Outcasts

by Dr. Rainbro Dash

Chapter Two: Badlands

Outcasts: Chapter 2

"A billion years ago the world rained fire and solar radiation. Today, it only rains water with the occasional chocolate rain downpour.... Yeah, wake me when things get interesting again.” -Anonymous Evil God

I’d been flying for hours, maybe days as there had been a constant grey overcast ever since I entered the skies of the badlands. On the ground clay-colored hills and plateaus littered the otherwise featureless landscape. After I’d exhausted my strength I landed for a short break under a rock arch formation, which turned into a long slumber...

<<-------------------------------------------------->>

“Somepony help! My leg is caught and I need help!” I awoke to somepony yelling nearby. My muscles were sore and I felt ill, but I got up and surveyed my surroundings for the source of the voice.

A silver-colored pony kneeled head down in the distance next to a plateau and a pile of rocks. She continued calling for help as I stumbled toward her, not seeing me. My eyelids felt heavy. When I was finally only a few yards away I told her I’d help.

What looked up at me wasn’t a pony; its face was blank except for a lifeless O where a mouth would be. What looked like blood poured out of this hole and down the thing’s metal chin. I was about to break out into a run when it shrieked a brain-rattling sound of screeching metal. Blood began running out of my left ear and the thing leapt at me.

Lightning struck the machine and it fell on its face just in front of me. I couldn’t hear the thunder over the incessant ringing of my right ear. Suddenly a wave of nausea broke over me and I collapsed into the grasp of a pony who flew off with me in their hold.

<<-------------------------------------------------->>

When I came to I felt well rested and there was only minor tinnitus in my left ear. I felt a reminiscent tingling sensation in my throat that could only mean I’d drunk a health potion - which I’d kept one of in my bag. I was lying down next to a campfire in a cave. My bags were on the floor with their contents spilled out. A high-pitched and ecstatic voice spoke to me:

“Hooray! You’ve regained continuous!”

“Don’t you mean consciousness?” I answered drearily.

The voice belonged to a mare who was slightly taller than me. Her coat was a dull yellow and her mane saffron. Her eyes were gold, she had a cutie mark of the symbolic theater masks, though curiously both of them were smiling instead of just one. She had wings and... a horn? That would explain the timely lightning.

“You’re an Alicorn...,” I heard myself say. A look of distress appeared on her face.

“I’ll... I’ll leave if you want me to; I don’t want to hurt anypony...,” She murmured.

“What do you mean? I don’t want you to leave.”

“Well, most ponies I’ve met say I’ll force them into some detatorship with my unholy powers of the Sun. I don’t even know what a tatorship is!” She furrowed her brow at me as I covered my mouth and laughed, but she was smiling again. “Did I say something funny?”

“I’m not afraid of you forcing me into a dictatorship, especially since you saved my life.”

“Really? That’s great! We can be friends together and go everywhere with each other! Can I eat some of your food? I haven’t eaten in days. There’s no food out here! And the water is muddy-eeyuck...! Oh, by the way my name is Marigold Snicks. What’s your name?”

“Go ahead and help yourself to what I’ve got.” Marigold immediately began stuffing her face in a box of oats. “You can call me Rapture, or Raps for short. I also don’t mind being called Supreme God Commander Rapture, in case you want any favors...” Marigold spoke with her mouth full:

“Rap-esure? That’s sure a funny name. Are you sure you’re not...Black Wing!?” She spat oats as she finished, pointing at my cutie mark - that of two crossed scimitars with blades of black feathers.

“I’m pretty sure it’s Rapture... I think. Anyway, could you tell me exactly what happened before? I’m pretty confused here. Never been in the wastes before,” I explained.

“Oh, I was looking for some water outside when I saw you flying really REALLY fast and thought that such a fast pony must be really REALLY cool, and that’s when I decided to call you ‘Black Wing’ because that name is REALLY cool.” Marigold paused to slug down another hoof-full of oats; “but when I caught up to you I saw that you were walking towards one of those creepy silver ponies and it was too late to stop you. So, I used my magic to zap it, which makes them freeze for a few seconds! Then I took you here to my cave and made you drink this red stuff labeled ‘Health’ when you were uncontinuus. Then, you woke up.”

“What are these metal ponies?” I asked.

“I dunno, but they make me feel green around the grill when I see them.”

“Oh, thanks... do you know anywhere with other ponies that might know more nearby?” If these things were guarding the border of Equestria or hunting ponies, I had to find out why.

“Well... I don’t go into towns... very often anymore...,” Marigold stammered, taking sudden visual interest in a corner.

“Well, I’m sure I can find my way. I think I owe you my life though, so if you need anything...”

“Wait, I know a place... but, I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

“Then come with, I could use some company myself out here.” Marigold beamed.

“Oh, thank you so so SO much! I’ll show you to New Canterlot - though, you should probably hide that you came here flying from Equestria...” Marigold put on a plain and battered straw hat, concealing her horn.

<<-------------------------------------------------->>

As we flew south I asked my new companion a multitude of questions about the city and its inhabitants.... however, she didn’t seem to know much about it at all as she had avoided it in the past. All she knew was that the ponies there held a grudge against Equestrians, and often sent scouts to scour the border for ponies coming and going from Equestria. It was close, and it sounded like there could be a connection to the robots near the border.

“We’re here...,” Marigold squeaked.

I looked around and saw nothing but the barren wastes beneath us. “Where are we exactly?”

Marigold snickered, “look up, silly.”

I did. Above us I could make out a cluster of cloud that seemed denser than the rest of the overcast; an unchanging figure that appeared lighter than the dark clouds that surrounded it.

“Oh. I was expecting it to be grounded, like the ‘old’ Canterlot is,” I remarked. At least this meant significantly less conceited unicorn nobles.

I flew above the cloud cover, Marigold in tow. The sight of the city was shocking, the buildings and even a fortress at the base of it were all made of stone that looked like the rock consistent of the badland below. Aside from the clearly heavily-militarized fortress, the place resembled an Equestrian town like Ponyville.

“Howzit.. how’s it floating?” I heard myself mumble.

“What, you’ve never heard of a laputa city before? I grew up on one until I ran away! Come to think of it... I have no IDEA how everything stays up here! Haha, the cloud is denser up here - anypony can stand on it!” Marigold explained, her phobia of local ponies suddenly cured. I was the one who was afraid now. What kind of fate had befallen science? ...Was that an earth pony galloping down the lane over there? Growing up in a city like Cloudsdale where everything was made of clouds and only pegasi could stay... clouded, this was like some surreal alternate reality where pigs could fly and bunnies enslaved ponies. Something like that, though it was probably just some sort of magic stuff.

“Magic is some kind of strange animal,” I muttered.

A couple of pegasus ponies wearing steel armor with symbols resembling burning alicorns on their chest plates approached us. One of them had pistols built into the armor on either side of his helmet, with a ‘bite-down’ trigger in his mouth; the other one spoke dryly:

“State your purpose here in New Canterlot, and hand over any bags you’re carrying for inspection. If you are in possession of any weapons, narcotic drugs, or other such harmful items outside of your bags, surrender them now or suffer penalty of the law when discovered.”

I dropped my bags from my back. There was water, food, pen and paper, two blankets, and two rain capes inside them. No markings or brands on anything to reveal my ethnicity. As for my purpose? I didn’t know what to tell them. Dropping my bags would help me prepare to fight as well, I couldn’t run from a pegasus pony with guns in the sky. Marigold spoke up before I could think of anything convincing.

“Were from South Bismane, ’fore we came on Nort’ through North Bismane as refugees,” she spoke in a convincingly...pungent country accent. “We thought we’d help tha cause and fight fer ya’ll when the time comes.”

“Great. Then give us your names and we’ll interview you after the paperwork goes through.”

I was about to speak, but Marigold interrupted before I could start again.

“Well I’m Goldhay Masks, -howdy there, and this here’s muh friend Black Wing...she’s a mute!” I hoped she knew what she was doing... I think my country accent impression was good enough to give myself a better name than that at least.... was there a smug look on her face for a second there? Marigold snickered.

The soldier ponies had ruffled through my bags and handed them back. “We should be ready to see you again in a few hours, you may move about the city as you please until then. Though you won’t be able to trade for anything before you receive citizenship papers... Farewell.” The soldier ponies left.

“We should try and find out about the metal ponies before those soldiers come and look for us again,” I suggested.

“Your suggestion has my enhorsement!” Marigold exclaimed. “Let’s sally forth! I’ll do the talking, it’s my special talent after all,” she proclaimed proudly. I laughed.

We entered the city. Roughly half of the residents were pegasi; most of the earth and unicorn ponies were males, presumably they were mostly here for military purposes. There were no roads, but there was plenty of grass and each house had crops growing around it. Occasionally a salmon-colored stallion would fly into view with a rain cloud and water crops outside of homes.

Marigold flew up to the weather pony, “Hey! How’re ya doin’?!” She squeaked.

“Actually, I’m kind of busy-” the pegasus spoke.

“My friend and I are refu-gees, and we wanted to know more about the shiny ponies who kill things we saw on the way here!” Marigold interrupted.

“Do you have citizenship papers...? I shouldn’t talk-”

“The fate of all of ponykind could lie on this in-for-may-shon, and you’re worried about social status?” Marigold shook her head. “Shame, such a handsome stallion has no considerateness for pony life outside of your little flying city up here.”

“Go talk to Bliss-Full in her store in the market district then if you want to be a rule breaker, just don’t bother me anymore...” The stallion flew off with his cloud.

Marigold grinned, “Piece of pie!”

We flew around and eventually found the market district, and a store called ‘Bliss-Full’s Blissful Trinkets, Gadgets, and Ornaments’. We entered, Marigold in the lead. The window shades were down, pink and jasmine-hued lamps lit the complex. An assortment of items true to the store’s namesake lined shelves on every wall, odd knick knacks and baubles hung from the ceiling. I noticed a silver-painted bird and an extra large pink fuzzy horseshoe amongst these.

“Greetings and salutations you glorious bastards! I’m Bliss-Full, the mare who’s got what you want-a whole MESS of cool shit for sale, cheap.” An oxford blue earth pony with a white mane and dark red sunglasses yelled from behind a counter, an inviting smile on her face.

Yeah, I could see this pony breaking the law.

“HIYA there!” Marigold beamed. “You can call me Goldhay. We want to know about the nasty metal ponies that like to kill things without remorse.”

“Are you wit da police...?” Bliss-Full asked cautiously.

“Nope~! We’re with the people!”

“Aw, I love the gawdamn people! Follow me out back.” Bliss-Full bucked open a door leading to a walk-in storage closet, and trotted in. I looked at Marigold and she shrugged. We followed her in.

Bliss-Full gestured towards the door and I closed it behind us. She whispered in an urgent tone:

“Our leader, President Valentine, is also curious about those robots, and he’s been sending anypony he can get his hooves on on a mission concerning them. I’m telling you this ‘cause none of the teams he’s sent have come back alive, and he’ll probably offer the job to you two as well. Take my advice: leave now before you get involved. Those robots are too dangerous, but they still can’t fly. Walls or clouds, we’re safe as long as we stay away from them.”

“I heard the ponies here hate Equestrians, and there’s that insignia of a burning Alicorn...,” I spoke.

“That’s no secret, our leader hates the Alicorns. That’s the norm for ponies hailing from North Bismane due to some accident a few years back, but there’ve been rumors that our leader is actually from Equestria. Of course, he has denied everything.”

I paused before responding, “I have to do anything I can to stop those machines, do you know anything else?”

She shook her head; “No.” We were about to leave when she yelled to wait. We turned around to see her holding a cage in her mouth with a round reddish-purple bug inside. The thing had wings and big green eyes and was staring at us hopefully.

Bliss-Full’s eyes narrowed and she spoke duly, “Could you throw this shitty thing off the cloud while you’re out?”

Marigold gasped in horror. I said we’d take it and opened my bag for her.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Bliss-Full said before returning to the counter. Marigold asked if I was serious about hurting the poor little baby as I opened the door.

A dozen armed and armored ponies were waiting on us outside the store, their guns trained on the door.

“Oh, buck,” I moaned.

<<-------------------------------------------------->>

We were chained with heavy metal collars and taken to the Fortress gates. The place seemed much bigger up close; almost as big as Canterlot Castle. The gates were painted forest green, and the walls surrounding the main tower had artillery protruding through them. The soldier ponies escorted us through the gates and into the fortress.

The inside of the fortress was much less appealing. The place consisted of halls so cramped I couldn’t even stretch my wings out. As a pegasus this put me on the edge to the extreme-major claustrophobia.

After a dreadfully long five or so minutes of traversing dizzyingly maze-like hallways and steep stairwell descents (into the cloud?), we finally came upon a steel door which had tens of deadlocks, padlocks, and even some sort of strange hoof-bump recognition pad that they apparently had the technology to invent. It took only another five minutes of the soldier pony in lead fumbling through keys and cursing under his breath why an earth pony would be the keyholder to get the door opened. Apparently, it was one paranoid dude in there. An obnoxious voice resonated from the room ahead:

“Oh, do come in. It would be rude of me to allow my guests to go uninvited by their hosts. Of course by ‘guests’ I actually mean ‘prisoners’. HAHAHA..... but seriously, welcome to my humble fortress in the clouds!”

We walked in. A pink coated/brown maned pegasus stallion with a smug look on his face sat in a burgundy sofa chair, ‘smoking’ a bubble pipe. His cutie mark was that of an arrow pierced heart. I remembered that I was under the guise of a mute named Black Wing... Though I didn’t know if that guise still held. Marigold spoke:

“Oh heya sa, what-cher need us fer?” Oh right, there was the whole ‘Goldhay’ thing too.

“Oh, you can drop the act. One of my gentlemen here planted a bug in your travelling bag-we know everything. Don’t feel insulted though, we do it with all of our guests.”

“A BUG, oh, gross! By the way, where’d you get that cool pipe!? I think my Dad had one of those, except it made smoke instead of bubbles,” Marigold blurted.

“Are you.... jeering me?” The stallion asked, confused. “No, I suppose a less mhmm-civilized pony like yourself wouldn’t know about.... listening devices!” He laughed dramatically; “Oh, you can call me President Valentine, by the way. The ruler of this fair city-and soon... Equestria!” He struck his chair for emphasis.

“You think your little cloud is going to be enough to conquer Equestria?” I smirked. “I bet Celestia alone could down this place.”

“You only say that because you don’t know the power of this place... it wasn’t built by us, you know. This fortress, this laputa city - I found it, flying dormant over these badlands.” Valentine smiled. “This wasteland was created by one of these clouds, it’s stock-full of high tech weaponry!”

Marigold’s jaw went slack. Mine was about to hit the floor before I recovered my composure... It must’ve been a bluff, a weapon destroyed the land like this?

“But in any case, there is something I’d like you two to do.... well, your friend already told you that, yes? I hate it when somepony ruins the surprise!” Valentine ranted. Marigold yawned.

“If your plan is to invade Equestria, even if it’s all some bluff-I’m not going to help you even if it means my life,” I stated. This goofball wouldn’t turn me into a traitor.

“Your help is not necessary for my plans. All I need is somepony to fetch me my technician.”

“Sounds pretty imperative to have a technician to operate and maintain your ‘high-tech weaponry’,” I scoffed.

“Oh? Well, I’ll have you know that those collars on your necks have remote-controlled bombs in them! Are you so eager to back-sass now?” He remarked proudly, smiling.

I stared at him expressionlessly. Marigold was sitting on the floor, coolly trying to push her collar off with her hind legs.

“Gah! How unrefined.... okay, look. You want to stop those robots, right? Well, I had dear ole Gizmo investigate a factory creating those. If you help me, you’ll learn more about them-maybe even shut the factory down... I don’t care! As long as I can get some schematics of them.” Valentine sighed, “that gives you some chance at success, right? I can’t believe you’re making me play fair.”

I could use a lead that the factory would provide to stop the robots... but there were still so many things that could go wrong.

“And how would I know you won’t blow our heads off after helping you?”

“I promise to deactivate the bomb collars as soon as you’re under the city-with my technician. Is that enough for you? You could act like barbarians and use a hostage, if that’s your fancy.” Valentine shook his head. “Now yes or no? My time is too valuable for this - I could be scheming right now, you know!”

I figured that I could always die later if things didn’t look good at the factory, so I agreed. Valentine made it clear that we had listening ‘bugs’ in our collars as well, and let us leave after instructing his guard to point us in the right direction - south southeast...

<<-------------------------------------------------->>

The factory stood in the middle of a plain. Marigold and I were overlooking it from a plateau on the edge of the valley. The factory looked ordinary, except that it was incredibly reinforced with metal platings all around... it was also notably, not producing any steam. It was inactive. Based on what Bliss-Full had told us, I anticipated trouble inside.

Marigold nudged her hat back to expose her horn. I took a deep breath and shook my wings.

“Ready?” Marigold nodded.

We flew around to the factory’s entrance. There was a large steel door, but a hole big enough to squeeze through was blasted into it, presumably by Valentine’s technician. We stepped inside, there were no windows or lights on in the building; the only light was coming through the hole in the door.

Somepony was waiting for us. I stopped Marigold and carefully scanned the room... it was tough to see in this darkness, but there was blood peppering the floor and walls. I stopped breathing and listened for movement. A minute went by.... two, nothing.

“Raptu-,” Marigold started. I narrowly manage to shove us both out of the way as a grenade flew at us from above and exploded upon impact with the floor. I received minor shrapnel in my wing.

Marigold stood up and squinted; her horn started glowing and another explosion went off. Metal wailed as a suspended catwalk collapsed and fell in front of the steel door, along with a startled maroon-red earth pony.

“That wasn’t a bad explosion, kid,” The stallion spoke to Marigold in a gruff voice as I put my wing to his throat.

Marigold glared at him silently.

“You’re Valentine’s technician?” I asked.

“Eeyup.” The stallion had apple-green eyes, striped yellow and orange hair, and freckles. He wore a cowpony hat, a vest(covered in sack pockets), and had a cutie mark of a frag grenade. “Apple Gizmo, at your service.”

I turned my attention to Marigold.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, um... can we go outside? I don’t like it in here...” Marigold frowned.

I confiscated Gizmo’s grenades, vest, and hat before making him lead us out. We kept walking until we were a good few yards from the factory before talking again.

“So.... uh, why’d you try to kill us?” I asked awkwardly.

“Because I don’t want to hoof the schematics for those automatons over to Valentine. They’re more dangerous than I expected, but I know reason won’t stop him from using them.... Hey, ah...” Gizmo raised an eyebrow and gestured towards his neck. The bomb collars. I nodded. He pointed at his vest and shrugged.... Well, Valentine would probably kill me later anyway.

I let him grab a metal pad thing from one of his pockets. Mari looked like she wanted to abject, but she was grudgingly staying quiet. He started fiddling with the device as I asked him redundant questions about technology and Valentine’s ‘splendor’ in an attempt to not arouse suspicion on the other end through the listening device; soon the collars were off. I thanked him.

“Well, now that your lives aren’t in immediate danger, I guess I should apologise for lobbing a grenade at you. I didn’t notice the bomb collars, nopony that came before had them - all were willing.” Gizmo shrugged, “I guess it worked out anyway though.”

Marigold sighed, and steadily built her smile back up, “Apology accepted... but you shouldn’t make asoomptions about somepony before meeting them, especially if you planned on hurting them!”

“My top concern is keeping my own hide unfried, but I’ll at least make sure I’m not attacking an alicorn next time...”

I felt something budge in my bag... sweet Celestia, I forgot about that purple thing Bliss-Full gave me! I opened up my bag and it flew out.... the cage was nowhere to be found. Apple Gizmo’s eyes went wide.

“Why’d ya have a parahsprite in yer bag!?” He demanded in an uncharacteristically country accent, rearing from the purple thing.

“Oh, so that’s what the wittle bugger is.....! What the hay’s a pair of sprite?” Marigold jumbled.

“It’s the worst damned thing on the planet! Always.... gettin’ in mah machinery and eatin’ my wires. They also give me the creeps, them and moths and those other little monsters!” Apple Gizmo peered at his vest, “Can I kill it? Please...”

The.... parasprite, Gagged and coughed up a bar of iron longer than it was, then gave me the most adorable look... I didn’t need a hungry pest that could bite through iron though. What a nasty bug bite that’d leave!

“I’ll do it,” I said, mouthing a grenade. Marigold scooped up the bug and held it to her chest.

“Rappsy, I can’t believe you’d do such a cruel thing! Just look at ‘em!” Marigold and the parasprite both frowned and goggled at me with sad eyes.

My wings spread; “Well, I guess we could take care of it...”

“Yay! I’mma call him Ruddy!” Marigold exclaimed, shoving Ruddy in her mane.

Gizmo groaned. “You’re gonna regret it sooner or later, but it’s not my problem.” His accent was gone.

“Anyway, could you tell us yours and Valentine’s story now? I want the whole picture before acting again.”

Gizmo nodded, and began:

“My first endeavor after discovering my talent for weapons and machinery was to build a moving fortress powerful enough to slay a dragon. My family didn’t like my violent outlook on life; they were only simple farmers after all. So I decided that after finishing the tank I’d run away in it. The tank I left in was larger than the traditional design so I’d have some living space, as well as a few other changes I made in outward appearance. Soon, however, my goal became less and less desirable to me. Instead of hunting dragons I became a freelance technician and merc for hire. Most of my jobs had me doing honest work to help ponies defend themselves against wild animals, and I was content. Until I heard that a dragon had burned down South Bismane and flown north into the badlands.

“Though for the most part life in these parts is defunct, dragons are one of the few exceptions. The rocky and barren badland is a prime location for a hibernating dragon to store its treasures, away from anyone foolish enough to disturb it. I’m one of those foolish types though, so I brought my portable little home out to the dragon’s lair.

“The thing was sleeping, and I didn’t bother telling it I wanted a fight. At least, not conventionally. I fired the main cannon straight into its sleeping left eye, and followed up with a volley of 11mm gatling gun rounds into its body as it roared in pain! The latter bounced off like I was shooting it with a toy, but I managed to wound it again with another cannon shell to its heart before it tore open my tank’s hull.

“Exposed, I was on the verge of blowing the both of us up with all the gunpowder I had left before it took to the sky, heading north. Overwrought, I followed it. My tank was still mobile, and I was filled to the brim with desire to accomplish my foalhood dream once again. It was faster though, and it escaped as the automaton factory came into my sights. The factory looked abandoned, but the door was locked shut. I fired a shell at the door remotely, and explored.

“Once I found out what the factory was used to produce, I left after storing my damaged tank inside, knowledgeable of a party that might be interested. The factory had supplies in which to fix my tank, but I was short on money for food and additional fuel. Valentine offered me enough bits to retire on for those automaton schematics, and twice that if I could get his super weapon online. I didn’t like the sound of that, so I asked him to see it first. Turns out he just couldn’t find the power switch... so I tore the innards of the thing up enough so that only I could fix it again.

“After Valentine’s ponies helped me back down to the surface I returned to the factory. Something had repaired my tank while I was away. Somewhat terrified I inspected the place again, and found that all the unbroken automaton parts were missing and a fresh print of schematics was left behind.

“Those automatons each have some devastating weaponry. I’ve only heard of them using bullets and scare tactics, but whoever is rebuilding them must want to save their real weapons for something big,” Apple Gizmo finished.

“Don’t dragons usually keep troves of treasure you could use for money?”

“There was none, and I’d have a hard time finding someone outside of Equestria that would trade bits for that stuff anyway.”

“What’s an automaton?” Marigold blurted.

“Shouldn’t you have asked that sooner?” Gizmo scowled. Marigold shrugged. “It’s a robot designed to look like a pony. Though, these ones are designed to be a might bit creepier than your average mare, I’d say.” A silence followed this.

“So, am I free to go or what?” Gizmo asked.

“I think we could use your help. I’ve decided to stop those automatons; I don’t like armies of evil walking death machines terrorizing innocent ponies.”

Gizmo paused to think before speaking. “Well, I usually charge for my services, but I think I can make an exception this time seein’ as how you’re sparing my life and all.... Plus, I’m out of job so ‘long as we’ve got food to eat I’ll be happy.” Gizmo smirked; “We can take my tank. Ride around the badland and blow up all the robots and dragons and shit we find. It’ll be fun... is that okay with your friend here though?” Gizmo looked to Marigold.

Marigold jumped in excitement; “Yeppers! I love making new friends!”

“Wow, you get over these things pretty quickly, don’t you?” I mused.

“Uh, affirmative!”

“So, what’s next?” Gizmo asked, putting his hat back on.

“Well, know where any other factories are?”

“Eenope, but there could be somepony I know of in South Bismane who does.”

“And who’s that?”

“Anima Roads, a travelling pony that has stayed there for some time. She knows these regions well.”