Fallout Equestria: The Forgotten

by Intel Wise

Chapter 2: Sins of The Past

Fallout Equestria: The Forgotten

Chapter 2: Sins of The Past.

Sins, a lot of ponies living in the wasteland think we are paying for the sins of the past, but that is not the case. The sins of the prewar ponies where paid in full when the Mega Spells where dropped and they watched their world crumble before their very eyes. The wasteland is a gift, a chance for redemption, not a punishment. Sins still exists, and atrocities are still committed every day in the waste. Evil never lets go of you, it's always with you and tries to force you to do things, No matter how good you may be.

Have I done evil things? Yes, but there's a fine line you can walk on between good and evil and not get corrupted by it. You can always try and do good in your life, but sometimes while trying to do good you have to be a bit evil. Sins are different, sins are where you do evil with no intention of it helping anypony other than yourself. But when you last days come, all you can hope for is that the good outweighs the evil.

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The mare fell forward out of the tube heading for the steel floor below.
"Woh!" I said, catching her just before she hit the floor with my magic. I gently sent her down in front of me and looked her over.

She was unconscious but didn't look hurt. I looked over the rest of her and stopped when I crossed over her cutie mark, a scroll with a quill writing on it. I looked back up to her face trying to remember anything. "I know this mare." I came into my head, but I couldn't remember where I have seen her before.

"She ok?" I heard 67 ask brining me out of my thoughts.

"Huh." I said startled looking at him as he walked up next to me. His eyes looking the mare over to.

"Ya, she's fine, just tired from waking up so fast." I replied looking back down at her.

"67."

"ya."

"Check the rest of the room for anything we can use while I go over the file I got from the Overmares office." I told him my eyes not looking away from the mares face.

"K." He said, I heard him walk to the other side of the room. I didn't turn to look, my eyes were still fixed to the mare.

I sat down and pulled up my Pipbuck, found the Subject File and opened it. It was in a list form, starting at one at the top. As I scrolled down some of the file was corrupted, some of the subjects numbers weren't even there, just random letters and keys where info should be. I found 12 and opened it.

Subject 12

Name: @^&gg$*24^7gr*

Sex: Male

Physical Appearance: $^*@: Dark Red Main/Tail: Silver Eyes: Gold

Job Occupation: Military : s%7258jj4g*@3@7: Sniper division: %78900@4%^&: 1st
Company

Rank: Captain

Stationed: Canterlot

1st Company's Job: %&*((%$%^783$ Protection %6 &#%^646#%^&* Royal Family.

" Canterlot, It's a start." I thought as closed the file and moved on. 34 was next down on the list, but when I opened it there was nothing. It wasn't corrupted, it was erased, nothing was in there, just an empty file. I looked up from my Pipbuck and at the sleeping mare.

"Who are you?" I said under my breath.

"Huh, did you say something 12?"

I looked over my shoulder, 67 head was in a cabinet.

"Uh, nothing, just talking to myself." I turned back around "Damn high pitched hearing Pegasus."

"Heard that."

I just ignored him and went back to the files as he chuckled. I just pasted all of the other files tell I got to 67, I opened up and read it aloud.

"Subject 67, name Black Water." I heard him stop going through drawers as he listened.

"Job occupation, Military, Special Forces, Ministry Of War, First Strike Team." I stopped as I heard him walk up behind me.

"Rank, unknown. Stationed: Mainhattan. First Strike Team's job, Classified."I closed the file and looked up at Black Water as he stood over me. He had this straight face look as the gears in his head turned.

"That's my name?"He asked. I nodded

"What's your name then?"

I just shrugged "Don't know, my file was to corrupted. I only know I was with a sniper company that had something to do with the Royal Family and that I was stationed in Canterlot."

"Canterlot, I feel like I have been there." He said as he started walking back to one of the desks "Wait?" He said stopping half way there and turning back to look at me."How do I know Canterlot, and how to fight and lock pick but I couldn't even remember my name? "

"Remember what the journal said." I got up and faced him. "They were doing tests on us, and my best guess form what I seen is that it was some sort of mind test. We were the ones who they were having problems with."

"Ya?" He asked wanting me to explain more.

"I think they were trying to erase our minds, but we fought back and they only got part of our memories. So that's why we know all the fighting and other things but not our pasts."

"But that makes no sense." He yelled slamming a hoof on the floor "Why would they try and take our memories? What would they gain from it?" He said as anger rose in his voice and fire burned in his eyes.

"I don't know, but the only one who may know is her." I said tuning around looking back at the mare on the floor. "They couldn't get anything back from her when they did the test. Meaning she might remember everything." Black walked up next to me.

He looked at her for a while and then sighed. "That means we have to take her with us, doesn't."

"Yup."

"I'm not carrying her." He said

"I know."

He snorted and then walked away "Fine. Help me look through the rest of the room and then we can see where that hall I found leads."

"Wait? What hall?" I said looking at him as he opened up a desk drawer and picked through it.

"Well. While you were going through the files, and busy staring at her flank, I knocked over a locker and there was a hall behind it."

He turned around and grinned at me, I just glared at him and walked over to the sink in the corner of the room. I opened up one of the cabinets above it and looked for anything. There wasn't much in there, just a bottle of Rad-X and a pack of Radaway. I was putting them in my saddle bag when I heard Black.

"Pay Dirt." He yelled. I turned around he was dragging a first aid kit out from under a desk. I went over to him just as he opened it.

Inside sat a full box of Med-X and sixteen Healing potions I picked them up and divided between us. I downed one to fix the reaming hole in my leg and the pain was finally dissipated. Under that though was three packets of Party Time Mentats. I picked them up and put them in my bag. Black just stared at me.

"What are you going to do with those." He said

I looked at him and then it hit me what he meant. "Oh, no, I don't use them. I just thought that whatever world we might find out there, these might be worth something. Maybe to buy some food."

I heard Blacks stomach growl.

"Ya, not a bad idea." He said smiling up at me. I looked back at the mare laying on the floor and walked over to her.

"You go check out the hall and see where it leads, I'll be right behind you once I get her." I said looking back at him. He nodded and started walking down the hall, as I looked back to the blue mare.

I picked her up and set her on my back length ways so her head was resting on the back of my neck. I was just about to walk when her forelegs wrapped around my neck and I heard a soft sigh. I was a little surprised, I looked back at her and she looked more like she was sleeping now then unconscious but my attempts to wake her did nothing. I just shrugged and started walking down the hall to catch up with Black.

The hall was long and was just wide enough for one pony to walk, there was also a few sharp corners that made me a little nervous. If anything was to jump out at me I couldn't move fast enough with the mare on my back. I made a few more turns and then up a staircase and at the end of the hall I could see Black waiting for me.

I kept the same pace as I walked down the hall and for the first time noticed and felt the heart beat of the mare on my back, I could feel her breath on the back of neck and her main draped over my shoulders, it felt strange. I felt more calm, I felt, almost at home. I wasn't sure but it felt like I have a connection with her, but it was strange. It could have just been the fact that she was on my back but I couldn't tell.

I finally caught up with Black, he was leaning on the left wall in a small room just big enough for us to stand in, it looked like a dead end as I entered it, but a quick look around showed otherwise. I smiled as I approached a glowing wall terminal, I entered the Overmares password and the terminal reviled all its secrets to me. I was surprised when I got inside that where was a camera feed on the right half of the screen, it was the stable entrance from the inside. I looked at the only option on the screen and it said open door. I clicked it and the wall Black was leaning on opened up and he fell through it and hit the floor on the other side.

I looked out the door and chuckled at him as he pulled himself from the floor glaring at me.

"You did that on purpose." He said snorting at me

"Hay, don't blame me. You were just leaning on the wrong wall." I said trying not to laugh.

He just rolled his eyes and turned around, I looked past him at the large door that was on the wall. I walked up next to him and we both stared at the large steel door to the stable.

"Well we have nowhere else to go." I said as I walked up the short steps and over to the control switch for the door. I put in the code from the Overmares office and the panels red light turned green, I then pulled down the large lever.

I walked back down the steps as the metal arm swung down and grabbed the door and started to pull it back. The sound of steel on steel was bad enough for me to lay my ears back as I watched sparks come from the grinding metal. As the door parted the wall the change of air pressure moved my main as it blew through my coat. I looked at Black as he opened up his wings and took a deep breath of the air as it came through the door. The door was finally away from the wall and it rolled out of the way reviling the black wall behind it.

Black looked at me and I nodded, he looked back to the door and slowly walked outside. I saw him disappear as he walked out of the light of the stable.

"Clear." I heard from the door.

I slowly walked out and into the darkness of the world. A cold breeze blew through my coat and stole my heat, the mare on my back pulled closer trying to get any warmth from me that she could. I looked around at the dark shapes of cliffs that surrounded us on both sides leavening us only one way to go, but as I looked up I could see the stars of the night and Luna's moon hanging in the sky like a beautiful disk lighting the way.

I Looked around for Black but couldn't see him.

"Black? Where are you?" I said as I scanned the ground for him.

"I'm right here." I heard him call a little ways in front of me.

I looked at the direction of the voice and my night vision started to come in as I made out his small form.

"Oh, there you are. You freaking disappear in the dark. The only thing I can really see is the gold in your main." I heard him chuckle.

"Stealth Expert, remember." He said as I walked up next to him. "At least that dark red coat of yours hides you a little bit. Silver main does nothing for you though, you glow like Celestia's sun."

I looked down at him, couldn't tell if he was smiling or not but I was pretty sure he was. I looked down the canyon that we, or at least I would have to follow. It didn't looked like it ended, it just kept going.

"I'll go up and watch you from the right ridge so I can see further. Just start walking and I will stay with you."

"K." I said as I heard him flap his wings and takeoff. I saw him in flight but once he hit the cliff he vanished.

I opened up my Pipbuck and entered Blacks tag from his Pipbuck. The green dot showed on my E.F.S. that he was just waiting on the cliff. I looked back at the open stable door and focused my magic on the switch inside and pulled it. The door hissed as it started its closing process as I started walking through the dark night air.

I was a ways away when I heard the last sound of the door closing. I looked farther down the canyon and the path that I was going to walk, and thanks to Luna's full moon I could see fairly far. I walked for what seemed like hours and the canyon showed no sign of ending, The only company I had was the filly on my back, and the best I could do with her was listen to her breathing and feel her heart. She did keep my back warm as I walked though, at least I wasn't freezing like Black was on the top of the canyon where the wind must be howling. I looked back at my E.F.S., he was still keeping pace.

I started to think about the file on me and piece together anything I could. I was part of a sniper team that worked with the Royal Family, I was stationed in Canterlot so that was my first stop. Then I remembered the filly on my back., she probably knows something that might help, but I wouldn't get that information tell she wakes up. I lowered my head and let out a long sigh, none of this makes sense, why were any of the ponies in the stable there in the first place.

I looked back up and saw that the canyon was starting to widened out. I looked further and then I stopped. It looked like there was light in the middle of the canyon. I pulled out Swift and looked through the night vision scope and saw a camp fire. There was two ponies dressed in the same armor as the ones back in the stable sitting around the fire. I the heard the flap of wings as something landed behind me, I glanced down at my E.F.S. and saw that the green dot.

"Did you see anything form up there." I said still looking through my scope.

"Ya, the canyon ends not far past these guys. I also saw what looks like a town not far from the end of the canyon that we could stay the night in. I think there are ponies living there, I saw a lot of light."

"Is it just those two by the fire?" I asked lowering Swift and looking at Black

"No, there's one more on a shelf on the right cliff, Probably on lookout."

I took a second to think, mulling over a plan. Then I figured it out. "Ok, I have a plan. If you can take out the one on the shelf quietly, then we can together get the two by the fire." I said looking back through my scope. I heard Black digging through his bags and I put Swift back down and looked at him.

He pulled something out and I heard the snap of buckles as he clipped it to his right hoof.

"What's that?" I asked not being able to see it.

"It's some kind hoof blade, I found it the room with the mare when I was poking around. I can wear it and at a second's notice flip it out and stab with it." He said as he fiddle with the adjustments.

"K, once you get the one on the cliff, fly down and get the one on the left side of the campfire. As soon as I see you get him I will take out the other one."

"Got it." He said as he flapped his wings and took to the air.

I scanned the cliff with Swift looking for the lookout Black was taking about. I found him right as Black was sneaking up on him, he was crouched low as he approached the lookout. I watched as the lookout quickly turned around, and right as he did I saw Black's bladed hoof shoot up into his neck. Black moved and caught the lookout with the other hoof stopping him from falling to the ground. He then took off and flew to the canyon floor. I watched him approach the pony on the left in the same style. I put my crosshairs on the right pony's body and waited for Black to make his move.

I saw Black open up his wings, he then jumped in the air and landed on the pony. The other one jumped from Black's intrusion falling off the log he was sitting on and stopped me from making my shot. I put my sites back onto the pony and was about to shoot, but then I saw Black running at him and I didn't want to risk shooting him. He tackled the pony right as he came back over the log, I lost sight of them as they rolled behind a boulder. I held my breath waiting for somepony to step back into my line of sight. I looked at both ends of the large rock hoping that Black would be ok. I then saw him step out with fully erect wings as he waved a hoof at me to come over.

I let my breath out in a sigh and put Swift back in my holster and trotted over to the camp. It took me a while and by the time I got there Black was warming up by the fire, Blood stained into his right foreleg.

"What was with you going after the third one?" I asked as I approached him.

"I don't know."He said staring into the fire. "I hit the second one and immediately went after the third one. It's like instinct took over."

I looked at him as he sat there, he looked a little rattled.

"You all right?"

"Ya, just felt like someone took control over me, but I'm fine now." Black said standing up

"Let's check and see if these guys have anything we can use." I said walking up to the first one Black got. He put the blade right through his neck making short work of him.

I opened up the saddle on the pony and looked through it. There was a flint and steal and some shotgun ammo along with some other random things but nothing seemed important. Then my eye caught something in the bag, it was a small leather pouch, I pulled it out and open it, there was a mixture of Sparkle~Cola and Sunrise Sarsaparilla bottle caps inside it, about forty of them. I furrowed my brow as I looked them over for anything special but they were just bottle caps.

"Hey Black, dose the saddle bag your going through have a small bag of bottle caps in it?" I said over my shoulder.

"Ya, like eighty of them. Why would they be carrying them?" I heard come from behind me.

"Don't know. It's strange." I said as I put the bottle caps I pulled out back into the little pouch.

"I think we should keep them. Something is just telling me they might be important." I heard him say.

"You may be right." I said floating the pouch into my saddle bag along with the flit and steel. I looked back down to the pony and over his armor.

I then thought back to the bullet that grazed my flank back in the stable and how that could have been prevented with just a little armor. "Fuck it, free armor." I thought as I started unclipping the bucks armor.

"What are you doing?" Black said walking up next to me.

"Attrition. Your enemy gets weaker as you get stronger." I said pulling off the body piece. "You should go grab the armor from the other one."

"Ya, might as well." He said turning around going back to the other pony. "This one's armor is too big, I think the one on the ridge is my size." He called out from across the fire.

I Heard him fly off as I pulled the last piece of armor off the buck's leg. It was in good condition with a few nicks and scrapes, but nothing troubling. I looked over my shoulder at the mare, I was going to have to set her down to get the armor on. I looked around for a place and saw three bedrolls next to the fire. I gently lifted her off my back and laid her down on the one nearest the fire. She didn't fuss at all as I moved her, and her breathing didn't even change. I smiled down at the unknown mare and started to put my new armor on.

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Ten minutes later I pulled the last strap tight. The weight of the tan Reinforced Leather armor felt good on my body. It stopped at my shoulders and half way down my legs, but anything that hit the armor would defiantly be slowed down. I looked back at my flank and saw the groups insignia on the armor, A Pony Skull With Red Rifles crossed behind it. I focused my magic and scraped the cheep paint off the armor on both sides, made it look nicer. I heard the flap of wings and looked forward.

Black was standing there and in the light of the campfire, I could see the armor he was wearing was like mine but noticeably darker.

"Nice." I said looking it over and walking around him. "I like the color."

"Ya, the buck wearing it must have been high in there group. I also lightened it up some so I can fly with it better." He said as I continued my walk around and stopped in front of him.

"I like it. Oh one thing through." I said focusing my magic and scraping of the marks on the armor.

"Oh, ya, forgot about that." He said looking back at his flank as the glow of my magic disappeared.

"So you said you saw a town when you where on the top of the canyon?" I asked as I walked back to the mare on the bedroll.

"Yes, there was light coming from it and I saw what looked like a wall, but I'm not sure, It's still a ways away. Maybe and three hour walk." He said as he sat down next to the fire.

"Well head there. We need to get someplace safe for the rest of the night." I said as I picked the mare up and put her on my back. As I did the wind picked back up and blew right down the canyon with a cold vengeance. The mare shivered on my back and again wrapped her forelegs around my neck. I felt bad for her, probably wasn't warm laying on my armor. I looked down at the bedroll on the ground and picked it up. I laid over her trying to keep her as warm as possible.

"Getting attached are we 12?" Black said grinning up at me from where he sat.

I rolled my eyes and picked up the two other bedrolls, rolling them up into their correct cylinder shapes. I hooked one of them onto my saddle and threw the other one at Black almost hard enough to knock him over. He smiled as he stood up and hooked the roll onto his saddle. I started walking and Black fallowed as we made our way out of the canyon. The walk was short and we stopped as the canyon opened up into a small valley, and from up on the ridge I could see the lights in the distance that Black was talking about. We looked at each other and then continued on our way for whatever town we hoped to find.

"So what's our plan now? The Overmares office didn't tell us much, so where do we go from here?" Black asked interrupting the silence.

"Not sure. Let's just focus on making it to the town and then get what we can from this mare." I said as the walk returned to silence.

As we walked we passed a few farm houses and barns but nothing noticeable or important

"So what's with the filly on your back? She seems to just be asleep. Why not just wake her now so we can see what she knows?" He asked ending the calmness of the night, again.

"I can't wake her up, I've tried. I think it has to do with the stasis she was in. She is stuck in a deep sleep and just needs time." I said looking forward as I walked, keeping the glow of the town in my sight.

We walked for hours as the light from the town or whatever we were walking to grew brighter. We slowed down as we were faced with a wall with burning torches on the sides of its gate. We stopped in front of it and looking for anypony but saw nothing. *Crack* echoed the still night air as a bullet hit the ground at me feet making me jump back almost knocking the filly off my back.

"I don't miss twice you red rifle bastards, make any sudden moves and the next one is coming for your head!"

I looked up and on the wall saw the shape of a pony.

"Red Rifle?" I asked the pony on the wall.

"You're not going to raid our town again! Not on my watch!" The pony yelled down from the top of the wall

"Were not Red Rifle." Black yelled stepping up next to me.

"Ya? Then why are you wearing their armor?" The wall pony asked

"We killed a few up in the canyon to the east." I yelled back to the wall pony "Do we need to say more?"

The wall pony said nothing as we stood there waiting for an answer.

"Ok then. If that's true, then why are you here?" The wall pony asked

"We just want a place to rest for the night." Black yelled

Nothing was said as the tension in the air grew. I looked over the rest of the wall as more ponies started to show up.

"Ok, were going to open the gate and send someone out to collect your weapons. Then we'll let you in. You make any sudden moves at all and you'll be dead before you hit the ground." The wall pony said as the sound of metal dragging on dirt encoded in the air as the gate opened.

The gate stopped barely after it started as a head poked through. A unicorn pony buck took a few steps out and then approached us. The light of the torches lit up the area well enough that I could see the fear in the young bucks eyes as he approached us. He couldn't have been more then thirteen and his fear matched his age. He stopped ten feet away from us and reaching up with mouth grabbed a duffle bag off his back and threw it in front of us.

"Put.. your weapons in the bag... and then give it to me." The young colt said with plenty of fear in his voice.

Black snorted at the colt and unclipped his shotguns from his saddle. I Pulled out Swift and the SMG and put them inside the bag along with Black's shotguns. Black then unclipped the Hoof blade and threw it in there to. I looked back to the colt and then the sound of Black going through his saddle bag made me look back. He then pulled out the laser pistol from the Stable and put it in the bag, he then went back into his bag and pulled out two pistols and a 9mm SMG and put them in the bag. I glared at him as he closed his left saddle bag, he then opened his right and pulled out three grenades and a Revolver and set them in the bag as well. The colt just stared at the bag of weapons.

"Really?" I said "Is that at least all of them?"

Black just stood there as he looked up and thought.

"Ya, that's all of them." He said turning and looking at me.

I sighed and zipped up the duffle bag and floated it over and set it in front of the colt. He picked the strap up in his mouth and swung the bag onto his back.

"Ok, follow me." The colt said, turning around and walking back to the gate.

We followed him through the small crack in the wall and on the other side where four unicorns aiming shotguns and SMGs at us.

"So." A unicorn buck stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the surrounding fire. "You say you killed a few Red Rifles and then stole their armor."

The buck was yellow with a white mane and tail and was wearing some type of armor made out of scrap metal.

"What reason do we have to believe you? You could be lying to us so you can get in our town again." The buck said stepping closer to us.

"We just willingly gave you our weapons." Black said taking a step forward, all the surrounding ponies pointed the guns at him. He didn't even seem to notice them as he continued. "How are we suppose to do anything to your town without them."

"Good point." The yellow buck said looking at the other unicorns. They lowered their weapons but keep them held in their magic.

"You said the you killed the Red Rifles up in the canyon to the east." The buck said walking around me and looking at the mare on my back. "I don't know anypony who's crazy enough to go that deep into Red Rifle territory and then come back out alive. So why did you go there?"

"We didn't go there." I said. The bucks turned his head and looked at me. "We came from there. Out of stable 50."

The buck stopped in his tracks. "What did you just say?"

"We were in stasis inside the Stable. We got out only six hours ago." I said. The ponies around us looked to each other and then back at us.

"No thanks to the Red Rifles." Black threw in.

Minutes passed as nothing was said and the yellow buck just stared at us.

"Follow me." Was the words that came from the yellow buck as he started walking away.

Me and Black looked at each other and then started to fallow. As we walked there were makeshift homes on each side of the dirt street, made out of scrap metal and scrap wood. Most of the homes where lit by torches on the outside but somewhere running on electricity and light bulbs. Then we turned a corner and looked down a large street and I guessed it was the main street. There were many two and three story buildings on the street that looked like there were about to fall apart. We walked half way down the street and then stopped in front of a two story brick building that had the words Security Office painted above the door.

The yellow buck opened the door with his magic and motioned us in. Inside were desks on the left and right side of the room. There were several ponies behind a few of them writing on paper and filling out forms, paying us no mind. The buck walked past us and up a flight of stairs in the right corner of the room. We followed him and at the top of the stairs where several walled in offices. A few of the doors where open and there where ponies inside of them who watched us as we passed. The others were closed, the glass on the doors stained yellow. The buck stopped in front of the office at the end of the hall. The door window was much less stained and in black letters on the glass was written. "Chief Officer Wild"

The buck opened the door and lead us inside. The room was in good condition, a large desk sat in the middle of the room covered in papers. Filling cabinets sat behind it and the walls looked freshly painted.

"You can set her down over there." The buck said motioning with a hoof to the right side of the room.

I looked and there sat a ruined couch against the wall. I walked over to it and picked the mare off my back and laid her down on it. I pulled the bedroll back over her making sure she stayed warm. She looked more peaceful than anypony I have seen so far.

"You must really have a thing for her."

I turned around and the yellow buck was looking at me.

"Huh. No, we found her in a stable stasis pod as well." I said looking at the buck and then back to the mare.

"Well, the only time I've see a stallion care for a mare like that is if they have something." He said flatly. I looked back as he sat in the chair behind his desk, he didn't smile or even grin, he meant that what he said.

"Well, that's a good sign that you aren't one of the Rifles." He said gesturing to one of the two chairs in front of his desk. "Never seen one of those raiders care for anypony other than them self's."

I sat down in the chair as Black took the other one.

"So start from the beginning." The buck said as he looked at us.

We told him everything we had been through. Told him about the stable and how I woke up Black. How it was overrun with ghouls and Red Rifles. He listened intently through the whole story, even asked a few questions. Fifteen minutes later and our story was done, he seemed satisfied as it ended.

"Well." He said leaning back in his chair. "Seems like you two have been through hell. Sorry to tell you life outside the Stable will be no better."

"Why?" Black asked

"Well seeing as you two have no clue what is going on out here I'll give you a brief rundown."

He told us his story of life in the wasteland. His hardships and how life is since the death of Equestria. He told us of Red Eye's rule over Fillydelphia and how that came to an end along with the Goddess and the Alicorns. He told us how Canterlot came to its end along with Luna. It was shocking to hear how the Enclave had controlled the sky and how Celestia and Littlepip stopped them. He told what parts of Littlepip's story he knew. How she came from Stable 2 with Velvet Remedy and how they cleansed the wasteland with the Gardens of Equestria, destroying the Taint and radiation in the wasteland. Her story was an amazing tail that crossed all bounders as he tried to do good for all of the life in the wasteland. Her life and tail would not be soon forgotten in the world.

"That's all I know." The buck said. Me and Black just stared off into space as we thought about how the world had changed.

"I never truly introduced myself to you two. My names Sprite, Sprite Wild." He said leaning over the desk offering a hoof shake. I shook it and so did Black.

"I run the security here in Tricross." He said leaning back in his chair once more.

"Tricross?" Black asked

"Yes, our town is not far from the intersection of the three rail lines that connects Fillydelpha, Manehattan, and the cities and towns in the north. So the name Tricross was the first we could think of, and it stuck." Sprite said beaming with ego. "The town is home to over 200 ponies, zebras, and griffins."

"Wow." I said through a yawn. "This town has carved out a nice little place for itself."

Sprite chuckled. "Well I can tell at least you two have had a rough day. I should let you get some rest. The town hotel is at the end of main street. Just go right once you leave this building and you should see the glowing lights of Crossing hotel. I'll send a guard over to your room with your weapons."

"Thanks." Black and me said as we got out of the chairs.

I walked over to the couch to get the sleeping filly. She had rolled over in her sleep while we were talking. I picked her up and set her on my back and put the bedroll back over her, again she put her forelegs around my neck. It made me smile as she did. We thanked Sprite one more time before leavening his office. We walked out of the building and fallowed his directions to the hotel. At the end of the street was the glowing building of the Crossing Hotel. We entered it and sitting behind the lobby desk reading a magazine was a Dark Blue Alicorn. She noticed us once we were in the middle of the room.

"Can I help you?" She said. Her voice sounded amazing. It captivated me for a moment as I just stared at her.

"Yes." I said regaining my thoughts. "We would like to rent a room."

"Ok, for how many?

"Three."I said

"Ok." She said opening up a book. "The only rooms we have right now are on the fifth floor, and that is going to be 35 caps a night for three."

"Caps?" I asked cocking my head slightly

"35 Bottle Caps." She said staring at me with an inquisitive look on her face

"Oh." I said opening up my saddle back and pulling out 35 Bottle caps and giving them to her. She grabbed them in her dark blue magic and put them in the register next to the terminal on the desk.

"Ok, follow me to your room." The Alicorn said as she got out from behind the desk. "My name is Midnight, and I will be your host while you stay at the Crossing Hotel."

We fallowed her up the stairs and down the second floor hallway, I studied the Alicorn as we walked. The most shocking thing about her that she was taller than me. I'm a large stallion, I'm easily bigger than Black but he's already small, because he's a Pegasus. I was also slightly bigger than Sprite and he is a normal unicorn. This Alicorn had me beat by a few inches, and when I feel small next to somepony they should be really happy. I forgot about her height and moved onto the details. Her main was only a slightly lighter blue than her coat and her Cutie mark was a bright White Star. I had no idea what a star could stand for and the more I stared at it the less I understood.

A giggle broke me out of my thoughts. I looked around and then noticed the alicorn. She had a smile on her face and was watching me with one of her eyes as we walked. I then realized that I was blatantly staring at her flank as we walked. I felt the heat of a blush on my face as it came through my coat. She giggled again and then looked forward with a big smile on her face. I slowed down trying to get out of the view of the alicorn. Then Black walked up next to me.

"Smooth." He said trying not to laugh

I just gritted my teeth through the blush and focused my magic. I grabbed his forelegs and tripped him sending him face first onto the floor. He laughed as quietly as he could as he pulled his face off the floor and trotted to catch up with me and Midnight. We walked in silence through the third floor and then up the stairs to the fourth. On the fourth floor I had to ask.

"So what's your cutie mark mean?" I asked Midnight as sped up to keep pace with her.

She giggled at me again. "That's what I thought you were staring at." She said in that amazing voice. "Turns out my talent is being a star. I'm a singer down at the opera house."

I smiled. "You defiantly have the voice for it."

She giggled again and smiled as we walked up the last flight of stairs to the fifth floor. We stopped half way down the hall in front of room 95. She floated out a key and gave it to me.

"If you two need anything just come down to the lobby or room 1 and I will see what I can do." She said with a smile. She turned around and I watched as she brushed her tail over Black's face. He stood there frozen as she walked away. She stopped half way down the hall and looked over her shoulder at Black, she giggled and winked at him and then continued on her way. I looked back and forth between the two and saw a blush come up on Blacks face as he watched her go down the stairs. I just stared at him trying not to laugh.

"You know Black." I said trying hard not to burst out laughing. "You may be a stealth expert, but you can't hide a blush worth a damn." I said finally breaking down and laughing at him.

He just raised his right foreleg and not looking away from where the alicorn had been punched me in my chest. He hit me hard enough that it made me take a step back but it didn't stop my laugh. I turned around and using the key unlocked the door and stepped inside still laughing. I flipped the switch on the wall as the room was flooded with light as my laugh calmed down. I walked past the bathroom further in and looked around. It was nicely furnished, the walls where bare of wall paper in a few spots but nothing bad. The beds where nice though, they looked clean and the green and white bed spread looked new, but then I saw that there was only two beds. One was just bigger than the other and could fit two ponies. Black walked past me with that same face he had in the hallway and took the small bed as he laid down on it. I looked at the other bed and did a mental shrug. I picked the mare off my back and set her down on the right half of the bed.

I took my saddle bag off and started to strip my armor off. Loosening straps and pulling off pieces of it off and setting it next to the bed. I had just finished removing the last piece when there was a knock on the door. I walked over to it and opened it. I looked down at the same brown colt that took our weapons in the first place. He had the same duffle bag over his back and was staring at me. He grabbed the strap in his mouth and set the bag on the floor at my hooves.

"Here's your guns." He said sounding a little more calm then when we meet at the gate.

"Thanks." I said picking it up and setting it in our room. He started to walk away.

"Hey." I called out. making him stop. "Come here."

He lowered his head as he walked back to me at the door. "Yes." He said. Sounding like a foul that was about to get a scolded for braking something in the house.

"So what are you doing with the security team? You're so young, shouldn't you be in school?" I asked as his head rose back up and he looked at me.

"I'm Sprite Wild's son." He said. My ears perked up, he never mentioned a son.

"Really? Where's your mom?" I asked

His ears dropped again as he looked at the floor. "My mom died when we were coming back from New Appleloosa with supplies for the town. We were attacked by raiders and my dad only managed to save me from the attack. I didn't really know my mom, I was only four when it happened."

I looked at him and felt bad for the colt, his mother died and he didn't even get a chance to know her. I may not remember my family but this kid lost part of his.

"I'm sorry."I said as the colt looked back up at me. "I should have asked in the first place, but what's your name?"

"Spring. I was born on the first day Spring so that's what my mom called me." He said.

"Well it's nice to meet you Spring." I said raising a hoof. "My name's 12."

The colt shook my hoof still looking at me. "Hold on, I have something for you." I said to the colt and walked back into our room. Black was out of his armor and laying on his back in his bed, Snoring away. I opened his saddle bag and found his cap bag. I opened it and there was at least 200 caps in it. He must have picked up more from that Red Rifle pony that was on that ridge. I floated out 20 caps and then walked over to the duffle bag of guns. I opened it and found that Revolver that Black had, I looked it over and was amazed. The thing was brand new, polished stainless steel with a ivory handle. I picked it up and walked back over to the door. The colt was still standing there patiently.

"Here," I said floating the caps in front of him."Take these."

He grabbed them with is magic and put them in his saddle bag. He looked up at me with a soft smile.

"And take this as well." I floated the revolver out from behind my back and presented it to the colt. His eyes grew big as he gripped it in his magic and pulled it close to his face looking at it.

"Are you sure?" The colt asked lowering the gun and looking up at me.

"Ya, I'm sure." I said smiling down at the colt. "You can tell your dad it's a gift from me."

I don't think I have ever seen (or that I can remember) a colt as happy as this one was in front of me.

"Thanks." He said taking off down the hall with the revolver in his magic.

I smiled as I closed and locked the door. I walked back to my bed with the mare in it. She was still asleep and under the covers. I climbed into my half and faced away from the mare. I was instead looking at Black sleeping on his back with his legs straight in the air. I rolled back over and the mare was facing me. She looked so peaceful as she slept and I was soon joining her as my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Notes:

Level up: Subject 12

S: 6

P:4

E: 4

C:7

I:8

A:4

L:7

New Perk: Sniper training: You can hit a moving target while falling through the air from 100 yards away. +20 to guns

Guns: +26 (63)

Science: + 7(43)

Speech: +5(45)

Level up: Black Water

S: 5

P:8

E:4

C:5

I:5

A:7

L:6

New Perk: Special Forces: Your training is amazing and your stealth is impeccable. +15 to sneak and + 10 to lock picking

Sneak: +15(68)

Guns: + 5(46)

Lock Pick: +14(57)

Melee: +3(39)

Comments

[Intel Wise]

First time putting a story up on any sight. Any comments about a typo or anything else helps.

[volrathxp]

Will drop it onto my nook and check it out for you and let you know what I think! Toss you an upvote too for grins!