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Introduction546 words
Chapter 1: The Emerald Brothers3,323 words
Chapter 2: Luck7,365 words
Chapter 3: Desert Rats7,613 words
Chapter 4: Stitches7,042 words
Chapter 5: Black Mountain Pass6,594 words
Chapter 6: Remnant of the Past 10,825 words
Chapter 7: Dust, Feathers and Amateur Gunmen8,751 words
Chapter 8: Redemption8,684 words
Chapter 9: City of Iron10,287 words
Tales of a Courier: Reloaded RELEASED!29 words

Chapter 8: Redemption

Chapter 8: Redemption

“It is his capacity for self-improvement and self-redemption which most distinguishes ponies from mere brutes.”

Waking up after suffering a collapsed lung is a bitch to do, especially when the other one is filled with blood. Apparently getting shot in the chest isn't very fun and takes a few hours and a lot of medical supplies to patch up, and ideally a lot of rest and time to recuperate. Ideally... I guess that's why it was morning by the time I regained consciousness.

I woke up to find an elderly gentlecolt talking with Stitches, who was now sporting bandages around his legs and head. I could hear Ace laughing somewhere nearby along with an unfamiliar giggling. Oh, that's right, we added griffin cub to the team. Good to hear she wasn't crying anymore. And of course the familiar snoring of a mustachioed ghoul. The gangs all here.

“Remind me never to get shot in the chest again.” I rasped as I tried to get up, pain shooting down my entire torso as I took a deep, shuddering breath. Oh, how I've missed you, pain.

“Noted,” Stitches said as he hobbled his way to my side. “You really do enjoy getting shot, don't you?”

“It seems to be a hobby of mine.” I managed to shuffle to so sit on the side of the old bed on which I had been lying and bleeding on. “What happened to you?”

“Shot caught my legs, hit the wall and brought a shelf down on my head knocking me out. Thankfully Doctor Deadhoof set my legs and fixed you up, all free of charge.” The elderly gentlecolt nodded and smiled through his light beard.

“Deadhoof?” Seemed an odd name for a doctor.

“Son of a raider, not something I’m proud about...” Deadhoof muttered. “Ran away at a young age and trained to be a doctor with the Followers of Fluttershy.” Stitches snorted at the name, “And your friend and I were just discussing that topic...”

“Do you have a problem with these 'Followers of Fluttershy'?” I asked. I think Fluttershy was one of those Ministry Mares. Probably some Ministry for Peace or Medicine or something.

“I don't have a problem with them or Fluttershy, they’re good ponies. It's their ideology I don't get,” Stitches sighed. “They go under the motto 'Peace by any means necessary' which means healing anypony, slavers, civilians, anypony. I still live by the motto used by the Ponave field medics of the war: 'Peace Through Victory'. Only heal those who deserve it, and soon the world will be rid of evil.”

“That's...noble...” I let out a nicker as I tried to stand up, promptly falling over again as pain shot through my chest. Stitches limped over to give me a shot of med-x and the pain began to dull.

I slowly got to my hooves and shuffled to Deadhoof to shake his hoof, which was far from dead, might I add. He wore an old suit over his weathered black hide and a small fedora over a gray-maned head.

“Not a problem. All for one and one for all, and all that.”

“So, uh...” I turned to Stitches. “Where the devil are we?”

“This is my home lad,” Deadhoof said. “I happened to be on my way here from Iron City and found your friends gathered around, trying to resuscitate you, I brought you here, patched you and your medic up. Put a big dent in your medical stores and unfortunately I'm out of healing supplies, I do have other drugs though.”

“You sell drugs? Don't they mess you up something bad?”

“Well yes, but some can be used for certain medical conditions, like Dash being used for depression, or Buck for muscle deterioration. Everything has a use in the medical community”,

“I'll leave that to Stitches, medicine is something I could never really wrap my head around. Meanwhile, I have other friends to check up on.” He nodded as I trotted, or tried to trot, out of the room while he and Stitches resumed their conversation.

I entered the main room and found my blood-stained riot armour, coat and hat sitting on a chair next to a snoring Snake Eyes. I donned my clothing over the new bullet scar and stepped gingerly outside to embrace the warmth of the morning sun. Revelling in the warmth I took a moment to check the Pipbuck’s compass to find that we weren't far from Happy Homes Village and less than a day's walk from Iron City.

I looked back up to see Ace and Tallie playing a game of catch with a small rubber ball. “Good morning!” I called out as Ace dove for the flying ball, effectively distracting her and making her crash into the dirt. I couldn't help but chuckle.

In a blur, she got back up and wrapped her hooves around me tightly. “I thought you were a goner!” She squealed.

“Ace...”

“I mean, you were shot in the chest!”

“Ace, buddy...” The pain in my chest was increasing.

“There was blood everywhere, I mean...”

“ACE! Get off!” She finally yet go. “Thank you,” I said as I held my chest, waiting for the pain to subside while Ace began to blush. Tallie sat behind her, smiling. “How are you doing, kiddo?”

“I'm fine, Mr. Clover,” She said, without a hint of sadness in her voice. Either Ace was a miracle worker or Tallie was damn good at hiding it. She came over and gave me a little hug before climbing on to my back.

“She wouldn't stop worrying about you,” Ace chuckled, “always checking in on you and stuff.”

“And you didn't?” Tallie said, her little head peering over my hat.

“Oh really now?” I asked raising my eyebrow at Tallie.

“What? You took a .308 armour piercing bullet for me,” she shrugged.

“Wait, what do you know about bullets?” I asked. Now I was completely dumbfounded. She was such a small griffin but knew about Bullet types?

“Mom and Dad were slavers,” she sighed, once again looking forlorn. Damn... “They did bad things to ponies. Dad even taught me how to shoot just in case the slaves escaped but never gave me a gun, he said I was terribad at shooting.” she reclined down my neck.

I looked to Ace who, as I expected, shrugged in response. I turned my attention back to Tallie, “and what did you think about all that?”

Tallie sighed again and rubbed her eyes. “I thought about running away sometimes, but my parents never taught me anything about the desert, they said it was to protect me but I think it was so I wouldn't be able to leave. They did keep me safe though.” She sighed once more, “can we not talk about them please? They were bad but they were still my parents...”

“No problem,” I said, “Ace, how are you?” I needed to change the subject before Tallie became sadder. For a young griffin, she certainly was more mature than I expected.

“Never better!” She shouted as she trotted on the spot, “I mean, we have five hundred caps in our pockets, I got to beat the stuffing out of that rifle pony and you survived! Today is just dandy!”

“Five hundred? Thought we had more than that.”

“I rounded down,” she shrugged. Good enough for me.

“So where is this rifle pony?”

“Well after Snake Eyes and Ace beat him senseless for trying to kill me,” Tallie said, “they broke his rifle, took his ammo, shades and then let him go.”

“I would have killed him...” I muttered.

“Clover!” Ace said, she was obviously shocked when I said that.

“What? I'm kidding!” I really wasn't. Did I seriously say I would have killed him? Ace was giving me one of her looks. It really was getting a bit redundant.

“Okie dokie lokie!” She said and smiled, brining the ball above her head and launching it at me, it would have hit me square in the snout if Tallie hadn’t leaped over my head and caught it. “Nice!” Ace cheered.

“Its all fun and games until someone gets hit in the face by a rubber ball,” Snake Eyes chuckled as he trotted from the house in his odd hat. “How are you feeling, amigo?”

“Better than I should be, that’s for sure,” I smiled, “what about you?”

“Haven't given a beating to somepony since I left the capital wastes.” He said as he stretched, showing off his rotted flesh and the patches of skin that still clung to it. It made us all shudder. He looked down, “I'm slowly rotting away, deal with it.” He levitated a cigarette out from behind his ear and lit it with his new lighter.

“Capital wastes?” I asked

“Yeah, you know, Canterlot, Fillydelphia, Manehatten, all those places around the old capital.”

“Smoking kills, you know,” Tallie squeaked from behind me, changing the topic. She had been following him with her eyes, peeking out from behind me whenever he moved about. I was sure he noticed but I doubt he minded. I could guess at the kind of horrors Tallie must have seen throughout her childhood but while this may have seasoned her far beyond her age, I could see how it made her suspicious and wary around strangers. A ghoul had been unnerving for me, I couldn't imagine what Tallie thought of him given she knew what ponies were capable of committing.

“Kid, I've been smoking for over two hundred years, if it was going to kill me it would have done it by now,” as he took a long draw, “besides, you're more likely to die from a bullet than a cigarette.” This was true, although I had survived a bullet to the head, one to the lung and a few to the leg, I was still standing. I considered this my biggest 'Fuck You!' to the odds system.
“Anyone opposed to having breakfast before we go?” Stitches asked as he waddled out. My stomach let out an earth shattering rumble and I grinned sheepishly.

---- ---- ----

“Ever hear about the two fish in the fish tank?” Stitches asked as we walked along the dusty road to Iron City, bellies full.

“Nope.” Snake Eyes responded.

“One said to the other, 'How do you drive this thing?!'” Stitches said, followed by a ripple of light laugher from the rest of us. Laughter that reminded me of the times before the Ponave.

Times where my only trouble was finding a job or keeping critters away from the food stores. Times where I had no care in the world. I remembered the small shack i had lived in with Dad and Shamrock since I was born. It brought a smile to my face remembering those times. Times of peace and happiness. Times before Double Down and his gang of tribal brutes.

I felt the Rage rising in me at the thought of the checkered-jacket wearing, greasy scumbag and his black leather-clad henchmen. I wanted to march straight into Neighgas and kick Double Down's ass all the way back to the Emerald Isles. However, for all his fancy ways he had acted like a professional and for all I knew he could have a small army at his disposal. This is why we were heading to Iron City, if anyone knew what I would be up against it would be Mr. Ponave.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts of destroying Double Down, that it took me a while to feel Ace incessantly poking me.

“What?” I asked, trying my best not to growl at Ace, my only real friend out here in the desert. Actually she was the only real friend I had at all. Maybe it seems harsh but I felt that Stitches and Snake Eyes were little more than traveling companions. Ones who had thrown their stake in with me through necessity. Like Tallie, sitting carefully on Ace’s back, who we would find a home for in Iron City. Ace just beamed at me.

“What’cha thinkin?” She chirped. “You look a bit down?”

“Revenge and what not...” I answered not bothering to lie.

“Hey,” she said and grabbing my head. She stared deep into my eyes, “we talked about this. Stop thinking and start laughing, or else.”

“Fine,” I sighed. I looked back down the road at the endless desert, except it wasn’t as empty as I had thought. Just off theroad was a large group of NCR troopers, all watching a large warehouse amongst the ruins of, what I thought may have been small offices.

“What's going on?” Ace asked, her face brightened up, “let's check it out!” With that she was off.

“Yeah, uh, let's not,” said Stitches stopping Ace in her tracks.

“Why not?” She asked, as she turned around.

“I get...uncomfortable around large groups of NCR. Just a nervous quirk of mine.”

“Pansy,” Ace snorted, “I don't know about you but I want to check it out,” as she galloped off.

I looked at Tallie, who had jumped ship the first time Ace galloped off, and my fellow travelers. I shrugged and trotted after her, followed by Tallie and Snake Eyes. Stitches watched us before huffing and slowly following.

When we finally caught up with the mad ball of speed that was Ace, we found her chatting with one of the troopers. We watched for a few moments before they noticed us and Ace waved us over.

“What's the big hubbub?” Snake Eyes asked. Tallie giggled at the use of 'hubbub' but still managed to shoot me a hostile glare until I reached down and placed her on my back.

“Well, it seems that some tribals have taken hostages in yonder warehouse and we are to find the commanding officer of this group to figure out whats up.” Ace informed us. The trooper she was chatting at pointed to a small grouping of motorized vehicles. A small tank and two of the same type of vehicles the mercs from yesterday drove, but a bit bigger and in good repair, to be specific. Amongst them were two large carts, must have been used to transport the soldiers.

We approached one of the carts as a pony in a blue beret, similar to Drop Shot's but instead of a bear skull sniper's insignia it had an angry bears head flanked by two alicorns, he spotted us and signaled two troopers to his side. Stitches froze and dropped to the back of the group.

“What are you doing here, civvies, this is a restricted zone.” he grumbled, obviously he had been awake for a while.

“We want to know why there's a large presence of troopers around an old abandoned warehouse that must have been picked clean years ago?” Ace said, confidently.

The officer put his hoof on his forehead and brought it down his snout with a sigh, “Fine, I am Lieutenant Bubbles and we have been deployed here to sort out a hostage situation.” Ace exploded into laughter at Bubbles' name and fell into a fit of giggles. I rolled my eyes.

“Well, we know that.” Snake Eyes said, as Ace was unable to continue. “How many hostages are we talking about here? How did you get your intel? Are you using a bug? How about a mole?”

The lieutenant stepped back before composing himself. “How exactly would a ghoul know anything about intel gathering?” he asked, somewhat condescendingly.

“I was a spy in the National Equine Intelligence Gathering Headquarters during the war, now cut to the chase.”

Bubbles gasped and stumbled back again. The troopers flanking him's jaws dropped. They must have thought he was bloody fabulous. Me? I couldn't care less. Bubbles composed himself once again before explaining. “We apparently have three hostages and we got this information from a fourth who had escaped. Quite a dapper fellow too, had a nice checkered coat.”

I grabbed the lieutenant, “Checkered suit?! Slicked back mane, two cards cutie mark?!” I shouted. Bubbles' eyes went huge and I realised Tallie was gripping my mane and shaking.

“Y-yes, now get off me!” He whimpered. The troopers pulled me off and Ace put her hoof on my shoulder.

“Just stay calm...” She whispered as she gently pulled Tallie from my back. Rage started to build inside me.

“Lieutenant, that pony is a murderer.” I growled.

Bubbles straightened his desert camouflaged fatigues, “Yeah? Well, who ever he is, he's long gone. We've been here for days and still no orders from HQ, I've barely had any sleep...”

“Why haven't you stepped in yet?” Ace asked.

“Because they said they would kill the hostages if any NCR even thought about approaching.”

“I'm not NCR.” I said. “Let me go talk to them.” If these hostages were the black leather bastards then I wanted to be there for their execution.

“We don't have any orders to go on, and I’m tired as hell... what am I thinking? No, I'm not putting a civilian in harms way.”

“Do you want to save those ponies? Improve relations inthe Ponave? Or are you just going to sit here and wait for the hostages to die?” I added a stomp for emphasis. Bubbles seem to consider this. He looked me over a few times.

“Fine, but if you don't come back, its your fault.” he said. I turned and started walking to the warehouse with my friends. Bubbles grabbed a megaphone.

“Hey, anyone there?” he called through. There was a moment of silence.

“What do you want?!” A voice called out over the large courtyard before the warehouse.

“We are sending in a third party negotiator.” Bubbles called back. Silence again.

“Send him over.” The voice called back. I turned to my friends.

“Stay here, I'll only be a minute.”

I started to walk towards the warehouse before I heard Snake Eyes whisper “Ace, better go with him, in case this goes south.” Ace nodded and trotted after me. I didn't care so I pretended not to notice. I could see the ponies inside slowly watching me down the sights of their guns. There must have been three in total. I stopped at the main door as it opened. I walked inside to find myself at the end of three barrels. Ace was no where to be found.

“Boys, please, I'm not here to cause...” Then it struck me like an anvil. The hostages weren't the black leather-clad tribals who attacked me, they were just regular ponies. It was the ponies in charge that were clad in black. I heard a laugh in my head punctuated by a flash of red.

I smiled and slowly took off my hat and sunglasses. “Hello, boys.” All the guns dropped to the floor. The pony in front of me fell back and shuffled away.

“You're...you're dead! How did....what?!” he stammered as he shuffled.

“Simple,” I said, as he finally hit the wall, “I really don't want to die, and I bet you don't either.” He nodded vigorously. “Well then, you're going to answer a few questions.”

I heard a pony pick up his gun behind me. I spun around and slid into SATS. Time stopped as I aimed for the gun. I pulled out my pistol and shot the gun out of the pony's jaw. He cowered back into a corner. “Anyone else feeling like a hero?” I asked. Everypony in the room shook their heads as Ace came in and started to untie the hostages.

“How did you manage to disarm all these ponies?” She asked as she untied the last one.

“These were the ponies that helped Double Down kill my brother and I.” Ace looked up at me.

“Clover, remember what we talked about. I trust you will make the right decision with these tribals, turn them in to the NCR, don't kill them, this doesn't have to end in bloodshed.” Her face was covered in worry.

“Don't worry about it.” I smiled.

“Listen man, this is just one big misunderstanding,” the tribal squeaked before me. I turned my attention to him.

“You and I are going to have a little chat. First of all, why is Double Down not here?”

“That rat bastard took these ponies as hostages, notified the NCR and split on us,” he whimpered. Some tough group this is turning out to be. “He even took most of our ammo, those guns only have one mag each!”

“Where is my rifle?”

“He took the rifles as trophies.”

“Where did he go?”

“Back to his casino on the strip, that’s all I know! Please, let us go!”

Ace left the warehouse with the hostages and closed the door behind her. “So.” I turned my attention to the ponies who had huddled together in fear of the courier they thought dead. I could feel Trailblaze's grin in the back of my head, slowly seeping into a pyschotic grin on my face. “Kill them all,” he whispered.

“You beat the shit out of my brother, took all of our stuff and didn't let the hostages go when the NCR arrived, and now you want me to let you go?” They all looked at each other before nodding.

“Yes please.”

“Well then, this might be your lucky day,” I smiled, “but I'm not letting you go free.”

“You're going to turn us in to the NCR? That's cool, just don't hurt us.”

“Funny thing about luck these days, with all the raiders and slavers out there, most consider luck surviving to a natural death. To others, luck is finding something of value, or something to help survive this terrible world we live in. I suppose to you, luck would be me letting you go?” They smiled and nodded. “To me, luck is surviving a bullet to the brain.”

I smiled at the tribals, “let's just see how lucky you really are today, shall we?” I shot the first pony in the head, blood splattering over the concrete behind him as he slid down the wall, the other two didn't move, they shook while staring at their fallen comrade. “Damn, looks like his luck ran out, who's next?”

Both of the ponies scrambled to their hooves and started to run for the stairs. I felt the same rush pulsing through me that I felt when I had taken out those raiders...but I was still in control, at least I thought I was. I took my time picking up my hat and sunglasses. Not conscious of the smile trickling across my face.

“What? You worked for a casino owner and you don't want to gamble?” I laughed as I trotted after them. I could see the corners of my vision go a light pink. They split up on the walkway, one kept running, the other galloped into the offices. I followed him into the offices. He stopped at the dead end and turned around, freezing as he saw me standing by the only exit. It was the tribal with the squeaky voice.

“You. You're the one who looted my brother's corpse right after he was shot. Do you really think I'm going to let that fly?” my voice was laced with Trailblaze's. I had to stop this now, but I couldn't.

I lost control.

I smacked my forehoof into the squeaky fuck's face. Even though I couldn't control myself...I wasn't sure I wanted control. Trailblaze brought his hoof down on Squeaky's neck with a squishy snap. His neck looked like a puddle of pony meat. The life from his eyes ebbed away as Trailblaze stood over the twitching corpse of Squeaky, grinning unnaturally.

“Clover!” A voice shouted from downstairs. It was Ace. Trailblaze turned and grinned.

“I guess the clock is ticking. Oh, I do love time trials.” He chuckled as we galloped out of the room and down the catwalk to another set of stairs. The last pony stood at the bottom of the stairwell as we thundered down the catwalk towards him, crunching through some charred remains of a pony as he sprinted up the stairs, into the sunlight.

He stood at the edge of the roof looking down at the dirt below. He turned to find Trailblaze and I staring back at him, face full of grin. The tribal got down on his haunches and pleaded for me to have mercy. It Deep Voice, the pony who had claimed they were getting a handsome payment.

“Mercy? Mercy has nothing to do with it,” Trailblaze hissed through his grin, “I'm just here to test your luck. Let's see what happens when you deal with the devil.” We pulled out my pistol and held it against the his head.

“Clover! Stop this!” My heart sank. Ace had made her way up to the roof and Trailblaze's grin disappeared. We didn't turn. “This isn't you. Please, stop what you're doing.” The air was still, the sound of my coat flapping in the wind and the whimpering of the tribal were the only noises as Ace started slowly making her way over.

“Just drop the gun,” she whispered. The gun fell from my jaw and hit the ground. I felt thankful that Trailblaze was starting to listen. But...why was he grinning again?

Ace came up behind us, took the gun in her magic and put her hoof on my shoulder. I felt calm and somewhat thankful she couldn't see the twisted grin on my face. Go away, Trailblaze I thought.

“No.”

As I hear his denial I heard us move, fluidly we grabbed on to the tribal and with a triumphant snarl we sent him flying backwards as a feeling of elation mixed in with the Rage. We listened to him scream as he fell, that almost hysterical euphoria pushing the Rage back until it was gone, punctuated by the wet thump of the tribal as he hit the dirt below.

Trailblaze's grin finally dissipated and I regained control, feeling the ache in my jaw as Ace spun me around to slap me hard across the face, sending my sunglasses flying as she looked at me with tears running down her face.

“What is happening to you?!” She screamed, “this isn’t you. You promised me that you wouldn't let it consume you! You promised me!” She shoved my gun into my chest, I could feel her trembling as she pushed away, “I...I can't even look at you...” she turned and started walking to the stairs.

“Ace, I-”

“Don't. You didn't keep your promise. You've failed me, you lied, you failed yourself...us.” That last word barely a whisper. I saw her disappear and then start down the stairs. I sat down hard and held my head in my hooves as I caught sight of my reflection in the sunglasses that lay beside me.

“I'm becoming a monster...” I whispered as a solitary tear fell down my cheek. Trailblaze killed those tribals, but wouldn't I have done the same thing, wasn’t I glad? Was I really going to spill the blood of those who fell in with the wrong crowd? I was prepared to go against Ace and my promise to her just for petty revenge. Was I really the wasteland cleansing pony I thought I was? Or was I just becoming the thing I swore to sweep away? I hung my head in shame. I had betrayed my closest friend and let Trailblaze take over. I couldn’t stop my mind as it let the memory of Shamrock’s image merge with my shame.

“I am a monster.”

---- ---- ----

I don't know how long I spent in a stupor of self loathing on the roof but I finally found the strength to pick myself up and go to the stairs. I allowed myself to look over the edge and indulged a thought of following the tribal, but honestly, I wanted to go down fighting. Maybe I could just walk in to a bullet?

I got to the bottom of the stairs and took a look around. seeing the charred remains of the pony I had stomped through. The window and the ceiling it had been standing at were blackened and a slender tube lay next to the remains, as black as the bones that lay next to it. I tried to pick it up but it crumbed at my touch. I put my hooves on the railing next to the burned pony and set my head on them.

“I bet you never had to deal with losing a friend to a psychopathic monster...” I looked at the black skull, “...or being that monster,” I added. I sighed and looked down at the warehouse floor and saw the tribal pony I had shot in the head lying motionless below me. I couldn't look at him.

Something caught my eye, something metallic, between the boxes. Something I had seen before, something recent. I trotted down the stairs carefully avoided the corpse. I found and picked it up suddenly realising as I saw the engraving, Sparky, where I had seen it before. It was the hat-camera Coalition engineer I had seen in Black Sword's video. The casing was dented and scratched like it had fallen from... I looked up at the blackened bones, Sparky’s bonesand then downloaded the video file to my Pipbuck. I planned on watching it but I looked out the open doors to see the NCR troopers hustling and bustling. I walked out into the warm sun to the barricade they were bringing down.

I came to a stop just beside what was left of the barricade. Some of the NCR troopers smiled at me but I wasn't paying attention to them. I was looking for somepony in particular, and I spotted her, sitting alone out by the road. I couldn't see her face but I was sure she was upset. I started walking to her before Bubbles dragged me over to the side.

“My boy, you have done the NCR a fine service by exterminating those troublesome tribals. Just in time too, orders finally came through that we were to kill them anyway.”

“Was it worth it?” I asked.

“Pffft, I couldn't care less. Now I can finally get a good nights sleep instead of waiting for orders that never arrive.” We stopped beside Snake Eyes. As I noticed Stitches a short distance away, checking on Tallie’s wing. Bubbles looked at Stitches, “I can't help but shake the feeling that I know him...”

“Bubbles, I really don't care,” I muttered. He gave me an odd look.

“Fine then, here's a few caps for doing our dirty work.” He placed a bag of caps into my hooves with 300 BC was scribbled on the side.

I watched as Bubbles and the remaining ponies jumped into the large wagons and started to roll out, followed by the tank and other vehicles. Seriously, why did they need a tank?

Snake Eyes walked up beside me and joined me in watching the convoy. “Ace is pretty upset with you.” he said. My heart sank even lower. I'm surprised I hadn’t farted it out yet. “What did you do?”

“I let my anger and need for revenge take control of me. I killed those tribals.” That really twisted the knife I felt digging into my stomach. Everything felt heavy, my head, my saddle bag, the rifle on my back, everything.

“Yeah, I saw what you did to that last one. That was...” He saw me cringe and lower my head. Thankfully he shut up. I looked over to Ace, sitting alone. “Go.” he said, nodding at her.

I slowly made my way to her and sat down beside her. She didn't look at me. “...I'm sorry...”

“That isn't enough, Clover.” she said, tears starting to crawl down her face. She looked away. “How do I know that you mean it? How can I trust you if you won't listen to me? I told you to turn them in, not to kill them but what do you do? You slaughtered them! What can you possibly say to me?” She was crying.

I think now is as good a time as ever to explain Trailblaze, “Ace, listen, I-”

“Clover! We've got company!” Snake Eyes called out and pointed down the road. A large band of raiders were approaching.

“Now?! You've got to be fucking kidding me!” I shouted. I got up and activated my sniper. Ace wiped her eyes and picked up her shotgun. I looked back at her, she gave me a dark stare. A stare that said 'control yourself'.

I aimed down the sight at the approaching raiders. The stallion at the front was huge and had a large scar across his face and a battle-saddle with the largest rifle I had ever seen on one side and...a fucking minigun on the other. “Wraith Scar.” I growled. “Everyone, get into the warehouse!”.

---- ---- ----

I crouched down in front of the window where I stepped through Sparky’s remains and peered down the scope. The raiders were starting to fan out, Wraith Scar and two mares with strange rifles stood in the courtyard. They were after Tallie, that I knew for sure. We had no choice other than hiding her and hoping for the best.

“Where is she?!” Wraith called out. Why do these long fights always have to start with fucking conversation? I could have killed him then and there.

“Who?” I called back.

“The griffin!”

“What’s a griffin?”

“Don’t play smart with me, colt.”

“She's pretty valuable to someone out there.”

“Yeah. Sure.” I chose my shot and squeezed it off putting a hole through they eye of one of his bodymares. “Lets try that again.”

“You are so dead, DEAD.” Wraith screamed. “Get him!” I heard a whirr moments before he opened up with the minigun. The wall around the window was hammered with bullets as I ducked out of the way. It slowly started crumbling under the incessant drumming of large caliber bullets but I kept moving, taking a peek whenever i could chance it. The raiders started to close in on the warehouse, some charging with a mad look in their eyes but my comrades were making short work of them as they closed the gap to the enterance. Of course now the raiders with guns were starting to shoot. That complicated matters.

“Why can't we all just get along?!” Stitches shouted as he reloaded his SMG, narrowly dodging a hatchet that a unicorn had thrown.

“Simple.” I shouted back, “They're jealous of your good looks.” I laughed and slipped into SATS before I broke cover and took another shot, this one embedding itself deep into a raider’s head forcing him to back-flip into another, stabbing him with his machete. “Double kill!”

I noticed that the minigun had stopped shooting and I couldn't see Wraith Scar. I scanned the area around the warehouse but all I saw were raiders shooting from cover. Then I remembered his anti-machine rifle and sure enough, he was perched in one of the offices aiming down the scope. I traced his laser sight and saw him aiming at a big red barrel. He shot and was rewarded with a slow trickle of oil oozing out of the hol and down the side.

“Doesn't work like that, stupid,” I muttered as I aimed for his head. I could see the look on his face, it was a look of anger and disappointment and I couldn't help but chuckle as I adjusted the scope and zeroed in on him. I was about to take the shot when a blue beam shot past my face, making my shot go wide and hit Wraith's rifle.I looked to where the beam had come from and saw the raider mare aiming at me with her odd magical rifle. I ducked just in time to see the beam pass through the air my head was in just a moment before.

“That's a 2206 Matter Charger,” Stitches called up to me, “best take her out quick.”

“How do-” A beam shot out above me again. “Man, I just can't finish a sentence today!” I ran down the stairs to join my comrades in the fight.

“They're getting gutsy!” Ace said as three raiders came running at her. She finished the first two off but her face went blank as she was hit by a sudden realization; she needed to reload and the last raider was still running at her. I went for my pistol and noticed the hatchet that Stitches had dodged.

“Ace!” I called out and threw the small axe to her, which she grabbed with her magic and embedded in the raiders head, stopping him in his tracks in front of her, before turning into blue ash. He had gotten between Ace and an energy beam, and I bet it wasn't the last beam either.

I charged at Ace as the raider raised the 2206, fumbling with her reloud as her lack of competenct gave me time. Time to reach Ace as I tackled her to the ground the moment the bodymare fired her shot. She missed Ace but the beam singed through the end of my tail. I held my tail to my face to see the tip burned off. Its amazing how many nerve ends are in the tip of a tail.

“Owie.”

Right, raider mare was now priority one. No one burns me and gets away with it. “Stitches! Cover me!” I called out as I ran out of the warehouse and darted from cover to cover.Stitches covered me before moving forward to cover. We kept moving, narrowly avoiding the beams from the mare before we finally reached her. I leaped out of cover and tackled her as she tried to reload. She managed to knock me off by kicking me in the chest. She was far more capable at hoof-to-hoof combat than she was with a rifle.

I got back up and pulled out Silent Reaper as she smiled and pulled out an old sword from her sheath that I hadn’t noticed she had. She lunged, I managed to roll out of the way, she lunged again, narrowly missing my head. She reared up and was about to bring the sword down on my again before evaporating into a cloud of blue ash. The sword landed between my hind legs, narrowly missing my... stallionhood... I looked over at Stitches who held the magic rifle, expertly replacing the ammo pack.

“How did you...” I started as he flicked off a few more shots. Three raiders disintegrated.

“Four in a row. A personal record,” he chuckled while helping me up. The fighting was still going on in the courtyard of the warehouse and I could hear the sounds of combat as my friends took fire from the remaining raiders. They seemed to be coming out of the woodwork. They were getting closer and closer to my friends. I could see Wraith Scar watching the fight from on top of the office building, smiling.

“Get back to the warehouse, he's mine.” I galloped off to the office building and started to climb the stairs. The Anti-machine rifle was crumpled in a heap by the window. I couldn't help but look it over. It must have been a masterpiece before I broke it, I smiled as I saw that some of it was salvageable. “Waste not, want not.” I whispered as I removed the ammo pack and laser sight before proceeding up the stairs.

I emerged behind Wraith Scar. He was about half a pony taller than me and seemed the same size as Dusty. He turned slowly.

“You gonna hand over the griffin?”

“In order to get to the griffin,” I pulled out my pistol, “you have to get through me.” I raised the gun. Wraith Scar spun up his minigun.

“Are you fucking nuts?” he asked instead of shooting, “You do realise that I have a minigun, right?”

“Yup.” I said before slipping into SATS and aiming for the ammo belt. I managed to get off three shots before the spell ran out. The belt buckled and snapped out of the gun. I grinned as Wraith Scar looked at it, looked back at me, and unbuckled the gun, dropping it with a loud clang as I holstered my pistol.

“Fine then,” he said as he approached me “have it your way.” He charged at me smacking straight into me, sending me flying through the roof access door, effectively smashing it to pieces and sending me down a flight of stairs. My chest was burning with pain as I tried to get up. I looked up the stairs to the hulking silhouette of Wraith against the afternoon sky. I had to think of something. I pulled out my pistol.

“Ah, ah, ah, that's cheating,” he said. I looked at the pistol and back to him. I was lowering it.

Then I realized that my need to survive was greater than any urge to adhere to the Marequess of Queensberry’s rules, “You're a raider.” I shot him several times in the legs and chest, his armour stopping some of the bullets but not all of them. Wraith stumbled back and gave me a death stare as I trotted up the stairs.

“You cheating bastard!” he bellowed.

“If you wanted hoof-to-hoof, you should have asked.” I could see him seething.

“Me and you, right here, right now. Lets end this hoof-to-hoof.” he yelled. I put my gun away.

“Come at me, brony.” I said.

Wraith Scar charged me again but this time I had the common sense to dodge. He stopped just short of the ledge and looked back at me as I removed my knife and hopped from side to side with a somewhat obnoxious smile. My chest and back were killing me, but this guy was going no where. That really pissed him off.

“C'mere you little fuck.” He shouted as he brought his hoof down on me. I ducked under it and jumped onto his back. He started to buck trying to get me off, but I held onto his mane to stay on before he finally sent me off. I landed on my hooves with a skid. I looked down at my hooves in amazement. I was really starting to get a hang of this hoof-to-hoof stuff. Except the paying attention part.

Wraith bucked me back, sending me flying again. I landed and tried to catch my breath, he had winded me leaving hoof shaped dents in my riot gear. Trailblaze was slowly chuckling in my head. No, I will not let you take me again. I thought before Wraith appeared over me. He leaned in close.

“You are so puny, how did you think this would pan out?!” he cackled, “Did you really think you could defeat the great Wraith Scar? Leader of the toughest raider gang in the Ponave?!”

“You know what the main difference between us is?” he grinned at me. “You talk to much.” I picked up my knife and jammed it into his throat. His grin disappeared and was replaced with a look I had seen far too many times before. He stumbled back and put his hoof to the knife. He was staggering about on the roof, not seeming to find a place to fall.

“Go to sleep little guy.” I said as I walked up to him. “You've had a big day.” I turned and put all my strength into a buck. I heard a snap as my hooves connected with his head and he fell back. I pulled my knife out of his neck and walked to where he had dropped his battle saddle. Feeding the ammo belt back in to the gun I then hefted it onto my back. I looked over the side and saw the remaining raiders starting to break through the windows and doors of the warehouse while bullets and beams shot out around them.

“Hey!” I shouted down. Some of the raiders looked up. “Say cheese!” I opened fire with the minigun, tearing into the raiders outside. “What you got, bitches? What you got?!” I managed to shout around the saddle's mouth piece.

Raider after raider fell before my hail of bullets. Some started to run away so I turned and tore them up too. Soon there was nothing but bloody dirt and body bits around the warehouse and the clicking of the empty minigun.

I heard the back door slam open as a raider darted from it with a brown bag on his back.

“Ah got 'er, ah got 'er! I done got me the griffin! Yeehaw, ah'm gonna have me some fun tonight!” he yelled as he raced out into the Ponave while Ace and Snake Eyes burst through the doorway behind him.

“No!” I gasped.

“Don't shoot!” Ace shouted at Snake Eyes as he brought up his blood stained revolver. “You could hit Tallie!”

I brought my sniper to bear and peered down the scope. I could see the bag bouncing on the raider's back as he galloped away. I focused everything I had left into this shot, the shot that could save or condemn Tallie. Time slowed around them as I took aim, following the bobbing of his head as he ran. All I could hear was my heart beat and my breath. I felt my heartbeat regulate to a constant beat and then slowly let out half my breath as I had learnt to do while shooting back on the Plains. I took the shot and an instant later I saw blood slowly explode out of the front of his face as he slowly bounced across the ground before stopping.

I lowered my rifle and jumped into the ruins of the building below me onto an adjacent dumpster, then to the ground and galloped past Ace and Snake Eyes as they ran. I skidded to a halt beside the bag and opened the top. A griffin claw swiped out at me before Tallie realized who I was and wrapped herself around me. I hugged her as tight as I could while she cried tears of fear and relief into my coat. I couldn't tell but I think I did the same.

Ace and Snake Eyes trotted up behind us, followed by an exhausted Stitches. They watched and smiled as I caressed the small griffin as she blubbered and sobbed between my hooves. I think Ace even smiled at me. I couldn't tell if it was me who was crying tears of joy and relief or it was her. Let's just say somepony was crying other than Tallie.

“Still think you're a monster?” Ace whispered as she sat down beside me.

“How did you...” she winked at me before smiling. “...we good?”

“Not quite,” she sighed, “but a little better.” She got back up and shook herself off. She looked off into the direction of Iron City before slouching with a groan. “Do we have to go now?”

I had to admit, after that little skirmish I was exhausted and hurting.

“Why don’t we just head back to the warehouse and call it a day. Hell, the sun is already going down.” suggested Stitches as he pointed up. I think Tallie could go for a good nap. She was already half asleep, curled up on my back. I think out of all of us, she had the worst ordeal.

---- ---- ----

We all sat on the roof watching the sun set together. Snake Eyes had already passed out and Ace was pre-occupied maintaining her shotgun with some parts she found. I guess it was a good thing too, after what I put her through today I would have avoided me too.

So there I sat with Stitches by the edge of the warehouse roof with Tallie sleeping soundly against me. I watched as the sun started passing over the horizon, highlighting the silhouette of Iron City and the small hill into which it was embedded in the distance. I could see the large antenna protruding from the tallest building as lights started to flicker around the base of the dish. It was a soothing sight to behold. I decided to flick on the radio and listen to whatever Mr. Ponave had to say this evening.

“Welcome to the evening show with your host, Mr. Ponave, where else to relax after a long day surviving the wild and wacky wastes than right here with me?

“I guess to kick off we should have some news, hmm?

“First on the list, It seems a group of mercs has been almost wiped out up by Happy Homes. One Cool Runnings, the sole survivor of said mercenaries had this to say.

“We were hired to take down the fucking Courier. Oh goddesses was that a mistake. They killed the lads and beat me senseless. I mean, I lung shot’im, he had to be dead but then I hear the bastard’s working for the NCR the next damn day!”

“You heard it here first, folks, which brings us to our next item of business.

News from the I-10 hostage situation. Seems that bounty hunter that claims to have shot him was right, looks like he helped out the NCR and went to negotiate on their behalf” oh boy, here we go... “And by negotiation I mean going commando and sending those kidnappers to an early grave.

“Not only that, but I’m receiving reports of a raider kill team showing up out of nowhere and still not being able to take out our local hero. Is there nothing he can’t take?

“In short, the one-pony Judge, Jury and Executioner of the desert continues his travels.” Judge, Jury and Executioner... I like that...

“Lets see what’s going on else where...” I could hear the rustling of paper “Oh! Here’s some news from that Mysterious Mare-Do-Well! It seems that she has single-hoofedly saved a caravan from certain doom after a Hyena ambush. Go get’em Mare-Do-Well.

“Some action on the war front, it seems that a Legion slaving party has been stopped near the town of Eastwood, thanks to NCR sniper team Bear Claw.

“That’s it for now, here’s Smooth Tunes himself, with Siege of Maredrigal.”

A slow piano number floated through my earbloom. I was conflicted by this radio broadcast. Did I feel proud? Sad? Angry? I just didn’t know.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” Stitches asked, switching my mind to things less soul crushing. The sun had almost completely set, leaving the sky a mix of oranges and purples.

“How does one see Mr. Ponave?” I asked.

“I guess you make an appointment?” Stitches shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow...” I whispered. “We find out what we need to know, you can go do your clinic thing...” I looked at the tiny griffin, sleeping heavily, “And find you a home.” I smiled as I stroked the base of her neck where the fur melded into her feathered mane. She snorted, rolled over and stretched her back legs, twitching before she curled back up with an audible sigh.

Footnote: LEVEL UP!
New perk: “Terrifying Presence”
New conversation options!
In some conversations, you gain the ability to initiate combat while terrifying a mob of opponents, sending them fleeing for safety or attacking you in fear for their lives.

Special thanks to Kal for his excellent editing and everyone over on the FoE Side-Fic protodoc! You guys are the best!

also Kkat for creating the universe I have so gingerly implanted myself into.

Comments are much appreciated.

Here's the link to the protodoc, come and check it out!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KaoFWVlFlMjYR2KmTWxwCYnvTZQcjEULO9YHSaqqk9U/edit?hl=en_GB#heading=h.80iw1fmanf18

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