> Fallout: Saddle Arabia
>  by Loyal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Foreword
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Hello, and thank you for opening the first chapter of Fallout: Saddle Arabia. I'm ecstatic that you're joining me on this journey, and I hope you enjoy what I've got in store. Before we begin, I'd just like to say a few words of thanks and caution.

This story contains graphic violence and other sensitive subjects, up to and including: (at least allusions of/to) rape, incest, sex, slavery, and other violent or sexual themes. Please, if you have delicate sensibilities or are disinclined to such things, I strongly urge you read with caution.

As an aside, I would also like to take a moment to thank my team of editors and pre-readers (detailed in the description of the story) for their hard work and continued effort. Were it not for them, my cutting room floor, this story likely never would have started, let alone become what it already has. I'm fiercely proud of what they've brought to the table, and I look forward to working with them over the course of Fallout: Saddle Arabia's development.

But none of this would have have been possible without the first steps after which we've modeled our own. For their monumental contribution to the video game society, FimFiction, and indeed the world, I would like to take a moment to offer my heartfelt thanks to Bethesda Game Studios, KKat, Somber, and the myriad other artists who have developed the Fallout and Fallout: Equestria worlds before my humble contribution. Were it not for them, I'd be absent the creative drive to do what I've done, and what I hope to continue to do.

In closing, I would like to caution readers that, while I made every effort to avoid such things, it is not my intent to copy any other author's work. I am aware of several attempts at a Fallout: Saddle Arabia story, but none of them seem to be very long, or in production anymore. It is my honest hope that, should I have unintentionally mimicked another person's work, it would be brought to my attention immediately. I think it's safe to say, however, that the Saddle Arabia of this story is unique, and conforms to the Fallout: Equestria-verse as closely as I could have managed without breaking the story entirely.

I understand that I'm stepping into a wide verse of well-established works and names bigger than my own. I would humbly ask the readers to be courteous in informing me of any egregious errors in the continuity of my own story. I made every effort to remain true to the precedent KKat and others have set, without breaking canon or misrepresenting information. If I've intentionally changed anything, or left major parts out, I'd like to go ahead and say it was done in the spirit of creative license, and I mean no harm in doing so.

Without further ado, I am very proud to present to you:

Fallout: Saddle Arabia
> Prologue - Stable Alpha
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	The dull hum of stable machinery filled the hallway around me with life, reminding me that this place was much more than just dull grey concrete and metal. The soft hiss of steam leaking out of one pipe or another, the gurgle of water moving behind the walls, and the slight buzz of generators and air purifiers combined together into a kind of heartbeat; a living, breathing pulse all around me that seemed to resonate with my own body.

It was relatively early in the morning, according to the readout on my PipBuck. The screen filled with my schedule, reminding me where I was to be, and at what times. '10 AM: Class - Stable History, Level 5 Room 502' corresponded with a small tag on my compass, directing me where to go. Soft amber bars moved about nearby, other ponies going about their duties or attending classes. I passed one room that appeared to be a solid block of them, somewhere between twenty to thirty younger fillies and colts attending a class on Stable-Tec generators. I caught a glimpse of the gem array that fed us power and kept the lights on before moving past the classroom window. Ahead, my tag guided me to another room filled with a milling mass of amber bars.

I took a deep breath of recycled air, closing my eyes for a brief moment. My right eye itched. Grimacing, I fished a small phial of liquid from my saddlebags, dripping a few drops into the socket. The cybernetic implant stopped itching, but the display went a bit fuzzy for a short while, the liquid gathering on the lens. I shut off the feed with a thought, the right half of my vision going dark. With it went the PipBuck interface, and I lost the tag for a few moments. Not that it mattered, I was right outside of the classroom anyways.

Inside, I could hear a jumble of soft voices, almost all of them young. Young colts and fillies who hadn't begun taking their classes yet were allowed to mingle and socialize as they pleased, but soon enough would be structured the way other classes were. On this level, at least. I blinked twice and the feed from my cybernetic eye came back on, loading my schedule alongside the small tag hovering in the air directly in front of me.

I was a few minutes early, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The double doors opened with a whoosh, and I stepped into the maelstrom of milling foal bodies.

"Diamond Dust!"

"The Head Mare is here!"

"Momma!”

My entrance shot out among the gathered foals like a ripple, earning at least a look from everypony, if not an overt reaction. One filly in particular flung herself at my hooves, clinging to them petulantly.

"Good morning, everypony!" I bubbled, my horn glowing as I wrapped the small filly with my magic. "And good morning to you, Opal." I nuzzled my youngest daughter lovingly, getting a small giggle and a smile as precious as all the world in return. Whatever foals that weren't busy playing with toys or talking in groups began to mill about me, some of them leaving their games and toys behind in order to join the group steadily swamping me. "How are we all doing today?" I got a jangled chorus of 'good,' and 'great' back, many young ponies reaching out just to touch the Head Mare. I set Opal down (and was promptly shackled with the young filly) in order to pay better attention to the class. There were twenty-eight that I could count, and a small list on my PipBuck confirmed the number.

"You're a bit early, Head Mare." An elderly nag by the name of Cream smiled warmly from her nest of blankets. She wasn't very mobile anymore, but this same mare had watched me when I was a foal. Her strong magic pried apart two fillies jostling to get closer to me, the firm milky-white field just as strong as I remembered.

"I like to get an early start." I smiled at her, wading through the group of young ponies to the front of class. "Now, today's a very special day, isn't it?" I spoke to them all, prying Opal off of my hoof and setting her down nearby. I gave her mane a soft ruffle to keep her in place. "Who can tell me what starts today?"

"It's the start of our trials!" A young earth pony colt with glasses piped up, almost overly eager. I beamed at him and nodded.

"That's right - now that all of you are at least five, you're going to start doing your trials. I'm sure you've all heard terrible things about these trials, about the injuries and accidents we've had in the past... And while it's true that some of these trials carry great risks, I know you're all going to be strong for me." My smile was genuine as I looked out at the twenty-eight beaming, determined faces. Well, twenty-seven. One pegasus filly near the back seemed to be having second doubts. I looked directly at her as I continued speaking.

"Here in Stable Alpha, we have a long tradition of strength and resourcefulness. We build up that strength and resourcefulness through a long system of classes and trials, which each of you will be starting from now until you finish the last trial. But don't despair!" I clapped my hooves together, smiling at them still. "That's what me, Cream, and all the other ponies in Stable Alpha are here to help you with. To make you strong." I cast a long gaze at the small mob of enraptured faces, my eyes landing at last on Cream. She had a sad smile on her lips as she slowly nodded her head.

"All right," my horn lit up as I pulled a blank canvas from its roller on the ceiling. It covered a healthy portion of the concrete wall, and Cream turned down the lights. "Your first trial starts now, and it begins with a history lesson. A great pony once told me, 'before any steps can be taken, one needs to find where they stand.' So you're all going to learn about the Great War, Stable-Tec, and Saddle Arabia." A chorus of 'ooh's' and 'aah's' rang out as a projector descended from its hiding place in the ceiling and flickered to life. Projectors, basic as they were, still hadn't been seen by the young ponies. We let them play and enjoy their youth before introducing them to the real wonders of Stable Alpha... And the real gravity of the world outside. The image on the canvas flickered for a few moments before coming into focus.

"Equestria. Seat of the princesses Luna and Celestia, each embodying the night and day, respectively." A tinny mare's voice narrated while images of Equestria as a whole - with the Crystal Kingdom to the north, Saddle Arabia to the south, and the Zebra lands far to the east. Celestia and Luna flanked the map while the mare continued talking. "It was a peaceful land, existing for many, many years without any major conflict with its neighbors. Even when dissension brewed between the two sisters, ending with Luna's interment in the moon for an entire millennium, Equestria maintained peace with the surrounding lands - who had troubles all of their own to focus on. However, the banishment of Luna and her subsequent return to Equestria sparked something entirely new and unheard of before then:

"Industry. Equestria began to develop wonders the likes of which no other country could boast. It began with steam-powered engines that, when drawn with a team of ponies, could cross the country in a matter of days. Travel became faster and safer than ever before, sparking trade and other ideas as well. Before long, Equestria was developing power plants and factories for its steel, expanding its cities and growing larger and more prosperous as a nation. But this entire industry relied heavily on the one thing that Equestria did not have: coal.

"After stripping almost all of its natural resources, Equestria turned to trade to keep its industry afloat." The image changed from the map, which had grown a spidery line of railroad tracks across it, to a wider angle that now included Saddle Arabia and the Zebra territories as well. The mare continued. "What the ponies had in gems, the zebras had in coal, and for a time, things were good again. Trade was Equestria's salvation, and their industry came to life once more. But trade is seldom fair, and the zebras felt as if they weren't getting the better deal - or even a good one." 

I felt my breath hitch in my throat as the projection shifted entirely, displaying the princesses opposite a fierce-looking zebra, both parties wearing angry expressions. ”Political meetings and negotiation attempts grew in abundance as both sides vied to seek out the best deal for their people. The zebras, feeling shorted, began to withhold coal shipments from Equestria, resulting in an entropic decay within the developing society. Tensions grew higher and higher, with minor scuffles breaking out here and there between the two nations.

“The tension built to a head at the Equestrian academy of Littlehorn, where reports say a group of refugees seeking shelter from the fighting were fired upon by Equestrian guards at the academy. Following the brutal murder of their own kind, the zebras instigated a full-on terrorist attack of the school, releasing a vicious Pink Cloud that brutally murdered the students, professors, and guards at the academy. The record remains unclear precisely who was to blame, but it had the effect of spurring the zebras and Equestria into new action. The war began in earnest. The image burned away from the middle, as if a flame had been placed underneath it. What followed was a close-up of Equestria, though the map now sported a myriad of red dots, spreading across the north and eastern portions of the map.

”Following the egregious attacks on both zebra and ponykind, Princess Celestia abdicated the throne to her little sister, Princess Luna. Together with the former bearers of the Elements of Harmony, Princess Luna formed six ministries to help with the war effort, in an attempt to bring the conflict to a quick and decisive end. The Ministries of Arcane Science, Image, Peace, Morality, Technology, and Awesome. As the war became more and more heated, so too did the subjects of research for the ministries, which began to develop everything from firearms designed to kill zebras en masse to potions that could bring a dying soldier back to perfect health. Once gem-powered generators were developed, Equestria’s wartime industry was spurred to even higher heights, developing fearsome weapons of war.

“The zebras’ own development was spurred on as well, though instead of hulking suits of power armor that rendered a pony as durable as a tank and equally as powerful, they focused on stealth and intrigue, using a wide-spread network of spies, subterfuge, and sympathizers to sabotage the Equestrian war effort. The frontlines of the war were never entirely clear-cut, with the zebras bringing violence into the very homes and towns of Equestrian citizens. With these fearsome advancements in technology, the war became the bloodiest, most violent era in our history.

“The devastation increased exponentially, as did the death toll on both sides. Yet Equestria and Zebrica continued to fight. New, more powerful weapons were unleashed as fast as they could be made, culminating in the deployment of the most destructive forces the world had ever seen: Equestria's Megaspells, and the zebra's Balefire Bombs."

I looked away from the video to watch the foals in the classroom. They were all raptly paying attention, most of them looking horrified at learning the awful truths behind the Great War. I was glad they shared my sentiment. Thankfully enough, the war was almost two centuries done. There was hope to be found in this terrible lesson, and they would learn of it momentarily. I cast my eyes back to the projector as the mare continued speaking.

"Near the end of this awful conflict, many companies had been founded to assist with the war effort, or help the ponies of Equestria to survive through the war. One such company, by the name of Stable-Tec, had been founded by a trio of hopeful fillies that wanted to see the ponies of Equestria saved from the terrors of war. Using technology developed from within or bought from without, Stable-Tec used its considerable resources to begin building formidable Stables - massive underground structures designed not only to withstand balefire bombs and megaspell attacks, but thrive for many, many years afterwards. State-of-the-art recyclers and underground orchards would provide food in abundance. Skilled medical staff could create healing potions and chemicals to fight sickness and injury. Mechanical wonders that would recycle the carbon dioxide we exhale and produce fresh oxygen kept ponies breathing underground, where they would otherwise suffocate and perish. All of these wondrous advancements and more contributed to the future of Equestria."

I saw some furrowed brows and scrunched noses among the crowd, as their young minds tried to process what they had seen and heard. One of them - the young colt with the glasses from earlier, turned to me and opened his mouth to ask a question, only to be interrupted by the projection.

"By now, I'm sure you're wondering exactly how all of these things impacted Stable Alpha and Saddle Arabia, where you find yourselves now." I smiled at him and nodded at the flickering image, turning my own eyes back to the presentation. Never mind that I'd seen it dozens of times by now, it was still a good reminder of the way things had been, and the reason why we were so blessed. "To understand that, you have to understand more about Saddle Arabia itself." The image changed from war-torn Equestria and the zebra territories to the wide, brown expanse of Saddle Arabia. Sandwiched between Equestria to the north, the Dragon Territories to the south, and oceans to both east and west, Saddle Arabia appeared as a nearly square expanse of desert on the map. 

"Due to its harsh, unforgiving climate, Saddle Arabia had been almost entirely independent from the rest of the world. But local Saddle Arabian ponies found ways to survive - and even thrive - in the harsh sun and dry air of the desert. For as long as Equestria had order, Saddle Arabia had the opposite. Marems - coalitions of mares all allied under one Head Mare - fought among one another in fierce, tribal warfare. Valuable supplies of water and grass were fought over as vehemently as any conflict in the past, and some of these millennia-long grudges persist even today. However, there were some in each tribe who could see that peace ensured survival, and alliance ensured growth. And so some marems from each tribe set aside their pride to forge new collectives, and out of those would eventually rise the four main cities of Saddle Arabia. Four large dots grew on the map, their names appearing in compact text beneath each city. 'Neighjev,' 'Tel Applebim,' 'Conscanternople,' and 'Damarescus.' The mare continued.

"Damarescus was arguably the most successful alliance, founded from seventy-six marems all allied under one central, localized council - Saddle Arabia's first attempt at a government." The black dot for Damarescus began to pulse on the map. "Here on the coast, the ponies of Damarescus fished for food, and used their unique environmental magic to purge the salt from ocean water and use it to irrigate the dirt buried beneath the sand. Using their combined might, Damarescus shored up the sand into massive dunes, exposing the nutrient-rich dirt beneath, and used their water to grow crops of wheat and corn.

Once the city was founded, more and more marems set aside their conflicts to join the Damarescussian Council, lending their strength and skill to the greater collective. Together, they cleared more land for crops, and began to build sturdier and stronger ships to explore the sea, eventually making contact with Manehattan and Roam, thus opening trade with their neighbors and furthering their place as the prime Saddle Arabian authority.

"However, they weren't the only ones to settle. Far to the Northwest, zebra nomads allied with six of the strongest, largest marems in Saddle Arabia, and used zebra alchemy to lay the roots of Neighjev. The massive trees spread their roots deep into the sands, drawing moisture and nutrients from massive underground aquifers and sustaining life above ground. While the marems provided security and safety, the nomadic zebra clan used mysterious alchemy and their own brand of magic to grow the city - not outwards and upwards, but down. Sandstone caverns and huge subterranean amphitheatres housed tents and buildings, while underground farms provided the mushrooms and algae these ponies needed to survive. Thus, Neighjev was born, a formidable underground city safe from both the desert and their neighbors in and out of Saddle Arabia.

"South of them was a more recent city, one that cropped up only near the end of the Great War. Largely an Equestrian endeavor, Conscanternople was firstly an experiment at adapting ponies to living in the desert climate of Saddle Arabia. Using complex spells and new, exciting magic, ponies converted the sand beneath their hooves to cultivable dirt, planting orchards of trees and crops to feed themselves. Unicorns played a key role in this city, using their magic to maintain a network of talismans so they could continue to collect water from both the air and the ground.

Only very few native Saddle Arabians lived in Conscanternople before the war, though their population increased slightly after the bombs fell. Ever since then, however, Conscanternople has been a mystery; the city is surrounded by a massive sandstorm that even the most hardy of Saddle Arabian desert striders can't penetrate. Even other unicorns attempting to use magic to teleport through the storm into the city have been unsuccessful - some of them gruesomely so.” The image shifted from the bottom-left city to the top-right, the last one on the map.

"Tel Applebim was the last major city to take root in the desert. Located well to the north and east, it sat just far enough from both the ocean and the Equestrian border to be inaccessible to both. Here, Saddle Arabia held onto its traditions, with a multitude of warring marems continuing open conflict against one another. However, at the discretion of their their leader, called a Majordomo, the tribes can unite against a common enemy when needed. Bloodshed was not uncommon among the contesting marems of Tel Applebim, but somehow they all managed to strike an even balance, the most powerful Head Mares all equalizing one another with a complex series of checks and balances. Some marems allied, others continue to fight openly, and yet all of them existed together in the lush grottolands - a series of oases and aquifers that keep the marems fed and watered. Even after the war, the Tel Applebim marems continue to fight among one another, though they survive by trading, offering protection to other, weaker roaming marems, or scavenging the remains of the smaller towns and cities amid the Saddle Arabian desert - of which there are many."

The projection swept to each dot in turn, giving some statistics on each city as the mare narrated. I knew all of these things, of course, and had learned first-hoof from my mother the ins and outs of each of them. Politics, who was in power, who wasn't, what to watch out for, and what to stay away from.

The projection wasn't completely finished, however. I pursed my lips as it went into the final leg of our bloody history. Damarescus filled the screen one more, the camera zooming in on the dot until a sprawling city emerged from the sand, surrounded by a green band of vegetation. The skyline was impressive, with massive glassy buildings looming up from behind the farms, challenging the wide expanse of blue sky like a hoof thrust skyward in defiance of some deity or another. The commentary continued, the image swinging back to Damarescus’ dot, zooming in until the bustling city’s skyline filled the screen, with the backdrop of the glimmering sea behind it.

"Now that you’ve been introduced to Saddle Arabian settlements in general, we can bring our focus back to the city where our roots took hold. Here in Damarescus, Equestria and the zebras both saw the potential for something incredible. Even before the Great War began, our ancestors saw the need for Equestria's technology, as well as Roam's myriad of resources. A balance was struck between the three countries, Saddle Arabia, Equestria, and Zebrica working together to help lay the foundation for our city. While the Damarescussian Council retained control over the government and other critical infrastructure, Equestria and Zebrica lent their hooves to our combined strength, forging our city in a matter of a few short years. Even then, the technological developments of the time were continually implemented, allowing Damarescus to flourish, even as tension between their allies mounted. However, the council kept a tight lid on fighting in the city, punishing or outright exiling dissenters, even while providing shelter to interested parties looking to flee the war.

"Damarescus may not have been without its own issues, but it found itself becoming a standalone third party to the war, all the while profiting from the massive technological advances of either side. The Zebra’s alchemical advancements and cybernetic technology were implemented alongside Equestria’s budding megaspell arrays to give Damarescus a functioning weather system and a stout defense against the dragons to the south. Near the end of the Great War, Stable-Tec endeavored to put together this one final project:

"Project Alpha. A stable so vast and so well-designed that the ponies inside would not only be safe from the war and external threats, but able to expand and continue to develop underground. And that, my little ponies, is our home: Stable Alpha." The screen faded to a display of eight levels, each stacked one on top of the other and connected by either one centralized bank of six elevators, or smaller elevators and stairs between them. The topmost level looked to be a massive dome with a spiral wound around the outside, with one last, smaller section half the size of the others on top of it all. The narrator continued to talk, and as she did, each section lit up with bold words describing them.

"The top level contains the atrium, security, and the Overmare's offices."

"What's an Overmare?" Glasses asked.

"An old term for Head Mare. Now shush and watch." I nodded towards the projector, which had moved on to the second level.

"These are the classrooms and educational facilities, where everypony from young foals to old mares and stallions learn everything they can; maintenance, mathematics, arcanoscience, history, culture, even music." The third section lit up, which was also the widest of the eight levels, extending out almost half as much as the others. "Here are the food facilities. Together with the fourth level," which lit up as well. "... makes up for the stable's well-being. Underground orchards provide fresh produce, while the recyclers on the floor above process leftover food and food waste back into edible material. The recyclers can also support the entire stable in an emergency, in case the orchards are damaged or don't grow for whatever reason. Obviously, maintenance and the agricultural staff should endeavor to return functionality to these levels as soon as they can, for comfort if not the added security of fresh food."

The fifth and sixth level lit up then, both of them tied for the second widest next to the fourth with its orchards and fields. "These are the residential levels, where you all live and play. Equipped with the best recreational gear that Saddle Arabia could afford, this level boasts fields for sporting events such as hoofball, or picnics and other family events. Alongside that are standard accommodations, including facilities designed to comfortably accommodate single ponies and families as large as twelve."

Next came the seventh level. "This is the maintenance level. Here is the lifeblood of the stable. Our ability to survive underground for so long depends on the success of this level in particular. Everything from the waste recyclers to air purifiers are located here, each part working in harmony alongside a triple-redundant generator array that provides all the power a stable could ever need." I grimaced as the eighth level lit up.

"The last level is storage and development. Here, the machinery and raw materials were stored that the stable can use to expand further outwards and down. Outfitted with a miniature factory, this level can be used to create copies of any piece of the stable's infrastructure, including extra generators or gem arrays should the current ones malfunction or break. Tools, weapons, armor, even talismans and other bits of valuable machinery are manufactured here, as long as the stable keeps its supplies in check." All of the levels went dim once more, the text clearing off as the image zoomed out just a little bit, so that the stable occupied the top two-thirds of the screen.

"Since its inception, however, our predecessors have put Stable-Tec's good will to hard work, expanding our possibilities even further than before. Stable Alpha now boasts twelve levels, not just eight." Four more levels appeared at the bottom, effectively taking half of the stable and expanding by that much. "Myself and your ancestors used these levels to expand our production facilities, including a myriad of new and exciting production factories. Stable Alpha uses its ninth level as an expansion of the eighth, storing excavation machinery and more shops for the creation of our weapons, armor, and computers. Level ten houses backup maintenance arrays, in case level seven experiences a critical failure. More generators and air purification talismans are kept ready to turn on in case of emergency. Heavens forbid.

"Deeper, level eleven is where our ongoing excavation process is. Stable Alpha continues to draw raw materials from the rock around the stable, which is how we maintain a steady supply of iron, silicon, and other important materials." The presentation paused as the twelfth level lit up, the smallest and most foreboding one yet. It was red, where the others were lit with an amber light. A massive X crossed out the whole level as well, and I saw the gathered colts and fillies fill with worry.

"This level is absolutely restricted to anypony who isn't the Overmare, or has their express written permission to be there. To put it bluntly: Simply excavating this level cost us dearly in time, treasure, and sadly, lives. The area has been off limits to everypony ever since. The elevator from the eleventh level is the only way down, and even then, you need an Overmare's clearance to access it. No stairs. No tunnels upwards. Only the elevator. So remember: unless the Overmare says you can, don't even try to go down there." The image zoomed out once more, the lights dimming to leave only the stout, tower-like outline of Stable Alpha on the screen.

"This is our home, now. While I'm sure you've got a hundred and one questions for your Overmare, I urge you all to remember that our lives are much more blessed than many ponies outside. The Great War was terrible, and there is still lawlessness and violence out there. Over the next few years as you conduct your trials, you will all begin to see just how ruthless people can be against one another.

"So I urge you; while you might think these places are interesting and exotic, they are actually incredibly dangerous, and ultimately could kill you if you go unprepared, as Head Mares like myself and my predecessors have been. Remember these words: The Wasteland is a terrible, awful place. Down here we are safe, and we have tools. Tools that can help us, and help others as we see fit. And ultimately, we will help others. People who NEED it, who won't spoil what we give them and use it for their own benefit, or to harm others. We can help them be better.

"We have to do better."

The last two words were echoed by everypony in the room, even Cream and myself. The projector flickered and went dark, the only source of light for a few moments being my horn as I flicked a switch. The lights came back on, the colts and fillies blinking and looking up at me. I saw a mixture of fear and confusion on their faces, some of them outright horrified at the things that had been said. Opal was crying. Gingerly, I scooped the young filly up into my hooves, nuzzling her pale mane with a soft sigh. I stepped up to where the canvas sat, rolling it into the ceiling once more so it was me in front of the troubled young hearts.

"Do any of you have any questions?" I asked solemnly. Almost immediately, Glasses blurted out.

"Did all that stuff really happen?!"

The rest of the class fell silent, looking to me for confirmation. I closed my eyes tighter, kissing my daughter's cheek before setting her down so she could join her classmates. This was going to break their hearts.

"It really did. Equestria was effectively destroyed, and nopony really knows what happened to Zebrica. Even Saddle Arabia did not escape the carnage unscathed. Thousands upon thousands - maybe even millions of ponies and zebras died. There were other casualties as well; dragons, griffins, minotaurs... All because of some dumb black rocks." The futility of it all still struck me now, twenty-five years after I'd learned this same lesson. I knew how it happened, even understood to some small degree why. What I didn't understand was how the world could continue to let itself languish in such a way. Rather than lose my composure (any more than I already had) I looked up at the young foals of my stable. My family.

"That's why we say what we say, and do what we do. Because even after all of these terrible things were done, one wise mare imparted to us some of the best advice I've ever heard in my life." My horn glowed as I scrolled through the audio files in my PipBuck. I picked one labelled "Stable Alpha Overmare Instructions" and played it through the speaker of the device. A brief burst of slight static preceded a tired-sounding, halfway drunken voice. The speaker was a mare, her speech slurred but still understandable. She heaved a deep sigh before speaking.

"Stable Alpha. My company's last, best effort to right all the wrongs we've done. Man, we really screwed the pooch... Heh, hope the Sand Dogs don't take that personally." There was a swishing sound, like fluid in a bottle, and a soft grunt. "Ah, it burns. So, yeah... Stable Alpha. You ponies got it all. Underneath Damarescus' Stable-Tec Satellite Office, you're, uum..." There was some shuffling of papers, and a soft curse. Finally, a flurry of papers sounded out, as if they'd been thrown around the office in disgust. "Whatever. Doesn't matter how big you are now, the thing is, we gave you everything you need in order to grow. Similar designs to yours could hold a thousand ponies - maybe more. With your facilities, you could provide enough food and water to twelve hundred ponies for... er, I think the lab estimated two hundred and forty-six years." She sighed again, something thumping against the table. Her head, maybe.

"Thing is, we're only putting four hundred and sixteen in there. Two hundred to run the facilities - which should be enough - and the others to... well, expand." She went silent for a long time, the pregnant pause filled with only soft sniffles and choking sobs. After a few minutes and another swig of whatever was in that bottle, she continued, much more quietly.

"One of the kindest, most wonderful ponies I've ever known gave me this bit of advice, and it's on that premise that I okayed Project Alpha. Put everything I could spare into it. I even skimmed from the ministries for some of your assets." She gave a shaky sigh. "She told me that equine kind wasn't inherently evil. That there was still good in the world, despite... everything. Looking at the fuckers that run Equestria under Luna's nose, I wonder how she can see it, but then again..." She gave a heartless chuckle, followed by another swig and a groan.

"She said to me: 'Scootaloo, everypony can do better. Everypony can be better.’ So that's all I have for you. Fuck the rules. Fuck the regulations. Fuck these- these... terrible circumstances we've put other stables under." Her voice wavered, breaking down at last. As the recording drew to an end, she choked out the five words I doubt I'd ever forget.

"You have to do better."

----------

The class finished around noon, as I left them in Cream's capable hooves. Some of them were understandably worried, as they began to realize the challenge that lay ahead of them over the next eight weeks. From now until they got their cutie marks and completed the last five trials, they'd be attending rigorous classes each day. Their free time with family and friends would be even more valuable as they drew closer to finding their place in one department or another. I had a lot on my mind as I rode the elevator up to the first floor, crossing the massive, domed atrium towards my office. It was empty at this time of day, though other ponies had their own offices here. They were likely off with their departments, keeping things in check. I was alone as I slipped behind my desk and kicked my rear hooves up.

Visions danced behind my eyelids of my own trials, oh so long ago. I tried to mentally shake them off, but they were persistent. I remembered with great detail the earlier trials, of learning the history of the Great War and what it had done to the world. How Saddle Arabia had been targeted by quite a few zebra missiles, but was ultimately spared thanks to the weak atmosphere. With the thin air, the rockets hadn't had the purchase they needed to fly to their destinations. They had faltered, small errors leading to larger ones, eventually causing them all to crash in the desolate, relatively unpopulated region along our northern border.

The balefire melted the sands to glass, sealing us away from our northern neighbors, though that did nothing to prevent Equestria responding in kind. That Saddle Arabia was harboring the 'filthy stripes' injured by the war was deemed sufficient reason to hit us with several volleys of megaspells. They were to blame for the wild sandstorms that plagued the north, from Neighjev to Tel Applebim and all through the grottolands. Another had triggered along the Eastern coast, turning all of the marine wildlife into vicious, flesh-eating creatures of nightmare. Others still had been delivered elsewhere, with unknown effects. Many of us suspected that was the reason Conscanternople was trapped in the middle of a magical sandstorm, more furious and vicious than the ones in the north.

History wasn't all we taught to our foals, though. They learned how to wear armor and fight with guns and energy weapons - a requirement for everypony in the stable, in case our defenses were ever breached. We might be caught by surprise if some surface plot managed to weasel its way into Alpha, but we wouldn't be defenseless. We also taught basic arithmetic and science, the finals for which garnered a trial all of their own. Lastly, each pony in Alpha was taught how to survive in the Wasteland. They knew how to forage for supplies, handle radiation, taint, and other dangerous corruption, and even what to do in a fight with whatever denizens we knew about.

The only reason we knew about any of these things was because of the efforts of  our previous Head Mares. As part of Scootaloo's final directive, 'Do Better,' we determined we wouldn't be completely separatist. Our Head Mares made pilgrimages out into the Wasteland several times over the course of their lives to gather news, resources, or even additions to our stable, if they wanted to come and could provide valuable services.

"Hey there, Diamond Butt." The silky voice made me smile as I cracked an eye. I hadn't even heard Sapphire enter the office. I smiled at her, taking my rear hooves off of the desk and gesturing to the empty chair opposite me.

"How are you today, sister?"

"Just checking in on you. Making sure you aren't puking your guts out." She was a dark blue mare with a darker mane, almost black. Her cutie mark was a slightly lighter blue gemstone, not unlike my own. She was a shapely unicorn, but then again, my mother always bred beautiful daughters. I myself was white with a tan mane, my cutie mark almost indistinguishable - four gemstones with faint blue wisps of air passing through them. We weren't a terribly colorful family, like others in the stable. I gave a soft sigh before smiling at her.

"I'm fine, thanks. What about you? Did Mauve kick you out of Medical already?" 

She snorted, tossing her mane petulantly. "Not my fault he's positively delicious. Besides, nopony's getting hurt." She sidled up to the chair opposite my desk, taking the seat with ease. Her expression shifted from 'teasing' to ‘concerned’. "Seriously, are you doing okay?"

"Yeah," I groaned, rubbing the implant with a hoof. It itched again, so I dripped in a few drops from a phial on my desk to help lubricate the device. "Just gave the new class their first trial." Sapphire hissed a breath in through her teeth, shooting me a sympathetic look.

"That's never easy, learning about all that..."

"They gotta start somewhere." I sighed, blinking rapidly so the fluid spread over the lens. "Plus I think the dreams are coming back."

"Right before you leave on pilgrimage? Diamond, that's not good..."

"I know it's not, but I can't bother mother with it. Honestly, I just hope she doesn't think something's off with me. I might be Head Mare, but she had the position before I did. She still has a lot of authority." I grumbled faintly, sinking into my chair a little more. "I think she kept half her privileges on her PipBuck."

"Can she do that?"

"Geode's a resourceful old nag. She would be the one to find a way to do it, if anypony." I sighed, closing my eyes. "This whole ordeal has me stressed, sis."

"Need something to relax?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. I lifted my own in return, a coy smile spreading across my lips. She mirrored me, slipping out of her chair to walk around the desk. "Or maybe... somepony?"

She sidled up onto my lap, our lips meeting sweetly. "Haven't done it in the Head Mare's office yet." I mused, earning a delightful murr from her.

----------

After I finished with Sapphire, it was dinnertime. We slipped into the bathroom in the Head Mare's office complex to grab a quick shower and joined the dinner rush with wet manes. I earned a few curious looks from the ponies in my stable - my marem - but most of them were lecherous grins, knowing precisely what I'd been doing with my sister. Stable Alpha, as part of our 'do better' initiative, had elected to adhere to the Saddle Arabian tradition of a marem. While deviants from Equestria and Roam thought marems were perverted orgies of ponies constantly screwing and delighting in the pleasures of flesh, those of us who weren't sick in the head knew it was much more than that.

Sure, love was as open and free in a marem as anything. We were basically one large, incestuous family - though seldom would the generations mix, at least not without some degrees of separation in the bloodlines. Our medical technology was strong enough that we ensured all the foals born didn't have any defects. In doing so, our stable had become a mixing pot of genes over the years, and we'd had quite a few pegasi born to round out the numbers. If I had to guess, we were about as close to equal thirds as we could be.

But we were more than just a wild group of perverts. We ran the most technologically advanced stable in Saddle Arabia - likely in the entire world. We had among our ranks a skilled surgeon who could probably quote the Canterlot Journal of Medicine verbatim. Next to him was our Maintenance head, who could (I knew from watching myself) disassemble and reassemble the gem array of our generators blindfolded and with only one hoof. Our head of security was a boulder of an earth pony who could put a bullet through a golden bit at two hundred yards, then probably throw the rifle and hit the bit as well.

But we were far more than the 'incestuous stable-dwellers' that some had made us out to be. We were a functioning society, a herd of friends... A family. And I was their leader. Head Mares were seen as the best among their peers in every way. The Head Mare was stronger, faster, and smarter; that's why she was the Head Mare. I might not have been the absolute best in every single category, but where one of my marem would best me in say, speed, I’d have them beat on intellect, or strength, or any other combination of skills. What I lacked in definitive prowess, I made up for in versatility.

Dinner was a somewhat special affair - tomorrow's would be more so, but this was a lovely meal of mushroom steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and an iceberg lettuce salad. Sapphire and I sat among a group of young foals, all of them in combat barding. They would be going through their second trial, where they would be instructed in the proper use of personal armor as well as basic firearms, in case of a stable-wide invasion. We didn't expect ones so young to really fight, but everypony had to be able to defend themselves. They all had questions for us, and we answered as best we could, laughing and smiling the whole time.

"Heya lover," A smooth mare's voice drew my attention from Emerald - my second-youngest child who was giving me a play-by-play account of his armor training. I smiled at the voluptuous Lily, a good friend of mine and one of the most sought-after mares in the stable. Well, she was, until I captured near-exclusive access to both her heart and her haunches. Just seeing her smiling down at me made my insides writhe with anticipation for what was to come that night.

"Hey yourself." I cooed, kissing her openly. One of the younger colts let out a soft 'blech,' but was silenced by the filly to his side. "How are you?"

"Looking for you." She answered, her hooded eyes betraying her intent. "It's almost bedtime."

"We're not due to sleep for another three hours." I blinked, then blushed as she arched her eyebrow.

"Good, I've got plenty of time to wear you out, then." She hooked a hoof around my neck, practically dragging me from my seat. I couldn't help but follow the lusty mare down into the residential levels, into my quarters, and onto the bed. We'd snagged some company along the way too, and the three of us practically dove onto the bed with eager anticipation.

After all, I was leaving to enter the wasteland the day after tomorrow.
> Chapter 1 - Mounting Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Do you know you're all my very best friends?"

----------

I was woken in the wee hours of the morning by the most devilish of creatures known to equinity: 'foals.' Worse, this was one of my own creation, so ignoring the interruption was definitely out of the question.

"Momma." The petulant little voice nagged at me, coupled with a pair of hooves insistently jostling my flank. "Momma, I gotta go potty."

That, more than the tone in the voice, spurred me into action. I groaned and kicked feebly at the covers for a few moments, my eyes opening at last. The miniature readout in the upper-right corner of my eye told me it was a quarter to five - far before any decent pony should be stirring. "Come on, you little runt." I yawned, feeling the hooves leave me before they sounded on the carpet a few feet away. I managed to crawl out from beneath the comforter, which was promptly stolen by my partner, who rolled back over and resumed her light but adorable snoring.

The dim lights of Stable Alpha were still glaring to my sleep-addled brain, making me squint at the dull-grey interior of our home. Blearily, we left the cool, welcoming darkness of the bedchambers and made our way toward this wing's bathroom. The door slid open with a soft hiss, ushering us into an even brighter glare of linoleum, tile, and septic-white wallpaper that had only just begun to peel.

I helped the young colt - Emerald, it turned out to be - with his barding before shooing him into one of the stalls. My eye itched something fierce, so I fished out a small phial of eyedrops from the nearby medical cabinet and proceeded to drip them into the socket. The machinery stopped tugging at me, the itch soothed, but the readout was blurry for a few moments as the liquid worked its wonders. I simply shut down the feed for a moment, sacrificing depth perception for clarity.

I managed to get a look at myself in the mirror, grimacing faintly. My mane was a disheveled mess, and my hide was matted with some less-than-mentionable fluids. Indeed, the wafting stench of sex passed my nostrils, reminding me that I was due a shower before this day began proper.

A toilet flushed, and Emerald plodded out tiredly. The poor foal looked almost like the ghouls from my mother's tales, staggering towards the sink. He washed his hooves like a good little pony, then led me back out into the hall after I helped him into his barding once more. Despite my annoyance, I knew it'd be better that Emerald seek me out for help with the frustrating clothing. There are certain processes that were best left outside of the hooves of impatient, 'about-to-pee-myself' Earth Pony foals. Most ponies in Alpha didn't wear barding, or any clothes, in fact - but young Emerald was in a trial week. Even without his Cutie Mark, he still had to learn.

"All good now, Emmy?"

"Yeah, momma." He yawned, half-asleep on his hooves. I chuckled warmly, scooping the little colt up in a firm field of silvery-white magic. He went willingly, his eyes already closed.

"Such a little baby. You'll never beat out your sisters for Head Mare position at this rate." I couldn't help but smile at the little snot, though. Annoying as he was compared to his sisters, he was still mine and I loved him to the ends of the world and back. The foals' quarters were quiet save for the hum of stable machinery as I carried Emerald back to his bunk, where he curled up into Amethyst's embrace without another sound.

"You smell like sex." A quiet filly's voice turned my head to the side, spotting Holly's young daughter, Yellow Jacket. Her muzzle wasn't scrunched, and her eyes weren't hard - she seemed to simply be stating the facts.

"And you smell like somepony who ought to be in bed." I countered, turning to face her. My cybernetic eye opened at last, clear now of the solution that kept it lubricated. The spells inside the eye caught her PipBuck tag, cross-referenced it with the roster, and pulled up a compact paragraph of information on my eye. "Unless - ah, you pulled the graveyard shift."

"Saw you walking in with Emerald, wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"It’s fine." I tried to stifle a yawn, failed, and got a sympathetic yawn from Yellow Jacket. "Come on. Let's get some coffee."

"That sounds divine." Yellow Jacket fell into step to my left as we exited the foal's quarters, though she didn't miss the wistful smile I cast back over my flank at the rows of dimly-lit, slumbering young ponies. When the door closed behind us, Yellow Jacket and I turned towards the elevator. I gave her a soft smile, nudging her with my flank.

"First time working overnight?"

"Second." Yellow Jacket sighed. She had only received her Cutie Mark last week, and as was custom, had begun working for the stable. Small jobs, like keeping watch over the foals, were reserved for ponies who hadn't completed all of their trials yet. Lapis and Lazuli, my eldest daughters (and twins at that,) would have just started her first of three final trials, to adapt her to her duties within Stable Alpha. "And I had my first career trial last week. I'm still sore." At that, I couldn't help but chuckle, nudging the young filly with my flank.

"You're doing well, Yellow Jacket. I'm proud of you." She blushed a bit, falling silent the rest of the way into the elevator and down to the kitchen facility. This early in the morning, the cafeteria ponies were just beginning the morning preparations, but upon seeing me, they began brewing coffee immediately. By the time Yellow Jacket and I arrived at the serving counter, two steaming mugs were ready for us, and I levitated them both to the nearest table for us. Cream and sugar were already out for the morning breakfast, and I immediately put them to use to get the coffee just the way I like it. I glanced over at three other ponies who had just entered the cafeteria, my eye giving me the readout for each of their professions. Despite it being just shy of five in the morning, Stable Alpha was active, with forty-eight personnel on current assignment, eighty-seven who had just been woken up to prepare for their duties, and another three hundred and forty-nine still asleep, or at least in their quarters.

These three were off-duty, but even if they hadn't been, I wouldn't have made a big fuss about it. Schedules, like most rules, were meant to be broken now and again. Myself, my alarm wasn't even close to going off yet, but here I was. If I confronted an errant pony for deviating from their schedule a bit, I'd be setting a poor example.

And Head Mares always led by example.

"Diamond," Yellow Jacket drew my attention. I blinked to clear the display, glancing at her. She was looking at my coffee with a bemused expression, and I glanced down to see that I had been pouring a continuous stream of sugar into the liquid since the three had entered the room.

"Damnit." I fought to scoop some of the congealed, sugary sludge out with my magic. I made a bit of a mess in the process, but I saved the mug, more or less. "Still getting used to it, even three years later."

"Three years, two days... Seems you and I have that much in common." Yellow Jacket smiled into her own unblemished mug. "We're still adjusting."

"Such is the way of our humble life." The coffee was still ridiculously sweet, but also very hot and bracing, and that was just what I needed to fully evaporate the remaining grogginess in my head. With hardly a thought, I pulled up a display with my daily schedule, complete with a countdown timer to my alarm, my first duty, and all the ones after that. It even gauged my level of alertness, adjusting the slots for free time and preparation as needed. I had been living with this implant for years, yet I was still amazed at the ridiculous level of integration it had with my PipBuck. Schedules, vital signs, environmental conditions, machinery status. I could monitor anywhere, anypony, anytime, with naught but a twitch of my 'eye'.

As I watched, however, a red alert popped up in my display, coupled with an audible alarm from my PipBuck. Yellow Jacket appeared to be on the verge of saying something, but was silenced as I pressed a button. The prompt came up on the display in my eye as well as on my foreleg, and I felt a slight chill run down my spine.

"There's an emergency in Maintenance." I stood from the table, leaving the coffee behind and making for the elevator. "Yellow, with me!" I barked, and the filly jumped to comply, both of us sweeping towards the elevator. My eyes flickered over the three that had entered a few moments prior, their eyes turned to me curiously. I recognized one. "Jam, you're with me."

"Yes, ma'am!" The pegasus stallion practically jumped to follow, our entourage of three sweeping into an open elevator that had just deposited another four occupants. They looked at us curiously, but none of them questioned the busy Head Mare carting three of her charges off on some errand. As the elevator descended, my hoof tapped, and I thought of one of the many bits of wisdom that my mother had drilled into my head. 'Surround yourself with ponies. Even if they can't fix the situation, they can always help. Every effort, big or small, contributes to a solution.'

"There's an issue down in Maintenance," I started talking, reading from the display in my eye. "... it seems one of the condensers finally blew a gasket." I paled as another icon popped up, a medical alert. Somepony had been injured, the vitals that their PipBuck monitored setting off an alarm in mine, and likely in the on-duty doctor's PipBuck up in Medical. "Fuck. Not the way I wanted to start this morning."

"That's right," Jam mused behind me to my left. "You're leavin-"

"We're here." I cut him off, practically jumping out of the elevator. Alarms were sounding on this level, a mirror to the audible alarm from my hoof. I mashed the 'acknowledge' button, clearing the alert and all the details from my vision, even as two panicked ponies joined our small group from the maintenance headquarters.

"It's number twelve!" One of the ponies offered, matching our pace as we jetted down the halls, passing open doors with curious ponies poking their heads out. The department heads had grave looks on their faces as they scanned their own PipBucks for information. Those who were capable followed us, making our group ten strong as we smoothly filed into the condenser coil's housing. Up ahead, I could see steam billowing out from the twelfth unit, one pony dancing outside of the cloud with her hooves on her head. As we approached, she pointed into the mist frantically.

"Lug Nut! She's inside; the condenser blew right in her face!" Just then a piercing, stomach-curdling scream cut through the cacophony of blaring alarms and hissing steam. A cold feeling grew in my stomach, even as my horn began to glow.

"I have the steam - if you're trained in medical, get in there and evacuate her. Everypony else find the tamper and shut this condenser down!" I worked as I spoke, my magic reaching out into the world around me. Almost idly, I recognized two ponies poking their heads into the condenser housing, wondering what was happening. Jam had lagged behind a bit, and turned to them with a glare.

"Head Mare Diamond Dust is here handling it. We might need to clear a path to the elevator so we can take them up to Medical. Help me clear the way!"

Thankful for my talent now more than ever, I began to focus on the billowing steam. The boiling water inside the condenser had blown out of a weak weld on the joint of the pipe, undoubtedly thanks to whatever Lug Nut had been doing to the machine. It hadn't been her fault, really, I could feel the weak weld straight away. These things happen, especially with centuries-old machinery. Gritting my teeth, I banished the thought of the condenser itself and began to focus instead on the spreading vapor. Slowly, its molecules began to slow. Energy was lost, shed into the atmosphere, drawn out by my magic. The steam condensed to thick vapor, clinging to the floor, and then further until it was droplets falling from where they had accumulated on the girders, railings, and other bits of machinery.

I focused further, drawing more heat from the water in the atmosphere until it began to freeze. Three of my entourage, Yellow Jacket included, rushed through where the steam had been moments prior to pick up Lug Nut. Her dark grey hide was blotchy and red, her face bleeding from shrapnel that had blown into it. But the display in my eye told me she wasn't critical - not yet. I still struggled to work with the water, condensing and freezing the vapor as it hissed out of the condenser.

"Shut this damn thing down!" I barked at the other six ponies, each of them still scrambling to find the tamper.

"Got it!" One stallion bellowed, wrenching a valve closed with his hooves. The steam in my magic began to slow until it stopped, the condenser now wreathed in frost, with one long icicle lancing out of the break. It glittered in the dim lighting, miniature icicles clinging to the various surfaces around us. With a grunt, my magic died away, and the ice began to melt into harmless water. The condenser gave a soft gurgle, but without a feed of boiling hot water, it gave a few pitiful belches of harmless steam before going quiet.

Lug Nut was past me, and out into the hallway by now. I followed them, still monitoring her health with one eye. Shock was setting in, so I opened the communication link to the maintenance headquarters.

"This is Diamond."

"Dusty! Is she okay?" Maintenance was ran by Indigo Steel, a lover of mine. She'd likely been awoken by the same alarm that had alerted me - she usually didn't work at night.

"It's not looking good. Open the medicine supply - the code is four-nine-nine-one. Med X and a healing potion."

"Got it!" The link closed, and hardly fifty feet in front of us, Indigo stepped into the hallway with two items in her magic - a syringe and a bulbous potion. Lug Nut was gasping and whimpering, her hooves shaking terribly as she was fed the potion and injected. The damage receded a little, but she was still in a bad way. I could only watch - and hope for the best - as Lug Nut was quickly whisked away into the elevator and up to the Medical area. The doors had hardly closed when I heard Indigo Steel trot up beside me, laying a concerned hoof on my withers.

"Dusty, I'm sorr-"

"Stop." I hadn't really yelled, but Indigo flinched as if I had. She fell silent, her expression crestfallen.

"I know what you're going to say," I began, my voice strained. I could still feel my heart thumping in my chest, the adrenaline lingering. "... that you're sorry, that you should have been more vigilant, checked the condensers more thoroughly, run extra maintenance on it, double-checked the welds." I turned towards the mare and slowly lifted her chin, bringing her brilliant green eyes around to mine. When I spoke next, there was a smile on my lips, and my voice was much softer.

"I want you to know that this is nopony's fault. None of us is to blame. Accidents happen - be it during trials, or in the middle of an average day. But that's why we have trials, why we communicate and deliberate." I leaned in to softly kiss Indigo Steel's lips, and that simple gesture seemed to relax her a bit.

"Thank you, Diamond." She whimpered. "I'll... do what I can to get number twelve up and running safely again."

I stepped back and addressed the small group that had gathered around us, looking for direction and guidance from their Head Mare. "There’s no rush. It might be stressful, but let's go ahead and finish out the graveyard on a skeleton crew. Anypony who was directly involved has the first clearance to go - other departments can pick up the slack. I'll make sure they get extra time off this weekend in recompense. For now, why don't we all go upstairs and take a break?"

Smiles and nods broke out among the gathered ponies, some of them breaking off into smaller groups to talk and deliberate. Indigo dismissed the group, picking out a few choice individuals to stay on-duty. None of them, I noted, raised a fuss about their peers being let off earlier than them. Once the skeleton crew had been selected and I was alone with the maintenance head, I wrapped her in a tender hug.

"Seriously, Indigo. I don't blame you."

"I know you don't," she sighed, nuzzling my mane tenderly. I wrapped her in a soft embrace. "I just got spooked. Couldn't help myself."

"Lug Nut's going to be fine," I consoled her. I knew she would, thanks to the medical alert on my eye turning yellow and then fading away. "...and I know you’ll be okay too; you're going to have twelve fixed before the night's out. It'll run better than ever now."

"You're too good to us." Indigo gave a nervous chuckle, her body finally beginning to relax a bit. "I'm glad you took over for Geode. She was kind of a cunt."

"Hey, that's my mother you're talking about, there." I couldn't help but giggle as well, though. Geode had a reputation for being miserly. Only a few stallions had ever been able to get her to relax, and she usually wasn't in any state to run a stable when they were done.

"She's my mother, too." Indigo turned away, swatting at me with her tail playfully. "I better make sure Saffron doesn't weld his hooves to the railing. I'll make sure he's upstairs by tonight, though."

"You'd better." I called after her. "It's your last chance to say goodbye!" She waved a hoof before disappearing into the Maintenance headquarters. The morning began to catch up with me then, the rush of adrenaline and controlled panic giving way to relief, tiredness, and another reminder from my nose that I still hadn't showered yet today.

With a sniff, I turned towards the elevators. This was not the way I wanted to start my last day in Stable Alpha...

----------

I arrived back in the Head Mare's quarters to a curious and groggy Lily. "Wha' happened? Last thing I remember you were taking Emmy to the bathroom..." She rubbed her eyes with a stiff yawn, her legs stretching languorously. I couldn't help but admire the full curves of the pink Earth Pony beneath the covers, her violet mane splayed around the pillows like a fan. She looked resplendent, even tired and weary from last night's fun.

"There was a problem with one of the condensers in maintenance," I explained, slowly crawling up onto the bed. My hooves indented the thick mattress on either side of her flanks as I started to sidle my way up her body. "One pony was hurt, but she's okay now. Gave some of maintenance the day off while repairs get underway."

"Hmm," Lily's eyes opened, the beautiful pink irises almost a perfect match for her coat. She grinned as I began to kiss my way up her barrel. "... I'm glad she's okay."

"As am I." I muttered between wet kisses, feeling a familiar heat begin to build.

"Aah, hey, Diamond, come on... it's too early." She began to squirm, her plaintive whine only serving to spur me on. "Come on, I'm too sticky from last night."

"So am I." I panted, kissing along her neck now. She cooed from the back of her throat, a delightful little murr that I so loved her for.

"Diamond..." She whimpered, her forehooves now sliding up my sides. My lips met hers, and just as I was about to surrender to my passion, the third party in our bed stirred.

"Seriously, you two? We went five times last night. Some of us are still sleeping."

"Aww, boo." Lily slumped into the rumpled bedsheets with a sigh. "You're no fun, Twister."

"Hey, pegasi aren't famous for their durability." The silver-coated pegasus emerged from his cocoon of blankets, his mane sticking up at wild angles. More so than it usually did, that is. He smacked his lips a few times, his eyes flickering over the two ponies laid atop one another just to his side. "Then again... It is a special day..."

"There's the spirit." I chuckled, leaning over to kiss him next. As Lily's hooves trailed down to my haunches, I couldn't help the smile spreading across my lips.

'This is the way I wanted this morning to start.'

----------

After a playful romp - and a badly needed communal shower - I excused myself to actually start doing my job. Twister grumbled something about going back to sleep, and the haggard stallion looked like he needed it. He had been right about one thing - pegasi stamina wasn't quite as robust as their 'recovery' time. Feeling no trace of that morning's stress, I made my way up to Medical. Almost immediately off of the elevator, I bumped into the head of the department, a stoic old buck named Mauve.

"Hey, Lug Nut, is she-"

"Observation One." Mauve grumbled, not being one for the mornings. "She'll be fine. We'll keep her for the rest of the day, but there was no permanent damage." I arched an eyebrow, and he amended quickly. "Ah, I'm sure she'll be released this evening. Wouldn't want to miss out, after all."

"Thank you." I smiled, nudging him warmly. "Talked to the old nag lately?"

"Harrumph." He snorted, tossing his greying mane over his neck. "She wanted a throwback last night. After the last time, I told her never in a million years."

"So she buggered you again, huh? That'd explain why you're so grumpy." At that, Mauve's cheeks darkened even further, turning him a brilliant shade of crimson. I had to laugh as he sputtered and struggled. Some of the other medical ponies smiled at us, one of them passing me Lug Nut's chart. I glanced over it as we turned towards the Observation wing. "I'm glad, Mauve, really. She always liked you. Old ponies like you two shouldn't hold onto grudges."

"I'm not old. I'm hardly sixty!"

"Sixty-two." I stuck my tongue out at him, even as his file cleared off of my eye. He seemed to notice the minute flicker of light in that cybernetic orb, and he nodded towards it knowingly.

"Still itching in the morning?"

"Yeah," I sighed, resisting the urge to scratch at it. Hooves and delicate nano-machinery didn't do well when they met. "And it keeps acting up as the day goes on. I had to apply the drops four times yesterday. I put some in this morning, and already it's bugging me again."

"I think it's the way the drops react to the latent moisture in the stable," Mauve mused, his horn glowing as he fiddled with something inside my head. He was probably the only pony I ever trusted to fiddle with the internal workings of my implant; but if I couldn't trust the pony who gave it to me, who could I trust? "... I think I can change some of the components around to make them more resistant and compatible. You could have told me sooner, though. You get the new one tomorrow."

"Think you can make the changes to the new one?" I asked, pulling short outside of Lug Nut's room. The old buck just chuckled, thumping his chest with a hoof.

"I'm not your uncle if I couldn't. I'll see you tonight?"

"Tonight." I promised, hugging the old buck before turning into Lug Nut's room with a warm smile. She smiled back, though I could sense tension around her eyes. The memory of the pain was written on her face, haunting her.

"Hey, Lug Nut." She was a sturdy earth pony with a dark grey, almost black coat and a steel-grey mane that framed brilliant, dark-red eyes. She was very pretty, in a wholesome sort of way. And familiar... I had almost five hundred ponies in this stable; I couldn't keep track of all of them. But damned if I didn't try. I looked her in the eyes as I sat at her bedside, reaching out to take her hoof in both of mine. She laid the free one over the others, her smile widening. "Are you okay?"

"I am now, thanks to you and the others." She sighed. "It was just a huge shock... I'm still trying to make sense of what happened."

"When I was taking care of the steam, I noticed one of the welds on the condenser was weak. Were you trying to open a valve?"

"Yeah, it was stuck, so I put some grease on the nut and was hitting the wrench with a hammer... I guess I broke open the gasket?"

"You did indeed." I smiled, patting her hoof. "I'm so glad you're okay. You gave us all a big fright."

"I'm sorry, I should have looked at it closer-"

"Hey," I cut her off. "... relax. It's nopony's fault, okay? Not yours, not Indigo's, not whoever inspected it - nopony. It was an accident, and an honest one at that. To be frank, I'd have done the same thing if I were in your hooves." I gave a sharp chuckle. "Then who would have waded in there to drag me out? She might boast, but my sister can't freeze water." My light joking had its intended effect, and I saw a genuine smile cross Lug Nut's lips. I released her hooves, but didn't pull away. I scooted up onto the bed to wrap her in a warm hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Thank you, Head Mare."

"Diamond Dust." I corrected, patting her back softly. "You can just call me Diamond."

"O-okay... Diamond." She flushed as she sat back, and I smiled warmly at her as well. Now that I wasn’t worried about her well-being, I recognized her complexion.

"You're Spanner's daughter, aren't you?"

"I am." She blinked, the ghost of pain turning instead to a wholesome look of shock. "How'd you know?"

"Mare's intuition." I winked. "You know, your mother instructed my trials. You can't be much younger than myself..."

"I'm twenty-four..." She continued to look surprised, even as I blinked to clear her file away.

"I'm thirty. Not that much of a difference." Again, I leaned in, but this time I pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight." I whispered, my smile turned from 'warm, friendly Head Mare' to 'no, I really am looking forward to seeing you tonight.' I pecked her on the cheek again and sauntered out, though I took a moment to return her medical chart to the peg outside the door - and catch the deep blush lighting up her face too. ’I’m glad she’s okay. I’d hate to miss that cute blush tonight.’

I was dying for some breakfast at that point, and now that I'd checked up on Lug Nut's condition, I felt confident nothing else would transpire to draw me away from a hearty bowl of oatmeal. The kitchen was in full swing when I emerged, smiling brightly at the ponies in my stable. I recognized many of them. Others' files flashed across my right eye, some of them too quick to read, others I cleared with a mere thought.

"Diamond! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Head Mare!"

"Hey Lover!"

"Hey, Head Mare! Come sit with us!"

The voices all rang out in greeting, and I did my best to respond to them all. My PipBuck informed me that almost the entire stable was awake at this point, only twelve ponies having gone to sleep from the graveyard shift. Many of them were likely on their way here, if not waiting and handling other business to miss the major rush. Despite the long line at the serving counter, I had a healthy bowl of oatmeal with a side of berries pushed into my hooves. Being Head Mare had its perks.

I spotted Lapis and Lazuli at a table with their sister, Cinnamon, and a few other foals, so I made to sit alongside them.

"Mommy!"

Cinnamon clambered to her hooves and hovered towards me, her still small wings doing their best to keep her airborne.

"Good morning, my little ponies!" I bubbled, ruffling Cinnamon's mane playfully. She sat in my lap, closing her eyes and humming happily. Such an ornery little shit, but I loved her still. "Did you all sleep well last night?"

"Yes!" The chorus of childish voices answered in unison, save a few who had their mouths full. I glanced at Cream, the same pony from yesterday's class. A few of those foals were seated here, as well, though most of them were older ponies.

"I hope these little hellions aren't giving you any trouble this morning, Cream?"

"Hardly," the old unicorn whickered, snatching Emerald by his mane with a firm glow of magic. "'Cept this one; can't stop scratchin'."

"Emerald." I chided him, waving my spoon. "Wear your barding properly, and stop scratching it."

"It itches, momma. I don't like it." He pouted, but a stern look from me cowed him into silence. I settled into 'lecturer' mode.

"Do you know why Emerald is wearing his barding this week?" I asked the gathered ponies. One or two grumbled about it not being class time yet, but the rest answered in unison.

"It's his trial week."

"That's right!" I smiled, taking a moment to gulp down one mouthful of oatmeal before it got too cold. "And why do we do trial weeks?"

"Because we have to do better!" This time, everypony answered in unison, even Cream. My own voice joined them matter-of-factly, though I couldn't help but smile.

"That's right. I'm so proud of you all." I beamed. "Now get to eating - you don't want to be late to class. And remember, you only have a half day today!"

The resounding cheers drew looks and smiles from every other table as the children set in on their meal ravenously. I swapped mouthfuls of oatmeal between myself and Cinnamon, chatting with Cream about their education. Emerald was still scratching at his barding, but looked guilty for doing it. I idly wondered if he had been issued one that was cleaned recently - his skin never seemed to react well to the detergents in the laundry facilities.

'This is the way I pictured this day going.'

----------

"Dusty." The gravelly voice gave me pause just before I set hoof into the elevator. I let it close in front of me, sending Cream and Emerald up to the school level with another wave and a smile. I had stayed in the cafeteria throughout most of breakfast as I usually did, chatting with the ponies of the stable. It was just shy of ten that morning, and everypony was getting around to their duties, few as they were before the festivities began that night.

I advanced towards the voice, almost bowing my head out of respect, but stopping myself. I was Head Mare now. Not this pony. She was a dusky-coated Earth Pony, her hide the color of a sunset after blood had been spilled, or so she liked to boast. Framed by a raven-black mane that showed little grey for her seventy years, Geode cut as intimidating a figure as ever. A black patch covered her right eye, but her left eye still looked as keen as ever.

"Mother." I answered. "Did you need something?"

"Impetuous little shit." She grumbled. Her voice was ragged, sounding not unlike the ghouls I'd listened to on her recordings, and the recordings of my predecessors. My eyes flickered over the jagged scars on her throat, product of some grievous injury she'd never fully explained to me. "You think you're ready?"

"We're never ready for our first." I answered, almost out of practice by then.

"Tha's right." She coughed wetly, dabbing at her lips with a cloth. "Pride will get you shot. Confidence is the key to glory, but arrogance will kill you." She jerked her head to the side, pushing open one of the stairwells. "Come on. Got somethin' for ya."

I piqued an eyebrow at that as I followed Geode into the stairwell. I kept a fairly slow pace behind her. Half out of respect, half because she didn't care to be reminded that her body was beginning to slow down a touch.

We silently made our way up from the cafeteria level, the only sound being the steady thrum of machinery around us, our hooves, and Geode's wheezing breath. We alighted onto the top of the stairs a few minutes later, and I took the chance to sweep ahead of Geode and hold the door for her. I followed on her heels and stopped alongside, as we took a moment to just soak in the view of the Atrium.

Stable Alpha had been designed with longevity in mind, not just preservation. Ideally, the entire population could live in this underground haven for all of eternity, provided we kept up with the stable's vast maintenance needs, of course. And but for a few constantly failing condensers, Stable Alpha was still running strong, even after one hundred eighty years had passed.

And yet, even those things seemed trivial next to the cavernous Atrium. The vaulted ceiling soared almost two hundred feet overhead, and close to four hundred feet across. It wasn't as large as our food production levels with their artificial farms and simulated sunlight, but it was damn close. The dome of the Atrium had been enchanted to show a beautiful blue Equestrian sky, complete with a backdrop of green rolling hills. If one were to stand in the middle, they could easily be tricked into thinking they stood in the middle of an open field.

The dome itself could even simulate weather patterns, giving us the occasional shower, or on special occasions, snow. Those were my favorite days, working my magic to condense and accumulate the icy particles, creating beautiful sculptures or funny-looking snowmares. It was how I had gotten my cutie mark, all those years ago. What's more, the atrium was large enough that our local pegasi could fly in circles, getting a modicum of exercise. There were machines in the recreational level that could simulate a more rigorous workout, but up here they could actually move while flying.

It was also our communal home, a center of activity for ponies off-duty. There were a myriad of lounges, couches, and cushions strewn about the floor at the moment, some of them populated with intricate-looking hookahs. Tobacco and shisha were commodities in the stable, but we'd been working with a surplus of food for a long time, so I'd authorized the growing of a few plants, and we were recently enjoying the benefits of our harvest. I ached to lounge on one of the oversized cushions, perhaps with Lily by my side, smoking flavored hookah and enjoying my last day in the stable. Perhaps, I'd have time later that night...

"C'mon." Geode grumbled, snapping me from my reverie. She led the way towards a doorway set into the wall of the Atrium, near where the stairwell let out. The plaque that read 'Overmare's Office' had long ago been removed in favor of another that read 'Stable Head's Office. Here, I kept a desk, as did my mother, Mauve, Indigo, and several other senior staff alongside the Education Department's head, whom had just taken over for her late grandmother. I may be the Head Mare, but my mother had an immense amount of experience over the forty years she had on me. I deferred to her judgement and advice often.

Geode's office was vestigial at best these days, with more dust than files hanging about. She spent much of her time in the Education Department, conducting trials, teaching classes, or futzing about doing not much of anything. I had a good handle on the way things were ran, and I could contact her through her PipBuck any time I needed her. Still, there were parts of this massive stable that I hadn't quite learned about just yet, and I realized was about to be privy to one more as my mother reached under her desk and flicked a switch. The desk rose out of the floor, several panels sliding back to reveal a dimly-lit stairwell, leading down into the space between the Atrium level and the level below, which would have been the Education Department. One look down the long stairwell, however, told me it went far further down than that.

"I got somethin' to show ya, Diamond." Geode croaked, carefully making her way down the steps. "'Might shatter yer perception o' this stable, and Stable-Tec, and me, and everything you've known t' be true... Or it might jes' validate it all." She had always been a cryptic mare, but the tired tone of her voice made me wonder if this wasn't just a show this time around. I followed after cautiously, making our way down at least one level beneath Education. My PipBuck's map didn't know this area, and was plotting it as we went. I blinked as I saw the tag pop up 'Surface Access.'

"We're not-"

"We are." Geode grumbled as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Immediately, my defenses began to rise. I had heard the stories of other Head Mares, and what their final wishes were. The safety and security of the stable depended on keeping knowledge of the stable's very existence secret from all except its inhabitants, and that's exactly what every Head Mare tasked herself with day and night. Everypony knew full well that once they entered the stable, they could not ever leave.

For that reason, whenever a Head Mare passed on her legacy to her replacement, she had two decisions: She could stay in the stable forever, living among her friends and family for the rest of her days...

Or she could forfeit everything - her position, her access codes, even her knowledge of the stable's location - to embark on one last Pilgrimage.

The last one she'd ever take.

Geode accessing the surface without having chosen either of those things immediately made my coat crawl, as if a trillion bugs were between it and my muscles. I stood on the landing, looking incredulously at my mother as she plodded down the short hallway. I could see a doorway at the very end, with a lit terminal on the wall beside it. Geode stopped when she realized I wasn't following her, and her lone eye looked back to me intently.

"Relax, Dusty." She croaked, giving a wet laugh. "I'm staying in Alpha. I won't run with the knowledge of this place. Yours isn't the only legacy this place holds, and I'm not keen on destroying that." She laid a hoof on the wall, a wistful look crossing her eyes. Her soft smile was genuine. "I love Alpha, and my family is here. I've other daughters, sons, lovers... I don't feel like leaving them for the surface."

"You've decided, then." I surmised, carefully closing the distance between us. Geode looked to me, the same wistful expression on her face.

"I have. I'm staying."

"Alright, then." I relaxed at last, sighing faintly. "Thank you. Honestly, I halfway expected-"

"What, that I'd take you up where we're going and jump?" Another wet laugh, and she wrapped me in a soft hug. I tensed a little, but relaxed as she gingerly stroked my mane. "Somepony's got to keep an eye on this place while you're gone."

"Right." I laughed, hugging her back for a few moments. It was probably the most genuine moment I'd ever shared with the mare. The memory of the things she'd done still echoed through my dreams, some nights waking me in a cold sweat. Whether she'd done those things 'for' or simply 'to' me was yet to be seen, but those memories could wait. The hug ended, and Geode turned back to the door at the end of the hallway. I noticed we had passed by pairs of amber bars, hidden and recessed in the walls to our left and right. It was comforting to know that even this usually-empty hallway was guarded by turrets.

I managed to catch a glimpse of Geode as she quickly input a massive password into the terminal. I think I lost count after twenty-five characters or so. When she hit 'Enter,' the door hissed open to an elevator cab. Geode wasted no time in slipping inside, and I followed suit. The doors shut, and we slowly began to ascend. I came to the sudden realization that I was actually exiting the stable! All the terrible and awesome stories I'd heard about the wasteland were up there! My hide began to crawl again, this time with a much more acute sensation.

"As you know, we're located beneath the city of Damarescus. Far beneath." Geode spoke as the elevator whirred into the unknown overhead. As we rose, the guiding rails seemed to grow a little more worn, if the slight grinding was any indication. Slight shudders began to ripple through the elevator too, and I could feel my defenses rise more with each new jolt. That effect tripled when I heard my PipBuck begin ticking ominously, a small meter popping up in my eye's readout that simply read "RAD," the bar hovering in the green. It wasn't rising very fast, almost imperceptibly so, but it was still incredibly unnerving. I'd only seen this warning on my PipBuck a couple of times in the past, when the shielding for the generators had been taken off for maintenance. Afterwards, myself and every pony whose PipBuck had reacted similarly had spent a full day in Medical, sucking down some terrible orange potion.

"Huh. There's a storm about." Geode grumbled. "Hope it passes higher up."

"Higher up?" I asked, blinking at her curiously.

"Aye. Y'see, Stable Alpha's probably the biggest accomplishment that Stable-Tec could rightfully claim. They never did though, for reasons I'll explain later, but it's safe to say that a lot went into making our lives easier. First and foremost is the fact that we're not just under Damarescus, but we're under the city's tallest, biggest, most defended building." Our PipBucks stopped clicking as the elevator slowed, and Geode sighed. "Good, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to see."

"See... what, exactly?" I asked. Geode turned her head to grin at me deviously.

"The wasteland."

The elevator opened, ushering in a blast of hot air, and a blinding, disorienting light.

Before me sat eternity. I hardly registered it as Geode's hoof fell on my back, shoving me stumbling into the light. My eyes adjusted, one faster than the other, the world coming to me in one big brown and blue mess. Details came second, each new one making my heart thud faster and faster. The display on my eye said '110 BPM' with a little yellow exclamation mark next to it. Geode just laughed, joining me on what I supposed would be a roof, if roofs could sit on top of the whole world.

"F-fuck me."

I struggled to even begin processing what I was seeing. The whole world was blue and brown. Blue above me, wheeling off into forever, an infinite, stretching void of just... nothing. There wasn't anything up there. It felt like if I stepped forwards, I'd fly off into that nothing, and the vertigo immediately made me sway. This was different from the Atrium. The Atrium had a clever spell, sure, and the superficial sunlight was nice on your hide, but you still saw the girders against the wall. You knew there was rock and metal and electronics past that illusion, and if you were a pegasi, you could fly right up to it and put your hoof on it.

Just to orient myself, I looked back down at my hooves, and the stretching black shadow before me. The source, whatever it was, had to have been behind me, and when I glanced over my haunches, I drew in a hissing breath. Even the cybernetic eye ached in my socket, spots dancing in front of my vision. The right half of my vision went dark, displaying only the time and date, along with a single word: 'recalibrating.' The left half reeled, blinking rapidly.

"'S a pain, innit?" Geode chuckled, trotting past me towards the edge of the roof. "Your grandmare did the same thing to me, you know. You might think I'm bad, but she was a right cunt." Geode stopped at the edge of the roof, hacking wetly before she turned back and ushered me forward. "C'mon, storm's passed. You can see all of Damarescus from up here."

'C'mon Diamond, you can do better than this.' I willed myself to calm down, even though the sky still reeled overhead. My PipBuck finished rebooting just then, and I could now see a patch of clouds just on the edge of that blue canvas; North, if my compass was functioning properly again. I joined my mother at the edge of the roof, and saw that eternity came with one hell of a placemat.

Damarescus in all of its glittering, gorgeous beauty sprawled out beneath me, stretching halfway across the visible plane where it ended in a massive blanket of shifting, fuzzy brown sand. I knew about sand, had played in boxes of it when I was a foal, seen shipments brought up from our mining operations to be turned into silicon and glass... But this much of it? It was impossible to comprehend. There was more sand out there than anypony could ever hope to see. Even as I stood on top of what was surely the tallest building around, I knew there was far more that I couldn't see. Far to my left and right, though, the brown sand gave way to a slowly-rolling ocean that looked as blue as the sky, and as infinite as the sands. Looking around, I remembered the maps I'd studied, and the stories Geode and my grandmother had told me about this once great port city. For a moment I could almost taste the small bite of fish Geode had brought with her when she came home last.

My PipBuck began ticking ominously again, and I looked over my shoulder at the far end of the roof. "Aw shit," Geode groaned. "Sandstorm's comin' back. Wish I'd have checked our weather instruments 'afore I brought you up here. Ah well. Plenty o' time fer you ta experience a sandstorm on yer own." She slunk back towards the elevator, and now that I'd seen the outside, I didn't want to go back! I knew what was out here, now! That wild blue sky, the brown desert - heck, I hadn't even had a chance to look at the city properly! I thought I'd seen a thin line cutting off one section from the other, but an ominous howling was accompanying the rapid ticking of my PipBuck. With a little more urgency, I followed Geode into the elevator, my heart slowing a little as I was once more wrapped up in metal and stone.

"That was-"

"Yeah,"

"I'm-"

"Ah huh." Geode chuckled patronizingly, fishing about in her barding. I'd hardly noticed that she was wearing it today. She withdrew two packets of orange liquid, and I recognized it as Rad-Away. My throat clenched a bit at the sight, but not even that disgusting orange drink was going to dampen my mood.

"So that's the wasteland?"

"Part of it." Geode waved her packet. "Less than a smidgen of it, to be honest. Yeah, you saw a lot of it, but you didn't see it. Not closely. Not the way that I have." She finished her drink off, pushing mine up to my lips. I chugged it down, if only to start talking again and distract my mind from the horrible taste. The little RAD meter descended and then disappeared.

"But I will?"

"Starting tomorrow, yeah. Yer pilgrimage begins right there, in that city I jes' showed you." She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Though I don't remember that wall bein' there. Wonder what ol' Malachite's got up his sleeve, lettin' that crop up?"

"Malachite?" I asked, still reeling internally. I halfway wanted to brave whatever a 'sandstorm' really was (I'd read on them, of course,) just to see more of that wild, wonderful world!

"Later." She growled, shaking herself as we descended into the smoother areas of the building. I saw another tab pop up in my navigational menu, drawing my attention away from the crazy world I'd just glimpsed. I scrolled over to it, blinking as 'World' opened up, displaying a simple icon that looked like a couple of tall buildings next to each other. Beneath the icon was the word 'Damarescus' with a small circle of spider web-looking lines branching out around it. The webs looked almost like a grid of sorts...

"Ah suspect yer map'll look a lot like mine when yer done." Geode displayed her own PipBuck, scrolling to the same tab. Hers was far more complete, and as she zoomed out, I saw the icons practically fill the screen. Many of them were too small to detail, and the names too numerous that the PipBuck couldn't display them all.

"Woah."

"Well, y'all got yer taste. Now tomorrow won't come as such a huge shock to ya." She chuckled, clapping me on the back once more. I could have chided her for not giving me any warning, but I was still too shocked to comment. I'd been dreaming of tomorrow ever since I'd taken over for Geode. Now, on the cusp of my pilgrimage, I found my worries about Alpha falling by the wayside. "C'mon, yer not gone yet. Still got a stable to run." Geode pushed me out of the elevator as we arrived back in the short hallway, the stairs looming over us. "Hey, what was that-"

Click.

My world stopped. I knew that sound all too well, though that did nothing to stop an icy chill from running down my spine.

"Mom?" I asked softly, dreading to glance back. I did anyways, and I saw the gun in her mouth. Where had she been hiding it? It wasn't in her barding, was it? I hadn't seen a holster on her. Then I saw the panel in the wall, open where there had only been wall before.

Geode kept the gun pointed at me as she pulled a pair of saddlebags out of the alcove, alongside a full set of armor, blinking and glowing with tiny lights. Still frozen in the sights of the weapon, I watched as my mother donned the armor, shrugging into it like a well-fit coat. Next came the bags, and she never took the gun's barrel off of me as she strapped them all on.

A small panel next to her fetlock on the armor opened, and she carefully spat the gun into it. Machine arms took the pistol in their grip, adjusting the barrel as Geode's eye turned back to me. A red laser pointer clicked on, hovering just over my breast as Geode spoke again. "So I'm a liar."

"I gathered that." I scowled, looking from my mother to the alcove in the wall. She chuckled, sensing my confusion and fear. "You're not staying at all."

"Never planned to." Geode chuckled. "If there's one thing that this wasteland will teach you, it's that 'better' doesn't exist. Cross one obstacle, and the next one will be twice as dangerous. Escape one seemingly impossible situation, and I promise you the next one will be worse still. Believe me when I say that there is no 'better' up there, and the whole 'do better' bullshit is just that: bullshit." The alcove she'd taken the armor and bags from slowly hissed shut, the red dot still fixed on my breast. Geode slowly backed into the elevator, never once looking away from me.

"You’ll see that one day, Diamond Dust." She croaked, pressing a button on the elevator. "Everypony in Alpha is going to see." The doors began to close, and I caught the last glimpse of a wicked smile on her lips. "Soon."

----------

I was haunted by the sight of Geode's eyes as those doors slid shut between us. It was no secret that Head Mares had little love for their predecessors. Historically, the ties between the two figures were vestigial at best, and my link to Geode was no exception. I had been the youngest of all my siblings, sired by some paunchy buck in Maintenance, who died just shy of fifteen years ago thanks to a drinking problem. I struggled to remember a name and a face. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly the favorite among the ponies in the running to take the position of Head Mare. Throughout my trials, though, I'd done my absolute best to excel. I'd fought hard to be the best. Be smarter, faster, stronger, more resilient, more crafty.

I'd fought hard to be better. To do better.

I made my way up into my mother's old office, scowling at the dust and empty bottles lying about before finding the same switch she'd flicked, and flipping it back. The access door slid closed, and the office once again looked just like any other one in this stable. I turned away with a heavy sigh and very cloudy thoughts, eventually wandering my way across the hall to my own office.

'My own mother drew a gun on me.'

I don't know what scared me more: that I half-expected such a thing from her, or that it wasn't the first time she had done it. Hell, it hadn't even been the fourth.

'Head Mare' is a prestigious title, and one that's only earned through hard work, sacrifice, and as Geode has just reminded me, a healthy dose of treachery as well. I could still see the glint of the front sight post on the pistol my mother had held, the hard cast to her eyes. I'd been so shocked in that moment, despite everything she had put me through already, that I completely forgotten everything my training had taught me. I hadn't even summoned a shield to protect myself. Then again, I knew she'd have shot me if I had tried to stop her. Maybe not lethally, but she wouldn't have hesitated to fire.

Maybe that's why despite my shock, a large part of me was glad to see her go.

I sat behind my desk and kicked my rear legs up, thinking long and hard on what had just happened. Out of curiosity, I opened the tracking section of my PipBuck and toggled to my mother's tag. A small line of red text popped up 'Inadequate privilege - contact local administrator.' I couldn't even open the channel to talk with her directly. I had no idea where Geode was, what she was planning, or what she would do next. The tag just sat in my PipBuck, silently mocking me. With a groan, I closed out of the interface and closed my eyes. My thoughts were too preoccupied with what was happening in the here and now.

I'd just had my first glimpse at the wasteland, in all its terrifying beauty. I'd be out there in mere hours, sandwiched between a seemingly infinite, barren desert, and a vibrant blue sky that defied description entirely.

Flipping through the mostly blank 'World' tab on my PipBuck, I wasn't sure what was more ominous: that I was all but blind to what I was getting into...

I flipped to Geode's now blocked out tag and stared at it.

...or the danger my mother had just put us all in by leaving.

"Diamond?" I was shaken from my reverie by the soft voice of Maroon Skies, the pegasus at the head of the education department. She peeked in curiously, worry painted on her features. "I didn't hear you two in Geode's office... is everything okay?" She blinked, looking around. "Where is she?"

"Left." I muttered, taking my hooves off of the desk and rubbing both my eyes gently.

Maroon paled. "You're joking. She went... out there? Into the wasteland? Without wiping her memories?"

"Not before pointing a gun at me." I gave another soft sigh, my thoughts going a million miles an hour. Maroon closed the distance between us, sitting beside the chair and laying her hooves on my back. She began with a tender massage, the light pressure doing wonders for the building tension this morning had dumped on me.

"W-well look at it this way… she’s gone, right?" The nervous tone of her voice only compounded on my own stress, though her hooves were doing their best to allay the mounting tension. Geode’s departure had shaken me to my core, as it had for Maroon, but I couldn’t show it - not outwardly.

"Oh, she's gone alright." I sighed, my eye itching again. I squeezed a few more drops into it and shut the feed off while Maroon leaned into her massage a little more. I felt the tension melt away from my muscles, but my brain was still going wild. There were too many variables to consider, too much risk...

"You seem to be taking this pretty well." She balked at the glare I shot her over my withers, giving a shy smile. "I mean, obviously you miss her. As do I. She was my aunt, after all."

"No, she was a good Head Mare." I sighed, wishing that this massage would never end. It was likely the last one I'd receive in a long while. "She did her job admirably. Alpha thrived thanks to her efforts, and that of her predecessors. I just hope I can live up to her example."

"You already are." Maroon cooed, leaning in to kiss my cheek from behind. I leaned back, inhaling a slight breath through my nose. "You're going to go up there into the wasteland and kick her tail to Roam and back."

"Damn right I am." I growled, feeling anger return to my system. How dare she?! Leave this stable without following protocol! What made her so much better than all the Head Mares that had come before her?! I was going to- ooohh, that felt divine. Maroon's hooves slid down my spine, making my entire body shudder.

"Tomorrow. Tonight, you still have us."

"I sure do." I chuckled, turning around under Maroon's hooves. I slid between them, pulling the mare up onto the chair with me. She gave a delightful squeal as I began to pepper kisses along her neck, and right as I was about to get serious, her PipBuck chirped.

"Oh damnit," She groaned, silencing the alarm with a wingtip. "I have class. I'm sorry, Diamond."

"Aw, but our lesson was just getting started." I teased, giving her flank a quick swat. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Count on it." She teased, giving my lips a sweet, drawn-out kiss. She left me all tingly, my eyes fixed on her flank as she swayed them back and forth on her way out. When she left the Head Mare's office for the Atrium, my gaze lingered on the door a while longer.

This day was shaping up to be the strangest I'd ever had.

----------

The evening's festivities began in short order, several ponies working hard to decorate the Atrium. Nopony was asleep in Residential, and only a skeleton crew was working in maintenance. Every other body - all four hundred and eighty-four of us - were filtering into the Atrium. That number nagged at me - Geode's leaving had removed her from our systems. She wasn't included in the tally of ponies in the stable. And that number would adjust one more downward as I left tomorrow. My niggling little doubts could wait, though. Tonight was a special night.

I stood in the center of the Atrium, talking and greeting well-wishers. The gifts hadn't started yet, but I knew they were coming. For now, we started slowly. Food was being brought up from the kitchens, along with alcohol and premium shisha. It wasn't often that a Head Mare went on a pilgrimage, so the whole stable was preparing to celebrate. Once my PipBuck informed me that all of the celebrants were present, I climbed to the top of a podium that had been erected in the center, putting me just above everypony else. The whispers of conversation died down, each eye turned to me expectantly.

"Well, we all knew this day would come," I began slowly, giving a fake, wistful sigh. "... many of you are probably pleased to see me go-"

"But we love to watch you leave!" Twister offered, and I laughed with everyone else.

"But it's a time-honored tradition, one we've abided by for almost two centuries. Even back when Stable Alpha abided by an Overmare, we deemed fit to take this trip, to gather news, technology, supplies, and worthy friends and family to live with us in safety. The purpose of this pilgrimage is for the Head Mare to do what we all do, to do what we were instructed to do so long ago."

Every voice in Stable Alpha joined me as we all muttered those two words together.

"Do better."

I looked out over the gathered eyes, each of them turned to me. Even the foals sat in silence, their young minds undoubtedly soaking up the moment like sponges. I smiled warmly at my friends and family - my marem.

"Starting tomorrow, you will be without a Head Mare. Or, more specifically, I'll be assigning one to handle the affairs of the stable while I travel into the wasteland. Were it not for the folly of those who came before us, we wouldn't have the myriad opportunities that we do. That's why we send the best of us out into the world - not just to gather and hoard all that we have, but to help spread the knowledge and expertise we've accrued. Be it with a few select spells, or some bullets where they need to be put." Another ripple of laughter rolled through the stable, and I closed my eyes, feeling the artificial sunlight on my hide. It felt almost like the real thing. It was only missing the hot breeze, the blue sky, and the heart-thumping sensation of the whole wide world stretching around me into nothingness.

"I'm sad to go, but I've known this was coming ever since I took the position from my mother. The truth is, I might not return - there have been four Head Mares that have perished on their pilgrimages. But that's okay. They died trying to do what any of us would do in their positions, doing what they felt was best, and right, and whole.

"But this is not goodbye. True, tragedy may strike. I may be removed from your lives by any number of risks out there. But I'll be damned if whatever takes me gets away without something to remember me by. And should I return, it'll be with something new and wonderful for us. More family. New technology. Treasure and wonders that will help us to do better." I raised my voice, speaking louder as emotion welled within me.

"I'll not resign myself to an easy death! I'll not falter from my path! With Stable Alpha as my witness, I will help everypony I can, any way I can! I will fight, I will bleed, and sun and moon help me, I will live!" The entire stable joined me as we all chanted the last four words.

"I will do better!"

----------

The night's festivities had been legendary. Truly, a party of that magnitude had seldom been seen in Stable Alpha. There was dancing, music, amazing food, alcohol, and sex all about, sometimes all at once. I stayed up talking, laughing, and loving alongside my marem, but didn't partake of the alcohol. I had an early start the next day. After a few hours, I took my leave of the festivities, so I could partake in a more personal, intimate celebration. Alongside Lug Nut, Twister, Lily, Maroon Skies, and an almost overly-eager Earth Pony stallion I'd been teasing for the past few weeks by the name of Blue Danube, I retired to the Head Mare's chamber for a delightful orgy.

I slept peacefully through the night. Were it not for my alarm buzzing at seven in the morning, I could have easily slept the entire day away.

But the wasteland waited for nopony. And so I quietly disentangled myself from my precious companions and made for the showers.

"Diamond." Mauve was the first pony to greet me as I ascended the Atrium, three other ponies lingering about during their free time. They looked at us curiously, but Mauve's strict glare scared them towards the ramp leading up to the entrance. Most ponies in the stable would be shaking themselves awake by now, making their way up to the entrance to bid me farewell. They'd be hungover, tired, and cranky, but they would come. They always did.

"Gonna be a long day, isn't it?" I asked, grinning at the old buck's knowing smile.

"It sure is. Got yer new eye." He held up a vial filled with some blue-ish sort of liquid and a new cybernetic eye. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I sighed. Mauve's horn glowed as he withdrew the implant from his vial and seized the current one in my head. The feed went dark alongside the tugging sensation I'd become mildly familiar with over the past three years of using the damn thing. I hissed as I felt the dangling wires drag along the inside of my eye socket, accompanied by the nausea and twinges of pain I'd come to expect.

"Just a moment, now..." He put the old implant in the vial he'd drawn the new one out of, and proceeded to install my eye once again, this time with a marked upgrade. The feed re-initialized immediately, scrolling text sliding up the black screen before it booted up entirely. Everything looked much the same, though a touch clearer. Mauve began listing off the changes as he fiddled with it, small bits of the PipBuck interface clicking into my vision.

"This eye comes with a shield projector that'll protect it from all but the most tenuous of sand, so you won't be blind in a storm. It should also keep moisture and other stuff out of there, though the shield will fail if too much comes in at once. Obviously, it won't stop a bullet or shrapnel. I've smoothed out all the ragged edges, so even if it does catch on some of your muscles, it ought to be negligible. Plus, you can now use water to lubricate it, not the eyedrops I've had to brew up for you previously."

"Really? Any water?"

"Well, you'll want to use clean water, but yes, any old water will work."

"Well, thanks for that, I suppose." I chuckled, blinking a few times to get accustomed to the feel. Despite being new, nothing in my socket itched or pulled at the flesh. It was as close to a 'natural' feeling that I'd had in an implant ever.

"'Side from that, and some updated programs, it's about the same. Better resolution, though, as you've probably noticed." He stepped back, finished with replacing the new eye. The display looked the same, even pulling up his profile as I looked at the old buck. He looked... sad, almost. I smiled, nodding my head towards my office.

"Send your Head Mare off?" He just gave a soft 'harrumph' and followed. I led the way into my office, where I'd been gathering supplies for the trip.

Mauve had taken it upon himself to arrange all my accoutrements, undoubtedly collected from the armory and fabrication laboratories. I stood before the impressive armament, looking over all of the instruments of death and defense. "My sojourn into the wasteland is going to be unpredictable, but at least now I knew I'd be well prepared."

“I did this for your mother, long ago.” Mauve sighed, his horn glowing as he pulled up the first article, an impressive set of armored barding. “Her armor was much the same as this one, if I recall… though it came with an integrated battle saddle. You won’t have any need for that.”

“Not unless I come across an artillery unit I want to haul across the wasteland, no.” I chuckled, taking the armor from him and examining it. Inter-locking ceramic plates were woven between two layers of steel-reinforced silk-woven fabric, and enchanted several times over with a myriad of defensive spells. The suit of armor could repair itself, administer healing potions when needed, and would even assist with my own magical ability by supplementing my spells. As I pulled it on, I watched the integration program sync it with my PipBuck, the fabric tightening and fitting to my body perfectly.

“We’ve just got your rifle back from the fabrication lab, too. I must say, she is a beautiful piece of work.” Mauve levitated a slick black case from its place on the ground, setting it on the open space of my desk the armor had vacated. “Your specifications were implemented without issue. She just needs to be zeroed.”

I flipped the clips securing the case up and pulled the lid open. Inside the custom-tooled foam bed sat a glorious piece of deadly machinery, the same mottled-brown as my armor. The custom-designed rifle was chambered to a precise .338 caliber, using specially-designed rounds that struck a perfect balance of stability and damage potential. The rifle came fitted with a bipod for stationary firing, a muzzle break to help reduce recoil, and a scope of my own design that would scan and tag the same marks from my PipBuck, tracking them behind cover and concealment.

As I lifted the rifle out of its case, I couldn’t help but smile at the beauty of it. She was mine from the stock up, a weapon unlike any other in the world. I couldn’t help but breathe her name. “Shiva.”

“And your ammunition, as well.” Mauve levitated a small selection of boxes forth. I had spent much time developing not just this rifle, but the rounds it fired as well, and had adapted many of the traditional ammunition types into my own bullets. Alongside a healthy supply of the standard .338 rounds were matrix-disruption, explosive, incendiary, armor-piercing, and poisonous bullets. In total, I had close to two hundred rounds for Shiva.

But the impressive rifle wasn’t the only piece of equipment I’d be taking into the wasteland. One article in particular, which I was glad Geode hadn’t pilfered, was an old, well-worn saber. The scabbard and pommel were wrapped in genuine dragon leather (product of one of my ancestor’s first kills,) and inscribed with our motto. ‘Do Better’ was laid into the sturdy material, and as I pulled the blade from its sheath, I could see my face reflected in the polished surface.

“Ashur.” This blade had a history with the wasteland, and had been passed down by my predecessors after more than thirty pilgrimages in its time. Miraculously, the blade had always been found by a Stable Alpha Head Mare, even if their predecessor perished. It too had a name, though I didn’t know where it came from, or what it meant. Still, the blade’s designation felt… right. Like it owned the name. The scabbard slid under the rifle’s sling across my back, ready to access at any time (by magic or mouth) just over my left shoulder.

“We’ve also got your other things back from fabrication.” Mauve hoisted two more black cases from the floor, opening them both. Within the left case sat a custom-tooled ten-millimeter pistol. It boasted a myriad of features, including a built-in suppressor, gem-studded sights that glowed in low-light conditions, and alternative firing modes, in case I needed three-round burst or fully-automatic fire for any reason.

The other case held a titanium-alloy shotgun chambered in twelve-gauge, lightweight and sturdy enough to handle the punishment of the wasteland. The shotgun slipped into a custom holster that sat between my flank and my saddlebags, with the handle poking out next to my tail. The ten-mil fit just along my front left leg, above the joint of my knee. I draped my hefty saddlebags over the shotgun’s holster, feeling their reassuring weight settle.

I had close to one hundred rounds of ammunition for each of my weapons, a half-dozen grenades and mines, twenty or so healing potions, and a healthy selection of chems. To help conceal my impressive arsenal, I wrapped a balaclava around my neck, and donned a lightweight cloak with a hood over it all. To finish it off, a dark pair of shades covered my eyes. From behind the tint, I looked at Mauve critically.

"So, how do I look?"

"You look like a Head Mare ready to take her pilgrimage." Mauve commented with a low whistle. I grinned back at him.

"We're never ready for our first. But that doesn't mean we can't go well prepared."

Mauve seemed like a gatekeeper as he stepped to the side and ushered me out of the office. The Atrium fell silent the moment I walked back into view, looking like a different mare entirely. I stood before my stable for a few silent moments as the soft murmurs of conversation died away. Nopony spoke. Hardly anypony even moved as I shared a pensive moment of silence with my family. The silence was broken as I stepped forwards, the congregation of ponies making their way towards the long, sloped ramp that led up to the Security level.

The ramp gradually curled around the massive dome of the Atrium, running through the rock and steel outside until it ended in a wide bay door that opened into Security's main floor. Originally used to accept oversize deliveries of raw building materials and machinery, these days we used it as an impromptu slide for the foals, or for exercise in running up and down the incline. The offices of the head of Security were located here, along with a small barracks for the on-duty guards watching the entrance and patrolling the upper levels of Alpha. When we arrived outside of the gigantic, cog-shaped door to the vault, there wasn't any conversation. Nopony spoke. There really wasn't much to say at this point. I turned to face them, looking over the rim of my shades.

"Step forward, Mauve." I spoke calmly, but loud enough to ensure everypony present could hear me. Mauve blinked and stepped forwards. "Lift your PipBuck."

He obliged, and I could see in his eyes that he sensed what was about to happen. I fished a small wire out of my PipBuck's access port and connected the other end into his PipBuck. I navigated into the settings and selected one prompt, my eye blinking faintly as it popped up on my screen.

'Overmare Duty Transfer Protocol: Initiate? Y/N'

I toggled 'Y' and waited for it to load.

'Verbal Override required. Speak passphrase now.'

"Overmare Duty Transfer Protocol, Stable Alpha, authorization Delta, October, tac, Beta, Echo, Terra, Terra, Echo, Roam." The prompt vanished, along with half of the readout of my PipBuck's interface on my eye. The time and date remained, along with an idly spinning hourglass that emptied and filled several times as it turned over.

'Transfer Complete.' The compact text scrolled across my eye once before flickering away. At once, I felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of my withers.

"Mauve," I smiled at the buck, pulling the wire out of his PipBuck and tucking it back into my own. "I'm leaving it in your capable hooves. You're Head Buck while I'm out." My eyes glanced over the gathered faces, all of them stoic, some of the shedding tears. The gigantic cog gave a massive bang, alarms flashing across the interior of Alpha. A gust of dry, sandy air blew inside, washing over the crowd.

I pushed my shades up and turned to face the dark cave outside of Alpha.

"Do better."

-----

Footnote: Level Up!
New Perk:  Daughter of Alpha - You boast some of the best weaponry, training, and technology in the entire world! Radroaches and raiders won't pose much of a problem to a mare as well-equipped as yourself, and to top it all off, you've got the resolve of a Head Mare! Gain +1 to all S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats, +10 to all skills, +10 DT and +10% damage dealt! Be careful, though. Naiveté and arrogance have been the downfall of better ponies than you.
> Chapter 2 - Damarescus' Dirty, Desperate Dealings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	”What in tarnation?!”

----------

The booming crash of the vault door closing behind me echoed up the tunnel, sounding not unlike the closing of my casket. I felt as if I had just been buried alive, and a shiver passed over me; the momentary thought of ‘no turning back’ making my mouth fill with a sour taste. I shook myself, throwing off the emotions as best I could, while grimacing at the dark cavern before me.

“C’mon, Dusty. You can do better than this.” I was set. I was determined. I was not going to lose heart now. I picked up into a brisk trot, growing accustomed to the fit of my new armor and the weight of my load. The rifle still felt a bit awkward slung across my back, but I didn't feel overly burdened. The light exertion made my muscles sing, and I cherished the thought of burning off my last few days of indulgence with what lay ahead of me.

Damarescus. The ancient city that had survived the Great War more-or-less intact. Whatever balefire missiles had been destined for the city had guttered in the weak atmosphere above the Northern reaches of our imposing desert, falling to detonate in the sands instead. Damarescus had survived the war as much of the rest of Saddle Arabia did, with only a few wayward Equestrian Megaspells finding their way into the desert sands. Damarescus was spared even that, and I guessed that the presence of Stable-Tec in the city had a part to play in staying the executioner’s axe.

Not to say Damarescus wasn’t spared, not by any stretch of imagination. As my mother and her predecessors had told it, there were plenty of other troubles that plagued the city, borne from the necromantic radiation the bombs spread or any other manner of lawlessness that flourished in the wake of two of the world’s major governing powers having blown the other to smithereens.

I was excited to see what Damarescus held for me. So much so that I hardly even realized it when I nearly walked nose first into a door... Both it and the accompanying terminal were dark, looking almost like a shadow on the far wall. I flicked on my PipBuck lamp and played the light over the obstacle, finding no apparent solution to my conundrum. How did one operate a door that didn’t have any power?

With the emergency lever. Duh. I pulled the rusted contraption, flinching as the door slid into the ground with a resounding bang!

’So much for the element of surprise. I’d announced my arrival into the Wasteland as an idiot would have, and won the attention of several red bars on my E.F.S. as the prize. A myriad of horror stories passed my mind in that moment, from shambling, monstrous ghouls to vicious Zebra martial masters, laser-wielding robo-sentries, and the infamous and extremely deadly Hellhounds.

As it turned out, bugs were an issue, and this far underground, they grew rather large. I shoved the ten-mil back into its holster and instead drew Ashur, grinning inwardly as the blade greeted the Wasteland with a kiss of tempered steel. Three swings and three dead bugs later, I swept the light across the room I’d entered. It appeared to be some sort of underground garage for holding wagons. Several of the rotted, rusted hulks lingered on their spots, long brown stains painting the ground away from them. There was next to no light, but I thought I could see the floor along the far wall sloping up, perhaps towards another level. There were several doors down here as well, one of which appeared to house a stairwell to the upper levels.

After dispatching another bug beneath the stairs, I ascended into the unknown, feeling my sense of wonder and awe grow with each new level. I had only just broken a sweat when I reached the last landing, aptly labeled ‘G.’ Pushing out, I saw filtered daylight leaking in from the top of one last ramp, illuminating the level handily. The rusted forms of wagons here seemed more intact than their other, subterranean brethren, and I briefly entertained the idea of bringing one with me. Upon closer inspection, that would have been impossible. It’d take more than a few new wheels and some grease to get one of them moving again. Giddily, I took a swig of water and made for that glancing shaft of golden light pouring into the garage.

I emerged into a world as alien and new to me as anything ever had been. The sunlight was already bright and pervasive, making me squint defensively. The cybernetic eye even took a few moments to re-calibrate, leaving me momentarily blinded. Once it adjusted though, I finally got a good look at my surroundings.

The street I found myself on was cracked, but not completely broken. There were potholes choked with weeds, and the sidewalk was strewn with a modicum of refuse, but it wasn’t the dirty, dusty, lawless husk of a world gone by that my mother had described in her stories. The dull hum of scraping hooves, chatting voices, and wind sucked between buildings filled my ears. In some strange way, it reminded me of the familiar hum of stable machinery.

And what’s more, there were ponies here! Not just any ponies, but Wasteland ponies! Actual, true, honest-to-goodness dwellers of my mother’s infamous Wasteland! At first glance, they seemed to dress the part too. Most of them were clad in tan or mottled brown cloaks that seemed to provide at least some protection from the blowing sand. Exceptions abounded though, from the dirty rags worn by the pony slumped against a nearby wall, to the crisp blue suit worn by one passerby who clearly thought highly of himself. A scant few ponies were wearing nothing at all, though I was so used to nudity inside the stable that I hardly even registered them in my mind.

What I did register is that two of these particular ponies, ones dressed in dark-blue barding and sporting weapons, had suddenly taken a keen interest in the well-armed pony ascending out of what appeared to be a restricted building. My mind scrambled as they began to trot towards me, the unicorn among the pair levitating a rifle towards me, and the other gripping the mouth-trigger of his battle saddle.

“You there! Where’s your band?!” The unicorn barked, pulling up short a few yards from me. I quickly sat on my rump and raised my hooves, hoping that would defuse the situation even a little. My eyes darted to the guard, then to the crowd, and I finally caught onto his meaning.

Everypony on this street - from the guards on up to the snobby one with the suit - had what looked to be an elastic band around their hoof, high on their left foreleg above where my PipBuck would sit. The guards wore yellow bands, while the rich one sported a green one. What did that mean? Did it mean anything?

My mind rushed, even as the unicorn brandished his rifle more threateningly. We were beginning to draw attention to ourselves, in the form of having stopped all other movement on the street. I was acutely aware that all of these ponies with the bands on their legs were looking at me with curiosity. Some were beginning to gravitate this way.

“Uuh…” I floundered momentarily, looking between the two guards and everypony else on the street. “Funny thing, that.” I chuckled, focusing for a moment. The unicorn arched an eyebrow, as if expecting me to continue.

Instead, I vanished. Where once I had sat, now there was nopony, just an empty patch of street. I winced as the knee-jerk reaction from the Earth Pony guard caused him to pull the trigger on his battle saddle, and the street was filled with the echoing retort of shotgun fire. The pellets whizzed through the space I had just occupied, though I was really only a few feet away, trying very hard to keep the spell up despite the ringing in my ears. Chaos consumed the street seconds later, providing me with easy cover while I sidled along a wall and out of sight.

My invisibility spell wasn't too different from the one a standard-issue Stealth Buck came with, but it drained my energy rapidly. I let it drop as soon as I rounded the nearest corner, nearly shocking an old mare sitting against the building with what looked to be a small selection of trinkets on a blanket in front of her. She smiled at me sweetly.

“Are you a zebra?”

“No ma’am,” I smiled back, pulling the hood of my cloak up. “Just passing through.”

----------

Damarescus was busy. Every street I turned down had a myriad of ponies milling about, anywhere from a sparse dozen to hundreds of them moving, talking, and going about their business. I’d been too shocked to notice, but apparently I had discovered ‘Stable-Tec Headquarters,’ and ‘Damarescus City Central’ in the few minutes I’d been on the surface, and as I sidled past a shiny high-rise office building with a few dozen ponies coming and going through its entrance, another alert appeared in the corner of my eye. “You have discovered: Flash Industries Headquarters.”

I couldn’t really stop to survey the sights as much as I would have liked, though. My lack of a band automatically painted me as a target to anypony who would have noticed, to say nothing of the PipBuck on my leg, which identified me as a stable-dweller almost immediately. I kept my cloak pulled tight around me, doing my best to blend in as just another busy-body going about their business. I held my breath as a pair of guards passed by me, but they didn't even look my way. Their eyes were on the crowd and not the individual, watching for disturbances.

So far so good, but I needed one of those bands, and I needed it badly! I ducked into a stinking alleyway, disturbing a few screeching rats in my passing, to survey my PipBuck more thoroughly. The ‘World’ tab had been filled with a few more icons, all of them packed tightly together. Apparently, Stable-Tec Headquarters and Flash Industries Headquarters sat directly opposite one another. Looking around, I could see a few more hollow triangles on my compass, marking areas I hadn’t yet discovered.

How my PipBuck knew these places and where they were in relation to myself was mystifying. It appeared I’d already synced up with the Saddle Arabian Terminal Network, and my PipBuck was updated with new information accordingly. That caused me to purse my lips in frustration, especially considering I was being kept from tracking my mother’s tag by that very same system.

Still. I had a problem, and I needed to fix it. The quickest and easiest way would probably be for me to pilfer one of those bands, somehow. Even though everypony had them, I had the impression they weren’t the sort of thing that was kept readily available. I could likely get one from the building that I’d seen all the guards coming from earlier, but that seemed like I’d be inviting disaster.

First thing’s first, I needed to get to a portion of the city that didn’t have so many ponies. I took a few moments to look up at the towering skyscrapers overhead, surveying the ranks of them marching to my left and right. Directly above me, near what I guessed was the middle of the city, they seemed pristine. Shining glass windows and metal trim were both cleaned and polished (at least some time in the past century) and appeared to house ponies going about their daily lives. I grimaced at the roof of Stable-Tec Headquarters, where my mother had taken me just yesterday. How was I supposed to know we’d ascended through a tower rife with ponies going about their daily lives, as if they didn’t carry one of the most dangerous mares in the entire Wasteland through it’s heart?

As I surveyed the heights, I saw ponies exiting onto balconies, tending to an assortment of gardens and planters. I saw similar balconies on the Flash Industries building, and many others around it. I had to admit, keeping gardens on the sunny side of the buildings was a pretty smart way to make use of so much vertical space.

But after what I guessed to be two miles or so, near the edge of town, the buildings began to shift from well-kept monoliths of progressive technology, to hulking masses of malnourished dilapidation. Shattered windows, rusted support beams, and even a few collapsed floors characterized nearly all of these buildings, which sat in clusters just beyond the wall that Geode had mentioned yesterday. At no more than five stories tall, they were far shorter than anything around them as well. Past that, I couldn’t see with the mirage-like heatwaves rolling off of the street, or the press of pony bodies milling about.

“Think, Diamond, think.” I muttered to myself. “You need information, and you need one of those bands. You’ve got a mission, girl. Find your mother. Beat some sense into her. Get back home.” I sighed, taking a few moments to calm myself. Once I was prepared, I slid myself back into the flow of Damarescus, becoming one with the crowd.

----------

Information, it turned out, was markedly more difficult to come across than I’d anticipated. The Damarescus City Guard was prevalent, with roving patrols of four ponies making their way up and down almost every street. They were thorough as well, poking into alleyways and conversing with the passersby, undoubtedly asking if they had seen anything suspicious or out-of-the-ordinary. I had to activate my invisibility spell several times to avoid them as I wandered about. I followed the hollow triangles on my compass, discovering new areas as they came to me. As the sun began to sink in the sky, stretching the shadows of the city into long, cool mantles of relief, I had made a full circuit of Damarescus’ inner workings.

The city was separated into five sections. North, South, East, West, and Central. Stable-Tec Headquarters and all the other impressive skyscrapers occupied the central sector. The northern section was actually rather sparse, save for groups of guards moving to and from their destinations hurriedly. I’d made quick time through the area, doing my best not to be spotted or pursued. The eastern section seemed to be the center of food trade, with busy fisherponies going to and from the wharfs and docks along the ocean.

South of that, and along the edge of the wall, was what appeared to be the most heavily-populated area, with nearly every building clearly occupied and at capacity. The west, it seemed, was relatively sparse, with only a sparsely-populated market to keep its few denizens company.

I was mystified. The city wasn't anything like I'd ever seen before. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the time to admire the scenery because the moment anypony saw my PipBuck, they either screamed for the guards or refused to do business with me. I was getting tired of constantly running and using my invisibility to slip away. The stress was beginning to wear on my horn, as well, and I felt the beginnings of burnout begin to set in. It was late in the evening when I gave up on trying to find any information for the day and instead looked for a place to sleep.

What I found was a desolate alleyway occupied by a skittish family of rats and a few dozen cockroaches. The stink of fresh garbage told me I was somewhere that at least saw a modicum of traffic, but I was more-or-less alone as I curled up between two piles of stinking refuse. 'What a first day. I groused, closing my eyes and slowly slipping into unconsciousness...

-~-~-~-

Humming machinery. The scuffle of hooves. I found myself standing in the midst of Stable Alpha, watching a sea of colts and fillies swarm around me as they made their way into the classroom. I followed along behind them, despite my best instinct to stop and survey the surroundings. No matter how hard I mentally screamed at myself to stop moving, I kept going, walking into the open room I'd become so familiar with in my past.

It seemed as if I were stuck in my own body, unable to make it listen to my own commands. Whatever this was, a dream I would guess, I was merely a passenger. It reminded me of the few memory orbs I'd watched, courtesy of my mother and her predecessors. But I was still me. This mare felt comfortable, and real. From the horn on my head to the stray glances of tan mane I'd seen, I was myself.

So why did this feel so wrong? What was happening?

I'd hoped that all would be made clear in time. I stopped trying to fight myself and instead watched as I sat somewhere in the middle of the ponies, eyes trained on the mare at the front of the class. It was Creme, albeit much younger than she was presently. "Hello, my little ponies!" She bubbled, her horn glowing as she pulled down the projector screen and dimmed the lights. "You're all old enough now that your mother has seen fit to start your first trial-"

Oh heavens, no. Not this. Not now. Please, not again...

"And that starts with a history lesson! You're going to learn about the Great War, Saddle Arabia, and Damarescus! Sit quietly for the whole presentation, and I'll give you all a treat!"

The other ponies stopped fidgeting, grinning widely at the prospect of a treat. I was screaming at myself to move, to break this spell, to get up and run. Instead, my cheeks turned into a smile as I shared an excited giggle with my classmates. Horrified, I watched the projector light up, the flickering image populating the far wall with a video I was all too familiar with.

It's not that I was scared of the video. I was scared of what came after it. If this was the beginning of my trials, then my future dreams were undoubtedly going to move forward from there... Indeed, my memory served to be point-accurate, up to the point where my own mother slipped into the classroom and flagged Cream down.

Geode looked better in my dream than the last time I'd seen her. She was more hardy, with rock-solid muscles and a few dozen scars painted across her hide. She wasn't missing an eye anymore, but the cybernetic implant characteristic of all the Head Mares glimmered in her right socket, the red machine sweeping over the class briefly.

Geode and Creme shared a few words as the projection went on. I wanted to listen in to what the two adults were saying, but my dream-self was still occupied watching the film. I only gave them any attention when the door swished open and they left the class. Not even half of the fillies and colts watching the video noticed. We were alone without adult supervision, and the projection was winding down to its final moments.

When it was finally over, the lights in the class automatically came back on full, and the projector slid back into its ceiling tile. Confused murmurs and conversation broke out, some ponies even growing so bold to pull out toys and games. I watched my own body stand up, presumably to join with some fillies talking in the corner, but I was headed off by three imposing young mares.

"Well, well, well... Looks like little Dusty decided to join the big ponies after all."

"H-hey, sis." I mumbled, trying hard not to look up at Topaz. She was Geode's eldest daughter, my half-sister, and a miserable bitch. She and her two cronies, a pegasus filly named Wheatgrass, and an Earth Pony who went by the name Rye. The other two were siblings, but they had been friends of Topaz for as long as I could remember.

"Don't call me your sister," Topaz spat. "You're just a little runt comin' into class way too late. Stay outta my way, and I promise I won't hurt you." She loomed in front of me, almost twice as tall as I was. "... much." We'd drawn a small crowd of ponies by then, only the most absorbed and oblivious of colts and fillies not watching Topaz display dominance over her little sister.

"S-sure thing, Topaz." I felt myself mutter, still not looking directly at her. "I-I won't get in your way at all, I promise."

"Damn right you won't." Topaz snorted, taking a step closer. Her chest pushed up against my head, almost bowling me over with her sheer size. "In fact, I might just have a use for you. Tell you what, Dusty. You're my little helper pony from here on out. Whatever I tell you to do, you do it. Got it?"

"O-okay, Topaz. Whatever you say!" I bubbled, trying to hide my fear with a happy smile. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, first thing's first, why don't you hit yourself?" Topaz mused, stroking her chin as if in thought.

"Wh-what?"

"I said hit yourself." Topaz continued, smooth as could be. "Here, like this. Pick up your hooves." She curled her own around my forelegs, lifting my hooves up in front of my face. I couldn't really fight her like this, and her strength was considerable. "Then you just..." She pulled my hooves away from my face, and I watched in horror as she tensed. "Hit yourself!"

She pushed my hoof forward hard enough that I actually flinched into the blow, catching the edge of my own hoof. She guffawed as I blinked at the blood pouring into my eye, courtesy of a split-open eyebrow. I wasn't sure how or when, but I started screaming and crying, while the ponies around me just laughed.

-~-~-~-

I woke with a startled gasp, sending a trio of rats screeching and scampering away. It was abysmally dark in the alley, but I soon gained vision as my eye booted up and switched to night mode. My vision soon returned, but there was little too be done for the overpowering stench of garbage all around me, or the metallic scent of blood that still clung to my frazzled nerves. I heard nopony moving on the streets, and the sky was dark and filled with stars.

The wonder of seeing the night sky for the first time was lost on me as I fought to reign in the panic I was feeling. My history had just reared it's ugly head at the worst time, and the dreams that had plagued me in the past were back - and worse than ever. My heart thundered in my chest as I extricated myself from the garbage and took inventory of my faculties.

But they might just be able to smell me. I grimaced at the stench rolling off of the garbage and hurried out of the alleyway, checking for the red bars of guards before moving towards the market I'd found yesterday evening. None of the stores were open this early, of course, but a few guards roamed about, making sure the locked merchants stalls weren't being broken into or pilfered.

If I was going to have any luck acquiring a band of my own, it'd be here. Worst-case, I'd at least find some way to clean myself off and get rid of the scent of refuse. Using my invisibility spell where necessary, I managed to evade the guards and get close to some of the storefronts. I made quick work of the lock, though it made me pay in the form of a broken bobby pin. I still had eleven others in my pack, but I couldn't afford to lose many more.

"Or, perhaps it wouldn't be a problem after all." I chuckled. The store seemed to be some sort of general goods outlet, and a quite good one at that. I found sixteen bobby pins, sixty loose caps on the counter, and some ancient Equestrian bits. A key hidden underneath the register's cash drawer led me to a small floor safe, where where I pilfered another two hundred and forty caps, a dozen bullets for my ten-mil, and a battered-looking laser pistol. Rather than rob this poor soul of their defense, I left the pistol, and grinned as I finally hit the jackpot.

A yellow band, sitting atop a folded note in the small compartment at the top of the safe. For Cyan. She should be coming to the south gate of Lowside tomorrow morning. Take this and give it to her, so your sister can join us at last. Love, Mother.

"Sorry, Cyan." I muttered, slipping the band over my armor, halfway up my right foreleg. I felt a little bad about robbing this poor pony their chance to live inside of Damarescus, but in the grand scheme of things, Geode's threat against my home probably didn't bode well for more ponies than just this one. I left the shop, snagging a few bottles of what looked to be clean water on my way out, and locked the door behind me. Sure enough, the roving red bars of guards had turned to the same amber that all the others were.

I drenched myself with the bottles of water, hoping that at least mitigated the smell. My armor was already drying by the time I passed the first patrol, who nodded stoically to me on their way by. I was finally one of the members of Damarescus, albeit under false pretenses and against all my better instincts. I needed this band. Alpha needed this band.

I was better with it.

----------

The north section of the city had previously terrified me, what with the various patrols dashing all over the place, moving with purpose from one area to another. Now that I was able to move around more freely, I took the morning to familiarize myself more with the area. If it weren't for my lack of uniform, I'd probably look like another one of the guards on their way to whatever was going on in this portion of the city.

The hub of activity in this place appeared to be a well-kept, squat office building, with official-looking trellises and columns along the facade. Guards seemed to be moving into and out of the building in groups of five or more, constantly coming and going. Through the still morning air, I could hear orders being barked, and ponies shouting at one another to get moving, or make for some part of the wall in the North. In short, it looked like something big was going down.

I walked up to the building slowly, with my hood down and shades off. The balaclava was bunched around my neck, and I had pulled the cloak back to reveal my weaponry. I kept a slow pace, showing that I wasn't a threat.

"Woah! Hold up, there, pardner!" One of the guards hollered at me, levelling what looked to be a carbine at me. "Show us yer band! Right now!"

"Relax." I spoke, cool and even, raising my right foreleg to show the band there. "I'm a mercenary. Just came in from Neighpton last night." I used the name of one of the towns my mother had mentioned in her stories, hoping my little bluff would stick. At least I looked the part, armed to the teeth and keeping my cool.

"No shit?" The guard lowered his rifle a fraction, shaking his head before raising it again. "Don't matter none, girly! Ain't nopony not a guard gets in this here buildin'! Now scram, afore ah throw ya in the clink!"

"Well, alright then." I shrugged, half-turning to walk away. "I guess you guys really don't need help." I began to count in my head. 'Three... two... aaaand...'

"W-wait, up pardner!" The pony called out to me. I turned and arched an eyebrow, my cybernetic eye scanning his face. Cute, but kinda dirty. "Y'all got some good-lookin', uuh... Guns." He stammered a moment. "Ah c'in put a word in with the captain, but, uuh... Ah ain't s'posed to."

"Would you?" I beamed, flashing him a controlled grin. "I'm a touch low on caps, and this place is busy enough that you lot seem like you could use the help."

"Sit tight. Ah'll be right back." He nodded to the other guard, a unicorn mare who had remained silent during the entire exchange, before slipping inside. I drew some curious look from the guard, but thankfully, she didn't ask any prying questions. I sat on the street while I waited, feigning interest in my PipBuck while I rehearsed my 'story' in my head. It was a simple story, one my mother had used many times before to escape further questioning from guards and strangers alike.

For the time being, I was Equestrian, having braved the Glass Flats to make it here. The loss of my eye was the price to pay, and I'd received the implant from a good doctor in Neighpton.

Hopefully, they wouldn't pry hard enough to see how good of condition it all was. My eye in particular wouldn't have been the product of any wasteland hack using centuries-old technology and worse surgical equipment.

About ten minutes later, the guard from earlier returned, this time with another pony on his heels. "Here she is, sarge."

"I'll be damned, son!" The sergeant gave a low whistle as I grinned at him. "You sure as shit look like you came outta Neighpton! That place is a hellhole, last I heard!"

There went that explanation. I rolled with it, nodding my head faintly. "Got enough scavenge outta there to buy my way into the city." I tapped the band with a soft chuckle. "Cost me a pretty penny to get one of these, too. Last time I rolled through here, they didn't have 'em." 

"Well, I don't have the time to explain all that happened since you last been through here, but I can point you to somepony who does. That's for later, though. Holster here tells me you're in the market as a freelancer?"

"Was it the rifle that gave it away?" I teased, offering a hoof. "Name's Cyan."

"Bush." The sergeant shook my hoof and jerked his head to the side, indicating I should follow. "I'll give you the skinny inside." We entered the flow of traffic moving into the building, and I took a brief look around. The lobby appeared to have been modified into a sort of armory, with half of the floor dominated by a huge chain-link enclosure. A single door allowed access inside the enclosed space. It must have been double-hinged, as I spotted a burly - and very grumpy looking - unicorn stallion standing behind one half of the door, cursing up a storm while he magically flung rifles and field kits to a waiting line of uniformed guards. I couldn't tell if his aim was that bad, or if he was really trying to hit the guards in the face with the packs.

"Shape up that line!" Bush barked at the guards, who helped a stumbling guard pony to his hooves and pushed him towards the door. "C'mon, Cyan. This way." He growled, shaking his head as he trotted past the enclosure and further into the building by way of a wide hallway lined with doors at regular intervals. The marble floor was dirty, but not in disrepair. Only minor cracks and chips were visible, evidence not of neglect, but heavy traffic. Other ponies, mostly unicorns, bustled into and out of the offices on either side of the hallway, carrying stacks of papers. All of them looked haggard, likely having worked all night or having just woken up a short while ago.

Bush led me into the third door on our left, a cramped affair with a dozen cubicles stuffed together in a space that wasn't meant to house more than five. Luckily, we were alone as he pulled a sheaf of papers from an overflowing filing cabinet. "Here," he muttered around the papers. I levitated them from him, spreading them out in the air before me. "One of those is a map of the city. The other is the northern sector, where we need the most help. Some raider marem out of Tel'Applebim has moved in on that side of the city, and they've been making our lives hell for the past eight months or so.

"Near as we can tell, there are a few smaller marems and gangs operating under the leadership of one pony in particular, a psycho bitch who goes by 'Crimson.' She and her lieutenants are wreaking havoc on any scavengers stupid enough to try their luck in that part of the city. They've already killed or evicted the former residents up there, and between fighting us at the wall and pushing further west..." he sighed and brushed a hoof through his mane. "Look, we can hold our own without issue, but the Lowsiders are being pushed back week by week. The more territory Crimson takes, the harder it is for us to hold the wall."

"Seems mutually beneficial for you to help the Lowsiders then, right?"

"I don't like it." Bush spat into an overflowing trash bin. "Dirty Lowsiders can rot out there, for all I care. But if we don't put the kibosh on Crimson, she'll be able to flank us sooner than later. What we need you to do," he pointed to one of the more detailed maps, tracing the edge of his hoof up and down a long, straight street. "Is hinder their movement across Saddle Brush Avenue. Anypony looks like they're not poor, sick, or desperate gets a bullet. Can you do that?" His eyes flickered over my shoulder to the rifle, and I chuckled.

"In my sleep."

"What's your range?" He asked, his eyes turned a little more soft. I could recognize a fellow firearm enthusiast, and Shiva certainly was a treat. I pulled the rifle off of my shoulder and held it up, opening the breach so he could see the bolt.

"Trade secret, sorry." I winked. "But, let's just say that if my targets get within fourteen hundred yards, I'm having a really bad day."

"Fourteen... that's almost a mile!" Bush's jaw could have hit the floor as he stared at me incredulously.

"Done better than that a few times too, with a bit of a favorable wind," I added. "Bottom line - you put me on that street, and nothing gets across. Nothing."

"What Malachite would give..." Bush shook his head, and I felt my ears twitch. Geode had mentioned Malachite's name, atop the Stable-Tec Headquarters two days ago. I tried to mask the curiosity in my voice as I sat in one of the empty chairs nearby.

"I've heard 'bout him... He some sort of big-wig around here or something?"

"Who, Malachite?" Bush barked a laugh, shaking his head. "Man, you must have forgotten about a lot of shit since you last been here. Anypony who's anypony knows Malachite! He used to ruck around Saddle Arabia with mother bucking Geode! Their crew was one of the best! Didn't matter what it was. Hellhounds outta Neighpton, roving band of raiders otta Tel'Applebim, even dragons! They took 'em down easier 'n you can say 'Radscorpion Casserole.'" Bush shook his head again, pointing a hoof my way. "Sun musta baked your brain. If you've ever been in Damarescus before today, you'd know who Malachite is."

"Huh." I scratched at my chin, as if I really hadn't heard about Malachite before. "Nope, can't say I've met him before."

"Well duh." Bush chuckled. "He's not the type o' pony you just 'meet.' He's got layers of security around him these days. He stays holed up in S.T.H.Q., runnin' the guard as best he can from behind a desk. But he's got a lot of ponies in the city under his eye, and in his pocket. Trust me, if you're even half as good with that rifle as you claim to be, you're gonna get his attention sooner or later. Speaking of." He looked at a clock on the wall, which I noted had the second hand twitching loosely at the bottom of the dial. "We're gearin' up to make our move at a quarter past six, so you won't have a lot of time to get in position. We'll have another sergeant in the area, goes by the name Broken Hoof. You tell him how many raiders you drop, and we'll pay you accordingly."

"Right." I filed away all the information Bush had given me and left the office, hardly drawing a second glance from the other ponies I passed. Mother's old partner Malachite was holed up in the same building I'd ridden through just two days ago.

I had a target. Now, I just had to get to him.

----------

I ended up not going to Saddle Brush Avenue. There was no way I was wasting valuable ammunition on the likes of raiders, and certainly not for caps, which I had plenty of anyways. Instead, I went invisible around the corner from the building I'd just left, sidling back towards the West end of the city. Now that I had a band of my own, I might just be able to get some useful information out of the merchants and shopkeepers in the market. One thing in particular was bothering me, and it was circling my right forehoof.

What sort of society did Damarescus have with these things? The bands were curiously designed, with no major marks or enchantments on them. They just seemed like some sort of accessory or something. But the reactions I'd been getting out of guards and shopkeepers before I'd acquired one were worrisome to say the least. I had no doubt in my mind if I'd been discovered without one, and been unable to get away, a grim fate would await me. Now that I had one, it felt like an itch on my leg. A weight.

A shackle.

I found a bored-looking peddler with what looked to be bolts of cloth laid out in the steadily-brightening daylight. They were largely dingy and dirty, but a few of the bolts looked colorful enough to pass for decent merchandise. The expression on the merchant's face brightened as I eyed his product, and he made a show of brushing a greasy forelock of his mane out of his face.

"G-good morning, ma'am! How are you today?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you!" I bubbled, putting on a warm smile and stepping closer. He was younger than me by a fair bit, and smaller, too. Definitely not my type, but I could pretend. "I was just walking by, and I couldn't help but notice your product. How much for a bolt?"

"Eer, I-it's forty caps for the good ones, fifteen for the, uuh... not-so-good ones." He mumbled, too caught up looking at my weapons. And maybe at me, I couldn't quite tell. A flush rose to his cheeks, and I knew I had him.

"Oh my! That's not very much... how do you get by?"

"Eer, well..." He looked up and down the street warily, swallowing hard. I leaned in a little to encourage him, my eyes bright and interested. The cybernetic was probably a little scary, but he seemed more smitten by my mane. "I-It's kinda hard, y'know? Mom makes the stuff, whenever she's not doped outta her mind, and sometimes when she is. That's why some of it's cheaper." He pawed at one of the duller bolts in explanation, giving me a sheepish smile. "Jet. Nasty stuff."

"Oh, it sure is!" I had several inhalers in my bag myself. For emergencies only. "I can hardly imagine! Why, it must be so hard for you." I put a little whine in my voice, leaning closer to rub his shoulder with a hoof. He looked like he could have died. "What's your name?"

"I-it's Stitch." He stammered, looking dazed. I gave him my best coquettish smile, stepping closer once more.

"Well, Stitch, I need a little help."

"Anything!" He blurted, perhaps a little too loudly. He glanced up and down the street, but we hadn't drawn anything more than a passing glance. "I-I'll do anything for you, uuh...?"

"Don't worry about my name." I cooed, rubbing his shoulder softly. "You just need to know that I'm from out-of-town, and just passing through."

"Really? You're a traveller?"

"A Desert Strider, to be precise." I purred, close enough now that I could smell his nervous sweat. “I’m honestly shocked you haven’t heard of me yet.” Desert Striders were a legend from the pre-war Saddle Arabia, ponies so wealthy and renown that they could waltz into a town, drop one bauble or trinket from among their collection, and live like Equestrian royalty for the next few weeks. Judging by Stitch’s reaction, the title still carried weight, even one hundred and eighty years past the bombs dropping Idly, I wondered if I really could be a Desert Strider. Mother likely was, with the myriad of ponies who knew her name It wasn’t really a title one got, except by way of popularity. If enough ponies knew your name, you were a Desert Strider.

"You see, it's been a long, long time since I was in Damarescus last." I continued, flashing my yellow band. "These silly bracelets are so tacky, and they cost so much! Why in the world am I forced to wear such a garish thing? I'd much rather wear that charming brooch from Neighjev, but I had to trade it for this gaudy thing." My story continued to make the young buck squirm with excitement, his eyes practically dancing now.

"Oh, you left before the wall went up!" I smiled at that. 'Ah, now we're getting somewhere.' "See, after Geode vanished, her crew settled down here in Damarescus. Malachite and Hightower had never really been friendly towards one another, but things got worse once they were both on the council."

I kept my eye on Stitch while details of the council's history scrolled past my implant. Damarescus was ran by seventy-some-odd ponies who, in the past, had been the heads of the marems that united to found the city itself. Since then, they'd become wealthy merchants, union leaders, and other influential or popular parties. They were, for all intents and purposes, the ruling body of Damarescus, keeping in mind their constituencies as they made laws, regulations, and mandates about how the city would be ran.

"They started arguing more and more, sometimes about stupid stuff like fishing laws and preservation, but most often about important issues like the safety of the city and stuff like that." Stitch was getting excited now, hitting his stride in the story. "A lot of the time, the council would be split either way. But just about two years ago, Malachite called Hightower out on one of her lies. She lost face in a big way, and was kicked off the council." I flinched at that. To be removed from the council would likely be social suicide. She'd been dishonored in a major way.

"I mean, it's all rumor and stuff, but some of the adults talk about her getting kicked off like it wasn't so bad. She was kinda going crazy, saying we needed to help the wasteland, and that the wall is a bad thing." That shocked me, I had to admit. I blinked at the young buck a few times, my confusion apparent.

"The wall is a bad thing, though... isn't it?" He looked shocked at the implication, his expression turned fearful in an instant.

"No! The wall is awesome! It keeps those dirty Lowsiders out there, with the raiders and them."

"Them?" I inquired. He leaned in closer, his voice low and intense.

"The zombies."

Ghouls.

Lowside had a ghoul problem, and a raider problem. Some small part of me couldn't really fault Malachite for putting up a wall now. I shook myself, getting back to the whole point of this conversation. "And the bands...?"

"Oh, those are so we can tell who's who!" He lifted his own hoof, sporting a dirty yellow band. It looked almost like it was moments away from cracking, with a large split on one side. "Green are the higher-ups, the really rich ponies. They live in the towers n' stuff. Yellow are the regular ponies, who live out here in the city. Red ones are Lowsiders who can come into the city, but they need to leave at night time. They usually only trade." He beamed with a bright look. "I can show you a red pony!"

"That... might help." I furrowed my brow, trying to make sense of it all. The pompous pony with his nose in the air the other day had had a green band. I hadn't seen any red-banded ponies yet, but I hadn't really been paying much attention to the merchants after the first few had chased me away.

"Here." Stitch's horn lit up as he penned directions on a nearby bit of scrap cloth. "Stone usually sets up her weapon shop at this place. If not, just ask around. She's kinda popular, brings in a lot of good scraps from outside the wall. That, and you can't really miss her." He giggled like the youth he was. "She's kinda big."

"Hmm." I took the crudely-drawn map from Stitch and surveyed it. She was only four blocks away or so, but she'd be in the neighborhood of some merchants I'd been shooed away by yesterday. I hoped none of them would notice me as I went to seek this pony out. A red-banded scavenger from outside of the wall? I wondered what she'd be like.

Well, big, for one. And if her name was any indication, she'd be an Earth Pony. So, hardy. Probably battle-scarred. And with any luck, very knowledgeable about the wastes. I tucked the directions away and smiled at Stitch.

"Thank you for all your help, Stitch. I think I have everything I need."

"Wait!" He scrambled for a few moments, fishing up one of the not-so-dingy bolts of cloth. It wasn't bright, but the color matched my cloak and balaclava. "Here. It's a gift. For a Desert Strider. What's your name, by the way? This'll make a killer story to tell my friends!" I accepted the bolt of cloth, thinking that maybe my armor's repair spell would use it if I needed it, and pursed my lips at the young unicorn.

"I told you, love." I blew him a kiss and a wink as my invisibility spell charged. "I'm just passing through."

----------

I followed the directions given to me as surreptitiously as I could, keeping a wary eye on the peddlers and merchants I had ran into yesterday. I'd have to talk my way out of an arrest if one of the merchants recognized me and decided to call me out, but hopefully the imposing sight of Shiva slung across my back would make them think twice.

Much to my surprise (and relief,) Stone was incredibly easy to find. She had a small shop set up in the middle of the market, card tables sporting a myriad of weaponry. Many of the pieces were in ill-repair, but there were a few gems that I could make out even as I approached the stall. They ran the gamut from mouth-held blades and batons to a surprisingly shiny anti-materiel rifle.

Stone was conversing with a pegasi customer, so I slowed my approach to give them space. Half the reason she was so easy to find was her impressive stature. Even with her head bent down to talk with the customer, she was easily half again taller than me. She wore combat armor, and it looked like it had seen work. Unless I was mistaken, one of the metal plates along her barrel was dented with a rifle round.

She was grey in complexion, with a dirty-brown mane and dull grey eyes. Her cutie mark was obscured by the armor, but her battle saddle looked like it could carry two heavy machine guns, or maybe one of the modified miniguns I'd heard about. Her hide was crisscrossed with scars and other blemishes, though, making her easily one of the most intimidating figures I'd come across yet.

In many ways, she resembled a younger, bigger Geode.

The other half of the reason she was so easy to find was, as I approached her store, the pegasus snatched a weapon from the table and made an attempt to jet off. With an almost inequine amount of speed, Stone reached out through the space between them and clamped her jaws on the fleeing pony's tail, jerking him to a rough halt mid-air. I thought I could hear her teeth clack together with the strands of tail between them.

Almost immediately, all eyes were on Stone and the pegasus. Including the guards. They began to circle the imposing mare, shouting and hollering.

"Let him go, scavver!" Security guards quickly converged on the two, drawing all manner of weapons. Was... was one of them wielding a power sledge? I kept to the fringe of the conflict, watching how Stone handled such imposing numbers. The sudden activity had toppled the table of weapons, spilling guns and other implements of death onto the dusty street.

"Ee pryin' a rohh ee!" She growled around his tail, still not letting the flapping pegasus go. I knew pegasi could easily carry somepony her weight, but she was somehow clinging to the ground, not giving any leeway.

"Let him go! Last warning!" Security barked, their rifles and shotguns loading with ominous clicks and the sound of slides racking back. I grimaced, my horn glowing. A small bubble floated through the air, stopping above the frantic pegasus. It popped, and as it did so, his eyes closed and his wings stopped flapping. He face-planted into the dirty street, just on time, it seemed. Stone spat his tail out and began rummaging through his saddlebags, grumbling to herself.

"Hey! Get outta there! Baton, arrest her!"

"Here!" She snarled, pulling a sheathed combat knife that was easily the size of my foreleg out of his saddle bags. "Fucker swiped this from m’ table an’ tried t’ fly off!" in the confusion, my eyes caught a few opportunists levitating or snatching the scattered weapons and packing them away themselves. I grabbed a nearby pistol and shotgun myself, if only to use as bargaining chips later.

"Wait, did he really?" The stallion called Baton asked, spitting his trigger bit out. "Boss, whaddya want us to do?"

"He's out cold," the mare in charge nudged the sleeping pegasus, giving a soft 'huh' before turning back to the red-banded scavenger. "Alright. We won't throw you in the clink tonight, Stone, but this is the third time this week. We can't have you roughing up your customers. This is my last warning - we're taking your band and sending you back. If you try this shit again when you get another, we'll take you to S.T.H.Q. and keep ya there." There was a dangerous hint to her voice that made even the tough-looking Stone falter a bit. She grumbled, but nodded.

"Fine. Lemme pack up my shit and we can go." She began looking around for her scattered belongings, only to notice half of them had been nicked. Several ponies were walking away with not-so-inconspicuous whistles. "Fuckin' leeches. The lot o' ya." She mumbled, almost too quiet to be heard. I stepped forward, eager to enact my plan before she was escorted out of the wall. Security looked at me suspiciously, but were too busy shooing away the crowd or carting off the unconscious pegasus to pay me much mind.

"I'm closed, didn't ya hear?" Stone growled, slamming weapons into holsters and back into a large crate.

"Oh I heard," I chuckled, levitating out the shotgun and pistol I'd snatched. "Just thought you'd want these back."

"Aw damn." She sighed, taking them both and tossing them in among the rest of the gear. "Thought I wouldn't get any of them back. Well, take yer pick before I'm done packin', else you won't get nothin."

"I think I'm good on weapons." I chuckled, stepping a little closer so the curious security ponies couldn't hear. Stone tensed visibly, looking at me as if I were crazy. I peered over the brim of my sunglasses at her, a slight smirk on my lips. "What I need is somepony who knows Damarescus."

"Shit on my mane and call me muddy, you're from Alpha!" She breathed, glancing about before throwing a hoof over my shoulders and pulling me close. "Yer gonna get yerself killed, iffen the right ponies find out!" Her desperate tone sent a shiver of worry through my body, and I spared her a curious glance.

"How do you mean?"

"Shut up, keep that PipBuck covered, and don't talk to nopony." She commanded. I furrowed my brow as she hissed once more. "Follow me to the gate and come out on your own. That yellow band will get you in and out of Lowside without any trouble. And remember. Cover. That. PipBuck." She shoved me away, speaking more loudly. "No, I ain't gonna sell my stock for two thousand caps! Y'all must've spit yer bit!" I staggered back, looking incredulous, before catching onto the ruse.

"What, this junk? It's hardly worth one-point-five, let alone two! Plus you just lost half of it to the real thieves!"

"Ah said get outta here!" Stone roared, making the guards surge between us.

"Are you insane?" Baton pushed me back further, his eyes wide. "Stone's crazy! She'd just as soon eat you than sell you anything!"

"Get that psycho outta here!" I spat, making a show at trying to shove past him to get a swipe at Stone, who did the same despite being held back by three guards.

"All right, Stone, let's go." The guards grew more insistent, offering a few kicks in addition to their shoves. Stone acted like she hardly felt it, instead whirling back to the crate with her stock and hauling it up onto her haunches. There had to be at least three dozen weapons in there, but she carried it as if it were nothing. That was on top of her regular saddlebags, which appeared to be pretty full as well. She glared over her shoulder at me and spat before the guards escorted her off. Baton nudged me with a chuckle.

"Seriously, darlin', you'd best be careful. Stone's from Tel Applebim; she's actually crazy. I don't know why Malachite doesn't just put a bullet in her and be done with it." He sighed, shaking his head and turning to help escort the sulking Stone away.

"Hey," I stopped him, gesturing towards the retreating form of Stone and her entourage of six security ponies. "Is she really that much of a problem?"

"Well, not really, I guess." Baton sighed. "Just a nuisance, really. There's rumor she's involved with the Lowsider Revolt, and Malachite's looking for any information to put them down."

"Lowsider Revolt? Over what? Is it really that bad?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. Baton just looked at me quizzically.

"You been here a long time?" He asked.

"First time up here in years." It wasn't exactly a lie. He just shook his head.

"Yeah it's bad. Them damn scavvers want a slice of the city, and they're halfway to tearing down the wall to get at it." He spat, turning away at last. That he didn't mention the ghouls or raiders that were also outside of the walls was concerning. The way I saw it, I could either investigate from within or without. Or maybe a little of both. If anyone was gonna know where Geode was, Malachite seemed like the best bet, with his supposed network of skilled ponies. Then again, something stank to high heaven about the way the ponies in Lowside were being treated. Stone's entourage was turning a corner, and Baton had already caught up to them. I had to make my decision and make it fast.

"Damnit." I sighed, pulling the balaclava up over my muzzle and the hood over my mane.

----------

The gates out of the city were fewer and farther apart than I had anticipated. One gate per wall, with the ocean fulfilling that role on the city's eastern side. There were guard towers and stairwells leading up to the top of the wall here and there, but no way through or over outside of these imposing bits of scenery.

I had tailed Stone and her escort to the western gate, watching from the shadow of an alleyway as the hulking mare held her hoof out to one of the guards at the checkpoint. He snipped her red band off, and she winced as it left her hoof. I realized that, to a Lowsider, entering the city to peddle their wares was probably the only reliable way to make money. They likely had to pay for the privilege of owning one of those bands in the first place.

The checkpoint itself was a chain link and barbed-wire affair, with four ponies standing on a walkway that ran over the aperture. No more than two ponies could have walked through the gap shoulder-to-shoulder, and Stone looked to fill the passage all on her own. Aside from the four watching the way in and out, there were other guards atop the wall, walking back and forth with automatic rifles in their saddles, or held aloft in their magic. A pair of pegasi wheeled overhead, casting fleeting shadows in the mid-day sun. It was shaping up to be hot, and I felt sweltering underneath the hood. I knew it'd only be worse if I took the thing off, so I resigned myself to watching behind the shade of my hood and glasses.

Stone finally disappeared through the gate, trundling down a short set of stairs and out into Lowside proper. I sat back in the alleyway, pondering for a few more moments.

'Do I really want to leave Lowside just yet? There's no telling what Stone is going to get me into on the other side. I might not even be able to make it back after she gets her hooves on me. Did I get everything I need from in here? Should I fish for more information about Malachite?'

Those questions and more ran rampant in my mind, until I finally arrived at a decision.

"Headed out?" Stone's escort had disappeared, walking north along the wall. Only the four ponies watching the gate, the one who had snipped Stone's band, and the guards on the wall remained. I smiled at him, pulling the balaclava down to speak clearly.

"Yup. I had some business with Stone, but I guess she got kicked out...?" At the mention of the arms dealer, the guard nodded in understanding. With my weapons, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that I had dealings with her.

"Yeah, that dumb bitch was through here just a few minutes ago. If you hurry, you can catch her. Just, aah... you might want to take that off when you're out there. Them Lowsiders, they don't care much for we proper Damarescussians."

"Noted." I chuckled, slipping the band off. I stowed it in my bags and pulled the balaclava back up, slipping under the watchful eyes of the four guards standing over the enclosed passageway into and out of Damarescus. When I emerged into the far side, I was shocked by the sudden desolation about me. There was only one guard here, a surly-looking earth pony with two light machineguns strapped to his battle saddle. He glared at me, but turned his attention back to the street before me, which seemed to stretch on forever.

The shimmering heat waves distorted what could have been a pony walking across the street maybe eight or nine blocks away, but other than that, there was nothing out here. No bustling crowds, no press of ponies packing into each street, no corner vendors hawking food, crafts, or supplies.

Just dust and silence. You couldn't even see the patrolling ponies on top of the wall from this side, and the pegasi wheeling overhead were lost in the glare of the sun. The buildings were dilapidated as well, looking much worse for the wear, even on the ground level. Between the wall and the next building was a stand-off distance of maybe a hundred feet or so, and small drifts of sand had blown up against either feature, speaking volumes about the disrepair the city had fallen into on this side.

I didn't linger for long. I needed to track down Stone, and one of the slowly-shifting amber bars to my left looked like it might have been her. I trotted down the street a short ways, looking through windows and in doorways for signs of life. There didn't seem to be much. I thought I'd spotted a pony in some second-story floor halfway down the first block, but a second look betrayed nothing.

It wasn't until I turned the street that I finally saw somepony else. It was Stone, leaning against the wall with a bemused grin on her face.

"Well then. Welcome to Lowside."

----------

Footnote: Level Up!
New Perk: Chez la Filly - you're a mare-killer! You gain special dialogue options with members of the same sex, and you do an additional 10% damage to female targets!
Side Note: Speech 35, Sneak 40