Chapter 1: Waking Up
“It’s the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. Everypony has to stay up or they’ll miss the Princess raise the sun.”
The first thing I noticed was that everything hurt. I opened my eyes, the world shakily coming into focus, to behold a smoldering crater dug deep in a wide area in front of me. I moved to get up on my hooves, dropping a strange metal tube from my mouth as I struggled under some strange weight. I looked back to see myself covered in twisted metal, spikes, and something wet and red. No wonder I couldn’t move.
I spent, what felt like, an hour struggling to free myself of that metal cage. Using all four legs to work the straps loose, I finally got the mess off of me with a sigh of relief, my body feeling as though it was humming from the sensations running through me. The metal I had discarded seemed of some importance but I couldn’t quite place why. Just to be safe, I stashed the tube and the countless metal plates between a couple of large boulders that were lying next to where I had awoken.
It wasn’t long before the aching began to go away and I felt ready to go. But go where? I instinctively looked down at my foreleg for an answer… Nothing but my charred coat and my black hoof. Oddly enough, I felt like that was wrong, but who was I to decide what was right and wrong. I finally settled with picking a random direction and moving. One distant gray mountain was as good as any other I supposed.
After walking for what seemed like forever, I stopped and looked toward the sky. What little light came through the clouds was beginning to fade away and I hadn’t even seen a single sign of life… This place sucked. Amidst my daze of suckiness I stumbled over something big, my face slamming into the ground with a loud thud. “Oooo… ow..” I looked back to see what had brought the wrath of gravity upon my pounding head. “Oh stars! A pony!” She was dressed in really heavy black cloth covering a blue layer that had a prominent 72 printed on it in yellow. I scrambled to my hooves and lifted her head up. “HEY! Hey, wake up, miss! Are you okay?” I gave her a little shake, her bright red mane falling from her face and covering her little horn. What a place to take a nap? “Oh horseshoes, I bet she’s hurt. That’s why she isn’t waking up,” I said, mostly to myself.
With the mare hefted over my back, I continued on with a renewed vigor. “Don’t worry, miss. I’m going to find you a doctor.” As I continued on I noticed one of her legs had a small object clasped over it. The thingy on her foreleg was clicking rather annoyingly and couldn’t help thinking of what I had done when I woke up. “Hey miss? Is this thing a map?” I tapped it with a hoof, not really expecting an answer. My tapping was quickly rewarded with a click and a black square glowing with little green lines and dots displaying what looked like a plot of land. “Oh it is!” I quickly swung my head about, spotting a hulking lump of twisted metal with yellow and brown boxes scattered about.
In a hurry I raced over to the scrap heap and set Miss down in a rather restful position, letting her hoof stick out so that I could see the small magic map she had. I must have fiddled with the dials for a good amount of time trying to figure out where we were but I kept getting pictures of a pony with ‘x’ eyes, sticking her tongue out, and several different screens with lists I didn’t understand. I slumped to the ground, pushing the device away. “Ugh… I wish you could wake up and show me how this thing works.” My stomach rumbled as I began to fiddle with it again, growling in defiance of my pursuits. That gave me an idea. “Oh! Maybe the smell of food will wake you up!” I glanced around at the dead grass and dust that seemed to stretch on endlessly. “Um…” My attention was suddenly drawn to the boxes scattered about us. “OH! I know. Here I’ll smash these open. Maybe they have food in them. Okay, Miss?” I smiled at my sleeping, possibly hurt, companion. No answer. Well, I had better get smashing. All the boxes, save for the yellow ones, cracked open really easily. They all had wrapped up little cakes with something sweet covering them. I liked those things a lot, and I think Miss did too… even though she didn’t really eat any. But she didn’t spit it out either.
I later figured out that those yellow boxes could be opened by flipping a tiny switch on it. They all contained little cloth rolls, glowing purple drinks and orange drinks. They weren’t the tastiest but my throat wasn’t so dry anymore. I even got Miss to drink some of the orange stuff by rubbing her neck. Her map thing stopped clicking after that. I supposed that thing told her how thirsty she was. At least I’d know for later. Some extra drinks stuffed into her bags ensured we would have some for later.
“Alright Miss… please wake up now. We need to get somewhere so you can see a doctor.” Getting no response, even after some prodding, I decided to go back to fiddling with the device. “Lets see here… pony… list... list… OH!” I turned the dial all the way and pressed the button closest to her hoof a couple times and was rewarded with the little map display again. “Okay, okay… this arrow is us right?” I glanced over to Miss… Nope, still asleep. I could almost imagine her agreeing though. I mean even when she was asleep, she knew how it worked right? “Right.” I scrolled the image a bit and noticed a little dotted line pointing to a square not too far from here. “Were you going here?” I asked with an excited smile, pointing to the tiny map thing. “Hey Miss, I think it’s a town… and towns have doctors! C’mon, let’s go.” I dropped her hoof and hefted her up onto my back again, making sure to keep her forehoof forward so I could glance at the map. All that stuff she was wearing really made her heavy.
It was really dark when we were finally able to see the little town off in the distance, and by then I was pretty worn out. “Haha… we did it, Miss.” I smiled up to her, her lovely redmane falling forward in praise of my efforts. “We found the town.” I set her down gently against the charred remains of a tree, feeling my own exhaustion taking hold. “Now we can get you a doctor and you can finally wake up.” I sat down hard, feeling the sting in my eyes that said I should be sleeping. “Tomorrow, we’ll walk in and make you feel all better. And we can have more little cakes and orange drinks… you know, the ones you like so much?” I laid my head down over my own crossed hooves. “It’s going to be nice...” With a yawn, I drifted almost immediately off to sleep.
- .... .- - + -- --- .-. -. .. -. --.
“Gooooooood morning my little ponies! This is your one and only DJ-Pon3 and I’m here for YOU! This just in from the settler town of Hoofprint: It seems like the raider problems have all been removed! Trade is once again open with the little town of Brahmin herders. And who do we have to thank for the awesome display of power that washed the area clean of those pesky raider ponies? That’s right, folks. None other than that mastering mare from stable 72, let’s all put our hooves together for the Lightbearer! Next time that badass mare walks into town, make sure to give her a hug, or better yet, some bullets! That’s it for now, fillies and gentlecolts. I leave you now with the sultry sounds of Sapphire Shores.” The enthusiastic stallion’s voice cut to another: a beautiful female voice singing like an angel over the little map thingy.
I rose to my hooves, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I glanced over at Miss. Not a peep. She must be sleeping really hard. My mind turned to the mission once more. I needed to get Miss to a doctor. I gave her a nudge, kind of hoping that she would wake up. “C’mon Miss, we’re going to the town. It’s just over there.” Still sleeping. I slung her over my back, making sure she was as comfortable as I could make her before trotting off towards the distant town.
It was a rather pleasant trip. The light made almost everything visible. I could see little ponies off in the distance moving out of the large gate in front of the town. They were moving along a dirt road, leading a few larger animals with a bunch of stuff on their backs. Miss did me a world of company, too. She was quiet but I could tell she also thought the trip was nice by the way her head gently rocked against my neck as we walked on. I think she liked me. I wasn’t about to play easy to get though so I marched on stoically and proudly towards the gate. I bet I looked like a real hero, well at least until the guard pony shut the gate on me.
“Hey, fuck off! I’ll shoot, you little shit!” He was wearing some of that cloth Miss was wearing and carrying a long metal tube with a smaller one attached to the top in his magical grasp. He pointed the tube at me with a mean look in his eyes.
“But I just need to get Miss to a doctor! I think she’s hurt…” I glanced back at her as the guard pony made a quick gagging sound, lurching forward slightly. The poor guy looked sick. “Maybe you should see a doctor too, you don’t look so good.”
The guard pony waved the gun angrily. “Shut up, you sick bastard!” He put his eye behind the smaller tube and looked down at me. “I said I’ll shoo-...-it! Shit shit shit! It’s the Lightbearer!!”
“What? Let her in!” shouted a female voice from out of sight.
The guard pony shouted back down to the voice. “No, no. The… the raider has her on his back like some kind of trophy.”
A moment later another pony, tan with yellow mane and a star hat, peeked over the edge. “Luna’s monthly moments! Open the gates. I want a full guard team down there. Nocty, you’re up!” She pushed the guardspony’s metal tube away. “Don’t make any sudden movements, freak! Set the stable mare down in front of the gates and step back.”
I tilted my head to one side, letting my ear flop along with it. “Why? Are you going to take her to the doctor? I told your friend I think she’s hurt.” I was answered with a sad, confused frown as she turned to walk back out of sight. Man, these ponies were weird, but who was I to decide what was normal and what wasn’t. I did as they asked, gently placing Miss in a comfy position before stepping back a bit and sitting on my rump. Only after I had done this did the gates roll off to the side to allow a, different, well built mare in fancy looking cloth stride forward, flanked by several guardsponies carrying more tubes. The well pressed material matched her night blue coat which seemed to shimmer even in the wan light.
She tossed her soft blue mane off to one side of her horn as she gave me a hard look. I gave her an honest smile, which made her pause and return a look of shocked confusion. “What are you doing here, stripe?” Her voice was hard and carried weight, causing me to stammer.
With a quick glance, I looked behind me to make sure she wasn’t talking to somepony behind me. I poked a hoof to my chest, my second ear flopping down as well. “Me?” Why was she calling me Stripe? That wasn’t my name… wait, was it? Now that I thought about it, I wasn’t totally sure what my name was. I knew Miss was named Miss. I named her Miss since she was too busy being asleep to answer. She simply gave me a flat look, studying me, as she nodded slowly. Oh right! Miss was still hurt. “I just want Miss to see a doctor. I think she’s hurt and she’s been sleeping a lot.”
The cloth clad mare took a hesitant step forward, levitating Miss into the air with an emerald green glow. “You’re…. clueless aren’t you?” She gave me the most sympathetic look I can recall to date; which is to say she gave me the only one I’ve ever seen. She turned towards the gate, keeping her eyes on me.
“Wait!” I took a step forward, rising to my hooves, and was promptly greeted by a loud bang and a plume of dust rising from the ground. “AAH!” I jumped what felt like ten feet into the air. “Wait, wait, stop!” I slumped down, covering my head with my hooves. “I need somewhere to sleep…” After a few moments without another bang going off, I peeked up to see the unicorn leaning down to inspect me. When did she get so close? “.. maybe some food?”
“Wow… you are clueless. Maybe we can help you and your… Miss was it?” She helped me up before turning to wave to the gate guard. “Hold your fire! I‘m bringing him in!”
The guard leaned forward, I couldn’t tell what kind of face he was making but he didn’t sound happy. “You’re crazy, Nocturne!” He waved the metal tube at me some more.
This seemed to irritate the mare he was calling Nocturne. “I said let him in! Shoot and I’ll let Star raid your bedroom!”
“What!? You can’t do that! She’ll leave those stupid notes in there and sneak in at night!” He complained, waving the metal tube madly in the air.
The mare with the star hat popped back up on the wall with a wide grin on her face. I was guessing she was Star. “Are you serious!?” she grinned maniacally at Nocturne before jumping up to grab the tube from the guard with futility. “C’mon Turnpenny. Shoot him! Here, I’ll help.”
“Oh, hell no!” He levitated the tube over his back and pushed her away with a free hoof. “Take a hint, feather brain.”
Nocturne turned back to me with a sympathetic smile. “Welcome to Hoofprint. Don’t expect to make many friends. Ze-... Ponies like you aren’t normally welcome.” And with that she lead me through the gate, keeping Miss hovering in front of her.
“Oh... okay.” I answered, making a mental note of it. “Not many friends, right.” I made sure to trot closely behind her so that the other ponies would know I was with her. While I tried my best to scan the foremost buildings behind the gate, my sight was immediately drawn to her dark, toned flank. It was captivating, just watching the tail sway back and forth made me feel oddly warm inside.
I would have enjoyed it a bit longer had she not turned on me with a smile, a blush, then hoof pressed gently against my muzzle. “Ahem. I’m glad you’re onboard but you might want to simmer down, stud.” Her eyes drifted down and then snapping back up to mine a couple times. In my confusion I looked below myself, seeing my fiddly bits… nothing new. When I returned her looks with a raised eyebrow she simply sighed and waved her hoof dismissively. “Regardless, wait here for a moment.” Sensing my concern for my companion, she added. “I’ll get ‘Miss’ to a doctor right away.”
With that she trotted over to a small group of rather grumpy looking ponies with fancy hats, Star included among them. While Nocturne had left me to my own devices, I noticed that a large portion of the town, about 20 ponies or so, had gathered in the streets to stare at me. Even from here I could sense a mixture of anger, confusion, and shock amongst the crowd. I didn’t understand why they were all looking at me like that though. I was just like any other pony… wasn’t I?
“FINE! But he’s YOUR responsibility!” A pony from the little circle that had formed around Nocturne shouted. She was wearing a tall hat with a big metal star on it, her tart pink coat was accented by a flowing yellow mane marked with random cuts that seemed to form a semblance of fashion. She turned and stomped off, two other ponies keeping pace at her side. With that, most of the crowd turned back to what I assumed were their regular duties.
Nocturne, calm as could be, practically strolled back towards me. I immediately noticed Miss was no longer with her. When did she take Miss to the doctor? Come to think of it, I don’t even recall seeing Miss after she met with the circle of ‘Fancy Hats’. Before I could ask, of course, she answered with, “Your ‘friend’ has been taken to the local physician. We’ll take good care of her.” This prompted an audible release of breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I sagged a little bit, smiling warmly, now that my primary concern was being taken care of. “Now, while we wait for her to, ahem, ‘wake up,’ I’ve arranged a place for you to stay and work. But first, we need to get you cleaned up.” She smiled in a manner that had me feeling more concerned for myself than I was for Miss not too long ago.
Of course by ‘cleaned up’ she meant dumping a bucket of cold water on me and taking a wire brush to my mane and coat. I sulked as two mares scrubbed me down like an animal. They might as well have thought I was one too by the way they talked. “SIT!”, “STOP FIDGETING!”, “HEAD DOWN”. They kept shouting commands at me and sneering at what I imagined to be those large black marks that raked my whole body in little lines that contrasted with my neat white coat. At least the dust, soot, and red stuff was removed.
Somewhere near the back of town sat Nocturne’s office, a surprisingly well built structure made from welded sheets of scrap metal. Most of the other buildings in town were also built with scrap metal but not quite as well as Nocturne’s. The ponies that had taken the time to scrub me down shoved me in, taking a quick moment to pull my mane back to make me presentable.
The night blue unicorn looked me over with some scrutiny before sighing and shaking her head in slight disappointment. I could understand why. Sitting alone in the room with her, I didn’t have much to hide the still clearly visible lines that simply wouldn’t get cleaned off. Her office was decorated with stacks of really old papers, glowing spheres, metal circles on ribbons, and images inside wooden frames from wall to wall. “This won’t do at all. When you get dirty, you really get dirty.” Her horn ignited into an emerald light that nearly blinded me before subsiding just as suddenly as it had flared up. “There, a white stallion without all the dirtiness.” She grinned, a knowing grin that had me feeling reassured that she was in complete control of the situation.
To my surprise the spell she had cast had removed the dirty, black lines from my body. I gawked back up at her in astonishment. “Wow! How did you do that?” I examined myself thoroughly. I was indeed a white stallion with a few spiraling lines that formed various stars and moons on my flank.
“Magic,” she said primly, recomposing herself behind her desk. The polished redwood desk was well decorated with the same sorts of things found elsewhere in her office, with a particular golden orb resting in a small open jewelry chest. “Now, I need to fill out some forms here, for record keeping of course.” She levitated out some papers from a drawer and stacked them on the desk. “Let me start by introducing myself.” She began, using a hoof to pull a single lock of hair from her eye, which otherwise would have been completely covered. “I am High Agent Nocturne Eclipse of Her Royal Majesty Princess Luna’s Eclipse Guard. You may call me Nocturne or Ma’am. And you are?” She motioned towards me briefly before setting her forehooves firmly on the desk.
I stuttered, Not exactly sure how to answer to an introduction like that. “I’m uh… My name.” Wait, what was it again. “Wait. I know this one.” I thumped my head a bit, earning some concerned looks from Nocturne. “Uhm… I think it starts with an ‘S’? Like Scotch or Shujaa. No that’s not right. ‘L’?”
Nocturne interrupted me with a waving hoof. “How about we just make a name for you until you remember? How does…” She leaned to the side to look at my flank before continuing. “Adstrum Sound? Adstrum Light.” She looked at me sounding rather pleased with the name. “I would have staid Star Light, but we already have one Star and I can barely handle ‘her’.”
I offered a light chuckled at that remark, remembering the star-hatted mare that had answered to that name earlier. “Yeah, that name sounds good. Adstrum.” I rolled the name on my tongue a bit to get a good taste before adding. “Okay I’m Adstrum Light. It’s nice to meet you High agen…” Just then My memory failed me. What had she called herself again? “mmmmMa’am.” She smiled sympathetically at me and nodded, bringing her papers back up.
“Right, as long as you’re here you’re going to have to work. The other ponies won’t tolerate you if you’re not working.” I nodded in understanding as Nocturne continued, absently rubbing my foreleg. It felt so clean now, not that it felt dirty before. “As it so happens, we have an opening in the rock farm since one of our tenders decided to experience a bit of Dash while scrounging for viable stones out near hellhound territory.” She momentarily relaxed her shoulders in a sorrowful sigh before snapping back to her composed demeanor. “I trust you won’t be making the same mistake?” She asked this with a tone that suggested she knew a bit more than she was saying.
She made me nervous, maintaining an overpowering gaze that left me silent and wanting to simply agree with everything she said. “I uh. I don’t even know what Dash is. But I promise I won’t touch it.” I crossed my hoof over my heart to show I was serious, before planting it in front of my eye. I wasn’t certain where the familiar motion came from but it seemed perfectly appropriate. Regardless of my use of strange motions, the action seemed to satisfy the unicorn as she sat back, slightly relaxed.
Nocturne took a quill from an ornate golden inkpot and scribbled over the stack of papers with a deftness I couldn’t begin to compete with. “Okay then, you will see me once a week so we can make sure you’re fitting in. Your immediate boss will be Pebble Pusher, he will tell you what to do and when to do it.” She plopped the stack of papers on her desk, levitating a single sheet over to me. “Here’s your work licence. Present it to him after he finishes laying his profane language at your hooves. He really isn’t a nice pony when you get to know him.” She stifled a snicker before continuing. “He’ll be the overweight pony lounging by the ‘pool’ next to the farm house”
I took the paper in my mouth, pulling myself back up off the floor. “MMkmm Mmmrmm mm Mmm.” I spat the paper into my hoof and continued. “Thank you. Can I go see Miss first? I’ll bet she misses me.”
She winced at that question but conceded with a nod. “I’ll take you to Doc Nice. She’s taking care of ‘Miss’” Standing with a tired grace, she made her way around her desk. “I suppose this trip is better taken sooner than later.”
I didn’t quite know what she meant by that but I felt as though I shouldn’t ask. the weight of the tone in which she spoke gnawed at the back of my mind as though telling me something was wrong. Even as we passed through the streets the grim looks of the ponies we passed, at least the ones that didn’t duck into hiding, caused me to suspect that not all was well. So as we walked up to the Infirmary, which looked like the only intact building in this secluded town, I couldn’t help but stare up at that big red cross hanging over the doors and worry. Maybe Miss was more hurt than I thought. Was it my fault?
The guilt tied up into a knot in my stomach, making me feel sick. I hesitated at the door but Nocturne ushered me in with a wave of her hoof, holding open what I imagined had once been glass doors. Inside I was greeted by the sterile stench of disinfectant. “Benzalkonium Chloride, soluble in ethanol, a mixture of alkylbenzyl dimethylamonium chlorides, used as an antiseptic, spermicide, sanitizer and disinfectants. Increased activity duration when in contact with bacteria, fungi, and viruses.” I prattled off in a flash of memory springing from some long forgotten lesson.
As the doors clapped shut I became aware of the baffled looks on Nocturne’s and the nurse at the front desk’s faces. “What?” Nocturne breathed.
I began to answer when the nurse, a charcoal coated earth pony with a bobbing pink mane and a white nurses hat, stood up and nodded with an intelligent smile. “That’s correct! You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get the materials for it.” She quickly trotted out and leaned up against me, the particularly enticing aroma of fresh flowers filling my nostrils. “Who knew intelligence could be found in such a hunk.” She practically purred. No wait, I’m pretty sure she literally purred. “Nocty, who’s this stud-muffin you brought me?” I don’t think I had ever blushed so hard in my life, I must have been inventing shades of red.
“Bab, that’s” She poked her head in the direction of the doors. “You know, from the gate?” While she was speaking I could feel a hoof sliding underneath my stomach, causing certain things to feel bigger and my head to feel a tad fuzzy, but as she completed her sentence the hoof stopped.
The Nurse, Bab as I understood, leapt back from me in a shock that left me concerned. “W-what? Him? But he, the, and you were.. Him?!?!” Nocturne answered the frantic question with a calm nod, clearly anticipating this reaction. “B-but… Where’s his…?” Bab motioned to my whole body as I sat in confusion. “You know!”
“I ‘cleaned’ him. Do you understand me Bab? I ‘cleaned’ this poor lost ‘pony’. He was ‘dirty’ and now he’s ‘clean’ of the ‘spots’ that covered his body.” Nocturne explained to the nurse, who had her hooves against her head, staring at me like she could levitate me with her thoughts. If she had been a unicorn I might have believed it. Nocturne straightened her strange cloth covering and spoke with much the same tone as she had back in her office. “Now, Miss Bab Touch. Please show us to Gadgette’s room. I believe your sister is still examining her.” Who was Gadgette? I wanted to see Miss. Maybe it was one of Nocturne’s friends. I decided to keep quiet until we met the doctor, certain I would get to see miss either way.
Nurse Bab slumped in a sigh before pulling herself back together and heading for a couple of swinging doors in the back. “You and your weird agent pony stuff. It’s creepy. You know that, don’t you Nocty?” Pushed the doors open and motioned us inside. “My sis is this way.” As we made our way into the poorly lit hallway I overheard Bab muttering to herself. “clean, more like brainwashed psycho-pupppet. pffffft” After we were through she trotted up front, making no effort whatsoever to hide her final comment on the subject. “Still cute though.” I couldn’t help but flush again, hoping nopony noticed.
I’m not too sure what I expected. Her body was neatly laid out on the operating table, her armor tossed carelessly in the corner of the room. It was Miss,or rather Gadgette. Doc Nice was a warm pink unicorn with a charcoal mane, bobbing in similar fashion with her sister, who wore her worries clearly behind her thin glasses. “Adstrum, is it?” She asked as she approached from behind the table that held Gadgette. Her voice carried with it the pain of having something you don’t quite want to say. Nocturne had let me go inside by myself, waiting outside with Bab, so I stood just in front of the door as I stared at the body of Gadgette. “This pony, she was your friend?”
I nodded, feeling dread at her use of words. “Yes she ‘is’ my friend. I carried her here. we bumped into each other and-” I began, trying to explain our circumstance as friends, before Doc Nice placed a gentle hoof over my lips. She looked into my eyes with a smile barring such sympathy that I could have cried right then, not knowing why she was looking at me like that.
“shhhh” She calmed me, allowing me to relax a little enough to drop my rear to the floor. “She meant a lot to you on your way back here didn’t she?” I opened my mouth to answer but she quickly placed her hoof over my lips again. “A nod will do.” I complied, allowing her to speak. “Well then, I have good news and bad news for you. Which would you like first?” She sat down in front of me, her voice pouring out like soft silk as she asked me these questions. Her sheer presence made you feel as though she cared. Something about her presence nagged at the back of my mind, As though trying to remember something long since forgotten.
I weighed my options for a moment, deciding I’d like to end my first meeting with this nice pony on a good note. “I um… The bad news.”
Doc Nice nodded, floating over the clipboard that had been attached to the end of the table that carried Gadgette. “You’re friend, ‘Miss’ or more commonly known as Gadgette Spring by her friends and family, died of radiation poisoning several days before your arrival here…” She said some other things about something called rad away but I wasn’t listening. My eyes locked in on Miss Gadgette, a stare I believe could have done a statue proud. I felt dumb and deaf as the realization began to knock on the forefront of my brain. All that time and work I had spent carrying her and caring for her had simply been an illusion. She had never actually been my friend, she had been a corpse. I suddenly felt more alone than I realized I could. I didn’t know I could feel so alone until just now, and it hurt like a spike thrust through the heart.
“Adstrum. Adstrum!” I refocused onto Doctor Nice as she called to me. My mouth had suddenly become dry and I didn’t want to speak. She reached out as I came to, wrapping her forelegs around me. “Now now. It’s alright. It’s alright, Doctor Nice is here for you.” I let my chin rest over her shoulder as water began to run from my eyes. I didn’t know what I was doing, but it felt better than this hurt driving into my chest. It gave me a feeling other than that loneliness and I just let it all out, my breathing becoming hard as my body forced my jaws to clench together.
What force could have let this happen? What world had I woken up to that allowed for something so terrible to happen and let somepony carry that weight when he just wanted to help. Why was this wasteland I had been thrust into so cruel!? “I’m so, so sorry” I sobbed out into her warm pink coat, drenching it in tears.
I stayed that way with the nice doctor for sometime, finally starting to calm down after she had started rubbing my back as she hugged me. “It’s okay Adstrum. The Wasteland makes fools of us all” she reassured me, as though reading my mind. A part of me wondered if that was a thing unicorns could do, but the rest of me just wanted to cry out the pain. She must have been feeling the same way because as she continued I could feel wet warmth of tears crawling down my back. “Gadgette knew that best of all.” Her voice telling of how Much she actually cared. I suppose it was my turn to comfort her.
I hadn’t realized Doc Nice had lost anything until just now. How many other ponies had cared for Gadgette? Would they all feel as hurt as we did just then? To be honest it kind of hurt my head thinking about it and I settled on focusing on the crying doctor. Together we sat for a while longer, contemplating a lost friend and a self fed lie.
.-.. .- - . .-.
Before leaving the infirmary Nocturne took her own time in the operating room alone. When she had come out she was carrying Gadgette’s little map thing that I had used to get here. She told me that she would have wanted me to have it and strapped it onto my fore-leg. The map was surprisingly comfortable but it caused me to see a bunch of shapes and lines wherever I looked. So I sat in the main lobby trying to not get dizzy.
“It’s called a pipbuck.” Nocturne explained, lifting the device attached to my leg as I sat on a cushiony couch in the lobby. “Invented by Stable tech to make for easy living.” She pressed through the buttons and turned the dials to show me a status screen, and inventory setting, and a data management screen. In the data management screen I could apparently flip between notes, radio, recordings, and the map. Most of which Nocturne had to explain to me what they were. She continued to be astounded by how much I didn’t know. “Yours has a security override protocol installed from stable 72. Thats why you can see all the funny lines and dots. Thats your E.F.S. or Eyes Forward Sparkle. You should see a bar representing your general health at the bottom left along with a compass. The little dots on your compass are other living creatures. The green dots are friendly creatures and the red ones are hostile. To your right you can see your weapons and ammo display. This will show how much ammo you have in a gun and in your pack, should you have either.”
I sat, slightly stupefied, and fiddled with the buttons and dials as i tried to take it all in. It was actually kind of simple to use now that she had shown me. I was starting to wonder why I had so much trouble with it before. “OOookay.. I think I got this… but uhm, Whats a gun?” I looked up to her, letting my ears flop down in minor confusion.
The usually composed unicorn slammed her own hoof into her face and groaned. “Are you serious? You were shot at, what, twice today and you don’t know what a gun is?” she straightened up and just gawked at me as she spoke. “It’s like, one of the first things anypony is taught in the wasteland! How could you have forgotten something so basic!?” She sat hard taking a few breathes accompanied by on hoof moving in and out with each breath.
“Oh! You mean those metal tube things!” I put the pieces together in my head, a gun was the same thing that pony on the wall had been using. I guessed that ammo was what allowed it to make those small plumes in the dirt like his had. Come to think about it… “I think I had one when I woke up the otherday. I stashed it between some rocks.”
Nocturne sighed again, standing up as she turned for the doors. “Well it’s probably best you just leave it there. There are plenty more around and going back would expose you to enough radiation to kill you, just like gadgette.” She said, placing a hoof on the door. “C’mon. We need to go see Pebble Pusher before he decides to turn in.” Her attitude was a sudden change but one I felt I shouldn’t question. I took to my hooves, shaking the one now clamped with a pip-buck to make it a tad more comfortable, and began to follow behind her.
Outside, a small crowd of curious ponies had formed to watch us leave. I could see a few curious fillies and colts duked underneath the older ponies’ legs to get a view of us. Before I could say a thing, Nocturne turned back inside calling for Nurse Bab. Having no experience with crowds, I just smiled and waved. With any luck they would all do the same or at least stop staring at me like I was some sort of mutated blob.
Suddenly my vision lit up with red dots all over the place. Now what was it that Nocturne said about red dots? It didn’t take me long to remember as one of those red dots launched themselves at me with a small ‘gun’ levitating to his side. The stone gray unicorn slammed me onto my back, glaring death into my eyes as he pressed the cool metal of the gun to my head. “I’m going to fucking kill you! Just like you killed her!” He shouted through bared teeth as I curled up under him, fighting an instinct I didn’t understand. “I loved her you piece of shit!” A couple of ponies in the crowd shouted encouragement as they stomped their hooves. These ponies seemed so nice earlier, what happened? I didn’t want to die. “And now I’m going to paint the ground with your brains, you goddess damned stripe!” A second small gun floated out of the heavily pocketed barding he wore, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, and then a sixth all clicking as they pointed to my face.
It was all over for me, I just knew it. This buck was going to get some sort of sick revenge on me and I was going to be dead. A reflexive part of my brain, which would soon be on the ground behind me, noted that even if I could push him off now his guns would still empty my skull of it’s precious contents. Just as I brought my hooves up to my face I saw a lighting quick blur of black and pink preceded by an yipping shout. “EIYAHYAHYAHYAHYAHYAAAAH!!” THUMP! The gun slinging unicorn was knocked to the side and a good four feet from where I lay, half curled in a ball. Nurse Bab had him pinned against the ground, with a hoof raised precariously above his horn. “Move and I snap it back off!”
“What the hell Bab! I was gunna kill that worthless piece of trash!” He protested. He seemed to take her threat seriously though, as he lay still as a stone. His plethora of guns, lost from his magical grip, clattered down around me.
Then, as I rolled back onto all fours, Nocturne’s voice boomed out from infirmary doorway. The effect of her voice almost hurt my ears. “STAND DOWN SAINT.” Everypony froze, save for Bab and myself. I could see a tinge of fear in their eyes when she spoke. Clearly she had a great deal of influence with these ponies. Her voice dropped down to normal as she continued. “We’ve all be hurt Saint, we’ve all done terrible things. But even you aren’t a murderer” She came to stand at my side, not letting the unicorn I took as ‘Saint’ get a word in edgewise. “The ‘pony’ you see before you is a product of Gadgette’s sacrifice.” Just then she received quite a few confused looks from the crowd, but at the same time most of the red dots on my compass turned blue again.
I could see Saint mouthing the word ‘what’. Nocturne continued stepping only slightly in front of me. “Gadgette believed in second chances and I believe we should honor her death by giving just one more pony a second chance, like she did for most of you!” With that the rest of the red dots,save for one, turned blue. The crowd actually began to break up as disgruntled ponies started to walk back to whatever it was they had been doing before all this mess.
Saint shoved Bab Touch off as he clambered back to his hooves. “What the fuck Notcurne!? You can’t be serious? You know just as well as I do that killing that, THING…” He shoved an accusing hoof in my direction. Wait what did I do? I just carried her here thinking she was still alive. Actually that thought just made me a bit sad again.”... Would have been Gadette’s idea of justice!”
“You know what!?” Nocturne stomped forward, standing a clear head over Saint. To be honest I didn’t realize how tall she was compared to other ponies until now. I suppose it was because we were about the same height. She bristled with irritation. “Yes. She would have killed him where he stood, She would have put a grenade in his mouth and pulled the pin, She would have walked away from his splattered corpse with that quirky grin of hers. But guess what Saint? You’re not her! He’s unarmed and we both know you won’t kill an unarmed pony! So like I said. You. Are not. A. Muderer!” Saint was practically shrinking under Nocturne’s anger. “Besides, it hurts me too to see him walking.” Nocturne turned away, glancing daringly towards me. “I’ve had my nights with her too you know. Bab, take Adstrum to Pusher. Saint and I need to talk.”
“Wait what?” Bab trotted forward as I began to protest. “What did I do? I didn’t actually hurt anypony. I’m sorry!” I shouted back as the surprisingly strong nurse pushed me down the road. My heart sank like a stone, they didn’t even look back at me when I apologized.
Bab pushed me out of earshot then bit on my ear, tugging me forward. “Alright hotshot. You reeeaaally don’t want to be making enemies right now. So just tag along and keep your head down.” She said after releasing my ear. I began to protest but she shut me up with a hoof to my mouth. “No no. when Nocty gives a command you follow it. got it?” I just nodded silently. “Alright” she sighed, looking visibly relieved at my compliance. “So tell me about yourself… Adsy?” She tasted that name and shook her head. “I’ll come up with something. Anyway, what’s your story?”
That was an odd question. I mean there really wasn’t much to tell. I only woke up the other day. “Well. First thing I can remember, I woke up on the edge of a large crater. I started walking, picked up Mi- Gadgette and found my way here. Not much to say really. But what’s that unicorn with all the guns’s problem?” I still felt bad even though I hadn’t been the one to hurt her.
“Woah, you don’t even remember your family? Your childhood?” She asked, decidedly ignoring my last question. “C’mon you can tell me. I wanna know what drove you to being a r-.. being here, stuck in this dingy town with us.” She bounced a little with anticipation. I guess she really wanted to know. But what was I going to tell her? As far as I knew I didn’t have one. Wait, what did I know?
I dropped my rump hard in the dust, trying to think about how much I actually knew about myself. “W-.” I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.
“Are you serious!?” Bab stop mid tracks as she turned to watch me sit. “You actually don’t know?” A whole new look of sympathy crossed her face as she sat across from me.
I actually couldn’t think of anything before waking up, but I suppose I came from somewhere right? “I… I don’t think I had one. I only remember the past couple of days.”
“Oh goddesses.” Bab held her hooves over her mouth, eyes wide as she took the sight of me in. “No wonder Nocturne is giving you such an easy pass. But, you do seem sweet like this. “ She pulled herself back off the ground and started back towards Nocturne’s office and the little rock farm. “Maybe Nocty is right about all this? Whatever made you what you were, it’s gone now.” She breathed quietly as she turned away. I didn’t have a problem hearing her though, she was louder than what she must have believed. “C’mon Adstrum, let’s get you to Pebble.”
I picked up my hooves and followed along after, what she had whispered weighing on my mind. Whatever I was? Had I been something else before now? “Bab?” I asked as I looked up to see her swaying tail and delicious flank. She clearly kept herself well groomed and well toned, her tail looked silky. Her charcoal-coat was much cleaner than the other ponies I had seen today and glistened like polished black metal. The way she swayed her hips was mesmerizing, back and forth and back and forth. I was feeling a tad light headed from the trance that movement had put me in.
“yeah sweetie?” Bab turned her head to answer me, her mane bobbing just out of her face. Wait, what was I thinking about? Something about flanks? No wait! Something being easy? Ugh, my brain has the stupid. “Uh…” She suddenly flushed, giving me an embarrassed smile. She pointed a hoof below me. “Wanna keep your soldier in line there Hotshot? I know I was feeling you up earlier but I think we’re trying to be professional right now.” She let out a restrained giggle as I looked down.
“Oh! oh wait.” I hopped after her on three hooves, using one to push down my fiddly bits. “I’m sorry. I was gonna ask something else I swear!” She just giggled at me and shook her head. How did this even happen? Weren’t we talking about something serious? Damn it all. It would probably be best if I just shut up and followed her. After all, it wasn’t too far of a walk to the farmhouse from here.
The house Pebble owned appeared to be a two-story hut with three more separate single room huts attached to the side, all made of mismatched sheets of scrap metal. The little farm was pressed against the back of the large scrapwall that surrounded all of hoofprint. Bab Stopped us in front of the metal sheet that made Pebble Pusher’s door. “Alright sweetie, I’m not going in there again, ever. From here you’re on your own. Good luck Hot sh-”
Bab was cut off by the sound of an opening panel and the bellowing laughter of somepony who clearly thought well of themselves. “Woah ho HO! Lookie who we have here. Come on in baby! I got your medicine right here if ya know what I mean. hahaha.” The head of a denim-blue pony with a caterpillar for a mustache popped out of the hatch. His notably blading mane looked greasy and unkempt.
“Fuck you Pebble!” Bab shouted up to him as she started to walk away.
The overweight pony flipped his hooves out of the open panel. “Oh! No wait baby! Come back!”
He ducked back into his home and started thundering about, I assume to get down stairs. “Hey Adstrum?” Bab stopped momentarily to ask me. ”Come into town to visit will you sweetie?” I gave her a smile and a nod. I’d visit her any day. She was one of the nicest ponies I’ve met so far. She returned my smile and I was rewarded with getting to see that amazing plot gently sway away back into town.
“Cmon baby I’ve got drinks an-” Pebble said as he plowed through his door, stopping mid sentence as he saw me. “Aw great now she’s gone.”
The first thing I noticed about Pebble Pusher was the smell, something familiar. Whatever was making the smell was heavy on his breath and all over his ratty wife-beater shirt. Then in a sudden spark of memory, a ensation I was recently familiarized with at the infirmiry, came to. This time I could feel the need to prattle off the information associated with the chemic- “Wild-Pegasus, An alcoholic beverage created from roughly 60% rye, 23% corn, 12% barley, and 5% sugar. Distilled for a minimum of 2 years with sugars being added during the bottling process so as to not sour the product. Practical uses include- hrmphmrmrmpmphmpr.” I slapped my hooves over my mouth before I could continue. Oh stars, what was wrong with me? The look Pebble was giving me had defeat written all over it. I suppose I’m not what he was hoping for and my little outburst had set that in stone.
Pebble Pusher sat back on his haunches and pressed his hooves to his hips. “Aw great, another one of you freaks? Thanks a lot Nocturne, you crazy brod.” What the hell? I wasn’t a freak… was I? Now that I thought about it, most of the ponies didn’t like me and almost all of them talked about me like I was a plague. Maybe they just didn’t like outsiders? Either way I couldn’t fight the sinking feeling in my chest at that statement. “Oh no no no. Don’t give me your sad looks. Eh! What’s your name, I said don’t look at me like that.” He was certainly an angry pony.
“I’m sorry” I glanced down so I wouldn’t be giving him ‘my sad looks’ or whatever. “My name’s Adstrum.”
He straightened up, his hooves never leaving his sides, looking much more pleased. “Yeah whateva. So what are yah good at? I bet it’s gettin chicks, if who walked you over has anything to do with it. hehehehe! If yah know what I mean. eh? eh?” He waggled his eyebrows at me with a goofy grin. What was with this pony? Wasn’t he just mad at me? Maybe it had something to do with ‘chicks’.
“uhmm.” was all I managed to put out. I wasn’t really sure what I was good at, aside from making ponies mad and being the hero for a dead mare. Well I did carry her and all her things an awful long way. “I can, carry stuff?” I itched my foreleg where my new pipbuck met my coat.
Pebble Glanced over at my flank, the second time somepony did that to me, and gave me a puzzled look. “Looks zebra to me. But if you say so.” What the hell is a zebra? “Anyways. I’ll make this short, I wanna go back to my por- ahem- portfolio… checking. ‘Cause I’m an important business pony and thats what I do, heheh.” He laughed nervously as he trotted me in front of the three attached huts. “Right, well you’ll be living next to these dunderheads while yah work for me.” I read along as he listed the names, having noticed their names spraypainted above each corresponding door. “Yah got Pry Lock on the left here, he’s smart, a real brainiac. On the right is Beet God. I’m not too sure what his problem is, but he’s damn good at finding beets. Ahaha. Finally we got your new home in the center here. Used to belong to Blaster Steak, a real dumbass. He thought he was their leader or something like that. used to pick on Beet god a lot. Good riddance, the guy was always on somthin’ and a pain in my ass.” As, what appeared to be an after thought, he peered past me a shouted out. “No offence!”
Before I could even open my mouth to ask why he shouted that, I heard a decrepit voice shout weakly back. “None taken.” What the hell was that. When I looked back all I could see was the main road of the town and two side roads that lead to some other part of the small town. There wasn’t even anypony outside.
“Yeah well anyway, get to it. I’m going back inside. Don’t bother me unless yah bring another mare along.” And with that he made his way over to the door of his much larger hut and locked himself in. The hut of the late Blaster Steak didn’t look like much, but I guess it was mine now.
Opening the door, I was greeted with the smell of- “Chariserol, Dash, a psilocybin used to enhance one’s charismatic” I smacked myself. “No. nope. Going to not do that now. No more of that.” Inside I could see a pile of used red inhalers piled in a corner along with a few needle packs that had been taped together. Chariserol, so thats what dash was. There was a rather impressive chemistry set laid out on three tables that took up an entire wall of the hut. No wonder this guy died he must have been on everything he could figure out how to make. Underneath of the table was a plethora of ingredients that would need to be either boiled, ground, or chemically treated before they would be of any use. How I knew that I’m wasn't quite sure.
I sat down on the musty mattress that made my new bed, taking a good look at the rest of the room. There were several small lockers next to the door and strange posters of a bright pink pony with a candy cane mane lining the walls. Actually I noticed a small statue of this pony placed snugly between a ring of vials next to the chemistry set, she looked much younger in the statuette. Each of the vials had an unlit candle stuffed into it. Creepy enough, it looked like a little shrine. The statue had the mare jumping for joy, with an inscription that didn’t even come close to matching the image. Awareness! It was under E!. You’d think somepony would just write down the mare’s name or at least something related to what the figurine was doing. ‘Come on and smile?’ ‘Be happy be healthy?’ I dunno, something to do with happy. I’ll be honest, it kind of irritated me for it to be so out of place with the imagery.
I turned to look at the dingy mattress and frowned, today’s events starting to weigh on me. I brushed off the stray chem needles, using the blanket as a makeshift broom, and plopped down on the bed. It smelled like mold and disinfectant had a lovechild and left it in an leg pit factory.
‘So this is my place now’ I thought looking into the ill-kempt room. Something about it seemed familiar and brought back what Bab had said earlier. Maybe I was some other pony. was I a bad pony? I must have been if everypony didn’t like me. But who exactly had I been?
Lost in my contemplations, I began to feel the pulls of sleep weigh down my eyes. Before I was taken completely my mind had one more thought to put on me; would i be a bad pony in my dreams?
-.. . . .--. + .. -. + ... .-.. . . .--.
I could see the stars, the moon and it’s loving light. Who could hate such beautiful creatures? “Pemandu!!!! Pemandu!” Shrieked a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around to see the gates to Hoofprint grind open in their usual manner as a pony sized pillar of fire weaved towards me carving what could only be described as death in the ground behind it. “Pemandu! Stay with me!” I steadied Miss on my back as I stepped backwards, Nocturne's flaming corpse collapsing at my hooves. But that wasn’t what worried me. I was worried about Bab in the town. That unicorn, Saint, had all his guns pointed towards her.
I couldn’t let him kill her, she was important. I didn’t know how but she was the most important thing right now. I galloped forward, feeling Miss on my back as a weight I had to carry with me, to save Bab from the increasingly hellish sight of Saint and his guns. Time seemed to slow down and space began to bend as the distance grew into an ever extending road, a goal I could never reach. Like fire, Saint’s guns lit up the, what had suddenly become, night in a roar of smoke and light. I had been too late but Bab still stood, watching me with those ever caring eyes. A terrifyingly familiar sensation burrowed through my chest like broken glass tangled in barbed wire.
Six rounds burned into my chest, shaped perfectly like a heart. “I’m sorry Miss.” I said to the unconscious mare on my back as a fell to my knees. “I can’t carry you anymore.” I died there feeling myself slip into the coldness that was my inevitable fate, alone.
.. -. - . .-. .-. ..- .--. - . -..
“Adstrum!” shouted a deep, thoughtful, voice from the other side of my hut’s walls. “Hey new guy, we have work to do.”
A much younger voice cut in, making his nasally tone obvious to my now aching ears. “Yeah c’mon! I’m makin mud pies, and we’s gunna eat ‘em up and have some tea.” He somehow managed to fit a slight lisp at the end of each word. Wait, mud pies? That sounded absolutely disgusting, yet oddly wishful. If you could use dirt and water to make actual food, you’d never go hungry as long as you could find water. My mind began to put together a few methods in which it would be safe, if not particularly sustaining, in which you could eat mud. The first idea was simple, all one would have to do is boil the mixture and put it through a strainer and a cloth to remove hazardous chunks and clumps of unusable soil. simply drinking the remainder would give your body all of the minerals in the soil and quench your thirst at the same time. the next was fairly complex and allowed one to actua- wait. Why was I even thinking about this? How did I even know this stuff would work. Eating dirt was disgusting no matter how you put it. “HEY MAN. If you’re not gunna come out here and eat your pie I’m gunna eat it myself.”
“I wouldn’t trust those pies man.” Chimed the deeper voice. “Beet has no idea what he’s doing. Sometimes I wonder if he’s even equine.” So that was it then, the younger voice belonged to Beet God. I imagined him as somewhat scrawny, possibly wearing a hat.
Regardless of my imaginings, they were right. I was supposed to start working today. Earn a living in this town. “Yeah, I’ll be right out.” Easier said than done. All of my muscles ached as I tried to pull myself from the stone like mattress. It felt like how I imagined Saint did after being bucked by Bab’s flying kick, except all over. Apparently the past two days had caught up with me. Now that I think about it, I had done quite a bit since waking up. Nothing particularly heroic, but a lot.
I made my way to the door, releasing a yawn that would do… wait, where was I going with this train of thought? Something about old habits came to mind. How could I have old habits if my memory only spanned two days? Ugh , nevermind don’t think about that now Adstrum.
A quick hoof over my cheek sent my odd thoughts to the stars before opening the door. The two ponies waiting for me were a relatively sturdy, if thin, unicorn stallion and a young earth pony colt. The stallion had his custard yellow mane braided in multiple strands that hung loosely against his relatively clean red coat, I immediately assumed this to be Pry Lock, and was fixing me with an uninterested glare. The colt, I assumed was Beet God, was a muddy red with a short black mane and held an empty pie tin in his hooves as he looked up to me. “What?! Fool, I told you I was gunna eat it.” Huh, no hat.
“Umm. Thanks?” Was all I had for him. No wait that wasn’t the correct answer. What do you even say to something like that? I’m not going to eat mud. Bleh!
Pry Lock pushed the colt to the side and derailed my thoughts as he cleared his throat. “Ahem. Any way. The rocks don’t actually need to be tumbled until tomorrow and we still need that salvage Blaster left behind.”
Pick up and deliver, easy enough. “Oh, so we’re just gunna go pick up his things and come back?”
“Oh hell nah! That shit’s in Hellhound territory now. No, you’re taking the little ones out to scavenge from the NSCDC building. And by taking them, I mean being their pack mule.”
The what? Okay I’m no storyteller but I’m sure NSCDC didn’t spell anything even remotely close to a word. “I’m sorry, but where are we going?”
“The North Sparkle Cola Distribution Center. It’s relatively safe, since all the raiders are dead and the Hellhounds have no interest in the place, mostly.” Pry gave Beet God a push forward. “ Take the baker with you.”
“Fine” I grumbled. My back was just a tad sore, that bed didn’t help any. “But why do I have to be the pack mule?”
Pry leaned to the side eyeing my side. Ugh what the hell is everyone so interested in back there? I gave a peek myself. Nothing but the symbol on my rump, a series of tribal lines forming a four pointed star with a spiral in the center. “Well, the boss says you can lift. But honestly I can’t make manes or tail of your cutie mark. Not that I care anyway. I’m gunna be too busy testing rock samples.”
“Hold on. My cutie what?” I was answered with a hoof to my rump and a witty comment about being strong and stupid. I’m pretty sure nothing would stop Beet God’s laughing short of wonderglue. I took the moment to glance at my new work mates’ cutiemarks. Pry lock’s was rather obvious, a small safe with the front being pried off. Beet God’s was… well, a beat. So, what did mine mean?
“Well with your stupidity aside,” Pry Lock’s voice cut through my thoughts as he pushed Beet God off his still cackling backside and towards me. “You two go meet Cherry and Sweets at the Clinic. I’m gunna go do… science I guess.” With that he turned on his hind hooves and levitated a small stone from the field, heading for his hut. Cherry and Sweets, hmm sounded delicious?
Beet God bumped his head into my chest, apparently he had stopped laughing, and tried to push me along with all his tiny little strength. It was actually kind of adorable to watch, if a tad pathetic. I towered over most ponies I’ve met so far, let alone this little colt. “C’mon stupid I wanna see Sandy Sweets.” I just bit down on his mane and swung him up onto my back, turning towards the town. “I want candy, bubblegum and taffy. Skip to the the sweet shop with my sweetheart Sandy. Got my bits saved up so I’m her sugar daddy. I’m her Bloom Crownin and she’s my Peppermint Dandy, I want candy!...” Oh stars, this was going to be a long trip. My ears wilted down at the sound of his terrible, rhythmic rhyming. I wasn’t sure why but I was sure I could out rhyme him any day.
-- ..- .. -.-. .- .-.. + -- .. -. ..- - . ... + .-.. .- - . .-.
Looking up to the big red plus sign on the infirmary, I couldn’t help but feel a little warmth fill my chest… no wait, thats not my chest. When we arrived we found that we had come unexpectedly early. The two fillies hadn’t arrived yet. So now it was a matter of waiting… and waiting… and waiting. Oh the great skies I can’t stand the waiting. how long had it been? According to the little clock that was on my pip-puck we were sitting on five minutes. Nope! too long. I cast my gaze toward the clinic’s doors. She had said to come visit her today, right? Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind seeing her again. She had been so nice before. I mean, Doc Nice was… nice, we cried together. Bab though, she made me feel good without all the crying. I figured it wouldn’t hurt.
I glanced at Beet, who had began scraping wet clumps of dirt together. I’d rather not know. “Hey Beet, I’m going to go-”
“yeah yeah, don’t bother me stupid. I’m on a roll.” He interrupted me with a wave of his tiny hoof, not glancing away from his project. What he was on a roll about was anypony’s guess. Well I suppose its not my place to judge.
Pushing through the rusty double doors, I could see Bab scribbling away with a pen in her mouth. Without looking up, she waved a hoof toward the sofa at the side. ”Wait right there, the doctor will be with you in a moment. She’s getting some equipment ready.”
“O-oh. Okay, I wasn’t here to see her though.” I oh so cleverly quipped, giving her the sweetest smile I could muster.
She perked her ears up, immediately followed by eyes, filled with mild surprise. “Adstrum! How’s it going hot shot?” Obviously flustered, she shifted in her seat to get a better look at me. “That’s right, I did tell you to stop by didn’t I?” She tossed her head from side to side before continuing, looking for something I guess. “I um… Damn… One sec. Kay hun?” With that she flung herslf off her chair, which wheeled to the other side of the room, cantering through the doors to the back. “HEY SIS!! HE’S HERE!”
I sat hard on the floor, watching the door. Behind it I could hear the voices of Bab and Nice talking argumentatively. Was it something I did? I didn’t even want to talk to Doc Nice. Maybe she didn’t hear me? Yeah that’s gotta be it. I’m being waaaay to quiet. As soon as she comes back out I’m gonna speak much louder for her. I’m gonna-
The doors opened.
“Bab, I just wanted to speak with you. I do not need a doctor!” I’m pretty sure my voice just echoed down the hall. On top of that I was fairly certain I had been much too loud that time, judging by the look of shock painted on both the sister’s faces.They looked like they had just seen a ghost, staring at me as though seeing some sort of monster rising from my skin. I had to check myself to make sure that wasn’t the case, nope no monsters. A sick stallion poked his head out of a doorway to see the commotion.
A couple seconds passed, the air feeling oddly still. “I uh, Thought she didn’t hear me.” I scuffed a hoof on the ground, feeling blood rush into my face. Wait… yup, definitely my face.
Bab was the first one to speak up. “Woah.” A visible shaking ran up her spine as she brushed her bobbing pink mane to one side.
Doc Nice just adjust her glasses, reasserting her composure. “Ah, yes. Nothing serious. For a moment I thought you were ra- angry with my sister.” Even through her composure I could see she had been shaken as well. I-I wasn’t that loud… was I? I hadn’t noticed. Bab bobbed her head up and down, still staring at me with wide eyes. I think I felt a little sick now. Before anything else could be said Nice motioned me forward. “I’m sure my sister heard you M-Adstrum. I have simply asked her to tell me if you stopped in. I need to have a quick chat with you.” She motioned me forward as she took towards the room Gadgette had been placed in.
I followed, briefly glancing to the mare I actually wanted to talk to as she gaped at me.
The first thing I noticed was Gadgette’s Body, it had been covered with a thin blue sheet. A pang of guilt and a pain lashed through my heart. It still hurt to think I had lost her, before even knowing who she was. Doc Nice’s horn flash, shutting the door tight behind us and snapping me out of my memory. “Adstrum, I know you don’t know much about her. But she meant a lot to us.” Doc nice hadn’t even turned to look back at me. She was staring at Gadgette’s things, now sorted, in the corner of the room. Her tone was a lot harder, serious and showing her experience in the wasteland. She must have been through a lot.
“yeah I-”
“NO.” She glanced back to me, clearly fighting a tear. “You don’t.” She looked to the assorted armor, saddle bags, and supplies. “She brought most of us together. This town formed on her good will towards other ponies. If it weren’t for her Bab and I would still be shoveling drugged bums out of our clinic in Van Hoover with barely enough caps to scrape by.” Even from behind I could see her smile from the nostalgia. “But she? She came along and saved us from ourselves. She told me something, something she told everypony. “ She lifted an oversized wrench, that looked to be modded with anything that could kill, from The saddle bags. “‘She’s a maintenance pony. Maintenance Ponies fix things.’ She fixed everything, from ponies to pre-war tech, taking the old and broken and making them new.”
She turned to me, levitating the armor and saddle bags behind her. She began fitting the items over me as she continued. “You may not know how, you may never know how, but she did the same for you. You’re a new pony, something she created in one last great effort to help fix everything. And as much as I believe she was wrong this time, she has never created something that didn’t work. So I’m putting my faith in the creation that she poured her life into.” She offered a little smile, fastening the side buckles to the armor.
The armor fit oddly well, as though it had been made for me specifically. There was no way this could have fit Gadgette’s tiny frame. The Barding was the same as her own, heavy black cloth with that bright blue underneath. The primary difference was a huge number 72 painted on either side of the black barding, accented by reinforced plating. Up the front of the barding I could see it had a label in bright yellow letters, ‘Maintenance Security’. Even though it fit snuggly it didn’t feel all that tough, still nice though. “I-I don’t know what to say.” This was a tad much, and I wasn’t sure I quite understood it all either. She created me? Was I her son, or some type of machine? It hurt my head to think about.
Of course, I didn’t get to think much else of it as she put her hoof to my mouth and frowned. “Don’t say anything, I don’t know if I could bare it right now.” She let the heavy wrench set up against the wall as she moved over to fiddle with Gadgette’s blankets. “Now, please leave. I have a funeral to prepare for.” Her tone snapped to a much more business like tone, not even daring to glance over my way. I could only assume it was Gadgette’s funeral, and from what Doc Nice just said, she deserved one.
From the way she was talking I knew she knew what I had done to make everypony mad at me from yesterday. I so wanted to ask her, maybe avoid something like that happening again. If I knew, maybe I could fix it or apologize appropriately. Then I looked at the pained expression on her face, she really was hurting. Was this my fault too? “I-... alright.” I said, not having the heart to push the issue.
Before I closed the door behind me Doc Nice chimed in with one last thing to say. “Oh and Adstrum? I wouldn’t show up if I were you.” Just then, as the door clicked shut, I think my heart sunk down to my hooves. I may not have known her while she was alive but she was still a pony I considered close to me! She lead me here after all, to Nocturne and Ba-
“Bab?” She was staring up at me with ridiculously wide eyes. Her lip was quivering and her ears drooped down under her mane, which had been pushed to the side. What was going on? I think my heart rose up a tiny bit just to float backward and then flop about everywhere. I must have waited a good fifteen seconds before actually asking. “Um… what?” Another fifteen seconds passed and I started to panic a bit. I don't know what she wants. "What!?, what do you want? Stop the starring please."
The earth pony just shot back up onto all fours and perked up into a devious grin. "Nothing-" she promptly spun on the spot to face the doors to the lobby, her soft tail swinging up into my fast. It smelled nice. "-I was just, checking something. You needed to talk to me?" She started off towards her desk, keeping that flank swinging in a timely rhythm.
At just that moment I caught sight of her 'cutiemark'. I can't believe I didn't notice it before, though I had been awfully distracted last time. Her cutie mark was a snaking whip with a pink lotus blooming from the handle at the top. I wondered how she got that. Perhaps it has something to do with-
“Eyes up here hotshot.” Bab interrupted, my train of thought completely lost. She turned to face me before plopping down onto the soft gray couch that served as waiting room seating.
“Oh, sorry.” I blushed, placing myself on the floor in front of her. “I-I did want to talk to you but… I don’t know right now.”
“Was it my sis?”
I simply nodded, a hoof over my heart. The unexpected rejection hurt, even with how new I was here. But I suppose, “Who am I to judge her?” I rubbed the reinforced cloth on my chest, ‘72’. “She did give me these things. So I guess I’m not mad, though I’m not sure what I did to make her mad.” I looked up and into her eyes. “D-do you think it has something to do with what I was before?” she perked up a little at that, I could see worry in her eyes. “I mean, what you said yesterday. You said whatever made me what I was was gone now.”
"You, heard that... I-I think yes." She shifted nervously, clearly not wanting to touch the subject. "I think nocturne was hoping you wouldn't ask that just yet." She gave me her best smile, under the circumstances, before continuing. "Tell you what sweetie, I'll talk to Nocty about it. Maybe she can talk to you about it or work something out so you can find out on your own terms."
"But these are my own terms! Why would my own life be a secret from me?" A let a hoof lightly stomp down, I was serious. " I think I have the right to know myself." To be honest, it was starting to get frustrating, having every pony know me except myself.
Bab stuttered, hesitating before putting her hooves on my shoulders. "A-and you do! But..." She glanced off to the side before reasserting herself and staring me eye-to-eye. "But if you find out everything all at once it might put you into shock."
My ears perked up. I didn't know what shock was but she made it sound bad. "Shock?"
"Yeah, and if you find out slowly it won't hurt so bad. Or uh, not at all if you decide to just become a new pony, here with Nocty, my sis. And I." Her smile seemed a little strained, but I didn't know anything about shock.
I decided to drop the subject, briefly rubbing my mane. With a sigh I submitted for now. " alright. Well, at least talk to Nocturne please. I don't care if it hurts, it's still a part of me and its hurting everypony else. I need to know so I can make up for it." Bab lost her smile as I finished those words.
She lifted my chin so I would look her in the eyes as she whispered, almost to herself. "My sister said you were Gadgette's last creation. I didn't see it until just now." Before I could ask what she meant, she leaped off the couch and trotted for her desk. "Adster, I'm gonna head over there right now." She lifted a set of saddlebags from behind her desk and began shuffling through some papers before finding a clipboard and a rolled up form. "Before I go." She trotted over and shoved the form in my mouth. "You left your work form in here yesterday. I doubt Pebble will pay you a single cap till you give it to him."
Oh stars! I was supposed to hoof that to him yesterday. I thumped my. "Thnf Bmbf" I said in gratitude of both her eagerness to help me and for returning my work form.
She took a canter out the door waving her hoof back to me. "Don't mention it Hun!"
Wow, maybe I could make some friends in this town. Though to be honest, she was already nice to begin with. Maybe if I just kept telling them I want to make up for whatever I did the other towns ponies would be nice too. If anything I had to try.
We were friends right? I was a tad fuzzy on the subject. Oh shoot I should have asked her! I dropped the work from into my- er, Gadgette's saddle bags and rushed for the door. As soon as I could feel the outside air I shouted for her in the hopes she would hear me. "Bab, wait!"
Too late she was long. Gone.
"ooooOOOoo" Came the voices of two little fillies in unison. One was a cherry red unicorn with a green oil rag cover her mane, which was tied up into a short cut ponytail at the back. The other was a peach colored earthpony with a puffy candy-blue mane. They grinned up at me with big fluttery eyes and kissy faces. "Adstrum and Bab Touch sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love then comes marriage then comes the foal in a baby carriage!" They sang to me in unison before bursting into giggles. Beet God was just making gagging motions behind them.
I couldn't help but blush, I didn't actually know what the little song was talking about, but I could still spell so I got the jist of it. "Alright you little boogers," I got a playful 'eeeeww' out of them both and a chuckle from Beet. I got the feeling I liked foals, they were cute and innocent. "Okay now who's who?"
The peach colored filly was the first to respond hopping up and down. "I'm Sandy Candy! Beet told us all about you while you we're in there smooching the nurse." She proceeded to make smooching sounds.
"And I'm," the cherry red filly kept forward, striking a pose that showed off her flank an cutie mark. "Bam! Cherry Bombs."
Candy groaned, rolling her eyes. "She got it the other day when she threw homemade cherry bombs at a radroach and won't stop talking about it."
Cherry stuck her tongue out at Candy and had the gesture returned. "Is that what it is?" I said point to the two pink circles with connected stems at the top on her flank.
She gave me a happy little nod before levitating a few out of her little saddle bags to show me. "See? I made them myself!" Sandy just groaned again.
"We'll I think it's cool. You can tell me all about it on our way to the scavenging place." I said, gently booping her nose to reveal a bright and happy smile, before starting on my way to the main gate. It was massive and easily visible from here.
Cherry bounced along beside me with the brightest grin you'd ever see while Beet God climbed back up onto my back, patting the spot next to him for sandy to join. "Really!? You wanna hear? Honest?" Cherry seemed happy, so I just smiled and nodded.
"We're gonna need a story along the way, and yours sounds exciting!" I encouraged the filly. We were approaching the gate and I could see three familiar ponies waiting for us. Nocturne, that buck that attacked me, and Star, who was waving us down.
As we came closer Nocturne stepped forward, standing as primly as ever. I suppose I admired that quality about her, she seemed to keep herself together rather well. She seemed respectable and in control at all times. Saint, on the other hoof, and glaring daggers at me as he scowled from Nocturne's side. Star was smiling, though clearly with strained nerves. "Adstrum, we came to see you and the little ones off on your first job." Nocturne stated, keeping Saint's grumbling tuned out. "Star will give you your quota and Saint will arm you." She motioned to Star and the hatted mare stepped forward.
Clearing her throat and adjusting her hat, the earth pony began read from a list she pulled from a satchel that hung at her side. "Ahem, now I want you fillies and colt to be careful when you're getting these things. Let uhmm... Adstrum here lift the heavy things." She sounded less than pleased trying to say my name. Well she shouldn't worry, I planned on keeping these kids safer than... Safer than something that was really safe. "Okay, the town is running low on scrap metal for repairs, spare electronics and wires. We have a request for the bottles that were kept there, empty or full. And should you find any medicine or sterilizing chemicals in sealed containers, the infirmary could always use more. As per the usual any caps you find are yours."
"Oh! I'm really good with wires! I'll get you the good ones!" Piped cherry, rearing to go.
Nocturne smiled, patting the filly's head. It had an odd calming effect that settled her down; I'd have to remember that. "I'm sure you will Cherry Bombs." She turned to me and pointed a hoof to my new pipbuck. "Did you pipbuck get all that Adstrum?"
Before I could answer, or even look at the thing, Saint barked out at us. "Gadgette's pipbuck!" If hatred was money, his glare would be gold.
I could see Nocturne consider answering him before looking to me. "I umm." I lifted 'Gadgette's' pipbuck and switched to the 'objectives' tab and to my surprise saw the whole list set out in glowing letters. My EFS even popped up an arrow on my compass that pointed toward where, I assumed, the objective was. "Yes, her pipbuck got everything."
Nocturne smiled, at my choice of words I assumed, and motioned to a slightly mollified Saint. "You shouldn't find anything more dangerous than a radroach, so no big guns." An audible whine came from my back, I couldn't tell if it was Sandy or Beet, as Saint produced a small sack. From the sack he levitated some of those small guns out and passed them to little ponies. Then with a sudden motion he he put his face right next to mine. "Nothing for you. I trust you don't have any problems with stomping on helpless insects now would you?"
"To keep these children safe, I'd stomp on insects with flamethrowers." I couldn't help myself, I had locked eyes with him and stood my ground on the subject. Nothing would harm these three. I heard Cherry ask if insects could really shoot fire but didn't really pay attention.
Saint poked his hoof into my my lightly armored chest."If a single hair on their manes are out of place when they get back ill shoot you myself. Understood?"
"Crystal." I didn't actually know what a crystal was, but it sounded right here. That seemed to satisfy him for now, but did nothing to quell his still obvious anger.
Before anypony else had a chance to talk I felt too little hooves up against my leg. "Can we go now? I wanna tell you my storyyy" whined Cherry.
"Yeah! And I wanna ignore her and kiss Beet God all the way there."stated Sandy. A resounding 'eww' came From Beet, accompanied by some minor shuffling.
Nocturne and Star actually let out a short giggle while Saint backed off, slinging his sack of guns over his back. With a wave to the guards pony from Star, the huge scrap gates groaned off to the side to allow our exit.
Both Nocturne and Star wished us a safe trip while Saint just glared in our direction. We were off into the wastes and on our way to the NSCDC.
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Footnote: Max level
Quest Perk Added: Lesson Zero - Somewhere along the way you've forgotten everything you've learned. All your stats have been reset, your perks lost, and you go back to level 1.
Footnote: level 1
Perk added: Strong back - your time in the wasteland has toughened you up. You can now carry that extra 50 points of weight.
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Author's note:
Thanks for reading and starting on this adventure with me. I don't have much to say, so ill keep it short. I hope this story will entertain as much as it will inspire those who read it, much as the original fallout equestria has for me. Stick around, this one is gunna take awhile.
Many thanks to kkat for the original work and to FIReNVY for taking the time to edit this mess.