was still frizzy, her eyes still had their regular sparkle, she didn't appear to be fatigued... but something was a little different. There was a black speck on her neck...
How'd that get there...? What is that, anyways? Scratching at it with the tip of her hoof, she noticed it seemed to be part of her coat, rather than something on it. The reflection in the door allowed her a vague glimpse of the shape, but, she needed a full-on mirror to be sure.
"Something wrong, Dash?" Jericho grunted. Dash looked back at him and shook her head.
"No... Not really. Just something on my neck... Can't see it with this mirror." Dash scratched her neck again, and Jericho just laughed.
"Probably just a scab. Plenty of those pop out of nowhere. Even if you stay inside," She just rolled her eyes, and looked back to the elevator's door.
How did I even get here...? the pegasus sighed inwardly, during which a loud ding came from the elevator.
The doors opened and the group walked out into a marble-ceramic room the walls here were much like the outside of the building: yellow and crumbling. Two pillars supported the roof, cracks surrounding their bases to show the strain the building was giving them. The room's design of pillars and marble-ceramics, as well as its perfect square layout reminded Rainbow Dash a lot of Canterlot.
Celestia’s castle was far beyond 'grand', and it always brought joy to her and her friends when they visited. Even when Equestria was being turned into a plaything by Discord, or when she and her friends had gone to the Gala, or when they visited Canterlot before the whole ‘Sombra’ ordeal it was always enjoyable to visit. Its luxurious manner, much as this room, gave off a vibe of security, wealth, and joy.
Rainbow Dash’s memories became painful as they began to fade. I'm stuck here... I- I'm in the middle of some awful place with a bunch of... ‘humans’ trying to kill each other, and I'm stuck here...!”
Rainbow Dash stopped only a few steps into the room, her face twisting in anguish. Aeron and Jericho looked back at her in confusion.
I'm stuck here... I won’t ever see my friends again... Ever. I never even told Twilight– Rainbow Dash felt sick. Her legs felt wobbly. She sat down on the cold floor, trembling, and she began to cry.
She sobbed for the first time in the desolate wasteland, the remains of a civilization. She cried in pain, desperation, and hopelessness, not knowing what else to do.
How am I supposed to know if these guys will get me home?! They don't care about me...! They're killers, they aren’t good people!
Aeron knelt down at Dash's side, while Jericho turned away, ignoring her. He ran a hand through her mane, gently stroking it, trying to calm her.
"Dash, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Dash sniffed, raising her head and looking over at him.
Her eyes were reddened and filled with despair. Aeron had seen eyes much like this, and not too long ago, either.
“Those eyes... like my father's. Strained from endless hours of work. Filled with despair when he told me to "run". They had tears in them. My father would have been a hero to his Wasteland. Now, he's dead.” The thought of Aeron's father rolled around in his mind, before he shook his head, speaking to Dash once more.
"Dash. It's going to be okay." She just shook her head.
"N-no... it isn't! I'm stranded here and my friends back home don't even know I am!"
Aeron shook his head, "Rainbow Dash, I told you I would get you home. All you have to do is listen to what I say and learn how to use a weapon, and help us. I know you don't want to, but just trust us. We know how to protect you, and we're far more intelligent than we might have come off as."
"How am I supposed to know if you two can get me home....? And how will I be able to use one of your weapons? They don't look easy to use..." Aeron smiled slightly.
"Dash, we know how to do a lot of things in the Wastes, and one is how to get people back where they belong. And guns may be hard to use, but I'll make you a proper weapon. Trust me. In fact, I have to get started on that now, so why not come into our room for a bit and relax?" Dash sniffed heavily and nodded, slowly standing to her hooves.
Aeron and Jericho lead her to the immediate right, where a rotting door stood. Opening it, Aeron presented the room to Rainbow Dash. Her eyes immediately fell onto the queen-sized bed to her left. Nightstands were at each side, holding up illuminating lamps. Two mahogany cabinets with a carved oval on each door were on its right side. To Dash's immediate front, there was a workbench, similar to ones she’d seen a lot in Cloudsdale, a safe, a door and a few refrigerators.
Much of the room was, like the rest of the building, crumbling and old. But despite the worn appearance, it was quite tidy and clean. The air was filled with a slight musty smell of old books rather than the scent of burning fuel. Pillars supported the room’s ceiling, from which lights beamed down onto every surface. It was quite a sight to behold, even if it was breaking apart at every seam like the rest of the world Dash now resided in.
"So... this is your guys’ room....?" She looked over at Aeron, and he nodded.
"Yup. I have a lot of things to teach you. So why not make yourself comfortable while I get my 'notes' in order?" Jericho let off a short laugh, walking over to the workbench and setting his shotgun down.
Dash obliged, making her way to the bed. Hopping onto it, she laid down and closed her eyes. She wanted to rest after the first hours she's been here, and the uneven grounds of the Wastes didn't prove too well for her hooves. Besides...