Fallout Equestria: Heroes

by No One

Chapter 12: Innocence

“Can't catch me, can't catch me!”

I squealed and ran as fast as my stubby little legs could carry me. Meadow had always been uncomfortable around heights, so I sped up the ramp onto the third platform before climbing on top of Three-Legged Forest Fire's house. It was the highest spot in Marefort, and I knew my brother wouldn't have the stomach to reach me. Standing on top of the rickety metal shack, I could see the whole complex. I didn't understand just how strange a place it was then, boxes stacked on boxes shoved inside an old warehouse like a maze. Buildings rose and fell, bridges spanned gaps, and stairs led to higher platforms, all under a roof that was old enough to have plenty of holes for natural light. Well, as much light as you got in the wasteland.

“Get down here!” my brother screeched in his high-pitched voice. He was a year older than me, but I was taller and thicker. Everypony said I was going to grow up to be a big mare. Still, Meadow was in charge because he had his cutie mark, and I didn't. It was a red rose, and he was supposed to be a stallion! How silly is that. When I got mine, I planned to have something cool like a silver bullet streaming fire, or a big stick for fighting off bad-ponies.

I stuck my tongue out at him. “Noooo. You smell.”

I could practically hear him grinding his teeth together in annoyance. Music to my ears. “I said get do-”

Flying Silver Storm tackle!

I landed on him with a thunk and we both went tumbling across the floor. Giggling, I let him get on top of me and pin my forelegs down, my head dangling just over the thirty foot drop to the Marefort floor. He was older and had his cutie mark, so even though I was bigger, I had to let him win. It was a rule. I could have beaten him though. I could have beaten anypony.

“There, now stay put. Marigold-”

“Is a butt.” I finished with a grin. He snarled and lowered his head so we were nearly at eye level. Marigold was a butt though. Her mother was the scavenging supervisor and apparently that meant she got to make all the rules, it didn't help that she was nearly a grown mare in her own right... still a butt.

“Silver Storm I-” I licked his cheek. He tasted like grease, so I spat as he jumped back and recoiled in disgust at my sudden display of affection. Well, it was more of a sudden display of something I knew bugged him. “Yuck,” he said, far enough away now I could scramble to my feet. I puffed my chest out, and stood up tall so he could see how much shorter he was than me. “Stop that, you look stupid.”

“Your face is stupid.”

Rolling his deep brown eyes, he said, “Stop being a brat. We have work.” Work was dumb. I didn't even have my cutie mark yet, and they were already giving me extra work! Just because everypony else my age had their cutie mark didn't mean I should have to help them, too. Momma said it was because someponies thought I didn't have mine because I was stupid, but I wasn't stupid. Besides, cutie marks are dumb and have a dumb name. I never even wanted one.

“Naah.” He just shook his long purple mane at me.

“Meadow's right.” A red filly trotted over from Three-Legged Forest Fire's house, a scowl plastered on her stupid red face. “You have work, an' you woke up my father.” She was the tiniest filly I'd ever seen, and the reddest. Her name used to be Cakewalk, but after she got that tattoo of a fire on her butt she made everyone call her Wildfire. I just called her a bitch... only I called her that when Momma wasn't watching.

“Your father is always sleeping.” Even Meadow found her insufferable. That's what he told me anyway, but sometimes when he though I wasn't looking, I caught him staring at her cutie mark. “Besides. Marigold wants you to come along too. Says we're finally going to dig into the west building, and we need all the help.” Really! See, that was actually exciting. That thing had been a crumpled heap forever, and there had to be a lot of goodies there. They had other things to scavenge from before so they never needed to risk digging in that rubble, but apparently things had changed.

“What?!” She looked shocked, and it was sweet. Stupid Cakewalk, I mean Wildfire. “I need to take care of pa-”

“Ain't he sleepin'?” He was always sleeping. Three-Legged Forest Fire had lost his leg a long time ago, and was sickly ever since. Lately though he had been getting worse, rarely leaving his house at all.

“What do you know, you're a blockhead.” She stated plainly, “And a stupid blank flank. Aren't you supposed to be ol-”

“Wildfire.” My brother spun and glared at her like only he could. He was nice most of the sometimes, but every once in a while he just got so angry. “Shut up. We're going, and you're going to stop picking on my sister.” He didn't have to stick up for me like that, but as Cakewalk, I mean Wildfire, backed off I couldn't have been happier.

“Okay, bye!” I said with a grin.

I hopped off the edge of the third platform. Grabbing the ledge with my fore legs, I kicked my other legs idly in the air trying to get myself to swing. Meadow screamed something his brown eyes wide, but I ignore him as I got my swing on. Once. Twice. And go!

Letting go mid swing I flew forward under the third platform right into Nos' window, over her bed, and rolled onto the ground. The 'house' was a single room with a bed on one end, and a table on the other. Oh! And there was a door there too. I bolted out it and skidded to a stop so I could turn. I sped over one of the rickety rope bridges that lashed the two halves of Marefort together. Stopping midway I did something Momma always told me not to. I jumped.

Squealing, I fell twenty feet and landed with a bounce on a pile of sodden mattresses left beside June Bug's cleaning shop thingy. They had been there for a week, but she hadn't gotten to them. They made an awesome landing pad though. Giggling and rolling off the pile, I shook the dirt out of my mane. I was sure June Bug was scolding me, but I didn't listen. Looking up I could see Meadow and Wildfire on the second platform, still making their way down. Maybe I wasn't a super genius pony or nothing, but I did know Marefort better than anypony else. It was a maze, and I, the maze master.

“CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!” I shouted my challenge up to them, but I doubt they heard. Marefort was always loud.

I burst through the ever-open doors of Marefort with a grin on my face. The day was wet, a slight drizzle falling from the sky. Celestia's Tears, my momma called it. All around I could see buckets set up to collect the water for drinking. It was healthier than ground water, Momma told me, but I always thought it tasted gross.

“Get back here, Silver!” Crap! Looking back I could see them exiting Marefort. How had they managed to catch up?! They must have used my super secret jumping technique. Actually, considering Cakewalk's frazzled red mane and slightly paler red face, I was going to guess that is what happened. They were trickier than I had thought.

So I ran as fast as my stubby little legs could carry me. As I neared the ruined remains of the western buildings I could see so many ponies working in and around it. Building, lifting, removing. Looking for stuff to sell, or something. I zoomed past Marigold, her gold and orange mane blowing in her face from my speed.

I skidded to the stop in front of the rubble and suddenly ducked. Meadow had caught up so much he couldn't stop! He tripped over my curled up body and flew into the rubble with a puff of dirt.

I giggled as Wildfire trotted up to me, and gave me a dirty look. “Aren't you going to help him?”

I raised an eyebrow at Cakewalk, just as the silver-grey body of Meadow popped out of the rubble. “Yeah....” I said slowly. “FLYING SILVER STORM TACKLE!”

I flew like the wind smashing into him and sending both of us tumbling into rubble and remains. I dimly heard Wildfire say how dangerous that was, but I ignored her because it was also fun! In my mind, fun was far more important than things like danger or dangerous stuff.

The furious battle of wits and tiny hooves only ended when I conked my head hard against a wooden box. Meadow backed off and let me study the offending object. It was big and sturdy, and had words written on it, but I couldn't really read... oh well. With a kick, the lid of the box slid off.

What I saw was....

It was amazing. Rows and rows of bullets that seemed to glow. If I tilted my head, their colour shifted and faded from blue to purple, and back to blue again. I didn't know what they were, but I did know that they were something impressive. Behind me, Meadow pushed and squirmed past trying to get a look all for himself.

“What is this?” I turned to the unfamiliar voice, and that was odd as I knew every pony in Marefort. Meadow jumped in front of me to shield me, but I could see over his head. He was a tall olive pony with a long, flowing grey mane, wet from the rain. “Do not be afraid, my little ponies. My name is Smooth Tongue.” He politely waved a hoof at the box we were protecting. “Please, show me what you found.”

---

My shoulder became pain, fire lanced through it and up my chest burning and stinging. Dimly, I heard muffled sobs. Serenity.

My eyes shot open.

In the darkness of my room, I saw a a figure over me. Hooves on my bed. No. One was on my bed, the other pressing against my shoulder. The earth pony sneered and gave the hoof on my shoulder a twist. Pain blinded me. I may have screamed.

With a kick, the pony fell off me, the blade sliding from my shoulder. It stung like a bitch, and blood started soaking down my body and wetting my mattress. No time to think though, I rolled off the bed and looked across the room. Serenity was crying in her sleep. My assailant regarded me with a grin and tried to circle. Was he aware he was standing between me and my Serenity?

In the gloom, I could not see his colour or cutie-mark, but I could see he was an earth pony and on his leg was a strange pipbuck-like device. He moved to kick at me with his hoof, a long skinny blade sticking out of his leg-device. I'd seen one before.

Still sluggish from sleep, the blade grazed my cheek just enough to bleed. He kicked again, so I ducked and weaved back out of the way. Fucker was quicker than he should have been, waving the blade in front of him like a crazy pony. Grah, this was irritating. In a desperate lunge, he charged towards me.

I brought up my metal leg. The blade clattered and got stuck in a hole. I thought I could hear wires slicing, but it didn't matter, for with a twist his blade snapped off. The look of horror on his face was glorious. Did he really think a single stab would take me down when Serenity was crying? The fool flew through the air at the power of my buck. His head smashed through the door when he hit it, before his body slid to the floor. Normally, I would have made extra sure the assassin was extra dead, but Serenity!

Running over, I scooped her up in my forearms, just in time for her to wake up. “You're okay,” I whispered, my mind drowsy from sleep and rushing from the fight. “You're okay.”

“I...,” she looked up to me, her grey eyes full of sleep and tears, “you're... I thought. That ghoul... he was choking you again and I....”

“Just a dream,” I whispered. I let her dry her eyes in my chest. “Just a nightmare. I'm still here.” My heart tightened and I mentally kicked myself. What possessed me to bring her into those Celestia-forsaken tunnels in the first place? If I had only known, if we had only known.

I never wanted this, for either of us.

The words in my head chilled me to the bone and numbed the pain in my shoulder. Shaking my head, I ignored the words; they were just my imagination. Just the shadow of my history come back to haunt me.

“Hired....” I nodded still trying to comfort her. “You're bleedin.”

She looked up at me, the right side of her muzzle was caked in blood. My whole chest had been dyed red, and my shoulder kept going. I blinked, and my head started to feel fuzzy. Blood loss. Again. Fuck. “I'm fine.” I lied. The night before, I had nearly got myself killed by Steel Rangers, and now I felt the need to lose more blood.

Serenity didn't seem to believe me.

“What the hell?!” Flare burst through my broken door, his green and yellow mane frazzled. His pink eyes went wide, looking at me, my blood, then down to the unconscious assassin. “Kinky, but keep it down! Some ponies are trying to sleep off a night of rescuing your flank....”

Another pony entered behind Flare. I didn't realize it the night before, but that pony... what was his name... High Stakes. The unicorn that worked for Mr. House, he was much taller than I thought; almost to height with me, but much skinnier than I. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. “What is this commotion?” He raised a dainty eyebrow. “It seems you are injured, Miss Gun.”

”No shit.” I muttered. Serenity giggled, squirming away from me so she could find something to clean off her blood-stained face.

“After your recent activities, might I suggest taking a few days of rest? It'll be two days ride up the Snake, and you will need to conserve your strength.”

“No. I'm good.” I groaned, crawling off Serenity's bed onto my hooves, only for my foreleg to collapse sending me to a knee.

“Rest,” Flare agreed, smoothing back his mane. “Lots of it. Looks like you just finished wrestling a hellhound. Don't worry about Mr. Stabby Stabberson.” he kicked the assassin. “We'll feed him to the fishes or... whatever it is you do on a boat, no worries.”

“But.” No, rest was bad. Gotta keep in shape for whatever tried to kill me next. Probably a hellhound, then a dragon, in that order. “Shouldn't w-” I winced as a stab of pain went through my body from one of my many injuries. “We. Find out... who he's working for.”

“The Baises no doubt. Mr. House has given me a full dossier on you and known alliances. Molly has been known to employ earth pony assassins with similar gadgets.” The pip-knife thing. I remember one ambushed me a while before. “I imagine she could have tracked your PipBuck, if she has one in her possession.” Was that a thing? “ We should continue another time, I think; you are injured and need rest.”

The room seemed to grow darker as Flare nodded. Desperately I turned to Serenity to support, but she already had a healing potion in her mouth and nodded happily. “Momma's day off.”

Maybe I didn't want a day off!

---

Maybe I didn't have control over my life. Somehow, I found myself lying in bed and drinking down healing potions like no tomorrow. Serenity claimed they were only ever a quick fix, and would never fix me permanently but still forced me to drink more than I would have liked. It's not like we wanted for money now, and Captain Red Sky seemed to have plenty of the potions stocked and eager to sell, but still.

Groaning, I rolled onto my stomach and flicked on my PipBuck's radio. As the fuzzy static faded to music, I took a look around our cabin. The blood had been mostly cleaned by High Stakes’ special unicorn magic or something, and all evidence of the fight had been cleaned away. I wasn't really sure what happened to the assassin, and I knew enough not to ask. Most likely, he was thrown overboard or killed outright.

I still couldn't figure out how he got into my room! Even if Molly had a pipbuck, how would she know how to track mine? Even if she could, how did her assassin get to me so fast? According to High Stakes, the boat was already swimming upriver by the time the assassin woke me up (about noon. Don't judge me. I fought five steel rangers the day before. I deserved an extra long sleep. ), so he must have found me at night. Argh, it hurt my head!

I buried my face in the pillow just as Mr. New Haygas’ voice came soaring over the radio, sounding like a silk god.

“Good Afternoon, Dise. And how are we today? The Sun is still shining, so I am feeling mighty fine. It's time for the news. In a show of goodwill towards the NCA and to show they plan on holding onto their side of the non-aggression pact, the Minotaurs have removed a quarter of their forces from the Canyon Ridge Bridge. However, there are still whispers of shady dealings between the Mustangs and Minotaurs, even after Roy's assassination a few days ago. In light of said battle, the new leader of the Mustangs, Mayhem, has denied all claims of involvement, but stated that he is seeking additional revenue options to secure the safety and security of The Moon, as well as to make sure his water supply reaches all the thirsty mouths of the city. To that end, he has cut water taxes on all citizens of Dise, but raised its price to all major factions within Dise, including: Mr. House and the Hizai, The Baises, The Galicians, The Watchers, The Remnants, Cerberus Co., The Finishers, The NCA, and the newly formed Red Racer Construction Company. Mayhem claims this will allow his water to get to the ponies that need it most, while still giving him the extra caps needed to repair after the Baises’ unprovoked attack.

“In strangely unrelated news, two NCA officials are under questioning after a unusual incident last night. According to lieutenant Dusty Breeze, three ponies approached the Parasite Mound check point near midnight, and asked for admittance into Dise to set up a school. She says they were alicorns from Equestria, and so she opened fire, causing them to flee. This despite the fact an Alicorn has never been observed past Equestrian borders. The current NCA line is that the two NCA officers who saw the alleged alicorns were weary from a twelve hour shift, fell asleep on the job, and dreamt the alicorns up. This does not, however, explain how two ponies can have the same dream at once. Well, that's NCA logic for you.

“Finally. A few days ago we gave you word of a mother/daughter team who wiped out a raider base in the north east that has been plaguing caravans for months. Well today I heard the duo found themselves at the small village of Wending, just as a Radscorpian swarm stormed through. What else could they do but kill every one of those buggers and save the whole town! The townsfolk of Wending are calling them heroes, and I guess I am inclined to agree.”

“You really listen to that?” A voice snapped me out of my Haygas-induced haze. I turned my head to see a pale green unicorn enter. His long red mane was shockingly straight as it fell from his head, covering up half of his face. I had to figure having strands of hair scraping against glasses couldn't be good for them, but what did I know? Fashion was never my forte. “And here I was thinking all ponies knew not to trust the news.” A bit of an arrogant stallion, wasn't he? When he trotted over and laid beside my bed I got a good look at his cutie mark: a pair of dice, both showing the 'one' side up.

“Whatever.” I clicked the pipbuck off, quietly annoyed I'd have to listen to High Stakes instead of New Haygas. Have I ever said I love that radio stallion’s voice? “This job. What is it?” I couldn't tell if he was snorting or chuckling.

“I thought you’d never ask.” His teeth were so perfect and white when he smiled, it made me want to smash them. “Mr. House has been watching you for some time.” I've always wanted a stalker. “He's looking to hire you in a more... permanent position.” You mean he's not going to chain me up and force me to do a dirty job for him? (get your mind out of the gutter) Wow, he's far brighter than every other gang leader I’d met. “But first, a test.”

“A test...?”

“Yes, you know, I throw you into an ambiguous environment, tell you to do something, and silently judge you.” That sounded so stupid. I face planted into my pillow. So soft and fluffy. “For this we need to travel to the eastern mountains. Have you heard of a group that calls themselves Celestia's Vision?” I nodded dumbly, still hiding in my pillow fort. “They have for some reason, known only to themselves, travelled up to the town of Karkhoof. Apparently it has been reformed as a Zebra haven in Caledonia, and well.” He smirked a bit. “Celestia's Vision hate all things ‘unnatural’. To them, that includes griffins, alicorns, donkeys, mules, minotaurs, hell hounds, buffalo, cyborgs, pegasi, and especially zebras. It doesn't help that much of Dise shares most of their sentiments. So they marched their way up there, fixing to start trouble, but for now they're just blockading the trade route and protesting.”

“So?”

“You are to stop it.” How helpful.

“Stop what?”

“Whatever you wish. Getting up there will be the hard part, what with the eels, but House wants the situation dealt with and has left you to decide how and in what way.” I raised an eyebrow at him just to make sure he was serious. The spark in his deep green eyes told me he was. Apparently, this Mr. House had been watching me closely but hadn’t yet realized I was stupid. I had charged five Steel Rangers by myself yesterday, and he wants me to resolve an ambiguous situation. For fuck’s sake, I was going to end up killing some innocent pony, I could feel it.

“House....” I remembered something. It was a fuzzy bit in the back of my memory, but I remembered it. “He does cybernetics right? And hires them mostly.” Stakes nodded. “So...” I studied High Stakes over and tried my very best to be witty. “You are a mercenary not a full time employee of Mr. House... and he wants me to side with the Zebras.”

“Yes... and no. It is true I am not always in the pocketbook of Mr. House, though this could change, but there is no indication I got from him he cares what side you choose. Celestia's Vision has protested his hotel before, he never really cared. They are a thing to be ignored. What he wants is to see what you choose.” Really? Whatever, it was clearly him wanting me to pick the side that didn't hate him, and see if I was smart enough to figure it out. “It's a tough choice. Ponies that hate you or zebras.”

“Zebras,” I said lifting my head from my pillows. Why was my ear throbbing? Ears shouldn't do that.

He looked... shocked maybe. I wasn’t sure, but not as confident as he had before. “Zebras... but they are....” His face twisted in disgust.

“Zebras.” I failed to see the issue. Far as I knew, the difference between a zebra and a pony was small. Why should it matter?

“Err... zebras. May I ask why?” he asked, carefully adjusting his glasses with a green glow. His magic burned into my shoulder, but I was in so much pain I could hardly feel it at all. The sensation was still there though, as clear as day, like all magic. The more often I felt that burn, the more I could feel the difference between ponies. I am not sure how to explain the slight difference in sensation, but I could tell it, somehow.

“Well... Celestia's Vision hates me. Zebras don't. Be easier to land a contract.”

He stared at me blankly. “You're an... interesting pony.”

“LUNCH TIME!”

That burst of excitement could only have come from one pony. Serenity came flying through the door (without knocking), with a bowl of soup floating in a pink glow before her. “Move, Mister Stakes,” she said with a grin, trotting over to my bedside. “Sick Momma needs her soup.” The stallion chuckled heartily and deftly removed himself from my bedside. He did not leave completely though, preferring to watch us from the corner of our room. That creeper.

“Serenity, I'm not si--.” The soup was spicy and tasted of carrots when the spoon was shoved in my mouth. I grumbled around the spoon as she pulled it free from my lips, “Serenity, that's not fun-” Another spoonful of the thin soup. Apparently, words weren't going to do the trick. So when she tried to pull the spoon out again I clamped down hard on it. After a brief struggled she gave up, and I bit the head of the spoon off.

Letting the handle fall onto the floor and spitting the head down with it, I said, “Serenity. Stop that. I am not sick.”

“You broke my spoon.” She pouted down at the snapped utensil... right before floating another one out of her saddle bag. “Good thing I brought an extra!” Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Before she could even try again, I ripped the bowl from her magical grip with my teeth, tilted my head back, and gulped it down. Letting the container dropped to the floor, I gave the pouting Serenity a blank look.

“Really, Serenity?”

“What?” She rolled her eyes at me. “I was just trying ta help. You were sick-” Not sick. I hadn't been sick for months. Sure, it felt like me and a dragon got into a boxing match, but I wasn't ill. Only sore. I disliked the idea of being sick on a whole. Something about being sickly and weak from something other than being shot or stabbed didn't sit well with me.

“I'm not sick,” I interrupted. High Stakes chuckled off to the side. He was quickly getting on my nerves. “I just need rest... apparently. Steel Rangers. Their armour is tough.” To kick. The bottoms of my hooves still ached. “I can feed myself.”

“Fine, I just wanted to do something . Streamwind wouldn't let me help with the soup either....” Who? “She's the Captain's wife she is she-”

BOOM

Suddenly, I was rolling across the room as the boat swayed and rocked.

BOOM

Stumbling, I was shaken to my knees by the second blast. Pain throbbed through my back, and I grunted as I got back to my hooves.

BOOM

I managed to keep my balance and searched around the room. High Stakes had vanished completely, and Serenity was rolling across the floor towards me. After catching her with a hoof, I helped her onto my back. “Serenity, get Subtlety.” My gun was lying across the room, so I walked towards it slowly as a pink glow engulfed it.

BOOM

The pink glow faded with a squeak. The gun and saddle started glowing again, and started to unsteadily float towards me. I stepped under it, and felt the weight drop against my back. It was heavy, but I was basically a tank in pony skin, so it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Together, me and Serenity managed to get it strapped onto my back.

BOOM

Oh, for fuck's sake. My shoulder slammed into the door frame cracking it and sending, yes, even more pain lacing through my leg. Not wasting anymore time, I stormed down the stairs and into the bright daylight.

It was... kind of scary. I'd been bed-ridden since the night before and hadn't seen the boat on the water. The river seemed so wide, and the far shore seemed so small. Peering over the railing, I saw a thick, clear blueness. The light shining down made it sparkle, as a two headed fish looked up through the water at me... actually that was gross.

BOOM

Ack! I found myself half hanging off the ship my forelegs kicking wildly, while Serenity took the opportunity to jump off my back onto the deck. As tempting as that water was, I had a sinking feeling it'd be like swimming in radioactive waste.

“Hey.” With a flurry of blue feathers, I was staring nose to nose at Flare as he hovered just inches from the sickly water. “I wouldn't swim in that if I were you. Had a friend who swam in the river and one of her wings fell right off! You don't have any wings but I can't imagine it'd be healthy.” Oh fuck off, Flare. With a tug he lifted me back onto solid-ish ground. “I think we're being attacked or something; you should see to... wait shouldn't you be in bed?”

Seriously, fuck off.

I limped around the side of the boat onto the spacious front deck. Across from us, floating low in the river, was a long, skinny boat with a strange tree-like structure in the centre. The pole shot up into the air with a huge cloth sheet hanging from it. Confusion must have been clear on my face as Serenity explained. “It's a sailing boat.” Oh! I knew that. I just forgot for a minute. It happens. Don't judge me.

On the deck of the other ship stood five of the filthiest ponies I'd ever seen, including myself, standing around a huge black gun. Wait. I knew that, too. It wasn't a gun it was a... cannon. Like the party cannon from The Clips and Clops... only shooting death instead of parties.

“You scurvy river rats!” Captain Red Sky yelled across the gap. The pirate ponies chuckled among themselves, and I trotted up beside Sky. He gave me the slightest of nods when he saw my weapon before turning his attention back to the pirates. “Y’all leave my ship alone, I'll tell you what!”

“Yeah!” one replied with a grin. “When you give us all your goods, we will!”

“Dear.” What, who? I turned my head to see a small black unicorn mare with an almost obscenely bright pink mane. “You might want these.” In her magic was a magazine of .50 Calibre rounds. Each of the bullets had a bright blue tip. I nodded dumbly at her as I realized I’d already used all my ammo fighting the Steel Rangers.

“Please.” The mare who, I assumed to be Streamwind, the captain’s wife, turned to my battle saddle and got to work. She gave me a lovely view of her flank in the progress.... I mean cutie mark! I was not checking out a married mare, as I didn't like mares and....

Does anypony even believe that anymore?

I meant to say I was looking at her cutie-mark, which was a green bullet surrounded by a magical pink glow. It was kind of badass-looking actually, the sort of thing I wanted as a filly (instead I got three rocks). After she was done, the small mare (Actually she may not have been that small. Normal sized mares tended to look like fillies compared to me) nodded at me, and I turned back to the pirates.

“Last chance, mate!” the pirate screamed across the water. “Next shot is going through your pretty fa-”

BANG

The bullet sprang from Subtlety with a streak of red careening into the mast of the pirate ship. There was a slight spark on the wooden post and then a subtle whoosh. The mast was on fire, and the fire was spreading.

I just got bullets. That. Shot. Fire.

Mwahahaha.

Subtlety sent blasts of fire out again and again. The second shot slashed through the sail, setting it ablaze faster than I could blink, the third struck the side of the ship, cracking wood and igniting something inside. Before long the ship was engulfed and casting a bright orange glow across the river. I could barely hear the screams of burning pirates over the sound of my own glee. My gun shot fire! FIRE!

I turned to grin at my companions who mostly stood watching with pale faces. Flare faced-hoofed, High Stakes shrugged, and Serenity looked as if she was going to be sick. Sick...

Suddenly, the boat rocked under my feat making me unsteady. I felt my stomach heave at the sensation and felt strangely nauseous. Dimly, I heard the sound of another cannon ball, but I certainly felt the wave shake the boat sending my lunch into my throat.

As fast as my hooves could manage, I ran to the side of the boat. The soup tasted a lot worse coming up than it did going in, but thankfully I didn't get any of it on the deck. Leaning over the railing, my face a bit green, I heard Serenity’s voice.

“I knew Momma was sick!”

---

The next few days went along swimmingly, if you'll pardon the pun. I do so love puns. Serenity insisted on acting as if I was deathly ill for the first day or so, even though she knew I wasn't. I'd suspected it was because she was bored. I mean, since we had got into Dise, she’d always had something to do, but on the ship, she couldn't even walk or look around to alleviate her boredom. I mentioned this to Streamwind, and she did something I never would have thought of.

She gave the filly a toy.

Who would have thought! I mean, I never had toys when I was a foal, and she seemed so mature sometimes I never thought of it. The toy in question was a small orange pegasus doll with a soft and brush-able lavender mane. Serenity had taken it a bit warily at first, but soon was brushing its hair, giggling all the way, and even named the doll Scootaloo. It distracted her enough for me to sneak out and take a nap on the deck. What? The room was stuffy, and I liked the rest.

When I had returned to that night she had smashed off one of the pegasus filly's wings, and cut off the left back leg, and replaced them both with cyborg parts from the stuff she scavenged from the Steel Ranger base. When she saw me staring blankly at what she had done she enthusiastically informed me that she was 'cooler this way' and called her, 'Scootaborg.'. I wasn't sure if it was creepy or adorable, so I kept my mouth shut and let her do what she wanted.

This was basically my life for two days. It was far better than being chased by ghouls, going crazy, or fighting Steel Rangers, so I was perfectly content. Flare seemed to be absent a lot though, but I figured he was off scouting for us so we'd know if other pirates were nearby. Mr. House's agent wasn't around much either, but I didn't care. He bothered me in ways I couldn't begin to describe.

“So.” We were nearing the end of our fun boating adventure, and I had taken the time to find Streamwind in the boat house. It was a good view from there; with windows on every wall, you got a 360 view of the river. The rocking of the boat ceased to bother me as much as it did before, but honestly that was more the waves caused by the cannon shaking the ship. “How much for all your fire bullets?”

“Now dear,” She said with a sweet smile, “They're called incendiary rounds.”

“Right those in... incenary rounds.”

“Incendiary.” Serenity corrected, resting Scootaborg on the top of my head and peeking up over it. “Zebras useda' make'em with their magics. They set stuff on fire... but I thought only zebras made'em?”

“True enough, little miss.” She smiled at the filly on my head. “But, then again, most ponies don’t have ammo modifying as their special talent. So I get to break all the rules.”

“When I get my cutie-mark, can I break rules?”

“No,” I added quickly before she got any ideas. “So how much?”

“500 caps. They're hard to make, but I have 75. Considering you won’t find them anywhere else, I suggest you take it.” I nodded dumbly at her. It seemed like a good deal. “Uh... wait, really? Dear, you ain't too bright are you.” I shook my head, no use denying it. A change of caps later and I had my fire ammo. Fire ammo!

Serenity giggled at my glee, as I turned to the door. I never did have the chance to leave, though. Suddenly Flare was there, floating up the stairs while smoothing his hair back, with High Stakes coming up behind him.

“Are we there yet? This boat is sooooo boring, I tell you. I mean it's like... I dunno.” He flipped upside down to look me in the eyes. “You feelin' any better? I mean you have been getting stabbed and shot a lot recently. If it hadn't of been for your barding, you would’ve been a Swiss cheese pony.” A... what? “You look better.”

“Sore.” I said simply. “But better.”

“Good, go-oh!” He flapped his wings and leaned forward to stare at Serenity's doll on my head. “Who’s that?”

“Scootaborg!” Serenity lifted the strange toy up. “She was a child during the Red War,” Red War... now I know I have heard that term before, “and lost her hoof and wing when Hoof Town fell. She was found by a wandering stranger and nursed to health. After getting her Cyber parts, she decided to travel the wasteland looking for revenge and also her special talent.” That was a pretty extensive backstory.

Flare just smiled amiably and nodded during the story. “I see. I am going to guess you made the... uh... accessories yourself?”

“Sure did!” I could practically hear her smile. “They don't work though. Too small, and I'm not that good yet. I can like, fix'em, but making from scratch is difficult you know?”

“Yeah, know all bout that shit,” He smirked before floating over to Red Sky. The Captain seemed to ignore the Pegasus, as he carefully fiddled with the ships steering wheel. Either that or he was annoyed that his cabin had suddenly become crowded.

“Where have you been?” I questioned Mr. House’s pet unicorn. As a rule, I distrust anypony working for a gang, especially if said pony was my employer. I had been having really shitty luck with jobs, so it was healthy to assume I was going to be stabbed in the back. In fact, the only jobs that had gone the way I’d wanted were the ones back in Timber. I really hoped I hadn't jinxed anything by thinking that.

“Reading.” I made my 'ewww, what' face at him much to his amusement. “Books are a rare thing in the wasteland, and getting rarer. I treasure the ones I can find that are complete. Lately, I have been reading a manual on obscure Zebra magical fetishes.” Magical... wait what. Actually never mind, I really didn't want to know. “It is very interesting, and I thought appropriate as for our current mission, wouldn't you agree?” Yeah, sure. Whatever.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.”

“What did you think I was doing, may I ask?” He smirked at me, and I could have sworn his glasses sparkled in the sunlight.

“Uh.” I blinked at him and turned away to the main window. “No clue. Why I asked.”

“She thought you were spying and doin' secret things.” Serenity said half hardheartedly from my back. Sometimes that filly needed to learn when to not speak. I turned my head around to give the stallion a weak smile. By the stern gaze he cast upon me, I got the feeling he trusted me less than I trusted him.

“There it is.” Thank you, Captain Convenient Distraction! Red Sky pointed off in the distance, so I trotted over to his side to see. Not too far away, near a bend in the river, was a expansive dock and what looked like a little town. Maybe fifteen buildings hugged the river bank, surrounded by chain-link fence. Atop the tallest building (a skinny, four-story building) waved the NCA flag: a phoenix on top of a green star on a white field. “Snake's Head. It ain't the top o'the snake but it's the last settlement on it. Safest and most well fed too.”

“Oh?” Most well fed, eh? That reminded me how much I liked to eat.

“Yeah. Snake runs all the way through the NCA Farm, you know. They ship food up and down all the time, often with me. Good business. Pays more than being a glorified ferry.” He shot a glare at me, so I just sort of smiled. “From there you'll go wherever you needa go. Quick trip, right?”

“Uh. Yeah.”

“Good. Don't want anypony hearing I kept the NCA or Mr. House waiting.” He shook his long grey mane. It reminded me of a pony I used to know. “Too old for this faction shit,” He sighed, steering his ship towards one of the docks. “You know? When I was a foal, there was no NCA, or so far away and so small them didn't matter. The Watchers just a dream, the Minotaurs a legend to tell children. The Steel Rangers a nuisance, but left everypony alone, the Enclave kept to themselves, and the Dise gangs fought, yeah, but it didn't seem so. Something. Now everypony is out there choosing sides and playing games like they matter.” My, wasn't he the bitter one. “Sun’s come back, and I think everypony should learn to play nice.” Everypony. Part of my mind made me wonder if that included Zebra's, Griffins, and Minotaurs.

“Nice dream.” I said as the boat slowly stopped.

“Yeah. Streamwind, get the anchor; I'm sure the NCA will want to question us. They love their damned questions.”

---

“Where are you from?”

“North.” I said, rolling my eyes and shifting my stance a bit. We hadn't even got off the dock before a trio of NCA officials came over to question us. The water sloshed under the wooden planks as the ghoul officer glared at me. At first I thought he was Major Lucky, until I realized he wasn't a unicorn. All ghouls sort of look the same to me.

“North is a big place...,” the ghoul sneered at me.

“You're very observant.”

“And your friends are from...?”

“Flare.” I waved a hoof at the grinning Pegasus. “Remnants. High Stakes .” Another gesture. “House operative.” I smirked a bit. Did that count as me having powerful friends?

“And the filly?”

“She uh.” Now that was awkward. “A former Watcher.” I thought I could see him gulp and lick his lips. “We're looking for a caravan that is going to Karkhoof. That enough?”

“Fine.” He motioned for the ponies behind him to move. “Welcome to Snake Head. There’s a trading Caravan going up to Karkhoof, leaving tomorrow morning. If you’re quick, you might find work. Probably get eaten by a shark, but the opportunity is there. Check the NCA headquarters.” Muttering to himself, he trotted off the dock and let us pass into the town.

It was okay for a town I suppose, though from the looks of it, all the citizens of the town were NCA soldiers or NCA civilians trying to live out on the frontier. They looked cleaner than the ponies I met in Bridle Hope or Timber, better fed too. I guess there was something to be said for being an NCA civilian.

Serenity actually jumped off my back for once as we walked through the small town, just so she could run around looking at things. Snake Head was a refurbished pre-war town, but it had been refurbished really well. I don't think I had ever seen houses painted so many colours. And from out of every window I smelled baked fresh food! A far cry from the dingy and smell city, that was for sure.

Not that that made it better. A town like this was nice looking, and nice smelling, but it wasn't the same for security as Dise. Pirates or Raiders could attack by any time, not to mention any group that felt like cutting off a piece of the NCA.

The NCA building was where exactly where I thought it would be. The four-story building near the centre of the town doubled as a watch tower. It seemed... large and grey. The only building in town that lacked the splash of colour. It was, honestly, a bit of a shame. I would have loved to have seen a bright pink office building.

Opening the double doors, we found ourselves in the main reception area. Lots more grey, and I was not surprised. The two ponies at the front desk seemed engaged in conversation so I got my gang to wait just close enough to eavesdrop.

“...Nightmare's Fall?” The pony behind the desk raised a red eyebrow.

“That's what they're calling it.” The mare on my side of the counter shrugged. “They say the Ghost of the Big 52 died there.”

“How can a ghost die?” the officer asked, to which the mare could only shrug. “Whatever, file your report and I'll have it sent to brass.” He snorted as the mare walked away. “Ghosts and nightmares. Next they'll be giving me old mare's tales for reports. Next.” He glared at me. Nice guy. He was a dirty blue stallion (it matched his blue NCA barding) with a mess of a red mane that made mine look neat.

“Hello. I heard about a caravan.”

“Yes, we have caravans going across the wasteland every day. Care to be more specific?” Oh. Right, I suppose that could help. He didn't have to be such an ass about it.

“To Karkhoof. Trying to apply as guards. If there is room.” The pony eyed Subtlety on my back, before shuffling through his papers with magic. It seemed to take a good five minutes before he found the one he was looking for.

“Yes.” He peered at the paper. “Two open spots for guards if you want them. Not that surprising really, a lot of ponies won’t be caught dead near Zebra town. The route to get there ain't a picnic either And then with the protests going on up there, well it ain't all too surprising.” Yes, you said that already. “If you want all four going you'll have to pay for them to come along. 250 caps for both. If you want, that can be taken out of your paycheque, leaving you with a combined 350 caps for the trip.”

“Sure.” He blinked at me and shrugged, writing down my name when I gave it to him. I needed to get up, there for a job anyway, and I was pretty much already rich, so the exact details didn't bother me much at all. As long as we got up there and didn't die on the way. Fuck, I need to stop jinxing things. I wasn't a superstitious pony, but my luck was shitty as it was.

“Sign here.” I took the pen in my mouth and... was interrupted.

“Shouldn't we read the contract first? One can never be sure what the-” I ignored High Stakes (he was being pompous and annoying again), and signed it anyway. “Or we could not.” He gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. “How exactly have you survived this long?”

“Carefully.” I replied sliding the paper. Okay, maybe I wasn't really that careful, but the line sure was pithy, right?

“Luck.” Flare continued with a flap of his wings. “Luck and being the size of a tank, with a gun that is large enough to be mounted on a tank.” I rolled my eyes at his antics, but as usual nothing could stop his verbal diarrhoea. “As well as a strange will to live and scarily persistent desire to stop anypony from hurting her daughter. It's not that surprising really, she's more complex the more you get to know her.” Flare the psychologist. Turns out he makes a shitty psychologist, actually.

“And she's big'n'strong and stuff. Also, I saw her glare crack'a mirror once.” Thanks for the help Serenity. Though speaking of mirrors I haven't really seen one for a while, and I was middling curious to what I looked like after my numerous stupid fights.

“Right.” High Stakes had a habit of making his face go completely blank at strangely appropriate times. It was actually sort of annoying. “Now that the part where we sign onto a vague job is done with, shall we go on?” Wow. Sarcasm. That's original.

We did in fact go on, though. Upon leaving, I nearly trampled on a couple of foals playing tag right outside the door. After apologizing, I had to stand there and watch for a few minutes, as Serenity decided to join them. Flare flew to the top of the Guard tower while this was happening, leaving me and High Stakes alone. He seemed to shuffle awkwardly at the prospect, but I really didn't care.

Maybe I shouldn't hate every pony I meet?

Well, here goes nothing. “So....” High Stakes looked at me, and sudden awkward silence happened. “You're a mercenary?” Work is a valid topic of conversation, right? There should be like, a small talk class I could take, because I was so bad at it. Like, really.

“Yes.” It didn't help that he suddenly took on my speaking-style. I did one word responses before it was cool. “Been with Mr. House for running on a year now.” Oh yay, he was giving me more information. I need my companions verbose and talkative to make up for me. “Before that, I traveled here and there, taking the jobs that paid the most,” he said, as I watched Serenity successfully tackle a brown colt before running away in victory. “I would be a permanent Hizai, but Mr. House only lets cyborgs into his service. Don't ask why, he's a crazy kook, so I'm on permanent temporary status.” Somepony sounded bitter about that.

Serenity was fast for her age, but a skinny unicorn filly who was 'it' seemed to be at least a year older than her. She went so far as to jump over my back to get away, but the filly caught her anyway, and Serenity was 'it' once more.

“So. Will he hire me?”

High Stakes snorted. “I really couldn’t say, Hired. Mr. House is a man of exacting standards, but your leg makes it far more likely. It is not that he hates those who are normal, he just thinks having a gang of cybernetics improves their standing in the city. You may have noticed some ponies look down on those with... accessories like you. Since The Watchers came to town, the problem has become more severe.”

“Oh... Celestia's Vision, right?”

He nodded in affirmative, while at the same time Serenity managed to catch a colt pegasus by the wing and make him 'it'. “The Watchers try to keep it quiet, but the movement started from them. Apparently their leader was a former Watcher doctor.” He smirked at me, “But once again, Mr. House has no preference on how you handle the situation in Karkhoof. He just wants to see what you do.” He wants to see me get shot and almost die? Who am I to judge, I guess.

“This Mr. House. What is he-”

“I am not allowed to answer that. He does most of his work through agents, and I have only met him face-to-face a hoof-full of times. For the most part he wishes to keep certain things secret, I am sure you can understand.” How else to cultivate the 'mysterious benefactor' appearance? Whatever, so long as he paid good on the caps, I couldn't care less what he did.

“Helpful.” Of course, I still couldn't resist the urge to be sarcastic. “Serenity.” I called and she skidded to a stop, just in time for the pegasus colt that was chasing her to slam into her back. “We should go.” I was actually getting really hungry. “Maybe find some place to eat.”

Her pout quickly turned into a grin at the mention of food. “Seeya later, Spring Fresh, Peppermint Bark, Joist, and Peanut.” She said, before quickly running over and jumping on my back. “Peanut's dad owns the restaurant near the front gate. Only one in town, so I think we should go there.” It was the only one in town, where else could we go?

“Food?” I nearly jumped when Flare's upside down head popped into my vision. “I heard food, we should get food. It is one of my very favourite things you know.” Really? You don't say. Not like we needed it to live or anything....

Serenity stood on her hind legs, and planted her forelegs on my head. “Onward noble steed!”

“Excuse m-. Nevermind.” I could let her have this.

The town was small enough that the restaurant was easy to find. All I had to do was walk past a few colourful buildings, find the large sliding gate that was the entrance to town, and find the closest restaurant thing. It turned out to be a stout, one-story building with a large, clean, window on the front.

“Come in! Oh please come in!” an enthusiastic mare said upon seeing us. “Table for four,” she shouted to the back of the restaurant. It seemed longer inside than it had outside, and it had a series of small round tables with small haystacks for seats. Actually, they looked far more comfortable than the chairs I’ve seen in other places. The waitress (who had a sandwich on a tray as a cutie-mark) led us to one of the unoccupied tables and smiled as we sat down.

Well, except for Serenity, who was short enough that sitting down meant her head was under the table. She had to stand, and even then she was barely over the top of the table. The whole restaurant seemed to have mirrors on every wall. Back in Marefort, Wildfire used to say that having mirrors made the room look larger; I thought that sounded stupid. Still, the mirrors gave me a good look at myself.

I was was dirt stained, and my mane was a tangled mess, but I didn't look as bad as I thought. Except for.... “My ear... what happened to it?” I twitched it, and my mirror self twitched a little stub of a right ear back at me. Most of it was just... gone.

“Huh.” Serenity looked up at me with a grin. “It was all bloody after you fought them Steel Rangers.” Yes, I noticed they kept being brought up. “And it was just gone. Does it hurt?”

“Only my pride.” Who was I kidding, I had no pride.

“...Daisy sandwiches, daisy soup, and some Brahmin meat if you like... ugh, high protein.” She grimaced at the thought. Apparently she had been talking the whole time I had been checking out my ear.

“Daisy sandwich.” I eyed my companions and they all seemed to nod. Good enough. “Four.”

“Okay!” She seemed relieved that we didn't choose meat. “Right away.” She trotted off towards the back of the restaurant.

“So. What you mean to say is that you managed to get your ear shot off, and are only now realizing it?” High Stakes smirked.

“Yes.” I rolled my eyes as the waitress came back with our food. They looked. Fresh. Fresh food. My mind could barely comprehend that. It had to be some sort of mistake. Fresh food stopped existing around the time the world ended. That I was sure of.

The plate was place before me and I sort of... stared at it. A daisy sandwich, with freshly baked bread, and fresh daises. I must have been dreaming. Slowly I lowered my mouth to the delicious morsel....

BANG

Oh for the fucking sake of fuck. Fuck. This had nothing to do with me, nothing at all. Let me eat my damn sandwich.

Though I really tried not to, I could still barely hear a muffled yell from outside. “We aren’t leaving until we get Flare. We will burn this town down if we have to!”

Me and Flare exchanged a glance and ran for the door. I would rather not get this town burned, if I could help it. Of course, it was only after the fact that I realized I had left Serenity alone with a stallion I trusted as far as I could throw him.... Okay bad analogy, I could throw anypony really far.

We ran up to the gate just in time to see an NCA officer (also a ghoul) yell at the half dozen Steel Rangers outside the gate. “Nopony in town by that name, and you'd be fucked up your steel arses if you tried. Now go cry home to your Elder before you get a spanking.”

“Listen, No-coat, we know he's in there and-. He shows himself!” A Steel head turned to me and Flare. I grinned just a bit as I recognized the voice of Curly Fries. “This Foal Killer must be taken into custody! He cannot be allowed to roam free.”

The blue pegasus flicked his yellow and green mane out of his eyes and turned to me, saying so low only I could hear. “Go to Karkhoof, I'll get these steel idiots off your tail and meet you there?” I nodded. “Don't get Serenity killed without me.” With that, he flew into the air and said in his most Flare-like voice. “WELL! YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO CATCH ME!”

I followed his trail as he sped through the air in a blue blur. I kept watching and watching until he was nothing but a speck against the setting sun. As Curly Fries barked orders and the Steel Rangers vainly chased after the speck, I realized something that frightened me to my very soul.

I was worried about Flare.

---

I went back to the restaurant, ate a sandwich (delicious), found a hotel room, went to bed, and had a dream. It was about cupcakes and the proper way to make them using tree sap, then I fought a ninja. You know, sometimes dreams aren't prophetic or important. Though like in all my dreams, Wildfire died at the end.

We had to get up early in the morning to go with the caravan. Apparently, it was going to be another day-and-a-half journey which meant early wake-ups. Luckily, High Stakes was there to wake me up in time, or I may have missed it. I wondered briefly if I could set an alarm on my pipbuck. I quickly smacked myself at the thought because PipBucks were strange magical things that I could not control. Very handy to smack folk with though.

“Serenity.” I poked her sleeping form. “Serenity.” I poked her again causing her tail to flick slightly. Come on, this was ridiculous. “Serenity. Serenity.” Oh come on already just get up. Up!

“Can't you just carry her?” I shot a glare at that snobby unicorn before doing exactly what he suggested. Unsurprisingly, she snuggled into my back and didn't wake up.

Outside the hotel I am too lazy to describe because it was boring, I saw something amazing.

A sunrise.

I had seen them when the world was covered by clouds, but seeing it now was different. The sun basked over the landscape. Over some distant hills, rays of light fanned outward like fire setting the ground and sky alight. The orange rays danced off the multicoloured buildings making them shine like rainbows shining through the morning mist.

Yeah, it was beautiful.

Even High Stakes, that smarmy bastard, seemed impressed. “Let’s go; they won’t wait forever.” Or not. Were his glasses always so shiny? I imagine that made it hard to see.

Snake's Head was deathly still as we moved through the streets. The only sound was our hoofsteps, and the ever-so-subtle snoring of Serenity. It wasn't dark though, and I enjoyed the sight of the rainbow coloured buildings in the morning light, so I was okay with that.

A mare walked up to us as we neared the main gate. “You're late.” Fuck you, I'm late. She was a spindly unicorn with a dark grey coat, a green mane that was cut ludicrously short, and a chip on her shoulder. “We need to get past the canyon a'fore night fall, and you ain't helping.... Is that a fucking foal? Whatever, eel food then.” I was so going to stab her.

“Eels?”

She stared blank faced at me and face hoofed. “You took this route, and don't know 'bout the eels? Whatever, you'll learn quick’r die.” The mare glared and turn away back to the caravan outside the gate. There were a dozen or so waggons full of supplies, and I was surprised to see they were pulled but big, bulky stallions (not as large as I, but then, who was?) instead of brahmin or other such. “You're on the back waggon.”

Whatever.

The waggons were different than the ones I'd seen before. The main compartment was stouter and seemed to hold less, and it had a set of stairs up one side leading to the roof. On top, the was a wooden railing just high enough to lean over, a few cushions, and haphazardly-thrown-around provisions. I placed Serenity one on of said cushions and took a seat looking around. Each of the waggons in the line seemed to have at least four ponies on it, and when we started moving they didn't line up in a straight line. Instead, they went two-by-two, with two waggons sticking close enough together to reach into the one beside it.

They moved fast, too, fast enough to jolt Serenity awake. Finally.

“Wha... where are we?” she asked, as a bump in the road sent her spinning off her cushion. Shaking the hair out of her eyes, she looked around and pouted just a little. “Why didn'tcha wake me up?”

“We tried.” I said simply, favouring her with a smile. Smiles are favourable right?

“Often,” High Stakes said plainly, taking his weapons out of his saddle bags. He claimed to be mercenary, so I was more than a little interested in the weapons he brought. The first seemed to be a riot shotgun with an extended barrel. The other was .308 calibre bolt-action rifle with ironsights. I wasn't that impressed . He seemed to test out the sight of his gun as he said, “I am surprised you stayed asleep as long as you did. You are certainly a determined foal.”

“I'm not a foal,” she said with a determined glare. So he was half right at least. “I'm a big pony. Just... don't have my cutie-mark yet. I will soon! You'll see.” High Stakes only chuckled and fiddled with his glasses at that. Oh what I wouldn't do for a random story....

Did I really miss Flare? He had barely been gone half a day. It was official, I was crazy.

“I know. Ignore him.” I smiled at Serenity but she just stomped off to a corner to brush Scootaborg's mane.

“It is not polite to ignore one's travelling companion.” We ignored Flare too, but at least he had the good manners not to notice. Rolling my eyes, I glanced over to the cart beside us. Four ponies rode atop it looking strangely grim.

Leaning over the edge of the cart, I called to the nearest pony. “What’s with this route?” She was a tiny (mind you most everypony looked tiny from where I stood) orange unicorn with a white and red striped mane. I could feel her magic flare up as she repositioned her rifle so she could lean in over the gap that separated us.

“Land Sharks.”

...

“What?”

She blinked in disbelief at me. I returned the favour. “Land Sharks.... That's what we call'em anyway. Showed up about fifteen years back. Tainted quarray eels that can swim through the ground without breaking it.” How did that make any sense. “Need this route tho-”

“Backup,” a purple stallion, who was resting with his hat over his eyes, said, “shut up. The fucking noobs didn't bother to learn, let them be eaten.” I made a mental note to shoot the fuck out of that guy. It didn’t look like it’d be that difficult. The unicorn seemed lanky, with a long green mane sticking out from under his hat.

“Might be I push you out and let 'em take you,” she spat back. The purple stallion just chuckled and went back to his resting. “Ignore Dragonslayer; he's an ass.”

“Dragonslayer?” That was more than a little bit impressive. Even if he was an ass.

“Well...,” Backup seemed a bit apprehensive about talking behind his back. Or face, or, whatever. “He claims to have killed a dragon. Way he tells it, he lured a dragon into a tight place where it couldn't move very well, painted a mannequin to look like him, dressed it up in his barding and explosives. The dragon thought he’d caught up, tried to lunge, and had his head blown off for the trouble. Been callin' himself that since, but I find it sketchy.”

“It's true,” the stallion pretending to be sleeping said. “Fed my home town for a year. Named it Dragon's Reach after me.” I eyed his flank, looking for a dragon-slaying cutie-mark, but it was hidden by his barding.

“Whatever.” Backup rolled her eyes. “Fact o'the matter is he uses that for a name now. A bit cocky,” Dragonslayer snorted, “but whatever. Like I was saying, this route is dangerous, but the alternative takes like, a week.” She pointed forward as the rows of fast moving waggons we were following.

The road was not a rutted dirt one like I was used to, but instead made from nearly intact concrete. The old-world highway stretched on into the horizon, highlit by the rising sun so I could barely see. Wait.... Digging into my bag I brought out my pink sunglasses and found my sight much better. Not too far off, the highway dipped suddenly as two wall struck out on either side forming a huge canyon.

Right off to the side of the road I saw a huge billboard that managed to survive the past two hundred years. On it’s weathered face was what looked like three ponies in power armour (It looked like Steel Rangers, but i wasn’t sure) standing in front of what looked like a small pre-war town. On it were the words “Have No Fear Caledonians, The Equestrian Army Is Here To Protect You.” Spray painted in red below it were the words, “Thanks. Good Job.”

“An old Caledonian legend says that when Discord first ruled the earth, he found the lands of Caledonia too flat and perfect. So he struck out at it, and created these huge canyons and mountains to break it up. That's why there are so many ravines and hills that seem to make no sense.” Backup nodded at me with a smile. I didn't know for magic or legends but I guess that was as good a theory as any.

“Why would he do that? It's just silly.” I wasn't sure when Serenity started listening in. The speed of the carts made her mane whip into her face, and she angrily sought to disentangle herself. “Why would he do that?”

The unicorn shrugged and gave her very best patronizing smile towards my filly. “Why would Discord do anything?” Serenity considered that for a second before Backup answered. “Because he's Discord. It's in the name.”

“But... my name’s Serenity, and sometimes I do un-serene things.” That was far too logical for my tiny brain to handle, so I just sat back and watched to see if Backup could come up with a smarter answer than me.

Backup had nothing. Once again, my filly proved smarter than full grown mares.

Did I just call her my filly? She was clearly infecting my brain with thoughts of motherhood.

“Maybe,” High Stakes felt the need to interrupted what was clearly a mare's only conversation, “physical personifications of elements of nature name themselves more accurately than wasteland ponies do. It's much harder to explain an element of of Chaos being called Tim, than it is a less than serene unicorn being called Serenity.” Again with the being logical thing. I wholeheartedly disapproved. His glasses seemed to shine in the sunlight.

How did he do that?

I turned my head to the sun and tried to tilt my head down. Then a little to the right. Maybe if I leaned into it I could get the light to hit my glasses just right. What about if I-

“What are you doing?” I turned my head to High Stakes to see his glasses had returned to their normal not shiny state.

“How do you do that?” He simply raised and eyebrow. “Your glasses. They shine sometime. How can you see?” There! They did it again as I mentioned it. That couldn't have been natural. Maybe some sort of Unicorn magic? I'd have to ask Serenity sometime.

“Uh....” He blinked at me as his glasses topped shining. “I’m not sure, I guess it helps when your glasses aren't pink....” Was that an insult? I liked my glasses.... “Just. Nevermind. We have land sharks to watch out for....”

---

The walls of the canyon rose above us-- foreboding, brown, impassible walls. The canyon seemed to stretch on forever, and only the sun above stopped me from feeling like I was trapped in a dark tunnel again. The highway was tight here and littered with holes. It seemed to take an inordinate amount of effort for the ponies pulling the carts to keep up their speed while dodging the potholes.

“Through solid stone....” I mumbled to myself. I'd heard once that Hell Hounds could dig faster than a pony could run, but to pass through it as if it wasn't even there...? It just seemed... weird and unnatural.

“Don't worry too much,” Backup said in the cart beside me, “sometimes they don't ever show up.” Right. I wanted to believe her, but the look on her face made it clear she was lying. Even if she had managed to hide the grim smile, I could see Dragonslayer and the two other ponies in her cart, and I could see the way the other ponies rode glumly through the pass in front of me. “There's two types. The biggies and the smalls. The small ones latch onto the biggies and jump off near ponies, and they're the real danger. Poisonous fucker can kill a pony in ten minutes flat.” I gulped and nodded.

“So. Why not the long way?”

“Well...,” Backup seemed to be searching for the words. “The NCA needs the zebras, ya know? They can make water cleansing talismans, not as potent as pre-war stuff but effective. Thing is they need lots, often to keep their farm running so to them it's a calculated risk.” Gambling with ponies lives? Lovely.

A roar shut me up.

It echoed through the chasm making my coat stand up on end. “Serenity,” I said softly. “Wear your cloak.” If nothing else, it might stop a poisonous bite. She nodded and quickly draped it over herself, the brown of it nearly blending in with the waggon floor. “And,” I slid over the pistol I had got back in the tunnels. There was a faint smile on her lips, but I could see she was tentative when it came to picking it up. Bad memories with it and all. “Just in case.”

“Okay....” She looked at it and I saw a pink glow engulf the weapon, floating it in the air. “I... don't want to hurt anypony with it.”

“You won’t....” I felt a surge of magic behind me, and I turned to see High Stakes standing tall with his two weapons floating in red beside him, and the breeze whipping at his red mane. He sure liked to be dramatic.

Another roar shook the ravine.

“Mr. House needs Karkhoof dealt with so it would be my personal suggestion that you do not die.” Thanks, Mr Tall Unicorn. You're always so helpful. I had to wonder if ponies called him Captain Obvious behind his back.

Ponies started screaming. The jolt of extra speed nearly took me off my feet. I searched the ground, but I couldn't see it. Somepony had seen something. I didn't know what, but it had spooked them. Of course that was until I noticed the shadow. I'd thought it was only a trick of the cavern at first.

Until I looked up.

Holy fucking shit. The Eel looked like a giant red snake with a million green spines sticking off it. It's dragon-like mouth was wide open and it was falling. It wasn’t the only one. As I looked up, two more sprang from holes in the side of the rock wall and started their freefall.

Oh, and one was aiming straight towards us.

Subtlety blasted at the thing. I saw it connect in a flurry of green gunk and a spark of flame, but it didn't even slow down. I grabbed Serenity and dove. The beast crashed into our cart, sheering half of it off. Suddenly, I was sliding. I managed to hang on by slamming my metal hoof through the floor, catching me. Most of my body was left hanging slamming into the remains of the cart, water from the waggon's cargo spilling on the ground marking our trail. The road seemed to zip past me as I looked down, making me dizzy. I looked back at the huge red beast. It wasn't falling into the ground, but seemed to pass through it like a fish through water.

The green spines on it's back wiggled for a second before breaking off and leaping off. No. Not green spines, other eels. They hit the ground, passed through it, and then leaped through the air a second later, much closer than they had been.

My leg slammed painfully against the remains of the waggon. Despite the condition of their vehicle, the ponies hitched to the front still ran, but that may have been just to save their own lives. Back on the cart, Serenity clung tightly to the railings near Backup's cart, and High Stakes managed to stand despite the now-sloped floor. Show off.

“Help!” I calmly suggested to High Stakes. As he started towards my hanging body, I corrected him. “Not me! Serenity.” he gave me the blankest look as if hanging by my metal leg near poisonous flesh eating land sharks was more important than a filly! Idiot. With a flurry of magic I gave a sigh of relief as he lifted Serenity onto Backup's cart. Thank Celestia she was safe at least.

Pain. Tears watered in my eyes from the fiery pain in my leg, but I forced them away. One of those green fuckers were hanging off me, chewing at my flesh with what looked like glee.

Ten minutes until death? Challenge accepted.

As I flapped in the wind, my other leg kicked at the beast. It seemed to growl low and deep at me, so I kicked it again. The third time, my hoof found it's eye, and it flew off this a squish. Despite everything I knew, it still was a shock when it didn't slam into the ground but fall through it.

Looking back towards High Stakes, I reached out and grabbed his hoof which he at some point extended at me. I could see his green eyes watching my wounded leg with near concern. Blood dripped from it, and I could have sworn I felt the burn of poison snaking through it, but dammit there wasn't time. With a tug, I tore my metal leg from where I smashed it through the floor, and he, with magical enhanced strength, lifted me from the brink.

“Maybe we should switch rides?” He nodded his head towards Backup's cart. Totally Captain Obvious.

Not bothering to worry about leaping at high speed from cart to cart, I crossed the gap. I was just in time to see Serenity blow away a land shark with her pistol. That's momma's girl.

Fuck. Ignore that last sentence.

“Where the hell have you been!” Being worm food. You? “Get shooting.” Backup didn't even look my way as her rifle fired shot after shot off the back of the waggon. The green beasts jumped up towards her again and again, but she and Dragonslayer did a good job keeping them at bay. Sort of. To my sides I could see the land sharks flying through the air just at eye level before diving back into the ground.

“Serenity. Behind me.” I was a good shield, even if I was bleeding a little bit.

The first eel that Subtlety hit flew backwards through the air, catching fire and landing with a thud on the concrete. Okay, they only moved through the ground when alive. It had to have been some sort of taint magic. That was a thing, right?

Ack. My rambling thought process distracted me enough to let a eel get too close. Luckily, the fucking thing couldn't eat steel. My metal leg kicked it off, lining me up for what must have been the easiest shot in the world. The beast became engulfed in flames, and rammed into another shark in mid air, setting it on fire too.

Yeah, I'm pretty awesome.

High Stakes, for his annoyingness, wasn't bad either. He switched between his rifle and shotgun with almost scary ease. The further beasts got a taste of .308 lead, but the ones that got too close took a buckshot to the face. Either way, they fell in droves, making me feel just a little jealous. How was I supposed to compete with a unicorn?

“Serenity.” I said feeling something being tied around my back leg. “Is this really the time.” I turned my head to look at her, but she didn't even acknowledge me. At least she had something to occupy her mind other than green and red death flying in at every angle.

Not for the first time I regretted dragging her around with me.

“SHIT!” Dragonslayer turned and pointed.

I looked up towards the rest of the caravan just in time for to see a red quarray eel leap out of the ground. It caught an entire waggon whole. With a snap it's giant mouth closed. Bits of pony and wood rained over the canyon, but that wasn't what worried me. I was more concerned with the fact our cart was about to run right beside the giant red mass, and it was still squirming with smaller eels.

“Serenity!” She didn't need to be told twice to use me as cover as the five of us turned to the side of the cart. “High Stakes, Dragonslayer, take point. Backup, beside me.”

“Who put you in charge?” Dragonslayer cried. Well, obviously I did. Instead of answering, I unleashed eight shots of fire into the giant eel's side, setting a whole section ablaze. Green eels peeled off the beast and hit the ground as burning sludge. If that didn't put me in charge, I'd no idea what would. Dragonslayer declined to comment, so I guess that left me in charge.

“I need a grenade.” In a second, one was soaring through the air. I caught it with my mouth, and shoved it into one of my barding's front pockets, just in time for the first wave.

The green vermin flew from the top of the giant, raining down on top of us. I could hear the remaining ponies pulling our old cart fall and scream. It made me shiver, but I couldn't afford to watch them die. Subtlety flared out. Part of me hated having to waste fire bullets on vermin, but fuck these vermin. They were terrible. And they bit me! Subtlety turned everything it touched into ash, but it fired slowly, and I had to reload so very often. Even Backup with her rifle did better, but not with nearly as much class.

Turning to my side, I realized how good a thing it was that High Stakes was covering our drivers' flanks. Otherwise despite all my planning, we'd still be really, really dead. Congratulations came later!

Fuck, we were getting too close. Our cart was going to pass by the main beast in seconds. I really hoped this worked.

“Cover my flank!” I screamed, biting into my bridle. Eight shots. Reload. Eight more shots. I had to keep firing until it looked right. The thing had hard skin, but if I could make a big enough hole. I fired eight more fire bullets into the beast. I made the mistake of looking up and seeing just how little of the beast I was actually hurting. It was like an ant stabbing a hellhound.

More green bastards fell. Shots blared out, but I deafened myself to it. We inched closer as if in slow motion. There, the red scales melted down it's body. There was my target. The grenade was cool in my mouth. Beyond all reasoning I was calm, even with the fire and pain around me. There. The grenade left my mouth, and I pushed at it hard with my metal leg. I didn't feel my leg enter the burning Eel, but when I tore it free it was covered in blood and guts. Lovely.

Our cart passed the beast. Three seconds passed.

BOOM

There was a scream like nothing else I'd heard before. It was an otherworldly wail that seemed to shake the ground. Just hearing it made my heart beat faster in my chest. The creature continued it's cry as it fell backward slowly, sinking into the ground.

I let out the breath I was holding. Whatever it was, it wasn't dead, but I doubt it'd feel like following us after that.... Or I just made it angry. I sucked in another breath and leaned over the railing. The road behind us was deathly silent. Corpses of ponies and beasts alike seemed to litter the canyon, strew haphazardly between bits of splintered wood and burning carcasses. It smelled like fiery death.

“Fuck.” I spun, and instinct made me lower my head to my bridle. Dragonslayer was standing above Backup's body, sweat drenching his brow. The mare was bleeding heavily, the blood pooling on the floor around her, from a bite wound to her flank. Already, I could see her begin to pale. Ten minutes. That's what she said. Her wound seemed to already be infected with a strange smelling green pus. I wasn't sure when she was bit, but I don't think it mattered....

I looked back at the bite on my leg. Against all logic it was... normal. Like any other wound I've had, it stung, but I wasn't dying. I was poisoned, I should be dying....

“Hurts....” I ran over to the dying mare. Serenity was wiping backup's brow, and started to pour a healing potion down her throat. “No....” She gave a halfhearted wave of her hoof. “No... dying....” I stood beside her, my body casting a show over her face. Her eyes shot to me, and I could see how weary she looked. So old. “Finish i-”

BANG

Serenity shrieked and started to sob. Bits of Backup’s skull skidded across the cart, as even more blood stained the floor. Among other fluids. Dragonslayer, he with a stupid name, had a smoking gun glowing beside him.

So I kicked him. Not hard. Just hard enough to send him to the floor so I could press my metal leg down on his throat. Just a little more pressure and his head would pop. “What the fuck!” Maybe I shouldn't have yelled. I was too stressed to care. “Why did you-”

“She was dying. Tends to be, you know. Deadly. There is no cure, not yet. I gave her relief. Would you prefer she suffer?” What? No! We should have helped. We could have. We.... I wasn't supposed to care was I? When I cared about ponies they always died, so why did I start again?

I lifted my foot off.

She was just one pony. A pony I just met. She was dying anyway. He did the right thing.

So why did I care?

---

“It's your fault they're dead.” I didn't wince at the accusation. I let is flow over me, I let myself ignore it. “You took too damn long getting ready. You were late. We leave for a fucking reason. We get there before they wake up; we get there when they're too groggy to attack. Because of you, we lost three carts, and over a dozen good ponies.” My face was stern. So long as I didn't show emotions her accusations couldn't sting.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry, won’t bring back those ponies’ lives!” the grey mare said, spraying spittle in my face. It wasn't my fault those ponies died. The NCA decided their lives were worth the Zebra's talismans, and the ponies themselves decided it was worth the risk. The few minutes I was late had changed nothing, and she knew it. I couldn't blame her for lashing out at me, though. She had lost more ponies this run than the last ten runs combined and she needed somepony to blame.

I was good at taking the blame.

“Don't you have anything to say!?” The camp would have been quiet if she was not yelling. The caravan had travelled far after the incident with the Eels. Nopony talked much. We had lost two carts and a handful of other ponies. By the time we stopped for the night, everypony was exhausted mentally and physically, so much so that only a few stayed up to watch me get yelled at.

“Sorry.”

“Get out of my camp. You and your friends. Get out and don't come back.” She glared at me. Not me. She was mad at her own failure and used me as a punching bag. I was okay with that. I didn't need the caps for this trip, I just needed to get to Karkhoof. I forget why. It didn't seem important.

Was I really still upset about Backup? I had known Lye for longer, but I managed to put her into the that place in the back of my mind that I never touched. Why couldn't I do that for Backup?

Maybe it had something to do with Serenity's tears. Or the fact she succumbed to the poison and I didn't. The thought made my back leg itch, but I was still alive. Somehow.

The thoughts were making my head hurt. I turned away from the still-screaming mare, and headed for my companions. She kicked me out, so I left. It meant I wasn't on her payroll anymore so I didn't have to play punching bag for her.

“Serenity, Stakes.” I said, walking up to them. Despite the fact it was well-past sundown, they both seemed well awake. It may have something to do with the fact I made them take a long nap after the land shark incident. Honestly, I half-expected this outcome. The mare would need to blame somepony, and who better than a slow earth pony? I didn't begrudge her it, so long as she left Serenity out of it.

“We need to go.” I finished. High Stakes showed a spark of annoyance, then give a resigned sigh. Serenity, on the other hoof, just jumped onto my back and got comfortable. You let a sick filly ride on your back once, and you're a taxi for life. “Got kicked out. Because we were late.”

“Glad to see the NCA has kept their common sense and good manners in these troubled times.” Was that a joke? I wasn't quite sure, so I nodded. I do that a lot. Often times I nod dumbly. I don't really know what makes a nod dumb, but I think it happens when I nod.

“Right.”

Nothing else left to say, I led my squad outside the camp. The ground was rough and rocky, but between my pipbuck and the stars above, we could see fine. After we left the camp, everything became.... Quiet. The sounds of the camp behind us slowly faded, and it seemed nopony was up for talking. Inanely, I missed Flare. He would never have let it get so quiet.... Since when did I find quietness a bad thing?

Damn that blue pony.

It made no sense. I didn't even like him. He was just some stupid pony that followed me around. Was I so devoid of friends in my life that I would consider such an annoying braggart one? Or maybe... maybe I felt bad for what happened to him back at the Steel Rangers. But that would imply I cared about anypony beside myself, which was clearly not true. Except for Serenity of course.... And Wildfire. That filly whose name I refused to think of. Something in the back of my head told me Pearly was a good pony too. And Photo Finish, but only because she helped me. And Backup for some reason....

For Celestia's sake, I cared about ponies. I swore off that, and yet here it was again. Coming back. It needed to change. When I cared, ponies died.

“Why did you leave?” High Stakes asked quietly, careful not to wake up Serenity. How did that filly sleep so much? “You could have demanded to stay. You could have pressured her into giving you your pay.”

“She told me to. It was an order.” It was simple enough. Until she kicked me out I would follow her orders.

“So? She didn't fulfil her end of the bargain; why should you?”

“I....” I took a look around. The highway seemed to stretch on forever into the night, spiralling up a steep hill before being obscured by ever growing mountains. It was a simple question he asked, but he just wouldn't understand. “Because. She ordered me.”

“Do you always act like that? Like you are some tool to be used, abused, and tossed away at your employer's whims. Despite your job, you are still a pony.” Really? He really didn't know me very well if he was going to try to philosophize at me.

“No. I am a tool. That's the way it should be.” Cold, emotionless. A perfect weapon. I had tried to be that at the start, and it all broke down when I killed Silver Bullet. So what was I now? I wasn't Silver Storm, but I wasn't really Hired Gun either. “Ponies use me as a tool. I'm okay. The blood is on their hooves.” Not mine. I was just a tool, a gun for other ponies to shoot. I....

Don't know.

“That's flimsy reasoning.” Yes, it really was wasn't it? Even for me. “Why do you do it?”

I stopped. I could feel the darkness of the night engulfing me and there was a tightening in my stomach. The road up to Karkhoof suddenly seemed so.... Pointless. What reason did I have to go up there? Why did I even want to work for Mr. House? I had kept on moving, kept on walking because I wanted to survive, but was that really enough? My survival for the lives of all the ponies I killed. I was just another pawn in a world of pawns, ready to be used and thrown away, so did it even matter. Eventually I was going to die, my meaningless life extinguished. So why did I try? For some misguided sense of pride or self-worth? I could feel my knees weaken as I slowly began to realize that I had no reason for walking, no reason for living, and no hope at-

There was a sound that took me out of my sudden bout of over dramatic emoness.

A snore. I turned my head and saw Serenity on my back. She seemed even smaller then, curled up on my back, her sleeping face illuminated by Luna's light. She was innocent, a little light in the big dumb darkness that blanketed the wasteland. She was something worth protecting, something that needed to be cared for.

But not by me. She deserved better.

---

Karkhoof was not hard to find. We followed the highway even as it circled through a series of tight mountain passes. Luckily, even as we walked higher and higher there were no sheer cliffs or steep hills to aggravate my not-fear-of-heights. It was a beautiful area though. High peaks of mountaintops rose all around, making it hard not to stop and marvel at them. As we followed along, between brown trees, I saw smoke and smelt fire.

It was a camp. And a large one.

“Doesn't that hurt?” Serenity stood on my back, leaning over to see the wound on my leg. We had walked all through the night, and the sun was just beginning to show itself. I paused for a second to admire the sun cresting over white capped mountain tips as a wind sent spirals of snow off a peak and into the distance.

“No.” It did. Only a little though, as I had taken a shot of med-x during the night. “Don't worry.” She would worry of course. Even with the bandage job she gave it, she was still sure it needed a health potion. Not that we had any to spare. Still, I could see it bothered her. She wanted so much to be a good, helpful pony....

I stopped for a second.

The three of us had travelled a long ways since the fight with the Steel Rangers. From boats, to caravans, to being kicked out and forced to walk. It seemed to happen so fast, but it all seemed.... I'm not sure. I wasn't sure of much. Part of me desperately wanted to return to Dise, because even in chaos there was stability. The sense that you could find a place, even if it was at the lowest rung. Here, in the wastes, who knows? I could travel from place to place, fight to fight, and never really find something steady.

“Are we not going? Mr. House will not wait forever.” High Stakes didn't seemed tired from our all night hiking trip up a mountain. He was a mercenary after all, so that was to be expected.

“Yeah.” The camp was not very well defended. A few turned-out slabs of concrete served as a barrier at the end of the highway. Beyond the two mercenary guards that stood behind the barricade was a mishmash of tents strewn around a series of fire pits. Unsurprisingly, most seemed similar to the tents found in The Watchers camp. Somewhere deep in the camp a flagpole rose. Flapping from it's crest was a simple flag showing a rising sun.

Behind the camp, I could just barely see Karkhoof. It had small grey walls that didn't seem like they'd hold well if Celestia's Vision decided to kill all the zebras themselves. Not that I really cared either way. I was just here to do my job and get one of the factions to leave. Or die. Whatever worked, I suppose.

“Halt, who goes there?” Really, that old bit? Apparently somepony took their job way too seriously.

I trotted slowly up to the guards and felt a slight burning as they started to point their weapons magically at me. “Hey.” I looked at the automatic rifle floating by one of the guards’ side. “Stop that. I work for House. Need to speak with whoever runs the camp.”

The guards stopped. Apparently, even way out here in the wastes, House still had clout. Even when dealing with ponies known to protest his cybernetic company. Sort of interesting. I filed that away into 'things that may be useful later' section of my brain.

“Who are you?”

I started to respond, but High Stakes trotted in front of me. So much for letting me handle the situation. “I am Mr. High Stakes, representative of Mr. House. It is requested we are allowed access to the camp.” The guard glared for a second but then sort of shrugged.

“Sure,” he said with a hint of a smirk. “Go ahead. Righteous Song is near the gate. Don't do anything... stupid.”

That was. Interesting. High Stakes lead us through the camp so deftly I'd have thought he’d been there before, except the camp had only been there a week at most. Maybe he was just a good pathfinder. Not a bad trait to have. Upon closer inspection, I determined the multitude of tents were the exact same as the ones found in The Watcher's compound.

There was that connection again. There were always connections between the Watchers and Celestia's Vision. Which was strange to me, because Serenity was clearly taught enough about cybernetics to be obsessed with them, and Morowind was a cybernetics expert. Yet Celestia's Vision hated cybernetics as a rule, so how connected to the Watchers could they be?

“...wicked things, but you need not hear it from me! Look through these bars and see for yourself. Look at how they hate you, look at how they fear and despise you. Discord tried to make ponies, but he could not, and see the fruit of his work. So close to us, so close the majesty that Celestia designed and yet so flawed. So filled with anger and hatred. They pervert our great land and destroyed our beautiful kingdom, and yet we let them scavenge off our corpse! How can this be allowed?”

We heard the voice before we saw the crowd. It seemed all the ponies in the camp had swarmed the giant metal gate to Karkhoof in order to hear Righteous Song. She wasn't hard to miss, standing confidently on top of a soap box and spew hate convincingly. Behind her stood the gate and behind that, I could see a half dozen Zebra's watching on with thinly-concealed rage.

“So, we ask you again! Will you leave peacefully?” Song was a short white unicorn mare with a long blond mane and a rising sun for a cutie-mark. Despite her size, when she spoke, it was very hard not to listen. There was a sense of command about it that couldn't be ignored.

“Leave us alone!” one of the Zebra's shouted.

“When you leave, my stripped friend.” Song smirked. “You have three days, if you are not gone by then may Celestia save your soul.” She jumped off the soap box and started walking through the crowd. The masses of ponies screamed and surged around her, but nopony seemed to get close enough to touch. They wanted to praise Song but were careful not to touch her.

This was easy to see from my vantage point, being tall has it's advantages. I started moving towards Song... only for the crowd to push me back violently. Dammit. I tried again, but the ponies pushed me back again, as if I wasn't even there. How many ponies were even here? I had no idea Celestia's Vision attracted so many stupid ponies.

“Why not kick your way through?” Serenity asked, resting her forelegs on top of my head.

“Because.” I grunted trying to force my way through the crowd. “hard to make a deal. With a pony. After you kick their followers.”

Grah! I stepped back and watched the crowd. How could one pony have that many fans! It wasn't like she was the Bringer of Light, or Security, or anything. She wasn't a hero; she was just some random pony that liked to talk. But damn, her followers were determined not to let me get a word in edge wise.

“So. You are thinking of siding with Celestia's Vision, despite their ideas on cybernetics.” Shut the fuck up, High Stakes. At least when Flare talked he said things worth listening to. Or were at least entertaining. “This is an interesting choice.”

“Whatever.” I turned back to the camp, ignoring Song for the time. I had already agreed to find some way to break these ponies up, but I didn't have a sweet clue as to how. If only I could get an easy answer.

“You.” I looked up suddenly to see a pony staring at me. Wait.

“Dragonslayer?” Why was he here? The Caravan wasn't supposed to be here for a few hours at least. I could feel Serenity tense up at the name on my back. She was still mad about Backup. I couldn't blame her. She was so innocent. The only time I'd seen her not balk at death was when I killed the slavers that I almost sold her to.... That was a bad memory.

“Oh, you remember. Good. That will make this a tad easier.” He followed me.... But why? “What exactly is your business here?” I blinked at the purple unicorn. He looked different somehow. More confident, which was impressive considering how cocky he had been before. The wind blew his green mane into his eyes, but he didn't even blink. “You're here on House’s orders.”

“You-” High Stakes took a step forward. “How do you know that? This mission is a secret, so I kindly as-”

“Shut it, four eyes.” That was original. “Do you really think the Dise gangs don't spy on Mr. House? I recognized you the second I laid my eyes on you. Not that hard to remember, seeing as you're the only non-cyberpony House has on his payroll. When I saw Miss Hired Gun, I knew exactly what was going on.”

“You're a dummy; you don't know anything.” Way to go Serenity.

“Maybe, little miss. My points stands.” The Unicorn adjusted his hat sending a flare of pain through my shoulder.... Wait.

A light bulb went off in my head.

Dragonslayer had to have been following us to get here. But he hadn’t used magic or I would have sensed it. That meant he purposely left his magic off, so he must have known about my sensing skill. Whoever this pony was, he wasn't tell the telling whole truth. He knew about my power, so who was he working for?

“I need you to do a job for me,” Dragonslayer said crossing his legs casually. “I need you to start a war.” I looked around quickly to make sure we were alone. The crowd of ponies had moved on, and over at the gate the Zebras had left, too. Why was it so quiet all of a sudden? “Moreover, I need you to make sure it looks like the Zebras started it.”

“Who are you working for Mr-” I cut High Stakes off before he thought he actually got a say.

“Okay.” I said. “But. I want the payment up front.”

Dragonslayer laughed. “Deal. It doesn't matter who wins. Just make sure the Zebras start it.” With a flurry of magic, he took out a single pistol.

Not an ordinary pistol though. It had intricate silver etchings in the handle, and seemed to be polished to a shine. It looked .32 calibre, but it was not a make I recognized. I leaned in close to inspect it, and found it.... Strange. I wasn't sure how to explain, but it was different than any pony pistol.

“A zebra pistol. Enchanted to make slugs fly faster and hit harder. This along with 500 caps.” I licked my lips and nodded. It was a good weapon.

Deals were made, caps were exchanged, and Dragonslayer vanished into the distance. Or something. I never did ask who he worked for. I suppose it really didn't matter. A contract from one pony was as good as a contract from any other. When he was far enough away I helped Serenity off my back and ignored the protests of High Stakes.

“Serenity.” I went to one knee and looked her in the eyes. She was upset. At me for taking this job. At Dragonslayer. At everyone it seemed like. “Here.” I laid the pistol in front of her. In a second all of her sadness vanished and she stared in shock at me. I was a horrible parent and a horrible caretaker. If nothing else, this proved that. “You want to follow me. That's okay. But it's dangerous. You can have this. I....” Didn't want to give her a weapon. I didn't want to ruin her innocence. But she needed to protect herself. I realized this with the land sharks. “I don't want you fighting with me. It is for emergencies. If you have no other option.”

She nodded and lifted the weapon up slowly, marvelling at it.

It was not a good sight. She was innocent, and I was not. If she had to come with me, I wanted to make sure she could protect herself. The sight of her holding a gun though.... It was hard for me to take. She was going to become me, and she could be so much better. She needed to leave, to go back with the Watchers. And I knew how to convince her.

---

“I know you.”

I seemed to be getting more popular. Or more noticed. Maybe it had something to do with my my particular hair colouration. Or my strange cutie mark. Or, far more likely, that I was a huge hulking mare with a metal leg. We were a rare breed in the wasteland, so I am sure I made an impression on most ponies. Somehow I think becoming a lackey to Mr. House was not going to help my infamy issues.

The Zebra on the other side of the gate was a large kind. Not as large as I was, but it took a special pony to match me. “Who are you?” It was still midday at this point. I knew the caravan should be coming into the camp any moment and I was hurrying to make myself scarce before then.

“I.” The Zebra glared at me. “We met. At stable 123.” I don't think I remember seeing any Zebra's there. “Me and two ponies. You convinced us to leave when we tried to capture your daughter.” She's not my daughter.

“I'm not her daughter.” Wait, what? Serenity was suddenly lying on top of my head grinning at the zebra. “Not yet but soon will be. Right?” I....

Had to wonder if she knew how her words made me feel. If she was just using my insecurities to twist my gut until I gave in.... Nah. That couldn't be it.

“Not important. When we left the stable, my two companions died in a raider attack. I guess I have you to thank.” Not a problem. Always happy to help. “Doesn't matter. They were asses anyway. Called back to the clan... what exactly do you want?”

“Why. To help of course.” I gave him the most sincere smile I could muster. As it turned out, I was pretty good at mustering smiles. The Zebra didn't seem that convinced. “And because Mr. House of Dise sent me to aid you.” I nodded my head towards the massive form of Subtlety.

“Mr. House? Why would he care?” Thankfully, High Stakes came to my rescue with the best answer.

“Celestia's Vision has been plaguing his operations in Dise for months. Enemy of my enemy, so on and so forth. “ That was true to the extent it was a believable lie. However it would make no sense for House to send agents against a group that is currently leaving him alone.

Yeah, but on the other hoof he did send me here. To deal with the situation. Would he really send a recruit on a mission that potentially decided the fate of an entire village? Come to think of it, I barely knew anything about him. Most ponies seemed to to be forthcoming with information. All I knew was that he liked cybernetics, possibly was around before the war (maybe a super advanced cyborg), and didn't meddle much with politics.

The zebra looked contemplative. “I shall speak to the elder. Don't move.” The zebra stalked away giving me plenty of time to examine the zebras’ compound.

The wall was not as large as Dise’s, but it looked more. Sturdy. A maybe twelve-foot-high barrier made in the pre-war era. It was more designed to stop ponies from looking in than it was to stop them from breaking it. Hanging above the wall and splattered with spray paint was a sign that read, 'Karkhoof Vacations'. Peering inside the complex, I saw two rows of fake log cabins placed in a semi-circle around the gate. In the centre, directly in front of the gate, was a large three story building that could only have been the administrative building. Or something.

I couldn't see any zebras though. Besides the one that was guarding the gate (who apparently knew me), all the others seemed to be holed up in their houses waiting for the ponies to leave them alone.... Why exactly did ponies hate Zebras? I mean, I know there was a war a fifth of a millennium ago, but that hardly seemed relevant. Yes, ponies still hated zebras, and vice versa. Two hundred years was far too long to hold a grudge. So what if my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother got killed by a zebra? Ponies confused me.

“Why do they have stripes?” Serenity asked.

“Because they are zebras. Why else?” I wondered if it was impossible for High Stakes not to be haughty. It didn't help that from what I've seen he was actually skilled enough to warrant arrogance.

“But... I mean why do zebras have stripes? Wha’do they do?” Out of the corner of my eye I could see a flash of confusion on the pale green unicorn's face.

“They... you know, I am not rightly sure. I suppose they do the same thing as a ponies’ colour, which is to say little-to-nothing.” I chuckled a bit at the explanation. I didn't expect that to sate Serenity's curiosity, and she moved to ask more, but the guard came back. Serenity was smart enough to be quite during negotiations, at least most of the time.

The zebra returned with an elderly zebra mare. Is mare the correct term? Whatever, I'm going with mare. The Zebra that I apparently knew bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Zahini. Leave us.” The zebra backed away just far enough so he couldn't hear but still close enough to watch. “I am Ahgna. Who are you?”

“Hired Gun....”

“Serenity!”

“I am High Stakes. It is a pleasure.”

That about covered it. The zebra's deep grey eyes studied us closely, lingering and narrowing at my metal leg. “Why?” Not this question again. I'd enough of naval gazing for the moment, thank you very much. “These... ponies hate us. The NCA merely tolerates us. Why does this, House, care?” There was a sharpness to her tone that could only have come from many years of cynicism.

I coughed into my hoof and waited for High Stakes to answer. He didn't and instead stared blank faced at me. That ass. “Well....” I started. Then stopped. I had a speech planned. What was it. Fuck. Improvisation. “Well. You see. Celestia's Paradise. Doesn't like. You. Or.... uh. Cyborgs....” I hated that term. Cyborg. It made me feel like I wasn't a real equine 'cause I got shot with a space bullet once. “And I am. You see. And Mr. House likes cyborgs. So....” I paused to blink. There was more. What was I going to say....

“Do you always let your hired help speak for you, Mr. High Stakes?” I flushed and looked intently at the ground. If she wanted me to be the dumb muscle, I might as well oblige.

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “I wanted to see what she would say.”

“You are not doing a good job of convincing me,” Ahgna said plainly.

“The easiest answer is that Mr. House has reasons for wanting to give Celestia's Vision as much trouble as possible. They often harass his customers, and it would be just good business if they had as much trouble here as possible.” The elderly Zebra seemed to accept that, if tentatively.

“And the filly?”

“Hired Gun's technician.”

The zebra licked her cracked lips and nodded. Then nodded again. “Yes. Come in then. I warn you, if any of my zebra's die in 'freak' accidents, you'll go with.” So she obviously didn't believe our story. Or was wary enough of ponies’ treacherous ways to make sure we understood.

Ahgna nodded to Zahini who trotted over to the gate. Ever so slowly it slid open, just enough to let three of us in.

Karkhoof was eerily quiet. We walked down the main path with rows of cabins circling inward to the main building. When I looked over to one of the fake-log houses, I thought I saw a trio of striped faces. But as soon as they realized I was looking, they ducked away and curtains slammed shut. Turning my head the other direction I just caught sight of a door slamming in my face. Apparently, ponies weren't popular here. Considering the mob outside, I couldn't really blame them.

“If you really want to help, you can take a sniper position. Zahini show them.” The stallion (or male zebra. I really needed to learn these terms) nodded respectfully and followed along. “Do not talk to zebras.” Ahgna said. It wasn't a threat, but more of a warning. “They may warm up to you, may not. They might just kill you.” That was a nice thought I suppose.

We stopped in front of the double doors to the large three story log building. “Follow Zahini. I have things to attend to....” She paused for as second struggling with her words. “If you are sincere, thank you....” There was a sense of honestly in her dark grey eyes that made my insides squirm. I wasn't being sincere, not by far. It made me almost feel like I was betraying this pony... zebra I hardly knew.

I was. But not for the reasons she expected.

---

The entrance to the main room seemed fairly nice. The wooden interior (or at least fake wood, wasn’t so sure on the matter) seemed relatively clean, and on the floor was an intricately-designed rug. To my right upon entering, was a long bar-like desk that I had to assume was where ponies checked in. We were led down a small corridor that immediately ended in stairs. Not much else to comment on, except that on the walls were woven murals of scenes I didn’t recognize.

“And that means it is time for the news!” There was a few seconds pause because Mr. New Haygas laughed. “Just kidding. We have a brand new song from 'The Traveller'. Enjoy kiddos.” Zahini lead us slowly up through the building before bringing us to a cramped room on the third floor. The only noticeable feature was a window pointing outwards towards the camp of crazy ponies outside Karkhoof. From the third floor I was high enough to see over the wall, but not so high I was going to have a panic attack anytime soon.

“Watch for trouble,” the zebra said coldly. “Don't shoot first.” A song started playing over my pipbuck's radio. It was a new song alright, and featured the sun as it's primary source of inspiration.

“You hate me.” I wasn't sure if that was a statement, question, or something far stupider. But for whatever reason my remarkably slow brain decided that was the thing to say.

“Yes,” the zebra said simply, as the song continued. Yes, it was about the sun, but not about its light. The Traveller sung of how beautiful the sun was, and how deadly. “I hate ponies.”

“All ponies? What about those you were with at the stable?”

“They --” He paused for a second. “Yes. I hated them. When zebras receive their glyph mark, the elder lets them leave. Explore the pony world. I left longer than most, but like everyone else I returned to Karkhoof.”

“I....” Didn't bother asking why he hated us. The mob outside seemed like a fair enough reasons. Not that they were exactly representative of ponykind as a whole, but if all you've ever known is angry mobs, it's hard not to understand. Me? I didn't hate Zahini. He hasn't really done enough to deserve it yet. I disliked him, sure, but I disliked just about everypony I met. Everyone I met.

Without another word, Zahini turned and walked away. I stared at his flank as he left. No not his flank, I meant his cutie mark.... Glyph mark.... Thing. It was not like a pony’s. It was like a swirling black vortex with symbols and meaning. Or.... I wasn't sure. Sometimes I try too hard to make things meaningful. As he finally vanished from view, The Traveller sung about how the sun was back, and this was great and horrible. About how every silver lining is often accompanied with a horrible black cloud.

The Traveller was not the most optimistic pony.

“High Stakes.” I turned to the pale green pony. “Wait in the hall.” He blinked for a second but nodded his approval. A few seconds later there was only me and Serenity in the small cramped room.

My stomach twisted at the thought of what I was about to do.

But I had to do it. I had to show her that I wasn't a good mother. I wasn't who she should be looking up to. Maybe she wasn't as innocent as I liked to believe, but she was still naive.

“Serenity.” My tone was too harsh. I knew. But I had to keep a stern face. If I was to do this thing, I had to do it right. “Here.” I pulled over a stack of boxes and set them in front of the window. She tilted her head at me, but jumped up anyway. “Watch.”

I scanned the area. The court yard of Karkhoof was still deathly silent. A few zebras had left their houses, but they seemed to creep along quietly, trying not to be noticed. Out in the camp, I could see ponies surrounding campfires, and they seemed to smiling and laughing heartily. Off at the edge of the camp I could see Dragonslayer watching me. Or.... I wasn't really sure if he saw me, but he was looking in my direction. He wasn't with the camp, more like looking over it from a distance.

“I'm not a good pony.” Serenity moved to speak but I cut her off. “I'm not. Let me finish.” My eyes found what I was looking for. The caravan I was with before had finally arrived, and it's leader was sitting by a fire being served soup by an excited looking colt. “I do bad things.” The scope of Subtlety snapped over my eye.

“For example.” I zoomed in on the black mare. I never did learn her name. “I am going to kill a random pony. To start a war. She may be a good pony for all I know. But I am going to kill her. For money.”

“Don't do this, Mommy....” I didn't look at her. I knew what she was going to look like already. I.... I didn't want to do what I was about to do, but I had to. I had to show her who her mommy really was. “You don't....”

“I do have to. I took a job.” Take the job, kill the pony. I was just an assassin. One step up from a raider. Nanny Jane, Roy Mustang, this leader of the caravan. I killed them all. I killed them all, and they all never saw me coming. Maybe this made me evil, but whatever it made me, Serenity needed to see. Or else maybe she'd try to be like me, and I couldn't take that risk. Saving a pony’s life tends to colour their view of you, you know?

“I'm sorry, Serenity. I can't be the pony you want me to be.” She never wanted me to be her mother. She wanted her mother to be me. There's a difference in that, I think.

I bit the bridle.

“NO!” Serenity screamed. A sudden weight on the barrel of Subtlety sent it lurching to the side.

Subtlety fired.

A streak of red flew through the air and hit it's mark. The serving colt.

My heart stopped. Seconds turned to minutes. The bullet slammed through the colt's leg as he walked over to give soup to my intended target. He fell. The bowl spun through the air as a spark flashed. A second later, the colt was engulfed in flames.

Tears stung my eyes as I watched him writhe. He slammed into a tent, and soon that was on fire too. It was too far away, but I thought I could hear him scream. I yearned to hear him scream, but when I strained my ears all I could hear was the wind whispering to me.

I never wanted this... for either of us....

Serenity ran off. I don't know where, I couldn't tear my eyes away the burning colt. Long after he died, I watched. As the camp surrounded his smouldering body I watched. When the faint stench of cooked flesh filled my nostrils, I watched. Even as the camp surged around the boy, and the first ponies charged the gate into Karkhoof. Even as the war I started with a bullet began in earnest, as gunfire flared between Celestia's Vision's and the Zebras, I kept on watching.

Maybe if I stopped watching the burning colt, I would have seen it in time to dodge. I tore my eyes away just in time to see Dragonslayer fire. I heard his bullet zip through the air. There was a crack in the windowsill.

Then my world became pain. I hit the floor and gasped, my hooves grasping at my face. Dragonslayer shot me! Why? I was his client. Who was he working for? Why did he want to start a war? Why did he shoot me? None of these things matter compared to the pain surging through me. The pain twisted my stomach, and I puked.

Blood dripped into the vomit from the gory hole where there was once my right eye.

Footnote: Level Up!

Quest Perk: Hard Hearted: You know what you have to do, even when it's something you don't want to do. You've learned to push everything down, lock it away, and focus. Your focus is incredible... at the expense of your situational awareness. +20% to accuracy, but an extra 20% damage taken from sneak attacks.

Stat Milestone: Explosives 50

((A/N: First I need to give my thanks to kkat for creating this world I have lovingly defiled. Secondly, as always, I need to give my editors props for the hard work and effort they put into making my story not terrible. So if you see theBSDude, Julep, or ErrantIndy hanging around, make sure to buy them their drink of preference. Because I like long footnotes I also need to thank Fallout Equestria Resource and the owner Arcane Scroll for putting so much work into organizing the FO:E Fandom, as well as the Sidefic protodoc people for being so helpful and encouraging, except for Dina))