Chapter: 13

by Chapter 13

[Fo:E - The Lessons We Learn] Lesson: 1 - Luck never Lasts

Author's Note:

Description: When you live as long as I have, you tend to learn a few things. It's not just the information you learn in school; science, math, history. No, you learn a lot more about life, lessons that can only be taught and fully comprehended through experience. But, there eventually comes a point when these lessons, these experiences, eventually all fade together, the next just being a variant of a previous one. Day to day becomes routine, uniqueness of each day slowly rotting away like the skin on my bones, and through all of the lessons I've learned, one in particular has always stood out. It was always there, it didn’t take me more than one lifetime to discover it, but it took years upon years for it to finally sink in, and become undeniable.

That lesson: everything will eventually come to an end.

Cut Scene:

“Momma?!”

No… dear princesses, no!

“Momma!”

I keep my hooves pressed hard against the mare’s chest, her bright blue offspring sprinting from the back room and wrapping her hooves around her mother’s neck. I could only watch and slow the process as I pressed my hooves down as hard as I could.

“Shhh… don’t cry… don’t… cry,” came the weak words of the gun merchant, her weak hoof reaching up and running down her daughter mane.

I had seen death. I had seen slaughter. But nothing had been as worse as watching a child watch the life drain from her mother’s eyes. I wanted to save her. I needed to save her. But, I knew it was a lost cause. When you had killed as many as I had, you knew when a pony was going to die. I had seen it in the eyes of the mare that had her brains blown out in front of me. I had seen it in Blood Bath’s and Skull Crusher’s face when I had ended them. And I saw it now in the once carefree mare’s eyes as she held her daughter with her dying strength.

The mare’s eyes turned from her daugher to focus on me, and she didn’t even need to speak as I knew what she wanted to say. It was in her eyes. They held hope, and practically pleaded with me. “Take good care of her…”

Then nothing.

My bloody hooves slowly rose from the mare’s chest as I watched the last bit of fight in the mare end; the last bit of life in her eyes fading. For a moment, I was stunned. Everything went numb as I watched the tear filled filly cry into the lifeless embrace of her mother.

The floor rocked, the sound of another of the mine's Kind Shot had thrown exploding, more shrapnel digging into the shop around us and chunks of wood splintering down on us. Slowly, I picked my revolver with my muzzle from where it had fallen.

Five plus one made six.

The now still filly remained in her mother’s embrace, now forever bonded. I didn’t have to do it. I could have tried to take her with me. But, I knew that the chances of me getting out alive were slim as it was, and I knew what these drug fueled monster did to little fillies.

Notes: Couldn't get anything that I liked to stick.

Fo:E - The Lessons We Learn

By: Michael A.

Lesson: 1 - Luck never Lasts

“The road to ruin is paved with good intentions.”

When you live as long as I have, you tend to learn a few things. It's not just the information you learn in school; science, math, history. No, you learn a lot more about life, lessons that can only be taught and fully comprehended through experience. But, there eventually comes a point when these lessons, these experiences, eventually all fade together, the next just being a variant of a previous one. Day to day becomes routine, uniqueness of each day slowly rotting away like the skin on my bones, and through all of the lessons I've learned, one in particular has always stood out. It was always there, it didn’t take me more than one lifetime to discover it, but it took years upon years for it to finally sink in, and become undeniable.

That lesson: everything will eventually come to an end.

As I wander through this land day in and day out, I do not traverse without the fear. I know fear, more than most. Fear does not disappear with age. Honestly, age only clears the fog of ignorance about fear. I know fear, I know of death. I have seen their power, of death and fear, and watched as one, the other, or both has taken countless ponies away from me. I have accepted that my time will someday come, that I will eventually join those that have been taken away from me, but that does not mean that I will go willingly. Whether it is because fear what comes next, or simply the fact that I am a coward, I still fear death.

I have heard stories of the thought of immortality, myths of being that could live forever. They are all just that, myths. No matter how hard you try, not matter what you do, death will always follow, and he will eventually come for you. Everything that has ever been, and that can ever be, always will have two things in common: a beginning, and an end. Nothing truly lives forever. Some may live on longer than others, but even they will eventually come to an end, dying or slowly fading away into nothing. Our princesses, once thought gods, died. Our old ideas of peace and harmony, well, that died too. I will die, you will die.

I have walked with heroes, ponies and other creatures alike, who have achieved feats thought impossible, sacrificed their greatest gift of life so that others may live on, or simply selflessly devoted themselves to an idea, a concept, that was greater than they were, for the good of far more than themselves.

They died.

They have all died. I've watched heroes die for a belief, then watch as that belief slowly died just as those who created it. I have held love ones who I have made promises too, and then watched those promises eventually fade away as they had. Friends, family, even ponies around me; I have watched them all die.

I am not a hero, I am not a villain. I merely exist. I will not save the Wasteland, nor will I destroy it. I will only wander this hell-trotted land, my purpose forgotten, my fate erased. The only thing that keeps my body from falling down and joining the fate of the dead, is my fear of that day.

My name is Silver Lining, and these are the lessons I have learned.

----

My hooves trot carelessly against the cracked asphalt, the sound of them clopping against the weather worn surface breaching the dead silence that surrounds me. I look up, my tired eyes scanning the long since covered sky.

It’s daytime.

The only way that I even know that it's day is because of the small, fleeting bit of light that manages to penetrate the thick cloud blanket that lays over my head. The concept of day and night has slowly lost meaning since the fateful day I became a ghoul… the day the world ended. My new, mutated body has lost the need for sleep. Most think of it as an advantage, never needing to stop and rest, always being able to be alert, but I know better. Losing the ability to sleep means that I have lost the ability to dream, the one time that I could truly escape the reality of the day, with the comforting embrace of the night. Now, I am forced to accept what my life, and our world, has become.

My pace slows as I glance back, watching the scampering shadows of entities that wish to remain unseen. I return my head forward and shake it as I let out a long, raspy sigh, my rotting vocal cords garbling my once gruff voice. My hooves stop completely, my body standing still in the middle of the ruined streets of the once beautiful city of Chicacolt. To be honest, I wasn't in the mood for this. I was never in the mood of this. My will of simply ignoring my stalkers had finally come to an end.

There was no use in running from Raiders, even when you are only walking.

I pivot on my hooves with practiced ease, the seemingly empty street behind me coming into full view. "Next time you try to tail somepony, to leave the twitchy one behind," I speak aloud, just loud enough for my unwanted traveling companions to hear, but not enough to attract the attention of anything else.

Soon the sound of hoof meeting head, followed soon after with a cry of pain, breach the quiet atmosphere, and giving me the general direction of where my stalkers were. As tenacious and brutal as Raiders can be, intelligence has never been on their list of strengths. I had honestly lost track of where they were a few miles back, but their predictable nature made it easy to discern. After all, there's always a twitchy Raider.

Eventually, after a few more minutes of silence, two stallions jump out from behind an overturned skywagon, their hobbled together armor coated in blood and gore. The one to the right had a coat of a dirty green, his main too dirty and stained to discern a proper color. The other one was orange, his mane somehow still yellow, though barely. A rusty cleaver and spiked board held in each one's mouth respectively.

I committed their faces to memory, just incase. "Bounty or sport?"

The green one turns to face the other. "Rotty’s got a price on ‘is head?"

That answers that question. I was always curious to see if anypony had put caps on my head. It's not like I went around giving ponies reasons to, mind you, but the Wasteland doesn't always need one.

The other one Raider shrugs, his red-tinted eyes flickering from side to side. Looks like he was the twitchy one. "I-If he does, t-that just means that we have to k-keep his head in one peace!" His eyes flickered to me with murderous intent.

I gave them my most intimidating stare, kicking my duster aside to reveal my holstered .44 magnum strapped at-the-ready on my front hoof. "Tell me your names," I say, ready to draw at any minute, just incase one of them decided to be jumpy, which Raiders usually were.

Both Raiders looked at each other, before shrugging. The orange one spoke up first, showing that he was the dominant of the duo. “Well, rotty, t’name’s Skull Crusher, and t’s here’s Blood Bath.”

“Very well.” I nod. “I will only warn both you stallions once, and advise you to back off.”

Once again, Blood Bath and Skull Crusher turn to face each other, this time laughing as they turned and began to advance towards me.

I shook my head. Why can't Raiders just give up?

The Skull Crusher lunges at me, his cleaver dangerously close to me as I take a step back, to dodge the dangerous swing. My instinct kick in, ingrained reflexes from years of practice. I lower my muzzle with incredible speed, bring up my right hoof to meet it halfway. My jaw clamps down on the gun’s bit, and I pull it out of its holster. My aim is automatic, the iron sights lining up with my target with almost no effort. My tongue twitches, the hairpin trigger firing. My vision went red, the Raider's head disappearing in a red and white cloud, blood, bone and brain flying everywhere. I watch through the red haze as the rest of the Raider’s body falls lifelessly onto the ground, skidding to a stop at my hooves. I waste no time and point my gun’s smoking barrel at the remaining Raider, who had stopped his charge upon seeing his friend’s head reduced to mere smoke.

"Leave now, boy," I mutter through the bit. "Don't made me do this again."

The stallion stood there in shock, probably trying to process what had just happened. Finally, he shook his head, switching back to reality. He reaches down to pick up the nailed board that had fallen from his slack-jaw, intent of trying to finish the job his friend could not. But, he doesn't get to it, though, his head exploding in a cloud of red spray and brain matter as his lifeless body joins his friend on the ground.

With a flick my head, the chamber of my .44 opens, ejecting the two spent shells. I reach into my ammo pouch that rested on my side and pulling out replacement rounds, reloading the trusty revolver and returning it back to it's leather sheath on my front hoof.

I take a deep breath, wiping some of the brain matter that had gotten on my duster off before turning to face the bodies of the recently departed. I made sure I could remember their faces when they were still attached to their body. I could practically see them standing in front of me when I closed my eyes. I shook away the thought, and went to work looting the corpses.

Blood Bath and Skull Crusher. Two more to the list.

I had managed to salvage a small amount of of caps that the twitchy one had been carrying, along with a bit of scrap metal that I could salvage from their armor. I could’ve gotten more if I sold the armor outright, but I never liked selling Raider armor. Only one type of pony would actually buy it, and I didn’t want to aid the ponies who always tried to kill me. I thought it common sense, but I appear to be the only one to realize this.

Once I had picked the two clean, I wiped my bloody hooves clean on one of their barding, then turned away to continue my journey. I had been on my way towards a little trading town in the northern edge of Chicacolt before I had picked up the two unwelcome shadows, planning on restocking supplies once I had arrived; ammo, healing potions, and materials to repair my barding.

The sound of my hooves trotting against the cracked earth and the overwhelming silence returned, and I found my mind slowly drifting off into space as I resumed my journey. This was common for me; my body running on autopilot as I traversed the wastes. I had been around just about everywhere in the Chicacolt area, wandering around the vast city ever since the megaspells fell. I knew the city forwards and back; where the settlements were, the locations of common Raider dens, ambush points, areas of high radiation, and so on. I had also been able to watch the city evolve as time went on. I watched gangs rise and fall, ponies who called themselves ‘heroes’ try and ‘save’ the city from the blight of evil, moments of peace, moments of violence, and so on. All the while I had just watched, never participated.

My war ended a long time ago.

Over the years I had evolved as well, both in appearance and in mind. My body rotted, but my mind stayed sharp. Years of practice and experience had trained both my reaction time, and instinct. I could spot danger before it happened, almost as if I could sense it. This was what allowed me to live for so long, survive the dangers of the Wasteland that I called home. I knew where it was safe, and I knew where it was dangerous. I avoided danger, steering clear of it the best I could. Some call it being a coward, but I call it being smart. I had already fought my war, ‘dying’ for my country, so I felt my service had already been fulfilled.

My appearance had also evolved over the years, constantly changing as I better adapted to the land around me. My barding consisted of an old, worn black duster, modified with armor plating sewn into the lining, with a matching black cowboy hat. My decayed skin was wrapped from muzzle to hoof in a thick layer of greyed bandages. My face was almost fully covered, only my muzzle and eyes free from their tight grasp, my glowing orange eyes peeking through my hidden appearance. The holster for my .44 was tightly latched to my right front hoof, my faithful gun resting in its grasp, while a sleeve for my combat knife lay on the left. Two more holsters were strapped respectively to my two hind hooves, my spare twin .44 revolvers in their grasp. On my back lay my saddlebags, the right side organized to hold everything I would need on a moment's notice; unspent ammo, reloading materials (primer, lead, and powder) and spent shells in their respective pockets, while healing potions, my journal, and other items I needed quick access to were organized in much the same fashion. The left side was much less organized, holding my salvaged and other bulk items I didn't care to keep easily accessible. Around my neck where the dog tags I had been given when I had served in the equestrian army; a solemn reminded of the like I once had.

Time passed relatively, hours feeling like mere minutes as I continued along my well established route. With no need for rest, and fatigue never making its presence known on my mutated body, travel had become a mindless experience for me. Although my mind wandered, my senses remained sharp. Never did I let my guard down, a crippling unease filling my body the moment I did.

My focus returned to reality, my conscious mind taking control as my unconscious receded. I look around and take in my surroundings, the sigh of northern Chicacolt coming into view. This had once been the residential district of the city, home to most of the natives of the city. Now, however, it was a ghost of it’s former glory. Long since abandoned apartment complexes, and the toppled remains of buildings line the street. The once well maintained road now lay in ruins, cracked and ravaged by the damaging effects of time. Empty sky carriages and other forms of transportation lay sporadic along the road, remaining in the same position since the bombs had fallen.

And then, there was the bones.

Bodies were a common occurrence in the Wasteland. Charred remains of long since dead ponies killed from the original blast, or new one who had joined them in the hell that followed.

I stepped over the skeleton of a unicorn, it's gender and identity unknown.

It was always better to not think of them, to just ignore their existence. Pain and sorrow only followed when you focused on the dead. And princess know there is already enough of that in the Wasteland…

I shook my head, banishing the thoughts from my mind as I returned my focus to the road. I snaked my way through the particularly dense area of fallen skywagons and cartridges, briefly looking them over for salvage. They were empty, just like last time I had passed them.

Once I made it free, the first signs of my destination came into view, the far off view of ‘The Hive’, coming into view. The hive was a trading hub made from connecting four adjacent residential complex set out in a square pattern. The complex had been established about seven years ago, and slowly grew to the economic giant it was now. If you needed anything, anything, you could find it here. It was called The Hive because it was like a little colony, almost completely self sufficient. In more ways than one, it was impressive.

I continued forwards, the distant shadow of the trading up growing as I got closer. Soon, I found myself staring up at the front gate, twin automatic turrets following my approach from their mounted positions. The entrance consisted of a large, hoof made metal door connected between two of the closest towers. Above, walkways and platforms jotted from the sides of the quad buildings, some on their own while others adjoining. Even from outside I could hear the buzz of life from beyond the metal barrier, the same sound that had given the place it's name.

“Hey! You there!”

I looked up, focusing on a blue unicorn stallion poking his head from behind the gate, a rifle held next to him in his magical grip.

“State your business, or get shot!”

It appears that they got a new gatekeeper. “Here to restock and trade,” I said plainly, trying my best to hide the gargle of my ghoulish voice.

The stallion seemed to regard me for a moment, his rifle still pointed directly at my head.

“Well… you seem harmless enough,” he began, putting the gun down. “Okay, you’re in. Just remember: you break the rules, you get shot.” And with that, the stallion’s head poked back behind the gate.

It was a few moments before I heard the rumble of the gate’s opening mechanism, the hobbled together system groaning as the large double doors swung open, allowing me entrance.

My hooves guided me past the threshold. Even after all the other times I had entered the hub, it still took my breath away every time I endered. The entire complex cut off from the outside by large metal walls built from building to building, leaving a ‘plus’ shaped area. This walled off space consisted of several shops and merchants set up around the commons, ponies from all parts either peddling or buying goods. In the center of all this stood a crudely put together honeycomb made from scrap, the official symbol for the hive. Looking up, I got a view of the many breakouts from the buildings that held more shapes above, as well as several rentable areas and sleeping corners for the locals. Quite a feet of Wasteland engineering, I had to admit.

The layout of this area was a little different than the last time I had been here—some shops had moved, or closed, while others took their place. Because of this, I couldn't rely on memory for where I had to go to get my required supplies, instead having to search to find what I needed. I passed several shops as I trotted forwards, all food based. It amazed me how many different things you could do with the mutated remains of the Wasteland. Too bad I didn't need to eat.

I kept moving, passing several other stores of no interest until I found one I was looking for. I stopped in front of a shop that was actually inset into one of the four building, making it easily the largest in this layer. Above it was an actually well designed sign that read, ‘Point and Shoot’. Simple name, but served it’s purpose. Inside way a vast array of different types of weaponry; everything from beam rifles, to single shot repeaters sat on hooks hammered into the wall. I payed them no mind, as I already had the loadout I needed, and instead heading towards the caged off counter in the center of the store.

“Hello?” I called out into the seemingly empty cage, peaking into the interior.

“One moment~!” I heard a sing-song voice reply from somewhere beyond, and soon a light blue unicorn trotted into view from the back room connected to the cage. She trotted happily, her mouth in a content smile as she approached the small opening I guessed was for transactions. “Welcome to Point and Shoot! For all your pointing and shooting needs! I’m Kind Shot, what can I get you?” she asked, her voice filled with more mirth than you usually saw in a Wastelander.

“As much .44 rounds you got,” I spoke, reaching into my scrap bag and pulling out all the weapons I had managed to salvage and placed them on the counter. “And whatever I can get for these.”

The mare regarded the weapons closely, pulling them through the small hole with her magic. One by one, she checked each, all but completely disassembling them before moving onto the next.

“Hmm… Well, for two assault rifles, three 10mm pistols, one double barrel, and two landmines I can give you about…” She tapped a hoof to her chin. “Two hundred caps.”

I inwardly sighed, hoping for more. I wasn't much of a barterer, so I didn't question or try to haggle.

“And as for .44 rounds. Buddy, you have quite a taste in weaponry, my friend,” she began, trotting back to her back room and returning with a few ammo boxes in her magical aura. “Most expensive bullets I sell besides the 50 cal. But, to each their own.” She shrugged, putting them on the counter in front of me. “Subtracting what you get from your trade in… And at five caps a bullet… and one hundred and thirty bullets in total… you owe me four hundred and fifty caps!” she finished, an all to happy smile on her muzzle.

I practically flinched at the price. I had the caps for it, don't get me wrong, but I had expected it to be, well, cheaper. I reached into my bag and pulled out a few bags of caps. I tossed them through the opening and waited as she counted every single one of them. Once she was certain I payed correctly, she passed through the ammo.

“There ya’ go, another satisfied customer!” she spoke happily as I put away my new ammo. “And I don't mean to be rude, but… what’s up with the rags?”

I latched my saddlebag and turned to the mare. “Burn wound. Didn't quite heal right, so I just cover it up.” It was a lie, but not everypony was friendly to ghouls.

The mare winced. “Yikes. That explains the voice then.” She shook her head. “Anyways, that was all. Thank you, and come again~!”

I nodded my thanks, then turned to leave, but stopped. “Actually, I have a quick question,” I began, turning back towards the mare. “Do you know where I can get barding repaired?”

The mare nodded, pointing a hoof upwards. “Two floors above me is a shop called ‘Wasteland Attire’ run by a mare called Quick Seme. She should be able to do any repairs you need.”

I nodded my thanks, once again turning and heading out for the shop. A few turns later and I was heading up a set of staircases to the second layer of the hive. Here there were more formal and permanent shops that had been made in converted apartments. They varied from restaurants to specialty shops. Finally, after trotting over one of the bridges connecting the current tower to the next, I made it to Wasteland Apparel. The shop was relatively large, taking up two appartments connected when a wall had been taken down. Everything from prewar dresses to combat armor were displayed on mannequins displayed all around the shop’s interior. I trotted past a few of them, just browsing until I found the owner.

The owner was an extremely tall unicorn mare with a white coat and a dark red mane. She trotted around her store, mingling with her customers. She eventually spotted me and gasped, galloping over to me and stopping.

“Oh, my! You poor dear,” she began, her words filled with drama. “You are an absolute fashion nightmare with those bandages! Here to find something to help cover them up, I hope?”

I shook my head. “No, just need a patch job,” I said, pointing to my duster. “The plaiting needs replacing and there is a few holes I would like closed if you could.”

The mare let out a sigh of disappointment. “Ugh, fine!” she began with an emphasized sigh. “That’ll be fifty caps for the patch job and another hundred for the replacement metal.”

My eye twitched.

“Oooor, you could buy some lovely new armor for half the price that would look much better–”

I took off my duster and placed it at her hooves, fishing out the required amount of caps and throwing them on top.

She lets out a sigh, picking up the duster and caps in her magic. “Find… It’ll be ready in about an hour. You can wait in the seating area if you want.”

I nodded as she took my armor away, trotting over to a corner with a few pre-war cushioned chairs. I trotted over and sat in one, placing my saddle bag besides me as I used the time to rest my bandages. I felt naked without my duster, the armored garb had become more of a second skin then just clothing.

With a soft sigh, I leaned back and waited, counting the cracks in the ceiling.

----

An hour passed by like nothing, floating past like a rapidly increasing tide. I eventually got my newly repaired armor and thanked the mare, who had once again tried to convince me to choose something else rather than continue to use my duster. I declined, again, and headed out before she tried again.

The next couple of hours had been spent going from stall to stall restating all the supplies I would need. I was a wanderer in all aspects of the word. Throught the years I had traveled from here to there, no distinction in mind, and no purpose. To be honest, the only thing that kept me going was my fear of stopping. I knew what happened to ghouls who lost their purpose; they went feral. Their minds decayed like their skin, becoming practical zombies whose only purpose was to kill and feed. I feared this happening to me, but I also feared dying. So, I nearly wandered from place to place, restocking what I needed before moving on.

Once my saddlebags were full with what I would need for the next several months, I wandered around the entire complex. I didn't buy anything I didn't need, as I hated wasting caps, but still found simple joy in just looking at what the Wastelanders had managed to create.

It was dark when I had finally toured the entirety of the complex from top to bottom. Shops were closed, and the locals headed off off to their respective homes located at the top of the four towers. Not having the need for sleep, but also not wanting to head out during the night, I ended up sitting with my back against the Hive statue in the middle of the bottom later, my eyes closed as I waited for the time to pass by, and for the day to arrive.

----

About a few hours after The Hive had turned in for the night, I opened my eyes as I felt an uneasy feeling start to build. I raised my head, my glowing eyes scanning the area. I was alone, as far as I could tell. The closest soul I could spot was a guard resting peacefully at his position above the front gate, rifle gripped tightly in his hooves.

What was it?

Through years of experience and trotting this Wasteland, I had managed to gain a sort of sixth sense for sniffing out danger. It wasn't anything magical, more of my mind just got used to the small signs that something bad was gonna happen.

And I was getting one of those feelings.

Sadly, this sixth sense didn't exactly tell me what it was that was wrong, more of that something was going to go wrong. It was my job as the conscience mind to figure that out.

I rose to my hooves, my ears perking up. I could hear something, something distant. It was almost like a faint, high pitched whistle, one that grew louder and louder.

When I finally recognized what that sound was, I was too late to react. Pressing my hooves into my ears, I embraced myself.

Boom!

I felt the concussion wave slam into me as I was thrown backwards, slamming into the statue. My head spun and I gritted my teeth through the growing pain originating from my spot of impact. I open my eyes, the world spinning in a blur of color and sound. I look down, seeing the blurry outline of my holstered weapon. I lead down to grab it, missing three times before I finally feel the bit held tightly in my maw. I draw the weapon, pointing it out straight. There is more than just one blur, many blobs of pony shaped mass flood my vision. I aim towards one, then another, my mind reeling as I try to figure out what to shoot. I hear a muffled, ringing scream, and spot a blur running straight at me. I click the trigger with my tongue, the blur haunts its advance as it falls to the ground.

I close my eyes, trying to focus myself. When I open them, my visions is much clearer, but part of me wished it didn't.

Raiders.

I almost lost my grip on my weapon as my jaw all but drops. Floods of blood covered, frenzied Raiders flood in from the now melted point where the gate had once been. Ponies who I had seen shopping the day before, or making stalls were now fighting for their life. Hot chunks of lead fly in all directions, and I duck just in time to avoid one colliding with my skull.

I breath a sigh of relief, but my breath is forced out of me as something slams into my side, sending shockwaves of pain reverberating up my spine. I cough, spitting up black icor. This is enough to final jump start my brain, allowing me to finally act.

I scramble to my hooves, picking up my dropped revolver, and bolt forwards. I fire off two shots, one striking an approaching rider right in the neck, the other connecting directly into the shoulder of another, ripping the limb from its place.

One plus two is three.

I dive out of the way as another Raider wielding a cleaver swings his deadly blade at my head, his momentum causing him to stagger. I take this opportunity and buck with all my might at his head, sending him down for a second time. My hind hooves barely touch the ground as they rebound off the ground, spinning me to face the Raider. I send one shot off at his head, the bullet splitting it in two.

Three plus one is four.

The air is filled with the sound of combat; screams of pain, rage, and bloodlust mold together in a discorded choir. Bullets, beams of magic, and sharpened weaponry fly through the air, each aimed with the intent to kill. My agile hooves and years of experience allow me to glide through the battlefield, dodging the deadly debris with practiced ease. My tongue clicks and two more time my revolver goes out, a blood stained Raider falling before it could strike the final blow on a fallen local, his body falling limp as the blood of his victims in joined with that of his own.

Four plus two is six.

I holster my revolver, kicking out my left spare and snatching it in my maw. My movements had lead me to the far corner of the mini warzone, pushing me again the farthest wall from the remains of what had once been the gate. I fire off two bullets at incoming attackers, one barely hitting one while the other misses. My intents wasn't to kill, just distract so I could dive for cover behind a nearby stall.

Zero plus two is two.

I take a ragged breath as I am momentarily free from the fight, taking the chance to survey the damage I had sustained. On my right side, just behind my saddlebags, I saw a torn hole in the recently mended fabric, the metal plate beneath dented from the impact of the bullet. I send a silent prayer to the princesses that I had commissioned my armor replaced, as if I hadn't I most likely would have a large hole in my side.

My attention returns to the situation at hoof as I feel someone vault over the cover I was using. My head turns and my revolver lines up perfectly between the eyes of a pony I had recognized from earlier when I was wandering around The Hive. Blood soaked her once pink fur; how much of it was hers I couldn’t be sure. Her eyes go wide, the fear of death showing through her terror filled eyes—a pleading fear that would only show when one knew they were going to die.

And she did.

I watch helplessly as a stray bullet from the fight pierced straight through the wooden stall and travels cleanly through her head. A red spray puffs out as I watch the life drain from her eyes, and then she was gone.

I didn't have time to mourn, nor react. I through myself to the ground as more bullets followed, slicing up my cover as if it had been nothing. Splinters of wood and bits of metal rained down on me as I pressed myself as far as I could into the ground. I felt several bullets ping off of my hind metal plating, with at least one or two managing to miss and dig straight into my hide. I hissed, holding back a scream of pain as I felt them tear into my skin, embedding themselves underneath.

I had to move.

My current cover had become useless, and as soon as the spray had stopped I hopped up and began to dash away. My flank burned from hot metal still inside of my flesh, but somehow still functional adrenalin and my will to survive pushed past the pain as I strafed forwards. I fired three shots, one I know hitting true in a Raiders flank, while I lost track of the direction of the other two.

Two plus three is five.

I dodge the strikes of several frenzied Raiders, one managing a few hits on me as his nailed board made contact with my skin. Pain flares up again, and I send my final bullet into his hind hoof, causing him to fall, weapon rolling from his reach.

Five plus one is six.

I toss my spent revolver into my saddlebag and reach down with my mouth for my combat knife, removing it from its sheath and plunging it into the neck of the wounded Raider. Blood squirts front the wound and covers my bandage-covered face as death slowly overtakes him. I remove the knife and scramble forwards for the nearest cover, spotting the gun store I had bought from earlier. I jump on practiced hooves and I bounded over to the shop, sliding to a halt when I reached the interior. The war continued to rage outside, and I had to press myself against the closest wall to avoid incoming fire. My body hurt, my entire right side throbbing from puncture wounds and the bullets still inside of my skin. I carefully reached down and returned my knife to its place, immediately grabbing my remaining revolver from its holster.

My chest heaves, bringing useless oxygen into lungs that no longer require it. I poke my head out, surveying the carnage so far. Piles of dead and pools of blood fill the once busy bottom layer of the hive. Raiders with Chem fueled rage strike down the defending towns ponies, while they strike back with all they could. The majority of the corpses I could see lacked hobble together armor and weapons of torture and rage, signaling that the invading force was winning. I poked my head back behind cover, closing my eyes as I tried to hold back processing the situation at hoof.

I needed to focus on survival, and only that.

A Raider carrying a bloodied sludge hammer slides into the shop, stopping mere feet away from me. His weapon drips with the essence of his most recent victims, and his eyes hold the promise to add mine to the mix. I ride my revolver, but once again it wasn't me who caused the death of the pony within my sides. His side explodes with a piling of shotgun pellets, his unarmed side flaying open from the force of the impact. Blood and skin peel from his skin as he falls dead, his eyes still staring at me with the same murderous intent.

I turn to the source of the blast, spotting the shopkeeper I had purchased from earlier quickly reload her combat shotgun with practiced ease, a practical constant stream of shells floating from her ammo bag into the weapon. She pulls back the lever and reproving a her gun at the entrance, but her eyes turn to me. Her hooves raise up as she motions for me to come to her, to which I immediately react on. I dive forwards, leaping over the counter and through a newly opened hole to the caged off area behind. I roll out of my landing and back onto my hooves, sliding to press my back against the back of the counter.

I enjoy a moment of peace, taking in as much of the momentary feeling of safety as I could. My head swivels as I turn to the light blue mare, watching as her weapon held in her magical glow fires round after round into the combat area beyond. It lowers only when it clicks empty, reloaded almost instantly by the stream of shotgun ammo she also guides with her magic.

“You! You have any idea of how this happened?!” she asks in a panicked array of words, her voice missing it’s mirth and joy from earlier.

I go to speak, but cough up some more black icor before my mouth would cooperate. “Balefire egg,” I begin with my scratchy voice. “Blew the gate and they just swarmed in.”

The mare’s eyes go cold, her weapon pausing as horror spreads across her features. “How the fuck did Raiders get a Balefire Egg launcher?!” she screamed, her fire continuing. “I can't even get my hooves on one; how can a group of chemmed up freaks get one?”

I shook my head. “No idea. You know where they came from?”

We both flinch as we hear an explosion go off somewhere close to the entrance to the shop, most likely a grenade or mine from the sound of it.

“They look like the gang that hangs out in the subway tunnels a not far from here,” she begins, putting down her shotgun and picking up a landmine with her magic. “We’ve known about them for years, but they'd never manage to even get passed the main guns before, let alone mount any kind of assault like this.”

This was troubling. Raiders were bad, but they were stupid and loosely organized, losing most of their effectiveness as a hole. But, get them working together, and even a small den can become an almost unstoppable wave of drug fueled psychopaths.

The mare tossed the mind over the counter, then primed three more and threw them aswell. “This is bad, really bad,” she began picking back up her shotgun and resuming her spray. “We’ve never prepared for anything making it past the gate… I mean, nothing ever had!” She shuddered. “We’re going to die…”

I wanted to argue, to voice hope, but I knew deep down there wasn’t any. I had been in some tight spots before, times when survival seemed impossible, but even they seemed tame compared to what what happening now. I looked to the mare, her eyes showing her hidden fear as she fired the hot lead over the counter. She was brave, I could see it. She feared death, but she still faced it with a fist full of iron, and fight in her heart. I shook my head, smacking myself back to reality. Now wasn’t the time to give up, nor falter. No, now was the time to fight like hell!

Revolver clenched in my teeth, I poked my head over the counter. The fight beyond came into view, and I focused on the closest Raiders I could spot. Two puffs of smoke, and two more fell.

Zero plus two is two.

I ducked back behind cover, covering my head as a wave of bullet sent waves of shrapnel over my head as they impacted the wall behind me. It was too much, too much to try and focus on at once. This was a blitz attack, a Raider special. What they lack in brains they make up for with volume and brawn. If I had to guess, there was about a hundred or so towns ponies when this had begun, with at least double that pouring in from the opening. Now, there was probably only twenty or so of us remaining, facing a force of at least a hundred. I continued to poke my head over the counter and fire, sending bullets flying into the closest Raider.

Two plus three is five.

Five plus one is six.

Reload.

Zero plus four is four.

Four plus two is six.

Reload.

My cycle continued, sending out bursts of bullets out before retreating behind the slowly shrinking cover. The mare at my side did the same, her shotgun throwing an almost constant stream of lead forwards. I poked my head out again, this time to survey the damage. I could see towns ponies barricading themselves inside of their shops, sending out burst attack just as we did. Raider of all sizes either charged with their melee weapons, or fired from during a frontal assault. They didn’t hide, nor seek cover. They charged, hoping to get our blood on their hooves.

It was a horror show.

Taking my eyes off the Raiders only allowed me to look at the growing dead. Bodies littered the streets; ponies I had passed the day before now lifeless husks on the ground. I had seen death, I was used to death, but it still never made it any better.

I felt a tug as I was pulled back behind cover, shrapnel from one of the mines impacting all around the back wall. I took a moment to come back to reality and slowly rose to an upright position. I hissed, reminded of my shredded hide as more pain crawled up my spine. “Thanks for that,” I begin as I raise my head to properly thank the mare. “Can’t believe I forgot about the… mines.”

I went silent. No words escaping my lips as my eyes make contact with the mare who had pulled me into her safe haven.

“I feel… cold,” Kind Shot mutters, her shotgun falling from her magical grasp. She looks down, the bleeding hole in her chest filling her vision. “Why am I so… cold.”

She slumps, her body going limp. I dive forwards and catch the mare, holding her as he eyes struggle to stay open. Blood slowly drips from her mouth as she chokes up breath, her eyes never leaving mine. I lay her down and press my hooves into the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

“I never thought dying would be so… cold.”

No, you’re not dying. I reached into my bag and pulled out a healing potion, dripping the potion directly onto the wound. It slowly heals, knitting together before my eyes. But, to my horror, it’s not fast enough to keep the river of blood from constantly leaking out.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!

I hated death. It was a haunting finality that seemed to plague the Wasteland as a whole. Death was natural, but I had yet to seen a natural death since the bombs fell. Killing was one thing; it was easy to disconnect yourself from the deed and justify your actions. But, holding someone as the life drains from their eyes… well, that was something else. My hooves only did so much to slow the bleeding, and even after three potions I saw no improvement.

She died.

Her eyes glazed over, and the spark that lives inside all living things disappeared. Gently, I laid the mare down, closing her eyes and crossing her hooves across her chest. She looked peaceful, almost as if she was sleeping.

The room shook again, more wooden and metal chunks rained down on me. Another mine had exploded, leaving only one left between me and the Raiders. This was just supposed to be a routine restock, grab what I needed and get out. But, I guess my luck that had lasted 183 years had finally ended.

I pulled out all three of my revolvers, quickly reloading them and laying them on the ground in front of me. Three revolvers. Six rounds each. Eighteen bullets before I had to reload.

I wanted to take eighteen of them down with me.

Grabbing the first one in my mouth, listened to the battle outside. I could hear screams from the towns ponies; some coming from layer above me, and others from outside. With one last moment of hesitation, I jumped up from behind the cover, and my mind went into full instinct mode…

Five clicks of the tongue, five screams of pain. In rapid succession, five bullets fired from my revolver; two hitting home in Raider’s heads, killing them instantly; two digging themselves in the armor chests of two others; and one bouncing harmlessly off one’s heavily armored hide. This gets their attention: a large mass of blood covered Raiders rushes the shop, their weapons ready for my blood.

Five plus one makes six.

My final bullet fired from my gun, and I take cover. An explosion rings out as my bullet sets it off, a mess of blood and limbs flying in all directions. I drop my empty revolver and pick up a fresh one, hopping back up on the counter. I fire three shots, all missing a Raider strafing in front of the store, his almost foaming mouth makes be believe he’s high on jet. I curse to myself, aiming for his center mass. Two more bullets, one making contact with his hide and causing him to fall. I fire the last one, half his head exploding in a plume of white.

Then, I was tackled.

While focusing on the last Raider, I had let my guard down, using all my focus to hit his snakelike path. I collided with the back wall, the stallion slamming me back. I try to recover, but he was faster. My eyes met his blood red ones, murder held deep within. His coat is red, weather from blood or natural I wasn't sure. He wore thick leather barding, spikes shards of metal driven into the material. Although, his front and back hooves were bare, I noted. The stallion lashed forwards, hooves connecting with my skull and sending me flying to the ground. I roll to my hooves, pulling out my knife from its place on my hoof. I react as fast as I can, diving forwards and slashing, making contact with his right hoof as he tries to defend himself. I expected him to fall, stunned by the huge gash in his flesh, but he doesn't even flinch. My eyes go wide, realizing that he was probably pumped full of some crazy Chem-cocktail, Buffout and Medex definitely included in the mix.

“Think you’re hot shit, bandage?!” the crazed stallion chants, his eye twitching. “I'm gonna see how much blood I can mop up with those when I kill you!” He reaches down and picks up a hatchet (most likely dropped when he rammed me) and still seems to smile around it’s grip. “Time to die!”

I dive out of the way as he gives his weapon a mighty swing, the deadly blade whizzing past my head. He turns and goes for another, but I’m more prepared this time and duck, lunging forwards and sticking my knife right into his neck. “Not this time…” I muttered, removing the blade as the Raider drops to the ground, choking and coughing on his own blood.

Bang!

Cold… it did feel cold. My hooves fell out from under my as I fell. When I hit the ground, I looked down to see black ichor dripping from a new hole in my barding, set just perfectly between my front and rear plates. I groan, trying to get back up, but I find my strength fleeting. My eyelids begin to get heavier, a foreign, long since forgotten tiredness washed over my body.

Tired… so tired.

I close my eyes, a smile crossing my muzzle as I allow my old friend sleep wash over my tired mind. My mind goes fuzzy, and thought begin to blur, and soon, everything is black.

----

Pain. More pain then I had felt in a long time washed over me like a flood from a broken dam. I groaned, a tight, twisting pain radiated from my side every time I tried to move, while my entire right side and chest constantly throbbed with a pain inducing heartbeat. My dry and decayed throat let out another raspy groan as I opened my eyes, a wall of red filling the entirety of my vision. My head pounded, the world around me spinning the longer I held open my eyes. I tried to rise to my hooves, but stopped as the sharp pain in my side only grew the more effort I put in. Eventually, I stopped trying altogether, instead closing my eyes and letting my mind settle.

After longer then I would have wanted, the world settled and my mind returned to its normal functionality. My eyes opened, and I craned my neck up to see what was causing the throbbing pain in my side. It wasn’t hard to spot, the combat knife sticking out of my hide hard to miss. Knowing it had to come out, I didn’t procrastinate and leaned my head back and grabbed the blade’s handle in my maw, biting down hard as I yanked it out. Black fluid slowly trickled from the newly created hole, while all of my willpower was spent trying not to scream. The pain was ridiculous, but it eventually faded to manageable levels as time went on.

I layed on the ground for what could have been anywhere between a minute to an hour, staring up at the shredded remains of the ceiling that had once been the shop’s roof. I remember the fight, I remember the death, that much hadn’t been lost too me. The only reason, I guessed, that I was still alive had been that the Raiders had mistaken me for a normal pony, simply stabbing a knife into my side to make sure I was dead. That may work with normal ponies, but definitely not with ghouls.

The pain eventually faded to manageable levels, and I attempted to get up. It took me a few times, but eventually I was able to make it to my hooves. Once I was sure I could walk without falling, I lifted my head and took a look around.

Blood.

This was what Raiders left in their wake; blood and dismembered corpses. The front of the shop alone was filled with the bodies of all of the Raiders me and Kind Shot had taken down, while the sight beyond was much more gruesome. It looked like they had some ‘fun’ before they eventually had moved on, as corpses of both dead Raiders and locals of The Hive were arranged in horrible positions. Body parts and entrails were hung all around the area like sick party decorations, while blood literally covered the entire ground. I shuttered at the sight; at the massacre.

I removed my eyes from the rest of the carnage, busying my mind by giving myself a good look over. It was evident by both the pain and slow drip of black fluid that I would need a good radiation bath soon, if I wanted to live. To my surprise, most of my stuff was still where it should have been. By luck, I had been forgotten or passed over by the Raiders, as the rest of the place was void of the guns and ammo that had once stocked the shelves and hangers. It took some digging through the few bodies that laid around me, but I eventually also found all three of my revolvers, and ironically discovered that I had been stabbed with my own knife.

I didn’t know how long I had been out, and I knew that, in my current state, I would be lucky if I could even take down a radroach. I perked my ears up to make sure that I was alone, listening for any signs of life.

Silence.

I let out a sigh, the silence being good because it meant I was free from Raiders, but also horrible because it meant that they were all dead. A once thriving community of traders was now reduced to a pile of blood and bodies. I didn’t know how this could happen, nor did I even want to think about it. I could feel the blood that had soaked into my bandage-covered hide, and it made me feel sick, dirty… wrong.

Kind Shot.

The mare that had died in my hooves popped into my mind. I looked around me and let out a sigh of relief when I spotted her body unmolested, still in the same position it had been in when I had laid her down for the first time.

Tap… Tap.

My ears perked up. A sound, so soft that I would have missed it if I wasn’t paying attention, whispered softly into the silent air of the dead city. My head turned, facing where I believed the sound had originated. I would have been paranoid, or it could just have been nothing, but from experience I had learned never to brush off anything. More than once had I almost died as a result of not paying attention to the creaking of wood, a stir in the temperature, or just a gut feeling. Slowly, I reached down and picked up my revolver from its holster, pointing the deadly weapon forwards.

Tap… Tap.

I heard the sound again, this time getting proper bearings on its location. From what I could tell, it was coming from the back room. I trotted forwards, my hind right leg limping with each step.

Tap… Tap.

I entered the back room. Boxes of recently looted ammo crates and gun lockers littered the floor of the storeroom, the care and organization the recently departed mare had put into the room destroyed.

Tap… Tap.

Now, I had a location. I stood in front of an unopened gunlocker, this one being the only one in the entire room that had been locked. Recent scratch and jab marks on the locker’s bolt revealed that the Raiders had attempted to open it, but seemed to have failed. Or… maybe they had been the one’s to lock it?

Tap… Tap.

The bottom of the locker shook, rattling softly. I quietly reholstered my revolver, then reached back and opened my saddlebag. After some rummaging, I pulled out a screwdriver and a few bobby pins. Arranging them with practiced ease, I stepped up to the locker and used a hoof to angle the lock so I could get to the tumblers.

Tap… Tap.

With the skill of a thousand locks picked, I heard the soft ‘click’ as the lock opened. I quickly put back my still usable pin and screwdriver, leaning down and grabbing my revolver. I didn’t know what I was going to find, and, at this point, I actually believed I should just leave it alone. But, my gut told me this was what I needed to do, and I never argued with my gut.

I pointed my .44 at the locker, my hoof resting on the lock. I mentally prepared myself, stealing my focus. In one fluid motion, I kicked off the unlocked lock and threw open the door, my gun pointed directly at the inside.

My eyes focused on the locker’s sole occupant: a twitching, blood covered Raider. I looked him over, studying his appearance. He was adorned with the normal spike-style one would expected on a raider, though this one seemed to have taken one heavy beating. Blood pooled at the bottom of the locker, and with how much there was, I didn't think this Raider had much time left. The monster of a pony cowered at my sight, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“N-no! Don't k-kill me!” he pleaded, covering his head. “T’ others locked me in ‘ere ‘cause they t’ought it’d be funny.”

I stared down the petty excuse for a Raider. I wanted to kill him, take out my anger at the massacre that they had committed at this sorry excuse for a Raider. But, before I pulled the trigger, a thought popped into mind.

“Where’d you get the Bailfire Egg launcher?” I asked, figuring that I should get some information out of him first.

He shuddered, and let out a wet cough. “Th’ gang found’d it when we looted some stable nearby.”

Stable? Now, that was something new. I knew the locations of several stables in the Chicacolt area, but to my knowledge, all of them were still closed.

“Where is it?” I asked, poking the stallion with the barrel of my gun.

“I-it’s in th’ old metro station! Somewhere near tunnel… Nine, or somethin’!” he began, before stopping when he entered another coughing fit.

Stable in the old Metro? Well, can’t say that surprises me, to be honest. Probably one of the control or specialty stables Stable-Tec was so famous for. I shook my head and returned my focus to the task at hoof. “What else can you tell me about this stable?”

“A-all I know is that ol’ Green Hooves found the location at som’ ministry hub an’ ‘ad us storm the place!”

“Are there any survivors?”

The stallion nodded. “Ye’. Stable dwellers don’ know how ta figure fer shit, but the’ don’ give up eitha.”

I nodded. This meant that there still could be some ponies down there. “Anything else?”

The stallion shook his head.

I let out a sigh and click my tongue, hearing the roar of my weapons as the Raiders head was reduced to nothing but blood and gore. A pang of guilt hits me at the act, but only a small one. I gave him the gift of a quick death, much more then he would have given me.

I pop open the chamber, and reached into my bag for a replacement round. While I mindlessly reload the single spent round, I ponder over the information given. These Raiders had gotten the armament to actually perpetuate this attack from that stable, and Princesses know what else was down there.

And the dwellers.

My mind went to a dark place when I thought about that. These weren't normal Wastelanders, no, these were poor, ignorant ponies who had been assaulted by the worse this hell-trotted land had produced. What had transpired I couldn't only imagine with with horror and disgust. I knew what Raiders were capable with; the inside of that time seeped prison would be nothing short of a blood bath.

I clicked the cylinder back into its place, and then slipped my gun back into its home in its holster.

Part of me wanted to forget this information; be happy that I had survived and just leave, letting the horror that was today behind me and return back to my mindless journey. But, another part of me, one I had tried to crush for a long, long time told me to head to that Stable. I wasn't a hero, that I knew for sure. I wasn't some super pony who could bust in and save the day; cleansing the wasteland of evil. No, I was just a coward of a ghoul—one the fled from danger, and fought only for myself. I hadn't been able to save this town, surviving only from pure luck.

Heroes died, and cowards survived.

I shook my head, banishing my thoughts of heroism. I trotted forwards and out of the back room, my hooves on autopilot. But, I stopped when I reached the corpse of a single mare. She was still in her peaceful, sleeping position I had lain her down in the day before. It was strange to look down at a corpse of a pony you knew in life. I tended to distance myself from the ponies around me, and she had been no different. But, in life, she had been different then almost all that I had ever met in the wasteland.

She had smiled.

She hadn't been mean, or rude, or even angry at the world around her. No, she had been a single ray of hope; a sliver of happiness that had managed to escape the grasp of the wasteland.

Well, for a while, that is.

Now, she was dead; that spark that I had seen the previous day gone just like the life in her eyes. It was dead, she was dead… everything was dead.

Except me.

I shook my head, pushing back the thought that had begun to fill my mind. My hooves continued as I trotted over the corpse. I still had a limp from the still throbbing pain of my flesh wounds, but I continued forwards.

I hopped over the counter and landed with a wince, pain shooting up my right sided. I hissed out a few curses, but otherwise remained relatively quiet. The rest of the stop was still filled with the remains of Raiders me and Kind Shot had slain; their bodies still remained where they had fallen. The walls that had once been fully stocked with guns of all caliber were now completely empty, all that remained were empty hooks.

I kept trotted even when I exited the shop. Gore, mutilated remains, and puddles of blood filled my vision as I trotted forwards and into The Hive’s courtyard. The Raiders had their fun once everypony was dead, using their bodies as sickening decorations. I had seen this many times before, and had since been desensitized to the display. Over bodies and through the blood; past the cold corpses and mutilated bodies of ponies I had seen alive just yesterday; past carnage and death, I trotted forwards. I could see the sky fading to a dark orange, signaling the approaching nigh.

My hooves guided me past the melted gate to the once thriving trading hub, and I stopped. I had two directions I could go, two different paths that would lead me towards two different outcomes. One, I could forget about this and continue on as if it had never happened. Or two, I could travel towards the stable and… what, take on an entire Raider nest by myself? I was wounded and barely had any information about what I would walk into.

I let out a soft sigh and shook my head. What do I care? Why does the fate of a bunch of stable ponies, who are probably already dead, bother me so much? I shouldn't have cared. I should be able to ignore it like everything else since the world ended!

I let out a snort, pressing onwards in the fading light of the cloud layer. It was getting dark, and even though Chicacolt was filled with dangers during the day, the real demons came out at night. I needed to get to someplace safe, somewhere I could heal and rest. I thought for a moment, then remembered a close by apartment building that I had used more than once as a rest stop. It had been a long time since I had used it, but it seemed better than nothing.

Step after step, I trot forwards, making my way closer to my destination of relative safety. It wasn't that long of a distance, but with the burning pain in my side it could have been mines. After about ten minutes of limping later, I stopped in front of an old apartment building. Once, it had been home to over fifty families of the middle class. Now, however, it was a barely standing. Half of the entire building had caved in from the initial blast, while the other half suffered greatly from the hooves of time.

I limped forwards, pulling out my revolver and holding it at the ready. I pushed past the main doors to the lobby, my eyes scanning the area inside. Besides the skeletons of long since dead ponies, I didn’t see any signs of danger.

I kept my gun at the ready, though, just in case.

I trotted into the lobby and up a flight of stairs located just next to the reception desk, the skeleton of what I would would guess the secretary still slumped over her desk. I limped up three flights of stairs, stopping every once and awhile. Eventually, I made onto the third floor. With practiced precision, I systematically went through and checked each and every one of the room, making sure they were vacant of any hostile life. Sometimes, I wish I had been graced with a pipbuck: a pre-war wrist mounted marvel of prewar engineering. It had all sorts of features that would make my life so much better, but finding one was almost impossible. Only stables were graced with such tech, and, as far as I knew, none of the stables that were located in the Chicacolt area had opened yet. Well, until recently, that is.

Once I was sure that the floor was secure, I picked the room with the most impact furniture. The room I chose was what a small, two room apartment. It had a small kitchen, the contents of which scavenged years before, a couch, a chair, one bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom was useless, as the ceiling had given away, so that only left the couch. I dusted off the ancient material, patting it down and getting rid off as much of the built up dust and debris that I could. Once I was satisfied, I trotted over it the kitchen and shrugged off my saddlebags, placing them on the dust covered kitchen counter, followed by my hat and duster. I then unbuckled all three of my holsters and my knife and added them to the growing pile. I waited until I believed the kid was asleep before I began to remove the blood covered bandage that I had wrapped around my skin, wincing when I had to remove the ones that had been where I had been shot, stabbed, or other. Soon, a pile of blood soaked bandage lay on the floor, and I could feel the cool night air wash over my true boy for the first time in a while. Silver patches of fur dotted around my body, where it had decayed was just rotten flesh. My mane and tail, which had somehow to still remain almost completely intact. My flank still shown my cutie-mark, the one thing that didn’t seem to decay like the rest of my body. My cutie-mark was of a spray painted dark horizon with a single beam of silver light peaking past. I had been a graffiti before the war, if you believe it or not. I had been recruited by the ministry of image as a propaganda artist, spray painting images of hope wherever I could. It was a peaceful job, at first. But, as the war continued, I lost my inspiration and was soon fired. After that, I joined with the Equestrian army, and the rest is history.

I let out a sad sigh as I looked away from the mark, internally scowling at the mocking symbol of ‘hope’ stuck to my flank.

I stuck my muzzle into my bag and pulled out the materials I needed: irradiated water, a needle and thread, a single healing potion, replacement bandage I would wrap myself with once I was done, and finally my knife. I first grabbed the knife in my mouth, taking a few unneeded breaths before finally tilting my head back and digging it into my flank. I held back a scream, biting down hard on the handle. I heard a soft ‘plink’ as the first bullet popped out of my rotten skin. I took a moment to recover, then dove the knife back in as I went to work on removing the next two. Finally, after what felt like an hour, three black coated bullets lay on the floor. I held back a scream, as I didn’t want to let every Raider (or worse) know my current location. After taking a few minutes to recover, got out the needle and thread and began to sew together the larger gashes. It hurt, yes, but not even half as bad as the knife had. Once each of them had been sewn shut, I opened the irradiated water bottle and poured it all over my wounds. I let out a content sigh as waves of soothing cool washed over the areas that had until now one radiated pain. The radiation, though small, was enough for the wounds to start to heal. Radiation healed us ghouls, and it brought with it a wave of pleasure every time we basked in its warm glow. I also used the water as a makeshift bath, washing off as much blood as I could. Once that was gone, I then poured the healing potion over the wounds as well. It’s magic wasn’t even half as strong as it was to normal ponies, but it still worked.

Finally, after all of this was done, I picked up the roll of bandage and rewrapped myself. I first started with my back hooves, then worked my way to my chest, and then my front hooves, and finally my head and muzzle. It had taken years of practiced to be able to do this without a mirror; the routine now becoming more like second nature rather than a conscience action. Once this was done, and I was now completely covered, I reattached my three revolvers and knife, first wiping the blade clean on the pile of used bandage. With myself now rewrapped, I felt a lot safer. As I had said before, ponies didn’t trust ghouls. Most thought we would go feral at any moment, while others just didn’t seem to want to acknowledge that there was difference. Because of this, I had to cover my decaying body, hiding who I truly was beneath layers of bandage. It was easier to lie and say the bandages were from a large burn wound, smoke damage resulting in my croaked voice. It worked, most of the time, and those who actually figured it out didn’t seem to care.

I packed up my supplies in my saddlebags and laid it across by back along with my duster and hat and proceded over to the couch. I placed down my duster and hat on the floor and hopped up on the chair with my saddlebags. I sifted through them and began to take restock of what supplies I had remaining, and also guesstimating how much I would need for my new companion. Apparently a pipbuck had it’s own sorting spell that did this for you, but I didn’t have one so, like the rest of the Wasteland, I had to rely on memory and constant checks to know what I had, and what I needed. This was also the reason why the right side was so carefully organized, as many of the things I stored in there I would need in a moment’s notice. It wasn’t a flawless system, but years of tweaking and perfecting had gotten it to work as close to perfect as I could get.

After taking inventory, I placed the bag on the floor besides me. I sat for a little bit, letting time roll by, but soon got bored and rose from my seat, trotting over to a nearby window. Through it I looked at the dark cloud layer above, sighing at the fact that I hadn’t seen either the sun or night sky in a long, long time. I used to love looking at the night sky, observing the beauty of the stars, but that all ended when the pegasi abandoned us to create their own safe haven. I hated pegasi for this. Not for abandoning us, but for taking away the nightly beauty that was the stars.

I shook my head, pushing away old hate and returning to the couch. Again, I sat there for a while, ears perked up at attention as I watched the only door. I planned on staying here for the night, then head out for the closest highly irradiated area I could find. Sleep would forever elude me, so my entire time was spent staring at the closed door, daring for somethings to enter.

Nothing ever did.

- - - - - - - -

Dawn came. Fleeting light peeked its way through the cloud layer and pierced the darkness of the night. I watched as a single ray of light shone through the broken window, slowly growing as the sun rose higher in the sky. I waited until the beam had made it’s way about halfway up the wall before I rose to my hooves, stretching my freshly wrapped body. It would take a little bit before the bandages would conform to my body, to which I would have to deal with the slight discomfort they supplied. My body still hurt, my right side still on fire from, but it was manageable now. I took a test trot around the old apartment, happy that I could now trott with minimum pain.

I then made my way over and collected the rest of my stuff. I first slipped on my duster before I attached my saddlebags tightly at my sides. Finally, I reached down and picked up my hat, placing it snug on my head.

Welp, time for me to get going, I thought, giving myself one last stretch before trotting over to the door. I nudged it open with a hoof, then preceded to trot down the hall and down the stairs, finally exiting out the lobby and into the cool morning air.

Chicacolt. Once a bustling, busy city before the war, was now a ghost of its former glory. I stepped onto the cracked asphalt, my eyes scanning from side to side before I stepped out of the relative safety of the apartment complex. The city was filled with dangers; Raiders, the occasional Alicorn, gangs, and mutated creatures. But, despite them, life still thrived in the city. The Hive would be a substantial loss to the city's economy, but it would recover. Many more trading hubs and small ‘towns’ could be found sprawled around the city, and they would make up for the loss in time.

Life goes on, it always does.

I wasn’t sure of my next destination, as I didn’t have one. To be honest, I rarely ever had a destination. I was a wanderer, and that was what I did. From town to town, I traveled. I never really did anything. I didn’t like to fight, I didn’t like to stay, I didn’t even like being around other ponies. They only made me nervous, and even after all these years I could never be sure who I could trust. I was a lonely life, but it was still life, and not death.

I shook my head, pushing back the tangential thoughts that filled my mind. Focus, I needed to focus! At random I chose a direction and began to trot. South, if my internal compass was correct.

The street that I was currently on was originally a transition from the residential area to the business area. The buildings around me began to grow higher and higher, their piques almost too tall to view. I had to be careful trotting through this area, as it was known to house snipers that hid in the ruined skyscrapers, waiting to pick of an unsuspecting prey and steal their belongings. I was always constantly on alert, but now my focus was mainly at the sky.

Another ten minutes or so of trotting went by without incident, the only thing that I had spotted was a scampering rad-roach. It wasn’t uncommon to travel this long without seeing anypony, as most tended to travel in larger groups, or simply remain in their settlements. It was safer, as there was power in numbers.

My paced slowed as a staticy sound began to fill my ears; a familiar buzz that I had heard countless times before. I continued on and searched for it source, eventually spotting it. A single radio sat in the broken front window of an old electronics store, it’s power still somehow running. I trotted inside and up to the radio, flipping the dial and trying to find a station. I liked the radio, as it brought music and news from the ponies who had somehow managed to keep it running even after bombs fell.

Eventually, the static cleared and a familiar voice filled my ears.

“Hello, Wasteland! This is DJ PON-3, and how are y’all doing in this fine hell-hole we call home?”

The voice was masculine and official. Soothing, almost.

“Well, children, I hope it’s better than me. I just got news from Chicacolt that a group of Raiders just tore through and, well, raided the tradecenter called, ‘The Hive’. As if now, there has been no confirmed survivors, but I have hope that at least one of the town’s ponies managed to get out alive.”

I sunk my head, knowing firsthand that his optimism was poorly focused. There had been no survivors, as raiders didn’t like taking ponies alive. They would sweep through like a swarm of locusts, destroying everything in their way before moving on.

“Now, I don’t know where exactly these raiders are set up camp, but reports from the area show a rise in activity near the Metro system, so until somepony can deal with them, I suggest steering far, far away from that area.

“Anyways, that’s all I have for you right now. Stay safe out there.”

The DJ’s voice stopped, replaced soon after with music I had heard countless times before.